Many Beauty and the Many Beast

by Felicity Collins

  "Oh, and since when do I need your approval?" I asked.

  "Well since I'm your soon-to-be… uhm…" he trailed off remembering Anna was here, so he waved it off "You just do" he concluded

  "Soon-to-be what?" Anna asked curiously.

  "Yes, Kristoff. Soon-to-be what?" I added smirking. I'd love to see how he's not going to blow the surprise this time.

  "Soon-to-be… guy best friend!" he said. I gave him an impressed side smile. Nice save!

  "Soon-to-be guy best friend? I hope you can hold the competition with Olaf around" Anna said.

  "Oh, guys! So much attention! This is such a boost to my ego!" I said jokingly. Anna laughed and looped her arm around mine.

  "Now, back to the topic" she said

  "Yeah, tell us everything!" Kristoff said.

  "In every detail"

  "Juicy details. From his eye color to his foot size"

  "Foot size doesn't matter" I countered.

  "Ha! So you admit you like him!" he said.

  "Because I don't care about his foot size? How does that make any sense?!"

  "It does. Foot size is very important"

  "Oh, really?"

  "Yes. Come to think of it, if you don't know his foot size, how are you going to buy him new shoes for your anniversary?

  "Hey, slow down Kristoff, that can wait" Anna said

  "Okay, then how are you going to buy him boots as a lucky charm when he goes to war?" he continued.

  "I'd rather give him a bracelet as a lucky charm" I said.

  "See! You like him! You're already thinking about gifts for him"

  "Me?! I'm countering your crazy fantasies about my love life"

  "There! You see! You said 'love life', you like him"

  "Because I said 'love life'?"

  "Everything has some sort of secret meaning when it comes to love, Elsa dear" Anna and I shared a slightly shocked look. "Oh, and I want to be the first-" he glanced at Anna "- okay- the second to know when he's finally taking you out on a date, because if you want, Anna and I can help you prepare for it. Anna with the dressing up and make up and I'll give you an opinion of the result from a man's point of view. Oh! And when you two get married, please, please, pleeeeease, let me and Sven carry the rings! Oh, and I can take care of ice to keep the champagne cold at the reception?" he finally noticed our freaked out glances "What?"

  "What the heck, Kristoff?" Anna commented.

  "What?"

  "Why are you being such a girl?" I finished

  "I'm not being a girl!" he complained.

  "Yes, you are. One Anna is enough, I don't need another one"

  "Hey!" Anna complained "I didn't ask or suggest any of that"

  "No, but you were about to"

  "Yes, I was, but that's not the point"

  "Well, let's look at the bright side. At least he didn't suggest he'd put nail polisher on my nails while you do my hair"

  "That was my next proposition" Kristoff said.

  "Kristoff!" Anna and I said shocked.

  "I'm kidding!" he said "This is actually my first up-close royal gossiping… let me have a little fun!" Anna shook her head exhaling deeply.

  "And I date you… I've come to this realization" she said.

  "Sorry, you chose to" Kristoff said smiling at her.

  "Sadly, that's true" Anna said hiding a smile

  "And Kristoff?" I said.

  "Yeah?"

  "Paw off my shoulder" he immediately obliged huffing as I smirked and Anna snickered next to me.

  "So, back to the topic what did you two talk about?" Anna asked me.

  "He told me some stuff about the trial. He actually used to be friends with Hans and Skylynn, but now Hans is where he is and Skylynn is angry at him for the way he left the army to join the Southern Isles"

  "You mean, she's angry at him because he ran away?" Kristoff said.

  "No, he said he didn't ran away and betray Skylynn and King Landon, but he didn't exactly say why he left, he was uncomfortable about it but said that he might tell me one day" I told them.

  "I'm sure he had his good reasons" Anna said.

  "I said the same thing" I added.

  "Then, what else did you talk about?" Kristoff asked.

  "He asked if I was looking forward to marriage" I started carefully. Anna and Kristoff's eyes lit up.

