Tempest: A Jack Frost and Elsa Fanfiction

by sydneyjohnson268

This is a fanfiction of Elsa and Jack frost, a project written by authors Sydney Winward and Kaitlyn Rowbotham. Jack chapters are written by Sydney and Elsa chapters are written by Kaitlyn.

Tempest

Tempest

Since the day she was born, it was clear Elsa had a special fate. Forced to hide her power over ice and snow, Elsa traveled the world to protect her secret until she discovers she might not be alone.

Enter Jack Frost, a man with powers just like her own who offers her help in harnessing them. However, Elsa's fate is not only linked to the human realm. She and Jack discover much more in common than ice and snow and quickly begin to fall for each other. But when she combines her powers with Jack's, she discovers who she truly is.

Jack Frost is written by Sydney and Elsa Arendelle is written by Kaitlyn.

Other Books by These Authors

C.H.A.S.M. Series

Undetected C.H.A.S.M.

Point Blank

Crossfire

Unraveled

Game of Spies

Branch-Off Series

Homeland

Disrupted Illusion

Witness

Failsafe

Assassin

Recruit

Captive

Flashpoint

Mercenary

Kill Order

Heist

Crimson Sky

Backlash

Scorpion Strike

Desolate

Double Crossed

Rogue

Espionage

Free Fall

Black Ops

Heartstrings

Solitude

Alias

Chances Are

Brotherhood

Sea Glass

Fish in the Sea

Tempest

Deadly

Tempest

Sydney Winward

Kaitlyn Rowbotham

Jack-Chapter 1

For any normal person, the blizzard would have bitten hard, but Jack wasn't any normal person. The cold, bitter snow kissed his skin before rolling off gracefully to join its family on the snow-packed earth. It didn't used to be like this. He remembered a time when the cold hurt. He remembered a time when it stung him so badly that he bled. But now the snow was his. The ice was his. The cold was his.

This secret was his.

Jack pulled his warm, fuzzy hood further over his face, not because he needed it, but because he wanted to blend in. The other expeditioners were just about dying of the cold, so he had to pretend that he felt it too.

"Jack!" Michael called, waving him over. "We found something over here." Jack bent down to inspect the finding and grinned to see that it was a small slit, just big enough for a full grown man to get in, rather, just big enough for him to get in. Out of all the men on the expedition, he was the most slender.

"Say no more," Jack said as he shrugged his backpack off and set it aside against the mountain. He clipped a flashlight on his belt too, although he didn't need that either. "Give me a half hour. If I don't come back by then, pull me up." Jack then proceeded to clip a strong climbing rope on his belt that was also attached to Michael. That way, if something ended up happening to him, they could pull him right back out.

Five of the other men on the expedition looked at him expectantly as they shivered listlessly. But he didn't wait any longer before he slipped down into the small crack in the side of the mountain and landed with a thud in a pile of snow in a dark cavern. However, that darkness didn't stay for long. For any normal man it would be pitch black, but for him, the ice lit up his vision. Ice and snow crawled up the walls of the cave, giving it a beautiful shimmer that he only wished the other guys could see. No one on this entire planet could appreciate the cold as much as he could.

"Damn this jacket," Jack whispered to himself and he shrugged it off and tossed it aside. That was one of the worst things about trying to blend in. He had to wear insufferably hot clothing. If there was one thing he hated, it was the heat.

Jack's smile widened as he walked further into the deep cave where it got colder and colder and colder, but he loved it. He caught his own reflection on the luminescent icy walls, and even though it had been just over three hundred years since he was changed, he could still remember a time when he had looked different. The tips of his hair had turned a frosty white when he had been changed, and no matter how many times he tried to dye it back to brown, the dye wouldn't take. So he just gave up and embraced his unique hair. At least he still had his dark brown eyes. That was one thing this gift—or curse depending on who one asked—left him with from his old life.

He felt through the ice and the snow with his magic, reaching far and wide throughout the cave to try and find anything buried deep inside, but then his breath caught in his throat, making him pause in his tracks. Down below, he could feel something, and he couldn't help the excitement that bubbled up in his chest. They had found it!

Bringing his hands together and parting them suddenly, he used his ice magic to rip apart the ice frozen deep below, creating a deep, cavernous pit.

Jack took advantage of being alone by allowing an icy mist to flow from his fingertips and crawl up the walls of the cave as he passed by. It created beautiful, magnificent ice designs that any art major would envy, that he would have envied a long time ago. Jack had been studying under the best of the best artists back when he had been human, but even that hadn't been meant to last. But still, the artsy side of him showed through the ice he created, and he loved the chance he had to create to his heart's content.

His breath hitched in his throat as he walked right over a pile of bones frozen deep within the ice, but still close enough for him to see. Beautiful dinosaur bones. Absolutely gorgeous. But it wasn't just any run of the mill dinosaur bones. These were rare bones, some that were only able to be found once before in all of humankind's existence, but it looked as if they happened across a whole colony. All of them would become rich from this discovery, but unlike the other men, Jack wasn't here for the money. He was here for the adventure. For the pure love of adventure.

He excitedly tugged on his climbing rope three times, the signal that he found something. He knew Michael would be able to feel it, and the rope would lead them right to it.

In the distance, he could hear the men digging the small slit in the mountain to be bigger before clambering down into the cavern. Jack quickly dissolved his artwork into a puff of powder and clicked on his flashlight just for show right as the first head poked over the hole Jack had dug.

"You found something?" he asked excitedly, and then a few more climbed down with Jack to peer at the bones beneath the ice. "Wow. That's a beauty."

"No jacket?" Michael laughed, his breath coming out as a foggy wisp in the cave. "You're crazy, Frost. You know that, right?"

"So I've been told," Jack laughed. "Come on. Let's dig these babies out. I know the museum will love to find out what we've found."

Elsa-Chapter 2

Oh no. It was happening again.

Elsa watched ice crawl up the glass of the cafe in horror, but her date seemed oblivious to the ice crystals creeping over the window in the middle of July. Good, maybe she could do a little damage control before things got out of hand. Again. This was the first date she had been on in months and she was going to ruin it with her ice which was really too bad because Davis, her date, was a cutie, tall with dark hair and stunningly green eyes.

"So what do you like to do for fun?" Davis asked, sipping his ice water with his gaze on hers. That was lucky, he hadn't noticed the growing ice slick on the window yet.

"I really like to ski," she said, leaving out the fact that she could make her own ski slopes. "What about you?" she asked, hoping that she could distract him long enough to dissipate the ice. Which would've been a lot easier if she wasn't so nervous.

"I really like photography," Davis said. "In fact, I'm working with some independent film companies to produce documentaries in Africa."

Elsa nodded, only half listening as she tried to make the ice vanish. It wasn't working. In fact, the ice crystals only managed to grow larger and larger. Oh boy. She was in big trouble.

"What do you think?" Davis asked, swirling his ice around in his glass—ice that wasn't melting in spite of the fact that they were sitting on a covered patio in nearly one hundred degree heat. "Elsa?"

"Sorry," she whispered, watching the ice creeping across the table top. "I think I spaced out for a minute."

Davis smiled and shook his head. "I was just asking you what your major is at UCLA."

"Oh, it's Public Relations," Elsa replied quickly. She had moved to California because it was easier to keep her powers under control in warm climates. Or at least it usually was. "I love California, it's so beautiful."

"And hot," Davis laughed, fanning himself with a napkin. "Or at least it has been this year."

Elsa nodded, trying desperately to reduce the ice on the table which crept toward Davis's hand. It was at that moment that Davis noticed the ice creeping toward him across the table.

"What the…?" Davis gasped as the ice began creeping over his hand. "What the hell is going on here?"

Elsa panicked at that moment, ice spraying across the table and over the sidewalk. Several people gasped as Elsa stood up and began backing away.

"I—I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean… I can't…"

Davis stared at her as though she was crazy and Elsa began to panic. People were muttering to each other, pointing in her direction. She didn't know what else to do, so she started running. Her feet hit the pavement hard as she sprinted away from the restaurant, running toward her dorm room.

"Hey," her roommate Britta asked as Elsa flew past her and slammed the door. She grabbed her suitcase out of the closet and began throwing her belongings inside. Her clothes, her journal, her pictures of her family, everything flew into the case as quickly as possible. She didn't bother folding or organizing, all she needed was to get out of here. She had messed up again, she had lost control of her powers and now she was on the radar again. Now people had seen what she could do.

"Elsa!" Britta called, rattling the doorknob. "How did it go?"

"Not well," Elsa muttered, zipping her suitcase quickly. She would wait until Britta left and then she would make a run for it. A new city, a new identity, a new life.

It was time to move again.

Jack-Chapter 3

"I. Am. Going. To. Die," Jack moaned to Michael as they carefully unloaded boxes containing the pieces of dinosaur bones that they had uncovered in the no man's land close to the Russian border. They had been commissioned by the government to uncover these and afterwards sold the bones to the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois. "Do you have any idea how hot it is here?"

"Are you kidding me?" Michael asked. "I'm loving it here! It's what, ninety-eight degrees of paradise?"

Shaking his head, he retorted with, "You mean ninety-eight degrees of hell? I can't wait until it's winter again."

"You're the strangest man I've ever met."

Out of all the expeditioners, Jack was the closest friends with Michael. Sure, Michael was ten years older than his twenty-six, but they got along pretty great. So far, they had already been on six expeditions together, more than anyone else could brag about.

As Jack entered the museum again with another box in tow, he stared up at the towering T-rex just above his head. It was the largest T-rex ever found, and strangely enough, they named it Sue. What a weird name for a terrifying dinosaur…

After their team unloaded all the boxes, the museum director shook all their hands one by one. "Thank you so much. This has been one of the greatest discovers that we've ever uncovered. Thank you!"

Jack couldn't wait to see these dinosaurs up in their own exhibit. It was almost worth staying in this hell hole of heat bearing down on him at every corner. Almost. He'd have to come back later in the year, perhaps, to check it out. But now, he wanted to make a run for Canada. Maybe even Antarctica. Yeah… Antarctica sounded nice.

"What are you going to spend your commission on?" Michael asked as they made their way out of the museum, and Jack practically started melting once again.

"Honestly? I was thinking about buying myself a mountain full of snow so I can live out the rest of my days in peace."

"I'm serious!" Michael chuckled.

Yeah, well so was he. "I don't know," he shrugged, trying to think of what normal men would want. "Maybe I'll buy a car. Or go on a trip somewhere."

Michael rolled his eyes. "Well, I'd like to finally settle down. I think I'll buy a house and find myself a wife."

Jack frowned. He remembered wanting that eventually once upon a time. He had wanted to live in a sunny place on the beach like California and soak up the heat as if there was no tomorrow. But life didn't always go the way he planned it to. He suddenly became an outcast in society, a rare specimen, and he couldn't stand the sun anymore. How times have changed…

"Good luck on finding a wife," Jack teased. "You're gonna need it."

His friend lunged forward and put Jack in a headlock before proceeding to give him a noogie. "Oh, I will, and she will be so beautiful that you'll take your mouth and shove it up your ass."

"Okay, okay!" Jack laughed, shoving Michael away good naturedly. "When that happens, you better invite me to your wedding."

"Even better, you'll be my best man."

Jack grinned and shook Michael's hand. "I look forward to it. If you plan on going on the next expedition, hit me up."

Michael saluted in agreement before walking away, leaving Jack alone in a crowded, scorching hot street. Now… How to get to Antarctica without being too conspicuous? He started down the sidewalk, weaving in and out of people going about their business at the end of a long work day. But then he froze right in his tracks.

Jack's breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of a wisp of white-blonde hair amidst the crowd. He immediately would have written it off as an old woman, but he knew that hair all too well. It was the same white hair that the tips of his own hair acquired.

He started to move forward in the crowd toward where he had seen the woman, but when he reached that exact spot, the woman had vanished, almost as if through thin air. Was he going crazy? Was he just imagining things? Or could what he just saw have been real? But how was that even possible?

Not knowing where exactly he was going, he turned sharply to the right into the alleyway between two buildings, following the slight trace, the slight wisp of a frigid breeze. This woman was the same as him! She had to be!

Just that thought alone made him move faster. He needed to find her. He needed to track her down before he lost the trace completely.

The tendril of frost in the air beckoned him forward, and for a moment, he felt completely ridiculous. This was exactly what a dog did. Did dogs feel this ridiculous when trying to track something down using their noses?

Running now, Jack took off down the alleyway, realizing that he was losing the trace and fast. Where did she go?! He had to find her!

Jack took a left and another right, grinning as the trace became stronger and stronger. He was on her tail. He could feel it.

Before he could even have a chance to figure out what happened, something large and silver came barreling into him, smashing him right against the wall and into a heap of putrid, reeking garbage. But that disgust immediately melted into surprise as he found the woman standing just a couple feet away from him with a guarded expression and a very sharp looking knife in her hand.

"Why are you following me?" she snarled, looking as if she were ready to pounce at a moment's notice. He didn't miss the very obvious ice crystals crawling up that knife, and that only made him smile even more. But he hasn't been alive and undetected this long for no reason. He had to be smart about this. Maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to pull a good prank on her too. And he had the perfect prank up his sleeve. He just had to get past this unfortunate little encounter.

"Who are you?" Jack asked, deciding to play dumb. "I was out chasing my dog and I thought he went this way. I'm really sorry that I scared you. I didn't mean to. I probably heard your footsteps and mistook it for my dog."

The girl's guard lowered a little bit, but not quite all the way. "What kind of dog do you have?"

"Alaskan Malamute," he replied without missing a beat. If he didn't have duties in all seven realms, then that was the type of dog he'd want anyway. "You haven't seen him, have you? About yay high, black and white. Bushy tail." He slowly, cautiously got to his feet, noticing that the more afraid this girl seemed to be, the more her ice powers acted up. He'd need to find out if she really was the real thing, and not just some kind of phony to lure him out of the shadows before he trusted her enough to take her under his wing.

"No, I haven't seen a dog matching that description," she said, slowly lowering her knife but still keeping it in her hand.

Jack smiled again, completely dumbstruck. He thought he was the only one out there with messed up ice powers, but perhaps he wasn't. She struck him as an ice beauty. Platinum blonde hair that reached just past her shoulders. Icy blue eyes, but they seemed to shimmer in a way that ice did underneath the sunlight. And she was very pale, very much like him, as if she hadn't seen the sun in a long time. Perhaps she didn't like the sun just as much as he didn't…

"Again, I'm sorry for scaring you," Jack said apologetically before giving her one last smile and ducking out of there, leaving her alone in the alleyway. Scratch his venture to Antarctica. He needed to stay in Chicago and do a little bit of reconnaissance work. It was time to figure out who this girl really was.

Elsa-Chapter 4

"Here's to starting over," Elsa whispered, putting her snow globe collection on a shelf in her new apartment. She had one for every city she had ever lived in—Los Angeles, Brisbane, Albuquerque, Tucson, Mexico City, Bangkok, and even New Delhi for a little while. She liked to keep little mementos of the places she had been, even though no one could know who she really was.

Sitting down in the middle of the bare floor, she stared around her. She didn't have much of anything—no furniture, no bedding, nothing but knickknacks and memories. She didn't know when exactly the powers with ice she had came to her, they had been part of her ever since she could remember. Her parents had homeschooled her, to protect her from discovery they said, although Elsa had her suspicions that in reality they were protecting other children from her.

She had never yet been able to master her powers and it flared up at unexpected times. Even her little sister had been kept away from her sometimes and Elsa had always felt as though she was alone in the world. Or rather, she felt surrounded by people but completely isolated. Her family had always been loving, but they had never really understood her plight and so hadn't known how to help her.

Her thoughts turned to the boy in the alley and she smirked. Who frosted their tips in this century anyway? Tools, that's who. For some reason, Elsa was still suspicious of him. His answer when she had asked what he was doing felt too neat, too clean. But he hadn't done anything to hurt her either. Maybe he really was looking for his dog. She needed to learn to be less suspicious of everyone. Not everyone was bad or wanted to use her powers for their own purposes.

Furniture was going to be a real problem, though. She didn't have a job or a way to get one because although her fake IDs were the best money could buy, they hadn't been ready when she had left California in such a hurry. They would probably arrive in Chicago in a day or two and then she could start looking for a job. Not that she didn't have a bit of money that she had saved up, but she liked to save as much as possible for emergencies. Like the one in California. It had cost her a fortune to run away that time.

She paused for a minute considering. She needed a place to sleep tonight, no one would ever know if she made herself a little bed, right? Just a small one. She could, hopefully, get rid of it in the morning. Right now, all she wanted was to sleep. It had been hard saying goodbye to Britta, harder still getting across the country unnoticed.

Her thoughts turned irritatingly to that guy with the hair again. What was it about him that unnerved her so much? Under normal circumstances, minus the frosted tips, he would've been the kind of guy she was attracted to. She especially liked his eyes. They were a warm brown color that gave heat to his otherwise pale skin and hair. But these weren't normal circumstances anyway and she had a feeling that she should steer clear of dating anyway. To say her last date had been an unqualified disaster was an understatement.

Waving her arm through the air, a trail of ice and snow followed as she fashioned herself a bed. It wasn't as intricate as she had envisioned, in fact it came out looking more like a snowy blob with a barely discernable headboard, but it would have to do. She conjured herself a pillow and a snowy blanket and laid down on the bed, pulling the covers up to her chin nervously. The first night in a new place always frightened her a little and, if she was honest with herself, she hated being alone. Her sister, Anna, still lived back home in Grand Forks, Minnesota. They would write to each other occasionally, sometimes even call, but the friendship they had when they were kids had dissipated like snow in April.

Closing her eyes, she began to drift off, wondering how long she'd be able to stay in her new home this time….

. . . .

The next morning, she was woken by pounding on her door. Elsa's eyes snapped open and she gasped in horror as she realized that she had let the bed melt overnight and it had created a massive puddle on the floor that was probably seeping through the ceiling by now.

"Miss Peterson," the landlord barked, using her last fake last name. "Open the door, something is flooding in there!"

Elsa gasped, flying out of bed. Oh gosh, what was she supposed to do now? She'd have to get rid of the ice, that was certain. But how to explain the giant wet spot? Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she managed to make the snow and ice disappear almost completely before the landlord pounded on the door again and she panicked, one blob of ice about the size of a soccer ball still sitting in the middle of the room.

Scooping up the remaining ice, she looked around for something, anything, that would explain the mess. The previous occupants had left a few items in a closet and she quickly rifled through them, fortunately discovering a fish tank near the back. Thank goodness, this thing could end up saving her.

"Open up!" the landlord growled through the door and Elsa finally crossed the room, slid back the chain, undid the deadbolt, and peered through the door.

"I'm so sorry," she said apologetically. "I think my fish tank must have a leak. I filled it so I could get some new fish today and I think the water all leaked out during the night."

The landlord rolled his eyes at her. "Do you realize how much this is going to cost me to fix? You should see the bubble in your downstairs neighbor's ceiling."

"I'm sorry," Elsa repeated, a blush creeping into her cheeks. "Really, I am."

The landlord didn't say anything but he picked up the fish tank and carried it out of the apartment with him muttering, "As of this moment, this building now has a no pets policy."

Elsa closed the door, sliding down so she sat on the floor, relief and sadness flooding through her. She had come so close to having to run again. Why were her powers so hard to control? She was glad the fish tank had been there, even though the landlord officially hated her now.

Yeah, so far her stay in Chicago wasn't off to a great start.

Jack-Chapter 5

Jack found it difficult to follow someone who never left their apartment. He sat in the outdoor café across the street, baking in the hot sun underneath an umbrella while pretending to read a book. No one would be the wiser because he also wore sunglasses. And gosh damn it, he was going to melt where he stood if he stayed in this city for much longer.

He immediately perked up when he finally saw the girl leaving her apartment at about eight o'clock in the evening. She looked right and left before making her way down the sidewalk, and naturally, Jack followed behind, trying to stay out of sight this time. He wore a beanie to make his hair stand out less and the sunglasses helped hide his eyes, but part of him knew she would recognize him instantly if she looked hard enough. He needed to remain unseen.

The girl crossed the street to the grocery store where Jack proceeded to wait outside until she came back out with a couple bags of groceries. Now it was time for the real test.

Jack let out a frosty breath which traveled forward until ice crept in front of the girl's path. The unexpected patch of ice should have made her slip, but it didn't. Instead, her eyebrows furrowed together and she hurried faster down the sidewalk in the direction of her apartment.

So that didn't work. Time for plan two.

Keeping a safe distance between the two of them, Jack continued to follow her, creating black ice on the sidewalk and ice crystals that crept along the shops of the windows. When she noticed, her eyes only widened and she kept making hand movements as if trying to dispel the ice. He could feel her magic hit his ice, but she couldn't make it disappear. Not because she couldn't do it, but because it wasn't her ice. However, if she didn't recognize that fact alone, then she still had a long ways to go.

He couldn't help but snicker at her attempts. If only she knew what was really going on…

At last, they made it back to her apartment and instead of following her outside, he walked around the building, directly underneath her window. The wind picked up around him until he dissolved into the chilly, icy breeze that carried him up and blew him right in between the cracks of the girl's poorly built windows and right into her room.

Before she could make it inside, Jack dispersed ice around the room, covering the bare walls, the empty floors, the entire ceiling, and then for kicks and giggles, he created an ornate, icy throne. Maybe he'd need that later. Maybe he didn't. It all depended on if the girl could handle his sense of humor.

As the doorknob rattled on the other side of the room, Jack melted back into the shadows, watching from the safety of his snow and his ice. This would be the real determinant of whether or not she really was who he thought she was.

When the girl entered the room, she gasped and closed the door quickly behind her. "Oh no! Oh no oh no oh no. This cannot be happening again!"

She moved forward and took a stance, waving her arm and letting her magic seep into Jack's ice. And maybe she could make it disappear, but he was a lot more experienced and practiced than her, so the ice stayed where it was.

Even so, his heart leapt in anticipation. This girl was exactly like him.

Jack moved out of the shadows to stand before her, causing her to shriek in fright. "What are you doing here?" she squealed, sending an icy blast his way, but he deflected it with his own magic and made it disperse around them in shimmering, silver snowflakes.

The girl just stared at him with wide eyes, opening her mouth as if to say something, but then closing it just as quickly.

"I thought there was something special about you when I first saw you in that alleyway," Jack grinned, taking a seat in the throne he had built for himself. "I didn't realize that I wasn't currently the only one in the world who could do this. Turns out that there's a girl out there just like me."

"Wha—What are you doing here?" she demanded. "Who are you?"

He grinned again as he laid back in the throne chair and jokingly made himself a crown and a scepter all made of ice. "I'm the Ice King."

Her expression went from confusion to more confusion to anger. "You weren't really looking for your dog, were you?"

Jack shook his head. "No, I was following you. Quite frankly, you need help. Your powers are out of control. Not only are you risking exposing yourself, but you could hurt someone someday. I can help you."

"Stop playing tricks on me," she spat out, making him realize that this wasn't going the way he planned it at all. "Get out of here."

He frowned as he stood up, obliterating all the ice and snow in one go so it was just a wisp of frost before that disappeared too. "Did you not just hear what I said? I can help you. I doubt you can figure this out on your own, especially not in Chicago."

"This isn't funny," she growled, her hands turning whiter and whiter as frost climbed up her skin, just itching to be released. This girl had so much pent up power inside of her that needed to be let free, but she wouldn't let it. "I don't know what kind of parlor tricks you're using, but I want you to leave."

Jack frowned. Maybe she just needed time and space. But he couldn't leave Chicago without her. She needed help and fast.

With a wisp of icy magic, Jack created an icy rose that looked so clear that it could have been mistaken for glass. He then proceeded to set the rose down by her feet.

"I'm just here to help," he said quietly before he crossed the room to the window and allowed the icy breeze to pull him back out. This visit had not gone according to plan, but he wouldn't give up just yet. He would keep trying again and again until the day she wouldn't push him away.

Elsa-Chapter 6

Okay, so apparently the tool also had ice powers. He had called himself the Ice King, whatever that meant. He had frosted her whole apartment too. Really?

Slowly but surely, she began defrosting her stuff, noticing that he had left the pictures of her family and her snow globes alone. That was nice of him at least. She couldn't figure out if this guy was serious or not about being the Ice King or whatever it was, but he did have a point, she needed someone to help her harness her powers. Lately, they had been getting more and more out of control. She thought of the incident in California and shivered. One of these days, she might actually hurt someone.

Sighing as she finally got rid of the last of the ice in her apartment, Elsa sat down in the middle of the floor, staring at the blank space around her. Mostly blank walls, blank floors, blank ceiling. That was how her life felt, she didn't have anything—no job, no friends, and no family. Standing up, she decided she'd had enough. She wanted to go do something fun. It didn't really matter what, just something to help take her mind off this horrible blank loneliness.

Grabbing her keys, she ran outside, taking one of the snorting, stinky buses to a stop near the park. She had remembered seeing a pond here on her first day. It was almost one in the morning, no one would ever see…

Climbing off the bus when it screeched to a stop, she practically ran down the hill to where the pond was partially concealed in a clump of low hanging willows. Stepping gingerly onto its surface, ice immediately blossomed under her foot and she began to skate in slow, even circles around and around.

Pausing, she took out her iPod and turned it to Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson. The song always made her feel better when she'd had a bad day, and this had certainly been one. She began looping and spinning in time to the music, skating backward, allowing herself to be free for just a few minutes while she listened to the song.

As the song progressed, she felt relaxed and allowed a small smile to form on her lips. She turned elegantly, her body in tune with the beat of the music. Letting go of everything that was weighing her down, she spun faster and faster, sliding across the ice with giddy excitement.

When she paused for breath at the end of the song, applause rang out behind her. She whirled around to find the guy from before sitting in one of the willow trees, watching her intently.

"Very nice," he commented. "You skate like a pro."

She rolled her eyes. "Why are you following me?"

"Because you're entertaining," he chuckled, his intense brown eyes staring into hers. "And I'm bored."

Elsa eyed him warily. Something about him made her nervous but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Stay away from me," she snarled, ice crystals forming between her fingers. "I'll hurt you if I have to."

He jumped down from the tree with a smirk. "Honestly, princess? I would love to see you try."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, backing up a step as he approached. When his foot touched the pond, she froze it to the surface. Or she tried to. What actually happened was that she froze his entire lower body.

"It means that you're untrained, undisciplined, and frankly, a little volatile," he chuckled, unfreezing himself easily.

Sharp shards of ice shot from her fingers at his words as though to prove his point.

"I was serious," he said, his eyes earnest. "I can help you. You have a lot of power, you just need help harnessing it."

Elsa wavered for a moment. If she was honest with herself, she feared her own power. She didn't want to lose control and hurt someone—there had been too many narrow misses already. Still, experience had taught her to be wary of people, and her desire for help harnessing her power warred with her mistrust of this guy.

But there again, she had never met anyone with powers like hers. No one had ever been able to show her what to do with them before. In spite of herself, she found that the chance for help, for guidance, was almost irresistible.

"I don't know," she hesitated, running a hand through her long blonde hair in frustration. "I don't know anything about you."

"Sure you do," he shrugged. "Jack Frost, Old Man Winter, any of these ring a bell in that pretty little head of yours?"

Elsa let out a little snort of laughter. "You're kidding me, right? You must be—"

"About three hundred years old, yeah," Jack chuckled. "I know I don't look like it, but I'm just a crusty old man at heart."

In spite of herself, Elsa felt the corners of her mouth quirk up. A little rush of snow shot out of her hands without her meaning it to, striking him squarely in the chest.

"Okay, fine," Elsa laughed as Jack scraped the snow off his shirt. "Maybe I do need a little help."

"Well alright then, Princess," he teased. She had no idea why he'd chosen that particular nickname, but she kind of liked it. "I think I might be just the guy to teach you."

Jack-Chapter 7

Jack had almost expected to still be hounding Elsa to trust him for at least another couple of weeks, but she had agreed so readily, almost as if her desire to control her gift overruled how much she seemed to dislike him.

"There are so many things to teach you!" Jack exclaimed as he practically danced in the snow in the mountain. He hadn't realized just how much he had craved it until he got a little taste of it. He threw the snow up in the air and made it disperse around them in small, shimmering snowflakes. "I hardly even know where to start!"

"Actually, I do have a question before we start," Elsa said, standing hesitantly ankle deep in the snow as if she still felt uncertain whether or not she made the right choice to come to Whistler, British Columbia in Canada. It wasn't too far from the States and it still had snow in the summer. Perfect for what they needed to accomplish.

He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to speak.

"How did you become Jack Frost? I mean, I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't have these dumb powers too. And now that I think about it, what does that mean for me? I'm only twenty-two, I'm not hundreds of years old like you are."

