Heated Ice (Helsa)

Chapter Four: Blushing

Almost three years later after Hans had left with his brothers and taken back to the Southern Isles things had changed drastically. Elsa was still unmarried and without any love interest in her life while Anna's life was beginning to bloom. She had gotten married to Kristoff about a year after Hans had left and now they were expecting their first child in a few months. After realizing that Anna's life really changed around for her once Kristoff came Elsa often pondered what true love felt like and wondered if she would want anyone in her life.

"Queen Elsa?" A guard asked her. She sat on the long, stretch, velvet couch and peeked up from her favorite book, A Widow's Tale, written by an unknown author. It always bothered Elsa that such an amazing book would go without having an author claiming it as their own. "A ship has arrived and we would like your approval for the guest to come to Arendelle, my lady."

"Yes, yes." She nodded and held up a finger to him and kept reading.

"Your Majesty." The guard said again and Elsa sighed, folding the top right corner of the page and set the book down on the couch.

"I'll be down at the docks in a few minutes." She said to the guard, getting him to leave her alone in her library. She stood from the couch and walked over to the full length mirror and straightened her crown and then fixed her dress. Her dress was a deep violet with a black bodice and a light violet undershirt.

Elsa walked out through the castle's main gates and headed down towards the dock but on her way she was enjoying the summer time air and the beautiful sun shining down on the lake, making the water shimmer and shine.

"Where is this boat that needs my permission?" Elsa asked a guard that was standing near the docking area.

"Over there, my queen." He said and pointed at a fairly large boat and the first thing she noticed was the auburn head of hair standing at the front of the boat. Coming off of the boat were many of Arendelle's shipyard workers that were carrying plenty of crates.

"Hans?" Elsa asked herself and walked towards the boat, feeling queasy in her stomach but had to be strong around him. He was the only person to make her weak."Hans?" She yelled up to the boat, making the man turn around.

"Elsa!" He said and smiled at her. He was wearing a white shirt, dark green and black over coat, black pants and black boots. The thing that caught Elsa off guard was how different he seemed with his beautiful smile, he seemed taller too, a little more muscular from what Elsa saw. "May I enter Arendelle?" He asked and came over to Elsa and stood right in front of her, making her blush but also uncomfortable. Who was this new Hans?

"I'll need to speak with you for a bit about this whole thing first." Elsa said and they started walking towards the castle.

"I've changed, if that's what you're wondering."

"We'll talk about all that inside." She said as they entered through the castle doors and thought of where to go to talk to him.

"Elsa!" Olaf screamed from down the hallway and ran down towards them. "Elsa! Elsa!"

"Yes, Olaf?" She asked and Olaf being there made her mood even better.

"I just wanted to say hi! I missed you." He said and grinned then looked up Hans. "Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs."

"Hi, Olaf. I'm Hans and I like warm hugs too." He grinned down at Olaf who smiled back and waved at them both then went running back where he came from. "He's cute."

"He's... Different, that's for sure." Elsa smiled and thought to go back to her library to talk about everything. "We'll go to my library."

"Whatever works for you." He shrugged and they made their way back to the library. Elsa sat down on the velvet couch again and put her book away from her so she wouldn't have any temptations to read it. Hans took a seat in a black, leather chair that was near the couch.

"What are you here for?" Elsa asked him.

"Business terms. My brother sent me with the shipment of the wheat, coal and gold we have. I'll have to stay for a little because the boat I was brought on was taken back and another shipment won't be out until the middle of August and it's June. I hope that's okay with you." He paused and began pulling a folded piece of paper out. "My brother, Leo, told me to give this to you."

"Oh," Elsa said and leaned forward and grabbed the letter. "Thank you." The letter was sealed officially with the Southern Isles symbol. She opened it and read it quickly.

Queen Elsa,

I do hope that all is well in Arendelle and with yourself and Princess Anna. I am personally sending Prince Hans to you with our trade that we have brought over. He won't be able to return to the Southern Isles until late August when another ship is sent to Arendelle. If this is not acceptable or suitable for you or Princess Anna please send me a letter and I will have a ship promptly sent to Arendelle to retrieve Hans.

Thank you, King Leo of the Southern Isles.

Elsa folded the letter back up and sat it beside her and looked back to Hans. "I don't mind you staying here but I don't know about Anna... She's pregnant and you being here could stress her out. I don't want her upset."

"She's pregnant?" He asked and his eyes widened.

"And married."

"To Kristoff?"

"Yes." She nodded and watched Hans closely. He seemed so normal, like he was before he went power hungry.

"That's good. They deserve each other... I'm not married or have any children."

"Me either... Hans, how do I know I can trust you to be here? I don't know if you've changed."

"You actually helped me change. When you seemed to care about me so much, it made me wonder if I could be a good person again. When you had so much faith and care for me it really helped so I want to thank you for making me a changed man."

"I cared about you and defended that you weren't a monster. You're a good person who went down the wrong trail."

"But I haven't forgotten what I tried to do to you and Anna."

"We haven't either, on my behalf."

"I want to make it up to you."

"I don't need anything of any sort... Helping you become who you truly were is all I need to know."

"Thank you again, Elsa." He said and smiled at her, she smiled back and felt her cheeks blushing. Elsa's stomach churned a little with him smiling at her and the small laugh he had when he noticed her blushing.