Devious Ice:

Chapter 5: Shadow in the Night

What's that? Another chapter in less than a year?! It's more likely than you might think! Feels good to keep writing! Several people have been asking for Hans and Elsa to interact again and that's exactly what this chapter is about. Now originally, I had planned this chapter to be after a timeskip but then I realized I would be skipping over Hans and Elsa's first talk like this and I couldn't let that slide. I also had a wonderful idea of what to do with the chapter so at this point what I originally planned for chapter 4 got pushed to chapter 6. But it was necessary for the story to have the proper development it needed.

This chapter will have a lot of Hans so enjoy!

It was the dead of the night in Arendelle.

The queen was preparing to leave for the Southern Isles. She was taking a different boat than she normally did, one that drew less attention than the main royal boat. She brought a skeleton crew for the ship and handpicked the captain for the boat. Each of them was sworn to secrecy. None of them were to ask questions about why she was going to the Southern Isles. She didn't take any guards with her; This trip was to remain a secret, and any subsequent trips were to remain secret as well.

Elsa readied to board the boat. She wore a blue and black dress, one that somewhat resembled her coronation dress but was far less restrictive. Covering her was a brown hood that concealed her entire dress and her head. An ice dress would be far too easy to spot, and Elsa was aiming to be as discrete as possible. The snow queen walked across the gangway to board the boat, stopping short when she was just one step away from it.

I'm really doing this.

Elsa stepped forward onto the boat. She felt unnaturally at ease about this. Her previous trips to the Southern Isles were marked with worry and anxiety. But now she was eager. She wanted to go.

When the salt and pepper haired captain told Elsa that they were prepped to leave she gave him permission to begin the journey. Captain Andreas gave orders to the crew as they opened the sails, his world- weary face lively as he yelled. The boat started to move. As they progressed away from the docks and out of the fjord, Elsa walked up to the back of the boat. She raised her hands to create a ball of her magic that caused freezing gusts, blowing her hood around. Elsa threw her hands forward and created icy winds that blasted into the sails, causing the boat to surge forward. Ice started to cover the mast and sails, but the snow queen waved a hand and quickly dissipated it. She headed inside to her room to rest while the boat made its way to its destination.

Normally it would take about a day to reach the Southern Isles, half a day with good winds. But with Elsa's powers creating winds they could reach it in a fraction of the time. She needed every second she could get.

Elsa had contacted Kristan about coming as soon as she decided to return. He promised to be there when she arrived. Everything was set up for this trip.

As the ship neared the Southern Isles a member of the crew woke Elsa up. As she got up, she felt shockingly well rested. The queen prepared herself, combing her hair back and straightening out her dress. It wasn't like it would matter when she was just talking to Hans, but she was so used to fixing her appearance for meetings it felt wrong to not do anything. The white haired queen walked out onto the deck as the boat settled into the pier. Everything was dead silent in the docks save for a few fishermen who were offloading their catch, far too busy with their work to pay attention to the ship that just arrived. As Elsa scanned the wharf she saw Kristan there with several guards surrounding him and what must have been a dozen guards scattered around the docks. After the boat docked Elsa exited and approached the crown prince of the Southern Isles.

"Welcome back to the Southern Isles Queen Elsa," Kristan said as he got down on his knee. As he stood back up Elsa curtsied. "I have everything prepared."

"Thank you, Prince Kristan," Elsa formally replied. She turned to the crew. "I shouldn't be here longer than an hour. Be prepared for my return." The crew all saluted the queen and returned to working on the ship. While Elsa wanted to be as brief as possible, she also hoped that she could give the crew some time to rest. She'd have them sailing to and from the Southern Isles in one night. While Captain Andreas assured her that his men could easily do it without a wink of sleep, the queen felt that the crew deserved at least some rest.

Soon Elsa and Kristan were in the carriage he had prepared and on their way to the castle.

"Thank you for coming to see Hans," Kristan said. "I won't ask why you chose to come back and see him, but you seem to be the only person he's willing to talk to."

Elsa wasn't sure what to say.

"You're welcome," she thoughtlessly blurted out. Elsa felt embarrassed. Kristan was expressing such a kind sentiment and that's all she managed to come up with.

I was doing so well too…

Kristan must have sensed the awkwardness because he quickly continued.

"I had almost given up hope on Hans after months of making no progress. But ever since you came in something's changed with him. He's still not easy to deal with, of course, but he's become less hostile... You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know that."

