So here we are, at the end of this huge thing. I'm equal parts relieved and sad—relieved, because I've only been working on this fic for the past year. Yes, that's right, YEAR, as it's been a year since I started this fic…! And sad, because yeah, I did like all the recognition this brought me! Hopefully that will cross over no matter what I decide to write next. Whether you've been there since the beginning, or if you're just reading this for the first time now, I just want to thank each and every one of the lovely people who have taken the time to read, taken the time to tell me what you though, followed me on Tumblr and here, etc. You're all very wonderful people for giving me, a burgeoning writer, a chance to really spread her wings.

So, without further ado, here's the final chapter! And hopefully I've gotten some of you into The Wombats by this point.

Jump Into the Fog

Chapter 23

"I'm only here because I feel today deserves a truly sordid end."

"You can marry him, if you'd like. I give you my blessing."

Anna kept facing the window, her arms crossed over her chest. Outside was another beautiful summer day; not a cloud could be seen and the sun promised nothing but warmth. Below in the courtyard, Olaf—equipped with his own personal snow flurry wherever he went so he wouldn't melt—fed Sven another carrot, jumping in joy as he was still getting used to summer and already he had deemed it his very favorite season. Somewhere beyond the palace walls in town, Kristoff was selling ice to those who needed it for the hot days ahead.

To show her gratitude, Elsa had given Kristoff a new cart, a new sled, a stable space for Sven, his own quarters in the palace, and now, permission for him to marry the Princess of Arendelle. A fair exchange, Anna supposed, though Elsa just seemed too eager to give her and Kristoff whatever they wanted or needed, perhaps to compensate for the last year.

And Anna was in no way ungrateful—she spent her hours around the palace, fencing daily with the Captain of the Guard to keep her muscle tone up. Her arm had healed by this point, and now she had picked up that second sword again, perfecting her skills in dual wielding. She greeted her people once more, wearing a blinding smile. All she insisted on was that, for the most part, she kept her hair down, and the people cooed over such a color, such a thickness to it, and they were enraptured with how it whirled so pin straight when she turned. If anyone found it common, Anna didn't care.

She hated that she didn't care as much as she used to. When Elsa had thawed the winter she'd caused in the few days after Anna returned, Anna stayed silent, though she was glad it was all finally over. Her smiles were forced—save when she was around Kristoff or Olaf or Sven.

The kingdom was more than ecstatic for the change in weather, and when they finally realized Elsa had learned to control her powers, they finally began to embrace her as Queen. And when they had learned of Hans' cruelty toward the two sisters, they barely turned against him, only being wary of his actions rather than resenting him for them.

After all, they'd been against Elsa for quite some time. It made Anna sick to her stomach, to see that the people of Arendelle thought Hans a benevolent King. It made her feel worse whenever she heard Elsa utter a word of praise toward him.

Her infatuation with such a monster would be something Anna would never ever understand.

Her makeshift tomb and grave marker had been destroyed, and though Anna had wanted to do it by her own hand—and she'd been crying in hysterics when she finally saw it—Elsa had insisted they get rid of it in a more civil manner.

Anna held a bit of resentment toward Elsa for that, much as she loved her sister.

"Thank you," she replied politely, turning finally to face Elsa. "But I don't want to get married just yet. Kristoff and I are in love. For now, that's all I want."

She couldn't handle all the pomp and circumstance of such an arrangement now. When she had been a stupid, naïve child, Anna had envisioned her wedding as white and celebrated, her groom the princely picture of perfection and the people cheering and smiling about her. Everything would be grand and extravagant. With eight thousand plates served and the Grand Ballroom they never used in full swing, full of happiness and love and life.

Now, though, Anna wanted to wait. After all, though nineteen was a more than suitable age at which she should be married, Anna didn't need all of that.

Not after that one night of passion with Kristoff.

Gods, if anyone found out about the Princess of Arendelle engaging in premarital intimacy… It had been in the moment, spontaneous. Yes, Anna had felt alive, out of herself, but afterward the consequences had outweighed the pleasure.

When no ailment had passed in the weeks after she'd been with Kristoff, Anna sighed a breath of relief and swore never to be so foolish again—not for a while, anyway. Kristoff understood; after all, he knew just how bad this could have been.

Damn royals and their scandals. The people lived for them. A premarital pregnancy would have ruined Anna's reputation, deeming her nothing more than a common harlot. And had she been pregnant, she would have been forced into a quick engagement and marriage, leaving both she and Kristoff incredibly miserable.

