The room was quiet except for the soft crackling of the fire.
Anna lay slumped on a bench, wrapped in blankets that did little to stop the cold seeping deeper into her chest. Her fingers, once pink and warm, were turning bluish at the edges. Her breathing was shallow. Slow.
Hans knelt beside her, brushing a stray strand of hair from her cheek. His touch was gentle, and for a brief second, Anna let herself believe.
"Please..." she whispered, barely audible. "If you kiss me, I'll be okay… right?"
Hans gave a soft smile and leaned closer. She closed her eyes.
But then nothing happened.
Seconds passed.
Anna blinked, confused, and looked up at him.
Hans was staring at her — no warmth in his eyes anymore. The smile was still there, but it had changed.
"I'm sorry, Anna," he said quietly, voice steady. "But you're not the one I need."
Her breath caught. "What…?"
"You wanted to believe in true love," he said, almost apologetically. "I needed the throne. You needed hope. I didn't lie — I just let you believe what you wanted."
Anna stared at him, the ice in her chest spreading faster now. But it wasn't just from magic anymore.
It was the weight of her own choices.
"You… used me," she whispered.
Hans stood, smoothing his coat as if nothing serious had happened. "You were looking for someone to save you. That made things easier."
He walked to the door and paused. "It'll be over soon. Elsa will be blamed. I'll fix what's broken. Arendelle will be safe — and I'll be in charge."
He walked out and locked the door behind him.
---
Moments Later – Inside the Same Room
Anna barely registered the click of the lock.
She didn't cry.
She just stared at the fire, eyes unfocused.
The silence felt louder than any betrayal.
It wasn't just Hans. It was everything.
How did I get here?
She thought of Elsa — how she'd cornered her, demanded she come home, tried to force her way in. She hadn't listened. Hadn't paused to ask what Elsa was feeling.
And for what?
To chase a fairytale? To prove I could be loved too?
Anna exhaled slowly, watching her breath fog in front of her.
"I was so sure," she whispered to no one. "So sure that love meant someone sweeping in… saving me. That it had to look like a kiss. A promise. A prince."
She coughed — weak, shallow — and closed her eyes.
"I didn't see what was right in front of me."
She thought of Kristoff's quiet steadiness. Olaf's loyalty. Naruto's strange, sincere kindness.
And Elsa — her sister — scared and alone, not because she wanted to hurt anyone, but because she didn't know how to stop hurting herself.
Anna blinked back tears that wouldn't fall. It was too cold for that now.
"I hurt her too," she murmured.
---
Outside the Room
A soft sound — fabric brushing against wood.
The lock clicked again.
The door creaked open just an inch.
A Naruto clone slipped inside, his expression taut with worry.
He crouched beside Anna, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Anna," he said softly. "It's okay. I'm here."
She opened her eyes a little.
"Naruto…" Her voice cracked. "I messed up. I was wrong."
He didn't try to disagree.
He just nodded once. "Yeah. But it's not over yet."
She tried to smile, but it faltered.
"You don't have to save me," she said. "I don't deserve it."
Naruto sat on the floor beside her, eyes on the fire.
"Maybe not," he said quietly. "But I don't think helping someone is about what they deserve."
He didn't say anything more.
He just stayed with her, as the frost crept down the walls and the fire cracked and popped, still fighting the cold.
---