Hello everyone! This is my entry for Spring!Jelsa Week. The story consists of 7 chapters in total, each will be submitted per day.
Thank you so much for my squad: saturnxk & xxscarletxrosexx as my beta readers (and also awesome writing gurus) 33
This is my 2nd time writing for Jelsa, after I discontinued the 1st one. I'm sorry in advance for my grammars and other mistakes ;u; but I hope you'll like it!
DISCLAIMER: RoTG belongs to Dreamworks and Frozen to Disney.
SPRING JELSA WEEK DAY 1: "Comfort"
Day 1# Prologue
London had never felt this cold.
The snow had just started falling last night, but people could no longer tell the difference. All they knew was that they started getting used to the frostbite and empty streets. Some people decided to just stay and rest at home. While others, whether they wanted it or not, had work or two to do in this chilly weather.
Elsa, was neither both.
The daughter of the head shipments and trades in England was unlike most people, or at least, most ladies. Her violet velvet dress, despite wrapping her figure from neck to toe, contained nothing but few layers underneath. The shawls around her shoulder hadn't convince its warmness either. But her calm demeanour and her reading of "The Condition of the Working Class in England" in front of the dim light of the fireplace, were enough to convince people that they were bestowed by a magnificent, beautiful, and warming scene.
Indeed, the blessing of having an angel-like figure.
It was still early morning, the streak of orange slowly creeping and tearing, finally gave colours to the ever dull, pale sky. Today seemed to be warm and bright. The long wait was finally over.
But it was just another usual day for Winters' household. Their town house, still the same quiet and cold, with the only source of warmth coming from the parlour and the kitchen.
"I take it you borrowed something from my study room again."
The platinum blonde-haired lady looked up. Her lips turned into a smile upon a man who just came inside the living room. Her plan had succeeded.
"I can't help it, they are really interesting," she neatly placed the book on the table. "Are you going out today, Dad?"
"Yes," the said man, no other than Lord Agdar Winters, was Elsa's father. He had a perfectly combed strawberry blond hair and well-trimmed pencil moustache. His freshly ironed shirt and vest were a perfect combination for an important gentleman such as him.
He fixed his tie once again, not bothering to look upon his daughter's eyes. "This snow's causing too many problems. The labourers are protesting."
"Are they asking for day-off's? You should grant their wishes once in a while," Elsa took his usual brown coat, carefully wrapping it around him.
"If only things are that easy," he checked his collar once more, but Elsa had made sure everything's perfect.
"No, I mean, by making shifts and rotating the day-off, you can-"
"Is the carriage ready? Well, I'll be taking my leave now," he put his hat, then heading for the door, leaving the platinum blonde's lips parting, still miles away from finishing her sentences. She sighed. It's not like she could do anything about it after all.
"Oh right, I just received an invitation from Lord Henderson. It's another party invitation, you might as well attend it in my place," he paused for a moment. "If I recall correctly, they have 13 sons. It can't hurt to get to know and get along with at least one of them."
"You mean, I must attend the party," Elsa emphasized, in which her father proceeded to not respond, and decided to walk out the door. Elsa silently followed as he talked to the butlers regarding the preparations and other stuff, which Elsa could have been known if she had been given the chance. But no, instead, she was given another kind of chance. And that was the very reason why she ended up in the town house.
The door opened and the harsh wind greeted their faces. Lord Winters slowly turned to her daughter again for the last time, searching her face. His expression softened.
"You know I have hope in you, Elsa," and there's something in his tone that Elsa noticed. It's not a command, nor even a trust. It's a borderline between both, coming from the weakest heart of a father. It's a concern.
Elsa smiled, as she always had, and as usual, even the cold weather wasn't able to take away the radiating warmth coming from those curved lips.
Then, as gentle as ever, she replied.
"I will not disappoint you, Dad."
Only to have her voice blown in the wind, drowning among the footsteps of the horses of his father's carriage, where its silhouette slowly vanished at the end of the street.
Elsa didn't budge from where she stood. She continued standing there, immersing herself in the scene, for she knew, it would take maybe a week, a month, or if she's lucky, several days until he returned home.