Jack packed a perfect snowball and lobbed it down the mountain, raising his arms in triumph as he hit a tree and made all the snow on that tree fall to a heap on the ground. He had definitely perfected his snowball throwing skills.

"It was so long ago that I hardly remember what it used to be like when I was actually a human, a warm blooded human. Actually, it seems like such a fuzzy memory that I'm not a hundred percent sure that it actually happened. I remember being immersed in freezing cold water as I fell through a lake, and next thing I knew, this is what I am. I accept my responsibilities as the Ice King."

"You keep saying that. I don't get it."

He snorted in laughter and shook his head. "I'm joking. I'm no king, just Jack. You really need to lighten up, Elsa, starting with that fear of yours. You're treating the ice as if it is an obstacle to overcome when you should be embracing it as part of yourself. Otherwise you'll never be able to bend it to your will."

Elsa still looked furious with him, or maybe that was just her natural face, he really couldn't tell. "Okay, I can do that. Where do we start?"

Jack spun in a circle as he tried to spot her first object lesson, but then his face lit up as he caught sight of a snow covered tree. Should be easy enough.

"Make that tree completely bare of snow. Not even a spec of ice residue."

She nodded and concentrated hard on the tree before she moved her arms in a way as if to pack down snow. The snow came off the tree alright. But it also dislodged right off the mountain, creating a rumbling avalanche right below them.

Jack's lips pressed into a thin line as he watched the avalanche go, feeling with his magic to see if there was anyone in the way. Thankfully, there was no one.

They both grimaced as the churning snow dislodged trees and completely covered an abandoned house before continuing on downward until it came to a complete stop in a gigantic heap.

After a long lapse of silence, Jack said, "Should I even ask?"

"No," Elsa grumbled, sulking away, and even Jack could sense her misery rolling off her in large waves. He tried to remember when he was first learning to control his powers, but it was so long ago that he found it difficult to relate.

"I'm a hopeless case," Elsa moaned as she sunk to her knees in the powdery snow. She looked absolutely defeated, almost as if she had been in this position more than once. His heart went out to her. He needed to help her the best he could.

Jack just crossed his arms. "If you keep thinking that then you more than certainly are a hopeless case. You think this is going to be easy? Because it's not. I wasn't bound down by modern society like you are when I learned. We just need to overcome that obstacle."

"Why me?" Elsa asked quietly as she glanced up at him with her shimmering blue eyes. "I don't understand this at all…"

He paused for a moment, taking her in before sitting cross-legged in the snow beside her, enjoying the cold on his skin. "Honestly? I don't understand much either. I'm bound to this realm through duty, but you seem to be bound by blood. You see, Elsa, there shouldn't be more people like me. I'm the only one. I don't understand why you are like you are."

She shook her head, her eyes wide. "I don't understand…"

Jack stood up and used his magic to draw pictures in the snow, starting out by drawing seven circles. "There is a lot to learn, so try to keep up. The human realm is just one of seven realms. We have Lainoa, the realm of fog; Ledas, the realm of ice; Vatra, the realm of fire; Silva, the realm of forest; Miris, the realm of the dead; Paani, the realm of water; and then of course the human realm. My job is travel between realms and help maintain the balance. There is only one of me, just like there is one of each season. Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall. Alyssa, Mara, me, and Theo. One for each season, and I'm Old Man Winter. I never grow old. I never sleep. I don't need to eat or drink. I was born in the human realm, but it's not my home anymore. I'm a drifter, as are all the Seasons."

Elsa became quiet for a moment, but then she rolled her eyes. "Geez, now I really am confused. I keep thinking I might wake up from this dream and everything will be how it used to be. I don't know what to think now."

"Me neither, El. Me neither."

"It's Elsa."

"Yadda ya. I think that's enough learning for one day. What do you say to having a bit of fun?" He fashioned himself an old-fashioned sled made of ice and waited for her to do the same. It looked more like a jagged piece of cardboard than anything, but he decided not to say anything. "Alright, one, two, three, go!"

They hopped on their sleds at the same time, laughing as the wind whipped through their hair. Jack used his magic to propel him faster and faster, and Elsa did the same, a competitive look in her eyes. Oh, if it was a game she wanted, it was a game that she'd get.

Jack created a jump right in front of Elsa's sled, and she didn't have time to dodge it before she went flying with wide eyes, hair flying behind her. She let out a shriek of fear before she slammed hard on the snow, but somehow still managed to stay on her sled. A moment of jealousy surged inside of him. She was having more fun than him!

A grin spread across his face as he wove an intricate jump ahead of himself and went flying, being suspended in the air for a brief moment, before landing on another icy platform that caught him in a large loop before spitting him back out on the snow.

"Woo!" Jack shouted excitedly, looking back at Elsa who finally wore a smile on her face. Her fingers trailed through the snow on her way down the slope, a calm and peaceful expression on her face. She may not be where she should be yet, but at least she was getting there.

When they finally reached the bottom of the slope, Jack dissolved his sled into powder and laid on his back, laughing his lungs out as he stared up at the cloudy sky above. There were a lot of things he loved about the human realm, and the sky was most definitely one of them. It looked so much like Silva, the forest realm, where he spent a lot of his free time when he wasn't in the human realm.

Elsa joined in with his laughter before Jack turned over, placing one hand in the snow beside her head so he leaned over slightly, taking her in. There was something so vulnerable about her. So innocent and vulnerable, and part of him wanted to find out what made her like that. And then he took in her eyes. Those eyes… There was something otherworldly about them. They were absolutely beautiful.

"So, can I give you a fashion suggestion?" Elsa asked as she broke away from his gaze, brushing herself off and getting to her feet. "Get rid of the frosted tips."

Jack burst into laughter and shook his head. "I can't. Believe me, I've tried. My hair won't accept dye. If I cut my hair, no matter how long it is, the tips will always be there. So I've given up."

"That's really weird."

"You're telling me. Come on. I think it's time to get out of here."

Elsa-Chapter 8

Elsa frowned, concentrating hard on the tree again. She hadn't made any more avalanches since the first one, just a minor ice storm and a giant snowball that had rolled down the hill and exploded against a tree. Not what she was going for but the fact that it had almost mowed Jack down was hilarious.

"I don't get it," she said in frustration, causing a little flurry of snow to shoot from her hands. "Why can't I do such a simple task?"

Jack smiled wryly. "You're letting yourself get distracted by your fear, El. Do you want to tell me why you're so afraid of what you can do? You weren't this afraid when you made your little skating rink in the park the other night."

Biting her lip, Elsa shook her head. She didn't want to talk about the only time she had actually hurt someone. It had been the middle of winter when she was still living with her family and a little boy had been picking on her until she cried. He had been so mean and she had felt so helpless and weak as he tripped her and raised his fist again and again…

Suddenly, she had felt a rush of power come over her and had frozen him where he stood before burying him in snow. When he didn't show up to class after recess, the teacher had gotten worried and gone searching for him. Elsa had run outside and unfrozen him as best she could, but by the time the paramedics had gotten there, his legs were already beyond saving. She had felt so horrible that she had vowed never to use her powers to hurt someone else ever again.

"Earth to Elsa," Jack called teasingly. "Come in, Elsa, over."

Sighing, Elsa said, "Just let me try again."

She stepped forward again, making it clear this conversation was closed before raising her hands to try again. She took a deep breath, trying to let go of the past and slowly the snow on the tree began to disappear.

"Have you ever heard of Freud's theory of repression?" Jack asked conversationally. Elsa glared at the tree, doing her best to ignore him. Why couldn't he leave it alone? Elsa concentrated on the tree again, but instead of disappearing, now the snow became heavier and heavier on the branches.

"You know, there are some schools of thought that say that it's better to acknowledge your fears, get them out in the open," Jack continued. "If you keep them bottled up inside, they turn into other things."

"I said leave it alone!" Elsa screamed at last as the branches snapped off of the tree from the weight of the snow she had created. Tears sprang to her eyes as she flung a blast of snow at Jack with all her might that he expertly dodged. She sniffed, trying to hold back her tears. She had just tried to use her powers to attack, all because she was frustrated with Jack.

Sinking down into the snow, she put her head in her hands and began to cry, her tears freezing on contact with her skin. She felt rather than saw Jack sit down next to her in the snow, letting her cry it out for a few minutes before he said, "Seriously, I'm always here if you need to talk. I want to help you, but I can't if you can't help yourself."

Elsa sniffed and looked at him sadly. "I'm afraid of hurting someone. I don't want to hurt anyone again."

"You've hurt someone before?" Jack asked sympathetically. Elsa warred with herself, on the point of saying no, but she finally gave in and nodded once, burying her face in her arms as though it could block out the images of that boy she had frozen. He had been so white, his lips and the skin around his eyes so blue…

"I was nine," she finally relented. "A boy at school was bullying me. I think he might have seen me making frost patterns on the playground because he kept calling me a freak. He tripped me and punched me. He was going to punch me again and I—"

She trailed off, the memory and the guilt too painful. "I didn't want him to hurt me anymore."

"So you fought back," Jack finished, and she could see him watching her out of the corner of her eye. "There isn't anything wrong with defending yourself."

Elsa shook her head. "This wasn't defending myself, this was revenge, pure and simple. I wanted to make him hurt the way he had hurt me."

Jack didn't say anything for a few moments, instead he conjured up the shadow of a rabbit made of frost and used his magic to make it hop around Elsa for a minute or so until she smiled.

"That's nice," she smiled as she reached out to touch it, but the rabbit disintegrated under her touch. Elsa had to fight back tears again as she watched it disappear. Everything she touched got destroyed.

"Elsa," Jack started, trying to comfort her by putting a hand on her shoulder. It was almost instantaneous, Elsa felt herself being pulled and suddenly she was in a sunlit, snow-covered world with a grand palace of ice sitting on the horizon.

She gasped and stumbled backward in fright, breaking the connection with Jack and suddenly finding herself back in Canada.

"What was that?" she demanded, her breathing fast and shallow. "What just happened?"

Jack looked at her in bewilderment, his brow furrowing as he stared. "What are you talking about?"

"When you touched me," she gasped, equally confused. "I wasn't here, I was somewhere else. Somewhere snowy and there was a palace of ice. What does that mean?"

Jack stared at her for a moment and she could almost see the wheels turning in his head before he said, "I don't know."

"You're lying," Elsa spat, standing up and starting to walk away. This was ridiculous. She couldn't work with him, she just couldn't.

Jack jumped up and stopped her with a wall of snow so that she was forced to turn and look at him. "No, I meant that what you're describing—it's not possible for you to have been there."

Jack-Chapter 9

"What do you mean that it's not possible for me to have been there?" Elsa growled. "I was just there!"

Jack shook his head as he paced back and forth, the wheels turning in his head. "No, it's not possible for you to have been there. Out of all seven realms, there are only four people who can pass freely to and from each one—Summer, Winter, Fall, and Spring. What you just described to me was Ledas, the realm of ice."

Elsa stared hard at Jack, confusion etched in every perfect pore on her face. "I don't understand. Why could I see Ledas? Some sort of magic through you?"

"Beats me. This has never happened to me before. Let's try and find out if you can see it again." He held out his hand to her and she very gingerly took it, both of them holding their breath. But then Elsa's mouth turned into a frown as she shook her head.

"I don't see anything anymore," she whispered sadly.

He smiled slyly as he gazed back into her eyes. "You know, there's one other option we can try."

"What is it?" she asked, her expression hopeful.

Jack wiggled his eyebrows at her. "We could try kissing."

Elsa immediately scowled as she wrenched her hand out of his grip and before he could react, she buried him in a pile of snow and stomped away. He couldn't help himself as he burst into laughter. For some reason, she seemed to hate his guts and although he didn't like that, it was also very entertaining.

"Jokes!" Jack called after her, still laughing. The only person who ever seemed to get his sense of humor was Michael, and he was a human who had no idea who Jack really was. Then again, Jack preferred it that way. It made him feel somewhat normal.

As he watched Elsa make her way back down the hill to the ski resort they were staying at, Jack's expression fell. All of this just felt so confusing and the more he got to know Elsa, the more confused he felt. First off, humans couldn't see other realms or the creatures from those realms. Second, Elsa had magic and she was a human. Third, she caught a glimpse of Ledas which was also unheard of. The Seven Realms had been sealed off from one another after the assassination of Queen Delani. This worried him. It worried him a lot. Maybe there was a breach in the seal, and he needed to find out.

Jack caused an icy breeze to pick up around him and it carried him through the Seasons' fissure that connected all seven realms together. When he had first started doing this, it felt strange. But now it felt enjoyable, almost as if he were traveling at the speed of light. Mara, otherwise known as Summer, still felt sick every time she traveled, but that only made the three of them tease her more. To her credit, she was only fifty years old.

The fissure took him right into Ledas where it felt satisfyingly chilly, but no snow fell today. As he walked toward the palace, a staff that was as thin as ice but as sturdy as steel solidified in his hands. He looked out of place using it in the human realm, but here, it let everyone know who he really was. He was Jack Frost.

Ledas appeared bright and sunny but still cold enough to see his own breath. Perfect.

"Long time no see," Theo, otherwise known as Fall, said, falling right into step beside Jack. Jack almost felt jealous that he looked more or less normal with his red hair and blue eyes and he could fit into the human world the best out of all of them. "I thought you adopted the human realm for good."

Jack shook his head, chuckling to himself. "More like I found a good human friend to spend time with. Anyways, I'm here purely on business. Has there been any cracks in the seal? Holes, cracks, gaping wounds?"

Theo glanced over at him with a confused but cautious expression. "Why, has something happened?"

"I don't know yet. That's what I'm trying to figure out. After that assassination, any little issue gets me worked up."

They stopped for a moment and under Theo's scrutiny, Jack could only stare at the ground and shuffle his feet in the snow. "I know that blow hit you harder than the rest of us. She was your queen. Queen Delani is the one who made you what you are."

He didn't trust himself to speak, so instead, Jack only nodded. Jack had served Delani with all the will and energy he could muster. There hasn't been a queen on the throne in Ledas since her death.

"If you're not here to say hi to your old buddies, why are you here?"

All Jack's confusion and questions spiraled back to him. "I found a girl. She—"

"Well, it's about damn time!" Theo laughed, thumping him congratulatory on the back. "It's about freaking damn time."

Jack laughed and shoved Theo into a pile of snow which made both of them laugh even harder. Theo wilted the pine tree needles on the tree above them and sent them spiraling toward Jack.

"Ow, ugh, ah!" Jack braced himself against the sharp stings, but it was of no use. He held his icy staff dangerously to Theo's throat. "I will use this. Mark my words."

Even though Theo had known Jack for a couple of centuries, a flicker of fear passed over his eyes at the threat. Jack's staff was a force to be reckoned with. Jack was powerful without the staff, but with it, his power only amplified. The great thing about it was that the only person in all seven realms who could use it was himself.

"Lighten up!" Jack teased, punching him playfully in the arm. "I won't use this on friends."

"Sorry," Theo laughed nervously. "But can you blame me? Everyone saw what you did to the army of giants who killed Queen Delani. You avenged her death and you did a thorough job of it too. Lots of people are afraid of you."

"As it should be," Jack muttered. Or better yet, the fire realm was afraid of him. The rest of the realms revered him as a hero, although he didn't feel like one. If he was a hero, then Delani wouldn't have died in the first place.

Theo stared up at the tree and frowned. "Do you think I'll get in trouble for that? I can't make it grow back."

Jack chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "You will totally get in trouble for it. Get Alyssa to fix it. She'll be more than happy." Alyssa was the last season, Spring, that was hyperactive beyond imagination. If someone stood still long enough, Alyssa would grow a garden of flowers in their hair and gloat about it for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, it happened to him once. He found flower petals in his hair and clothing for days.

The air got knocked out of him as something big slammed into him, knocking him to the ground in a big bear hug. "I thought I heard my name!" Alyssa cried, nuzzling her head against Jack's cheek. Where did she come from? Was everyone in Ledas? Or were they so bored that Jack's entrance into the realms was a highlight?

"Warn me next time you decide to kill me," Jack grunted as he got to his feet, helping Alyssa up also. She was pretty for a spaz with her curly light brown hair and blue eyes, but she was also forever sixteen, ten years younger than him, way too young for him even if she was two hundred and thirty years old.

"I haven't seen you in forever, Jack! Here, I made something for you." Alyssa bent down to the snow and then a beautiful white rose popped out, blossoming under her touch before she plucked it and handed it to him. "I know how much you like white."

Jack snorted and rolled his eyes. "Not like I have a choice. Where's Mara? Why don't we make this a reunion while we're at it."

Mara was the shyest of them all, but like Jack, she was also one of the most powerful. Also, Jack hated her. Everywhere she went, everything she touched was way too hot and he didn't like it one bit. Though, she didn't like him either because everything he touched was too cold for her. Fair trade off.

"Why don't you call for her, Theo?" Alyssa asked hopefully. "She likes you the best."

"Fine," Theo chuckled. "Mara? Are you free? We're having a meeting about the sealed borders."

It took about thirty seconds, but Mara finally stepped out behind a tree, her red hair covering half of her freckled face. "Yes?"

"Tell us about the seal, Jack," Theo said, gesturing for him to continue.

Jack took a deep breath. "I'm worried that the seal has been broken. I met a girl a couple days ago and either she saw a vision of Ledas or she was actually here. She has the same type of magic as me and she's also a human. I'm not entirely sure what to do with her."

"Can you bring her here?" Theo asked. "Then we might be able to find out."

"You know the rules," Jack growled, throwing a snowball and hitting Theo squarely in the chest. "Can't bring anyone in or out of their realms."

Alyssa gasped. "Maybe she's going to take your place! Oh no! Jack, you're going to get fired!"

Uneasiness filled Jack's heart. He didn't think it would happen, but he also couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Elsa had similar powers as him. "I really don't think that's it."

Theo crossed his arms, deep in thought. "Humans aren't supposed to have magic. I'll ask Silva's king to get permission to bring her in. Stand by." He disappeared just like that, but Jack knew it could take days, maybe even weeks to get that permission. In the meantime, he had to stick it out with Elsa, even if she did seem to hate his guts.

"I should go too," Mara said quietly. "I have a field to scorch." She disappeared just like Theo did, leaving Jack and Alyssa alone together.

"I can hang out with you, Jack!" she exclaimed, wrapping her excited arms around his waist.

Jack peeled her off of him and held her at bay. "No thanks. I'll see you later." And then Jack, too, disappeared from Ledas. He had no ideas of what to do, but in the meantime, he had a poorly trained ice girl to coach.

Elsa-Chapter 10

She deliberately hid from Jack. Elsa had taken up residence in the warmest place in the ski resort, the one place she knew he'd hate to look for her. The sauna.

While she preferred the cold, hot places didn't bother her in the slightest. In fact, she sometimes preferred them because they helped her suppress her powers. She sprayed some of the eucalyptus oil that the resort kept in spray bottles all around the room, drinking in the smell. It reminded her of something, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what.

Shaking her head in confusion, Elsa's thoughts turned back to what she had seen when Jack had touched her. No, she corrected herself. Where she had been. She knew she had been in Ledas. She had felt the sun on her face, seen the shimmering ice palace, felt a swirl of snow against her skin. And then she had been back with Jack in Canada, wondering what had just happened. Something about that shining, glassy palace had felt familiar to her, but she didn't know how that could be. She was an ordinary girl. Well, mostly.

Closing her eyes, she relaxed against the warm wall, her fingers opening and closing convulsively as she released ice into the air, letting it dissipate in the humid sauna. She was glad that she had found this place, no way would Jack follow her in here…

"Hello."

Or apparently he would.

"I take it you're avoiding me?" Jack continued when she refused to open her eyes. He was disturbing her calm. She let off a larger spray of ice crystals, trying to release some of the tension she felt. None of that tension was necessarily Jack's fault, but Elsa was growing tired of not being able to do even the simplest task he asked her to do without creating a catastrophe. Plus, if she was honest with herself, she was a little afraid of him. She had never met anyone with such control over their powers before, and frankly, to say that she had trust issues was the understatement of the century.

"Okay, so I'm going to take your silence as a yes," Jack said, sitting down next to her. "Geez, how do you stand this heat?"

Elsa shrugged, a smirk tugging on the corners of her mouth. "I don't mind it. It helps me control my powers better, actually. If you don't like it, you're welcome to leave."

"Why are you making this so hard?" Jack asked her, rolling his shoulders uncomfortably. "I'm only trying to help you."

Sighing, Elsa knew he was right. "I get that, I just don't think I can do this."

"I don't believe that," Jack argued. "You made that pond freeze over like it was nothing. You can do this, I've seen it."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Jack said, "Can I ask you a couple of questions?"

Elsa nodded, spraying the eucalyptus again and trying to keep the picture of that gleaming crystal castle in her head. For some reason, it made her feel better.

"First question," Jack said, a teasing grin forming on his lips. "Can we please go somewhere else? I think you must really hate me because you seem to be trying to kill me."

"I don't hate you," Elsa replied, a ghost of a grin flickering across her face. "It's just—all my life, I've never really had any friends and the one boy who did find out about my powers hurt me because of them."

Jack's brow furrowed as he studied her, his deep brown eyes so intense that she had to look away.

"I would never hurt you," he said quietly, reaching out and touching her arm gently. She didn't flinch away even though the part of her that felt afraid wanted to. "If you're looking for someone to trust, you can start with me."

Elsa nodded slowly, deep in thought. Although her adoptive parents had loved her, they had never trusted her. They had kept her away from other children after the freezing incident, away from her sister, and away, to a certain extent, even from themselves. She had never really had someone to call "friend" before.

"My second question is are you wearing a bathing suit under that towel?"

That earned him a swift scowl. Elsa crossed her arms protectively in front of herself even though she was, in fact, wearing a strapless blue bikini.

"Yes," she replied, her voice clipped. "Why?"

Jack's mouth quirked up in a teasing grin as he surveyed her body up and down. "You wear a lot of layers most of the time. Just curious what you'd look like without them."

He was infuriating, arrogant, cocky. But still she didn't want him to go as he stood up to leave. Maybe he could be her first friend, someone she could trust. He had proven trustworthy so far, maybe putting her trust in him wasn't such a bad idea.

"I can't stand this heat anymore," he grumbled, holding out his hand to her to help her up. "Come on, I have an idea."

Elsa stood up, disappointed when his touch didn't transport him to Ledas as it had before. She wanted to go back there, find out what drew her to that place and what it would be like to live somewhere she didn't have to hide herself.

"What's your idea?" she asked as he practically yanked her arm out of the socket in his haste to get out of the sauna. Jack grinned at her over his shoulder as they entered the area between the locker rooms.

"Well, the last time I saw you perform some ice magic without any problems was when you froze that pond. I have a theory that when you let go and have fun, you're more in control of your powers."

Elsa raised her eyebrows at him, surprisingly his theory made sense to her. A smile quirked up one corner of her mouth as she said, "What exactly do you have in mind for fun?"

"You'll find out," Jack grinned. "I hope you don't mind breaking a few laws though."

Her smile immediately turned to a frown, but Jack just laughed. "I was only joking, princess. Lighten up. Although I have to admit, the expression on your face was priceless."

Elsa stared at him for a moment, she had never seen this much of Jack either. He was well muscled without being bulky, the ropy muscles of his torso were pale, even tinged with a little blue in some places. She wondered briefly what he looked like before he had been changed, probably mostly the same but somehow she pictured his skin being the shade of a toasted marshmallow and his hair dark blonde.

"Like what you see?" he teased, causing her to shoot a stream of frost at his bare chest before remembering that it wouldn't have the effect she wanted. "Ooh, that feels good," he said, closing his eyes. "Get my back too. You owe me for making me follow you into that sauna."

Laughing, Elsa said, "Well, at least I didn't follow you around pretending to look for a lost dog."

"Fine," Jack grinned cockily at her. "Even?"

"Even," Elsa agreed, extending her hand to shake and accidentally allowing the towel to slip off of half her body. Jack raised his eyebrows appreciatively before she quickly covered herself up again, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Alright then," Jack smiled over his shoulder, pushing open the door to the men's locker room. "I'll come get you later tonight and we'll go have some fun."

Elsa watched him go, her pulse racing rapidly. What in the world had she just agreed to?

Jack-Chapter 11

If Jack had a middle name, it would be Fun. Or at least that was what he personally thought. Before Queen Delani's assassination, people would have disagreed and said his middle name was Mischief. Now they called him Jack the Feared or Jack the Ice King. Although, he didn't like either one. He preferred just Jack because that was all he really was. Jack didn't feel proud of what he did to avenge Queen Delani's death and protect the citizens of Ledas, but it protected the other realms as well which was most important. Because of the giants, they had to seal away each realm for their own protection. Vatra, the realm of fire, was the one to blame for so much heartache and sorrow. Even for his own heartache and sorrow. Delani had been a really good friend of his, and losing her had been hard on him.

He did his best to shake those unwelcome, sorrowful thoughts away and focus instead on having fun with Elsa. There was only one place he wanted to start, and then they'd see what happened from there.

"What are we doing here?" Elsa asked as she glanced around at the field of snow all around them. "Building a giant snowman?"

"Not at all," Jack chuckled, reaching out to take Elsa's hand as they walked across the field. She intook a breath of surprise as she glanced over at him, but he just continued staring forward. He had only meant to take her hand for what they were about to do, but he didn't expect to like it so much. Her touch made him feel… Alive.

They stopped walking suddenly and Jack turned to her, still holding tightly onto her hand. Without a word, Jack created an icy patch right under their feet and grinned as he slowly began to spin her out in a wide arc around him so he remained fixed in the middle, and everywhere that her feet touched turned to ice.

"What are you doing?" Elsa giggled, but even he could see that her guard was lowering ever so slightly.

"Having a little fun. I'm creating our own ice rink, but I'll need help." He dropped his magic right as Elsa was about to run into a dry patch, but then almost on instinct, she picked up where he left off so she wouldn't plummet headfirst into the snow.

"This isn't so hard," Elsa laughed as he continued to spin her around the field, and little by little, they created their own ice rink. Jack watched as if transfixed. Elsa's shimmering blue eyes came alive and she looked to actually be enjoying herself. But not only that, she created designs in the ice so beautiful that he felt as if he were staring straight into her soul.

Jack glanced back into her eyes and he could feel the backs of his ears turn red. She looked so beautiful when she was carefree and open. Until now, he hadn't noticed the way the skin around her eyes crinkled when she smiled or the way her lips turned gently upward when she laughed.

She looked so beautiful…

He laughed along with her as they continued to spin around the ice rink hand in hand, and more than anything, Jack felt surprised to see her guard dropping little by little. There wasn't a single soul around except him that she could hurt, and even then, she couldn't hurt him. Well, technically she could, but he had at least two hundred and seven-eight years on her, so it was highly unlikely.

When they stopped for a moment, Jack pulled Elsa toward him by the hand and carefully unzipped her jacket.

"What are you doing?" Elsa gasped as he pulled her jacket off her shoulders, leaving her in just a short sleeve t-shirt and jeans.

"You don't need it." He threw it and it picked up on the frosty wind to hang on the tree branch several yards away. "Embrace the cold. The ice, the snow… They are yours to control. They bend under your will. Now show it who's boss, princess."

Elsa giggled, a fiery glint showing in her eyes as she created her own ice skates on the bottoms of her feet. "How about a little race then? Let's see who's the fastest skater." Ice blossomed outward from where she stood, slowly crawling forward to create one long track of ice. It was decent, but she wasn't using her imagination as much as he had hoped.

"Are you sure you want to race the Ice King?" he asked skeptically as a small bubble of excitement rose in his chest.

"I'm sure."

Jack summoned his icy staff in his hands and touched the tip of it to the ground. Ice rumbled upward around the track that Elsa had just made, creating a long, winding system of obstacles all enclosed within a tube of ice. This was about to get fun.

"There it is," Elsa laughed. "I was wondering if I'd ever get to see this infamous staff of yours. I was starting to think it was just a myth."

He smiled sadly. "Not a myth. The humans used to know who I was. They would make up songs and stories about me until it became easier not to believe, not to recognize that I existed. Humans are much too ambitious for their own good, so we just let them live in peace with their own ideals that they want to believe in. It seems much easier for them than accepting the truth."

Surprisingly, Elsa reached over and squeezed his hand. "If it means anything, I am a human and I believe in you."

Even though she said that, something in his heart told him that she wasn't human. But he didn't even know how to acknowledge that fact without proving it otherwise. "Thanks, Elsa. That's very kind of you." In the blink of an eye, his staff disappeared and skates appeared under his feet. He didn't need skates, but for Elsa's sake, he'd use them. "So are we gonna race or what?"