  "This is getting interesting" he commented "Keep talking"

  "Well, he said that I shouldn't be uncomfortable because of my powers and that he's delighted about the fact that I have less suitors because that means less competition for him, then he kissed my hand and walked away" Anna and Kristoff's jaw fell to the floor.

  "OH MY GOD!" Anna squealed.

  "What?"

  "HE LIKES YOU! He sooo likes you!"

  "But he didn't actually say it"

  "Gosh, Elsa! You're dense when it comes to love" Kristoff said.

  "Excuse me?" I said glaring at him.

  "He's right" Anna said "He pretty clearly said he's interested in you"

  "He's happy that you don't have a lot of suitors anymore, so he might have higher chances to win you over" Kristoff said.

  "OH MY GOD! ELSA, THIS IS GREAT!" Anna said hugging me.

  "Hey, Anna. Maybe your big sister is about to find someone who might melt her heart" Kristoff said "Maybe I'll finally get a hug" I glared daggers at him

  "Kristoff…" I warned him.

  "… shut up" he finished for me. I gave him a satisfied smile. My smile faded when I saw the guards accompanying Hans along with King Theodore and the Princes and headed over to the building. Hans was not fine and you could see it. But at least he looked better now. His hair was a bit shorter, parting in the middle, the shabby beard was gone and so were the sideburns and to tell you the truth he looked better without them. His old peasant clothes gone and replaced with clean ones. But the bruise on his face was evident, as his rawboned cheeks and limp were.

  "It's time" I said. Kristoff and Anna looked to where I was looking, noticing Hans and his brothers, they gave me a nod and as Kristoff took Anna's hand, the three of us headed inside the building. I walked and sat on my judge throne, Anna let go of Kristoff's hand and sat next to me and Kristoff stood by her side, tall and mighty, puffing out his chest and crossing his arms, like a bodyguard. When all the aristocrats got inside, Hans was brought in and handed over to two guards who brought him in the middle of the room. I found Skylynn's face among the crowd as she was glaring at her other half-siblings. As soon as Hans was standing in the middle of the room, the trial began. We quickly reviewed what happened last month and then called as witnesses the aristocrats. They all confirmed that he had lied to them, making them believe Anna was dead and that they had exchanged wedding vows. Some of them also accused him confirming what both Anna and I had seen, him raising his sword to kill me and obviously accused him of high treason.

  "Your Majesty" one of the noblemen began "This man is a danger to Arendelle and the other kingdoms. He showed us very well what he is capable of. He's a master liar, a manipulator, a murderer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Of course, all of us here remember that he took care of the kingdom while both our beloved queen and princess were gone, but after the despicable crime he tried to commit, it's crystal clear now that he has fooled us all. This man is nothing but a devil with the face of an angel and deserves no mercy, your Majesty"

  "The Marquise is right" began another nobleman "If he managed to fool all of us with his sly mind, he is more than a danger to everyone"

  "Your Majesty" said a woman as she stood up to talk. She wasn't an aristocrat, she was a delegate of my people's lower classes, next to her sat the middle class delegate "This man may have done great wrong to you, but you have to consider this" she began "When you and the princess were gone, this man personally gave us blankets to warm up, he opened the castle gates and fed us with warm food and in all took good care of us, of the kingdom and, forgive me if I say so, but we are in debt with him. You need to co
nsider this" I nodded.

  "Oh please, Your Majesty!" called another man, an aristocrat "This man can't be let free! He may have done these things, but it was aimed to gain our trust and take over the kingdom"

  "Queen Elsa, Princess Anna" called another man "I believe it's time for your sentence" and hell broke lose

  "Send him back to the Isles, let King Theodore hang him!" one said.

  "Put him in jail for life!" said another

  "You can't exile him! He's too dangerous to be wondering around kingdoms" shouted another one

  "Execution in exceptione!"

  "Yes! The execution in exceptione!"

  "Execution in exceptione! That's what he deserves"

  "Everyone quiet!" I said standing up from my seat. The room became quiet "I need a few minutes to discuss his fate with my sister then-"

  "What?!" exclaimed Prince Gordon standing up in disbelief . Hans kept quiet for the whole time "What's there to decide?! He is a shame to House Westerguard and a danger to everyone! Execute him!"

