Chapter: 3 Royal Bash

The castle gates swung wide open as guests poured into the illustrious courtyard. Kai was at the entrance to Arendelle Castle, nodding and reiterating, "Welcome to the Arendelle Royal Ball!" A line of servants stood on each side of the incoming guests and threw up flowers in celebration.

Marshmallow did so too, but accidentally picked up one of the servants and flung him. The man went flying across the courtyard, screaming "My leg!"

While the visitors were accommodated in the ballroom, the royals finished getting ready upstairs. "Ow...ow...ow!" winced Nikolas.

"Hold still," said Anna as she brushed out the knots in his strawberry blonde hair. "There and...there! My you look handsome."

Nikolas humphed, "I can't move in this thing!" He waddled around in his ebony uniform.

Kristoff laughed, "You'll get used to it, son. Besides, you won't pick up any ladies unless you dress properly."

The prince grimaced, "Yuck...I don't want their mushiness all over me!"

"Now remember, Nikolas. This is your first ball and you need to be on your best behavior. No stunts like this morning," affirmed Anna just as Elsa came in. "Wow Elsa, you look stunning!" she gasped.

"Thank you, sis. You look marvelous."

Kristoff spoke in a high-pitched voice, mimicking the sisters. "Oh Kristoff...you just look so ravishing in uniform." Anna smirked at him and kissed his cheek.

"You look super pretty, Auntie Elsa." said Nikolas.

The queen giggled, "Thank you, dear. You look very handsome. Places everyone," she asserted. "This is it!"

The crowds all directed their attentions to the spiral staircase as Olaf announced, "Presenting! The-"

Kai gave the snowman a shove, "What are you doing? Would you get out of here?" He cleared his throat. "Presenting! The Arendelle royal family!" Everyone applauded as Elsa led the way downstairs. Anna and Kristoff followed with Nikolas between them.

The royals waved upon entering the ballroom as Elsa announced, "Thank you all so very much for coming. We've got such a wonderful night with music and magic planned. So without further ado, let the Arendelle Royal Ball begin!" She shot up an ice beam, which bursted in the center of the dance floor like a firework.

With Elsa's commencement, the ball went off to a magnificent start. "Queen Elsa!" called a familiar voice. "Princess Anna!"

The sisters turned to see Princesses Rapunzel, Jasmine, Belle, and Ariel with their husbands. "It's so good to see you again," said Anna as she hugged the others. "I'd like you all to meet my son, Nikolas."

The princesses took one good look at him and went "Awwwwwwwww!" in unison.

Ariel leaned down to the little prince and said, "It's such a pleasure to meet you, Nikolas. Here, I want you to have this." She placed a fork in the pocket of his uniform.

Nikolas analyzed the silverware and was baffled, "This is a fork?"

"It's a dinglehopper," winked the little mermaid before dancing off with her husband.

Kristoff was mingling with Eugene and Alladin by the window when something struck it.

BAM!

A tiny, pale-skinned fairy in a blue dress could be seen plastered against the glass. "Quinn?" gasped Kristoff as he opened the window. "Quinn!"

He peeled her off of the window and held her in the palm of his hand. "Windows...the worst thing created by humans." she growled. "Hey blondie! Long time no see!" She buzzed around his head, "What's in been? Four years? Wheeew! Good to see you and not have someone trying to kill me. I mean, they were normally trying to kill you, and I was the one saving your sorry butt."

"I missed your snarky self, Quinn." joked Kristoff. "Here! I want you to meet my son." He brought her over. "Nikolas, this is Quinn!"

"Woooooow," gasped Nikolas as the fairy flew down to his level. "A real fairy!"

"Hiya kiddo!" she waved. "I'm-WOAH!" The little prince grabbed and began to rub her across his arms and legs. She bit his finger and escaped his grasp, "Hey! Again withe manhandling?! What do I look like? Soap?!"

"I'm sorry, I thought pixie dust made you fly."

Quinn facepalmed, "Here we go again."

Kristoff laughed at their interactions as his wife jumped him from behind, planting a kiss on his cheek. "How's about a dance, dreamboat?"

He looked over his shoulder with a smirk, "Take me away, princess." The two went off to conquer the dancefloor as onlookers cheered.

Elsa peered out the window to see Marshmallow sadly looking in. He watched as everyone danced and mumbled, "ME WANT TO BE, WHERE THE PEOPLE IS. ME WANT TO DANCE. WANT TO DANCE LIKE PEOPLE..." She grinned and sneakily released an ice beam outside. The beam bursted onto the ground as a slender snowmonster formed next to him. She bat her icy eyelashes at him and offered her hand to dance. Marshmallow clapped and chuckled uncontrollably, "THANK YOU MOMMA!"

The Snow Queen sighed while waving at her creation. "Well Elsa?" asked Jasmine.

She snapped out of her daze, "Pardon?"

Jasmine huffed, "Have you made any progress?"

"Well the castle got these new tiles-"

"We mean in your love life," added Rapunzel. "We're worried about you. We just want to see you happily settled with the right man already."

"I don't need a man to be happy," contested Elsa.