No, all Anna wanted now was a small ceremony among the trolls, and Elsa as the only witness to the marriage. Perhaps it would happen in a year, maybe even later, but all that mattered now was that she and Kristoff loved each other. It was her only true happiness.

"That's fine," Elsa said after a moment, though the disappointed tone was evident in her voice. She wanted to rekindle this relationship, and Anna understood, she really did… but there was Hans. And Anna had to share her sister with him.

The worst thing to happen throughout this whole ordeal, after everything Hans had done, he'd gotten a mere slap on the wrist in the grand scheme of things. Yes, he'd been tried, but Elsa had played both his prosecutor and defender, noting that though his crimes were indeed reprehensible, as a ruler of Arendelle, he was fit for the job.

Anna had never harbored violent tendencies toward Elsa, but there had been some there in that moment.

The cruel irony, though, was the title. Demoted to King consort, no longer Elsa's equal in any royal affairs. He answered to her, and Elsa had so benevolently decreed a month in dungeon dwellings—after that, he was to be escorted everywhere, by either a royal guard or Elsa herself, who was more than capable of apprehending her husband should he step out of line.

Elsa had insisted on keeping Hans as King; however, he had none of the true power and freedom that came with it.

Anna had to admit, that cruelty of such a decision made her feel much better.

Still, Elsa kept the large diamond ring on her finger, as a reminder of all she had been through with Hans, and what the weight of it actually signified—all her mistakes, all her guilt. For this reason, Anna's gaze rarely left lower than her sister's eyes. If she couldn't see it, her blood wouldn't boil so quickly.

Because for every reason Anna could name as to why she loved Elsa, there would always be that estranged distance with Hans here. Arendelle couldn't be her home, at least, not completely if she had to share her roof with such a traitor.

This would break Elsa's heart, but Anna would have to try…

"May I make a request?" Anna asked, much too formally to her own sister.

Then again, she was addressing the Queen of Arendelle, not just Elsa.

"Of course," Elsa replied immediately, and Anna noted her sister just looked… unnaturally overly eager. Her body inclined forward, as though if she didn't she wouldn't catch everything her sister did or said. Strange as it was… this had been her at one point, the one so desperately trying to get her sister to let her in.

Funny how the tables had turned so drastically.

With a deep breath, Anna made her request. "I respectfully ask to spend half my year up in the North Mountain, working with Kristoff during the spring and summer months. During the fall and winter we will reside here."

At first, Elsa's face only registered hurt, but after a moment, she understood just why Anna was asking this. Tensions would be too high if Hans and Anna were kept too long together—after all, they might try to kill each other again.

"I see," said Elsa after a few moments, but she then nodded. "Yes… I guess that can be arranged. You will stay the rest of the summer, won't you…?"

Anna looked up at her sister's hopeful face, and that made this all the more harder to say. "I would like to leave by the end of this month, if that's possible."

It really hurt Elsa to hear this, Anna could tell, but things were still so tense and she longed for the freedom of being away from all this. She just wanted Kristoff, work that would keep her active, and something simple after the castle life had been nothing but a mess.

She needed to find herself.

Again, Elsa hesitated, but ultimately, despite how much she didn't want to and how much it hurt, she agreed. "Yes… I can start making arrangements immediately."

"Thank you." Anna let out a deep breath, and finally cracked a smile at Elsa, albeit a bit forced.

With that, Elsa turned to leave, but not before she made this comment: "I never knew your hair was so pin straight."

To which Anna couldn't help but feel the years of bitterness sting at her, and she couldn't help but quip back: "There's only so much you can convey behind a closed door."

When Anna told him they were going back up the North Mountain to live together with Elsa's blessing, Kristoff was equal parts ecstatic and disappointed. Yes, he now had quarters of his own in Arendelle's palace, but it just didn't feel right. It didn't feel like he really belonged there. And, thankfully, Anna felt the same.

Really, in the end, he knew this would only do her good—he couldn't stand seeing her so glum in the place in which she grew up, and he longed to see her happy again.

It only seemed to happen when they were together. They weren't inseparable—they spent a good deal of time apart—but only when they were together did he see the natural smile she could only give him nowadays.

In the days before they left, Anna'd appetite was starting to come back, he noted, and she bounded more around the palace halls rather than skulked. Each day she would ask Gerda how her new winter outfits were coming along—all fit for ice harvesting, Kristoff realized.

This was really happening.