Oh thank goodness.

Elsa was relieved. She was glad that Kristan wasn't trying to force a conversation. He was being pretty understanding about her awkwardness. But with the silence a new question came to Elsa's mind.

"I was actually wondering…" Elsa started. Kristan gave her his attention. "What happened to Hans' horse?"

"Sitron?" the elder prince responded. "I had him put in the royal stables. I've had him taken care of by John. So far no one else has been able to get near Sitron without a problem. Sitron was always particularly attached to Hans, and John helped train him."

"Ah. Thank you," Elsa responded.

Elsa was glad to hear that. Ever since Hans mentioned that in a letter, she had thought about asking Kristan about it. She knew Hans would never ask his brother, and she had to admit she was curious about it too.

As the carriage arrived at the castle it slowed down and then came to a halt. The door was opened from the outside and Elsa saw that John was standing just outside of the carriage. Kristan got out first and held out a hand to help Elsa out. She took it as she stepped out of the carriage and onto the stone ground.

"Looks like I finally caught you at a good time," Elsa joked with John.

John was going to say something to argue but held his tongue, rubbing his mustache awkwardly. Elsa was right. This was the first time she had met him when he wasn't exasperated. He gave the queen a bow, which she responded to with a curtsy.

"Welcome back to the Southern Isles, Queen Elsa," John said before handing a set of keys to Kristan.

Kristan led the way towards Hans. It wasn't too long before they reached the entrance to the prison where Hans' cell was. After Kristan told the guards to step aside he unlocked the door. Elsa walked with Kristan down the stone hallway. Somehow the dark and damp tunnel felt less depressing than it did before. The atmosphere managed to be less oppressive. After going through gate after gate they finally reached the final one at the entrance of Hans' cell. Kristan put the key into the keyhole but didn't turn it.

"I won't be going in with you," Kristan whispered so quietly that Elsa could barely hear him. She leaned closer to him to hear him better. "I don't want to mess up anything." Elsa nodded silently to him and he turned the key and opened the door.

Elsa strolled into the cell without hesitation and with her head held high. She walked past the column and stopped in front of Hans' cell.

Hans sat there on his dirty mat like he always did. He slowly raised his head and met Elsa with a smile. He lacked the facial hair he'd had in the past, to Elsa's surprise. He was totally clean shaven with his sideburns neatly trimmed.

"Welcome back, Queen Elsa," the former prince cheerfully said as he stood up. He approached the door of his cell and grabbed the bars as he leaned his head against them. "So good to see you again."

Elsa waved her hand and created an elaborately designed ice chair behind her. She sat down and smiled back at Hans. "Hello, Hans."

"Don't I get a chair? I think it's a little unfair that you'll make me stand like this."

"Well I think you're going to have to earn that right, Hans," Elsa slyly said back to him.

"Oh, you're so mean," Hans playfully whined.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Elsa cut straight to the point.

"I just want to know how you're doing. Talk about the weather. Chat a bit."

"I'm doing fine, Hans. You look like you've been better, though," she teased the disgraced prince. If he was going to mess with her then she was going to mess with him.

"Oh, you don't mean that," Hans pouted, putting on a comically sad face. "You have to admit I look better than last time."

"You look like you've shaved. I would have expected you to have a beard sitting here all this time."

"I have a brother named Kasper who gave me a shave before you came. He says I should still try to look presentable for foreign royalty. Typical of him. He always thinks about dealing with foreign dignitaries. But I think he was just trying to make me look good for you."

"He gave you a shave?" Elsa ignored his obviously playful line.

"Oh yes. He came down here with a chair, shaving cream, and a razor to do it." He rubbed his chin. "He did a good job, don't you think?"

He's fishing for a compliment.

The young queen tried to ignore it. But he did look good well shaved. Not that she was opposed to him with the scruff. Some stubble, not too much. It was a rather rugged look. Well… actually a beard would look quite dashing on him. Then again, the clean face certainly-

Stop thinking about that, she chastised herself.

"You look fine," Elsa responded trying to remain as stone-faced as possible.

"I'm quite fine actually," Hans smiled back at her.

Wait a minute.

Elsa noticed something about Hans. Something that she hadn't realized until now.

He's not mirroring me.

Elsa waved her hand and created an ice chair similar to hers behind Hans. He checked behind him and then smiled back at Elsa.