She burst into laughter and nodded. "You're on."

They both took off down the slopes of the ice track and Jack let out a whoop of laughter as he sped up more and more, trying to outmatch Elsa's graceful glides, but then he pulled back slightly as the first obstacle came into view. The whole tunnel was blocked by a wall of ice and there was a small slit just big enough for someone to fit through right in the middle. He glanced over toward Elsa who wore a determined but calculated expression. Surprisingly, she zipped right through, causing his grin to widen across his face. She could do this. She just needed to realize it for herself.

He followed closely behind, doing his best to stay evenly level with her as they wound around obstacles. It would be so easy for him to win this, but that wasn't the object lesson. The object lesson was for her to gain confidence in her abilities.

They moved past obstacles such as using their ice powers to disperse icicles or navigating through an entire blanket of snow. But Elsa took it all in stride. Actually, she seemed to be enjoying herself.

As they circled around the tube to fit through a small opening at the top, they both let out a string of excited laughter. The further down the track they went, the faster and more confident Elsa became.

He grinned slyly as he glanced over at Elsa. Time for a little prank.

Elsa's eyes widened fearfully as Jack skated backward down the sloped track, and he knew what she saw that he pretended he didn't. A large wall of ice that he was about to run smack into. "Jack, watch out!" she screamed.

Last second, Jack dispersed into a cloud of powder right before he hit the ice wall and then reappeared just a couple yards away. "What were you saying there, sweetheart?"

She scowled at him, but that only managed to make him laugh harder. Oh, there was so much they could do with the ice and the snow! If only she knew her full potential!

After a moment, the carefree grin once again spread across Elsa's face as they raced past the final obstacle and reached the end of the tunnel. Just so Elsa couldn't win and they both had gloating rights, Jack shifted the ice beneath Elsa's feet to make her lose her balance before he reached out and grabbed a hold of her hand and laughed loudly as they spun around and around and around out of the tunnel until they landed in a heap of powdery snow.

"Oh my gosh!" Elsa laughed uncontrollably as she slapped his shoulder. "You are such a cheater! I saw what you did there at the end."

"Sorry," he shrugged nonchalantly. "I like having fun, even if that does mean cheating just a little bit."

Elsa snorted in laughter and rolled her eyes. "I'll have to keep that in mind for next time. Believe me when I say that you're not going to win the next time we give this a go."

"No?" Jack grinned, very aware at how close they were in the pile of snow. She was just a short few inches away… "I warned you about racing the Ice King."

"Okay," Elsa said, propping her elbow up to get a better look at him. "Now I'm starting to think that means something. What exactly does the 'Ice King' mean?"

Jack shrugged as he also propped his head up in his hand. "Me trying to be funny, I guess." But then his expression fell and he tried not to look at her. "Actually, it's me just trying to downplay it, to be honest. After the Snow Queen was killed by the attack staged by the giants, the people in Ledas have been trying to make me their king because of what I did in the war, so that's what they've been calling me. I'm definitely not king material, so I declined."

"What?" Elsa whispered, seeming to look at him in a new light. "Why would you decline something like that? Could you really be king?"

His lips pursed into a thin line, but he just shrugged. "It's not something I really want to talk about. Instead, I want to talk about you. You did really well in that race. You seem to do much better when you let go and have fun."

"I know! I didn't think I could do it, but I did! That was the most fun I've had in a long time."

He smiled as he helped her to her feet, spinning her around one last time before scooping up a pile of snow in his arms and throwing it into the sky. Using his magic, he dispersed it into a thousand tiny, shimmering particles of snow that caught the light of the moon as it fell around them. Elsa gazed up at it in awe, but Jack only had eyes for her. She looked so beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. And he loved the way that her eyes reflected the shimmering beauty of the snow as it rained down around them.

When Elsa met his gaze, his heart caught in his throat. She looked positively radiant.

He couldn't help himself as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He wanted to kiss her so badly. So badly!

"We should probably get back," Elsa whispered, bringing him out of his little trance.

Jack cleared his throat and nodded, hastily stepping away from her. "Right. Anyway, I need to get back to Lainoa, the realm of fog. Do you think you can get back to the lodge on your own?"

Elsa nodded, her cheeks filling with a faint trace of a blush. "Yeah. I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

Dispersing the ice tunnel with his staff, Jack smiled. "Tomorrow it is. We're making a lot of progress, and I have no doubt you'll make more progress tomorrow." Without another word, his body scattered into a thousand tiny flakes of snow before the wind picked up around him and carried him into the Seasons' fissure. He didn't know what had just happened a minute ago out there on the ice, but it was probably best to forget about it. Jack could never be with a human because she'd grow old and he wouldn't. It would be best for everyone if he just forgot...

Elsa-Chapter 12

When she got back to her room, Elsa caught sight of herself in the mirror on the wall. Her cheeks were stung pink from the cold, her eyes sparkling from the fun and excitement of the race and her hair glittered with tiny pieces of ice that Jack had made. She hated to admit it, but that had been a lot of fun.

Elsa smiled as she remembered the rumble of Jack's laughter as he had tripped her near the end of their race. A smile spread reluctantly across her face, she had really enjoyed that. She was beginning to understand Jack a little better. His sense of humor seemed to mask the pain he felt at losing the Snow Queen. She couldn't help but wonder why he had turned down the role of Ice King. He had defeated the Vatrans, he was a hero. Why had he chosen to not lead his people?

Elsa bit her lip, throwing her jacket over the chair in the corner. Jack had been right. She had loved the touch of the cold on her skin, the feeling of the icy wind whipping through her hair. It had made her feel alive. She had let go of her fear a little more and without realizing it, she had begun to trust Jack.

Turning on the shower, she jumped under the icy jet, practicing making swirls and patterns on the mirror, on the walls, in the air itself as it misted around her. Ice climbed the glass, crackling across the floor, over the ceiling. She could feel power growing and expanding inside her and suddenly she wanted to unleash more and more, expanding the patterns into pictures of the palace she had seen in her vision of Ledas.

The power inside her expanded and grew a little more, and she expanded the crystals until her ice began getting away from her and she slipped, cracking the side of her head on the bathtub before everything went black.

. . . .

The first thing that she felt was the snow. Frowning, Elsa ran her fingers over the surface she lay on, the powdery snow sifting through her fingers. With a groan, she sat up and put a hand to her head. What was the last thing she remembered? Oh yeah, she had been practicing in the shower and then she remembered falling…

Suddenly, the rough tongue of some enormous beast licked the side of her face, causing her to open her eyes with a start. A reindeer stood over her, its wet nose inches from her own. As she stared at it, she realized that she was completely naked as she had been right before everything went dark. And she realized she wasn't alone. A tall woman with a sheet of long blonde hair rode on the back of the beast, her eyes so blue they looked almost white in the harsh light of wherever she was.

"Where am I?" Elsa gasped, trying to cover herself by waving a pile of snow over her body. The woman didn't answer, instead she stepped down off the reindeer and handed her a light green, fur-lined robe. Elsa accepted the gift gratefully, pulling it on and hastily belting the sash so that the robe covered her from chin to toes. The woman handed her a pair of plain brown leather shoes without speaking and Elsa slipped them on.

"Thank you," she said in confusion, putting on the surprisingly soft and comfortable shoes. "Who are you?"

"Ilea," the woman answered, gesturing to herself. "Who are you?"

Frowning, Elsa considered for a moment. She knew she had a name wherever she had come from, but all of a sudden she couldn't remember it.

"I don't know," she said, rubbing her forehead in frustration as though that could help her remember. Looking around the clearing, she saw the glimmering palace of ice and snow that she had seen once before when Jack had touched her…

Jack! As the thought crossed her mind, she felt a sudden rush of fear. How was she supposed to get home? How was she supposed to get back to Jack?

"Please," she asked Ilea imploringly. "How do I get home?"

Ilea frowned, surveying Elsa carefully. "But this is your home, is it not? You are one of us."

"One of who?" Elsa asked curiously.

Confusion clouded Ilea's expression. "One of the Ledans, of course. You bear the markings, is this not your home?"

Elsa shook her head. "No, at least I don't think so. I'm from the United States."

Ilea raised an eyebrow at her, shaking her head as though she thought the girl standing in front of her was insane. "I have never heard of such a place."

Elsa swallowed hard, suddenly wishing that Jack was here. He'd know what to do. He always knew what to do.

"You've clearly been through something terrible," Ilea said kindly. "Come with me back to my home and stay the night. We will figure out what to do with you in the morning."

Numbly, Elsa nodded. She didn't know what else to do, she didn't know how to find Jack so that he could take her home. She felt lost and confused and frightened. The prospect of having someone take care of her for the night was more appealing than Ilea realized. Elsa would try and figure out what to do in the morning.

Ilea gestured for her to climb up on the reindeer behind her and Elsa obeyed. When the reindeer bounded forward, Elsa shrieked and nearly tumbled off, grabbing Ilea around the waist to steady herself. Ilea let out a musical laugh as they rode toward what appeared to be a village. Elsa gasped when she saw it. The houses were all made out of ice but each was a different color, made with different patterns on the sides and shutters. They were beautiful and charming, Elsa immediately fell in love with them.

"Good boy, Sven," Ilea said, sliding off the reindeer in front of a turquoise house with a pattern of birds and vines swirling around the outside. She opened the door and led Elsa inside to a bed made completely of ice and snow. Elsa was shocked when she sat down how comfortable it was, almost like sleeping on a cloud.

"This will be your room for tonight," Ilea said kindly. "If you need me, I'll just be downstairs. There's dinner cooking on the stove if you want to eat."

Elsa nodded wearily. "Thank you, but I think I'll lie down first."

Ilea nodded and left the room, shutting the ice door behind her. The firelight from the main room glimmered dully through the wavery ice, bathing the whole room in a warm glow. Elsa looked around her in wonder, surveying the ice pitcher on the dresser for washing her face, the mirror which was made of perfectly smoothed ice, the pillows and sheets which were all somehow made of ice and snow. It was so beautiful, she wanted to try it when she got home.

If I ever get home, she thought gloomily, wondering where Jack was and if he was okay. The thought made her laugh, of course he was okay. Jack always had a plan or a backup plan. Elsa, on the other hand, always felt completely lost.

Lying down on the bed, she closed her eyes, envisioning Jack's warm brown eyes as she drifted off. She liked the way they crinkled at the corners when he smiled. The way he squinted when he laughed. As much as she hated to admit it, she had misjudged him. He was someone to be called a friend…

"Elsa!" Jack's voice sounded far away at first, but then louder as he shouted again. "Elsa, wake up!"

Her eyes shot open and she sat up, looking around blearily at her surroundings. She was on the ice-covered bathroom floor, all of her frosty designs still in place. Jack stood over her, a frantic expression in his eyes.

"You scared me!" he frowned. "I thought you might be dead."

Elsa shook her head, a dull ache throbbing inside it when she moved. "No, I'm okay," she mumbled, her fingers brushing the soft robe she wore. Her eyes widened as she looked down at what she wore, an ice green robe and a pair of soft brown shoes. So it hadn't been a dream…

"I couldn't wake you up for a long time," Jack said, visibly shaken. "What happened?"

Elsa looked up at him nervously, her eyes wide. "I think I went to Ledas."

Jack-Chapter 13

Jack stared at her, completely perplexed. He began pacing back and forth in her room while she watched him with her eyes from where she sat on her bed. "What do you mean you went to Ledas?! It doesn't make any sense. First of all, you can't just get there. The realms are connected through entry points. You have to travel from there. Second of all, those entry points are closed from everyone except the Seasons. I can't even fathom how you got there."

"You don't believe me," Elsa whispered, her expression hurt.

Sighing, Jack sat on the bed beside her and slowly, cautiously wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. Surprisingly, she didn't try to pull away. "It's not that at all. Actually, what worries me is that I do believe you. I don't know what this means. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with you."

"Hey," Elsa scowled as she playfully punched his arm. "How did you find me, anyways? I thought you were in Lainoa."

"I was. But you called to me, so I came. And I found you completely and utterly unconscious. Don't scare me like that again."

"Don't tell me you're actually starting to care about me," Elsa teased as she nudged him playfully with her elbow.

"Well, I can't," Jack laughed. "If I did, I would be lying." A change in the atmosphere alerted Jack to the arrival of another Season, Theo to be exact. Jack got to his feet in anticipation. "Incoming. It's about to get a little bit windy in here."

Elsa looked at him confusedly, but the question in her eyes was answered as soon as a shrill wind swept up in the room, throwing sheets every which way and causing the painting on the wall to hang by its hinges. And then Theo appeared with a troubled expression.

"Jack! Okay, I have a lot of news. First we have to… First we… We have to start with…" He trailed off completely as he just stared dumbstruck at Elsa. A wave of jealousy coursed through Jack. Theo could stare at anybody else like that, just not Elsa.

"Get on with it," Jack growled, a little impatiently.

"I'm sorry, you just look like someone I used to know." He glanced up at Jack before he pressed his lips tight together in silence. Jack didn't know what that was supposed to mean, but he didn't have a chance to ask before Theo continued. "There have been a couple hemorrhages in the seal. A giant crossed the border into Ledas and wreaked havoc before we were able to get it out and send it back to Vatra. We need your help in order to seal the holes."

Elsa gasped, her eyes wide. "Is it my fault? Am I making the holes? I really don't mean to be. I'm so sorry." Jack didn't want to confirm it to her face, but yeah, she probably was the one making holes in the seal and that was a very bad thing. "We don't know for sure… But maybe. Which means you'd be better off coming back to Ledas with me."

"But, Jack. I thought you said you couldn't bring anyone in or out."

Raising his eyebrows expectantly at Theo, Jack waited for his answer.

"This is an exception," Theo answered. "King Anders of Silva has granted this request as a one-time thing. You may bring her back with you, Jack."

"King Anders?" Elsa asked quizzically.

Jack grinned and squinted his eyes as he made the symbol for tiny with his fingers. "He's a bit on the small side, but he's been King of Silva for just over five hundred years."

"Don't you be dissing my king," Theo joked, using some of the human slang that he must have heard recently.

"No dissing happening here," Jack laughed amusedly. And to Elsa, he said, "He's King of the Fae in the forest realm. So yes, he's a bit smaller than all of us, but don't let that fool you. He's as fearsome as they come."

The wind picked up again, signaling Theo's departure. "Half hour, Jack. Then I want you to meet us at the holes in Ledas. We need to repair them before another giant gets through." And then he was gone.

With an uncertain expression, Jack turned to Elsa. "Will you come to Ledas with me? I know it will be different, but no one there will shun you for what you are. People with magic are respected, especially because there aren't many of them. What do you say?"

A gigantic smile spread across Elsa's face as she nodded eagerly. "When do we leave?"

. . . .

"Welcome to the home of Jack Frost," Jack said as he gestured to his entire living room area with his arms. "Second only to the palace."

Elsa gawked as she spun around, taking in the ceiling and the walls and the floor. "Why is that? Isn't this supposed to be the ice realm?"

Jack shrugged. "It's easier when I don't actually have to build it by hand, and I can make it look like I want it to. If you think this is cool, you definitely have to visit the palace. It takes my breath away every time." He let out a long, frosty breath and grinned as he sat on the couch of snowy ice. "I feel like I haven't been home in forever."

"How come?" Elsa asked. "If you can travel between worlds, why not stay in your own house?"

"Life of a Season, that's why. Besides, I've been going on expeditions in the human realm with my friend, Michael. It's been fun, even if I do have to pretend to be a human for the duration of the expedition."

She came and sat beside him on the couch, her eyes looking more excited than he had ever seen them before just by being in Ledas. "What sort of expeditions?"

"We find things. The last expedition we went on was looking for the bones of a rare dinosaur just outside the border of Russia. Fun times…"

After a few moments of silence, Elsa asked, "So will I be staying here? Or…"

Jack got to his feet and opened the window, taking in the fresh winter air. "If you want to because I probably won't be staying here much anyways. Otherwise I'm sure you can figure out how to make a place of your own."

He started drifting away with the snow, but then Elsa called out to him. "Wait! I...uh… Thank you. For everything."

The way she smiled at him got his heart beating fast again, even when he swore to himself that he'd forget. Jack returned her smile and nodded. "Don't mention it, princess."

And then he disappeared into the snowy wind that took him right to the border of Ledas where the other Seasons waited for him.

"Jack!" Alyssa exclaimed as she jumped on him and latched on tight. "I haven't seen you in two whole days! I missed you!"

He chuckled as he set her down. Sometimes he didn't know whether to be flattered or annoyed at Alyssa's constant attachment to him. She never did this with any of the other Seasons. Just him.

"I believe we have a couple holes to repair?" he asked, and Theo nodded.

"That's right. You guys ready?" When everyone nodded, all four of them used their magic, the frost and the sun and the leaves and the flowers all conjoining together to create a seal so strong that this place in the border wouldn't be able to tear again. Unfortunately, the seal in Ledas was becoming weaker as the time wore on. Even the Seasons' magic wasn't enough to keep it strong enough to withstand the forces that tried to break through at times. Ledas needed a ruler. Someone who wasn't Jack.

They quickly bonded both tears in the seal, and the entire time he thought of Elsa. Actually, he didn't think of much else besides Elsa lately. If only she wasn't a human…

"I'm sorry, but I have to go," Mara said in a quiet voice. "Tight schedule." All of them nodded in understanding before she left. After all, it was summer in all of the realms. She'd be the busiest of them all until fall rolled around, and then it would be Theo's turn.

"What are you going to do about the girl?" Theo asked, but Jack just shrugged.

"I don't know. If she's allowed, maybe she'll stay in Ledas until her days are over." In other words, until her mortality took over and she died. That would be a very terrible day indeed.

Theo nodded in understanding. "I'll let you know if there are any more holes, okay?" As quick as wind, Theo disappeared, leaving Jack with an irritating Alyssa tugging on his arm to get his attention.

"Want to head into town with me? We can give everyone flowers! That sounds so amazing! I love brightening everyone's days."

Something he never thought he would do willingly, he nodded and before he knew it, Alyssa took his hand and started leading him toward town. He purposely switched the hand that held his staff so he wouldn't have to hold her hand anymore. If anything, Alyssa was like a little sister to him, but Elsa didn't know that. If she saw…

Jack tried to shake the thought from his head. Elsa was just a friend. Just a friend…

As they walked through the town, the townspeople came out of their dwellings and bowed their heads to them as they passed. Or moreover, to him. That's why he didn't come into town a lot lately because he didn't want all the attention.

"Jack Frost," one of them said with a bowed head. "Please accept our gift of thanks." The woman held out an intricately carved snowflake that glittered in the sunlight. It reminded him of Elsa's eyes.

"Thank you," he replied, accepting the gift graciously before moving further down the street. Alyssa tried to talk his ear off, but he didn't listen as they neared the palace gates. It had been twenty-two years since he set foot in the castle, and he vowed to never again as long as his queen lay in death. He had failed Delani. Jack had failed his friend…

Staring at the castle stirred so many memories that he had done his best to repress, but they all came flooding back anyways. He remembered the cries of his people. He remembered being too late. He remembered Delani's lifeless body after the giants had killed her, the queen's beautiful light blonde hair spilling out on the floor in her own pool of blood. He remembered his anger, the very anger that fueled him to kill all of the giants in their army, not even leaving one of them alive. And he remembered the pain at losing his dear friend that still carried with him today. That was the curse of being immortal. He could never forget.

Jack would never be able to forget.

Elsa-Chapter 14

Elsa wandered through Jack's house in awe. The ice was so clear and crisp in some places, but in other places it had been colored to look like stained glass. Elsa smiled, staring at the blank table in the entrance hall. It needed something…

A smile crept onto her face as she fashioned a vase with starry, snowflake patterns climbing their way around it. Finally, she began fashioning roses out of ice, coloring them a deep red to add warmth to the otherwise pristine whiteness. Just like Jack's eyes lent warmth to his otherwise pale skin.

She smiled, circling slowly to admire the effect. This was one of the few things she had created that hadn't ended in disaster, she realized, and she couldn't help but wonder if Jack would like it. If not, he'd probably just change it, but part of her hoped he'd leave it there. She liked being able to create without destroying.

Wandering the halls, it became clear to her that no one lived here, at least not often. It was by far the grandest building she had ever seen with columns reaching up toward the sky before fanning out in delicate snowflake-like patterns. The house was divided in half by a sweeping staircase and she took the left one first, wondering if she'd even be able to explore all of the building while she was here. Cracking open the first icy door she came to, she stared in awe at the collection of books that Jack had accumulated over his three hundred years as Jack Frost. He had a little bit of everything from John Locke to Harry Potter.

Elsa moved her fingers eagerly over the spines of the books, studying them all closely. Oh yeah, she knew where she'd be spending most of her time while she was here. The library looked cozier than the other rooms in that she had seen so far. It had two soft snow couches positioned opposite each other across a low table. The windows allowed plenty of sunshine to filter into the room, but there were two small, delicately crafted chandeliers that apparently could be lit with real candles and never melt.

She ran her fingers over the mantle of the fireplace, studying the intricate carvings closely. It looked as though they told different stories, including one about a boy from the mortal realm who had been changed to become one of the Seasons. Her hand paused over the depiction of Jack, wishing that the carving could capture the way his brown eyes scrunched up when he laughed. This picture was far too serious for the Jack she knew.

She moved on to the next room which had an equally grand fireplace. Did anyone ever actually light fires inside here? She wanted to know what the secret was to preventing them from melting.

This room looked as though it was an unused guest room. The bed and the walls were bare, not even a pillow on top. Elsa smiled, this room would be hers as long as she was here.

She fashioned a bedspread with a pattern of leaves and birds like she had on her bed as a child and made two luxuriously fluffy pillows to go with it. The walls were bare and suddenly she wished for her snow globe collection and the pictures of her family to take away some of that emptiness. But since she had left them in the human realm, she began creating furniture. A dresser with a polished ice mirror, a desk directly below the window so she could look out at the frozen world below, a wardrobe, but she wasn't really sure what she'd put in there yet. She hadn't brought much from the human realm to Jack's home because she wasn't sure how long she'd be allowed to stay.

Frowning, Elsa conjured a nightstand and lamp next to the bed, wondering if Jack would let her borrow some of the novels she'd seen in the library to read at night. The more she thought about it, the more the situation she was in began to puzzle her. As far as she had known nothing was wrong, but then Jack appeared and suddenly she seemed to be knee deep in magic she didn't even begin to understand. And somehow, she wasn't entirely sure how, she felt as though she was more involved than she realized.

Shaking her head to try and clear it of her confused thoughts, she looked out the window and caught sight of the shimmering palace again. Why had Jack refused the role of king? He seemed like a natural leader to her, so why had he turned away from that? And what of the queen? Jack had said that he had been close friends with her and Elsa couldn't help wondering what that woman had been like. She probably had a good sense of humor if she was around Jack all the time. The thought made her smile.

"Making yourself comfortable, I see," Jack's voice sounded behind her, making her jump. Elsa whipped around to see him standing in the doorway, admiring her handiwork. "Not bad for a rookie."

Elsa laughed, sitting down on the bed. "I hope you don't mind, I just found this room and thought it needed some attention. So I kind of took it as my own."

"No, you're right," Jack grinned, conjuring a desk chair for her. It was perfect, with elegantly curved armrests and legs and a fluffy cushion. He turned the chair and sat down with his arms resting on the back so he faced her.

"It definitely did need someone living in it. Usually it's just me rattling around in here by myself. And that's only when I'm home."

"Have you ever thought about marrying anyone?" Elsa asked, trying not to blush as she said it and failing miserably. Jack didn't seem to notice, however, and just shook his head.

"Occupational hazard is that I don't meet very many women in the human realm and even if I did, I'd outlive anyone I fell for."

Elsa nodded, a little prick of sadness stinging her heart. He was right, of course. She would grow old and he would never change. Somehow it hurt knowing that someday she would be gone and he'd be living life without her.

What was she saying? Elsa felt her cheeks heat up even more. They were just friends, that was all. Jack didn't want anything more from her than friendship. Besides, he was probably only keeping her here to prevent a catastrophe anyway. Disaster seemed to follow her wherever she went somehow.

"I love your library," she smiled, changing the subject. "Can I read some of those books?"

Jack laughed, making his eyes crinkle the way she liked. "You liked that, eh? Well, you're more than welcome to borrow any of the books in there you want. I've collected some of my favorites over the last three hundred years."

"I noticed Harry Potter," Elsa grinned. "I think I found my favorite room in the house, no doubt about it."

Standing up, Jack held out his hand. "I love the library too, but that's not my favorite room. Come on, I'll show you."

Elsa took his hand and followed him down another flight of stairs to a part of the house she hadn't seen yet. Jack led her to two towering doors with doorknobs that looked as though they were made of gold but were really gold colored ice.

"This is the best room in the house," he grinned over his shoulder, throwing the doors open with a flourish. Elsa laughed as she saw a swimming pool sized bathtub with bubbling, steaming water inside.

"This is your favorite?" Elsa asked skeptically. Jack pulled her inside with a chuckle.

"Yes," he grinned. "This is the one and only time I enjoy being warm. This bathtub is fed by natural hot springs below the house."

Elsa stared at him in confusion, raising her eyebrows at him. "Okay, so what makes this your favorite?"

"It's where I come to think," Jack shrugged, a smile creeping onto his face. "I know it sounds crazy, but my journey as Jack Frost started in the water and being in the water helps me clear my thoughts somehow."

Nodding, Elsa smiled. "That makes sense to me. That's why wherever I went, I always kept my snow globes. They helped me connect to the place I've been and made me feel like I was part of something, even for a small space of time."

They were silent for a moment before Jack said, "You know what would be really fun right now?"

"What?" Elsa asked curiously as Jack took her hand and pulled her from the room.

"Have you ever seen aurora borealis?" he asked as they walked outside. Elsa shook her head, letting out a low laugh.

"Never got that far north, I always stayed closer to the equator."

"Come on then," Jack laughed. "You're in for a treat."

Jack-Chapter 15

"I don't understand why you have to blindfold me!" Elsa giggled as Jack led her carefully up the steep slope of the hill. It would have been much easier just to have the wind take them up, but Jack liked holding Elsa's hand a little bit too much…

Finally, they stopped when they reached a nice, flat alcove, and Jack reached around to untie her blindfold, taking a little bit longer than he should have as he became transfixed by the supple curve of her lips. Despite the fact that she was mortal, the idea of trying to find out if they could ever be anything became more and more appealing by the second.

When Jack untied the blindfold, Elsa opened her eyes and gasped. Beautiful ribbons of light streaked across the sky in greens and blues and purples, and even Jack couldn't resist the urge to watch them at night every once in a while. It was always a sight for sore eyes.

"This is beautiful," Elsa breathed as Jack took her hand and led her to a rock that overlooked not only the lights, but the dark lake below as well. "I didn't know what I was missing out on."

A soft smile pulled up on Jack's lips as he stared out over the lake that reflected the ribbons of light. "I don't have very many memories of my life before I was Jack Frost, but I do remember this one thing. Every year, my parents would take my little sister and me to see the aurora borealis. I remembered it being something that I looked forward to so much because I was so interested in art and the sky looked like one beautiful painting."

Elsa intertwined her fingers with his, and Jack couldn't help but hold his breath, almost as if any sudden movement would scare her off. If probably didn't mean anything, but it still made his heart pound hard in his ribcage.

"Can I ask you something?" Elsa said, turning her head in his direction to gaze back into his eyes. "How old were you when you became Jack Frost? And I know you don't remember much about your life before it all happened, but do you remember what led up to that point that you were changed?"

Jack chewed on his nail, deep in thought. "I was twenty-six when I was turned. I know, that seems like nothing when I've lived eleven times that many years. I remember very vaguely about painting something for some apprenticeship that I had been a part of. I wanted to get a closer look at the mountains from where I had been, and I didn't realize until it was too late that the patch of snow I had stepped on was actually very thin ice. I fell through, and the current of the water dragged me down further so I couldn't escape. It seemed as if the point when I died was the point when I lived again. The next thing I remembered was someone calling my name. Jack. Jack, wake up. It's time for you to choose. Will you live and serve me? Or will you die?

Elsa's eyes were wide by this point, eagerly drinking in the entire story. "Was that the Snow Queen?"

He nodded. "It was the Snow Queen. She helped me when I could hardly help myself. She saved me from death and I willingly served her the best I could throughout all my years. We became such good friends, especially because we were the only two people in the entire realm who shared the same ability. She could control the ice and the snow just like how you can."

"Really?" Elsa asked in awe. "I wish she was still around. It would be nice to have her around to help me with this."