Or if the stars above granted it, he would come home tonight.
"He misses the morning paper again, eh?"
A very familiar, friendly, deep voice broke her reverie. She was pulled back to reality, where snow covered her surroundings and wind blew the locks of her hair.
Elsa wasted no time to turn around and sighed, albeit playfully.
"Well, isn't it Mister Overland," she paused, eyes instantly focused on his feet. "My God, you're not wearing shoes again. Don't tell me you've been like that in this snow?"
In front of her, stood a man with an unkempt chestnut hair and fair, tanned skin. He wore a dishevelled shirt, patched brown trousers which stopped around his ankles, and straps to keep them together, because heaven knew, those clothes were totally oversized on him. A worn out leather bag slung across his shoulder, full with papers and letters. He grinned upon her remarks, showing his perfectly white teeth. No one could deny that he's good looking, despite his wardrobe of choice. He could even melt any ladies' hearts if he wanted to. He was Jack Overland, a friendly and overly charming paperboy.
"You know shoes never worked on me, milady," the said man bowed, curtseying as a high-class gentleman would do. Was it for formality or joke, Elsa couldn't tell. He was always unpredictable.
She let out a sigh. "Your feet will get frostbites if you keep doing that in this cold weather." She eyed his pair of bare feet, concern filling her tone. "I'll ask the butler to get you a pair, come in."
Jack stepped back a little, hands rejecting. "Oh, none of that, milady. Please, no need to trouble yourself."
"I insist, Jack."
He feigned an offended look. "Ladies and their obstinacy. Never trying to argue with 'em."
At his remarks, Elsa couldn't help but chuckle. "You know you couldn't live without them."
He gave her a dour look but ceded the point. Elsa led him inside the house into the front parlour, calling up the butler to supply the said man's needs. Luckily they didn't meet any trouble as his foot size wasn't much different with them.
"How am I supposed to pay all this piling debts?" he finally spoke after the butler gave him a pair of leather shoes, of matching colour with his trousers. He also got a pair of socks as addition. "You know I don't earn enough money for this kind luxury."
Elsa had grown accustomed to all his antics, therefore she didn't feel the need to comment back anymore. She thanked the butler for his help and his tea as he excused himself. Her companion still busy pacing the room (Elsa took it he's testing his new shoes), murmuring debts and all other unnecessary complains.
"Tea?"
"As far as I remember, I came here to deliver morning papers, not to raid a house empty," Jack pouted, finally seating himself on a sofa across her, right in front of the cup of tea presented to him.
It's had always been like this whenever they met. Jack would throw some comments and childish tantrums, making jokes, and Elsa would just roll her eyes or sometimes smile, all in amusement. The first time they met was when Elsa had just moved to the town house for political matters-or at least that's how his father put it because Elsa didn't feel like she's really included in the political discussion. Every morning he would deliver some papers, and Elsa would sometimes catch him as she's sending her father out for departure. Although it had only been 3 months since they first met, they've been quite a pair of good friends ever since.
"You won't raid a house empty just by having a tea, Jack," Elsa giggled, gesturing a hand over her lips as a proper lady would do.
"A tea and a pair of shoes," he added. "And a possibility that it will happen constantly every morning from now on."
She sipped her tea slowly. "That's what we all mostly do, so rest assure."
"Being nobles are surely boring, eh?" he cooed, proceeding to sip his own as well. After a moment of pause, he finally decided to bring up the topic.
"So, I take it Lord Winters is on business trip again?"
Elsa sighed as she placed the cup back on its plate. "Unfortunately, yes. I believe it has something to do with the labours. I read yesterday's paper and since then, father had been unable to stay calm."
"So you read yesterday's paper too? Things have been a mess indeed. And here people are blaming on the weather."
"I'm really sorry you weren't able to meet him up until now."
Jack shrugged, "Well, I'm so eager to meet the infamous Lord Winters." Elsa raised her eyebrow, in which Jack had to defend himself with 'Who's not?'