  "He tried to kill you! He committed treason! He left Princess Anna to die! That man is not worthy of royalty! Something that can fool everyone like that by only using his words, leave someone to die and getting so close to kill a person who, news say, had her back turned towards him is an abomination!" Prince Herbert boomed standing up "If you don't want to execute him, send him back to us and we'll deal with this low-life scumbag ourselves"

  "Prince Herbert and Prince Gordon, I'm speaking and I'd be grateful if you two remain quiet until I'm done" I said looking sharply at them "As I was saying, I'll have to discuss my judgment with my sister and-"

  "-But, you Majesty! Think about what he did to you!" Gordon shouted "That man doesn't deserve any mer-"

  "-Prince Gordon, I said be quiet until I'm done, or I'll tell my guards to escort you out of this court room" I said narrowing my eyes at him. He seemed to get the message and shut up "As I was saying, I'll discuss his sentence with Princess Anna and decide what his fate will be because as you all well know, I have recently revoked death penalty so-"

  "Queen Elsa, this is crazy!" boomed Prince Herbert "You can't just-"

  "Prince Herbert and Prince Gordon!" Anna's voice erupted with an unexpected severity, as she stood up as well "The Queen has been very clear. If you two don't know how to behave yourselves when the queen is speaking during court, then you are very welcome to walk out of this room. The exit is right there, if you two are to disturb this court again then I'll have the guards accompany you to it" she said with an unexpected authority.

  "As much as the Princess and I resent this man for what he did to us, my judgment can't be influence by personal business, so to make it clear to the both of you, yes, Princess Anna and I need to discuss his fate" I said looking at them sternly. Gordon was about to talk again but I cut him off "That is my decision" I said firmly.

  "Queen Elsa, Princess Anna" said a feminine voice and Skylynn walked to the front, a few feet in front of Hans, all eyes set on her. "May I have permission to speak?" she asked standing tall and royal in her uniform. Hans' head snapped towards her.

  "Permission granted" I said. All eyes were set on her and the court room fell into a heavy silence as Queen Skylynn confidently walked up to me.

  "Ever since I got here, I've spent some time in your library and I took the liberty to look through most of your law books and found something that doesn't require you to judge anyone, but to only give your consent" she paused as all eyes were on her and small whispers could be heard "In Hans' defense, I appeal to the Arendellian right of substitution. Take me in his place"

  "What?!" Anna exclaimed along with other people who gasped in astonishment.

  "What?!" exclaimed Hans. He walked up to her shoving lightly her shoulder "Skylynn, what are you doing?!" he hissed.

  "Saving you" she answered

  "Hey! I will not be responsible for your life!"

  "You would do the same for me"

  "No, I wouldn't!" he snapped

  "Quiet" I said raising my hand "Please explain yourself, Queen Skylynn"

  "Queen Elsa, this is stupid!" Hans said taking a step forward only to be stopped by Skylynn's hand on his chest

  "No, Hans. You are the one being stupid" Queen Skylynn said walking past him "Your Majesty, according to this law, who appeals to it has the right to give the conditions of the substitution and these are my conditions" she began "You decide which punishment is best suited for Hans and how long you want him to bear the punishment, but if he tries anything or tries to escape… I will personally answer to the consequences. This is what your law says. I appeal to the Arendellian right of substitution and these are my conditions"

  "One question, Queen Skylynn… why?" I asked trying not to show my shock.

  "Because he's my brother" she said with confidence. The room was filled with gasps and shocked comments at the revelation. When Skylynn first revealed to us that Hans was her half-brother, she made it pretty clear that it was a secret. Now, she had admitted it in front of at least a hundred aristocratic delegates from other countries, revealing with confidence that the ruler of Drakora, the kingdom of warlords, was a bastard. Anna touched my shoulder getting my attention. I motioned the grey eyed queen to wait for a moment and turned around to speak with Anna privately.

  "Elsa, you can't agree to this" she whispered still in shock.