"That's what I'm for," Jack laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Besides, you're getting really good at it on your own. You've done things that I've never even taught you." His thumb moved in smooth circles on the back of Elsa's and, causing his stomach to fill with butterflies.

She rolled her eyes good naturedly at him and playfully nudged his shoulder. "I'm not half as good as you, but you definitely lack in the homey parts of your skills. That's why I thought the Snow Queen would help."

"Homey?" Jack chuckled, swinging his legs over the side of the rock as he focused on the lights overhead. "I would think of an incredibly witty comeback, except for the fact that I know you're right. It's hard to see a point because I'm gone a lot, especially during the winter season."

Silence fell between them for a few moments before Jack glanced over at her, and his breath immediately caught in his throat. The aurora borealis lights reflected in Elsa's eyes, making her already beautiful eyes come alive with color.

"You know," Jack said quietly as he gently tipped her chin up with his fingers to look her in the eye. "There's only one woman who's more beautiful than the Snow Queen herself."

"Who?" Elsa whispered as her gaze bounced back and forth between both of his eyes, almost as if she already knew his answer.

Jack grinned at her adorable reaction. "You. You are definitely more beautiful than the Snow Queen."

Even under this light, Jack could see the blush enter her creamy cheeks. But instead of breaking his gaze, she asked, "Don't you ever get lonely, Jack? Even if you are with a woman with a mortal lifespan, won't that make you happier than being by yourself?"

He dropped his hand and let out a deep sigh, an icy mist escaping his mouth before turning into shimmering powder that fell onto his lap. "It doesn't make me happier, because eventually that woman will grow up, want something more. And then I have to ache as she marries someone else and starts a family of her own and eventually dies. No, it doesn't make me happier. I'm stuck as Jack Frost for the rest of my life, but even so, I wouldn't have it any other way."

Jack grimaced, kicking himself for what he said. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean for that to sound harsh. It's just a little frustrating, that's all."

"It's okay," Elsa whispered, clutching onto his hand even tighter. "But what if there was someone out there who was human who wanted to try? Who liked you enough to look past that about you and try?"

His heart beat dangerously fast and he dared himself not to hope. He dared himself not to dream. "But what if that person can't look past the fact that I'm three hundred years old?" he asked quietly, holding his breath.

"But what if she could?" she replied just as quietly, her eyes seeming to shine with that same hope that he felt inside. "Wouldn't you want to try?"

Instead of replying right away, Jack wrapped his arm around Elsa's shoulders and pulled her close to him, loving the feeling of having her so near to him. "Yeah. Yeah, I would."

In a whispering voice, Elsa said, "I think she would too." And then she lifted her head from his shoulder to place a gentle kiss on his cheek, making his icy skin feel warm and tingly. He grinned with surprise as he looked over at her, meeting her gaze. Maybe he could let this happen after all.

Jack kissed her hand and drew her back into a side cuddle, watching the aurora borealis together. They didn't talk much after that, but only enjoyed each other's company, and soon enough, Elsa drifted off to sleep on his shoulder.

"Come on," Jack whispered as he picked her up into his arms. "Let's get you to bed."

She only stirred slightly as the wind carried them back to his house, and when he laid her down on her bed, he pulled the covers up all the way to her chin. Elsa looked so beautiful, and even though something wonderful had happened today, he didn't know where it would go from here, but he felt excited to find out.

He turned an icy lamp crystal in its socket and watched as it glowed a luminescent blue in its icy case. If only he could sleep, then he'd return to his chambers and dream the night away with memories of Elsa, but he couldn't, so all he could do was hold them dearly in his heart. He hoped beyond hope that everything would remain the same tomorrow, that Elsa wouldn't change her mind, but only time would tell.

Jack smiled at the hope stirring in his chest. Only time would tell.

Elsa-Chapter 16

Elsa laid in bed for a long time the next morning, thinking about Jack. She smiled as she remembered the look on his face when she had kissed him. It was as though he had been starving and she had offered him food. Elsa really liked being the one that made him look so happy. And yet there had been an underlying sadness in his expression that she didn't want to think about because it made her sad too. She refused to think about the fact that their time together would be brief. All she wanted was to spend as much time as possible with him.

Swinging herself out of bed, she padded down the stairs, wondering where Jack would be this time of morning. Humans would probably be making breakfast, but Jack didn't need to eat. So if that wasn't what he was doing, where was he?

Suddenly a snowball hit the back of her head and dribbled down the back of her shirt. Jack's laugh sounded from the top of the stairs and she whirled around to face him.

"I'm going to get you for that," she said, trying to sound menacing but ruining it with a laugh. "Just you wait, Jack Frost."

Using her powers, she created a large snowball between her hands and threw it at Jack, who moved quickly away, watching it sail past him with a smug look on his face.

"See, that's why I prefer—" he started, turning around just as her second snowball hit him directly in the face. Elsa burst out laughing as he wiped the snow from his eyes, grumbling the words, "sneak attacks."

"The first one was just so you'd turn around," Elsa grinned. "I was reigning snowball fight champion when I was little, none of the other kids could even come close to me."

Her smile faltered as the rest of that memory came flooding back. "So they quit letting me play," she finished softly, looking down at the intricate floor so he wouldn't see her hurt and sadness. She knew it was in the past and there was nothing she could do about it, but the hurt caused by that moment, among others, lingered like a splinter she couldn't quite pluck out no matter how hard she tried.

Let it go, she told herself sternly. Holding onto those past griefs was only going to make her less able to control her powers, all it did was rob her of her strength.

Jack seemed to sense some of her inner turmoil because he slid down the bannister and pulled her into a hug. "Come here."

Elsa let Jack's embrace engulf her and she buried her face in the place where his shoulder connected with his neck as though it could block out the world. She sighed into him. To normal humans, he would have been too cold to touch, but to her he felt warm and safe. He kissed the top of her head gently and said, "You hungry?"

"Starved," she laughed. "Do you have food here?"

Jack grinned, leading her into a fabulous dining hall with two places set with delicate ice goblets and plates, a chandelier dripping from the ceiling just above the table. Elsa loved that there were so many windows in Jack's house, she loved the natural light they offered in every room.

"Voila," Jack laughed, lifting the lid off of her plate to reveal an Egg McMuffin perched on top of the plate. She laughed, her smile widening.

"Where did you get this?"

"Made a trip to the human realm this morning," Jack shrugged, pouring her a glass of orange juice into a goblet. Elsa raised her eyebrows at him, her smile turning teasing.

"And the first place you thought of to get breakfast was McDonalds?"

"Let's put it this way, princess," Jack smiled. "I followed you around enough to know that you love these, so I figured I'd get us a to-go order and bring it back here."

Elsa bit into her sandwich, savoring the flavors as they hit her tongue. Somehow it tasted better than ever here. Jack took the lid off his own plate to reveal a similar sandwich.

"I thought you didn't need to eat," she said as he took an enormous bite of his sandwich. He gave her a puffy cheeked smile before swallowing the bite almost whole.

"I don't, but that doesn't mean I don't still enjoy it," Jack grinned at her across the table. "Tell me something, what's your favorite food?"

Taking another bite of sandwich, Elsa chewed thoughtfully before speaking. "Don't laugh, but I never liked ice cream or any of the frozen foods you'd think someone with my powers would like. I always really liked chicken noodle soup."

"Really?" Jack asked, intrigued. "Why?"

"I don't know," Elsa said slowly. "I mean, that's one of my earliest memories of home is my mom feeding us chicken noodle soup after playing outside all day. That was before my powers really began to manifest so it still felt like we were family."

Jack nodded, taking her hand on the table top and squeezing it gently. Elsa didn't want to talk about her family anymore, it made her too sad, so she changed the subject.

"What about you?" she asked interestedly. "Favorite foods before and after becoming Jack Frost."

Chuckling, Jack said, "I'm way more predictable than you, I love ice cream. Can't get enough, especially when Mara decides to unleash a heatwave on the human realm."

"So let me guess, that's usually when you come home?" Elsa laughed, her grin widening as Jack nodded.

"Pretty much. As far as favorite food before I became Jack Frost, my mom used to make these amazing chocolate tarts. We didn't have a lot of money so we would only get them on special occasions but she made sure I got them on my birthday every single year. I still like them, but I've never had one as good as hers since."

"Mmm, chocolate," Elsa replied, closing her eyes and remembering the taste. If she concentrated hard enough, she could almost feel the chocolate melting on her tongue. "My favorite."

"I'll remember that," Jack laughed as he drained the last of his orange juice. "I'll pick some of the best chocolate up for you on my next trip into the human realm."

"Can I come too?" Elsa asked hopefully. She knew immediately what the answer was when Jack looked at his feet, a frown line appearing between his brows.

"I'm sorry, but the borders between the worlds are fragile enough right now, we can't risk taking you through again for a while. Not until we figure out what's happening. Why, is there something you needed?"

Elsa shrugged. "I just wanted to get some stuff from my apartment, that's all. It's okay though, I understand why you can't take me, you're just doing your job."

"Next time I go," he promised, taking both her hands between his. "I'll get your stuff from your apartment, okay?"

Her fingers tingled at his touch as he skimmed his thumb gently over her knuckles. "That means a lot to me, Jack. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Jack grinned as he dropped her hand. "I've gotta get going, but I'll be back in a little while. You going to be alright while I'm gone?"

Elsa nodded, taking a step away and letting go of his hand. It almost hurt, like breaking a physical bond between them. She didn't want him to go, she wanted to spend every second she could with him.

"I'll be fine," she said, pasting on a smile. "I have that library to go through, remember?"

Jack grinned, giving her a little wave as she walked away.

"Hey, Elsa."

She turned just in time to receive a face full of snow from Jack who laughed as though her face was the funniest thing he had ever seen before whisking away, leaving her alone in the room.

"I'll get you for that, Jack," she giggled, addressing the air where he had just been. "Just you wait."

Jack-Chapter 17

Jack felt as though he were dying. It literally felt as if the life inside of him was slowly being pulled out of him and dissolving into the hot, dry air. Vatra was a beast.

"Tell me why I need to be here again?" Jack asked Mara as he attempted to create an icy barrier around him, but his ice kept dissolving into the hot air. "Not only is this physically painful, but the giants hate me. I say we should leave."

"The Vatra king requests an audience," Mara said, her intense gaze focused on the black, spiral castle looming over them. If Jack could help it, he never set foot in Vatra except strictly during the winter when his services were needed, but even he could feel the hatred of him looming off of the thirty-foot giants. After all, Jack did kill a whole army of giants in order to protect Ledas. Unfortunately, the giants brought it on themselves.

As they entered the front gates, Jack gripped his staff tighter in his hands, eyeing each giant they passed both cautiously and suspiciously. He didn't feel good about this. Not one bit.

And then he saw the king on his black, smoldering throne, like pulsing lava ready to burst. King Matei always made Jack want to cower away in fear, not just because he was massive and could kill him if he really tried, but also because the king's eyes were a dark, soulless ebony that chilled him to the core.

"Your Majesty," Jack said as he gave the giant a curt bow. "You wanted an audience?"

Matei sat up straighter, his movements slow. "Yes. I'm not one for formalities. I'd like to cut to the chase. The giants are not happy, Jack Frost. Not happy at all."

Jack shuffled his feet nervously, but he never stopped being unaware of his surroundings. True, Mara could whisk him away at a moment's notice, but it still didn't hurt to be cautious.

"Why are they not happy?" Jack asked, his steely gaze becoming even harder.

King Matei leaned forward so his gigantic face was only feet away. "I think you already know, Jack. But let me refresh your memory. I believe you killed two hundred and thirty-one of my giants, and they're not happy about that. I fear unrest. The giants are becoming restless, Jack, and it's only time when I cannot control them any longer. But… I'm willing to make a deal."

A lead weight dropped in Jack's stomach as he stared back at the king, trying not to let his own fear show through. "And what deal would that be?"

The king grinned maliciously, his teeth slimy and black. "I want your staff. Trade me your staff, and I will give you peace. That is the deal I am offering."

Jack's heart pounded in his chest. "You will not be able to use it if I give it to you. The staff only works for me."

Matei laughed, a deep rumble that shook the very ground beneath their feet. When his laughter died down, he leaned back in his chair. "I do not need to use it in order for it to be a fair trade. Give me your staff, and I will give you peace."

His words came across loud and clear. What the giants really wanted was for Jack to be powerless. But why? What were the giants planning that made immobilizing Jack necessary? Could it possibly be another attack?

"Jack, don't do it," Mara whispered with wide eyes, shaking her head ever so slightly. "You can't do it."

Jack stared at the staff in his hands with uncertainty, feeling the weight of this heavy decision on his shoulders. He saw what the giants could do. He had seen it first hand and it scared him. He didn't want anyone else to get hurt. He could never forgive himself if that happened.

But what would happen if Jack didn't have his staff anymore? What would the giants do?

"How long does this offer last?" Jack asked, gazing back into the black pits of hell itself.

King Matei grumbled in laughter again, almost as if in triumph. "You have two weeks. If I don't have your staff in my hands at that point, then I promise that bad things will happen. Your choice, Jack Frost."

Jack grit his teeth as he stared back at the king. Unrest between realms wasn't uncommon, but the giants had already shown that they weren't afraid to take it one step forward and attack another realm. This was very dangerous ground indeed.

"You'll have my answer soon," Jack said before holding out his hand for Mara to take, and suddenly they were whisked back into the human realm on a mountain, which was neutral ground for both of them. Not too hot and not too cold.

"Jack, you can't seriously be considering this."

He fingered the staff in his hands, staring at the intricate design and already feeling the pain of the loss if he were to be separated from it. "Mara, I've been a season for two hundred and fifty more years than you have. I have seen things. I have learned things. If a threat is delivered, it must be taken seriously. Very seriously. And then we must take the best course of action that will yield the least amount of damage possible. Let me think on this and then we'll have a meeting with all four of us included. Two days. We'll meet again in two days' time."

Mara nodded and touched his arm, but he only sucked in a breath of pain and flinched away as heat seared his arm. Dang it, her fiery touch was pure evil.

"I'm sorry!" Mara said, her hand flying to her mouth. "You're the only one that happens to."

"It's okay," Jack laughed as he tried to rub the sear away which was now a faint pink line across his skin. "You're still young. It'll take a bit of time to gain one hundred percent control of your magic. Anyways, we'll have a meeting in two days at my place. Tell the others that this is very important."

"Should I alert the realms?"

Shaking his head, he replied, "No. There's no need to cause an uproar quite just yet. If we can't figure it out with just us four, we'll bring in the sovereigns, but we better hope that this isn't bigger than all of us."

. . . .

Jack quietly entered his house, not wanting to wake Elsa if she had already fallen asleep. The sunset was still out, but still, he couldn't be too careful. Humans slept all the time. At night. During the day. And even all through the morning. Who knew if she was asleep or not?

He walked into the hallways and grinned as he surveyed how different his home looked now with Elsa here. A beautiful vase filled with ice roses, an intricate ice carving hanging on the wall, and even a stunning chandelier hung from the ceiling in one of the larger rooms. Jack hadn't realized that he desperately needed a feminine touch in his home until it came unexpectedly.

Wandering around the house, Jack searched up and down for Elsa, but he couldn't find her anywhere. Had she finally gotten sick of being in his home and ventured out somewhere on her own?

His eyes lit up suddenly as he thought of the one room that he hadn't checked. The library.

Jack climbed the ornate staircase until he reached the library, but then he paused at the door as he took in a beautiful blonde gazing intensely at the book in her hand. The Gone Girl. That one had him on the edge of his seat for practically the whole book, and from the looks of it, Elsa had the same reaction.

A grin spread across his face as he decided to take advantage of her vulnerable state and scare her. He crept across the floor, making sure to stay behind Elsa, before grabbing her shoulders and causing her to shriek and jump a foot.

He burst into laughter at her priceless reaction as he hopped into the armchair next to her and placed the box he held on the table.

"That is not funny, Jack," Elsa said, the glare evident in her eyes as she shot him with a cold, chilling wind. "You scared me so bad."

Jack's laughter died down at he reached out for her hand and gave it a kiss and then a gentle squeeze. "Will you forgive me if I tell you that I've come bearing gifts?"

Elsa seemed to perk up at the mention, her eyes darting back and forth between him and the box on the table. "Gifts? What kind of gifts?"

One by one, Jack began taking Elsa's snow globes out of the box and set them down on the table in front of her, watching as her expression went from curious to excited. "I must say that you had one grumpy landlord. After you skipped rent for the month because you are no longer in the human realm, she took it upon herself to barge into your room, pack all your stuff up in a box, and set it by the dumpster. I almost had to go dumpster diving for these." He chuckled as he took out one last gift, except this one was enclosed inside a box made of crystallized ice with a soft, snowy ribbon.

"What's this?" she asked as she took the box from him, glancing up at him curiously.

"If I'm not mistaken, these are snow globes of all the places that you've lived. There's one place that you missed."

She grinned excitedly as she pulled the ribbon off and lifted the lid of the box. "Jack," she whispered as she took the snow globe out that he had made for her and turned it around in her hands. "This is beautiful."

The snow globe had the Ledas ice castle in the background with both Jack and Elsa standing in front of the castle facing each other with enjoined hands. Unfortunately, he couldn't figure out how to put water in the center of the globe, so he asked for Mara to help melt it. She had seemed confused at first at why he would even have a woman to give it to in the first place, but otherwise she didn't ask any questions.

Jack smiled and took the globe from her. "You haven't even seen the best part yet. Watch this." He shook the snow globe and the tiny, drifting ice flakes rose up from the bottom of the globe and swirled around the both of their figures, but the best part was that the figures began to revolve in a slow circle. Dancing.

"Wow," Elsa breathed as she watched, her face only inches away from the glassy ice. "Did you make this?"

He shrugged. "I had a little help." But then his eyes perked up when he got an idea. "I don't know how much you've explored the library, but there's something I want to show you." Jack grabbed her hand and led her up a staircase that wound all the way to the top of the room, leading to a small door. He pushed open the door, ducking his head slightly as the two of them were met by a comforting, outdoor breeze. This was one of Jack's most favorite parts of the house, this balcony that had a magnificent view of the ice castle. The castle glowed spectacularly in a series of pink, blue, purple, and a tinge of green, so no matter where one ended up in Ledas, the castle would always be a beacon of hope.

"That's incredible," Elsa whispered, awed by the castle's beautiful splendor. "I'm so jealous of this view. I wish I had something like this in the human realm. Do you think I'll ever be able to visit the castle while I'm in Ledas?"

Jack's lips pressed together in uncertainty. "You can, but I will not be going with you. As long as there is no sovereign on the throne, I won't step foot inside the castle."

She looked up at him in surprise, a million questions flitting past her eyes. "How come?"

Leaning on the railing, he shrugged. "I am a guardian of Ledas, and I had been the queen's personal protector when she reigned. That's what I do. I protect, no matter what it costs me. I have no purpose in the castle, so therefore, I will not enter." He didn't want to tell her the whole story, but maybe just this much would suffice for now. Maybe she'd learn eventually, just not now.

Elsa lightly touched his arm, making Jack sigh with the cool graze of her fingers against his skin. "Thank you for everything, Jack," she said quietly. "For being patient with me about my magic, for being so kind to me when kindness is scarce, for making the snow globe for me. For everything."

"You're definitely worth it," he whispered back, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, the tips of his fingers caressing her cheek. As he gazed back into Elsa's beautiful blue eyes, he could feel his heart warm up from just that alone. Elsa was so beautiful and so sweet and everything to him. Right now, he didn't care that she was mortal and he was not. Right now, he didn't care that he was Jack Frost and she was Elsa. All that mattered was that they were together and he hadn't felt this happy in a long, long time.

Jack cradled the back of her neck and smiled softly as he continued to gaze into her eyes. But then he slowly closed the distance between them, and when their lips met, it felt like a wonderful frosty tingle passing between the two of them. It felt both warm and icy at the exact same time, and Jack loved every single second of it. Elsa meant everything to him, and now more than ever, he felt so glad that he found her that fateful day in Chicago. So many things had happened since then, so many great and wonderful things.

When they pulled apart from the kiss, they both let out smiling, icy breaths, that wonderful tingling feeling still creeping across his lips.

"So that's what it feels like to kiss Jack Frost," Elsa teased gently as her arms snaked around his waist.

Jack chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rested his forehead against hers. "You're wonderful, Elsa. I'm glad you came waltzing into my life, even if you did attack me with a garbage can."

She giggled, her laughter music to his ears. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."

Elsa-Chapter 18

Elsa felt as though she floated on a cloud. She hadn't wanted to admit it to Jack, but her first kiss had been better than she had ever imagined. She had grown so used to shutting everyone out that she hadn't realized how much she craved someone's companionship until Jack had come along. More than that, Jack had stolen her heart completely, without her realizing it.

She walked into the dining room where a plate with an Egg McMuffin sat with a note propped against a glass of orange juice waiting for her. She recognized Jack's spiky handwriting immediately, even though she had never seen it before. It was just so him.

Elsa,

Had to go meet up with Alyssa in Lainoa for some work, apparently making fog is a two person job to her (don't even get me started) but I'll be back later this afternoon. Try not to get too bored without me.

Love,

Jack

Elsa smiled at his use of the word love, tracing his signature carefully with her thumbnail. Now that she had an entire morning to herself, what did she want to do? She briefly considered the library, but somehow the idea didn't appeal to her today. She glanced out the window toward the icy palace, an idea forming in her mind. Jack had said that he would never go there again until there was a ruler in Ledas, but he had said she was free to explore it if she wanted. Right now, that was exactly what she wanted to do.

Not even bothering to grab a jacket, she sped out into the glaring sunshine. She had never attempted something like this before, but somehow, deep in her blood, deep in her very bones, she knew she could do this.

Conjuring up some ice, she began to make herself an old-fashioned sleigh, the shimmering ice curving into glittering runners, smoothing itself as she worked. Finally when that was done, she conjured a horse out of snow, its ice blue eyes staring at her from a white face. She was just wondering how to make it live when the horse pawed the ground, bowing low to her. Her smile was instantaneous as she decided against the sleigh and climbed up on the horse's back and grabbing handfuls of its soft mane.

The horse seemed able to read her very thoughts and immediately broke into a gallop toward the palace of ice. Elsa nearly toppled off backward, but managed to cling on as the wind rushed past her ears, filling them with a roaring, whistling sound. The horse moved with such speed, none but a magic horse could ever have matched it. She wondered if this was what travel was like for Jack, the rush she felt as the horse's feet flew over the sparkling snow. Would she be able to travel as he did someday?

The horse finally thundered to a stop outside the palace, kneeling so that Elsa could dismount with ease. She patted its nose, somehow knowing without understanding how she knew that the horse would be right there waiting for her when she came out. The place still gleamed beautifully in the sunlight, but she could tell that it had not been occupied in a long time. The ice was chipped and cracked in places, cloudy where it should have had a sheen to it. She wondered if the Ledans, like Jack, had simply left it alone as a sign of mourning for their beloved queen.

Elsa pulled on the looming ice doors but they wouldn't budge. She looked at them closely, running her fingers over the crack between the door and the frame. It looked as though they had been magically sealed against intruders after the queen's death. She frowned, wondering if there was another way into the palace. She walked a little further down to a window on the ground floor. It was a long shot, but if she could just melt it enough to get inside…

Pressing her palm against the wavery ice, Elsa concentrated with all her might, persuading the ice to bend to her will the way Jack had taught her. The ice slowly began to dissipate enough for her to squeeze through.

Elsa's gasp echoed through the entrance hall as she stared at the elegance around her. Jack had been right, the ice palace was indeed extraordinarily beautiful. A cascading sculpture of a wave rose up in the middle of the foyer, towering toward the opaline white ceiling that had been sculpted with delicate carvings of each season.

Patches of different colors glowed from windows that had been colored to display scenes from the life of the queen. Elsa studied them closely, staring up at the face of the queen. The carving looked so detailed that she could make out the queen's high cheekboned face, her regal air, even the sapphire blue of her eyes. Touching the carving, she stared up into that face and for a moment, she saw that face staring back at her with a smile on her lips.

Shaking her head, she quickly withdrew her hand and continued walking. She couldn't shake that eerie feeling that seeing that face had given her. It was like a memory from a dream. Haunting her, clinging to her like cobwebs.

Elsa wandered to the top of a large staircase which led down to a once grand ballroom that had begun to crumble since the queen's death. She stopped on a large landing halfway down the steps, surveying the room sadly. She could imagine beautiful balls being held here once upon a time. She pictured the chandeliers sparkling over the polished floor, figures whirling around underneath their glow. Stepping out onto the floor, she began to dance by herself, imagining Jack as her partner, her imaginary dress elegant and sparkling.

As she danced, the floor began to regain its sheen. Elsa spun faster and faster, her smile growing wider and wider with each passing moment. She shot two jets of ice at the chandeliers, making them glitter and shine as they once had. Elsa paused in the middle of the floor, staring around at the grandeur around her. Ledas needed a ruler, that much was clear. Why had Jack refused the position?

Suddenly she felt as though she was intruding and started back the way she had come, climbing through the window and refreezing it the way it had been when she had gotten here. The snow horse she had conjured up was still there waiting for her, just as she had known it would be. She climbed up on his back and kicked him into a trot. Jack would be back soon and she wanted to be there to greet him when he got there.

Jack-Chapter 19

The threat from the giants weighed heavily on Jack's heart. More than anything, he didn't want to have a repeat of what had happened twenty-two years ago. He didn't know what he'd do if he couldn't protect the people of Ledas.

Jack's thoughts were interrupted as Elsa appeared at the top of the staircase with another book in her hands. He grinned as he watched her descend the staircase, looking as beautiful and regal as ever. Despite her previous heartache and fear, she held herself tall and proud, just like the ice master she was always meant to be.

"Hey, pretty lady," Jack said as he pulled Elsa into him for a long, sweet, savory kiss that crystallized every cell in his body. If only she knew how much she set him ablaze in this frozen land. Every time they touched, every time they kissed, every moment she spent with him breathed life into him. Jack cared for her so much that he never ever wanted to let her go. He'd stay by her side until she ordered him to leave.

Elsa giggled when they finally broke apart, her cheeks delightfully rosy. "Hello to you too, Old Man Winter. You act like you haven't seen me in years!"

"What's a few years to a Season?" he asked in a whisper, nuzzling his nose against hers. "I want to kiss you every time like it's our last just so you can know how much you mean to me."

She bit her lip as she gazed up at him, her majestic blue eyes sparking another fire in his heart. "I take it that it's a lot?"

"Definitely a lot."

Another laugh escaped Elsa as she followed him into the kitchen where he had a whole bunch of books open on the counter, doing his best to research what could possibly be done to avoid an attack from Vatra. So far he didn't have much luck.

Jack flipped through the pages of one of the books but was suddenly brought out of focus as Elsa sifted through a box that he had left on one of the shelves.

"What are all these?" Elsa asked curiously, causing Jack to smile and drop what he had been doing to stand beside her.

"Things from my old life. My family had been by no means rich, so I didn't have many things." He pulled out a small wooden carving of a bird and held it up underneath the light. "This was a trinket that my little sister, Emma, had given me about a year before I disappeared. And this here…" Jack pulled out a soft scarf and smiled as he held it against his cheek. "This is a scarf my mom made me when I was a teenager. I'm surprised it's lasted three hundred years."

Elsa smiled softly before she pulled out a small piece of paper. "And what's this? I can't read it."

Jack took the worn down card from her hands and turned it around in her fingers. "Sure you can if you focus hard enough. My parents didn't have a lot of education, so they never spelt anything correctly. We lived in Rupert's land back before it was colonized even further and turned into today's Canada. This is actually a recipe for my mom's famous chocolate tarts. They were my favorite and each year for my birthday, my mom would make them for me. I've never since had anything similar that tasted as amazing."

He handed it back to her, grinning as he watched her squint to try and make out the words. It was adorable.

"Now that you mentioned it, I can definitely make out words from this," Elsa giggled. "Your family sounds like they were wonderful."

"Yeah…" Jack sighed. The memories that he did have of them made him feel so happy.

Jack wrapped his arm around Elsa's waist and pulled her close, resting his forehead against hers. "You know what's wonderful?"

"What?" Elsa breathed, her eyes wide.

"You," Jack replied as he kissed her forehead and then the tip of her nose and then finally her lips. "You are the most wonderful person I've ever met."

"Is that so?" Elsa giggled as she pulled him down for another kiss. "I'd have to say the exact same thing about you."

A knock sounded on his front door, cutting the tender moment short. "That must be the others," he said as he broke away from Elsa and started toward the door. "Can you grab the book on the counter?" She nodded and disappeared from the room right when he opened the door. His grin widened as he let Theo, Alyssa, and Mara inside.