"Why thank you Elsa. I am blessed by the famous generosity of the Queen of Arendelle," Hans praised her as he gracefully sat down and set his right foot over his left knee and laced his fingers together, resting his arms on his legs.

"Yeah, yeah," she dismissively said back at him. Elsa knew he was being purposefully over the top. But she had to admit that even in his position he could still manage to look rather dignified.

"So, you mentioned you had some situation going on in Arendelle in your letters," Hans started. "Now I understand why you didn't go into details in the letters, but you have me rather intrigued about what's going on." Hans leaned forward, expressing great interest in what Elsa had to say.

Do I tell him about the situation at the border? Elsa questioned herself.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to get another opinion on the matter, especially from someone like Hans who would know how someone sneaky would think. It's not like I have to tell him everything. But will he be completely honest with me?

"Well… we do have something going on…" the queen started. Hans subtly leaned forward, eyes widening with interest. "I won't be telling you everything, but we've had bandits at the Weselton border that have attacked villages and towns, but the tricky part is that they were found with Weselton Army weaponry." Elsa was anticipating what he would say.

"Do you know it's Weselton that's behind it?" Hans shot out.

"We're not sure. We haven't been able to figure it out."

"Hm. If I was trying to go after Arendelle then I would do something similar. Goad Arendelle into military action through minor attacks, then play the victim. Call in allies and overwhelm Arendelle from multiple fronts. They might even be using obvious weapons to make you more likely to take action. If Weselton is doing this, they would want you to attack them," Hans explained. "Even with your powers you couldn't fight off multiple kingdoms. And if they played it right, they'd make you look like the aggressor and lose any good will you have with people."

Elsa had to admit that hearing Hans' take on the situation was interesting.

"That's very possible."

"Do you have a military advisor?" he inquired.

"I have several advisors but none of them are military. Though I do have Captain Aksel who leads my royal guard, he-"

"You wouldn't be referring to Aksel the Blade, would you?" Hans interjected.

"Aksel the what?" Elsa was confused.

"Aksel the Blade. A mercenary with near unparalleled skills with a sword. He came to Denmark a while back and made quite a name for himself doing mercenary work. Rumor has it he came from the north but he never stuck around long enough for anyone to ask him anything."

"Aksel… was a mercenary. But he hasn't said anything about that before."

"I'd be interested to know if he's the same Aksel."

"I'll ask him when I see him next. But he shares my concern about this. He's recommended that I keep soldiers near the border to keep an eye on things but not to do anything too rash. He's drawn up plans to keep troops close to the border to watch in a way that doesn't make things too suspicious," Elsa explained. She said more than she intended to, but she felt oddly comfortable with discussing this with Hans. However, she knew she should stop herself from telling him literally everything.

"He sounds very wise."

"The Captain has experience that's been very helpful."

"I can see that. You definitely don't want to start a war, regardless. And if it isn't Weselton that's behind it you especially don't want to start a fight with them. Then you'd have Weselton and whoever is responsible to deal with. Unless you know who's truly behind it you can't really do much," Hans speculated.

"And that's the real problem," Elsa replied with an exasperated sigh. "There are so many things we just don't know."

"You know… I can help you. Let me come back with you and I can provide you with plenty of advice."

Elsa silently laughed at Hans' suggestion. She knew he was kidding but she decided to play along with him. It was actually kind of nice to have that playful banter after talking about such a serious subject.

"Are you going to try to escape and usurp another kingdom?" the queen taunted.

"No," Hans replied plainly.

"I don't believe you."

"Why would I? After what happened in Arendelle last summer everyone knows what I did. Everyone in Arendelle, Weselton, Corona, Kriggar, Elos, Lavencia, Maldonia, Fehmar. Every kingdom knows what I did. No one would trust me no matter where I go. I'd be on the run for the rest of my life. Even if I did manage to take over a country it would only be a matter of time before they'd overthrow me. There's no point. I had my chance to become king and I lost. I'd have to go so far away to find anyone who hasn't heard of me that it would be pointless."

"… You're serious?" Elsa found herself… intrigued. Was Hans being genuine?

"Of course," Hans said. "I wanted to be king and I wanted it so badly that I was willing to lie, manipulate, and kill my way to the throne of Arendelle."

"An ambitious plan," Elsa admitted, almost smug knowing that Hans had failed.

