The Thirteenth Prince: Chapter 13. Untitled.
When he turned around, Andrew was there, leaning against the balcony doorframe as if heâd been watching him for a long time.
Hans looked at him with a mix of resignation and slight disbelief.
âAndrew. Wh-what are you doing here?â
âMore like⊠what are you doing here?â
He let out a short, dry laugh.
âWhat am I doing in my own castle you say?â he replied with a hint of irony. âEnjoying my peace, until now I guess.â
Andrew didnât answer. He approached slowly, observing Hans with a strange intensity, as if he were checking for something invisible.
âStop acting like a freak, would you?â he muttered. âWhy are you here?â
Andrew took a few seconds to respond.
âI came to take you home.â
Hans sighed in annoyance and turned back toward the sea.
âTell the King not to bother.â He leaned against the railing. âIâm perfectly fine here.â
Andrew watched him in silence.
âYou canât stay, Hans.â
His younger brother let out another laugh.
âI didnât realize I needed your permission, brother.â He added with a nonchalant shrug, âBut since youâve traveled all this way, you can stay the night. Just... try not to disturb the staff, please.â
Andrew shook his head gently and took a step forward.
âHans, you have to wake up.â
Hans turned his head slowly, looking at him with genuine confusion.
âAndrewâŠâ he said patiently, âI am awake. Can you drop your stupid games for once?â
He didnât answer. He simply stepped up to him and placed a hand over Hansâs chest.
The gesture was so unexpected that his brow furrowed. âWhat are youâ?â
âJust hold on,â Andrew whispered. âI wonât let anything happen to you.â
Hans opened his mouth to retort⊠but a massive surge of pain cut him off mid-word. A burning sensation so brutal it tore through his chest and sucked the air right out of his lungs.
The sea before him shattered like a broken reflection, and the golden light of the sunset vanished in an instant.
However, a light at the end of the path didnât disappear immediately. In fact, he heard a sound.
A distant, indistinct murmur like voices heard through water.
Then came a sharp scent of herbs, alcohol, and resin smoke.
Finally, he forced his eyes open. For a few seconds, he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing. The ornate wooden ceiling seemed to shift slightly above him, as if the entire world were swaying.
He blinked, and the voices persisted.
âThe wound is deepâŠâ
âYes⊠it nearly punctured a lung. Thank the Gods it didn't.â
âHemorrhage is contained.â
Hans breathed with difficulty. He didnât feel pain yet, only a strange heaviness, as if his body didn't entirely belong to him. He tilted his head ever so slightly.
Two figures were moving beside him. A nurse and a doctor spoke in low voices while working rapidly on something he couldn't quite see. The nurse held a tray of instruments. The doctorâs hands were stained with blood.
Hans frowned. He tried to remember how he had gotten there.
Just then, the nurse looked up.
For a moment, her eyes locked with Hansâs. The tray rattled in her hands.
âDoctorâŠâ she whispered, terrified. âHeâs awake.â
The doctorâs head snapped up immediately. âWhat?!â
That was when Hans inhaled sharply, and the wave of agony finally crashed over him.
He tried to bolt upright. The doctor reacted instantly, shoving him back against the mattress.
Hans was gasping, completely disoriented. His eyes darted around the room in desperation. He didn't understand where he was or what was happening, but across from him, he saw Henrik, unconscious, with another doctor. Hansâs blood boiled instantly, and he struggled to get to him.
âHey!â he growled. âWhat are you doing?â
The doctor tried to hold him down. âPrince, you must stay calm.â
Hans shoved him away with a violent jerk, sending the man stumbling into his instruments. âGet away from him! Henrik!â
The nurses recoiled in alarm.
âFetch the Midnight Essence!â the doctor barked. âQuickly!â
Hans was panting, ignoring the white-hot pain searing through his chest as he tried to get up again.
But his companion didn't react. Hans looked around the room, terrified and lost.
No one answered. The doctor tried to push him back onto the bed. Hans shoved him off again, with even more violence this time.
âDon't touch me, damn it!â
The door burst open, and two guards rushed in. Hans barely saw them at first; everything was a blur of movement, voices, and hands trying to pin him down. The pain in his chest intensified until it was unbearable.
The guards managed to pin him to the mattress.
âPrince Hans!â one said firmly.
Hans struggled, panicked, his breath coming in ragged gasps. âLet me go!â
The second guard leaned in closer. âPrince Hans⊠listen to me. Itâs Gleb.â
Hans blinked, the voice seem vaguely familiar.
âCalm downâ the man continued. âYouâre in Arendelle. Youâre safe.â
Hans tried to focus his gaze. The world was still spinning slowly. As he recognized the face, he trembled slightly, his breathing turning erratic.
ââŠArendelleâŠ?â he murmured.
The doctor seized the moment. The nurse returned with a small, dark bottle.
âGoodâ the doctor said. âHold him steady.â
The guards held Hans immobile while the doctor poured a few drops between his lips. He tried to resist, but the exhaustion and the pain were already winning.
The voices began to drift away, and the room grew blurry.
âThatâs itâŠâ the doctor whispered. âThere we go.â
Hansâs eyes drifted shut. The last thing he saw were the painted flowers on the room ceiling before everything went dark once more.
Hey people, I have some really bad news. First of all, Iâm so sorry for taking this long to post the final chapter. My priorities have shifted a lot lately, and on top of that, Henrikâs subplot is giving me a hard time in this last chapter.
But hereâs the worst part: a few months ago, my laptop died. I was using an email and password for my AO3 account that were saved only on that computer, so Iâve lost access to my profile. It breaks my heart because Iâve seen your comments but I can't reply to them. Iâm so sorry, I honestly donât know what to do right now.