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The first born Princess of Arendelle scurries down the halls, clutching her skirt in her gloved hands, hoping to make it in time to a meeting that’s about to take place. Her platinum blonde hair nearly falls out of her neatly braided bun as she picks her pace after glancing at grandfather clock.
A few more steps and Elsa reaches the library door, nearly yanking it open to enter. She gasps, seeing some frost cover the door handle and the area around it. Grabbing a handkerchief out of her pocket, Elsa tries to dissolve the frost by rubbing the handkerchief on the parts affected to melt it.
It doesn’t.
She tries a few more times but hears the clock chime to signal the beginning of the afternoon. Elsa panics then glances at the hidden door in the library knowing she must choose between the two situations. She takes a deep breath and stuffs the cloth back into her dress pocket hoping that the warm summer heat will melt her tracks when she leaves.
Elsa shuts the door quietly but the sound reverberates against the empty room. She spots the familiar blue book sticking out against the brown and green ones that nestle beside it. She runs towards it and pulls it down slowly, trying not to break the ancient lever. The door creaks open, groaning with every gear shifting. Elsa cringed as the noise echoes down the steps to the hidden room.
Once the door is parted enough for her to fit through, Elsa squeezes herself through the small opening and runs down the steps one by one to meet her lover.
Elsa is nearly to the other door in the passageway when she hears an older familiar voice.
Her father’s voice.
Her eyes widen and hold back a breath as if she let out one, they would both discover her in the hidden space.
Elsa tiptoes gracefully to the door and raises her head slightly to peer into the study through a small window on the door.
“So Prince Hans, what did you want to discuss with me this afternoon?” Her father, King Agnarr asks.
His arms are crossed behind his back with a stern look upon his face. An expression that Elsa knows all too well.
“As you know, Your Majesty, your eldest daughter and I have spent the past year growing close to one another.” Hans stands there like the navy man he is. “And we have grown very fond of each other as well.”
Elsa sees her father raise a questionable eyebrow at Hans. “Are you wanting to court my daughter, Prince Hans?” The King blatantly asked the Prince.
Elsa lets out an audible gasp from behind the door, startlingly the two men. They look around to pinpoint the source of the noise. She clamps her hands over her mouth to keep from sobbing as tears flow her flushed cheeks.
Hans, from inside the room, is startled by the sudden question even though he knows the answer to it. Before he can respond, he hears a gasp that he knows all too well. He searches for it by scanning the room then he finds it.
His green eyes catch a familiar blue glistening with tears peeking through the small window of the door behind the King.
Hans stands a bit straighter to let her know that he will be silent of his knowledge of her hidden presence. He then goes on to respond to the King’s question.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” He says. Agnarr’s eyes land back on him. “I do want to court your beautiful daughter. Only if you would allow me to do so.”
Back in the dark passageway, Elsa starts to ease back to a calm state and a hand automatically lands on her slightly bulging stomach.
Their baby. She smiles softly. Elsa feels the little life within her, move with excitement from sensing their mother’s touch.
Though with tears still glistening in her eyes, she sees that Hans has spotted her and stands a bit straighter to let her know that he will keep hush. Elsa’s eyes shoot back to her father as he speaks again.
“May I ask why, Prince Hans?” Her father presses. “Besides the fact that two have grown close? You know I have had suitors pursue my daughters only because they want to overtake their rank in this kingdom and I will not let that happen.”
“Sir,” Hans responds. “I have grown to love this kingdom as if it were my own and I was grateful when you allowed me to shadow as a rear admiral in your Navy. I would even die in war to protect it. Even if Elsa didn’t want to marry me, I would still serve and protect Arendelle at no cost.”
Agnarr walks over to a desk and pulls open a drawer. Right before he reaches in to grab a small velvet box, he looks up at Hans to get a final answer. “Are you sure about this, my boy?”
Hans gives a simple nod, making Elsa giddy with glee. The King grabs the black box and walks back to Hans, placing it in his hand.
“This was my grandmother’s engagement ring which I gave to Iduna when I proposed to her.” Agnarr explains. “It is a tradition for it to be given to the eldest princess of Arendelle from her suitor.”
Hans stares at the small box in disbelief. He was planning to just give Elsa something he found from a royal craftsman but to receive her mother and grandmother’s engagement ring, he knew that he was being held to high standards. He places the box in his pants pocket for safe keeping.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I am honored to have this ring for when I propose to Elsa.” Hans gives him a respectful bow.
Elsa nearly bursts at the seams with glee at her Father’s actions but she soon realizes the question that he is going to ask him next.
“Hans, are you aware of Elsa’s… predicament?” Agnarr slowly asks.
He keeps a stone face while contemplating his response. “Yes, Your Majesty. I do know about Elsa’s magic.”
The King’s hands ball into fists with surging protectiveness of his eldest.
“But, Your Majesty!” Hans blurts out, surprising all three of them. “Elsa showed me personally her magic because she felt like she could trust me. And I vow to keep her secret safe until she is ready to tell it herself because I love her no matter what.”