He had to admit, Krostoff didn't know where his relationship with Anna lay after her duel with Hans. He figured she would scold him for holding her back, but she then took him to bed, of all things.

He didn't regret it happening, but at the same time, he knew they should have waited. The worry that had crossed her face in those weeks that followed… Kristoff never wanted Anna to endure something like that ever again.

Now, Kristoff knew Anna seemed nothing but lost now that she was back in her former home. He figured retreating back up the North Mountain might help as a holiday, but now it was official—soon they would be living up there for half the year. Really, it shouldn't have surprised him… Anna had definitely become accustomed to the simple life, yearned for it, even, if it meant she and Hans weren't in such close capacity.

In the end, Elsa probably agreed to keep the people she loved most safe. Kristoff certainly wasn't complaining, especially if it meant Anna might have another chance at being truly happy again.

Truthfully, he had no idea Anna would end up so bloodthirsty when she started. She wanted to pursue Hans and it truly terrified him that such a lovely woman could be so deadly. He hadn't noticed this until he saw Anna take Hans down after he struck her arm—she hadn't even seemed human in those moments.

But, because he loved her so, Kristoff couldn't just abandon her, not after everything they'd been through together. He didn't want to—there was still a sliver of the old Anna still within this hollow woman.

Time away from the palace, and Kristoff was sure she would relax more.

On the morning they left, Kristoff woke early and prepared Sven, who had definitely grown accustomed to being in the palace stables. But Kristoff could tell he missed work, and even Olaf was growing a bit bored around the place—he was even willing to give up the rest of summer to spend time with Anna.

Anna had insisted on bringing her horse, Blizzard, up, though he would not really be able to handle harsh ice harvesting conditions. But Anna wanted him for travel and companionship, and Kristoff just couldn't say no to that. He was certainly helpful, and this way Sven could have a friend.

No matter what, Anna would always be beautiful, and now was no exception, with her own new wardrobe of proper ice harvesting gear on her. Her hair was now pinned into a bun; a proper cap atop her head and good boots for treading on ice adorned her feet. He just couldn't help but find her just as beautiful as when she woke all those months ago.

This time, Anna had a smile on her face, probably because she really had something to look forward to—fresh air, time alone to find herself, space to breathe without the pressures of being a royal getting to her. Elsa was here to see her sister off, as were some of the palace staff. Hans, Kristoff saw, was nowhere in sight.

Anna hugged Elsa this time—a sure sign that already she was starting to feel more like her own self—and gave a genuine smile, all the fear and excitement showing in her face. "Wow, I can't believe this is really happening…!" she exclaimed. "Really, Elsa, I'm so grateful you're letting me do this."

Elsa rubbed her sister's arm in an assuring manner. "It just feels right for you," she replied, her smile a bit more sad, but also optimistic for Anna.

"I swear I'll write more," Anna promised with a sigh. "And this time they'll be delivered officially." She gave a knowing smirk to Olaf, who only chuckled in return.

Kristoff then stepped forward, bowing to Elsa. "Your Majesty, I promise to take care of Anna—anything that happens while we're away is on my hands, but I will cherish her just as you have," he vowed.

And, to Kristoff's surprise, Elsa leaned forward and kissed his cheek tenderly. "I hold you to it," she said, her tone light. "But I can tell just how much love you hold for my sister. I know you'll do everything in your power to make her as happy as possible."

It was quite an honor to have this blessing, Kristoff knew, and he shot Elsa a grateful smile in return as he stepped back to add the last of his luggage to the sled. Of course he promised to do what he could for Anna, make sure she was safe and loved and happy. It was the least he could do for the Queen, and for the woman he loved.

After all, he was meaning to marry the Princess of Arendelle one day.

Anna shared another hug with her sister, one last one for the road before she joined Kristoff on the sled. At this time Elsa leaned down and gave Olaf one of those warm hugs he always craved before he joined them. Sven led the party and Blizzard would be trailing behind. There was no rush to make it up the mountain, and Kristoff could see Anna was looking forward to the long road ahead.

As they left Arenedelle with a bittersweet departure, with citizens and guards waving them off, Kristoff looked at Anna and for the first time, she seemed quite hopeful.

It was time for a new chapter of their lives to begin, together.

Thinking back on it (and these days he had quite a lot of time to think on his actions), Hans would have told himself he should have killed Elsa when he had the chance—he should have killed her and not given her the chance to change his life like she did.