"Jack!" Alyssa cried as she jumped up on him and hooked her legs around his waist, practically choking him with her arms around his neck. "I missed you!"

Jack rolled his eyes good naturedly, but the smile never left his face. Ever since Elsa had come into his life, he found himself smiling a lot more lately. "You saw me yesterday, remember? Besides, don't you guys usually barge in without knocking? What's with the formalities this time?"

"We know you have a special lady living in your house with you," Theo teased as he playfully nudged Jack with his elbow. "Where is she, by the way?"

"In the other room. She'll be in here in a second so I can introduced you guys." Jack practically had to pry Alyssa off him and dump her on the couch before turning back to the others. Right then, Elsa walked in and his entire face lit up. Hell, she lit up the entire room. She looked absolutely radiant.

"Everyone," Jack started, gesturing to Elsa on the other side of the room, "this is—"

"Elsa," Mara breathed, her eyes wide.

Elsa's eyes equally widened, her lips moving but no words coming out. Even though Jack felt completely shocked, Elsa appeared even more shocked. She suddenly flew across the room and into Mara's arms, holding onto her tightly.

When Elsa lifted her head, tears swam in her eyes. "I don't… I don't understand. Mara, you're Summer? But then… But then why?"

Mara cast a glance toward Jack, an uncertain expression wavering on her face. But all Jack could feel was confusion. What on earth was going on here? "Mara, how do you know Elsa?"

"We were friends," Elsa answered for her. "When I was in high school. Before she picked up and left. I had always wondered why you never stayed. I thought it was because of what I was."

Shaking her head, Mara took both of Elsa's hands in hers. "No, not at all. I'm just like Jack. I have duties in all the realms and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't stay and watch over you. But I've been checking in from time to time."

Jack crossed his arms, his patience wearing thin. "Mara, please tell me what's going on. What do you mean by 'watching over' her?"

The summer season took a deep breath, looking each and every one of them in the eye before saying, "Everyone, please sit down. I have kept a secret for twenty-two years and I think it's about time I spill." They all did as they were told, all except Jack who stood with his arms crossed, trying to mask the confusion that he felt inside.

When the others were seated, Mara explained, "Queen Delani got pregnant with a man from the human realm, and by then, there was unrest among Vatra and Ledas. She kept her pregnancy a secret in order to keep her baby safe. I was there for the birth. She went into labor just a week before the giants attacked, and to keep little Elsa safe, she tasked me with the important quest of fleeing from Ledas with her newborn baby and finding a safe home for her. That was twenty-two years ago. Elsa, you're our princess. You're rightful ruler of Ledas."

Jack's stomach dropped to the point where he thought he might puke. How was this even possible? There was no way this was the truth. He didn't want to believe it. He really didn't.

"How could the Snow Queen have been pregnant?" Jack asked skeptically, hoping with all his heart that this was somehow a cruel joke. "I was Delani's friend. She would have told me."

Mara shook her head slowly, eyeing Jack cautiously. "You had a lot on your hands with the giants and she felt as if she couldn't burden you. Even with her very last breath she took her secret to the grave. Jack, Elsa is your princess."

His eyes widened as he finally braved the undertaking of meeting Elsa's gaze. How had he not seen it before? The same gently curved nose, the same elegant lips, the same face shape, even the same ice magic! Jack hadn't seen Queen Delani in twenty-two years, but could he really have forgotten her so easily? Or had it been Jack's subconscious not wanting to connect the dots?

Jack's stomach churned heavily, his heart racing uncomfortably in his chest. Twenty-two years since the giants' attack… Elsa was twenty-two years old. How had he not put two and two together? He hadn't even known that the queen had been pregnant!

As he subconsciously took a step backward, he knocked something from the table and it crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces. Elsa was the princess. Elsa was Queen Delani's daughter. Jack had failed Delani. That meant that Jack was responsible for Elsa's mother's demise.

His expression fell into anguish as he took another step backward, not able to meet Elsa's gaze. He needed to get out of here. He needed to get out of here now!

The wind picked up, a flurry of snow swirling around him. He was just about to disappear out into the cold when Elsa cried out.

"Jack, wait! I didn't know, I swear. Please don't go. I need you here. I need you here with me." She rushed forward as if to grab him, but she only ran through a flurry of snow as Jack drifted out the window and into the cool evening air. He let the flurry take him away from Ledas, away from Elsa. What had he done? He failed Elsa. He was supposed to protect her family. He had failed, and he knew he could never return to Elsa as her sweetheart. The only way he could return to her was on his knees, as a servant.

The snow took him into the human realm and onto a chilling Russian mountaintop where no one else would be able to find him, and then he sunk onto his knees in hopeless defeat. Elsa was the Snow Princess. How had he allowed himself to fall in love with the Snow Princess? Jack could never be with her. He didn't deserve to be with her, not after what had happened twenty-two years ago.

For the first time in a very, very long time, Jack cried. His tears came out as frosty crystals that littered the snow below him. He allowed the pain, the anguish, and the shame at both failing Queen Delani and losing her wash over him, burrowing deep into his heart.

Jack had failed Queen Delani which meant that he had also failed Princess Elsa. There was nothing in this world that Jack could do for Elsa to repay her.

Elsa-Chapter 20

Elsa's world seemed to have slowed to a stop, nothing Mara had just said made any sense. She stared blankly at the spot where Jack had vanished, hurt and shocked. The one person she wanted here right now to explain what was going on had inexplicably vanished, leaving her alone with the other Seasons.

She looked down at the floor where the shattered remains of the snow globe Jack had made for her were scattered. Stooping down, she gingerly scooped up the jagged pieces in her hands, tears pricking her eyes as she crouched there with the shattered remains of Jack's lovely gift.

Jack, please come back, she pleaded silently, wondering if he would even hear her. I need you.

"Elsa?" Mara asked tentatively, putting a hand on her arm. Elsa flinched away and Mara dropped her hand to her side. Her face looked sorrowful as she watched Elsa who stared mutely at each of the Seasons in turn.

"How is this possible?" she whispered numbly. "My family is from Illinois. I'm human, I never knew there were other realms until I met Jack. I just thought I was like one of the X-Men."

The Seasons all raised their eyebrows at her and she mumbled, "Sorry, I forgot who I'm talking to. You guys have probably never seen those movies, have you?"

"I've seen them," Alyssa piped up but then quelled under the look Mara gave her. Elsa stared around at the remaining three Seasons, still trying to wrap her brain around what Mara had said.

"I wanted to tell you," Mara said, pleading for Elsa to understand. "But would you have believed me before you met Jack?"

Elsa shook her head, her heart panging. She needed Jack right now more than ever. Where had he gone?

"He didn't know?" she whispered tentatively. Mara shook her head sadly, her eyes downcast.

"No, Jack was Delani's friend and protector, but we couldn't risk your safety by allowing anyone else to know the secret that the royal bloodline still lives in you. The Vatrans would never have stopped hunting you if they had known you were alive. We did everything we could to protect you. I took you to a human family who was desperately longing for a child and who I knew would love you no matter what and they raised you as their own. It was safer for you not to know your identity, we had to protect you from the Vatrans."

"What do the Vatrans want?" Elsa asked. "Why did they kill my mother?"

The words tasted foreign on her tongue as she spoke them aloud. Her mother, a woman she had never known, was the Snow Queen of Ledas. Elsa couldn't wrap her mind around the idea that she was a princess. Her head was swimming, her throat closing over and suddenly she couldn't breathe. She needed to get out of here.

"I need some air," she gasped, running up the steps and flinging open the door to the balcony. The frigid air wrapped her in its embrace, comforting her slightly and cooling her face until she could think straight. She had no idea how to rule a realm that she hadn't known existed until a couple of weeks ago. She knew nothing about Ledas, she was not fit to be queen. Jack should have been king, he was certainly qualified, a natural leader and he knew the people of Ledas better than she could ever hope to.

"Elsa?" Mara asked tentatively, coming out onto the balcony to stand next to her, leaning on the frozen railing and melting it slightly with her touch. Elsa turned to look at her. Even though Mara had lied to her, she still trusted her to a certain extent. She was the one who had told her the truth today, that counted for something.

"I'm not fit to be queen," Elsa sniffed, fighting back tears. "I'm not. I don't know anything about the realms, I don't even know why the Vatrans want to kill me or why they killed my mother."

Mara took a deep breath, her shoulders sagging with the weight of the words she was about to say. "The Vatrans want to take over all the realms and they started their invasion with Ledas and killed Delani. That's why the Seasons had to create the barrier between the realms. Once Jack drove them back to Vatra, we sealed the realms off from each other. Only the seasons can access each realm so that we can do our jobs."

Elsa didn't say anything for a moment, she just stared out at the frozen world before her. How was she supposed to do this?

"I'm not a queen, Mara," she said quietly. "I've spent my whole life hiding. I know nothing about being a ruler, or the people I'm supposed to lead."

Mara smiled gently, squeezing Elsa's hand on the balcony railing. "We'll teach you everything you need to know. You are royal by blood, Elsa. I know that you'll make a fantastic queen."

Elsa smiled weakly, wishing more than anything she could talk to Jack. He always knew what to do to make her feel better.

"So what happens now?" she asked wearily, putting her head in her hands. Mara straightened, pulling Elsa toward the door.

"Now we go to your true home," Mara said, dragging Elsa reluctantly toward where Alyssa and Theo still stood, talking quietly to each other. Well, Theo was talking quietly, Elsa wasn't sure Alyssa could be quiet even if she wanted to.

"Will she be ready in time?" Alyssa hissed. "The Vatrans are getting restless."

Elsa stared at her, her heart rate accelerating rapidly. "What do you mean?" she demanded, her snow swirling around her in agitation. "What's going on?"

Mara glanced at Theo who said, "The Vatrans are threatening another attack. Ledas needs a queen now more than ever to lead if it comes to that."

"It could be war?" Elsa squeaked, the ice swirling faster around her until it nearly knocked Alyssa off her feet. Theo and Mara nodded. "We hope to stop them before it comes to that, but it's time for Ledas' rightful ruler to take her place on the throne. It's time for you to become who you were always meant to be."

They made it sound so simple, so effortless, but Elsa's ice storm continued to rage around the foyer, whipping the Seasons' hair and clothing as she stood there trying not to cry.

Jack! Where are you? I need you so much right now!

But there was no response and Elsa clenched her fists, trying to calm the storm. At last, the wind died down and the flurries stopped flying, but the Seasons were staring at her as though they didn't quite know what to do with her.

"Come on," Mara said gently. "The seal on the doors of the palace can only be broken by one of royal blood. If we're going to prepare you, we're going to have to go there now."

Elsa nodded feebly, following Mara outside. She ran over to the horse she had conjured, who she had named Glacier, nuzzling her face into his neck so that the others couldn't see her fear. She trembled as she clung to his mane, wishing she could hide again. But the time for that was past now. She needed to become the ice princess.

"Elsa, are you ready?" Theo asked gently, shaking her out of her thoughts. Elsa looked up, pressing her lips together in a determined line and swinging herself up on Glacier's back and kicking him forward.

"I'm ready."

Jack-Chapter 21

The clattering of bowling pins at the other side of the loud and stinky room brought Jack out of his forlorn thoughts. He couldn't stay focused on the game no matter how hard he tried.

"Are you going to snap out of this mood of yours or am I going to have to call the guys to slap it right out of you?" Michael joked as he punched Jack in the shoulder.

Jack laughed mirthlessly as he fingered the bowling ball and bowled, the ball missing completely and running into the gutter. Definitely not his A game. "Sorry, I'm just having a hard time focusing. Totally lame, I know."

Michael grinned knowingly, raising his eyebrows at him. "Jackie boy, have you found yourself a woman? I thought you weren't interested in dating."

He frowned as he turned away from Michael and bowled his second shot, this time hitting the pins square in the middle and knocking them all down. "I wasn't," he muttered, but then corrected himself against his will. "I'm not. She's not even attainable anyways. It's the end of the line for us."

The two of them sat in one of the chairs at the table, sitting across from each other with a pizza between them that Michael had already eaten more than half of. Jack didn't feel like eating much.

"How come?" Michael asked through a mouthful of pizza which normally would have made Jack laugh, but he didn't have it in him anymore.

Jack shrugged, absently rolling his soda cup between his palms. "Let's just say that she's nobility from Iceland and no one bothered to tell me. Like I said. Un. A. Tainable. I don't want to talk about it anymore. How are your endeavors with getting that wife of yours?"

Michael chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Working on it. I attend speed dating every week but nothing seems to click. I'll keep trying, though, and you shouldn't give up either. Icelandic nobility still need their princes, right?"

A snort of laughter burst from Jack's mouth as he shook his head. If only Michael knew the truth, then he probably wouldn't be saying these things. If only he knew the truth of the past in the other realms, then maybe he'd keep his mouth shut or at least tell Jack that nope, he definitely didn't have a chance.

Jack, Theo's voice came into his mind loud and clear. It's time. You can't skip this, you know you can't.

I know! Jack replied a little testily, rolling his shoulders to try and relieve the tension he felt inside. A little bit gentler, he said, Give me a minute and I'll be right over.

He couldn't believe it was happening so soon. It had only been three days since he found out who Elsa really was, and now it was time for the moment that everyone had only hoped for in the past twenty-two years. After all this time, Ledas was finally going to receive its queen.

Jack pretended to check the time on his watch and gave Michael an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I have to go right now. Let's catch up again soon?"

His friend nodded and held up his drink in goodbye. "Good luck with your woman."

Rolling his eyes amusedly, Jack exited the bowling alley and when no one was around, he melded into the snowy wind which took him back to Ledas, a place he hadn't stepped into for three whole days. Yes, he was purposefully avoiding Elsa, but mostly because his heart couldn't take it. Did she know the truth yet? Would she hate him if she found out?

He stopped right at the gates of the palace, staring up at it in wondering awe. It looked beautiful and magnificent again, almost as if the last twenty-two years hadn't led to its deterioration. The beautiful, sparkling spires rose up to the skies in an array of blues and pinks and purples and greens, shimmering underneath the sunlight. It glistened just like Elsa's eyes.

A lead weight dropped in Jack's stomach at the thought. It would be difficult only being Elsa's servant, but he had to, for her own sake.

Taking a deep breath, Jack opened the doors of the castle and stepped inside, immediately taking in the excited hubbub, the throng of people talking and laughing excitedly in the grand hall. But then as he walked in, everyone's words hushed and they bowed their heads in respect as he passed. Though, he could still hear their whispers.

"It's Jack Frost."

"He found the princess, rescued her from the human realm."

"Jack Frost is here. Do you think he'll be our king?"

As much as Jack tried to ignore this chatter as he passed with a guarded expression, it became harder and harder to do so. He didn't deserve their respect. Actually, he didn't deserve anyone's respect.

Finally, he caught sight of Alyssa on the other side of the room, a sight for sore eyes in the dark world encompassed around him. Her eyes lit up as she saw him and she ran over, flinging herself onto his back and wrapping her arms tight around his neck.

Alyssa nuzzled her face into Jack's hair before saying, "We didn't think you'd come! You never answered any of us. Not even Elsa. You can't abandon us like that. You just can't, Jack. We all need you."

"I'm sorry," Jack sighed as he set her down. "I won't do that anymore, okay?"

Suddenly, the whole room hushed in complete silence and everyone bowed low in respect. Jack's heart sank as he slowly turned around, catching a glimpse of Elsa as she walked into the room. She looked absolutely beautiful with her long blonde hair pulled up into an intricate braid on the top of her head and her long, stunning dress trailing behind her as she walked. He felt completely rooted to the spot, completely breathless. Never in his life had he seen anyone as beautiful as she was.

Elsa turned her head in his direction and their eyes met for a brief moment before Jack bowed his head in respect, doing his best not to look her in the eye. He didn't know how much will he'd have left if he looked her in the eye.

"Jack!" Elsa breathed as she rushed over to him and pulled him into a hug, but he still averted his gaze. "Where have you been? I've been calling you. I thought you couldn't hear me..."

He took a step back and bowed even deeper. "I needed to figure things out. You will have my support from now on, Your Majesty."

Jack knew she wanted to say something more, but there were so many others in the room with them, and thankfully even she knew she couldn't say anything else to him. Elsa just bowed her head in acknowledgment and continued on her way, but not before casting one last glance back at him.

"It's time," he said quietly to Alyssa, watching as the townspeople filed into the pews of the next room, and Alyssa followed in after. Jack followed in next, taking his place at the front of the room, standing straight with his staff held in his hand. He was a guardian, he would always be a guardian.

And then Elsa entered the room, the entire congregation standing up, gazing at her in complete awe. At seeing her for a second time, Jack felt in complete awe too, but he tried not to show it. He needed to push his feelings aside and be the guardian of Ledas that he was always meant to be.

When Elsa reached the front, Jack reached out and offered his hand to her which she took, careful to not make any eye contact whatsoever. With her hand in his, as a tradition, he guided her up the rest of the way where the priest waited with a scepter and an orb, and most importantly, her crown. It was high time that Ledas received a ruler. That was needed now more than ever.

The train of her beautiful gown draped elegantly down the stairs and into the aisle as they stopped in front of the priest, and as Jack dropped Elsa's hand, his heart filled with torturous pain. Why did Elsa have to be Delani's daughter? Why?

Jack stood behind and to the right of the priest as the ceremony commenced, watching Elsa very carefully. She looked both frightened and excited at the same time, and he wished that he could gather her up in his arms and hold her tightly, but he couldn't anymore.

Elsa met his gaze a few times, and he wanted to look away to hide his pain from her, but he couldn't look away. As hard as he tried to tear his gaze away, he couldn't.

"Elsa," the priest said as he picked up the beautiful, frosty scepter and orb. "Do you promise to uphold all of Ledas' traditions and practices while ruling with an honest heart and a perceptive mind to provide for your people in all needs and areas of their lives?"

She nodded. "I promise."

"And do you promise to rule with grace and dignity to protect not only your people but the future of Ledas as well?"

Again, Elsa nodded, her gaze flickering briefly to Jack's.

"With this scepter in your right hand and this orb in your left, you take on the responsibilities as queen, the responsibilities that fall upon your shoulders with being the new ruler of Ledas. And with these responsibilities, you are granted a long and prosperous health to watch over your people for as long as you might live."

Elsa took the scepter and the orb in her hand, a frosty, misty breath exiting the items and slowly circling her. The magic had begun.

Jack swallowed hard and stepped forward, raising his staff. But still he hesitated. Did Elsa really know what she was about to get dragged into? Could she live out the rest of her life as an immortal? Her own mother lived to be well over five hundred years old. Could Elsa do the same?

"Are you sure?" Jack whispered so no one else could hear, concern lacing his voice. "Living this life will not be easy. You can still back out. Elsa, are you positive you want to do this?"

When Elsa nodded, he did his best to regain his composure, but it was so hard when he felt a hundred emotions crawling through him all at once. But this was her choice, and as her servant, he must comply.

Jack lowered his staff to gently touch her forehead, and swirling magic jumped from his staff to circle around her. Swift blue, white, and gold currents of snow and wind circled fast and hard around her, spinning faster and faster and faster until they became a part of her. It seeped into her very core, entering every fiber of her body, every cell. And then the light started to ebb, first disappearing from her arms, and then her face, and lastly her eyes. Elsa breathed hard as if that alone had taken a huge toll on her.

The priest raised both his arms and shouted, "Long live Queen Elsa of Ledas!"

The audience clapped excitedly as they also shouted out, "Long live the queen! Long live the queen! Long live the queen!" And then the whole room turned into a flurry of activity as the people of Ledas bombarded Elsa with congratulations on all sides. But all Jack could do was watch with sadness in his heart as he remembered the time when Queen Delani had reigned. Jack would not fail Elsa. He wouldn't. He would protect her with all he had.

Jack slowly melted into the shadows of the room, leaving unnoticed. Elsa would make an excellent queen, it just made him sad that he couldn't be by her side at the same time in the way that he truly wanted.

He trekked out into the snow, a small blizzard starting to form around him and spread outward into the entire city, to the entire realm. If anything, he knew he needed to stop his love for Elsa right in its tracks before it got any larger, but it would be so difficult when he had to be around her all the time. Perhaps if he put a little distance between them, that might help.

His heart panged with sadness at the thought, but then a soft smile pulled up on his lips. Elsa would make a wonderful queen.

Elsa-Chapter 22

Something had changed within her the moment Jack's staff had touched her forehead, something she couldn't quite explain. She was still the same person, but it was almost as though time had stopped within her. Apart from that, she didn't really feel any different, no more regal or commanding although her ladies in waiting had certainly done their best to make her look the part.

Standing out on her balcony, she surveyed Ledas below her, twinkling in the darkness of night like stars that had fallen to the earth. She sighed, there was still so much work to be done, so many things she didn't know about her people. The Seasons had been working non-stop to help her learn all they could when they weren't performing their own duties, but she still felt woefully inadequate to rule anyone.

"Jack, where are you?" she called softly. She hadn't seen him since the coronation three days ago and she could tell he was avoiding her. But she didn't understand why. Did he suddenly not love her anymore? "Please come back. I need you."

But there was no response from the night, not even a cold breeze that she could imagine that Jack had sent to cheer her up. She frowned, willing herself not to cry. What had she done wrong? Things had been going so well, and now she was even immortal like he was. Why then had he suddenly become so cold and distant?

Seeking a much needed distraction, she sat down at her desk and buried her face in the book on Ledan history she had taken from the library. The library wasn't nearly as cozy here as it had been at Jack's, which made her miss him all the more. Running a hand through the loose waves of her hair in frustration, she picked up the book, trying to concentrate on the words on the page. It was only after she had read almost two pages without taking in a word that she snapped the book shut in disgust. All she could think about was Jack's beautiful, warm brown eyes.

Where are you, Jack?

She needed an outlet, a distraction. Slipping out of her room to avoid detection by the servants who were all too eager to assist her, she crept down to the empty ballroom, grateful that most of the palace appeared to be asleep for the night. As quietly as she could, Elsa began polishing the floor with her powers into a skating rink so that she could escape her thoughts for a few minutes. She had noticed after the coronation that her powers not only seemed stronger, but she seemed more in control of them too. But all the same, they were no match for an attack from Vatra, which was what she feared most.

The servants had been obliging and brought her things over from Jack's home. He had even picked up her iPod, which had been in the bottom of the box of snow globes. She'd have to figure out a way to charge it here, but for now she just needed the distraction her music would provide. Putting her headphones in her ears, she glided over the floor in graceful, practiced motions, but even skating, which usually made her happy, made her feel worse. It reminded her too much of the night she had met Jack.

Frustrated, she yanked her earbuds out of her ears and ran back to her room, tears stinging her eyes. She caught sight of a maid at the top of the stairs and hastily tried to compose herself, blinking rapidly so the tears wouldn't be as noticeable.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" she asked kindly, bowing so low that her long, blonde hair threatened to escape its neat bun entirely.

"I'm fine," Elsa replied with all the dignity she could muster. "I'm just over tired, that's all."

"Is there something I can bring you?" the maid asked. "There are some excellent tarts left over from the coronation."

Elsa shook her head, the thought of food was repugnant right now. All she wanted was someone she could trust, a friend…

Once she was safely encased in her room again, she called softly, "Mara… Mara can you come for a minute?"

Almost instantly, the room became warmer as Mara stepped inside, running her hands up and down her arms to chase away the chill. She took one look at Elsa and engulfed her in her arms. "Are you alright, El?"

Elsa shook her head, fighting the tears that were leaking out in spite of herself. Mara took her by the shoulders and studied her closely. "What's wrong? Can I help?"

"I don't know," Elsa wailed. Oh yeah, so regal and composed. She was terrible at this queen stuff. Suddenly she knew what she needed. Grasping Mara's hands tightly in her own, she said, "Mara, can you bring Anna from the human world? I know she's not really my sister, but I need her right now."

Mara looked uncertain as she held Elsa while tears streamed down her face. "I don't know, the barrier is already fragile. It was all we could do to prevent a tear getting you here."

Elsa looked down in defeat, her eyes welling again. "I understand. I just really need someone to talk to."

Biting her lip, Mara said, "I probably shouldn't, but let me see what I can do."

"Thank you," Elsa cried, throwing her arms around Mara and giving her a bear hug. "That would mean the world to me."

"Well, I can't make any promises," Mara cautioned. "But I'll try."

Elsa nodded as Mara began to disappear in the middle of the room. The air began to grow sweeter, like freshly mowed grass and flowers in bloom as she vanished. But before she was gone completely, she turned and said, "Oh, and Elsa? You can always talk to me. We were close once, I'd like to be again."

Staring at the spot where Mara vanished, Elsa murmured, "So would I, Mara. So would I."

When Mara left, Elsa allowed herself to cry, the tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't want anyone to come in because she didn't want to be seen as weak, but she couldn't hold it in anymore. She missed Jack. She wanted to be able to speak to her mother, to learn what had made her such a beloved queen, and if she was honest with herself, she wanted Jack to hold her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be alright.

She must have drifted off to sleep, because hours later she was woken by a gentle hand on her shoulder. Sitting up blearily, she half expected to see Jack or Mara, but instead she found her sister standing there, a frown puckering her brow.

"Hey, El," she murmured, pulling Elsa into a bone crushing hug. "How are you?"

Elsa buried her face in her sister's shoulder and let out a shuddering sigh. "Been better. You?"

"I'm pretty good, actually," Anna chuckled. "I mean, look at this place! And I found out that my sister is the Snow Queen, how cool is that? I wish I could stay longer, Mara said I could only stay the night."

"Did Mara bring you?" Elsa asked, sitting down on the bed and patting the space next to her for Anna.

"No, some guy named Jack did," Anna replied easily. Elsa's face warped with pain. Why had Jack brought her sister but refused to talk to her? Anna caught the expression on her face and said, "Oh no, I gather he's part of the reason you wanted to see me so badly?"

Elsa nodded, tracing the pattern on the blanket with her fingers. Anna took her hand, forcing her to look up at her and said, "Okay, why don't you start at the beginning and tell me all about it?"

Jack-Chapter 23

Jack felt awful. Absolutely awful for ignoring Elsa's cries and pleas to speak with him. But he didn't know what else to do. He knew exactly what she wanted to talk about and he didn't want to go there. Not yet. Because it would break both Elsa's and his own heart. However, he knew he couldn't ignore it for much longer. Elsa was his queen after all.

As the sun sunk below the frosted mountains, Jack sat in a tree with his legs dangling over the side as he watched the castle. He had been perched up here for the last hour, just waiting for Anna to leave Elsa's side for a moment, but she didn't. If Jack was going to talk to Elsa, he didn't want to have an audience.

He let out a frosty breath as he continued to watch the castle, his heart both speeding up rapidly and aching at the same time. Even if Jack wanted to be with Elsa, which he did, it didn't seem very possible. First off, Elsa was Queen of Ledas. Although she was now immortal, he had no place by her side. She'd have to rule Ledas by herself while he carried on with his duties as Jack Frost. And second, he still felt immense shame for what had happened twenty-two years ago. He knew he needed to come clean to her about it, but he didn't know how.

Finally, Anna left the room, but possibly only for a few minutes. Now was his chance.

Jack drifted down onto the balcony just outside of Elsa's room, raising his hand to knock, but hesitated. Elsa would probably be so angry with him for ignoring her…

Even so, he took a deep breath and knocked quietly. When nothing happened, he was about to knock again, but right then, Elsa opened the doors, her eyes wide.

"Jack," she breathed, standing aside for him to come into her room. "Why haven't you been answering? I know you can hear me."

He ran a hand down his face, leaning heavily on his staff as he frowned at his feet. "I can't stay for long. I just needed to say a few things and then I'll be gone." He still couldn't look at her, mostly because he hated the words that were about to come out of his mouth. He hated them so much. But it had to be this way. He didn't feel like he had a choice. "I hope that someday you'll forgive me for everything I've done, or failed to do. Your mother would still be alive if I had done my job right, and I feel personally responsible for all the pain I've put you through your entire life. This is my fault."

Elsa shook her head insistently, reaching out to touch his arm lightly. "This isn't your fault. I don't blame you for any of it. It's the giants' fault. They are the real enemy here."

Jack swallowed, shaking his head slowly. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. Whatever we had before, it cannot happen anymore. This is what I came to say. You are always, and will forever be, my queen." He knelt down on one knee and bowed his head fervently.

"Jack, it's still me. I'm still Elsa." She tried to lift his chin to look at her from where he knelt with his head bowed, but he jerked his chin out of her hand.

"My queen," he whispered, his intense gaze staring at the ground. He couldn't look her in the eye, not now that he knew who Elsa really was. Jack had failed her mother. He didn't deserve to be anything more than what he was. "I am your servant and I will be here for your every beckon and call. Whatever your will, it shall be done."

