Ever After

Chapter 9: Treading on Thin Ice

Hans

A jealous woman was never something I worried about before. In my younger days, I find it quite a source of entertainment to see two women circle each other in a silent combat of glares and fake smiles while they hurl vicious gossip against each other among their friends. It was even more amusing if I was the cause of their petty squabbles. In my days as a pirate, I've encouraged these tendencies among the women that found me attractive. It didn't matter whether they were prostitutes in the alehouses, the fish vendors at the docks, or the neglected young wives of some minor port-based bureaucrats. I pitted them with each other to feed my own broken ego and to relieve the boredom of my depressingly sordid life as a mercenary. I exploited the competitive desires born out of jealousy of these women and more often I ended up getting what I wanted from both rivals.

However, the moment I saw the fury of Ariel's eyes directed at Elsa, I felt for the first time a deep anxiety at the looming disaster ahead. I moved to come between them, but I wasn't fast enough to stop my queen from walking towards the trap that lay before her.

"Your Majesty, if there's anything I've done-"

I expected indifference, perhaps a glare of disdain from Ariel. But I was not prepared for the complete callousness of her reaction that can dwarf even the scandal of Anna's tantrum after Elsa's rejection of our engagement.

"You've done enough! Stay away from my husband and my daughter, witch!"

Elsa looked like she was burned and she stepped back, her eyes wide with fear and embarrassment. I felt the cold hit immediately and I knew everyone felt it too. Everyone, that is but the King and Queen of Tastris who went on to openly argue at one corner of the hall. I couldn't hear what King Eric was saying but Ariel certainly didn't hold back her thoughts when she made it known within hearing distance of everyone in the room.

"I want them out of this kingdom by tonight or I will ask Daddy to do that for me."

Her words shook me with an almost paralyzing fear. I could see from the horrified faces of my co-Arendellians I was not alone. We had over a hundred men wounded. If we leave tonight, there was a big chance most of them would not survive. We had nowhere else to go and Weselton could come upon us easily in open waters. Any chance of sealing an alliance with King Triton was now falling in shambles. I realized it was due to my failure to do what Elsa set me to do. Somehow Ariel had still found out about Elsa's day with Eric.

I felt snowflakes above my head. Elsa stood next to me her hands clasped as her body shook. No one was paying her any attention but I knew that will change in a moment once people realize she's losing control of her powers. I hurriedly whispered to her:

"Keep it together Queen Elsa. I'll handle Ariel."

I felt her relax. The tiny snow storm above her head abated and the temperature immediately returned to normal. No one noticed for everyone's attention was on King Eric who muttered a barely discernable apology then left things to Grimsby.

I stealthily followed after the former mermaid. It wasn't hard to find her. She was stomping so hard in her anger I only need to follow the sound of her footsteps. She exited a large door at the end of the hall. The door opened to a staircase that led one floor down into a long open air platform that I figured from the structure used to be a docking bay that connected to the castle. It was most likely the Tastris royal family's private dock when they used to have ships. The platform ended with the wall but underneath it, water still flowed through the drains, creating a tiny pool of water. Ariel kicked her shoes off and sat on the edge of the platform, allowing her feet to dip in the water.