"And what did that ambition get me?" Hans said sorrowfully. "A lifetime in a dirty cell? Being shackled to the floor?" Hans held up his shackled hands causing the chains to rattle. "I was better off being miserable in my life here in the Southern Isles. Now I'm nothing but a stain on the history of the Westergaard family. No doubt my parents have already struck me from the family tree."

Hans looked off into the distance, at nothing in particular. He was lost in thought. He just had a sour look on his face.

"I never should have gone to Arendelle," Hans muttered. It was almost quiet enough to slip by Elsa.

She… felt pity for Hans. Of course, he deserved this. After what he did… leaving Anna for dead and lying to her to make her think she killed Anna. Elsa remembered his face when he was masquerading as the perfect prince. But she saw his face now and it was miserable. A far cry from the dashing prince he pretended to be and a far cry from the cunning usurper he actually was. Elsa had figured out that Hans was good at putting on faces to hide his true feelings. But now he was not even trying. Despite being clean shaven he looked worse than ever.

"You can move on and become better," Elsa finally spoke up with earnest. She had at times felt she was a horrible person for what she did to Anna. But she had put that behind her and repaired her relationship with Anna.

It might be a bit naïve… but maybe Hans could become better?

Hans was slow to react, but eventually he turned his attention back to Elsa with a weak smile on his face.

"You think I can be better?" He questioned. Elsa swallowed awkwardly.

"I think it's… not impossible. Even for you," she said with a bit of hesitance.

"You're sounding like Kristan now."

"Maybe Kristan is right about you," Elsa replied.

Hans looked like he wanted to be mad but he couldn't.

"We'll see about that," Hans returned to his playful attitude.

"You're just being difficult," Elsa sighed.

"Maybe so," Hans teased. A smirk creeped onto his face.

"Got tired of showing a little vulnerability there?" Elsa teased him back. Hans' smile widened.

"I have to be a strong man for the fair lady in my presence," Hans retorted, dramatically throwing a hand up.

I'm sure that's about all I'll get out of him on that, Elsa thought to herself.

"Now how is Anna doing?" Hans asked, shifting the topic.

"Far better without you. She's dating a guy who actually loves her… not that you care," Elsa shot.

"You're not wrong," He admitted. "I'm sure she's fine with… that guy?"

"Kristoff."

"Yes him. I'm sure she's plenty fine. It doesn't take much for her."

Silence.

Elsa wasn't exactly enthused at that comment about Anna.

"I'll have you know I'm not going to let you talk down about Anna," she firmly stated. Hans looked rather taken aback by the statement.

"I'm jus-"

"I'm not going to allow it Hans. So, unless you want me to leave, keep comments like that to yourself."

Hans met Elsa's gaze. It might be the first time they properly made eye contact. Elsa challenged Hans for a good twenty seconds until he broke eye contact, looking away from Elsa. When he turned back to Elsa, he had a smile on his face.

"Fine then. If you insist," he relented.

"I'm glad we can come to an understanding," Elsa gave a smug smile. She thought she saw something in Hans' smile. He didn't look mad at being challenged.

He looks kinda… happy.

"So, do you have anything else for me?" Hans inquired.

"As a matter of fact, I do. I talked to Kristan and he said he has your horse in the royal stables. He has John taking care of him," Elsa said. Hans' expression changed again. He gave a quiet sigh of relief. He swallowed before he responded.

"That's… good to know. I had expected my parents…" Hans trailed off. Elsa didn't need him to finish the statement. Knowing what she did about his parents she knew what he was going to say.

Hans was quiet again. Elsa wasn't sure if she should break the silence.

"Thank you," Hans finally spoke up, failing to look at Elsa as he said it. Elsa was taken aback by the fact that he genuinely thanked her. There wasn't a hint of sarcasm to it. What he had written in his letters about his horse painted a picture that he cared quite a bit for him. Given his lacking family situation it wasn't hard for Elsa to imagine him being so attached to his horse. He could have simply asked Kristan himself if he wanted to know. But Elsa had learned by now just how damaged his relationship with his family is. She hoped that Kristan could manage to get through to his younger brother.

Hans had to admit to himself that Elsa was getting to him. He couldn't lose the little bit of power he had in the situation, but he found himself at a loss of how to respond. He'd gone months not knowing what happened to Sitron. He was made fun of by his brothers for years that his horse was his only friend, but considering they made fun of him regardless he'd rather be friends with his horse than any of them. Elsa didn't have to ask about Sitron for him… but she did anyway.

