──────── ╭✿ ;; ”Pffft—” Anna waved a hand, shrugging her shoulder nonchalantly. “I don’t believe it. This place is big and home to a bunch of animals. To me, that sounds like a bunch of treasure waiting to be discovered.”
Walking at the same speed as Hans brought memories back to the night in the garden. Part of Anna felt an urge to nudge him with her shoulder but she bit her lip and suppressed it.
“It was a spur of the moment kind of thing… I had plans with Elsa but…” Anna’s eyes fell down to the dirt path. She watched her feet with each step she took, crunching the leaves and twigs. “Even on her day off, things come up.”
❂ –– “Well, with some treasure troves, there are traps set up for any wanderers.” A minor tease/warning to the princess. It’s not like either of them could get seriously hurt by another animal in said forest, but Hans had his fair share of scrapes whislt living there. Of course, those might have also been his own fault.
Having her beside him like this as they walked was somewhat nostalgic–reminding him of the night where he could have had it all. And though people could interpret that as him having the kingdom if they had married, all he had wanted was Anna. A chance torched and wasted to his misfortune. He never was the luckiest of his family.
Hans nodded to Anna as she said that Elsa was too busy to do what they had planned. With her being queen, it was understandable, but having Anna come out on her own was almost pitiable. He kept those comments to himself however, looking forward to the path. "Well, whenever she will free up, you’ll be able to show her the forest like I’m showing you.“
──────── ╭✿ ;; Oh this stick wasn’t going anywhere. When Anna had spotted it, it seemed like the perfect thing to make sure Hans was alright without actually showing the emotions. Now it was just fun to spin it around.
Besides, Anna felt more of a hiker with the stick in her hands. It was different holding the raw material compared to a shaved stick. Her non-calloused hands were sure to get a few splinters. “Of course I am. I’ve seen every part of Arendelle already—” She groaned. “I know all the back alleys and short cuts… I don’t usually run through the forest.”
There was no way Elsa would ever join her. Maybe when they were younger but she was a Queen now and there were certain things a Queen just.. couldn’t do.
❂ –– “The forest isn’t too interesting if you don’t know exactly what you want to do or what you’re looking for.” Not really a lie as he felt it was like that, but Hans found himself enjoying his time in the forest anyway, even if it was just sitting under one of the trees or in the branches. But thinking of Anna and how she had stayed inside the castle walls almost all of her life, her excitement made sense.
The former prince nodded his head in the direction that Anna pointed before, walking that way to lead her in and show her places he had been. "So did you just decide to wander in today or were you planning for it?“
──────── ╭✿ ;; ”Hmm…” With her free hand, she tapped a finger on her chin. “I’m not entirely sure.. how about somewhere cool?” Anna swung the stick up towards the sky before pointing in some random direction.
“Let’s go that way!”
❂ –– Apparently, the stick was going to be her thing to use however she pleased, and there was something about it that kept the smile to Hans’s lips. It was amusing, funny, dare he say cute? When she pointed to a random direction and said to go that way, the former prince nodded and stepped up to her.
──────── ╭✿ ;; Balling her hands in a fist, Anna squealed excitedly. When she requested the “tour”, she was wondering if he would reject her. After all, if he had never bumped into her then maybe his life wouldn’t have fallen apart.
No, no— he said it wasn’t a bad thing. She needed to remember that and stop second guessing herself. Maybe this also meant a new start for the relationship. Well, one baby step at a time.
“I’ve been kinda wandering around already. I could use the company~”
The bow confused her but she held her hands to the side and bent her knees, returning the bow. It never occurred to her he thought of this as an order. She merely assumed it was a habit he couldn’t break.
❂ –– The squeal was almost loud enough for Hans to jump, but he kept himself stilled, brows only raising as the smile tugged at his lips. He didn’t believe that such a request would warrant a reaction, but she definitely seemed almost overjoyed.
Hans nodded slightly as she said that she could use the company instead of just wandering around alone. He was glad that she had dropped the subject of his banishment and why he was out there. More than glad, really, and to see that she was respecting it, the smile came easily instead of being forced.
──────── ╭✿ ;; And as he said, she tried her best not to pity Hans. Or, at least, tried not to show it. Anna returned to her smiling self and poked Hans with the stick again, aiming for his shoulder this time.
Instead of clinging to sadness and worry about his life, she tried to shrug it off. If he was happy, she should be happy for him. Besides, he said a couple took him in, right? If Hans’ life was as he said it was, that night on the balcony, then this had to be something of a happy life for him. A small family… maybe that’s all Hans needed. Someone to show him love.
“Are you like a Huntsmen now? Oh! You should take me exploring! I, well, I mean, if you want to."
❂ –– The former prince was very close to taking the stick and breaking it in two just so she would stop poking him, but he was sure that wouldn’t stop her. Besides, once the smile lit up her face, how could he really say no?
When she asked if he was a huntsman, Hans raised a brow before shaking his head, a small laugh escaping as well. "No–no, I’m not a huntsman. But if you really want me to show you around, I could do so.”
And with that, he did a small bow, not to mock or even to poke any kind of fun at, but because it was close to being an order of the princess. He couldn’t really refuse suck a thing.
──────── ╭✿ ;; She lowered the stick, staring at him. Anna heard rumors of what happened to Hans but nothing was confirmed until now. Elsa kept everything from her because it would help her get over the prince— well, ex-prince.
One would think that after everything he did Anna would laugh at his situation. She didn’t though. She just frowned at him, genuinely sadden.
He lost everything…?
Anna couldn’t help but wonder if it was worth it. If he had a second chance, would he do differently? She felt sorry for him.
“That’s rough… I’m… sorry for snapping at you. And falling on you."
❂ –– Of course the news of what his sentence was spread quickly. To all neighboring kingdoms, his banishment was made known, and only those that had not heard of it or knew who he was did they accept him. The people that he lived with had both no idea of the banishment or who he was, leaving him to be free and relax.
The look that crossed Anna’s face as she lowered the stick had Hans’s brows furrowing, shaking his head when she apologized for snapping at him and everything else.
"Don’t apologize. And please, don’t pity me. I deserve what I got, and, actually, I’m happy out here like this.”
──────── ╭✿ ;; Anna quickly scrambled to her Hans, her arms crossed tightly around her chest.
“Well excuuuuse me if I don’t believe you.” Though her tone was harsh and lacking any emotion of concern, she still scanned his body up and down, making sure there wasn’t any blood.
If he wasn’t bleeding he was fiiiine, she assumed.
“Why are you here?” Anna looked around the forest, seeing a broken branch on the ground she swooped it up into her possession and poked Hans’ sides with it.
❂ –– Once Anna had gotten off of him, Hans helped himself up, looking down at the ground to see that he had landed on a protruding root instead of a rock.
He wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse.
The former prince refrained from rolling his eyes at the tone of voice, taking in a breath and letting out a small sigh before he straightened himself out. But then Anna was asking why he was out here and poking at his side with a stick. The peace was successfully interrupted.
"I live out here with a couple that took me in. I’m no longer a prince to the Southern Isles, nor am I affiliated at all with any of my family.”