"But it's not like someone like me could hold him down from important business just to say hi, right?" Coming from him, somehow it sounded cocky instead of humble, and Elsa had to suppress her urge to quip his statement with all her might.
"And your sister?" he heard before that she had a sister, but he never caught her in sight, even after he was finally invited inside.
"She's in the main manor."
"Wow," Jack whistled. "Must be pretty lonely for a lady occupying this big house alone," he's observing the whole room, eyeing every ornaments and antiques. It was his first time brought inside. Usually, they only talked outside, since he had no business of coming inside too, being a paperboy. "If you count out the butlers and maids, of course."
His words left Elsa a bit speechless. She hated it when he does that. Not an actual real hate, but she did feel weak when he's easily exposing her problems. It seemed like he could see right through her eyes. She'd be lying if her reason inviting him in was not partially because she needed some company; someone she could talk, listen, or discuss some stuffs. She didn't know how to put it, but instead of her butlers, maids, or even her chaperone, Jack seemed to be the best person for the task. Especially in this cold, lonely winter.
But she's a lady, the daughter of Winters family. So she straightened her spine, fixing her position to sit regally. Trying to gather all her composure.
"I wouldn't complain about that."
At her answer, Jack only smirked.
"Of course you wouldn't. You are much stronger than that."
And there's something in his tone that filled her heart with comfort.
"Alright'y. Should get going now because people are eagerly waiting for me," he raised from his seat, slinging his bag to his shoulder again.
Elsa rolled her eyes. "You mean, they're waiting for your papers."
Jack winked. "Might as well be waiting for me."
He bowed to her again as they arrived in front of the house, bidding goodbye. "Thank you so much for the shoes and the tea, Miss Elsa Winters. Allow me to repay your debt one day. But not now, sadly, urgent matters call me."
He grinned as he walked away in his pair of new shoes, waving to her for the last time. Elsa watched his back as he visited her neighbour, the next house, and the next again, until she could no longer see him.
But weird. Unlike the heavy feelings she had when her father left, this time her heart felt lighter.
The snowing had stopped and the sun finally took over the sky, embracing the city with warmth they had been longing.
Flames dancing on the woods, trapping them inside the marble frames. The sound of burning lumbers creaked in the silence that had been wrapping the study room of the Henderson household.
A man, on his early thirty's, was sorting a pile of papers and documents scattered on the table. The frown between his eyebrows somehow had been part of his frame for as long as he could remember. He wasn't the office type to begin with, and yet there he was, sitting like a governor. But, for the sake of the better, he's trying his best to finish his part. Stamping, signing, stashing. He'd been doing those repetitive tasks all night. He sighed.
He was too focused that he almost didn't notice the knocks on the door.
"Oh, it's you," he said coldly, after glancing to the party that had disturbed his works.
"I thought maybe you could use some coffee and a company," the man on the door stepped aside, allowing the maid to enter in with a tray on her hands. Two cups of coffee were placed on the small table beside the desk, and she excused herself out of room. "I've asked the maid to brew us the best one," he added as he took a seat across him.
"What do you want?" the other man spat.
"Please, no need to raise your tone, brother. I'm merely here to help," exalted the younger one.
The older and also the busier one, snorted. He proceeded back to his works.
"Wow. Look at all the works entrusted to you. Must be tiring to have them all done without getting any credits."
He shot a glare at the statement.
"I'm just sorting the invitation and reply letters," his eyes piercing at the younger one. "I know my place. And you should know yours."
The younger raised both hands defensively, still maintaining his composure. "I know, I know. I just think you deserve more."
At his silent reply, the young one decided to eye over all the scattered papers. One fancy envelope caught his attention, but it was merely the name written there than the ornament that did.
He took it to get a better look.
"No, he won't come," the older noticed his brother piqued interest in that certain letter. "He has too many problems in his hands to handle already, and an anniversary party is none of them."
His guest didn't reply, still pondering about the letter.
"But it's written they will attend the party."
"Someone will come in his place."
Reading the details written on the letter again, the younger one smirked.
"I see."
I hope you enjoy it so far, next chapter tomorrow ^u^
Thank you for reading! xx