Elsa was a wreck. Her life was little more than a series of tragic accidents since her birth. Hurting Anna, locking her family out, the loss of her parents. All her pain and suffering had only worsened when he's come.

Hans.

Anna had fallen for him. Elsa had fallen victim to him. But now, even as the neighboring kingdom of Wesselton offered her safe haven, the duchess felt unease.

The Duke was dying.

Marrying a man significantly older than her, when she was little, had seemed gross. Why not marry someone young and handsome? But now, after all that time in her own little cell with Hans breaking her over and over and over and over, it was nice to have someone like the duke. He wasn't a particularly good husband- unromantic and a bit clueless. But he gave her space and respected her privacy.

Her time in his mansion had passed uneventfully. The people were polite, if a little distant. This was, in its own way, a peaceful, quiet life that actually worked for her.

"Duchess?"

Elsa winced. Not because she'd lost a couple of rungs on the social hierarchy, but due to the news she'd just received.

"How much do we owe?" Her husband, before his marriage to her hand indebted himself to Arrendelle, and its current king.

"A lot."

"That doesn't help."

"More than we can pay," Her maid answered, "...which doesn't help either, I'm afraid."

This was a simple problem. Her husband owed. His debt would come due. The real question was whether or not the lender would come himself.

"Have we received any correspondence?"

The maid swallowed, "Corona won't pay. They don't think it's fair to have to subsidize a debt to well... yourself."

Elsa shirked.

Across the border, Anna knelt patiently. Tomorrow was the day. At long last Hans was leaving. He was going on a trip to collect a debt from Wesselton. Anna was happy that she would have a private day with Kristoff. She wasn't happy that Elsa would have to put up with him. Hans... had plans for her.

And the sooner he left, the sooner she could start her plans for breaking free.