Shattered Reflections

1. Double Jeopardy

((This is a collaborative RP Fic written by my lovely fellow Helsa Shipper FOW  and myself. We RP for fun and just wanted to share this story with fellow shippers, especially all my lovely shipper buddies over in the Helsa Discord Server. Long live the Province of Helsa! Thank you Beta Reader Friends, your help is much appreciated. Hope you enjoy~♥))
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He refused to mention what had brought him back. In fact, for the most part, he outright refused to speak.

Hans stepped into the throne room with shackles on his wrists, standing tall regardless, and walking without a fight with the Arendelle guards. His ship had been flying the Southern Isles flag, but the other crew members on his boat claimed no affiliation, and gladly handed over both Hans and his horse. Hans was stripped of his sword and a journal he kept on him, with half the pages torn out and the other half blank, but otherwise nothing suspicious was found on him. He entered the room in his warmer blue coat with the motif after the waves reminding all that he was a man of the Isles, and he was an Admiral as well --or at least had been, once--. He had said nothing the entire way, only doing as the guards asked, and coming in without a fight to meet the Queen for sentencing. His expression remained neutral, as if he were elsewhere entirely. It couldn't be further from the truth, but very little of him spoke truths.

"Your Highness, we've brought in that Prince from the Isles. The ship was quick to give him and his horse up, and claimed no affiliation with him. We've told them to stay where they are until released but didn't see fit to bring them in." The Captain of the Guard explained. "He had half a journal, a pen, and a sword with him, and put up no argument to us taking him in. No argument or word about anything so far, actually." The Guard couldn't help but glance back with an irritable look toward Hans, clearly he would rather have had him hanged than keep him in Arendelle, at least then he wouldn't be more concerned about the safety of the Queen. As much as the guards valued human life, they valued their Queen staying alive more than the life of a man who attempted to kill them. One could hardly blame them. Hans just watched impassively, waiting to be addressed.

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Even with the warning of the unauthorized ship (flying the Southern Isles Flag) approaching her fjord, it had not prepared her enough for his entrance. She thought the chances of the ship actually carrying him would be quite slim, since she thought the Isles wouldn't be foolish enough to strain their relationship further than the state it was left in, after the fiasco with their 13th Prince. Even with the slim chance, the unannounced vessel was still strange and made her extra cautious, she ordered the Guard to go investigate and to be ready for anything.

She really thought she would never have to lay her eyes on the auburn haired Prince ever again, so when he actually entered the throne room accompanied by the Guard her heart sank into my stomach, and almost forgot how to breathe. She was overrun with emotions, but anger was at the forefront of all of them. As the men approached her right hand clenched into a fist over her lap, her long fingernails burying themselves into her palm. She had regained the ability to breath as the men stopped in front of her, she was trying her hardest to keep her breath steady. She looked at the Prince straight in the eyes as the Captain explained, anger was boiling inside her but determined not to show it, she was Queen and she had to keep her composure no matter what (especially knowing what negative feelings did to her powers). Even if she wished to lash out at him, she believed if she gave him any kind emotional response, even if that emotion was anger, it would show him weakness and that was something she was NOT willing to show him and especially not in front of her Guard.

As the Captain finished explaining, Elsa closed her eyes for a long second, accompanied by deep breath for composure, she was determined to remain regal.