Moria -Maeve's Edition

Chapter 13

Maeve entered the room and gasped as she saw Hans.

"Thank you, Rosemary, please leave us." She looked at the elderly woman before kneeling beside Hans' body." What happened?"

He opened his mouth slightly but nothing came out, knowing the voice he turned to her slowly. His body was covered in scars, some seemingly fatal, yet there he was. All he could muster was the ability to say a few words. "I had to...otherwise...I would have..." His knuckles torn apart to the bone from the ferocity he fought with against the people sent to kill him. His body was still and relaxed, just as the day she met him.

"Sh, don't strain yourself..." Maeve brushed the hair out of his face before softly dabbing cold water onto his forehead. "I know you. Whoever did this....they deserved what happened to them...even if you didn't want to."

A tear formed on his left eye as he gulped beginning to shake his head slowly. "No...nobody deserves...nobody should ever have to suffer..." He looked down unable to express the years of guilt that had taken a toll on him, every single face of the people he'd slaughtered without a second thought flashed before his eyes. Each one was worse than the last.

"I know Hans... I know. Rest, please. You are still a good man." She whispered as she began to rub some of Rosemary's medicines into his wounds.

"If only you knew...the eyes give it away...they show the pain..." He sighed as more tears streamed down his face. He looked at her and into her eyes. He was in pain, but he couldn't express it. Everyone knew who he used to be, but nobody knew what he had done.

"Your past. Is your past. A man can not be judged by what he has done, instead of by what he is doing and what continues to do." Maeve stood as she mixed more herbs together and collected more wrappings. "You've hurt people before. You may have even liked it. I know the Hans of now. You are always the voice of reason. You always try to make things right and fair. The man you once were, isn't here anymore."

He gulped once more and turned away, allowing her to apply the medication on him. He was a king with a facade, he put on this mask of strength and understanding, but for once in his life, he had shown the real Hans. He had opened up the most he had ever done. This is the first time people would see the bear, the mountain, the immovable object of Kilros shed a tear.

"Do not hide from me, Hans. Even a bear must take a break from its life." She said sharply watching him then from her.

"I've killed...so many people in my life...so so many...in such horrible fashion..." He refused to look at her, feeling the guilt weigh him down as he spoke. He didn't turn to her out of pity or disgust but of fear

Maeve looked over as Sisiveight moved over, she hadn't even noticed he came in.

Sis had been silent as they spoke, but now he raised his voice, "Hans..." he began,

 "I don't understand exactly how you feel, but I understand guilt. But you must realize something," he walked over to him and into his line of sight, "Guilt can be your friend, but when guilt turns into shame, it does nothing but harm you. Shame is not constructive, it only destroys you. It blinds you from your own worth and achievement, and it halts you in your progress for future development. You've changed from that man you were before. The Bear, the Mountain, the Bloody Hammer,"

 he paused before saying the last one, finally revealing that he had indeed learned about Hans' former violent tendencies, 

"Those were all names for the man you were before. But now look at you. You saw what you did, you regretted it, and you took up a crown and lead an entire house into a position of importance and steady prosperity. The fact that you're feeling these things now shows your true heart. You're not evil Hans, you're a noble and loving king. When I look at you, I can't help but admire the changes you've made in this world, good changes," the wolf took a moment to put a hand on his shoulder, "You shouldn't feel ashamed Hans, recognize that you made a mistake, and move on."