The room is dead silent after Hans’ declaration. He and Elsa exchange quick nervous looks from their spots until Agnarr does the unthinkable.
He hugs Hans.
The Prince stands there awkwardly and gives a small pat on the King’s back. This makes Elsa hold back a laugh from her side of the door.
“Thank you Hans.” Agnarr whispers.
He pulls back and beams with a huge grin, gripping the Prince’s shoulders. “Now, Iduna and I will draw up the engagement announcement then we will talk with you and Elsa about when to announce it. How does that sound?”
“Absolutely perfect, Your Majesty.” Hans anxiously agrees.
Agnarr pats his shoulder. “Hans, you can call me Agnarr. You’re part of the family now.”
Hans gives him a nodded smile. “Yes, Your Maj- I mean Agnarr.”
They shake hands and exchange goodbyes. Agnarr then takes his leave to go tell his wife the exciting news. Before twisting the knob, he looks back at Hans.
“Thank you, Hans.” He tells the young Prince but this time with a different connotation.
“You already told me that, Agnarr.” Hans quirks an eyebrow.
The King looks down at the floor. “No, thank you for loving Elsa. I always felt that I hurt her in some way by making her conceal her magic. She used to be so scared of being around others including myself but with you, she is truly happy. I know I have hurt her by keeping her sheltered and with your help, you can fix her hurt. I pray that I will live long enough to see you two become a family together.” Then he leaves, shutting the door with a soft click.
Elsa’s mouth drops open in shock at her father’s declaration while Hans takes a moment to process the words.
When he finally does, Hans drops his head and cradles it in his hands. He stands there a few moments when a small knock occurs. “You can come out now.” He states.
The secret door carefully opens and Elsa peaks out just to make sure that it’s just them. Once she sees it’s just the both of them, she breaks out into a small sprint to her lover. Hans catches Elsa by her waist and they spin together, with him lifting her a few feet in the air.
Hans brings her back down close to him and they share a passion filled kiss. After a few minutes, they come for air, placing their foreheads together.
“So…. I guess you heard all of that?” Hans asks teasingly.
Elsa lets out a string of giggles and nods to answer. “Mhm.” she murmurs.
“Well, I might as well propose to you now in private since you already know my little secret!” Hans replies, getting down on one knee and pulling out the small box.
“Will you, Elsa Caroline Nicolette Nikolai, marry me?” He opens the box to reveal a winter blue diamond on a single band with two small clear diamonds on it’s two sides.
Elsa’s breath catches at seeing the ring in all it’s beauty. She has never seen her mother and grandmother’s ring before and seeing it for the first time, makes her cry and overjoyed all at once.
Hans gets a bit nervous, not predicting this reaction from her even though she knew about him proposing.
“Is that a yes?” He speaks up a timid voice. She lets out a tearful yes and nods. He breathes out a sigh of relief and slips the ring on to her shaking left hand.
He stands up and hugs her close, gently swaying to comfort her. Elsa’s sobs turn into sniffles and buries her face into Hans’ chest and she automatically relaxes.
A nagging thought soon interrupts her peacefulness. You have to tell him. This is the only chance you two have alone.
Her eyes fly open while they are still holding each other. “Hans?” Elsa asks. “I have something to tell you.”
“What is it, my love?” He murmurs in response.
She takes a deep breath and tells him the life changing words. “I’m pregnant, Hans.”
“You’re pregnant..” He mumbles with eyes closed, the words not fully registering in his mind.
“You’re pregnant…” Hans says once again, now adjusting his head to sitting on top of Elsa and opening his eyes.
“You’re- Wait, What?” He says a third time, the statement finally clicking in his brain. He pulls away from her to look her in the eyes.
She gives him a small shoulder shrug and sheepish smile. “Surprise?”
He stands there with an agape expression, holding her arms. “Are you sure that you’re pregnant?” Hans stammers out.
“Yes.” Elsa says in a miniscule voice. “But I also went to the village midwife in secret who confirmed it and I paid her to keep quiet about it!” She suddenly spills out. Elsa clamps a hand over her running mouth with widened eyes.
Hans lets go of her arms and walks to the windows of the room. He tangles his hair nervously between his fingers then he suddenly stops.
“How long have you known?” Hans asks.
“I suspected that I was when I felt nauseous during our outings but didn’t confirm it till last month. The midwife says that I’m around three months along already.” Elsa explains.
Hans doesn’t respond and continues to stare out the windows.
“I know you have every right to be upset at me.” She says. “I was the one who started the events that night, not you.” Elsa’s eyes cast downwards in shame. She wrings her hands out of habit, frost glazing them over.
“I’m not upset at you, Elsa.” Hans breaks his silence. “It’s just that when your Father told me that he received suitor invites for you and your sister, he brushed them off as men who were seeking power and overthrowing both of you. And with you now pregnant, he just might suspect that!” He turns to face Elsa and ends his outburst with a loud huff.
