'Elsa?'

I look round, catching sight of my sister at the door. She lets herself in carefully, shutting the door behind her and walking hesitantly towards me. I smile, and she bites her lip. I know it's hard for her. I love her, and she loves me, but after the ice incident… I don't think she can trust me yet, and I understand that. It's just hard to think that she doesn't trust her own sister. The only person she had left.

Now, of course, there's Kristoff, and the whole Kingdom seems to love Anna anyway. It's hard to imagine someone who wouldn't – her shy smile, clumsy forgetfulness and – dare I say – adorkableness make her impossible to forget. She flashes me a nervous grin and traces one of the patterns on the floor with her foot. I sigh, and turn away to the window. I know what's coming next.

'So, Elsa… Kristoff and I…' She begins, and I tap my foot against the floor impatiently. Ice swirls out from underneath my shoes as she carries on, her words jumbling together in their rush to be said. 'We've invited a guest round for dinner tonight. I think you'll like him; he's very handsome, but a little shy –'

'For the last time, Anna,' I snap, whirling round, my cape swinging behind me, 'I don't need a man!' She retreats, taken aback. 'I'm happy by myself, Anna. I have you and Kristoff, and the whole Kingdom at my beck and call. Why would I need a man to complicate things?' I wave my hands indignantly, and snow sprays out from my fingertips. It thuds to the ground, and I turn away again. 'I'm happy how I am.'

She comes up behind me and places a hand on my shoulder. I look at it, small and white against my royal robes. Poor Anna. She thinks love can solve anything. I look out across the harbour, out over the deep blue sea. Our parents died in that ocean. Since then, Anna is the only one I've truly loved. Her breath tickles my cheek, her sweet perfume filling the air. She's still a child, as innocent as the day she was born. I just don't know how to tell her.

I'm still looking at my kingdom when Anna leans forward, and whispers, 'He has ice powers too.'

What?

The simple statement hits me, leaving me gasping for breath. I am on my feet in an instant, cradling my hands to my belly. For the first time since I became the true monarch, they feel dangerous and unpredictable. I thought I could control it, but I know I never will… the elements are simply too powerful. Ice plays around my feet. I glare at it, wondering why my powers must portray my emotions. That's the problem. I can't keep a secret anymore.

Anna takes my startled response as happiness (for what? Someone who's 'my kind' of man?) and nods, grinning from ear to ear. 'Yep! He has ice powers, just like you do. I saw him entertaining some of the kids in town and invited him straight in for dinner.' She comes closer and grasps my arm, smiling in utter joy. 'This is it, Elsa. He's the one.'

I pull my arm away and stalk to the other end of the room, leaving a trail of ice behind me. I grasp my arms, begin to shiver. 'Anna,' I begin helplessly. 'I can't – you can't expect me –' She tries to interrupt but I cut her off brutally – 'I can't fall in love just like that!'

The happy smile vanishes in an instant, and her forehead creases in confusion and concern. 'Why not, Elsa? He's the one for you. I know it in my heart.'

'What do you know about love?'

The words burst from my lips before I can stop them, and I clap my hands over my mouth in horror. Ice swirls over my cheeks and into my hair. Anna's eyes widen and fill with tears, but she keeps her voice steady as she walks to the door. 'You can hide in this room for as long as you want, Elsa, but you're never going to get anywhere by it.' Her eyes narrow as she opens the door. 'It's time to make some real choices.'

And as she shuts the door, the icicles close in on me.

'Good evening.'

I sweep into the room in a swish of royal robes and descend gracefully on the party below. My hair is twisted back into an elaborate updo, scattered with ice crystals and snowflakes. I sit down and gaze defiantly into Anna's eyes. She meets them fearlessly. Incensed, we stare at each other in icy silence, until Kristoff coughs and the doors to the dining room open.

'Queen Elsa, I present to you your guest.'

I blink in surprise at the extraordinary figure in the doorway. As he comes forward into the light, my cold demeanour vanishes, and I cannot help but smile. His hoody and creased corduroys really set the mood. In fact, I feel overdressed. He is barefoot – not cold? – and his hand cradles a long, curved stick. For a moment, I'm reminded of the shepherd boys in the hills, but then I notice his hair.

It's white as ice.

I'm still processing this fact when he comes and sits down at the table. He's tall, taller than me, and I can see the wisps of a beard playing round his chin. He's my age. I glance at Anna and see her bitten lips, her hopeful expression. She really cares about me. That's why I have to let her down gently.