He shouldn't have played so close to the belt, shouldn't have told himself that marriage would turn her completely over to him. No, powerful as he had become, she had always been his weakness, starting from when he'd sheathed his sword and carried her in his arms.

It just took him a year to fully realize just how dangerous Elsa really was for him. She'd given him the one thing no one else had his whole life—hope. Because of her Hans kept pushing himself to do more, become King, get Elsa to answer to him. And, in doing so, she clung to him harder, manipulating him into believing he was not only happy, but that he was complete.

Worst of all, Elsa had no idea of just what she had done. Oh, she could play innocent all she wanted—gods knew she was an expert at playing that—but now she was starting to really become aware of all the power she held now as his superior.

His superior. Hans knew he should consider himself lucky for how much he'd been spared for all he'd done, but he couldn't help but want to resent Elsa even more for keeping him around.

It only made him disgusted with himself for falling for such a creature.

He had to admit, some of the tension was gone when Anna left with her ice man, especially since whenever they seemed to meet gazes her intentions were still as violent as when they'd battled. He'd grossly underestimated her… and it had almost cost him his life, had it not been for Elsa's aid.

Speaking of his wife, there she was, escorting him everywhere, as per usual. Ever since he'd gotten out of that dump of Arendelle's dungeon, Elsa further insisted on taking him everywhere to fulfill his duties. Even when alone, there were always a few guards at the door, and rarely did he and Elsa even sleep in the same chambers. Only recently did Elsa give him the freedom for him to lie beside her, no intimacy ever initiated.

Trapped. Nowhere to run, nothing to do without the consequences being much too great. And the most terrible thing was that he didn't want to leave her side, not when he thought about what he would be losing. His title. The little dignity and respect he had left. His wife.

Those three little words had ruined him for life, and Elsa never let him forget it.

Key change. Whenever he had a spare moment now, he would try to get as much time as he could into playing the piano. As of now, it was the only freedom he had, the only real luxury of his life he could control. As Elsa stepped in, he was incredibly engrossed in his impromptu piece, every note full of staccato energy and fast finger work. This, for Hans, was now the only real way he could get his frustrations out.

"Hello, my darling," she greeted as she sat with him at the piano bench. Hans didn't even look up; he simply kept playing as if she was not there. But she knew he was listening.

"Anna left this morning." The silent reply indicated that this was redundant information. "I miss her so already, but… maybe in this time we can work on what we have. Our marriage. At the moment the only things that really bind us together are the certificate we signed and the rings we wear."

"Is there really such a point to that?" Hans replied, still not looking up at Elsa. "Isn't that all we need right now?" Wasn't it the only thing that would keep them together? The worst part was, much as they had been spending time apart, mentally they had never been closer.

"Not when there's so much more to explore with what we've been keeping from each other," Elsa pointed out. "I know what you feel. I know that now you look back on your actions and regret them, wishing I hadn't come into your life like this."

With an unclouded heart, she was much more intuitive than eve, Hans noted. She hit the needle on the head and she wasn't letting up…

Sooner or later she was counting on him to break.

Stopping his playing, Hans looked up at Elsa, finally, with a sigh. He couldn't stand how beautiful she looked like this, so confident and sure of herself… Through this grim series of events, somehow she was still able to see the good in it all, in him. He couldn't stand it.

She'd taken it all from him, taken his power and his freedom, and cruelly let him keep the title he'd worked so hard to achieve.

It amounted to nothing but mocking in his face, and Elsa was fully aware.

She'd visited him in the dungeon often, and when that trial was over and he'd been given his new title, King consort, the disgust in his face was evident as he looked her in the eye. "You've taken everything," he'd told her bitterly.

She'd had the audacity to smirk at him. "But Hans, this was just what you wanted. You longed to be King of your own domain, and technically, you most certainly are still King of Arendelle."

His silence now only made Elsa more eager to talk. "Now, my dear. Was I really that bad a choice for you…?" she asked lightly, smiling up at him.

Hans had asked Elsa that very question before, and here it was again, come to haunt him. He blinked at his wife, considering everything it stood for. And now, Elsa knew him so well she could tell when he was lying.

"Yes and no," he answered truthfully.

Elsa gave Hans an understanding gaze, and that's when he knew—from now on, they would likely always be on the same page.

Accepting the fact that she loved Hans did not take much effort on her part. Once Elsa had let the fact sink in, as he was taken away to the dungeon to think of his actions, she felt all the anguish and regret he did. She couldn't explain it, but—Elsa had never felt so close to her husband like she did then. And that closeness, despite the physical distance, kept haunting her.