Elsa shook her head, her eyes wide. "Jack, please. It's still me."

He stood up, holding his icy staff firmly in his hand. "I am Jack Frost, and that's who I'll forever be," he said, a misty breath escaping his lips, just as icy as his heart. Every moment that passed, his heart iced over even more. "I am your protector, and I will not fail you."

Jack swallowed all of his emotion as he made the breeze pick up and his body dissolved into a thousand flakes of snow before he disappeared out into the night. It had to be done. Even though he didn't like it, he knew it had to be done.

His heart panged in sadness as he drifted off into the night. Tonight, he would allow himself to feel all the pain, all the agony that he wanted to feel. But tomorrow, he would be Elsa's guardian through better or through worse.

Elsa-Chapter 24

There were no more tears left in her body. After Jack's declaration and Anna's departure, Elsa hadn't opened the door to her room for days, crying stormily into her pillow to muffle the sound from the servants' ears. But after a while, her sobs had ceased and she only felt numb, every emotion as frozen as the rest of her world.

There was nothing else to do so she buried herself in work, learning as much as she could about her people so that she could be half the queen her mother was. Mara was on hand much more lately now that Theo had more work to do as summer waned into fall. They had fallen into an easy friendship once again and Elsa was glad she had someone around to confide in. A small pang of sadness shot through her, that person used to be Jack…

She pushed the thought away, instead focusing on the idea that had been forming in her head for the last few days.

"Mara, I've been thinking," Elsa said, creating little flurries of snow as she studied the book in front of her. "I've been up here in the palace studying my realm from books but I don't know anything about it. Nothing really important anyway."

Mara's brow wrinkled in confusion as she studied Elsa carefully. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I can study these books all day long but they can't tell me what I really need to know," Elsa said, rubbing her temples tiredly. "The only subjects of Ledas I've interacted with are the servants. I want to go out riding tomorrow among the people, get to know them. I want to know what they want so I can lead this realm in a good direction."

An approving smile crossed Mara's lips as she nodded. "Spoken just like your mother would have. I didn't know her very long, but you remind me of her in several small ways. We'll arrange for you to go out tomorrow." She hesitated before saying, "Jack won't like it. He'll say you're too exposed outside of the palace. As your protector, it's his job to keep you from harm."

"He should've thought of that before he—" Elsa started angrily but then bit her tongue. It wouldn't help to take out her anger and frustration on Mara when it was really Jack she wanted to hurt. She had tried for days to understand his reasoning, but somehow she just couldn't. They would have different duties if they were together, of course, but that didn't bother her. The only thing that really troubled her was that he had taken her mother's death so personally and she couldn't understand why. She knew they were friends and he was her guardian too, but that didn't mean it was his fault. Like she had told him before, the giants were to blame. Not him.

"Please Mara?" Elsa pleaded. "Will you at least try?"

Mara sighed, sitting down wearily in a chair. "Maybe I can persuade him into it."

"Thank you!" Elsa exclaimed, her magic accidentally whipping papers off her desk in her excitement. Mara's lips twitched as though she was trying hard not to laugh. Elsa's magic had drastically improved over the last few weeks, unless of course she got excited and carried away.

"I won't make any promises, but I think you have an excellent point. In order to rule the people, you have to know them."

Elsa nodded. "Thank you, Mara."

"I'd better get going," Mara chuckled, standing up. "I have a feeling I'm going to have to do some pretty fast talking to convince Jack to let you do this."

"Good luck," Elsa grinned as Mara vanished. Reaching over her desk, she cracked the window open. Whenever Mara visited, she always left the room a little too warm for Elsa's taste.

She bent her head over her book again, putting all her focus on the words in front of her. That is, until she heard Jack and Mara arguing in the courtyard.

"Come on, Jack, you're being ridiculous."

Elsa's head shot up as she heard Jack's deep voice reply. "It's out of the question, Mara. Forget it."

"But how can she rule the people if she doesn't know the people?" Mara demanded. "This will be good for her and Ledas, and since that seems like all you care about—"

Jack's voice rose sharply at her words, the anger evident in his tone. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that Elsa is a fantastic woman," Mara snapped back. "She's so bright, sensitive, caring. She'll make a great ruler."

"I know that."

"You do?" Even in Mara's tone, Elsa could tell she was staring at Jack in shock. "Then why did you push her away? She cares a lot for you, Jack, and you closed yourself off the minute you found out she's Delani's daughter."

"I can't love her that way," Jack bellowed, making even Elsa jump. Jack lowered his voice a fraction and said, "I'm sorry, Mara. But I'm not changing my mind on that point."

Elsa couldn't bear to hear anymore and slammed her window shut, hardly caring if Jack heard it or not. She didn't understand him at all and she was tired of trying. It was just too painful. She had thought he loved her once, but then she had become the Snow Queen and now it seemed as though he hadn't cared as much as she had previously thought. If he truly cared, they would have been together still.

She couldn't stand it anymore, she had to get out of here. Permission or no, she was going to go into the city and meet her people. Creeping carefully down the stairs, she made her way across the now vacant courtyard toward the stables where Glacier waited for her. He pawed the ground happily with his foot at the sight of her and she saddled him with an elegant blue saddle and bridle before leading him outside. Checking to make sure the coast was clear, she jumped up on his back, kicking him into a steady trot.

When she drew near the gates, the guards held up their hands and she slowed Glacier to a stop.

"Where are you going, Your Majesty?" a short guard with pale eyelashes and short whitish blonde hair asked.

"I'm going out for a ride," Elsa replied, steady in the idea that it was only a partial lie. "Please allow me to pass."

The guards bowed solemnly and opened the thick, pearly ice gates for her. She nodded to them as she passed before kicking Glacier into a gallop toward the city. It wasn't far and soon she was trotting down the streets, her subjects eyeing her with awe and bowing as she passed. She slowed to a stop outside a bakery, the smell of chocolate luring her in. Sliding down off Glacier's back, she went inside where the baker and his wife were gawking at her in astonishment.

"I'd like one of whatever those chocolate things are that smell so good," she said, holding out some Ledan coins. "Will this be enough?"

The baker waved away her money, shaking his head wildly. "No no, Your Majesty. You do not have to pay."

"You're too kind," Elsa said, depositing the money on the counter anyway. "I have not lived in Ledas very long and I want to get to know its people better. Tell me, is business good? Do the citizens need anything? I want to be a good queen, but I need to know what my subjects want."

The baker and his wife bowed again before speaking. "Your Majesty, we have not had a queen in twenty-two years. Just having one again gives us hope."

"Yes, but it is the queen's job to serve her people," Elsa replied. "Tell me how I—"

But her words were cut short as the roof was ripped off the bakery and Elsa found herself staring into the cruel face of what could only be a fire giant. It was enormous, made entirely of what looked like volcanic rock, with magma where eyes should have been and a wide, crooked mouth.

The baker and his wife screamed as the giant reached a hand inside the shop. But it wasn't after them, Elsa realized with horror. It was after her. Trying to dodge out of the way of the giant's reaching fingers, Elsa knocked over a table, using it as a shield between herself and the giant. But the enormous fingers just snapped the table in half and plucked her out of the gaping hole in the roof with ease.

Fear gripped Elsa's heart as she stared into that wild, unforgiving face, and she did the only thing she could think to do.

"Jack!" she screamed.

Jack-Chapter 25

"Elsa!" Jack shouted, his whole being shrouding over with fear. How had she gotten out of the palace gates? Right under his nose no less?

Without wasting another moment, Jack dissolved with the wind, taking him right into town where he found an enormous, looming giant holding Elsa in his hand, squeezing tighter and tighter and tighter…

Jack shot the giant's hand with a stream of ice, causing it to yelp and drop Elsa. She shrieked as she plummeted to the earth, landing in a soft pile of snow that Jack created last second. More than anything, he wanted to check if she was alright, but there was a giant in town. It could kill someone.

One after another, he shot the giant with icy spray after icy spray, making the giant flinch and stumble backwards. If only Jack could drive it backwards just a little bit more… Maybe he could get rid of the giant without hurting anyone else.

A stream of ice hit the giant in the face, making it incredibly angry. Before Jack even had a chance to react, the giant's hand slammed down on top of him, pressing him flat across the ground in a startling wave of pain. It then proceeded to throw Jack, causing him to smash hard against a tree and fall to the snowy ground. His body shuddered with the pain of the attack as he struggled to get back onto his feet, his vision blurry as he scrambled to find his staff amidst the white snow.

"So this is the infamous Jack Frost…" the giant's voice grumbled loudly, its footsteps shaking the earth as it walked toward him and its gigantic, smoldering face full of hatred and malice. The giant laughed, the sound cracking just like thunder. "I had come for a staff and ended up finding a queen. Your time is up, Jack Frost. You have not yet surrendered your staff to Matei. Give it to me now and we still have a deal. But since you didn't come to us yourself, the deal has changed. Give us the staff and the queen and then we'll leave this land in peace."

Jack shook his head, his nose flaring with anger. "Your kind has not proven that I can trust you. I suspect false play. All the Seasons do. This is your last chance. Leave now and never come back, or I will kill you and every last giant who dares threaten the lives of innocent civilians. Leave Queen Elsa alone. She is the best thing that has happened to this kingdom in twenty-two years."

The giant chuckled again, his charcoal eyes churning with amusement. "It sounds like you love the queen a little too much for a guardian."

Jack's gaze penetrated like ice as he stared daggers into the giant. "I do love her, and if you or your kind ever hurts anyone I love ever again, I will not hesitate to upset the balance in the realms so that the fire realm has to restart their population from scratch. Now leave while you still have a chance."

Instead of turning back the way it came, the giant lashed out again, but this time Jack ducked the attack and shot back with icy blast after icy blast. He built a thick wall of ice all around the giant, gritting his teeth at the effort it took to keep it from melting beneath the giant's own touch. With just a rock hard, swift movement, the giant punched through the thick ice wall, and Jack couldn't keep up. Instead, he made ice crawl up the giant's legs, trapping them effectively in a way that he couldn't escape.

Lifting his head to the skies, the giant let out a snarl that shook the earth, magma churning in his eyes with his anger. He stooped down, and Jack had thought it was going for him so he dodged out of the way, but little did he know that he had found Jack's staff buried in the snow and scooped it up.

Jack gasped, his eyes wide as he used his magic to try and make the giant drop it, but the giant's large hand engulfed his staff, and Jack could feel actual physical pain erupt through his body as the staff splintered underneath the giant's massive, grappling fist. Jack could feel power ebb out of him, leaving him with next to nothing.

He fell to his knees as the pain became too much to bear, every cell inside of him shuddering and gasping. What was happening to him?

The giant chuckled darkly, his eyes alight with triumph. "You are nothing without your staff, Jack Frost. Now stand aside as I take your queen."

Jack's nose flared in anger as he shakily got to his feet. "I gave you several warnings. I gave you a chance to leave with your life. I don't need my staff to kill you."

His anger fueled him just like it had at Queen Delani's death. He made a motion with his arms and a sharp spike of ice shot toward the giant, entering in one side of its head and out the other. The giant swayed uneasily on its feet before crashing into the snow, its body lifeless as its black blood spilled out over the snow. Jack swallowed hard, the fear he felt inside increasing as he cradled his splintered staff in his arms. Maybe he'd find a way to fix it, but for now, Elsa needed him.

"Elsa!" Jack called as he ran back into town, searching frantically for her familiar face, his fear increasing evermore when he couldn't find her. But then his heart let out a sigh of relief as she poked her head out of one of the buildings.

"Jack!" she cried, rushing toward him and he dropped the splintered pieces of his staff into the snow so he could envelope her in his arms, cradling her close against him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking her over to try to find any damage.

She nodded. "Just a little bruised but I'm okay."

"Thank goodness," he whispered as he cradled the side of her face in his palm, uncaring that not even an hour before, he had sworn he would never hold her like this again. "I don't know what I'd do if you were killed."

Elsa grinned slyly, putting her hand on top of his that held her cheek so gently. "Probably go on a rampage and kill the entire giant population?" she teased.

"Something like that," he replied, reluctantly letting her go and picking up the pieces of his staff.

"Jack!" Elsa gasped. "What happened?"

He still felt incredibly emotional about it all, so he hid his face from her so she couldn't see how much he hurt. "I lost my magic as a Season. I can still control ice and magic, but I can't travel anymore. I lost that burst of power that I've always had."

Turning his head so that she looked him in the eye, she said, "I am so sorry, Jack. This is all my fault. Can this be fixed?"

"I don't know," he whispered fearfully. "Let's get you back to the castle, okay? You'll be safer there." He kept close to her as he led her back toward the castle, his heart becoming heavier and heavier with each step. The realization became clearer now more than ever.

If he could no longer travel using his magic, there would be no winter. If he could no longer have the magic of a Season, he could no longer protect Ledas with the power that he needed. If the giants attacked again, he didn't know what he'd do.

Elsa-Chapter 26

She was still trembling when they arrived back at the palace. She kept picturing the giant's cruel face, his soulless eyes, and the shivering would start all over again. Jack wrapped an arm around her as the servants fussed about, making sure their queen was alright. Elsa kept assuring them that she was fine, but she just wanted them to leave her alone. The only person she wanted right now was Jack.

But even when the last of the servants finally bowed out, there was a rush of wind and all of a sudden Theo, Mara, and Alyssa were in the room with them.

"What happened?" Theo demanded. "We felt the seal over the realms weaken a short time ago."

Jack stared down at his hands, a frown furrowing his brow. "It's my fault. A fire giant got through into Ledas somehow and attacked Elsa. He got hold of my staff and broke it."

"Oh Jack!" Alyssa fairly elbowed Elsa out of the way and threw herself into Jack's arms, sending a spark of jealousy through Elsa. She cleared her throat and all attention turned to her, even Alyssa who didn't let go of Jack's arm.

"How did Jack losing his staff affect the seal?" Elsa asked as commandingly as possible, inserting herself coolly between Alyssa and Jack and standing there as though creating a buffer between them. She wasn't sure what her relationship to Jack was at the moment, only that the Spring girl irritated her. A lot. And from the look on Jack's face, he felt the same way.

"It took away my power as a Season," Jack muttered sadly. "I still have some, but it's not enough to seal the barrier or travel between worlds."

Elsa reached down and squeezed his hand sympathetically, looking deep into his warm brown eyes. "Jack, I'm so sorry."

"The barrier is weakened, but it's still holding," Theo said in a brusque, businesslike tone. "But if a fire giant already got through even with Jack's magic holding it, there's no telling what could happen next, especially with the Vatrans already on the warpath."

"We'll figure something out," Mara said quietly. "Maybe there's something that Elsa can do. Delani was the one who turned him before."

"I'll do my best, Jack," she said, waiting until he looked at her. "Did my mother leave any journals or anything that I can use to guide me?"

Jack shook his head slowly. "If she did, I don't know where they are."

"We'll make sure the barrier holds for now," Mara said, putting a hand on Jack's shoulder. She didn't seem to notice the grimace on his face when her warm skin touched his icy skin. "In the meantime, since you're stuck here in Ledas, work on finding a way to gain your powers back, otherwise we're going to have a serious problem on our hands."

"She acts like I don't already know that," Jack muttered bitterly as the rest of the Seasons disappeared from the room. "I need my powers or we're never going to be able to stop a war with Vatra."

"Jack…" Elsa began but she didn't get very far because Jack began walking away from her.

"I just need to be alone right now," he said, disappearing into the palace. Elsa sighed in frustration, wondering if there was a way to cheer him up, even a little bit. Suddenly, a bit of memory tickled her mind and she remembered the recipe that she had found in Jack's box. It was a long shot, but just maybe…

Returning to the stables for the second time that day, she mounted Glacier and kicked him into motion.

"Come on, boy," she whispered. "We have a box to find."

When she arrived at Jack's house, she went straight to his bedroom and saw the box sitting on the nightstand, the only real personal effect in the bare room. She rifled through it, finding the recipe with a triumphant smile.

"Looks like I've got some tarts to make."

. . . .

Elsa hadn't baked in a long time, but she thought the tarts she had made Jack turned out fairly well considering. She wouldn't ever tell him that she had burned the first batch, but she had refused the chef's help. This was something she needed to do herself.

She searched the palace for a good twenty minutes before she found him, sitting on top of a bookshelf in the far corner of the room and staring out at the icy sunset beyond the window.

"Hey," she said softly. "I brought you something."

"What are these for?" Jack asked in surprise as Elsa held out a plate of tarts. She smiled sheepishly, setting it down on the table in front of him.

"They're a thank you for saving me," she said slowly, keeping her eyes on the ground so he couldn't see her flush. It was impossible not to be in the same room with him and not want to kiss him. It just was. "And a peace offering."

Jack jumped down, giving her a confused look. "Peace offering for what? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why did you shut me out?" Elsa whispered, gazing fervently into his eyes, tears pricking her own. "Jack I don't know what to do anymore."

Jack ran a hand over his jaw, looking down at the ground. "I'm sorry, but I failed your mother and she got killed. I thought it would be easier if I kept some distance between us because I don't want to fail you too."

"Then you know that staying away from me was the opposite of helpful," Elsa said stubbornly. "I need you, Jack, even if you think we can only be friends. But please don't shut me out. Promise me."

"I promise," Jack nodded, taking a bite of one of the tarts, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "This is really good. It reminds me of home."

"That's what I was going for," Elsa laughed, bumping his elbow teasingly. "My first attempt at baking in years was a success."

"Definitely," Jack agreed, taking another bite and grinning at her. "Although that would explain the burnt smell I detected earlier today."

"Hey," Elsa laughed, smacking his arm playfully. "I can take these away again, you know."

Jack laughed, curling his arm protectively around the plate. "No way, princess. I'm guarding these with my life."

They lapsed into silence for a few minutes, eating the tarts that Elsa had brought before Jack spoke again.

"I don't know what I am without my Season magic," he said quietly. "What do I do now?"

Elsa took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "We'll figure it out, don't worry. In the meantime, you're still Jack, you're still my friend. I won't ever give up on you. Not now, not ever."

Jack laced his fingers with hers, squeezing them back companionably. "Thanks, Elsa."

Jack-Chapter 27

Jack grinned mischievously a few days later as he caught sight of Queen Elsa up in her room through the balcony doors that were wide open. If this wasn't a call for a truce of friendship, he didn't know what was.

He packed a tight snowball in his hand, took aim, and threw it with all his might. The snowball flew high, arching into the air before sailing right into the open doors up above and nailing Elsa right in the back. She let out a shriek of surprise which only managed to make Jack snicker even harder.

Within a few short moments, Elsa walked out onto the balcony with her hands on her hips, but then her smile widened as she saw Jack down below.

"I thought that was you," Elsa laughed. "I can smell you from a mile away. Who else has the nerve to attack Ledas' new queen with a snowball?"

"Obviously only me," Jack laughed which then turned into a chuckle and then a sigh. The two of them were easing back into that easy friendship of theirs, but it just wasn't the same. Jack loved her with all his heart, and he couldn't decide if he was the one who did this to them or if this was how it was meant to be. Jack never saw himself anything more than just Jack Frost, a servant of the Snow Queen. Where did he belong now?

"So are you gonna come up here or am I going to have to return fire?" she asked, grinning mischievously.

Jack laughed and rolled his eyes. "A queen having a snowball fight? They'll start calling you Queen Elsa Mischief Arendelle."

She laughed again, her eyes sparkling in amusement. "I take it that people call you Jack Mischief Frost?"

"That's exactly right, but I deserve it. After all, who else would frost an entire field of flowers that Alyssa just barely grew for his own entertainment?"

Elsa leaned further on the railing, her smile growing bigger and bigger with each well deserved rib on him. "And who else would make fake snow snakes to scare my horses just for the fun of it?"

Jack's smile faded into a look of guilt. "How did you find out about that?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Who else would do that? Of course it was you. I'm starting to think that we need to guard you instead of you guarding me."

Even though his magic was now very weak, he could still do several things that he felt grateful about not losing. As he walked, he created icy stairs that led up to Elsa's balcony, and when he was eye level with her, he leaned on the balcony so they were only inches apart, the proximity causing his heart to beat fast in his chest.

"To be fair, I'm not the one getting attacked by giants. That completely warrants your own protection, don't you think?" He grinned as he pulled his gift to her out of his bag. "Besides attacking you with a snowball, I actually came here to give you something."

He produced the snow globe that he had made for her earlier, except now it was fixed. Mostly. Jack couldn't bond the cracks together as well as he had hoped without his full power. "I know it's not much, and I know it's not great, but if you gave me a peace offering, I'm also giving you a peace offering. You'll have to put it somewhere safe so Jack Mischief Frost doesn't destroy it again."

Elsa's eyes swam with happy tears as she took it from him, turning it around and around in her hands and giggling as their figurines revolved on the spot. "Thank you, Jack. This means so much to me." She perked up suddenly and her shimmering blue eyes darted to his, a smile spreading across her face. "We've been putting in a lot of time and energy into trying to get that staff of yours working again. How about we take a break and go ice skating? Just me and you."

Hope blossomed in Jack's heart until he remembered that he was supposed to squash it. But to be honest with himself, he really didn't want to squash it. "Are you asking me out on a date?" Jack teased, casting her a quick wink.

"Maybe," she teased back. "Or is there some rule that Queen Elsa can't date Jack Frost?" He could tell she tried to act like she was teasing, but he could also tell that she asked out of genuine curiosity.

Jack shook his head. "No rule, just a precaution because Jack Frost can't ever rule beside Queen Elsa and she'd have to be alone a lot, especially during the winter months." It was so much easier to talk about their situation in third person, as if detached. It made it hurt less. "That's why it's better for Queen Elsa to forget that Jack Frost is funny and handsome."

Elsa laughed and rolled her eyes. "Well, Queen Elsa is happy when Jack Frost is near and when he is gone, she is sad. Queen Elsa thinks that despite the challenges, it would be worth it to try. Jack Frost once told Queen Elsa that he was willing to try if she was willing to try, and Queen Elsa wants it to be like that again."

Jack's heart beat fast because he wanted to be with her so badly. So badly.

"Jack Frost is no king. He's irresponsible and mischievous and he doesn't like to stand still in one spot for very long. That's a big reason why Jack Frost declined the offer to be King of Ledas in hopes that someone better came along. Besides, he's still trying to make up for what happened twenty-two years ago with Queen Elsa's mother."

"Tell me what happened," Elsa said, placing her hand on top of his and giving it a gentle squeeze.

He shrugged, realizing that now was as good a time as any. "The giants had been threatening war for years and they finally followed through. There was a decoy attack on one end of Ledas and I had to leave to prevent it. I had no idea that the giants were trying to lure me away from Queen Delani, and by the time I realized what was going on, that I fell for the decoy, it was too late. Queen Delani had already been killed. She was probably the best friend that I ever had at the time, so losing her… There's no comparison for how I felt. I think that's the only time I think that I could have had my staff broken and still killed all of those giants with my magic. But now I feel so weak. I feel useless."

"Hey," Elsa said softly as she cupped the side of his face with her hand. "Stop blaming yourself for what happened. You did everything you knew how to do, and even though my mother is gone now, you still protected everyone else in Ledas and the other realms. More than anything, I wish I could have met my own mother, but I know that she would have gladly died for her people. Let it go, Jack. Just like I let go of my fear, you need to let go of your hurt. Focus on the present, not the past. Cherish memories from the past, let the pain go, and focus on the present because there are so many good things right in front of you."

Jack let out a shaky breath and nodded. "Spoken like a true queen. I'll take you up on that date. Just be patient with me because I'm a little fragile. My magic doesn't stand a chance against yours right now."

Elsa giggled, her eyes shining happily. "I'll be as gentle as I can be. Meet me down at the stables. I know the perfect place."

. . . .

Despite their best attempts, many of the servants saw Jack and Elsa run off together on her horse, and he could only imagine the gossip circling around the castle right now. But even so, he couldn't focus on that for long when Elsa was so near to him. The more time he spent near her, the harder he found it to let her go.

"Jack!" Elsa called to him, giggling like a maniac. He spun around just in time to receive a face full of snow. "Told you I'd get you back!"

He laughed as he spit it out of his mouth, stooping down to pack a snowball, but when he raised his head, she lobbed another one that hit him smack in the shoulder. "I'll get you for that!" Jack growled playfully as he returned fire, managing to hit Elsa in the back with the snowball before she dodged behind a tree.

As quietly as he could, he snuck around and aimed to fire, but to his surprise, Elsa was nowhere to be found.

Right then, soft powder exploded against his back and he spun around to see Elsa laughing like crazy. "I think I actually do have the advantage now!" Elsa wheezed out through her laughter. "Come on, Old Man Winter. Stop acting your age."

Jack snorted in laughter before he charged at her, making her squeal as he grabbed her around the waist and they spun around the small ice rink that they had created together. Time almost seemed to freeze for a moment as Jack gazed back into her eyes as they spun. She made him feel things that he hadn't felt in such a long time. Actually, he didn't think he could ever feel them again, and it overjoyed him to be so in love.

Snow drifted down from the sky, glistening with beautiful, sparkling colors, and Jack knew that Elsa was doing this, just like he had that one time after their skating race. She had come so far, learned so much, and it seemed as if she didn't need him anymore to teach her. He felt both awed and impressed by her.

"Can Elsa tell Jack something?" she whispered, causing him to chuckle at her continued use of the third person. He sighed happily as he watched the glittering snowflakes land in her hair. She was so beautiful.

"Yeah," Jack replied as they came to a stop, their arms still around each other.

Elsa gazed into his eyes, her expression soft, her expression lovely. "Elsa loves Jack and she wants Jack to stay."

His stomach tied in a knot as he tried to fight back a smile, but was hugely unsuccessful as a grin spread across his face anyways. All this time, he felt as if he needed to keep his distance from her, but that only seemed to hurt them both. Maybe, just maybe, it would be okay to try.

Jack caressed Elsa's jawline with his thumb, returning her happy and hopeful gaze. "Jack loves Elsa too, and he's not going anywhere."

She let out a breath that she seemed to have been holding before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss. It took him completely by surprise, but then he melted into the kiss, allowing the warmth to seep into him, to wash over him, fill him with the joy and happiness that he had deprived himself of. Jack loved Elsa so much, and if he could help it, he would never let her go again.

Elsa-Chapter 28

Elsa couldn't remember ever being this happy. It was the best dang kiss she'd ever had. Except for that long one after that. And the one after that, and every kiss they'd shared since. She knew she had set the servants' wing on fire with gossip, but she didn't care. For the first time in her life, she felt as though she truly belonged somewhere. And that somewhere was Jack Frost's arms.

Sitting in the library, she combed through the oldest and dustiest books she could find, anything to help her discover how her mother had given Jack his powers. She had asked him to retell the story over and over again, trying to figure out how to replicate it so she could restore his power over winter. But all she had managed so far was dead end after dead end. What was she missing?

"Hey," Jack said, coming into the room with a tray. "I had Mara do me one of the many favors she owes me and stop in the human realm for this."

He set the tray down on one of the tables and pulled the lids off of two containers of chicken noodle soup with a flourish. "Voila. Your favorite."

"You're so sweet," Elsa smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist and giving him a kiss that sent a warm shiver all the way down her spine. "I'm glad you're here, I've been at this for hours with no luck."

Jack squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. Well, at least it was meant to be comforting. Elsa felt as though she was failing him. She didn't have any more answers than she had a week ago when he had lost his powers.

Because of me, she reminded herself. If she hadn't slipped out of the palace, this probably wouldn't have happened.

"You're blaming yourself," Jack chided teasingly. "Stop that."

Elsa felt a small smile forming on her lips at his words. "Okay fine, but I feel like I'm missing something vital and I don't know what it is."

"Come have some soup," Jack prodded, handing her a spoon. "You've been stressing yourself out too much over this."

"Mmm, soup. My favorite."

Both Jack and Elsa whipped around to find Theo, Alyssa, and Mara standing in the library behind them. It was Theo who had spoken, helping himself to Jack's container of soup.

"You weren't going to eat this?" he asked, slurping up some noodles with a grin. Jack rolled his eyes, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

"Not anymore I'm not."

"Good," Theo boomed, his voice like a tree falling in a quiet forest as he clapped Jack on the shoulder. "How's the search going?"

"Terrible," Elsa answered for Jack, rubbing her temples. Theo was always so loud and she worked better in silence. "I've combed through almost the entire library but come up empty."

"We'll find something, Jack," Alyssa simpered, squeezing Jack's arm. Elsa raised her eyebrows at the Spring girl, giving her an icy stare until she blushed and let go, hastily backing away.

