Hello, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy this! By the way, reviews are much appreciated. I'd like to hear everyone's opinions on this story. And if you review, I promise I'll reply to each and every one of you! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians or Frozen

Cover image: Natsumi (Tumblr)

I ran. My breath came in short, ragged gasps and my whole body was covered in snow. My warm breath condensed into clouds in front of me, clouding my vision. My legs were numb and sore, but I didn't care. I held my head high and unclasped the fastener the kept my velvet cape together and let the wind take it. It fluttered away into the whiteness like a lost butterfly, and it was gone. I kept going. I had to keep going. I forced my aching legs to keep moving. I kicked off my tight and uncomfortable flats and kept running, running. The cold never bothered me anyway. The path up the mountain was getting steeper and steeper, and my previously short steps elongated and I trudged up the snow.

I craned my head to glance at the peak. You're almost there, I told myself.

There was a forest ahead of me, and I ran ahead with full force. I came crashing into the bushes and icicles hanging from the trees. I picked a tree with the most icicles hanging from it and sat down, my back against its firm trunk. I untied my hair and let it into a loose braid, and I took off my tiara and threw it as far as I could into the mass of trees. Then I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

Silence. Peace. Freedom. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the tree trunk. It was done. I was free. The people already know about my powers, and there was nothing I could do to reverse that. Something inside me told me that I shouldn't hide here, but what was there to do? The people would kill me and take over my kingdom.

I opened my eyes and took a deep breath. I shouldn't be worrying about that now, my newly gained freedom wouldn't last. I stared up at the night sky, millions of stars sparkled and shined, but what caught my attention was the moon. It was a perfect circle, and it illuminated the night sky. How I wished to be up in the sky, flying next to the moon… My eyelids became heavy and before I knew it, I was asleep.

I woke to the sound of the wind rushing in my ears. It was blowing against my hair and cheeks, and it felt as if I was in the sky. I didn't want to open my eyes so I relished in the pure sensation of freedom that I felt. Was this a dream? It seemed awfully realistic for one, though.

Finally, I decided to open my eyes out of curiosity. I saw a man who appeared to be in his late teens carrying me, his arctic blue eyes staring straight ahead and the wind blowing against his silky white hair. A gust of wind rocked us for a moment, and strong hands gripped me tighter.

"You're awake!" he exclaimed suddenly when he saw me staring at him.

"Where…where am I? And who are you? Where are you taking me?" I asked, suddenly panicked. My body tensed.

"Don't worry, I'll explain later. We're almost there," was his reply.

He took a sharp turn and we started to plummet towards the ground. I screamed and hugged his waist. I squeezed my eyes shut, and horrible thoughts of death rushed through my mind. I heard a thud as we landed on the soft snow. I opened my eyes slowly and let go of his waist slowly, then he set me on the ground. I grabbed his hand to steady myself, then I brushed the snow off my dress.

"Are you all right?" he said as he studied me.

"Yeah, I guess so. Now can you please tell me what's happening?"

"Oh, sorry. I haven't introduced myself to you yet. It's just that I don't usually meet people here." He blushed, a pink touch to his pale skin. "My name is Jack Frost, and this is my home."

He gestured to the cozy-looking cottage behind him. It was simple, and a thin wand of smoke wavered from the chimney. Snow piled up on top of the wooden roof.

"Come, you must be very cold." He took off his hoodie and wrapped it around me as he lead me towards his house. The door opened with a creak, and the moment I stepped in, the smell of pine trees and hot chocolate filled my nostrils. I inhaled the scent deeply.

"Mm, it smells nice in here!" I said.

"Thanks, would you like some hot chocolate?" he asked.

"Sure, thank you," I replied, then he disappeared down the hall.

I sat down in one of the two leather couches that flanked a small wooden table in the middle of the room. Paintings and sculptures decorated the walls, and a wooden staff lay on the ground. It was simple yet elegant, and it was curved in a crescent at the end.

He walked into the room with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate on a small tray.

"Here you go, Miss," he said as he handed me a mug.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked as I thanked him for the drink.

"I saw you all alone in the Dark Forest, then decided to bring you here. You must've been freezing in this weather in your dress."

"Yeah, I guess I was."

"Now, who might you be?"

"You don't know who I am?"

"No…I don't really know a lot of people. You see, I've been out of touch with the world for years because I've stayed in the mountains for too long. Why, are you famous?"

"Um, no," I lied. "My name is El-" He didn't recognize my physical appearance, but he might've heard of me. After all, I am the queen, but I don't want him to know that. Here, I no longer had to be the queen who followed every single rule. I no longer had to be the queen who needed to protect the ones she loved from herself. "-Elena." I finished.

"Well, Elena, would you like to stay here for the night? It's already dark outside, and the snow is coming down harder and harder."

"Yes, thank you."

"You must be tired, come," he gestured for me to follow him. We walked down a rather long hallway then we reached our destination. He fished out a key from his pocket and twirled it twice on his index finger before he inserted it into the keyhole. The door creaked as he opened it.

"Sweet dreams," he said as he walked out of them room and closed the door behind him, leaving me in the guest room. I marveled at the wooden walls and tiles, and how simple this place is. I've lived in a grand palace my entire life, and I've never thought of living in a place so…plain and ordinary. Yet it had the beauty I didn't expect it to have. I sat on the edge of the bed and admired the painting hanging on the opposite wall. I lay on the mattress and thought of home. Will I ever get to see it again?