"We know that, but don't you want to experience love?" asked Belle. "There's no feeling like it."

"I'll get to it eventually."

"That's what you said four years ago," said Ariel. The queen rolled her eyes with a groan. "There has to be someone you're attracted to. What about that Marco fellow?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Elsa uttered.

"You'll feel better if you do," assured Belle.

"Let me put it this way for you," sneered Elsa as she conjured up some magic.

"Ooooooo! Charades!" clapped Ariel until she noticed no one else was.

Elsa formed an icy heart in her hands, and then violently snapped it in half. "I see," sighed Rapunzel. "Well just because you've been hurt once doesn't mean you should give up."

"Your true love could be right around the corner!" added Belle. "But you'll never meet him if you give up."

Elsa was growing flustered, "I should freeze you all solid. I don't need anyone!"

"Elsa...if I could have a moment," Rapunzel led her away from the others.

"Please leave me be,"

"Here me out, Else. Look over there. Look at your little nephew. Don't you ever think of having a child...and a family of your own?"

"All the time."

"Then why won't you give love one more chance?"

Elsa was about to answer when a man said, "Excuse me?" They both turned to see Jack Frost dressed in a white uniform with navy blue highlights and accents. His regal outfit and pleasant smile was enough to make both ladies eye him from head to toe. He held out his icy hand, "May I have this dance, your majesty?"

The queen was unsure and looked over at Rapunzel. "Go on, Elsa." she whispered with a wink. "Give love just one more chance."

She gulped, blushed, and brought her blue-eyed gaze back to Jack. "I'd...I'd love to."

"Great," he smiled while taking her hand and leading her onto the dancefloor.

"Ooooooooooooo!" snickered the princesses, causing Elsa to lighten up and playfully stick her tongue out at them.

Meanwhile, Quinn was carrying on with a lecture while drawing an elaborate diagram on a dinner napkin, "And that, Nikolas...is where pixie dust comes from!" She turned to see that the child was long gone. "Of course," she sighed. "It's whatevs." She eyed a tall glass and smiled, "Ooooo! Apple juice!"

Prince Nikolas was wondering around when he bumped into a girl just a bit taller than himself. She turned, "Oops! I'm so sorry I didn't see you." She had wavy auburn hair and blue eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah...I think so," winced Nikolas as he rose to his feet. He looked at the girl and felt a tingly feeling in his stomach, "Woah...who...who are you?"

She giggled, "I'm Princess Sofia of Enchancia. You, wanna dance?"

"Ummmm," trembled Nikolas. "Ok."

Olaf was waddling around the buffet when he heard Quinn, "Olaffffffffff. Ohohooooooolafffff." She hiccuped.

The snowman looked up to see the snow fairy dizzily flying around before crashing onto his carrot nose. "Quinn? Are you alright?"

She struggled to keep her eyes open, "Yeah...I *belch* jusssssst had some apple juice is all." She daily pointed at the glass.

"Um Quinn? That's champagne."

"Ohhhhhhh," she snickered with one eye closed. "I thought it was...what?"

"I didn't say anything."

She laughed, "I like muffins too. Say...*hiccup*...where's Marco? I misssssss him."

Olaf pouted, "You didn't hear? He rejected Elsa's invite. He wanted nothing to do with her or us."

Quinn grew angry, "That...*belch*...no good, mustache wearing...mustache! When I...When I find him...I'ma fly up his nose like...pssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh bleh! Good night everyone," she passed out on Olaf's nose.

Elsa and Jack joined other couples in a waltz. She gasped when she envisioned Marco's face over his. He gave her hand a squeeze, "Relax, will ya?"

"Sorry," Elsa sighed. "I just..."

"Don't think anymore...Just let it go," he winked. Elsa took his advice, smiled, and danced the night away. She picked up her tempo, "That's it, Queen Elsa!"

"Just Elsa is fine," she smiled back.

"Alright then...Elsa," he gazed into her eyes as they owned the dancefloor. So much so, that even the other couples stared. Ariel whistled while Anna gave her a thumbs up. Elsa's delight matched up with Jack's, and both of them naturally made it snow around them. It was a gorgeous spectacle, in which the icy couple began to dance closer...and closer...and closer.

The queen was beginning to feel at ease, lost in Jack's icy gaze as the two spun around. He lifted her up as she giggled with delight.

For a brief moment, she could see Nikolas dancing awkwardly with Princess Sofia. He was blushing uncontrollably, even more so when Kristoff called him out, "That's my boy!"

Jack gave the queen another twirl before holding her close, "Elsa...are you...seeing anyone?"

"Pardon?"

"You know..."

She bit her lip, "No...not anymore."

"Oh good."

"Why?"

"Because then I can do this-" He pulled her even closer, tilting his head to place a kiss on her lips. Elsa looked down at his frosty lips and then back up at his closed eyes. For the first time in forever, she let her heart do the talking. She let go of the past, gently closed her eyes and puckered up for a kiss. They would have kissed too, had she not heard the snap of the chandelier above them.