"You're welcome," Elsa said softly. Hans looked back at the queen and held a gaze with her. She saw him give a slight smile before breaking eye contact and putting on a smug face.

A mask again. Well… I won't push it.

Elsa tried to think of a subject to shift to. Thankfully she didn't have to.

"I could go for some wine right now," Hans spoke up, changing the subject. "A good Chardonnay with some camembert."

He clearly wants to get away from being vulnerable. But wine isn't a bad topic.

"I'm sure I've got some Chardonnay back at home, but I can't promise any camembert. Anna and I don't exactly eat much of it," the young queen responded.

"Shame. Camembert pairs so well with it."

"You'll have to give me some recommendations for wine pairings. I'm sure you know so much about wine," Elsa couldn't help but add a bit of snark to the end of her response.

"I'll have to tell you some of my favorite wines when I write you again."

"How do you even write to me?" she asked. This was something that had bugged Elsa for a while. She never saw Hans with anything in his cell that he could write with.

"Writing can be a bit difficult. They only allow me to have a wooden board and a piece of paper. Then they take it from me when I'm done."

Elsa had an idea, but she kept it to herself.

"That's all? You don't even have a desk to write on?"

"What do I look like? Royalty? They don't give me anything here. Not that I blame them. But I usually have to just write by moonlight."

Moonlight…

The young queen just realized. It was getting late.

The ice on Elsa's chair started to fracture and expand erratically.

I can't stay here much longer. I need to get back, Elsa frantically thought to herself.

It's okay. I'll get back and no one will know… but what if they do? What if Anna finds me coming in late? What would I tell her? What if a guard finds me? What if they've known the whole time? How will I explain this?! What am I going to do?!

Elsa clenched her fists. She didn't know why. Maybe to distract herself. She tried to take a silent few seconds to calm down, but the ice didn't fix itself.

"Are you alright Elsa?" Hans asked, concerned. Elsa didn't answer. She didn't want to answer.

I have to calm down. I have to calm down. I have to calm down. I have to keep this under control.

Elsa started to hyperventilate. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She felt numb. Her vision started to get blurry until she could only see white. The only thing she could feel was the inescapable fear.

Oh, please not now. Not now. I can't do this right now. I don't have Anna with me to help. Or Kai. Or Gerda.

Ice started to spread from her chair despite her efforts to stop it. Elsa could barely think about the ice, let along stop it. It creeped out to Hans' cell and the pillar behind her.

"Elsa. It's going to be fine," Elsa heard his voice. Hans got up from his chair and walked up to the bars of his cell. "Listen to me Elsa. It's going to pass, just relax and focus on my voice. I'm right here."

His voice felt like it reached into her, cut through her like a hot knife through butter. She latched onto it. Elsa felt herself slowly regain her vision. The anxiety started to soften. It wasn't gone but she was starting to feel more in control. Hearing Hans' voice was strangely comforting, not that she would admit it out loud. The ice receded and the chair slowly reformed itself properly. She still felt uneasy but at least she didn't feel like she was suffocating. The queen sat in her chair quietly for what felt like an eternity while she calmed down. Hans patiently waited for the ten minutes it actually lasted. In all honesty he'd value the silent presence of Elsa over anyone else talking to him.

Elsa put her head in her hands.

"That didn't look fun," Hans broke the silence. He realized how insensitive the comment was and changed his tune, not wanting to alienate the one person he enjoyed talking to. "Are you alright?"

"… I'm… I'm fine. I think it's time to wrap this up. I need to get back," Elsa said, trying to appear more composed than she actually was. She stood up and with a wave of her hand her and Hans' chairs disappeared. She finally felt like she could breathe again. It was probably going to be a few hours before these feelings completely subsided, but she was glad to have the anxiety start to go away. She hated feeling like this.

Why does his voice do that to me? Elsa thought to herself. It's not that she didn't appreciate it, but it was just so strange. It was like when he called to her at the ice castle all those months ago. She was about to kill those Weselton guards, but Hans' voice reached her. It snapped her back to reality and stopped her from doing something she would regret. Elsa didn't understand how he did that. While the thought of it had bothered her before... now she didn't feel so uncomfortable about it.

"Thank you, Hans," Elsa said. She felt she should at least thank him for that. Hans smiled back at her and made Elsa feel warm, which was strange because she never felt warm like that.