"If Jack can't regain his powers, the whole natural order will be thrown out of balance," Mara said, wringing her hands together nervously.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Jack muttered, casting Mara a glare which she returned with equal fervor. Elsa had never met two more opposite people in her life and it was clear they didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things. Or most things, really.

"There might be a way," Theo said slowly. "It's risky, but it might be worth it."

Elsa looked up hopefully at Theo just as Jack said, "No" with a definite note of finality to it.

"What is it?" she asked, casting an uncertain glance around at the Seasons.

Jack shook his head at Theo, but Theo just rolled his eyes. "She has a right to know, Jack."

"Know what?" Elsa demanded in a frustrated tone. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Theo…" Jack started, a dangerous undercurrent in his voice but Theo spoke anyway, his own voice overpowering Jack's.

"There's a place, I'm not even sure if it's real or not because I've never been there where the first Snow Queen was created. I don't know what's out there, but there's no better place to learn about magic than its original source."

Elsa's eyes widened eagerly as she asked, "Where is it?"

Theo cast a furtive glance at Jack before saying, "East of the sun, west of the moon."

"East of the sun, west of the moon," Elsa repeated wonderingly. East of the sun and west of the moon was as far north as it was possible to go in Ledas. Further than far, more distant than distance could measure, impossible to reach without magic.

"Can we do that?" Elsa asked wonderingly. She had never tested her powers on such a long journey before and Jack, even though he still had some of his powers, wasn't at full strength. "Is it even possible?"

Theo shrugged. "There's only one way to find out. Many have tried before, but no one has been successful."

Elsa glanced at Jack, she was willing to do whatever she had to do to restore his powers to him.

"Elsa," Jack said warningly. "It's a dangerous journey. Ledas just got its queen back, don't throw it away for me."

Elsa rounded on him, her frustration finally reaching breaking point. "If you think there's anything I wouldn't do for you then you're wrong, Jack. I'm going to the place of the first queen, the only question is whether or not you're coming too."

The Seasons all turned to stare at Jack who looked around at them all nervously. "Can I have a few minutes alone with Elsa?" he demanded of the room at large and the Seasons disappeared as quickly as they had come.

"Elsa, it's a dangerous journey and I can't protect you like this," he whispered, his warm brown eyes finding hers and holding them. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Rising up on her tiptoes, Elsa wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him into a sweet, slow kiss that made her toes curl.

"I know you want to protect me," she said softly. "It's one of the things I love about you. But let me fight for you this time, I owe you that much. Please, Jack."

Heaving a deep sigh, Jack said, "No matter what I say, you're not going to change your mind, are you?"

"Nope," Elsa giggled, her eyes sparkling with humor. "It's one of the qualities that makes me so endearing."

Jack let out a snort of derisive laughter. "So irritatingly stubborn is endearing now, is it?"

"It is," Elsa grinned, giving him another kiss. "Pack your bags, Jack Frost. We leave at dawn."

Jack-Chapter 29

The further north they traveled, the harder the wind bit, and even Jack started to get a little bit fed up with it. The wind didn't obey him. The snow didn't obey him. It was only a matter of time that this ice horse that Elsa had created for him would stop obeying him too. If only he still had his Season magic, then maybe this tempest would stop.

"Jack?" Elsa asked, almost having to shout as the angry winds howled past their ears. "Did my mother ever do this? Did she journey out here for the same thing we're seeking?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders, squinting against the blizzard racing past him. He started to get a little worried because now he could feel the bite of the cold, whereas just a week earlier it hadn't been a problem. "It's hard to say. She kept some very big secrets from me, obviously." He chuckled at his joke, but Elsa didn't seem to find it funny as she glared back at him. "Elsa, your mom was five hundred and forty-three years old before she died. That's almost twice my age. She might have attempted this journey, but she might not have. I can't say for sure."

Elsa sighed, looking more lost than ever, and he wished he could wipe that expression right off her face, but he didn't know how. Hopefully they found this place, but part of him didn't feel very confident about it. Just like Theo had said earlier, many have tried to find it but none have been successful. Then again, none have been quite as desperate as he and Elsa were.

They trekked onward, traveling miles and miles on their horses, but the longer they traveled, the wearier Jack became. The cold, icy wind stung his face as they continued forward, and he felt both freezing cold and feverishly hot at the same time. His muscles ached, his eyes drooped. He felt so tired…

Involuntarily, his body pitched to the side and he started to fall, not able to catch himself before he collapsed into a drift of snow.

"Jack!" Elsa shrieked as she jumped off her horse and ran to his side, cradling him in her arms. "Are you okay? Look at me!"

"I'm okay," he lied, attempting a chuckle, but that chuckle just turned into a hoarse cough. What was going on with him? He felt… He felt… His eyes widened as the realization hit him.

He felt mortal.

It had been so long since he felt like this, but he remembered his time as a mortal well enough to realize that even this wasn't normal. Jack was sick, and he didn't think it was any normal mortal illness. His loss of power was affecting him negatively, making him sick to the point of exhaustion.

"Jack, we need to turn back around. You need help."

He shook his head stubbornly as he shakily got to his feet, latching onto his horse to help support his weight. "We're not going to get the help we need by going back. We have to continue forward."

"But Jack!" Elsa protested, her eyes penetrating right through him. "You can't tell me that you can continue in your condition. Please."

Shaking his head, Jack struggled to climb back onto his horse. "Come on. We have to go." He urged the horse onward and Elsa just gawked as he walked past. But then she jumped on her horse and followed after him, seeming to keep quiet about it all, but he didn't miss the way she glanced over at him often, the concern in her eyes increasing by the minute.

Jack squinted his eyes as the blizzard became even worse. Usually he'd have no troubles with being in a blizzard, but now…

His breath caught fearfully in his throat as he tried to move the snow away from hitting him, but it didn't obey him. His magic… It was gone.

"Okay, that's it," Elsa said quietly as she took his horse's reins from him and jumped off, leading him and her own horse toward the side of the mountain where it wasn't quite as snowy. "I think you need to rest, Jack."

He shook his head. "I don't need to rest. I've never needed to rest."

Her lips pressed together as she glanced up at him. "Okay, then I need to rest. I can't stand this storm any longer." But even as she said that, he knew she was lying to him. The snow hardly touched her except for several flakes that made a nest in her hair. She was only making them stop because of him.

As they neared the mountainside, Elsa created an ice cave that cozied up next to the rocks and retained the warmth inside, sheltering them from the tempest just outside. She then sealed the entrance closed and turned on Jack again who had already found a comfortable place to sit on the ground.

"Will you tell me what's going on?" she demanded with her hands on her hips.

"Nothing," Jack replied as he smiled at her. He didn't want her to worry. "I'm just not used to riding a horse, that's all."

Her face fell into uncertainty, but she let it slide as she sat across from him, creating a mesmerizing ice fire that flickered gently on the cave walls. It felt so calming. So soothing…

Jack slowly lowered himself until he laid on the ground of the cave, watching as Elsa played with the "fire". She was so talented, and he couldn't help but marvel at her abilities.

He fought heavily against his drooping eyelids, but soon enough he just couldn't fight it anymore. For the first time in two hundred and seventy-four years, Jack slept.

Elsa-Chapter 30

Watching Jack sleep, Elsa brushed his hair away from his forehead, but her fingers paused in the tips of his hair, noticing something she hadn't before in the blinding snow. The tips of Jack's hair were no longer white.

Her heart started beating fast as she studied his face intently. A few lines had appeared around his eyes that hadn't been there before and it dawned on her. Jack hadn't just lost his powers—he was dying.

Elsa's brow furrowed. Jack was over three hundred years old. How long did she have to restore his powers to him? Closing her eyes, Elsa could feel Jack's pulse beneath his skin. It was there but it was weak. What would she do if…?

But she stopped herself before she could finish the thought. It would shatter her if Jack didn't survive this. She had never fully understood the consequences of falling in love with someone immortal until she realized that Jack might not survive. But now she understood fully. Now she understood Jack's reluctance, his hesitation to be with her. Now she comprehended just how painful it would be to lose someone because now she felt terrified she would lose him.

A sudden realization hit her. The fire giants had known exactly what they were doing, taking Jack out. Without him, they could easily breach the seal, which had been fragile enough already, and without him there would be no winter anywhere which meant that Vatra could subject the other realms easily without fear of frost or cold.

When the first light of morning broke, Elsa shook Jack awake, hoping against hope that they could make it to the place of the first queen in time. If they didn't, she not only failed all the other realms, she also failed Jack. And right now, Jack was all she could think about.

"Come on, get up," she said, silently thanking the overeager chef who had packed them multiple containers of food. "And eat some of this. I'll go get the horses ready.

She stood up to go outside but Jack caught hold of her hand and wouldn't let go until she turned to look at him.

"Hey," he said, those brown eyes that she had fallen in love with warm and gentle on her own. "I'm going to be fine, El. I promise."

Elsa's eyes filled with tears as she knelt down and pulled Jack into a kiss. "Of course you will be, because I won't stop until I find a way to heal you."

Smiling sadly, Jack said, "Just remember to prepare yourself. If we can't find a way, I'm going to—"

"Stop!" Elsa cried, burying her face in his shoulder. "Stop it, Jack Frost. Because I can't live without you. I love you too much."

He held her for a few moments, protecting her still even though she was supposed to be the one saving him. "You know, it's really undignified for a queen to be crying this much."

Elsa pulled back to look at him and saw the corners of Jack's eyes crinkling mischievously. The lines had deepened slightly now that he was mortal, but she liked that. It made him look more handsome and mature.

"Oh, shut up," Elsa grinned, laughing in spite of herself. "Eat your breakfast otherwise I might leave you here to save myself the annoyance."

Jack's grin widened as he opened one of the containers of food. "Whatever you say, princess," he teased. "You're the boss."

Elsa stood up again, unsealing the entrance to the cave and stepping outside. The storm still raged but she was able to still it enough to set to work. It had become abundantly clear to her that Jack wasn't in a state to travel on horseback anymore so she began pulling the flurries together, fashioning another, much larger sleigh that would hold both of them and their provisions. She had made the runners on this sleigh extra sharp and smooth so that they would be able to travel quickly because speed was essential at this point. The horses allowed themselves to be led into the harness she had created and she coupled them together, hoping against hope that they would arrive before it was too late.

"Look what I found in one of our packs," Jack smiled, holding up a reindeer pelt blanket as Elsa returned to the ice cave. "When we get back, I want to personally thank the servant who packed it."

Elsa chuckled, glad to hear Jack talking about making it back. It might only have been for her benefit so she wouldn't be so afraid, but all the same, it was good knowing that he hadn't given up yet.

"I'll put these in the sleigh," she said, gathering the rest of their provisions and unsealing the entrance to the cave again. After she had stowed them, she went back inside to where Jack sat with his back against the frozen wall of the cave.

"Never thought I'd say this again," Jack laughed grimly. "But I'm actually freezing."

Elsa bit her lip that she had chewed raw from worrying about Jack.

"Come on," she murmured, motioning for him to follow her out to the sleigh. Before they exited her snow cave. Elsa raised her hands and commanded the snow to stop flying around them, creating a bubble in which they could walk to the sleigh.

Jack raised his eyebrows in amusement as he said, "Wow, cool new trick, princess."

"I learned from the best," Elsa grinned. "Climb in the sleigh, I want to try something else."

Jack did as he was told and Elsa wrapped him in the reindeer fur blanket before piling a blanket of snow on top of that for extra warmth. As long as it didn't melt, it would protect him from the frigid temperatures.

"How does that feel?" she asked, wondering if she had done enough to protect him from the storm. She'd have to let the snow fly once they began their journey again in order to use magic to speed them along.

In answer, Jack reached out and smoothed his thumb along the worried crease in her brow, giving her a smile. "You worry too much, Elsa. I'm fine, let's go."

Elsa nodded, climbing into the sleigh next to him and urging the horses forward. The snow began swirling faster around them and the wind began to howl as she let go of the storm and focused her magic instead on moving them forward. They couldn't speak over the rush of the wind, but Jack squeezed her hand once or twice to assure her that he was still alright.

The blinding storm made it seem as though time didn't pass. It was impossible to tell if they had been out here for days or for a matter of hours. She made sure Jack ate, she made sure Jack slept when he needed to, all the while speeding the sleigh forward with her magic toward the place east of the sun, west of the moon where the first snow queen had been born.

"Are you alright?" she asked Jack above the screaming wind. She caught the flash of Jack's teeth, whiter than even the blizzard, as he smiled.

"I'm alright for now, Elsa," he smiled weakly. "But, and no offense to your excellent sleigh here, but I really want to get out."

"When we get there," Elsa promised, wondering in the back of her mind if they would ever get there. Theo's words echoed in her mind again, many had tried and many had failed. Elsa put on an extra burst of speed, pushing the horses faster. She would not fail. She could not fail Jack.

After what felt like at least another two days, they were running low on provisions and Jack was growing quieter and more withdrawn, as though conserving all the strength he had left.

"Jack?" Elsa asked, but there was no response. She checked to make sure he breathed, his pulse erratic but there as he shivered. "Jack!"

Still no response. Elsa felt tears threatening as she spurred the horses onward with her magic.

"Please, please," she murmured, touching his soft hair gently. "Please don't die on me, Jack."

He stirred a little under her touch, but his eyes remained closed. Elsa kept a hand on him for the next several hours, periodically checking to make sure he lived. Suddenly, she felt him go limp under her hand and she let out a gasp.

"Jack!" she screamed. "No! No no no no no no!"

She was trying so desperately to revive him that she hadn't even noticed that the storm had suddenly ceased around them until the horses came to an abrupt halt. Elsa looked around wildly. There was ice surrounding them on all sides, carved into fantastic shapes by the wind, almost like the palace but created by natural forces. It was warmer here too, she noted, the snow melted in patches across the barren landscape. She caught sight of a pool of water in the center of the ethereally beautiful landscape, before turning her attention back to Jack.

"Jack, wake up," she murmured. "Please wake up."

At last, his eyelids flickered open and he stared up at her confusedly. "What happened? Where are we?"

Elsa smiled in relief that he was awake. Soon, she'd be able to restore him to his powers. Soon, he'd be alright.

"I think we've reached the place of the first snow queen."

Jack-Chapter 31

At first Jack could only see white. White floor. White ceiling. White walls. But then designs and structures began taking shape, spinning into a beautiful, untouched palace. Magic seemed to be keeping it altogether, and he didn't have to be immortal to be able to feel the magic that radiated off this place. But as he looked around, he felt a memory stir up inside of him. It was a memory of a long, long time ago, but he remembered. He had been here before.

Jack's ears pricked up as he heard a familiar voice, one that he would have gladly died for. Jack. Jack, wake up. It's time for you to choose. Will you live and serve me? Or will you die?

Those words… He had heard those words before. He remembered being engulfed by an icy lake, and then a hand reached down and pulled him out. Pulled him out right here…

Jack, the voice said again, and Jack glanced around wildly for the source. They weren't alone.

"I'm sorry!" Jack cried, the anguish he felt over the past twenty-two years washing over him. "I didn't mean to let you die. Please forgive me."

Jack, Delani said much more gently this time, and he could see a flicker of a light just feet away from him. No one ever truly dies. We are born from the earth, and we are given back to the earth. I lived well beyond my years. I lived a fulfilling life, and I don't regret a thing.

Elsa's eyes widened both with fear and hope. "Jack, who are you talking to?"

The light just feet away blossomed outward, and a familiar, lithe figure appeared, very white and very transparent, but Jack would recognize her anywhere.

"Your Majesty," Jack whispered feebly as he inclined his head from where he still sat on the sleigh, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Elsa's eyes widening, but he could tell that she still didn't see anything. Probably because Jack was on the edge of death, and only dead people could actually see the dead. As Jack Frost, he could see glowing orbs in Miris, the Realm of the Dead, but never actual human forms like he saw now.

"Am I going to die?" he asked in another whisper as he reached out to Delani and took her hand. It felt wispy and fragile, nothing like a regular human hand.

Maybe, she replied softly. But a better question is… Are you ready to give up?

Jack glanced over to Elsa, her warm blue eyes meeting his. Even though she could only hear his side of the conversation, she seemed to take it all in stride. "No," he whispered, turning his attention back to Delani. "I want to serve your daughter just like I served you. I love her. Please let me be with her."

Queen Delani shook her head sadly. There's nothing I can do for you. I may have created you, made you what you were, but I no longer have power. Elsa has it now. It transferred to her the moment I died. She has power enough to create a new Season, a new Winter. But she cannot renew what you have lost. Do you not remember Jared? The Summer Season before Mara? We did all we could to try and revive him, but he still passed onto the other side. There's nothing Elsa can do for you, Jack. I'm so sorry.

Jack covered his eyes with his free hand to try and hide his emotions that began pooling over. He was going to die. This trip had all been for nothing.

Do not despair, Jack. There is something that I can offer. Queen Delani dropped his hand and approached Elsa, caressing her cheek gently. My baby girl. I wish you could hear me, I wish you could see me. I love you more than anything else in all the realms. I know you will make the most incredible queen that Ledas has ever seen. So let me share my experiences with you, let me share my memories with you just like the queen before did for me.

Delani placed her hands on either side of Elsa's head and closed her eyes, and Jack could see wisps of white transparent tendrils pass between mother and daughter. He had no idea what Elsa saw, what she felt, what she heard, but he hoped it would be enough for her to create a new Winter, one that could help protect Ledas in their time of need.

When the white wisps stopped, Delani kissed Elsa's forehead and smiled. Goodbye, sweet Elsa. You are more courageous than you know. And then she began to fade more and more until she disappeared completely, even her small, shining orb disappearing with her.

"Jack!" Elsa exclaimed as she stumbled toward him. "You're not going to die. I can heal you. I can heal you!"

Jack shook his head slowly, sadly. "You can't do anything for me, Elsa. I'm so sorry. I love you. Please leave me here and return to your people. They need you."

"No," Elsa replied stubbornly as her voice cracked with emotion. "You can't die. I'm not going to let you die." She pressed her hands to his heart, and those same white tendrils shot out, licking him, tickling him, and surprisingly, they made him feel better, stronger, but he knew it wouldn't last. Whether or not he or Elsa wanted him to, he was still going to die.

"Come on," Elsa said, taking the reins of the sleigh and was just about to hop back inside.

Jack shook his head and climbed out of the sleigh, pulling her toward the pool of water in the middle of the palace. "That will take too long. I vote we travel in style."

Elsa-Chapter 32

Jack was acting more like himself but she knew this was only a temporary fix. She wasn't sure how her mother had come to her from Miris, but she had felt her near and then all of a sudden memories that were not her own began swirling through her mind, startling her at first but then she realized what they were. Her mother had given her a wonderful gift. Sharing not only the wisdom and experience she had gained as queen, but also small memories of the two of them together, such as when Elsa had first been placed in her mother's arms after birth, her mother dancing around the empty ballroom with Elsa in her arms, how her mother had held her close and cried before placing her in Mara's arms to be taken to the human realm. Elsa treasured these little moments more than all the knowledge and power she had received from her mother. They were the most precious gifts she had ever been given.

"You ready?" Jack asked, taking her hand as they prepared to jump into the pool. Elsa nodded, knowing that if she concentrated on the palace, the pool would take them to where they needed to be.

"I think so," she nodded, waving her hand over the pool so that some of her magic fell on its still waters. The pool shimmered for a moment, the image of the palace of ice flickering across the surface before dissipating. Taking a deep breath, Elsa said, "Ready when you are."

"On the count of three," Jack nodded. "One, two, three!"

They jumped at the same moment, landing in the pool. Elsa had expected to feel water rising around her, but instead she felt herself suspended in space for a moment before being whisked away through a whirl of sound and color. Elsa closed her eyes nervously and felt Jack squeeze her hand comfortingly until the motion and the noise stopped and they were back in the courtyard of the palace.

"You okay?" Elsa asked, glancing over at Jack. He seemed better than he had but still a little unsteady on his feet. Placing a hand on his heart again, she closed her eyes and felt her magic begin to work within him. She had always thought of her powers of more or less the power of death and cold, but her mother had shown her how it could be used for healing, for mending. Jack sighed under her touch, closing his eyes with a small smile.

"I'm better now," he grinned, giving her a kiss. "Thank you."

Elsa smiled. "I can do that as often as you need me to. You won't have your powers, but at least you won't—"

"Die?" Jack asked, a teasing smile on his face. Elsa bit her lip, her heart aching at his words. She couldn't keep him alive forever, but she could prolong his life for a little while longer.

"Please don't say that," she whispered, her eyes welling with tears. "Jack, I love you. I don't want to lose you."

Jack wrapped her in his warm, strong embrace, drawing her close to him. "I'm not going anywhere yet, love. Don't worry. As for death, I'm not afraid to die. I'm only sad for what I'll leave behind someday." Kissing her gently, he said, "But let's not focus on that now, I still want to spend every bit of time I have left with you."

Elsa nestled herself into the safe space his arms created for her, letting herself be calmed by the strength of his arms. She knew that someday they would be parted, but she didn't want it to happen. It would hurt too much.

"I love you, Jack," she murmured into his chest, blinking back tears. At least now she had bought them time that they could spend together. She'd take whatever she could get.

"I love you so much."

Jack's arms tightened around her and he gazed down into her eyes. "I love you too, Elsa. Not even death can stop our love, all it can do is delay it for a while."

Elsa giggled. "You've seen The Princess Bride, haven't you?"

"I saw it when it came out in theaters in 1987," Jack grinned. "I'm impressed you caught that reference."

"Movies are one of my favorite things in the human realm," Elsa laughed. "I doubt you could out movie reference me."

Jack pulled her in for a kiss when it happened. There was a loud crack and rumble as the Seasons appeared. They all looked frightened, even Theo who Elsa had never seen get ruffled by anything.

"The seal has ruptured," he said. "The giants are coming."

As if they had heard his words, another rumble sounded and the giants burst through the crumbling seal with so much force that electricity crackled through the air around them. Roars filled the air as the giants beat their chests and the Vatran armies raised their swords with war cries that made Elsa's blood run cold.

"Run!" Jack bellowed to the others. "Run now!"

Jack-Chapter 33

Jack did the only thing he could do. He grabbed a quiver of arrows, slung a bow over his shoulder, and strapped a sword onto his belt. He may not have his magic anymore, but he'd fight for Ledas with his every last breath.

"What are you doing?" Elsa gasped, grabbing onto his elbow before he could disappear.

"I'm a guardian of this realm with or without my magic, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. Get the Ledans to safety. There's a place between our realm and Silva where they can escape. We'll hold the Vatrans off."

"You don't have any powers!"

"Just do it!" Jack growled before he started running, not away from the attack, but toward it. If he was going to die, then this would be an honorable way to go.

As soon as Jack got close enough to the slow, looming giants overhead, he cocked an arrow, aimed, and fired, the arrow springing forward and lodging itself in between one of the giant's eyes. The arrow was just barely big enough to penetrate the giant, taking him to the ground while tripping several other giants in the process which Theo took down by smashing them with a giant oak tree.

With all his might, Jack kept fighting, but he knew they were hardly a match for the giants. Jack and Mara were the most powerful of the seasons, and Mara's magic didn't work against them. They only absorbed her heat, her fire.

"Watch out!" Alyssa cried as a spout of fire traveled in his direction and she ran at him, taking his hand, and suddenly they were another ten yards away, but Jack was drenched from head to foot with water. Alyssa's way of traveling was extremely unconventional, especially when he was a mortal. "You don't have magic," Alyssa gasped, her eyes wide.

He shook his head, cocking another arrow. "Nothing at all. I'm hardly any use to you. Don't worry about me anymore. I'm dead either way. Go! I'm right behind you."

She reluctantly nodded her head and rushed forward, sending a roaring river in the giants' direction. When the water made contact with the giants, they sizzled, steam rising up to the skies, and just that was enough to take about ten of them down. Surprisingly, Alyssa was now the most powerful of them all against the giants.

"I'm melting them!" Alyssa squealed, looking in Jack's direction for approval, but he just rolled his eyes and gave her a thumbs up. What would she do without him around?

A giant got close enough and made a grab for Jack, but he dodged out of the way and sliced the giant's hand with his sword, thick, black blood dripping out onto the snow. There were too many of them.

Right as he was despairing, a sliver of ice shot right past him and impaled a giant through the throat. All of the Seasons glanced back at him with wide, surprised eyes, but he shrugged. That wasn't him.

"Jack!" Elsa cried as she stumbled over to his side, spilling the contents of her bag beside his feet. The splinters of his staff…

"What are you doing here?" Jack growled, watching as more and more giants broke through the seal. "I thought I told you to take care of the Ledans." He cocked another arrow and let it fly, taking another giant down with it.

"I did," she panted. "The ones I could find are safe. I'm here to help you fight."

Jack panted hard as well. His body was so much weaker. It had been so long since he felt so mortal and so helpless. "You're the Ledans' last hope. Leave, Elsa. Leave and find a safe place to create another Winter who can replace me."

Her eyes widened as she shook her head. Right then, a giant slammed down his fist, creating fire sparks that flew in all directions that they had to jump out of the way to avoid.

"Elsa," Jack shouted, his heart rate accelerating as the giants started closing in. "You need to make another Winter. Do it now!"

"No!" Elsa screamed as they dodged another spout of fire from the giants. "Jack, you'll die!"

He grit his teeth together. He already knew that because there could only be one Winter, and if she created someone else just like him, he would die instantaneously. "When you have to choose between me and your people, you always must choose your people. Even Jack Frost isn't meant to live forever. If you love your people, let me go."

"I can't!" Elsa sobbed, using her magic to cause ice to crawl up six of the giants, into their mouths, and choke them from the inside out. "Jack," Elsa begged again as she latched on tightly to him. "I love you. Please don't make me do this."

Jack kissed her for what he felt like the last time and shook his head sadly. "Alyssa can only do so much. You need Winter to maintain balance in all the realms and to keep the giants from dominating over the other realms as well. You. Don't. Have. A. Choice."

"I'm sorry," Elsa sobbed as she stepped away from him. "I'll never forget you, Jack. Never."

"I know," he whispered as he backed away. "And I'll never forget you either."

And then he ran off to join the fight again, doing his best with all his mortal might to protect Elsa as she knelt to the ground right then and there with her hand pressed tightly to the ground, her eyes glazed over with frost. She was looking. She was seeking. And hopefully she'd find another Winter soon, because he didn't know how much longer the three of them would last.

Jack cocked an arrow and pulled the string of his bow back, but before he could get any further, a large black and red hand came out of nowhere and slammed against him, hitting him hard against the trunk of a tree. He gasped in pain as he fell onto his hands and knees, his ears ringing and his eyesight becoming blurry. He forgot how much being mortal hurt. It hurt a lot.

In his momentary disorientation, one of the giants managed to break through and headed straight for Elsa who was so occupied with using her magic to find another Winter that she didn't see him coming. The giant plucked her right off the ground, his eyes thirsty for blood, for vengeance.

She shot him several times with her ice, causing the giant to drop her, but he just caught her with his other hand, a sneer spreading across his face as he glared right into Elsa's eyes. "Try not to struggle too much on your way down." And then the giant opened its mouth, getting ready to drop Elsa right inside. Jack reached for an arrow and shot it blindingly fast, hardly paying attention for what he was aiming for. The arrow lodged itself in the giant's eye socket, causing him to drop Elsa for good this time and stumble backward as he screamed. But by now, all the giants were looking at Queen Elsa. All eyes were on her. They were going to kill her.

Jack rushed over to where Elsa had dropped his staff shards and he did his best to put it back together again, but nothing happened. Again and again, he tried to slam the pieces together, looking up every two seconds in horror to see the giants advancing on Elsa.

"Come on you stupid thing!" Jack growled as he slammed the pieces together again, his heart racing with fear. A sense of urgency filled the atmosphere. He needed this to happen and he needed it to happen now!

His eyes lit up in hopeful surprise as the shards of his staff melted back together to form one long, sturdy, icy staff. He could feel the magic working through him, entering into every cell in his body, through his very core. And then a grin spread across his face.

Jack Frost was back.

Elsa-Chapter 34

Elsa could feel herself falling but her voice was frozen with fear in her throat so she couldn't scream. This was it, this was how she would meet her end. She closed her eyes and waited for the end that never came. Instead she found herself slowing down until she landed with a soft thwump in the snow. Opening her eyes cautiously, she saw Theo leaning down toward her.

"Come on, lass," he barked, tugging her out of the way as one of the giants made a snatch for her. "We have to get you out of here."

