Author's Note: I actually don't like Frozen as a whole, but Elsa and Hans shined out of the rubble of that movie like two brilliant diamonds that demanded an elaboration on their story. So from frustration and a desire to find a conclusion to two very dynamic and interesting characters, I decided to write a ficlet to satisfy my hungry subconscious. I hope you all enjoy it. I don't think I'll rest until I get it out of my brain. I'm a huge Helsa fan and while this fic largely centers around that relationship and how I feel it could/would form in this headcanon, this story is about Elsa's epilogue and closure. She deserved a better ending.
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Elsa strolled down the hall towards the ballroom, shifting out of the way as a group of servants hurried by carrying furniture. The kingdom was thriving with the arrival of so many new faces within the castle walls. After the doors had opened, Elsa had found that their newly-inhabited dwelling had trouble staying clean and sought to hire more help. It was ironic to think her entire life had been a series of empty rooms and closed doors, and now the halls were now more crowded than she ever remembered. Now, well… now she couldn't find a moment's peace.
"Majesty," a thin voice called from behind. She half-turned to find her chambermaid standing with a letter in hand. She bowed out of courtesy, and Elsa quickly returned a nod before taking the envelope.
"From the Southern Isles," she explained before Elsa could inquire the author of the letter. She squinted her face in the slightest, certain to not let her maid see the uneasiness that now settled in her stomach, and quickly excused herself. Her hand clenched the envelope so tight she felt ice forming between her fingertips. Head bent low, she went straight upstairs to her room and didn't look up until her chamber doors were shut firmly behind her.
A deep breath escaped once she was separated from the noise outside. The voices fell silent, as did the nervous pattering of feet up and down the halls. She slumped against the doorframe and stared down at the thing burning in her hands.
From the Southern Isles.
There were many reasons the King of the Isles would write to her, and none of them were good. To be reminded so soon of the incident made her chest tight and fingers ache. Hans, a man she had been concerned about though not threatened by, had nearly accomplished killing both herself and her sister Anna. He'd been brought back to his brothers in chains from her last memory, though she'd never learned of his fate. Not until now.
She stepped across the threshold to her writing desk. Her hands were shaking. Control… she told herself. The ice retreated from the edge of the letter, and she decidedly lit a candle before sitting down in her chair. Carefully cutting open the envelope, she pulled the contents from inside and slid open the folded pages to begin reading.
To the Queen of Arendelle,
I apologize for the brief and vague nature of this letter, but I fear the information I wish to share is too sensitive to trust sending such a distance where nefarious men may seek purpose to use it against us. I can only hope you will understand, and heed my request, when I kindly ask for your presence at my kingdom. Please know that this is not a royal obligation, but a plea from a concerned sibling for his youngest brother - please come to the Southern Isles. I understand what it would mean to you to put yourself through such an ordeal, but I plead on behalf of my family. I do not expect you to reply or heed my request, though I would be grateful and welcome to have you here.
King of the Southern Isles
Kasper
Elsa read the letter a few times over to ensure she hadn't missed anything. She stared at the blank lines in between the writing, wondering if perhaps there was something she was missing. What could the King possibly want that would require her to travel across to their isle? Panic swept her chest as she considered the idea that Hans might have escaped from the boat, and perhaps his eldest brother feared he would try to intercept the letter. Would he really try to kill her again, after everything that happened? What if he tried to hurt Anna?
Elsa drew to her feet before the concept could draw itself fully, then paused halfway to the door. She was being over-presumptuous. Besides, the guards had been doubled since their return and she was certain there were enough people in the castle that someone would notice a traitor or assassin sneaking in. Still, fear drew her back as she held her hand to her chest and wondered why the King had asked for her. It must be important. The letter sounded frantic, and his handwriting was shaky. Nervous, even. What did he think she could possibly do?
