Dealing with the devil

Please allow me to introduce myself

I'm a man of wealth and taste

I've been around for a long, long year

Stole many a man's soul to waste (...)

Pleased to meet you

Hope you guess my name

But what's puzzling you

Is the nature of my game

—Sympathy for the devil, The Rolling Stones

Prince Hans was more than pleased with the result of his first encounter with the queen-to-be. He didn't screw it, even tough she seemed quite uncomfortable at the start. She was hard to read, which only raised his interest on her persona. The rumors about her physique scrambled down the moment he laid eyes on her figure, despite the thick layers of fabric that covered almost he entire body, save for the head. She was the image of Nordic beauty, fair skin, hair like spun white gold and light sapphire eyes. The reasons of her seclusion truly puzzled the prince, for all he knew, a woman as beautiful as the princess has absolutely no reason to hide, or cover her body, by the way. Well, perhaps northern women were a little bit more conservative with their bodies. What a waste.

The fact that the princess was interested in anatomical studies was another thing that intrigued him to no end. What on earth could be doing a lady like her highness with a book with such devious content? The prince had learned to work with human anatomy during his academic years, observing and replicating the beauty of the nude, but for the common eye, a naked body usually carried a completely different meaning. Noblemen and royals were raised under a strict conservative custom, religious influence and high class society pressures molded their minds to think that a nude body that didn't belong to academic art was something sinful, lustful, to be handled very carefully and covered. The prince couldn't help but laugh at their scandalized faces whenever he showed to the courts one of his bold paintings, especially the ones about women bodies. That's why the heir princess was so intriguing to him, what she thinks of that perspective of the body, would she share her thoughts with him? He hoped so. He could charm her, get her to talk and see if she was interesting enough for his standards.

He knew very well how to provoke people with his art. The question was if the princess had the potential to understand it. She seemed the kind of girl who'd rather something closer to classical beauty, art based on the mimesis idea, maybe Sandro Botticelli's or Jacques-Louis David's style. Oh, prince Hans would certainly enjoy breaking her schemes. He just needed to figure out how. For now, he would keep an eye on her, get to know her and what she wants, so he could fit her ideal of male companion. That was one of his best abilities, he could play his part and be exactly what people wanted him to be, so he could benefit from them. If he weren't a painter, he would have been an actor, putting on a show was his other big talent.

For now, all the prince had to do was wait. He could explore the kingdom during the day, and he knew that the younger princess would be more than happy to give him a tour. Princess Anna could be very useful for his purposes, she spilled information at the slightest press. She didn't even had to be told, she was naive enough to share everything with a total stranger. She believed every single word he said. An easy prey for any predator who laid eyes on her. Sooner or latter she would learn that lesson.

Princess Anna was trilled to attend the foregein hosts. Never had she ever had received so much attention and flattery. She was finally the center of someone's attention. And the gates where open, if only for a month or so. It was about time. She missed walking trough the gardens and being the one leading people during their visit to the most important places of the capital city. The central square, the senate building, theatre, the biggest stores, the galleries, the train station, among other places of her choice. The princess had sneaked out of the castle enough times to know the heart of the city like the palm of her hand. Oh, if only the people in the palace knew of her adventures, she had to bite her tongue to avoid telling every time she wanted to talk about one of her wanderings right before remembering that she shouldn't have gone outside any of those times. Not only she knew the whole city, but the citizens as well. The market sellers, some farmers whose lands she had run into, the children, elderly, and many other persons. After all, she was princess meet-and-greet.

The first week of the visit was everything Anna was expecting and more. She was allowed to go wherever she wanted as long as she was escorted. And she was spending more time with the younger prince of the Southern Islands. Her sister had to go to the important reunions and have the toughest talks about their nations with the ambassador, prince Alexander. Luckily Anna was excused of all that boring paper work and annoying conversations. And so was prince Hans, who also wasn't needed in most of their important meetings. Maybe that's why Anna could spend so much time with him. Besides, he was gorgeous and al little bit awkward like her. Well, maybe she was more than a little bit awkward. She was the one who fell from a horse's back when they met for the first time. Dang it.