Elsa nodded, casting one last look back at Jack. He was so fearless, so wonderfully selfless—no one deserved to live more than he did and here she was abandoning him to die. The thought made her sick but still she obeyed Theo's commands. Thousands counted on her, she could dwell on her private pain later. If only…

"Hurry!" Theo called, sucking the oxygen away from one of the giants so that its powers were useless as it prepared to launch a fiery blast at them both. He kept taking air from the giant until it crumbled in a heap on the frozen earth. Another raised its arms, preparing to strike Theo from behind but Elsa created a massive shard of ice and drove it up through the giant's chest.

Theo didn't even have time to say thank you before they were running again toward safety where Elsa could hopefully find someone to take Jack's place. The thought broke her heart so badly that she felt as though she couldn't breathe. He deserved so much more than this.

Suddenly, the wind caught and picked up the sound of a small child whimpering in fright and carried it to Elsa's ears. She turned in horror to see two giants bearing down on a small boy who sobbed fearfully for his mother. Without thinking, without pausing to consider, Elsa sprinted toward the child, fear for his life overriding all else. Certainly she could save him at least, even if she couldn't save Jack.

"Elsa!" Theo barked as she ran, but she ignored his calls, hurling sharp shards of ice at the giants to draw their attention away from the small boy.

"Why don't you pick on someone who can fight back?" she screamed, her rage fueling her as she blinded both giants with a hurricane of swirling snow. Running forward, she created a path for herself until she found the little boy, cradling him in her arms.

"It's okay," she whispered, her voice strangled with tears. "I've got you."

Above them, the giants unleashed a fiery blast, tearing through her snowstorm as though it was nothing. They started toward Elsa and the little boy again, but with a wave of her hand, Elsa created a thick, protective dome of ice over their heads to shield them from the giant's attack. The giants began to attack the ice with their fire and it took all of Elsa's strength and energy to hold it together. But she couldn't give up now, she had to save this little boy. She just had to. Somehow losing Jack and losing this little boy had become tied together in her mind and she feared she would break if she couldn't keep the little boy safe.

One of the giant's fists pounded on the top of the dome, creating a fissure in the ice. Elsa hastily repaired it but it was a patch job, it wouldn't hold much longer and she was running out of strength to hold up their shelter.

"Listen to me," she said frantically to the little boy. "When the dome breaks, you run. No matter what happens, don't look back. Just keep running until you find the others."

Another crack appeared and Elsa felt as though she would capsize under the weight of the magic she performed. One more beating like that and the dome would splinter. With a tremendous heave, Elsa thrust more of her magic into the shell, buying them a little time.

"Get ready," she said as the shadow of a giant's fist appeared above them. It hit the dome of ice and shattered the entire thing, sending shards spraying in all directions. The little boy took off as Elsa shot ice at the giants and she hoped against hope that she had managed to save at least one life today. The giants rounded on her and their gaze made Elsa shiver. There was no pity there, nothing but cruelty.

She shot another blast of ice at the giants, but it was met with a more powerful burst of fire. Elsa struggled to keep her footing, but she was already weakened from trying to protect the little boy, she wouldn't last much longer.

Summoning all her energy, she managed to drive another beam of ice through the skull of one of the two giants, causing him to fall to the earth with a sickening thud. The other let out a roar of rage, plucking her from the ground where she stood and holding her tightly in his fist.

Elsa tried to throw more ice in its face but her hands were trapped by her sides and she couldn't free them. The ground was too far away and a breeze would do nothing more than annoy the giant.

"Well, well little Ice Queen," he sneered and Elsa could see the evil in his eyes as he stared at her. "Where is your protector now?"

"As long as the rest of Ledas lives, that's all that matters," she snarled, staring the giant defiantly in the face. The giant let out a rumbling laugh at her words.

"They will be joining you shortly, I can assure you of that."

Elsa closed her eyes, bracing for the end. But it never came. Instead she felt something streak past her and before she'd even had time to open her eyes, the giant was falling, his hold on Elsa slackening. This time she let out a scream as she began to fall, trying desperately to find something to grasp, but her hands meeting only air. She closed her eyes, hoping that her end would be quick. Of all the ways she had ever imagined her life ending, this hadn't been one of them.

"Gotcha!" a triumphant voice sounded in her ear as a pair of strong arms enfolded her. Elsa's eyes flew open, hardly daring to believe that the voice she had just heard was real. But it was real and she found herself staring up into Jack's handsome face, his eyes twinkling with amusement at the shocked expression on her own face. And she realized the tips of his hair were white again.

"Jack!" she cried as he set her down in the snow. "How?"

Laughing, Jack said, "I'll explain later. Right now we kind of have to stop an army of giants that are bent on trying to kill us. You coming or what?"

In answer, Elsa sent another sharp shard of ice through the chest of a giant that was running at them from behind Jack. He turned around just in time to see it fall, clearly impressed by her aim.

"Duck!" he commanded and Elsa obeyed as Jack whirled and sliced the arm off one giant with his sword before encasing it in ice.

"Let's end this," Elsa said, her mouth set in a determined line as she shattered the giant Jack had just frozen into little tiny pieces. "For Ledas."

Jack-Chapter 35

Jack felt powerful. And maybe that was just because he went from being a mortal to being Winter again, but he felt like he could take on the world, or in this case, an army of giants. First thing was first.

As the Seasons distracted the giants, Jack created a thick ice wall that stretched from one side of Ledas to the other. It took so much effort, but with Elsa helping, they managed the feat together. The giants would have to burn their way through the wall, but the longer they spent in Ledas, the more heat they would lose. The Seasons would have them groveling back to their home in Vatra in no time.

Theo, Alyssa, Mara, Jack thought to them and he knew they could hear him. We'll end this once and for all. Join me, and we'll drive them back together.

The others met him at the top of the ice wall, standing side by side by side by side. It felt as if they were all synced, as if they all knew exactly what was going to happen without the need to speak to one another.

Alyssa made the first move, creating a dense fog that drifted down from the clouds and covered the giants so they didn't know which way was which. Mara came next, her strength of power engulfing her as she absorbed the heat from the giants into herself, making them shiver and quake, and even from this distance, Jack could see the fear in their eyes. They didn't like being cold. Not one bit.

The unfortunate thing about Mara absorbing their heat was that it suddenly got really hot around her. So much, in fact, that Jack had to take several good sized steps away from her, but even then he could still feel it.

Enormous winds swept through the land, created by Theo, hammering against the giants so they had to brace themselves. But the harsh winds pushed them backward toward Vatra, toward the place that Jack would make sure they stayed this time.

Many of the giants fled back toward their home, some had to be persuaded even further by Theo's power, but finally, every last one of them had been herded back behind the broken seal, back into Vatras.

"Come on!" Theo shouted as they all stared up at the broken barrier. "We have to fix the seal!"

"No," Jack grumbled, his eyebrows furrowing together. "We don't need to live like this because of fear. The giants will stay where they are with or without the seal. I'll make sure of that."

Jack stepped into the incredibly hot realm of Vatra, but it didn't affect him this time as it did other times. This time his rage fueled him. This time nothing could stop his power, not even the fire.

As Jack walked into Vatra, past hundreds of giants licking their wounds, and toward the black spires of the palace, he froze everything in his wake. He froze the giants. He froze the natural lava hot springs. He froze the very air itself. The sizzling hot realm suddenly became a snowy tundra, and he felt half tempted to leave it that way. He wanted to wipe the giants off the planet completely, but even he knew that would greatly upset the balance.

No one stopped him as he walked straight into the palace with the other three Seasons and even Elsa hot at his heels. His ice crept up the walls of the palace, dousing every flame, freezing every hot breath from the giants. And finally they made it into the throne room where King Matei waited with a disapproving scowl on his face.

"You again," Matei snarled, sitting up to his full height. "I thought we got rid of you when we broke your staff."

"You almost did," Jack replied, a long, frosty breath escaping from his mouth and engulfing the king, making him visibly shiver. "But I decided that I didn't feel like dying today. But that's not why I came here today. I didn't come for me, I came for Queen Elsa and all the other realms. Every inch of Vatra is frozen over with ice right now. I'll take everything touching that ice, even your entire realm full of giants, and I will squash them. Everything in this realm will die unless you agree to never attack the realms again. You and your people will stay in Vatra and never leave. That's the deal."

"You would kill all my giants in the entire realm? Go ahead and do it," Matei laughed evilly, his expression alone challenging him. "I'd like to see you try."

Jack smirked as he pointed his staff at Matei. "That's all the answer I needed."

An icy blast shot right out of Jack's staff and shot straight through King Matei's chest. Matei's body convulsed before every fiber of his being iced over starting from his heart and spreading through the rest of his body. Little by little he froze over, slumping forward lifeless with his evil grin still on his face even long after his death.

"Jack!" Mara gasped, her eyes wide. "You just killed a king!"

"I did," he said quietly, looking away from Matei's black, lifeless eyes. "But he is an evil king and I will not have him on Vatra's throne. Mara, you know the giants in Vatra better than any of us do. Find a good king, and if there isn't one, then we'll wait until there is. The wicked reign of Matei is at an end."

The five of them starting walking back to the broken seal and Mara unfroze everything that Jack had previously frozen. But Jack didn't stop there. There was still so much to do. So much to fix.

Theo, Alyssa, and Mara placed their hands on the seal as well, and little by little, the seal began to dissolve. No longer would the seven realms be bound by the seal. It would be just like it used to be back before Queen Delani had been killed.

When the seal dropped, the atmosphere felt so much lighter, so much freer. He only hoped that the other realms would accept the sudden change, but he felt confident that the giants wouldn't try attacking again. However, they did leave the seal around the human realm. Even the humans would never be able to accept the existence of people like him or the giants or the fae. They would still be allowed to live in their gigantic, ignorant bubble.

"Let's head out and tell the realms the news," Theo said before he disappeared and Alyssa and Mara followed after, leaving Jack and Elsa by themselves.

Jack reached out and took Elsa's hand, a smile forming on his face. "Looks like we have a kingdom to rebuild. Are you up to the challenge?"

She returned his smile and nodded. "As long as you promise to not almost die on me again, then most definitely yes."

Elsa-Chapter 36

Elsa and Jack stood together on the steps of the palace, holding hands and blinking into the bright glare of the sun reflecting off of the icy landscape of Ledas. Elsa still couldn't believe Jack was still here, still Winter, still hers.

"How did you do it?" she asked, lacing their fingers a little tighter together as though afraid if she let go he'd vanish in a puff of smoke. Jack turned and looked at her, his eyes glittering with mischief.

"Would you be mad if I said I really don't know?"

Elsa stared at him in confusion. "You put your staff back together yourself. What I don't understand is how you did it when no one else could."

"I'm not sure," Jack said honestly. "You were seeking out someone to become the new Jack Frost—"

"Yes, but I didn't find anyone," Elsa said in puzzlement. "The only one I could feel with my magic that could carry that burden was you."

Jack chuckled, squeezing her hand. "I think the power was still in me somewhere, I just had to bring it back."

"Well, Queen Elsa is very glad you did," Elsa teased, elbowing him playfully in the ribs. "She was very afraid to lose you."

Drawing her into a kiss, Jack murmured, "Well, now she doesn't have to be. I'm not going anywhere. Like it or not, you're stuck with me."

"I find that perfectly acceptable," Elsa giggled standing on tiptoe, surprising him by pulling him forward by the front of his shirt and planting a kiss on his lips. Jack let out a frosty laugh right in the middle of the kiss and Elsa smiled, her chest warming with happiness. She had been so afraid to lose him. But he was still here, he was still whole, and he was still hers.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," she said, smacking his shoulder playfully. "I don't care how heroic you think you're being. I need you, Jack Frost. Stay with me."

Jack lowered his lips to hers, brushing them gently against his own. "Always, my queen."

"Jack…" Elsa said uncertainly. Was he really reconsidering their relationship? "Jack, I thought you wanted—"

He stopped her words with another kiss, gazing down into her eyes with a tender expression in those warm brown eyes she loved so much.

"You are my queen," Jack said, smiling as he brushed his fingers along the curve of her jaw. "Not just the ruler of my realm, but queen of my heart and my life. I love you so much it hurts."

Elsa smiled, turning so that she faced toward Ledas and leaned into his embrace. Jack tightened his arms around her, holding her as though he would never let go again.

"So what do you think will happen now that the seal is gone?" Elsa asked, a note of apprehension in her voice. "It might be the end of us, forever this time."

"It might be," Jack agreed. "Or the realms might make a different choice."

"The Vatrans are already making overtures of friendship," Elsa said, smiling slightly. "The new king seems much more agreeable than Matei."

Jack chuckled, "He does seem eager to make peace after what happened, our future with the Vatrans looks promising."

"And what about our future, Jack?" Elsa asked, turning her head so she was looking up at him. "What does our future look like?"

"Honestly?" Jack asked, turning her around so she faced him, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I have no idea."

Elsa stared at him, a slight frown creasing her forehead. Jack grinned and kissed the little wrinkle away.

"But I'd love to find out if it means I get to spend it with you," he finished.

There was a cough behind them and Elsa and Jack both turned at the same time to find Theo, Mara, and Alyssa all standing there watching them.

"When you're done being sickeningly cute," Mara said with a wry twist to her mouth, "we'd like to have a brief meeting with you before we all return to our duties."

As they walked away, Elsa put on a mock pout, turning back to Jack. "I'm not done being sickeningly cute yet."

"Neither am I," Jack laughed, giving her another sweet, slow kiss. "Neither am I."

Jack-Chapter 37

Every meeting was always held in a different place, but this time it was held in the Ledas palace for Elsa's benefit. It felt so strange to be back here after so long of staying away, but somehow it felt right.

Jack sat up on the window ledge as the others took a seat down at the long table below with Elsa and several of her new advisors. These advisors were very trustworthy, and Jack even helped Elsa pick them out. He had faith that they wouldn't steer their queen in the wrong direction.

"This meeting has commenced," one of the advisors said as he stood up from his chair. "On behalf of Ledas, we'd like to discuss this new situation with the lowered seals. Seasons, can you guarantee our safety? Can you guarantee the safety of the people of Ledas?"

The three other Seasons glanced up at Jack, almost as if they were thinking the same thing. Jack hopped down from where he sat in the window and began walking slowly around the table.

"Can we really even guarantee anyone's safety no matter the situation?" Jack asked amusedly, a flicker of a grin passing across his face. "There will not always be peace among the realms, especially as time passes and rulers change. The question that you should be asking is… Does the destruction of the seal benefit the people of Ledas? Can they lead better, more fulfilling lives by lowering the seal?"

The advisor opened his mouth almost as if to refute that statement, but then he just lowered his eyes to the table and said nothing more.

Jack absentmindedly spun his staff around in his hand as he continued circling around the room. "What's best for all the realms is interaction instead of isolation. The people of Ledas can interact with the Fae. The Fae can interact with the water realm, and so on. It can be just like how it used to be, and if anyone can tell me why this isn't a good idea with all things considering, please speak up."

No one did, so he returned to his spot at the window and let the meeting continue. They mostly talked about things like Elsa's place as queen, but then the conversation took a quick turn when another of Elsa's advisors asked if Elsa would take a king.

Jack's heart skipped involuntarily as he glanced down at Elsa whose face had suddenly turned red in her flusterment. He had warred with himself ever since he met Elsa, when he found out she was royalty. More than anything, Jack wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but he also knew he had his own duties among the realms. Even so, he fingered the ring in his pocket, wondering if he'd ever be able to give it to her or if she'd choose someone else.

"I—uh—I haven't given this much thought," Elsa said, not once turning her attention to Jack. "Until I get settled in Ledas and understand the people well enough, I will not be taking a king."

"But Your Majesty," the advisor argued. "What better than a king to help guide you through your new reign? This is my council, to find a king befitting Ledas and you two shall marry. You have too many responsibilities as it is, and I think it best to find someone to help carry that burden."

Another advisor piped up. "What about Jack Frost? The people already adore him, he'd be a great fit for the position."

"You forget," Jack growled, one leg hanging over the ledge of the window. "I am Jack Frost. I have my own duties, and even if I was king, I wouldn't be able to spend as much time in Ledas as a king should." His heart ached all over again with the sudden realization that he still might lose Elsa. He couldn't let that happen. It would destroy him.

Jack looked from Season to Season and his heartache only grew. Each of them dedicated their lives to their duties, and he couldn't abandon them or shirk off on his own duties. And then he looked at Elsa who wore an expression mingled with both sadness and embarrassment. He didn't want to be the one who put the sadness in her heart.

It wouldn't be such a bad idea, Theo said to all of the Seasons in their heads so no one else in the room could hear. You two are already courting. I don't have a doubt in my mind that the people would accept you.

Shaking his head, Jack replied, I don't have the capacity to be both Jack Frost and King of Ledas. Besides, what if that's not even what Elsa wants?

Mara snickered softly, and then it turned into loud laughter that the whole room could hear, the others carefully watching this silent exchange. She shook her head and stared intently into Jack's eyes. You would be a fool to think that she'd be okay with marrying any other man than you. Maybe you should ask her what she wants and put aside your own stubbornness about this king thing.

I'm not being stubborn, Jack huffed as he rolled his eyes.

Theo's lips pressed together in disbelief. You really are being stubborn. Think about it this way. You made the decision about the seal and we all followed. We are all supporting this decision to becoming king, and we hope that you'll trust us.

Alyssa let out a loud sniff and tears ran down her cheeks. All eyes in the room turned on her, almost as if confused why she was crying suddenly. The others seemed to know the four of them were having a private conversation, but they didn't know what about.

Jack quickly hopped down from his window ledge and engulfed Alyssa in a hug, his heart full of sympathy. Hey, I'm not disappearing, okay?

I know, Alyssa sniffed, clutching onto Jack even tighter. But it seems like you're going to disappear. I like spending time with you. I don't want her to take it all.

Jack chuckled and rolled his eyes at her. As long as I am Winter and you are Spring, you'll always get a chunk of my time. I'm not going anywhere.

Alyssa nodded and smiled before she let go of him and stepped away.

Turning to everyone else in the room, Jack said, "Elsa is your queen, and you should not make such a heavy decision for her. Queen Delani ruled on her own for a couple hundred years after her first husband died. It's my council to leave Elsa be. If she's ready to marry in the future, then that will be her decision. This meeting is adjourned."

He glanced up for a brief moment and met Elsa's gaze, but then both of them blushed and he had to look away. Saying that he felt a little awkward was an understatement.

"Excuse me," he said quietly as he backed out of the room, wanting to get out of that suddenly hot and stuffy room and out into the cold breeze of the palace ice gardens. He had missed these gardens, not just because he and Queen Delani had created the first gardens, but because people all over Ledas traveled long distances just to see them. They looked spectacular, and most likely only due to the fact that Elsa had restored the gardens to its former glory.

As soon as he was out of sight of the servants and palace guards, Jack let out a long breath and leaned on an icy railing that overlooked a beautiful frozen lake. He'd have to make this into an ice rink so Elsa could skate to her heart's desire. With the responsibilities she had to take on, she deserved something that could bring a big smile to her face.

"Jack?" a timid voice asked from behind him, and his heart immediately leapt into his throat as he turned around and found Elsa standing there, looking absolutely beautiful and regal in her flowing blue gown. Even though she had grown up in the human realm, she belonged here in Ledas. She was born to be a queen.

"Hi," Jack said awkwardly, and he kicked himself for sounding so awkward. To try and make up for it, he reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a quick squeeze.

"I'm sorry about what happened back there," Elsa started, a slight blush forming in her cheeks. "No one should try and make you feel as if you are obligated to be king, because you're not. I know that you don't want to, and that's okay. But I love you, Jack. And I'm not ever going to let you go. I will rule on my own if that means staying with you. Please don't leave me."

Chuckling, Jack placed his hands on her shoulders and gazed earnestly into her eyes. "I'll keep you as long as I possibly can. To love and be loved in return, that's all I've ever truly longed for, and you've given that to me, Elsa. I love you so much."

Her eyes widened slightly in fearful excitement as she stared back at him. "Then marry me, Jack. You don't have to have many duties as king. All I want is you by my side for the rest of my life for as often as I can get you."

Jack's heart rate accelerated as he stared back at her, trying to figure out if this was for real. But just from her expression alone, he could tell that she was most definitely sincere.

His eyes softened as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. "Elsa…" he whispered, placing a kiss as soft as a butterfly's wings on her lips. "You forgot that I was born in the late 1600s and we practiced chivalry back then." He chuckled at his little joke, but then nervousness crept in, his stomach tying in knots. Jack held her gaze as he knelt to one knee, pulling out the beautiful ring in his pocket made of precious stones from the Ledas mines—a marquise stone made from blue diamond with clear white diamonds on either side of it.

Elsa's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes wide. "Jack!" she breathed, looking back and forth from the ring in his hand to his eyes. "This better not be a joke."

"Not a joke," Jack laughed, knowing that he deserved that comment. Not everything that came out of his mouth was a joke. "I've never met anyone like you before, and you make me the happiest I've ever been in my life. I want to make you as happy as I feel every single day. This road won't be easy, Elsa, but if you're up to the challenge, then I am too."

In actuality, the same week that he had lost his powers, he visited the jewelers to have this ring made. He didn't think he'd ever get the chance to propose, but it gave him hope just to carry it around in his pocket.

"Elsa," Jack continued, looking softly into her eyes. "Will you please marry me?"

Tears streaked down Elsa's face as she nodded insistently. "Yes!" she breathed happily, a smile erupting across her face. "With all my heart, yes!"

She flew into Jack's arms and they held each other tightly, only letting go for a brief moment for Jack to slide her ring onto her finger. If Jack had it his way, he would hold Elsa in his arms for the rest of his life, and he'd never let go of her. Elsa meant the entire world to him, and he loved her so much. He'd spend every day of the rest of his life proving that to her. He loved her so much, and he would never let her forget it.

Elsa-Chapter 38

Elsa nervously adjusted the curls that fell gracefully over her shoulder, fiddling with the crown of delicate ice crystals set back against her head.

"Stop fidgeting," Anna laughed, giving her sister a hug. "You look so beautiful, El."

Elsa smiled at their reflection in the mirror, giving her sister a kiss on the cheek. She had gotten permission from the Seasons to let Anna be the only human that could come and go between realms as she pleased so that they wouldn't have to be apart forever. Elsa was so happy that she could have her sister here by her side on her wedding day. Her heart was so full that she felt as though she might burst.

"She's right, you know," Mara grinned from where she sat on the arm of the couch in her delicate, lacy blue bridesmaid gown. "Jack's getting an amazing girl."

Elsa smiled. She was also getting an amazing guy too, one that she cherished with all her heart.

"It's all sooo romantic," Alyssa gushed. For being two hundred and thirty years old, Elsa could sometimes swear she was still a sixteen-year-old girl at heart. "And your dress is beautiful!"

Elsa smiled, twirling a little in front of the mirror. The dress, which she had made herself out of ice crystals, fanned out around her, the ice catching the light and shimmering like stars. She felt beautiful in this dress and she couldn't wait for Jack to see her in it. He had insisted teasingly that it was bad luck for him to see the bride in her dress before the wedding, but Elsa was excited for him to see the full effect for the first time today.

"You know," Mara teased. "Jack's considerably older than you, Elsa. Are you sure you're okay with marrying such an old geezer?"

Laughing, Elsa gave Mara's shoulder a playful shove. It was amazing how over the course of the last few months, she had gone from being alone in the world to having a family of sorts. She had her sister, her best friends, and the man she adored. She didn't need anything else. Even being ruler of Ledas paled in comparison to having someone to love.

"I'm sure I want to marry Old Man Winter out there," Elsa giggled as the music began. Her heart began fluttering excitedly as though a thousand fairies had been unleashed inside her chest. "Quick, hand me my bouquet, Anna!"

Anna handed over the bunch of delicate, red ice roses that Elsa had created for herself, picking up her own smaller bunch in the other hand. "Are you ready?"

"Definitely," Elsa smiled, her heart racing wildly. In a few short moments, she and Jack would be husband and wife. Bonded forever. She liked the sound of that.

Mara opened the door and led the way down the long aisle in the palace chapel, followed by Anna and Alyssa and then Elsa. Elsa had to remind herself to go slow, even when every fiber of her being just wanted to rush down the aisle and into Jack's arms.

Her train trailed behind her, shimmering in the sunlight filtering through the high, colored windows on both sides of the chapel. Hundreds had gathered to watch the proceedings while thousands of Ledans had gathered in the streets outside, celebrating right along with them. But none of that mattered when Elsa saw Jack's face at the end of the aisle. He wore a joyful grin and love shone in his eyes, gazing at her just as she had always hoped.

Finally Mara, Anna, and Alyssa took their place and Elsa took Jack's hand and stepped up on the dais to face him.

"Wow," he breathed, his grin widening. "You are so beautiful! You look wonderful."

Elsa blushed a little at his praise. "So do you," she whispered back. Jack wore a ceremonial white uniform, a blue sash crossing his chest with a snowflake on it, marking him as Winter.

Theo cleared his throat and the music died away, leaving an expectant silence in its wake. "Welcome friends, family, guests. Thank you all for being here to witness this blessed event."

Elsa smiled up at Jack as they took each other's hands. Jack squeezed her fingers, his grin widening as they began their vows.

"Jack, when I was growing up, I didn't really have anyone I could turn to, someone I could call friend, confidant, protector. I always felt like something was missing from my life, but now I'm standing here today, knowing that I have everything I'm ever going to need. You are my family, Jack, and I can't wait to start my life with you."

Jack looked as though he was about to burst from happiness, his warm brown eyes that she loved so much shining radiantly.

"Elsa, I knew from the moment I first saw you that something amazing was about to happen. I've been around for a long time, but I've never met anyone quite like you. You're beautiful, smart, funny, selfless. So many things, I can't even begin to list them all. But know that I love you, and I want to spend every single day showing you just how much."

The crowd let out a little sigh at his words and Theo stood a little straighter, clearing his throat again.

"Elsa, do you take Jack to be your companion, your partner through your life's journey?"

"I do," Elsa smiled, happy tears welling in the corners of her eyes. "I definitely do."

Theo smiled approvingly and turned to Jack. "And now, Jack, do you take Elsa to be your companion and partner through your life's journey?"

Jack's smile was so wide that it looked as though he was about to split his face in half. "You bet I do."

"Then by the power vested in me as a Season of the Realms, I declare you bonded forever as husband and wife."

Elsa watched as tendrils of golden light swirled from Theo, Mara, and Alyssa's hands and began twining themselves around Jack and Elsa's conjoined hands. The glow became brighter and brighter as the magic worked, bonding them together forever. Jack smiled and gave Elsa a tiny wink.

"I love you," he whispered as the light began to fade. "So much."

Smiling teasingly, Elsa whispered back, "I love you too, Old Man Winter."

"Well, don't just stand there," Anna called from her position behind Elsa. "Kiss her already, Jack!"

Everyone laughed and Jack swept Elsa into his arms, dipping her slightly before giving her a kiss that made her toes curl. The audience began cheering and clapping as Elsa and Jack were led out of the chapel and onto the balcony overlooking Ledas. The citizens below roared their approval as Jack and Elsa held up their intertwined hands, waving for the citizens to see. Elsa could still hardly believe it. They belonged to each other and nothing could ever change that.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of joy and excitement until at last she and Jack were left blissfully alone at the end of the night. The Ledans were still celebrating in the streets below with fireworks and dancing. Elsa smiled as she watched them from their private balcony. She couldn't wait to lead them, but more than that she couldn't wait to lead them with Jack by her side.

"And how are you this evening, Mrs. Frost?" Jack teased, spinning her around and catching her in a kiss. Elsa wrapped her arms around him, letting her fingers get tangled in his hair as they stood there together.

"I'm perfectly, wonderfully happy," Elsa whispered, brushing her lips softly with his own. "And how are you this evening, Mr. Frost?"

"I am the luckiest man in all the realms," Jack grinned, pulling her closer to him. "Because I fell in love with you. Tell me, have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Elsa giggled, kissing his cheek. "Yes, but do it again. I never get sick of hearing it."

"I love you," Jack said, kissing her again. "I love you, I love you, I love you."

Elsa returned the kiss, her heart so full she felt it might burst.

"Good," she grinned. "Because I love you too."

About the Authors

Sydney Winward was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and since a young age, has had a passion for writing stories and books. She wrote her first book at age twelve and has only continued to expand on her love of writing. Sydney graduated from the University of Utah with a major in English, and as she follows her passion of writing, her stories and characters come to life.

As a hopeless romantic at heart, Kaitlyn Rowbotham's passion for writing the C.H.A.S.M. series shines through with each character and story that she creates. She is currently attending the University of Utah with double majors in English and Communication. One of the things she loves to do is curl up with a good book and her favorite chocolate, allowing herself to get sucked into the beautiful world of fiction.