"You're quite welcome, Queen Elsa," Hans replied with a smirk. "I'd be a terrible host if I didn't help my guest." It was a playful comment, but Elsa sensed a desperation Hans was hiding. His eyes betrayed his smile.

Perhaps it's because he shares the same feelings of loneliness? Elsa pondered. But she could think about it later.

Elsa walked up to Hans's cell and held out her hand. Hans looked at it curiously before taking it and shaking her hand.

"I'll see you later, Hans," the young queen said.

"Are you going to come back soon?" he inquired. Elsa let go of his hand.

"I won't be able to visit again until after the New Year."

"Your birthday is coming up, is it not?" Hans asked.

"Yes, and I will be spending it with Anna. Then I have the Yule Bell I have to set up and Christmas to get ready for. Arendelle hasn't had a proper Christmas in years."

"Sounds busy. Sadly, I won't be able to join you for Christmas."

"My thoughts and prayers will be with you Hans," Elsa said as she walked backwards towards the exit. She turned forward and walked to the door.

Then Elsa stopped. She turned back around to Hans with a smile on her face.

"You know Hans… I noticed you weren't mirroring me today. That's progress," the snow queen calmly told him before leaving.

Hans thought about her parting words.

Darn her… getting the last word like that.

Elsa emerged from the dungeon into the cool night air. She took a breath, feeling honestly happy about this. Surprisingly she felt like her anxiety was pretty much gone. Elsa couldn't help but smile about it. She noticed that Kristan was over the on left leaning against the stone wall. He looked like he had fallen asleep waiting on her but woke up when she approached him. He quickly composed himself.

"Did it go well?" Kristan asked.

"It was pleasant," the snow queen responded. Kristan smiled.

"I can't tell you how thankful I am that you can get through to him."

"I'm just talking to him."

"That's more than any of us have managed. You've talked to him more tonight than the rest of us have since he came back to the Southern Isles," Kristan said. Elsa wasn't sure what to say to that.

"I'm not really trying to do anything," Elsa explained.

"I think that might be why he's willing to talk to you. I might be too pushy with trying to help him."

"You're trying to help your younger brother. That's understandable," she sympathized.

"Yes, but the problem is that he doesn't want my help," the crown prince lamented.

"That's true," Elsa admitted. "He gets touchy anytime his family is brought up."

Kristan sighed and yawned.

"Anyway, it's rather late. Will you need to stay the night in the Southern Isles? I can have a room in the castle prepared for you," the prince offered. Elsa put her hand up.

"I'm sorry Kristan but I'll need to get back to Arendelle as soon as possible. I'll be heading back right now."

"Very well then. I'll have some guards escort you back to your boat," Kristan said, waving over a handful of guards. "I need you to escort Queen Elsa back to her ship on the docks."

The guards saluted and prepped a carriage for Elsa.

"I bid you good night Elsa," the elder prince said to Elsa. "You've been a real blessing. I hope you have a safe trip back to Arendelle."

Kristan bowed his head and headed towards the castle. While Elsa had only ever had a sister, she thought to herself that Kristan was like the brother she never had.

She rode quietly back to the docks, thinking about getting back to Arendelle before anyone found out. She wasn't freaking out, at least not now. She just wanted to get back as soon as possible. Having made this trip to and from the castle numerous times it didn't feel nearly as long as it did when she first came to the Southern Isles. It wasn't too long before she was back at the pier and had the door opened for her by a guard. She thanked the Southern Isle guards and told them she was fine for the rest of the way. They dutifully waited at the carriage watching Elsa. As she walked onto the boat, she saw the crew quickly getting the ship ready. Captain Andreas approached the queen.

"Did you do what you meant to here?" He asked.

"Yes Captain. I did," the queen said.

He nodded and then turned to the crew. A member of the crew gave him a thumbs up.

"PREPARE TO SET SAIL!" the captain yelled. Various crew members started yelling at each other as they continued scrambling around the ship getting it ready to sail.

It was a little loud for Elsa. She covered her ears as she made her way to the back of the boat. In a short time, the boat was moving out on its way to Arendelle. The snow queen turned and saw the Southern Isles shrink as the boat left the harbor. She created an icy wind that blasted the boat forward before starting to walk to her room. As she passed him, Captain Andreas turned to the queen.

"I know I'm not supposed to ask any questions, Your Majesty, but orders like that just make a man wonder what's really going on," the experienced sailor asked.

Elsa stopped and turned to him.