She had a great time with the company of the prince. Maybe, just maybe, he could be that one for her. He embodied everything she dreamed her Prince Charming would have when she grew up. What a hopeless romantic she was. But he had agreed to go on walks around the castle with her, and shared a little bit of his life with her. He told her about his life with his twelve older brothers—what a huge family! Anna couldn't imagine what life was like with so many siblings—, about his life as a marine and the places he had visited, places Anna now dreamed of. She loved the kingdom but also would die for the opportunity to see places like Corona or Spain or Greece. She treasured every story she was told, specially the ones about the adventures of the prince. She wished she had some of her own, sure, she had many stories of heir own, but all of them had place in Arendelle, in the same old city. If she was lucky, someday she would see more of the world. But for now, she tried to be happy in her motherland.

One day the prince took her hand in his and Anna felt like her heart had stoped right there and then. Yes!. Sure it must have to be love, at least a little tiny drop of love. Maybe he was her Prince Charming, he had to be! That boy had her helpless for sure. She wasn't usually the spotlight, but every time she was with him, she felt like the brightest start of the constellation. She had no limits, not even the sky. The young princess had always dreamed of the moment she would be old enough to be courted by a prince. This could be her chance of being the protagonist of her own love story, like the fair maidens of the novels she used to read when she was feeling a bit lonelier. Oh, it felt so natural for her, he fitted so well with her, it must be one of those meant to be things. She could be careless and have so much fun with him, skating in socks trough the halls and dancing in the roofs.

Elsa, on the other side, was on the verge of panicking. She had barely managed to go on so many meetings without freezing anything near them. What's worst, one day a few snowflakes fell from the ceiling of the hall. No one noticed but her, and she was infinitely thankful for that. Being discovered was by far her worst fear. Would the normal people look at her like some kind of monster? Probably. She felt cursed, her hole life she had perceived herself as something unnatural, an abnormality who could harm anyone at any moment. All she ever wanted was a normal life, only if for a day. She wanted to take off her gloves and go outside of her room without the feeling of constant terror that always invaded her.

The meetings and the deals where one thing. The physic contact was another different story. She feared she would hurt anyone who dared to get too close to her. Specially the princes whenever one of them kissed her hand. The idea of freezing anyone truly terrified her. She had never meant any harm to anyone, but her powers had a mind of their own, and had grown stronger with time. One day she won't be able to control or hide them. Yes, she was so screwed. She had to stay away from people and avoid any form of physical contact if possible.

However, a part of her felt curious about her first encounter with the younger prince. She'd be lying if she said that it didn't get stuck in her mind for days. Her cheeks got flushed every single time she remembered it. He was bold and skipped many of the protocol norms with her. And for some reason she didn't comprehend at all, she liked it. In a twisted way. She shouldn't have felt so excited about the idea of having something in common with him, but she did, there was no denying it. He hadn't chastised her for having her peculiar taste on art. Or at least he didn't point it out in a scandalized manner. He even offered her a book of his own for her collection.

She was interested in learning some things, but she never had the opportunity to learn arts like she wished to. Her parents wanted her to be trained in music, to play instruments that were appropriate for a princess like her. The future queen had to learn and have good taste for music, literature and aesthetics. No one would respect a queen who would rather spent her time observing Da Vinci's studies on the human body from the corpses than dancing the valse or listen to a Mozart's composition. She knew it was weird and wrong to be interested in that kind of artistic creation. A lady like her should never look into a naked man's picture. But there she was in her room, wondering how on earth could an artist replicate a body with such dexterity. She wanted to learn, she knew that fine motor skills were one of her strong points, and with the right training and practice, she might get to draw some sketches of her own. But those sketches would never see the light, they would be kept in a chest on her room, or perhaps she would eventually have to destroy them in order to keep them in secret.

The crown princess had a fine sense of aesthetics and good taste. She had always been told. She recognized the beauty in some unconventional things. The princess had to pretend to have a very feminine taste on things. Flowers, pretty decorations and fancy clothing, that was all she was allowed to have an opinion on. And although she did enjoy those things, she wished to have more liberty than being reduced to a predetermined role. Instead, she had practiced her whole life to be the perfect daughter and trained to be the queen her people needed. Therefore her frustration for having a designated role in life before even being born. Yes, she had every privilege a royal could have, but it also meant she was trapped in that lifestyle and customs till the day she died. What a bright future she had ahead.

The longing for a taste of freedom was what motivated her to accept that deal. It seemed so reasonable at the time. Apparently a convenient contract, if only she had been able to read the small letters at the end of the page, metaphorically speaking.

Princess Elsa had casually—not so casually, now she thinks— found the prince sat on the chase lounge on the library one afternoon when she didn't have a busy day. She tried to compose herself and hide any trace of excitement. If anything, she would feel a little bit surprised to find him on one of her regular dens. He smiled to her and bowed, before starting the conversation that became the inflection point of their relationship.