Elsa shrieked as memories of her falling ice chandelier consumed her. "Look out!" Everyone scattered and Jack pulled Elsa away as the fixture came crashing down.

The lights darkened, "What's going on?" worried Anna.

"Momma! Poppa!" cried Nikolas. "I can't see anything!"

"Nikolas!" Anna gasped while shoving through the dark crowd of panicking guests. "Where is he, Kristoff?"

"I can't see him!" exclaimed her husband. "I can't see anyone. Nikolas! Follow the sound of my voice!"

"Anna!" called Elsa. "Anna!"

Suddenly, several men crashed through the windows with torches. They threw them anywhere they could, setting fire to the castle and illuminating it in an inferno. Elsa's eyes blared open as she rushed to extinguish the flames with her magic. Her royal guards charged at the men, and a fight ensued through the darkness. Anna ducked under a foes' attack and shoved him into the shadows. Kristoff ran alongside her, desperately searching for their son amidst the chaos.

Little Nikolas stood frozen with fear. The Duke of Weselton's bodyguards, Dominik and Fritz, came barging through the crowds. Dominik sneered through his facial hair and nudged his younger partner. "There's the kid! Get'em!"

Nikolas panicked and dove under a table. Fritz grabbed his leg, "Gotcha!" The prince took out his fork and pinched the man's hand. "YAAAAGH!" yelped Fritz as he fell back on his partner.

The prince looked at the fork with a chuckle, "Thank you dinglehopper!" The table was suddenly flipped over, and he found himself gazing up at an infuriated Dominik. The older man easily plucked the fork from Nikolas and grabbed him. "Let me go!" he squirmed while grabbing at his mustache.

"Hold still, you little-" grunted Dominik. "Fritz! Get the bag! Get the bag!"

His partner was about to grab him he was punched across the face by Anna. "Get your hands off my baby!"

"Momma!" cheered Nikolas. Fritz countered with a jab, but Anna jumped back from it.

Jack and Elsa went back to back, shooting ice magic at the invaders. "I need my staff!" he said.

"Go, I'll hold them!" affirmed Elsa. A man was sneaking up on Elsa before Kristoff dropkicked him. "Thanks for the save."

"Don't mention it! Have you seen Anna?"

"I thought she was with you!"

Kristoff then heard the cries of his wife, "Anna!" he yelled. He ran over to see her struggling to hold off Dominik and free Nikolas from the bag. Meanwhile, another wave of invaders vaulted through the windows. Dominik shoved Anna off of him and made a run for it. Kristoff gave chase and tackled the man. He punched at him as Nikolas' bag went rolling off to the side. While Dominik and Kristoff fought, Anna crawled her way to her son.

She was reaching for the bag when a pair of black boots stepped in front of it. She slowly looked up and gasped, "Ha-...HANS?!"

The treacherous prince smirked, "Hello again, Anna." He lifted one boot to kick her in the face when Sven charged in and bit him in the rear. "AAAAAAAAAAAGH!" screamed Hans, allowing Anna to rise and punch him in the face. "Not agaaaaain!" he cursed while tumbling into a dinner table. He looked up with a black eye, "Grab the brat!" The princess quickly swooped down to pickup the bag and rip it open.

"Momma!" cried Nikolas before hugging her.

"I've got you, sweetie." She assured, only to be hit in the back of the head by Fritz, and knocked out.

"Mommaaaaaa!" shrieked Nikolas as Fritz snatched him up and made a dash for the door.

"Nikolas!" called Kristoff as he caught Anna before she collapsed.

"Don't worry! We're on it!" said Elsa while skating outside. Jack Frost flew above her with his cane.

"Where's Marshmallow?" wondered Jack. "We could really use him now!"

Marshmallow sat on the beach with his snowgirl, Marshmalla. He held her giant hands in his, "Me not saying me no like you. Me saying that me no want relationship now."

"Me understand," sighed the monster. "Me still had fun dancing. But what bout us?

"We always have Arendelle."

"But me say me never leave you," worried the snowgirl.

"And you never will." He wiped one of her icy tears and bellowed, "Here me is looking at you, kid."

Elsa and Jack chased after the goons as they boarded a carriage. "Get us out of here!" barked Hans as Fritz cracked his whip. Four black stallions charged off and led them into the forest. Jack flew up above, keeping an eye on the rustling trees. He fired a frost beam from his staff and struck one of the carriage's wheels. It zigzagged out of control before crashing at the edge of the treeline.

Elsa made her way to the wreck along with several royal guards. They tore open the carriage to find Hans by himself. The prince slowly raised his hands with a smirk, "I surrender."

The Snow Queen angrily pulled him up by his collar, "WHERE...ARE...THEY?"

"Your majesty!" alerted a guard. "There are only two horses here." She looked down at the two unlatched straps.

Far off in the darkness of the woods, Dominik rode next to his partner. Fritz held the squirming Nikolas in his arms as the two disappeared, laughing into the night.

Anna awakened from her daze in Kristoff's arms, just as her sister delivered the tragic news. Each word broke the young mother's heart. Her sobs and screams echoed throughout the castle.