An alternative ending to Frozen: What if Kristoff had gone with Anna into the castle? How would things have worked out?

"Make sure she is safe!"

"Kristoff?!" Anna looked back to the ice harvester who had helped her all the way to her sister, and back. Wait... why wasn't he coming? Didn't he need...payement or something?! "Wait!" Anna shivered from the cold and her weakening legs, but wristled her arms out of the servants. "Stop, don't close the gates!" cried the princess weakly.

Kristoff glanced back when he heard Anna cry out. wait... Why wasn't she going to that Prince of hers?! "Anna.. I mean...Princess" stuttered Kristoff when he saw the servants disapproving glares. "Why do you need me?"

Anna felt her heart sting at the sudden formality. "Kristoff Bjorgmann...I uh... I still need to repay you for your sled!" spoke Anna.

"Oh...yes, yes indeed" said Kristoff with a glance of dissappointment. what were you expecting?! a declaration of her undying love for you?! You don't stand a chance against that prince!

"Your grace, this commoner-"

"-has been of great service to me" interrupted Anna. "If it wasn't for him, I'd be dead. He comes with me." She didn't know why she suddenly didn't want him to leave. Perhaps you are afraid that the kiss won't work? spoke a voice inside her head. Anna shook her head. Nonsense, it was true love!

"You married a man you just met that day?!" Kristoff's voice echoed in her head.

"Princess Anna? Your fiancé is waiting for you" spoke Kai as Anna kept staring to the commoner.

"My fiancé?" Anna blinked and turned away from Kristoff' pained eyes. fiancé... why did that suddenly feel so... heavy on her? "Oh, yes, off course, I will...I will see him." said Anna while the guards closed the gates when Kristoff entered the courtyard.

"This way, Princess, He's in the library" ushered Kai on.

Kristoff couldn't help but feel small and insignificant while he walked inside the grand castle. Again, the voices in his head spoke. What can you offer her? Nothing that she already has! She has wealth and her prince and... the man swallowed. He should stop thinking about what could be. There never was, never would be. No, scratch that. There never WAS anything between him and Anna! He shouldn't have agreed and just have walked away...

"Anna!" The mountain man looked to Anna who was taken into a man's arms. "Oh you are ice cold!" That had to be her fiancé no doubt... Then the man looked up and his green eyes looked suspiciously to him. "Who is this?"

"Oh... that's...that's Kristoff. He helped me while i was trying to search for Elsa" shuddered Anna while trying to keep her legs up. She felt so tired... "Hans...you have to kiss me, NOW!"

"We'll give you some privacy" spoke Gerda before Hans could object. Kiss her?! Why was she asking him this, now, of all places?! The prince glanced to the ice harvester, who hadn't moved from the spot, before glancing to Anna. As much as he wanted to order him out, he needed answers from Anna first. "What happened out there?"

"Elsa struck me with her powers!"

Hans' mind reeled. Her own sister...had done this?! If the dignitaries found out, they'd put the queen's head on a spike for sure... And with Anna dying, there was no-one left for the throne "But, she said she would never hurt you?" Arendelle needs you... Hans shortly looked to the Ice harvester. His first thought, to take the throne for his own, was in shatters, with the man as a witness. But, he was flexible. And if he played his cards right, he might get his own place after all...

"I was wrong.." Hans felt Anna lose grip when a spasm went through her and he quickly took hold of her to lay her down the couch. In the seconds he did so, he didn't fail to notice the Ice harvester making a movement to do the same... Interesting. "She froze my heart, and only and act of true love can save me..."

"You need to kiss me, now!"

Oh. So that was why she was so desperate before! "A True love's kiss." spoke Hans out loud and as he spoke the words, he saw Anna's eyes lit up. She really, actually believed this?! That a mere kiss would stop her from dying?! He almost laughed at the absurdity of everything. Like a fairy tale... well guess what Anna, life is no fairy tale... Oh, how he loved to break that fantasy world of hers! Hans glanced slightly to the Ice harvester who prevented from doing all of those things before leaning in.

Kristoff frowned from the man's behaviour. He had often wondered how Anna's fiancé was. He presumed an idiot, because who would in the right mind marry after 1 day?! But now that he saw him... He seemed a normal guy. And that was what bugged him. That prince was too kind,... too good to be true. And people like that, had always a hidden agenda up their sleeve. He wasn't daft.