"I was hoping to get a word from you after all these days, your highness" he said seemingly uninterested.

"I'm sorry, I have been quite busy these days, prince Hans" she replied.

"I don't meant to bother you, I just thought you were interested in the book I offered you the last time we met. Unless you have reconsidered my offer, in that case, please, let me know if you changed your mind".

"No, I still want it, if you are willing to lend it to me" the princess answered as politely as she could.

"Of course, your highness. If it is alright with you, may I ask why are you interested in it? I don't meant to reprimand nor offense you in any way, it's just my curiosity".

"Oh, It's a bit difficult to explain…" she was trying to avoid any questions about herself. She didn't wanted him to get too close to her.

"Take your time, I wont judge" he was still trying to figure her out. For now, he would play the comprehensive guy role. "It is very intriguing, if you ask me. I'd have never thought that we would have that in common. Maybe for the same reasons".

"I doubt it, you told me you are an artist, I clearly I'm not".

"But you are interested in arts" he guessed.

"Yes".

"Come, seat with me. I want to know a little bit more about you" he said, pattering the seat.

"I shouldn't, I have to go back soon…"

"Come on, it will take you five minutes or less, please" her head screamed no, but his green eyes made her want to say her hell yes.

"Well…"

"You can leave at any moment if you feel uncomfortable about it. Or we can talk about something else".

"I guess I can stay for a few minutes" she conceded. Damn the moment she sat beside him and looked into his gorgeous emerald green eyes. Way to close for the time they had know each other, and for their own good.

"So, tell me, you fine arts, don't you?".

"Yes. I have always admired the talent of the renaissance artists and the neoclassical ones" she admired, as if she was confessing her sins instead of having a relaxed talk with a person she just met a few days ago.

"Interesting. I passed trough that phase during my scholar years on the academy before my perspective on arts changed".

"So, you studied arts?".

"Yes, painting is my specialty, however, I'm open to experiment with some new techniques whenever I have the opportunity".

"Must be really nice having the time and the chance to do that. Sometimes I wish I could do the same".

"You could I you want to. I know it is harder for women to enter this field of study, but you could find an artist willing to have you as his pupil. I did have a personal teacher after finishing my second year on the academy" he told her. He was already scheming another offer for her, one that would get them to spend more time together. He just had to play his cards in the right way.

"I wished it was that simple. I have many responsibilities as the heir, I couldn't pursue arts even if I did get someone willing to teach me" she would be the queen in less than two years, she didn't have the luxury of time to do everything she wanted.

"But you want to, it's only a matter of finding someone who can adjust to your schedule. I'm sure you have one free hour or so every day, you could use it to lear" he tried to tempt her. If only it was as simple as he implied, thought the princess.

Princess Elsa appreciated his efforts, but he wasn't convincing her at all. It wasn't only a matter of time or finding a teacher. She could pay the classes and find the time, but nothing could ever prepare her to spend so much time with a total stranger and feel comfortable with it. Nothing would keep her magic calm, what if she got out of control? She couldn't bear the idea of revealing her magic to anyone else besides a few servants she trusted the more. Gerda and Kai were among them, as they had known her and her secret since she presented her powers for the first time.

"As much as I'd like that, I think it's a bad idea" the princess said after what felt like forever for the prince. But he wasn't going to give up. Not today, not ever.

"I could help you, if that's what you want" he was finally getting to the point. "We would have three weeks before I go back to my land, meanwhile I could help you develop the basic skills and knowledge to make your own art projects".

"Uhm…" she didn't know what to say. Yes, she wanted to learn and now she had an opportunity that seemed like fallen from heaven, but it also was suspiciously convenient. She barely knew him, how could she trust someone she just met? For all she knew, he could be after something, she had no reason to trust him. Or distrust him. She didn't want to judge him before getting to know him better. For now, all she could do was remain cautious.

"I could show you some of my pieces if you'd like. Maybe it'll help you make up your mind" he offered. He always brought his old portfolio with him. Mostly because he refused to take it out of his suitcase. Sometimes it proved to be quite useful. "Let me bring it her, show you a few pieces of mine, and then you''lo tell me what you think".

"I'm not sure…" she wanted to say no, but she couldn't say why. Because 'you know, I have magical ice and I could freeze you if I got out of control, so you shouldn't want to spend that much time with me' wasn't exactly the best excuse of the world. He would think she had lost her marbles, in the best case.

