Jump Into the Fog

Dirty Little Wicked Game

Jump Into the Fog

Chapter 1

"I'm a non-believer but I believe in these dirty little wicked games."

-

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 the Queen when he had the chance—he should have killed her and not given her the chance to change his life like she did.

But he didn't.

Nothing was stopping him, either. After all, Anna had probably drifted to her pathetic death by now, and Elsa… well, if Hans killed her, he'd be praised as a hero for stopping the royal menace and her eternal winter.

But something inside him—something sympathetic yet selfish, he reasoned—surfaced. An idea formed in his head as he poised his sword, ready to strike the Queen's neck with all he had.

Well, what if… what if Hans learned how to control Elsa? Not just her powers, but her as a person, someone who would protect him and never betray him, would put her life on the line for him? If he controlled the most destructive being in Arendelle, not only would he be a king—Hans would be the king of kings. A king of which his many brothers would be jealous: he'd be the king that tamed the mysterious, beautiful queen of Arendelle. That sold him enough.

So what if he had to keep up the act? He'd still be getting exactly—no, more—than what he wanted. And Hans certainly didn't think of himself as evil—just resourceful. And wouldn't it be a waste of a resource if he disposed of the most powerful being in the kingdom, both literally and figuratively? After all, his goal from the beginning had been to obtain the Queen's affections, but she seemed far too reserved and erudite, so he'd opted for her far less superior, naïve sister, who ate up his every word until the end.

So it was back to his original plan, with a few modifications—Hans had no idea the Queen could conjure ice with her bare hands until recently. So he sheathed his sword; the Queen didn't suspect a thing since she was still bawling and mourning over the loss of her sister. And with Anna out of the way, no one knew his ulterior motive.

Kneeling beside the Queen, Hans enveloped her in his arms and silently picked her up, putting on his most sympathetic face. His forehead pressed against hers briefly; she felt just like ice but Hans wasn't going to relent. No, he'd stick it out 'till the end.

The Queen just seemed grateful for the comfort, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, crying frozen tears against his chest.

Once pressed up to him, Hans carried Elsa back to the palace, unaware that the Princess was calling out to her sister, still barely alive.

-

She thought she saw a square-shouldered figure in the distance that could only be Kristoff—but to Anna's dismay, it was Hans, sword raised to strike Elsa's neck.

No, not her sister. Anyone but Elsa. Calling out to warn her, Anna fought against the frozen fjord and her heavy feet in order to reach Elsa, but nothing was cooperating… Anna kept getting blown astray with Elsa's increasingly powerful winds, and she kept getting further and further…

To her great surprise, Hans suddenly sheathed his sword and picked Elsa up silently in an act Anna could only describe as the most intimate thing she'd ever seen… but it was a trick, she knew it! Hans only wanted to rule Arendelle… he didn't care about her or Elsa. Anna had to save her sister, she just had to.

Fighting the ice forming on her hands and arms, Anna called out for Elsa, but her voice was weak and kept getting lost in the wind… neither Hans nor Elsa seemed to hear her.

They were getting further… further… And Anna kept growing heavier and weaker…

"… Anna…! Anna…!" Someone was calling out to her… Anna collapsed onto the ice, knowing just how easy it would be to just give in… But she had to keep fighting for Elsa…

Strong, warm arms scooped her up, and Anna slowly tilted her head up. "… K-Kristoff…" she whispered, surprised he'd found her at all in this blizzard.

"Anna, you're cold as ice! We have to get you somewhere warm," Kristoff remarked, starting to panic. He quickly bundled her up in his coat and hat, despite the fact that he definitely wasn't fir for this blizzard now.

"Kristoff… I-I think it's too late…" Anna closed her eyes, which felt so heavy…

"Don't you dare go now, Anna. Don't worry about me—we have to save you first." Anna could feel herself getting hoisted on something—Sven maybe?—and immediately they were off, in the opposite direction of where Hans had carried Elsa. Anna, too weak to protest, let Kristoff carry her off.

-

Maybe Hans wasn't the brash, silly prince she imagined him to be… Elsa had certainly never felt so safe in someone's arms, not even her father's. She couldn't stop crying, though—she'd doomed her sister, the one person she swore she'd never hurt again.

Elsa only held onto Hans tighter, looking for some sort of comfort, which he seemed to be glad to give, despite the fact that she was sure she felt like ice in his arms.

Before she knew it, they were back at the palace. Voices all around her demanded why she was here—but this was her kingdom, after all. Her frozen, spiteful kingdom of Arendelle.

"What are you doing, bringing that… that monster back here?" the Duke of Weselton accused, and Elsa huddled closer to Hans, giving a slight whimper. She felt too out of control to say anything…

"Didn't you declare the Queen be sen—" one of the dignitaries started.

But Hans cut him off. "Please," he interjected, giving him a stern look Elsa could not see. "Can you not see Her Majesty is in quite a lot of pain over the loss of her sister, the Princess of Arendelle?" Elsa could feel him storming off angrily, up in a direction Elsa could only guess was toward her room.

That didn't stop the dignitaries bombarding the two of them with questions, most notably something about Hans and Anna exchanging wedding vows before she died… but even Elsa knew that if only words were exchanged—with no witness, nonetheless—and now with Anna… dead… it made Hans' new position as Anna's husband utterly pointless. It meant nothing.

Hans slammed the door to one of the guest bedrooms, setting Elsa gingerly down on the bed. Standing slowly, he brushed bits of ice that had formed on the back of his coat.

"I am so sorry…" Elsa sobbed, curling her body into a little ball. Conceal, don't feel… Ice immediately started forming on the sheets.

Despite this, Hans still sat beside Elsa, placing one of his gloved hands over hers. The warmth and comfort soothed her, and she could feel herself relaxing just a bit. Right outside the door, the dignitaries demanded to see the Queen and the Prince for questioning, and Elsa could hear Kai and Gerda trying to push them away.

"Elsa, you didn't mean for any of this to happen," Hans assured gently, his brows furrowing in concern as his thumb gently ran over the soft ridges of her knuckles. Elsa could feel her heart beat faster at that; she'd never been touched like this before, certainly never by a man…

Elsa sniffed, using her free hand to rub her eyes a bit. "These powers are a curse…" she lamented. "I could never forgive myself for what I've done to Anna… And you tried to save her, too… All I've done is make everything worse…" Everything was so confusing and Elsa felt so out of control—in her position as Queen of Arendelle, in losing her sister, in her powers, in how her heart beat quicker since Hans was so close—and nothing would make it easier.

But as Hans used his free arm to envelop her in a tight embrace, Elsa couldn't help but feel slightly more comforted against him.

"I'll be here for you, Elsa," Hans declared, resting his chin atop her head, which again buried itself against his chest. "I'll be here for you as long as it takes…."