Damn... how could he possibly win Anna back?! thought Hans as he leaned in. That commoner cared for Anna. Probably was even in love with her. His own kiss wouldn't work. He didn't love her.. but what if it work with him? Doubt began to form in his mind. What he had first seen as mere superstition, now became a sudden possibility of reality. He closed his eyes as he kissed Anna's lips. Good lord, even her lips were as hard as ice! When they parted, he opened his eyes and waited.

Anna waited and waited, but she didn't feel any change. "It...It didn't work." shuddered the princess. It hadn't worked! Tears began to spring in her eyes as her only chance of survival had vanished. "You don't love me" whispered Anna.

Hans closed his eyes, feeling himself at a mid-point. Confess what he was planning all along? Or play the pure innocent? He rapidly chose the last one. "I'm fond of you" spoke Hans as he re-opened them. "But I believe I'm not your true love, Anna. He is" And he nodded to the Ice Harvester who's mouth stood agape.

Kristoff blinked when Hans nodded to him. He didn't understand him. How could he be so calm that his kiss failed? Unless he knew beforehand that it wouldn't work... Their eyes locked. What game are you playing?

"Kristoff?" Anna's eyes shifted to him. "Do you love... me?"

Hans secretly crossed his fingers. He hoped his little bluff had worked and that the Ice Harvester truly was in love with Princess Anna. He moved aside to give Kristoff the space and watched, both with fear and anticipation.

"I...I do, princess" spoke Kristoff as he knelt beside her. "May I?"

Anna nodded, still feeling insecure if she herself was in love with him or not. She was happy when she was with him, indeed... but did that count according to the curse as "true love"? After Hans' not being able to unfreeze her heart, she wasn't sure anymore of anything...

Slowly, Kristoff leaned in, and kissed her ice cold lips. Again the seconds ticked by as both the prince and the ice harvester looked for any change into the princess's condition. Nothing.

Anna shuddered as another cold wave came over her body, and the princess began to cry. She was going to die! She didn't want this!

Hans cursed in himself. With the princess dying, and the queen on the brink of being executed, there- Hans' train of thought stopped. wait. The queen! "Anna. Your sister can maybe help you" spoke the man as he knelt by the crying princess.

"My sister is in her ice palace..." sobbed Anna. "It is too late to get back. Before we reach her, I will be dead..."

"She isn't up the North mountain Anna, but here in the dungeons" answered Hans.

"In the dungeons?!" screamed Anna shocked.

Hans put his hand up so he could explain himself. "Me and a few guards went out to search for you when we encountered your sister. Two of Weaselton's guards disobeyed me and provoked your sister. When we returned I was forced to put her in the dungeons on request of the other dignitaries."

"But you are acting regent of Arendelle" said Anna confused. "You can-"

"I couldn't" interrupted Hans quickly. "I'm appointed regent yes, but my power is limited and I have to answer to them. If I didn't put her in a cell, they would have the perfect excuse to execute her on the spot."

Acting regent? Kristoff's eyes narrowed to the prince.

The duke of Weaselton travelled across the halls, waiting near the library room to speak with Princess Anna about her sister. But when the seconds became minutes the old man grew impatient. He nearly knocked but refrained when he heard the prince vaguely mention his name. Curiously, the man put his ear near the lock so he could earshove on the conversation...

"But now that I'm here, I can revoke that right?" spoke Anna. She hadn't cared much for politics like her sister and she cursed herself for not paying more attention to the lessons of her tutors. "Right?" pressed Anna on when she saw Hans' hesitation.

"If they hear about your sister striking you with her magic..." said the prince slowly. Anna groaned.

"Yes, but they don't need to know that" snapped Anna. "I just lie and tell that I have a little bit of hypothermia that's all."

A little bit of hypothermia?! Both men glanced to one another in sheer disbelief.

The duke's eyes widened from what he had heard. That Witch-Queen had cursed her own sister! She had to be stopped immediately before she cursed everyone else! The man hastily ran away, seeching with rage. His own men were locked up thanks to that prince... But loyalty was always to gain with a bit of money... The man smirked and ran to the dungeons...

"Get me to them" commanded Anna as she tried to stand up.

"Oh no, you are staying right here" spoke Kristoff concerned as he saw Anna sway back and forth. The ice harvester quickly catched her before she could fall. Another streak of hair turned white and both men paled.

"But I want-"

"Kristoff, get her close to the fire, and keep her as warm as possible" spoke Hans as he stepped quickly to the door. It was a risky idea of the princess, but he had to admit that it had a fair chance to work. And if not... Hans shook his head. They weren't there yet. He would play his part, like he always did.