A/N: Hey, so, this is mainly centered around Elsa. It's rated M because I feel some themes might be dark, especially as we go deeper into Elsa's state of mind as the story progresses. It's not intended to be a Hans/Elsa pairing at all.
Let me know what you think!
She woke up with a throb in her head; the sharp pain hit the back of her eyes and she struggled to tear them open. Through the blur she caught a glimpse of the ceiling and in a heartbeat she knew where she was: the cellars of Arendelle. Groaning, both from the headache and the growing nausea, Queen Elsa heaved herself up slowly. What happened? How did I get here? As she went to rub her forehead, cold metal bit into her frail skin and the shackles tightened around her wrists. Gasping, she tried to stand, only to have her legs give out underneath her. She collapsed to the stone ground, the throb intensifying; with a deep sigh, she laid there, tears brimming the corners of her eyes. None of this would have happened if I had been stronger. Oh, Anna…
The room was dark and the small window overlooking the fjord was frozen solid by a cold that most would have found unbearable. She did not mind, however, as she had never been bothered by the cold; in fact, it felt comfortable. It was a feeling she knew and one that had followed her throughout all of her young life. "Conceal, don't feel." How she hated those words. She had tried so hard to live by them and, now, alone in her own castle's cellar, she found it impossible to not break down.
Loud, commanding footsteps snapped her out of her haze. They neared the door and she flinched as she heard the lock rattle. Dread overcame her and she tried once more to stand, her legs shaking but holding her up at least to some degree of modesty. She found support against the wall, careful not to move her wrists in any way that would tighten the metal grip. It was suddenly bright, and she turned away from the hallways' illuminated glare; the door was then shut and she breathed out, welcoming the darkness that surrounded her once again.
"Why have you brought me here?" she asked, her tone laced with a hint of anger. Hans, her sister's fiancé, took a step forward and set down his lantern.
"I couldn't just let them kill you," he replied, and Elsa thought she discerned something… dishonest in his voice.
"Where's Anna?" she asked, letting out a sigh and lightly pushing herself off the wall, trying her best to stand tall like the queen she was.
"Anna has not yet returned." This time, Elsa was sure there was something else behind the prince's false concern. She frowned, her platinum eyebrows knitting tightly together.
"You don't love her at all," she hissed, feeling her magic begin to stir inside her. The prince took a few other steps, until he was at arm's length from her. She could not help a shudder, whether from rage or fear, as this man seemed to radiate an aura of danger. Unwillingly, she found herself taking a step back and the prince smirked deviously, his captive's action far from being unnoticed.
"You're right, I don't. But you made it far too easy for me; the poor girl has been locked away from the world because of you. I suppose then I have to thank you for handing me your kingdom."
Elsa tried to shatter her shackles but her mental instability made it difficult to concentrate. Oh, how she wished she could impale this man with her shards of ice, watch him bleed for all of his misdeeds and hurtful words. How could he do this to her baby sister? I'm so sorry Anna, for everything.
Before she could retaliate in defense, Hans reached for her and gripped her throat tightly with his hand. He pushed her roughly against the wall, raising her from the ground; she swung her feet in a vain attempt to release herself, but he was too strong for her weakened state.
"Let me go," she hissed between her teeth, trying to concentrate her magic on freeing the shackles. As she grew frustrated, her magic lost its focus and she began to freeze the wall behind her. Hans let out a sinister laugh and, without much effort, flung her small frame towards the bed. She fell onto the hard mattress, the metallic restraints digging deep into her skin; she whimpered as droplets of blood began to stain the sleeves of her icy robe.
"She adored you, you know. Oh, how she wanted your warmth, even glimpses of your smile; but you were selfish. You shut your door and locked her out of your heart. You are a monster, Elsa, condemning your very own sister to a childhood of sadness and loneliness."
"Stop," she breathed out, and in a second he was towering over her. His hands found her shoulders and he pushed her down, bruising her collar bone in the process.
"She only wanted a friend, Elsa. She wanted a sister to hold and comfort her. You couldn't even do that."
Elsa whimpered again, shutting her eyes and trying to orient herself. The cellar seemed to be spinning around her and she was losing her foothold in this downwards spiral. Hans' words tormented her consciousness and she could not block him out; wherever she looked there he was, with that grin she would have liked to permanently erase from his revolting face.
"Stop, please…" she whispered, feeling weakened and drained. She imagined Anna, her little Anna, lost in her blizzard; cold, alone, was she still alive? She had struck her heart and frozen it solid. What had the wise troll said, the heart is not so easily changed?
The prince smirked, taking hold of her arms and raising them above her head. She squirmed and tried to fight him off, but he simply pinned her with his weight; he quite liked the gorgeous queen of Arendelle submitted below him like this.
"Don't fight, my queen. As you see I have already won. When Anna returns we will be wedded, and then the people will demand your execution for the eternal winter you brought upon them. As you see, it is a happy ending after all."
"No," she gritted, "you will not get away with this. Arendelle will never be yours."
Before she could blink, the back of his hand collided with her cheek and she gasped, surprised and dumbfounded by this action.
"I am in charge now, my queen. Soon, this will be my kingdom. Until then, you shut your mouth unless I tell you otherwise."
Elsa snarled in response, launching her hips up in a sudden jolt of strength. Taken by surprise, Hans lost his balance momentarily and she used this opportunity to free herself. With a strong shove, she managed to push her captor off; not losing a moment, she sent out a blast of ice, freezing the cellar and shattering the shackles. The aftershocks hit the prince and she caught a glimpse of him crashing against the far end wall, unconscious. Elsa bolted for the door, blasting it off its hinges. Anna, you have to be somewhere. Please, Anna, where are you? Scrambling between corridors, she finally found the staircase leading back into her domain. I'm coming Anna, I promise.