  "What am I supposed to do? Most of the people here want him dead and I don't want to kill anyone" I answered.

  "There has to be another way, you can't imprison her"

  "There isn't, Anna. If there were I'd pick it, believe me. This is the only way"

  "Elsa, you're the queen, you can do something about it" Anna said.

  "Not in this case. My power is very limited right now. I revoked the death penalty, but the nobles what me to apply the exception execution. If I don't kill him my position will be questioned and so will my authority. Exiling him would only give him the chance to try what he did to us again. If I allow the execution, revoking death penalty would have been useless, what would have been the point of revoking the law, then?" I paused "My hands are tied, Anna" I said with an apologetic look, although I was very, very, very reluctant in this choice. I turned around and walked to Skylynn until I was standing in front of her, as her bright grey eyes made an intense eye-contact with my blue ones.

  "Queen Skylynn, you do realize that if I agree to this you'll have to stay here in Arendelle for as long as it is needed?" I asked cautiously.

  "That is not a problem, my kingdom is in good hands. Princess Angel of Drakora, my sister-in-law, is in charge" she explained.

  "And you do realize that if Hans tries anything worth of the execution in exceptione… you will be executed in his place?" She glanced at Hans once and met my gaze once again.

  "I understand" There was something in her eyes that made me suspicious, there was something else.

  "This will be the last chance you have to back out of this" I said looking up at her in the eyes "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

  "Yes" she said with confidence. Then I got it. I understood. She communicated her real intentions through her eyes. She had made up her mind and she knew what she was doing. She needed my trust though… and this could have been the biggest mistake of my life, but something told me that it was the right choice. Her words, Storm's words, what I've seen on Hans's back echoed through my head and the lower class delegate was right, he did take good care of the kingdom in mine and Anna's absence. Reluctantly, I allowed myself to trust her for this once.

  "So be it" I decided "Hans Westerguard shall remain here to pay his debt with justice and with us, but one wrong move and you will answer it, Queen Skylynn. You'll be free to walk around the castle but remember that your life now, is in his hands" I said and took a few steps back "Guards, take him back to the dungeons" I said. The guards obeyed. Hans looked at Skylynn with disbelief written all over his face and shook his head with a look of defeat in his eyes. As eve
ryone left the palace through whispers and comments over what just happened, the former prince was taken away.

  "Okay, so what was that all about?" Anna asked as she followed me into our room.

  "What was what?" I asked pretending I didn't know what she was referring to.

  "Don't play dumb, Elsa. It doesn't suit you. What was going on between you and Skylynn? You two were clearly having a silent conversation. Why did you allow her to take Hans' place?" Anna said shocked.

  "Tell me Anna, if I were in Hans' position, what would you have done?" I asked.

  "I'd try to save you, of course, you're my sister! But it's different! I know you!"

  "That's what Skylynn is doing and for the same reasons"

  "No, she just got herself a one way ticket to get exiled if not executed for something she didn't do!" Anna countered.

  "No, Anna. She knows what she's doing very well" I replied

  "Enlighten me" she said crossing her arms

  "Gosh, Anna! Why do you think she's doing this? She wants us to give him a second chance"

  "I'm not giving him another chance" my sister snapped indignantly.

  "Not a chance with us" I corrected "A chance in life! What she did was a message to him that said: 'if you care about me, this is your chance to prove it'. Don't you get it?" Anna seemed to understand.

  "She's testing him" she realized.

  "She asked me to give him a chance to try to make amends"

  "And you gave it to him" she said sardonically.

  "What was I supposed to do?" I said raising my hands in defeat. Anna sighed taking my hands.

  "I know… as you said: your hands were tied" the was silence "What are we doing about him?" she asked.

  "I'll think of something" I said with a light shrug.

  "You sure you don't want me to help you thinking of something to punish him?" she asked "It has to be strict and severe enough to make him feel the pain he put us through" I held back a smile.

  "What do you suggest?" Anna's blue eyes widen lighting up.

  "Ooh- ooh! I got it!" she said excitedly letting go of one of my hands and placing her hand on my arm after patting it excitedly. I giggled at her face.