Then the thought struck her - what if she'd iced his heart the way Anna's had been frozen? It may take days, but surely he would die if he were encased the way Anna had been. It had taken her sister a full week to completely recover from the incident, and it had only lasted for a short few minutes. If Hans were already frozen solid…
She tightened her fist until the letter crumpled in her hand. Good, maybe he should freeze to death for what he's done. The thought entered and exited her head as quickly as it had arrived as she immediately felt guilt stab her subconscious. No one deserved to die, not even him. She reminded herself he had been the one to save her from the Duke's men of Weaseltown, and brought her all the way back to the castle. He'd kept everyone from executing her on the spot, though it still didn't make sense why he'd gone to such lengths to protect her only to try and kill her in the end.
Confused and anxious, she circled around her room until a layer of snow blanketed the ground. She had her fingers gripping her head, eyes roaming the white floors when the door pushed open and her wide-eyed sister stepped inside.
"Elsa?" she half-laughed when she saw the snow. Elsa immediately cocked her head and raised a hand.
"Please shut the door," she said in a strained voice. Her sister obeyed, pushing the oak door closed behind her and stepped to the side of the snow mound Elsa had unconsciously built around her.
"Uhm… is everything-" she looked around for some source of discomfort, "..okay?" she trailed off.
Elsa contemplated telling Anna about the letter. She put the edge of her thumbnail to her teeth and gritted it out of habit. Anna didn't have to ask again - she recognized when her sister was distraught with or without the looming presence of a snow cloud overhead. Elsa turned away to try and think.
She was already attempting to find a way to conceal the letter from Anna when her sister materialized behind her and snatched it from her hands. She reached wildly for it, though Anna bounced away before Elsa could retrieve it.
"What's this?" she questioned while dodging another grab from Elsa.
"Anna, please don't-" Elsa begged, though Anna had already opened it and stopped moving entirely as her eyes caught the headline of the written entry. It was too late to stop now, so Elsa retreated a step and tucked her hands into the crooks of her arm, lips pressed tightly together.
When Anna had finished, her face had turned a promising shade of red. She looked from her sister to the letter, mouth agape. Her hands flew defiantly to her sides, clutching the already-crumpled paper and latched her fiery eyes to her sister.
"You aren't considering going, are you?" she demanded. Elsa paused, and continued trying to find places to put her hands while stepping back and forth.
"I-I don't know yet-" she admitted. Her voice was weak. It only angered Anna more.
"You cannot be serious, Elsa!" Anna barked. Elsa's chest jumped as the pitch of her sister's voice echoed through the room.
"Anna, tone!" she warned her sister. Anna heeded her request, though grudgingly, and balled up the letter in her fury and threw it at the floor. Elsa reached to catch it, and missed, then plucked it from the snow and began smoothing it out.
"Do not take out your anger on a mere piece of paper," she chided, now growing frustrated with her sister's overzealous behavior. "All the King requested was my presence there - I do not even know what for, yet," she reminded Anna while placing the letter on the desk.
"They cannot expect you to just waltz up to the doorstep of a traitor! He almost managed to kill both of us, remember?" Anna scoffed.
"Yes, and he was the same man you were planning on marrying, as well," Elsa calmly reminded her. She straightened finally, and looked down to her reckless albeit brave little sister and offered a small smile. "I can handle myself, Anna. I think I should go," Elsa decided as the smile fell and she hid again behind a faceless mask, moving to the side to begin preparations.
Anna made a point to follow her all the way down the hall to the foyer, then to the kitchens, and finally out to the harbor, all the while explaining all the reasons why she shouldn't go and why Elsa shouldn't worry about helping them. As they began returning to the entrance of the castle, Elsa stopped at the gates and turned to her sister. Anna, who seemed to speak in a singular, run-on sentence, finally drew to a close and waited for her sister's response.
"You were willing to help me when everyone else called me a monster. I will do the same for the King," she placed a hand on Anna's shoulder and smiled again, "you must treat everyone in this world with kindness, Anna, or surely our hearts will wither. Even the brother of a traitor."
With that, she left her sister in the courtyard and called the maids to her quarters to help pack.