When she thawed the winter she'd created, Elsa had to summon every ounce of love she felt for all the people she truly cared about: Anna, her parents, Olaf, Gerda… Hans. She remembered what it felt like in their first exercises in controlling her powers, his warm hand touching hers, trusting her not to let the ice get to him. That had started The Great Thaw, as the people soon dubbed it.

What had completed it was everything else—the joy she felt getting married, the warmth of both his and Anna's embraces, the afterglow of another rigorous round of intimacy. And soon enough, the snow had retreated into the North Mountain, where it belonged.

After her whole life of living in fear, suddenly everything was abundantly clear to her. All along she had the answer within her—she just needed to find it in herself, and Hans had been the catalyst for his change. Yes, he'd done all those terrible things, had basically ruined her life or her chances of finding a man that might have always loved her, but it was the life she chose and there was nothing more to do but hold her head high and accept that she and Hans were right for each other, despite what he might try and tell himself.

Elsa escorted Hans from the piano to their chambers, sure of all her actions now. She could tell Hans was letting his guard down more around her; there wasn't much to hide anymore. And should he attempt to try something violent toward her again, she had a much better way of handling it, and he knew it. Arm in arm they looked content walking down the hall, but Elsa sensed the tension, and she had to start making things right for both her and her husband.

With Anna away, though Elsa missed her dearly, it did give her the opportunity to focus entirety on her relationship with Hans, make it really work out and make this as happy as possible. After all, he still had his title and her. It was a promising foundation for building up something stronger between them, albeit not entirely healthy, given how things had really started out between them.

Guards were already posted outside their quarters for the night as they arrived, and Elsa let Hans walk in ahead of her. She smiled at them and tried to break this news gently. "I would like no guards posted here tonight," she ordered. "Whatever may happen, I am more than capable of handling myself. Or would you like to test your authority with the Queen?"

The guards looked at each other, raising a brow, but nodded at her, although a bit tersely. "Yes, Your Majesty," they replied, soon walking off.

Elsa shut the door behind her, and Hans couldn't help but smirk. "Feeling frisky, are we now, my dear?" he asked, and Elsa smiled back as she realized her husband was starting to act more like himself.

"I'm optimistic," she answered with a shrug, taking out the pins in her bun to let her hair flow loose. "Don't you think it's a start…?"

"You trust me enough for that?" There was that challenge, that edge and playfulness to him that really attracted her.

"I love you enough to try being intimate again," Elsa shot back. For her, saying those words were assurance, and they only made her feel much more confident in her own feelings.

"Making love is a myth," Hans retorted, sitting back on the bed. Elsa could tell, he wasn't sure how to react to such a request—whether to be ecstatic or to stop her advances.

But now, she was the one in charge here. Elsa strode over to Hans and draped her arms around his shoulders, heart beating rapidly. This would be different than all the other times, she knew. But she had to take the risk, just as a first step. "We'll see about that," she almost dared, and pulled him to her.

That night, as she lay back to catch her breath, Elsa didn't feel the icy sensation in the pit of her stomach anymore.

Well, not exactly a sordid end, but I had that lyric in mind to use for the last chapter since the beginning. You get the gist.

Some things I want to make clear now that we're at the end of this huge thing:

-I do not plan to write a sequel to this fic. This is the end for me; I wanted to leave it open and I wanted people to have questions, definitely, ones to which I don't know the answers. That being said, I don't want there to ever be a sequel to this fic, written by me or anyone else, so I hold you, my readers, to respect this request.

-This ending is actually much happier than I originally envisioned, to be honest. But I'm glad I gave Anna the chance to find herself, as I wasn't going to do so in the beginning.

-I also don't plan on writing any one shots sent during the fic, drabbles, or anything of the sort. Again, like a sequel, I just don't want it written. The only thing I plan on doing now is looking ahead to other fics I plan on writing, and when I have the time going back and editing minor parts of this.

-I like to think that Elsa not feeling that icy sensation doesn't mean that she's pregnant, but it certainly means she at least has the potential to carry a child now that she loves Hans. Who knows what's gonna happen…?

Yes, I left this open ended. It was how I envisioned it in the beginning, and really, how else could it have ended while still being equal parts optimistic and sad? Or, at least, that's how I see it. Whether or not I'll write for Frozen again I don't know—only the future can tell.

As always, feel free to leave any questions you have here or on my Tumblr. Reviews are always appreciated, of course.

So, until the next fic!

~Eliza