"It's nothing that you'll have to worry about. I'm not doing anything dangerous. It's just something I'd rather remain private."

"You know I'm loyal to the throne Queen Elsa. I just want to make sure you're alright."

Elsa thought about it. She gave the captain a reassuring smile.

"I'll be fine. Trust me."

He nodded but didn't look completely reassured.

The trip back to Arendelle wasn't eventful, though Elsa found it hard to sleep. There was so much excitement about this. Her anxiety had pretty much disappeared but she was thinking about her talk with Hans and the thought of returning. The snow queen imagined having to sneak out like this regularly. She probably could only manage to do it once a month at best.

Well I'll just cross that bridge when I reach it.

The boat pulled into the docks at Arendelle. Light was just about to creep over the horizon. After the ship was docked Elsa put on her hood and exited the boat. She didn't have much time to get back to the castle. She got the captain's attention and called him over to her.

"Captain Andreas I don't know when I'll be leaving next, but I'll notify you when it does happen."

"Understood, Queen Elsa," he bowed before returning to the ship.

Elsa quickly made her way back to the castle. She avoided everyone as she left the docks. There were a few secret passages in the castle that her parents showed her when she was young. She made use of them as she stealthily entered the castle. She walked quietly through the stone passages, coming out of the passageway near her room.

Elsa snuck into her room, glad to finally be home. She got out of her dress and put on a night gown. The exhausted woman crawled into bed. She pulled the covers over herself and settled in. It was so nice to finally be able to rest. She drifted off, content in the fluffy pillows.

The door slammed open.

"Good morning Queen Elsa! Time to rise and shine!"

Kai walked in and opened the curtains to Elsa's window. Her eyes shot open.

Oh please no.

Light started to pour in. Elsa whined and pulled the covers over her head.

"Can't I just stay in bed a few… more hours?" Elsa begged. Kai simply laughed.

"We have some dignitaries that arrived early from France. You'll have to brush up on French etiquette and look over the notes your advisors have prepared. It's going to be a busy day."

Elsa grumbled.

"This is why you shouldn't stay up so late, Queen Elsa."

Elsa sighed and reluctantly got out of bed.

It was Christmas in the Southern Isles.

Hans sat alone in his cell. It wasn't too bad, all things considered. Kristan gave him as much of a Christmas dinner as he could. That amounted to a rugbrød roll, a couple pieces of roast goose, some cooked pickled herring, and a small cup of risalamande. Obviously, this was merely scraps from the dinner the rest of his family enjoyed, but it was the best food Hans had eaten since he was thrown into this hole. He had scarfed the food down in a very undignified manner but given how hungry he was he didn't care. It was incredible after months of the tasteless gruel he'd been forced to eat.

He even considered thanking Kristan.

Considered it.

He still had his pride, mind you.

Hans lay on his mat. It was actually a new mat he just received. Nothing too fancy, but Kristan had replaced the dirty old mat as a Christmas gift. No words were spoken between the brothers, though Hans was annoyed that he found it harder and harder to ignore Kristan.

It must be Elsa's fault. She's the one who insisted on me talking to him, Hans thought to himself. She must be the source of this feeling.

How dare she.

It was then that Hans heard the sounds of the gates to his cell being opened, the sounds of keys turning and metal doors creaking echoing down the stone halls. Hans sat up.

He wondered who was coming.

Kristan again? Another visit from Gustav? Not likely. He was probably still stuffing his face. Niels? No Niels would have managed to get lost. Kasper? No he hasn't visited since he gave me a shave.

Kristan came around the corner. Hans sighed. Kristan had a tired expression on his face that Hans reflected. The elder prince had two boxes in his hands. A wide short box that was wrapped with a fancy wooden cylindrical box on top of it.

"Hello Hans," Kristan said.

Hans said nothing. Kristan was used to the silence at this point and continued nonetheless.

"I have some gifts for you. They arrived earlier today."

Hans remained silent.

"They are from Queen Elsa," Kristan explained. Hans' expression perked up. Kristan smirked. He had a feeling that would be the one detail Hans would be interested in. "They arrived earlier today. I've already checked them, and there's nothing off about them. I haven't told anyone else about this. I'm going to keep it between us."

Kristan shifted the boxes onto one hand while he pulled out a key and opened Hans' cell. He stepped inside and set the boxes on the ground.

"I'm guessing you'd rather open them alone?" Kristan asked his brother. Hans desperately wanted to ignore him but ultimately gave in.