"Please, I'll be back in a minute. If you're still not convinced after that, I'll stop bothering you".

"Fine" she sighed. Mostly because she needed some time alone to get things together before she did anything stupid.

The prince hurried to his guest room. Now, where did he left the portfolio? Last time he checked, it was above the small table alongside the bed. His room was messier than usual, due to his urge to find that damn folder. He emptied his suitcase, spilling clothes all over the floor. Nothing. It was taking more time than what he had originally planned. Damn it. After fifteen minutes or so, he found the portfolio and an old sketchbook beneath the bed. What were those darn things doing there? He had to learn to be a little more organized with his stuff.

Meanwhile, the princess was considering leaving the library but she knew it was a rude thing for a lady to do—for anyone to do. She was trying to figure out an excuse valid enough to reject his offer. Nothing came to her mind. It was a terrible idea in soy many ways. She was elaborating a mental list of all the reasons why she shouldn't agree. First, a princess like her is expected to act with decorum and ladylike, she couldn't let a man taught her anything that devious. She shouldn't spend time alone with a man, she would need ladies-in-waiting, in order to follow the proper protocols. Unless they kept it a secret. That was even more ridiculous, she shouldn't entertain her mind with that idea. Oh, but it was so tempting… except for the fact that she could harm him if he got too close to her. The image of the prince turned into a solid ice block was enough to send chills down her spine. Definitely a terrible idea.

For the time he got back, she had already taken her decision. She would be patient, observe whatever the prince wanted to show her, and then reject his offer as politely as possible. She silently watched the prince unfold a few paper sheets from a mistreated block. Some of them were already yellow due to the pass of the time. He seemed a little bit nervous, as his hands were a little bit shaky. He was selecting a few drawings and paintings.

She already could tell it really was something, from the sketches to the elaborated works, he surely had talent. The prince indeed was good, even tough he showed her only a minimum part of his production. Some charcoal sketches he made when he was working with live models in the academy. The way he drew musculature and movement was remarkably well done. And the bodies he drew were mesmerizing to say the least. Young men and women, all of them astonishingly beautifully done. Specially the ones he made using watercolors or oil painting. Princess Elsa decided that she really liked his style, classical but with a few thicker strokes, and the color scheme was so harmonic. If his work was a musical piece, it would have been a composition worthy of the comparison to the ones of Tchaikovsky. She was so enchanted with his talent, specially the way he painted women. Something more crude than what she had expected, but it was as raw as it was stunning.

"What do you think?" The prince asked after a long silence.

"I wasn't expecting something like this… it wonderful" she whispered.

"Thank you, your highness. I wish I could share something a little bit more elaborated with you, but I only brought these ones to my journey" false modesty was another one of his tricks. He knew how good he was, but preferred to play it humble when he was showing his work. Mainly because that way it was easier to manage the critics. Years of art school had taught him that lesson. And his family. What better way to learn to ignore the criticism and the hate than growing up with his brothers? The only good thing about it was that he had finally grown a spine.

"Oh, you can't be serious. These ones are amazing" she complimented.

"I could show you something more intricate if you are still eager to learn" he wasn't gonna take a 'no' for answer. The crown princess wasn't as gullible as her sister, but he could still perceive a trace of naivety on her character. If he played things the right way, she could be his ticket out of the Southern Islands and up to the throne.

"I don't know…" she meant no, but couldn't voice it. She wanted to accept the offer so badly, but she knew it would only get them both in trouble.

"I'll be as patient and supportive as you need, you don't have to worry about not being an expert" he assured her. His green eyes were full of shine and promise. She could give it a try…

"How do you pretend to teach me? We would have to spend more time together, we'll need escorts, it'd be a total scandal if someone finds out and-" she was already panicking.

"Or we can keep it secret. Nobody has to know, just you and me" his voice dripped honey and dark promises.

"How?" she frowned. Now things were getting dangerous. What's worst, she liked the idea of going against the rules way too much for her own good. And now she had found someone willing to be her partner in that sinuous pathway.

"Leave those details to me, although, I'll need you to tell me a few thing about this castle".

"I still think it's a bad idea" she murmured.

"Why? You'll get to know the tricks after we're done, and I won't judge you at all" the prince was getting worried about his sinking plan.

"What do you gain with this?" what exactly are you expecting from me, she wanted to ask.

"The pleasure of getting to know this part of you" suddenly the air was thicker and her mouth felt drier under the influence of his piercing green eyes. If she was smarter, she would have already turned down his offer.