“I know Hans. I heard all of it.” Elsa replies. “But I will tell him that I was the one who asked you to sleep with me, not the other way around.”
“Even if you do, your father will suspect that I just lied to his face and pressed you into marriage because you’re pregnant with my child!” Hans says with a slightly raised voice. “Your Father is a king, Elsa. he knows that royals in this day and age have children for only one reason, power.”
“He would exile me, Elsa.” He goes on. “Or worse, hang me for treason! Plus the Southern Isles would be held accountable as well! I would have to leave Arendelle in order save my, your’s and our child’s reputation.”
Elsa stands there fuming with rage, arms crossed over her chest. “So you’re implying that you would break off this courtship, sail away to some unknown land, and leave me alone with our child rather than trying to reason with my Father?!”
Hans, overwhelmed with frustration, yells back. “Well, maybe I should!”
Elsa gasps at his harsh response.
“Then I don’t need this anymore.” She ends the sentence by throwing her maternal ring on the floor and turning back towards Hans.
She crumples to the floor with uncontrollable sobbing and starts a small rapid flurry of snow around her.
Hans grabs the ring as soon as it lands in front of him. He takes one good look at Elsa and unconsciously runs to her, crouching down to her level and hugs her from behind.
“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” He whispers in her ear, rocking her oh-so gently.
The two of them stay in their position for at least ten minutes. Hans ceases his whispering apologies and rubs her back to calm her down.
Tears streak down his face as well, seeing the woman he loves so much, hurt from his harsh words. He props his head on her shoulder and plants a comforting kiss on it.
“I should be the one that apologizes.” Elsa speaks through her soft weeping. She wipes away her tears haphazardly. “This is all my fault. Maybe you should just leave me and let me deal with all this.”
Hans catches her hands in mid-action and holds them in a loving grasp. “Elsa, it’s no one’s fault.” He says, releasing one of her hands and opens his own to reveal the ring she threw. “And you see this ring? It’s one of the many symbols that represents that we are a team and will get through anything together. That includes our child as well.”
She nods in agreement and relaxes her body into Hans’. “I just hope that this child will know that they will always be loved and acknowledged no matter what occurred before their birth” She whispers.
He kisses her hair again in agreement, slipping the ring back on to her finger and places his hand back into hers once again. They sit together in silence, soaking in the comfort of one another. At the same time, the two pairs of hands unknowingly cradle Elsa’s bump.
To put her more at ease, Hans plants a line of kisses down her face and neck, sending Elsa into a fit of laughter and in a happier mood.
“Hans! Your sideburns are so ticklish!” She says, trying unsuccessfully to avoid his silly facial hair.
“Oh, are they now?” He titters back and continues to plant kisses on her skin to tickle her even more.
She goes on giggling and while doing so, she releases her hands from his to create a calm and steady snowfall above the both of them
“Elsa! You’re getting snow in my hair now!” He jokingly mocks her.
They both burst into bouts of laughter at their similar actions, still holding each other close.
Elsa tugs gently on of Hans’ arms to signal that she wants to stand up and he helps her do so. She dissipates the snowfall above them and brushes the small flakes off of her dress with Hans doing the same. Elsa waves away the remaining snow and takes a deep breath.
“I think we should go tell my parents now.” She tells him, wringing her hands again.
A terrified expression crosses his face. “That you’re pregnant?” He asks in a wavering voice.
She closes the gap between them by snuggling into his chest and lets out a laugh. “No, silly. That we’re officially courting now.” He lets out a breath without realizing that he was holding for so long.
“I plan to tell them about the baby in a couple weeks, probably right before you start your navy drills.” She says, her voice muffled.
“Elsa?” Hans timidly inquires.
“Hm?” She hums back.
“You do know that your Father runs said navy drills, right?” He states. “And I highly expect him to try to murder me during those drills for getting his daughter and heir to throne pregnant.”
“Oh!” She pulls back from his chest to address him. “He won’t try that! Maybe try to injure you. But we’ll be there together when I tell him so don’t worry about it!” Elsa gives her Prince a small smile. “You’ll have this Princess to protect you!”
Hans lets out a shaky laugh. “Okay.. If you say so.”
Elsa stands on her tiptoes, placing a small kiss on his nose then his lips. “Thank you, Hans.” She places her feet back down on the ground and moves to be at his side.
The simple action makes Hans smile and kisses her back, stroking her baby bump at same time. He holds out a hooked arm to escort his future wife.
“Together?” He asks.
“Together.” She replies.
They walk to the door and Hans turns the knob to open it. He lets Elsa lead the way and she slightly drags him into the hallway. The both of them break into a sprint and chuckle at their silliness.
They reach the end of the hallway where her parents’ room lies. Elsa knocks three times on the barely ajar door and waits for a response.
“Come in!” Her mother’s voice rings from inside.
Elsa and Hans give each a smile one last time before heading in, ready to announce their future together.
The End.