'I don't take water, thanks.'

I'm roused from my reverie by the man, who is politely refusing the waiter's drinks. I blink in surprise. I don't take water either – well, how could I, with my hands freezing anything I touch? He catches my eye across the table and smiles nervously. Tea is poured and I take a long sip, feeling hot turn cold upon my tongue. Ice crystals form upon my glass and I set it down, pulling on the gloves set by my side. Too late, I remember not to be ashamed of my power. Oh well. I can't change my actions now.

As dinner is served, we exchange small talk across the table, but it's clear the conversation isn't going to kindle. Anna leaves her plate untouched, instead opting for a small chocolate to eat. As she nibbles, her eyes flick back and forth between the man and I. I don't give her the satisfaction of eye contact. After dessert is served, I rise and thank the man for his courtesy, and nod for him to be shown the door. It's only when he turns to leave that I remember. 'Wait!' I call, and he stops and stares from the doorway. I bite my lip and curtesy, ashamed of my outburst. 'I'm afraid I didn't catch your name.' He smiles a little, brushing spikes of hair out of his eyes. Suddenly, I know his name before he says it.

'I'm Jack,' he grins, 'Jack Frost.'

I stand on the balcony outside my bedroom, still cloaked in my royal robes from earlier. The wooden cloak itches my skin, and I long to change to my snowy gown, to feel the ice close against my heart. The gloves still imprison my hands. I take them off and I'm just beginning to make snow clouds, when I hear a voice behind me.

'That wasn't the real you, was it?'

I spin round in a swish of robes. Jack Frost is standing there, holding his curved stick casually in one hand. I let out a small shriek and stumble backwards, pressing my body against the balcony edge. He doesn't move, just stands there quietly, but I have the sense that he's watching me. Watching my every move.

'You know what? Sometimes I'm just sick of it all.'

My chest heaves, still pumping with adrenaline. His sudden appearance was a shock. He flips his stick idly in his hands, and is about to start talking again when I interrupt him through my gasps.

'I thought you left hours ago!'

He dismisses my comment with a wave of his hand and steps closer. 'There are so many fakers out there,' he says, still watching me out of the corner of his eye. 'People who think they own everything. Think they own the world.

'But they're all scared. Every single one of them. Do you know what they're scared of, Elsa?' I try to rebuke him for his disrespect, but he carries on regardless. I fall silent, listening to what he's saying. 'They're scared of the elements. They're scared of the earth around us, the world we live in; the world that could take away all of their power, just in a snap of the fingers.' He pauses, and looks straight at me. I turn away, face the kingdom that I own. I know what he's saying, I know what he means. That all of us are scared. Scared that, despite anything we are or do, we really are just specks on a spinning ball of rock. Insignificant. Worthless.

He comes up behind me, and places a hand on my shoulder. I know ice crystals are forming beneath his touch. 'I used to be one of those people, Elsa. So afraid for my self, for who I pretended to be, not who I was. But then something happened, something that changed my perspective on the world.' He turns me round to look at him, look at his eyes, shining like stars.

'I died, Elsa. I died to save another. And when I was brought back, I was different. I had ice powers, I was magic, I was – I was like you. And since I came back, three hundred years ago - I've been searching for someone who isn't scared. Someone else like me.

And it's you.'

As his words sink in, I can feel something inside me start to change. A smile breaks out over my face and I tear the gloves from my hands. Someone like me… I'm not alone in what I feel. I know the power of the earth, but I control it. So does he; he has ice powers too! Snow twirls from my fingertips and as the grin spreads from my cheeks to his, I clasp my hands to Jack's and begin to dance.

Faster, faster. Spinning in a never-ending circle, clinging to each other and never letting go.

Snow swirls out from the hem of my cloak, and ice spreads over the balcony floor. His crook carves patterns in the ice. Skates form on both of our feet and we spin on our toes, whirling faster and faster on the ice floor. Ice spreads up my dress and my plait unfurls; I laugh in surprise and he glows in utter happiness. No one has understood me this way; I've never met someone like him before. Something in my chest is beginning to burn. A spark, a flame; a deep, strong flame that burns with the fire of a thousand kisses. And as the crystals reach my sleeves and the blizzard whirls around us, I press my lips to his.

I've spent a long time with a frozen heart.

Perhaps it's time to melt it.

Author's Note: This is just a one-off that I wrote for my Jelsa-shipping friend. I hope you enjoyed, and please leave a review and check out my profile!

IshTheFish2000 x