"Is that so…" so he had his mind set on her, that was it. The idea terrified and flattered her at the same time.

"Yes. I had never met a woman with such unique taste". So alluring, so poisonous.

"I don't know what to say…" run away before it's too late, told her her the last reasoning part of her brain.

"Say yes. Come on, it will be a great experience for both of us. I had never taught anyone before, I could learn a thing or two from you as well" he confessed.

"How do you know it's going to work?".

"I don't, I'm just hoping it does. You seem the kind of student who's willing to do what it takes to reach perfection. I'd like to see what you can do".

"What if someone finds out?" that was only a part of the problem. Until then she had completely forgot the existence of her magic. Mostly because she hadn't felt the familiar cold pulse inside her veins. How odd.

"No one will, I promise. We can meet every night, when everyone's asleep. And find a place difficult to reach" he was thinking of an attic or one of the tallest towers.

"It doesn't sound like a clever plan to me" in fact, it was way too risky.

"Trust me".

"I barely know you".

"And you'll know me better after this" she was being stubborn. "And if anyone ever finds out, you can blame me, I'll accept the consequences".

"People will blame me anyways, I don't see the point" why couldn't he just give up and leave her? She already had enough problems for him to become another one.

"Not necessarily. Besides, I'm the one with a reputation here, it's not that difficult blaming me for tricking you into my questionable methods" it wasn't a lie, he did have a bad reputation on the courts. A rebel child who tried to live the bohemian life with the advantages of a royal.

"You are impossible" the princess sighed.

She wanted to give it a try so badly. Being the good girl, the good daughter, the exemplary princess and respectable future queen was exhausting. She needed something more simple. Like this. To ease her mind and explore the forbidden. Maybe it wasn't that much of a terrible idea after all… no, what was she thinking? No, no, no, no, and did she mentioned no? But there she was, listing the pros and cons of what she wanted to do.

"I'm just passionate about things, your highness" he replied.

"I can see that. And very obstinate, by the way" she smiled.

"I prefer the term tenacious. It's not my fault that you are so indecisive" he was bold for someone so desperate for an answer.

"It's not my fault that your hadn't planed this right".

"And if I had a carefully schemed plan, would you accept my offer?".

"What? No, no. I didn't meant it like that".

"But you're thinking about it, aren't you?" what a exasperating human being. "Where's your curiosity? It might be your only chance to have someone like me willing to work with a beginner without having seen their work.

"I'm not that bad, if that's what's worrying you" she defended herself. Yes, she wasn't a master like him, but she had skills as well.

"Prove it" he said with a smirk on his face.

"I have nothing to prove. I haven't even agreed to work with you".

"What's stopping you? I'm starting to think you don't have the courage to do it" it was a childish thing to say, but it made her blush anyways.

"It's called having common sense".

"If you say so…" he got a little bit closer to her, just enough to make her uncomfortable. "You should try leaving the comfort zone more often. It might bring you a nice surprise".

"You are impossible"

"You already told me that" he smiled again. "I just stand for what I believe".

"And what is that?" she rolled her eyes.

"I believe you are scared, but once we get along with it you'll be glad for accepting becoming my pupil" and maybe something more than a pupil, but he wasn't going to tell her that part. He studied her face for a minute. She seemed hesitant. "If you feel uncomfortable or unsafe during our time together, you can tell me and we will stop whatever we are doing. You can decide how many lessons we'll have and how often. You're in charge and can leave if you want to". He was losing his hope…

"Fine. But promise me you won't try any tricks on me. And you'll obey me if I tell you to stop" she said with a stern voice.

"Absolutely" his smile was bright enough to lit the whole room. "You make the rules here, I'm at your service for as long as we work together".

"I hope so".

"Now, we need to discuss some technical details…"

That's how everything started, after setting the place, the hour, materials and media they would use. The prince had finally succeeded, just when he was about to lose any hope left. Now all he had to do was working on cracking the walls the princess had lifted. She was really difficult to convince but not impossible. She was a cautious woman, he needed to prove her he deserved her trust. He had to be very careful, leave no loopholes uncovered, if he wanted to get anywhere with her.

Author note: hola, hola! I'm sorry for the delay on this chapter... well, I have never updated with the same frequency, sometimes I will post chapters really quick and others with more time in between...

Hope you enjoyed it, if you like it you can follow, favorite and review this story, I usually answer them before posting a new chapter. Also, big thanks to the people who reviewed the first chapter!

Have a nice week guys, bye!