"Yes," Hans reluctantly responded.

"I'll leave you to it. I'll return in an hour to pick up the box and wrappings," Kristan told his little brother. "I do hope you like the gifts."

Kristan closed the door to Hans' cell, locked it, and walked away. Hans heard the doors close and lock as Kristan left.

Hans was alone.

Now that he had a chance to breathe, he picked up the cylindrical tine box by the handle on top and set it off to the side. He was more interested in the wrapped gift. Upon closer inspection he noticed that the paper it was wrapped in was blue with a pattern of red Christmas trees covering it. There was red ribbon wrapped around the gift with an envelope tucked under it. Hans pulled the envelope out and removed the letter inside. He was curious as to what note Elsa left.

Merry Christmas Hans

I know you don't have a good relationship with your family, but you still deserve to have something for Christmas.

Sincerely,

Elsa

Not something he expected from the good queen, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless. He set the letter down on top of the tine box and tore into the wrapping paper of the gift. He ripped the ribbon off in one motion and in a few pulls had the wrapping paper removed and scattered around him.

Hans was surprised. The gift was a wooden stationary box. Hans set it down on his lap. It was of incredible quality. There was a leather mat on the top of the box for writing, and several indentions where pens and ink could be set. Hans unlatched the box and opened it, finding a stack of paper, envelopes, a fountain pen, two containers of ink, and a wooden ruler inside. Everything inside was set in a dark green felt. Hans removed the pen and examined it. It was black and smooth with a silver tip. He set it back and rubbed his hands over the wood. It had a rich, dark color with a smooth finish. The whole set must have been expensive.

Of course, this would make writing easier, but more than that it was something that now belonged to him. He'd become so used to having nothing that merely having this stationary set made him feel a little more human again. The mat was nice but that would be there in this cell after he was gone. This stationary set? This was his. Hans couldn't help but smile.

After basking in the feeling, he gently set his new stationary on his mat. Reaching for the wooden box he examined it. The box was a dark color, cylindrical, and perfectly circular. There was a handle on the top and two wooden fins that stuck up from either side on the lid. On the side there was a detailed painting of sailors fighting a draugr at sea. The creature looked to be made of seaweed and every piece of seaweed was individually drawn, with every sailor given exquisite detail.

A fine piece of art. Clearly the artist is part of the national romantic movement, Hans mused to himself. The former prince turned the box to see the full picture of the battle. The caliber of the artwork was incredible. He was surprised at the quality of the gifts Elsa had sent him. Of course, she was royalty but he was nothing but a disgraced prince. To get him such gifts…

Hans opened the wooden container. There was a wooden spoon inside the container along with something else.

It was a cake resting on a wooden plate. It was covered in white frosting with several strawberries set on top.

She didn't.

Hans pulled the cake out of the box and set it on his lap. He took the spoon and cut out a piece of the cake and took a bite.

Brioche cake… with strawberry crème.

She remembered?

It was just an offhanded thing he mentioned in a letter about his eleventh birthday. Hans couldn't believe she not only remembered it but had a cake just like it baked for him. A tear fell from his eye which he quickly wiped away. He swallowed trying to think of how he was feeling about this. He took another bite of the cake. It was delicious.

Hans felt, for a moment, kind of happy. A little reminder of that birthday all those years ago.

I guess… this has been a pretty good Christmas.

It's good to get another chapter done! I have to thank my editor grimaulkins who's been a huge help in editing chapters for this story.

There were several kingdoms referenced in this chapter. Now of course Corona from Tangled gets a reference, but after rewatching Princess and the Frog I decided to throw Maldonia in. I also came up with a few original kingdoms to flesh the world out a bit.

I'll be honest the anxiety attack wasn't in the original plan for this chapter. It's something that came up as I was writing it. It's based on an experience I had years ago and I felt it was a nice way to show how Hans helps Elsa. Another thing that came up was that I had completely forgotten to say that John has a mustache. I can't believe I went this whole time without describing him with a mustache. Well better late than never.

Now Olaf's Frozen Adventure takes place in between when Elsa leaves and the ending with Hans. I'm actually thinking about writing some side stories for Devious Ice that take place outside of the events of the chapters. Now this wouldn't be anything major, just some assorted short pieces. And I wouldn't focus on that too much. I'd mostly like to do a lot of those side stories after doing more chapters, and I'd definitely like to do a lot of them after I'm done with Devious Ice.