Chapter Three
Author note: Hello beautiful people! Today is the day of the next chapter, as you may have noticed. First of all, I'd like to thank my friend Cailidevel for the beautiful drawing she made of this story. Apparently, it inspired her to go back to drawing stuff, and she's been doing some scenes. Look for her on Tumblr! I thank you all for your incredible support; I expect you won't be disappointed with the next chapter. Please, ENjOY this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Here we go! (Replies at the end)
Okay, so here are the facts, Elsa frowned in thought while pacing the length of the alcove she used to work in State affairs. There is a man who claims he will marry you, is that going to happen? Of course not! Then why is he still here? Am I even considering his offer? Yes, NO! I mean… This is so confusing. With a groan, she plopped down on her chair while she drank some tea in hopes of calming her nerves and anxiety.
After he had muttered those words, everyone in the room froze (no pun intended). There were legends on the Winter Court, legends that were not pretty and usually made people quiver with fear. They originated the tales they told the children to get them to go to sleep, what those same children dreamed of when they said they had nightmares!
So, when he stated to be a prince of that court, and everyone recovered, many snickered and laughed at him. How could anyone believe in such fairytales? Yeah, why believe in a Winter Court when they have me, Queen Elsa of Arandell with power over the ice and snow… wait!
Effectively, her thought led her straight to wonder where her powers came from, and the morning after she had gone into her father's studio looking for anything he could've left behind to explain that which he left unexplained. For her it had always been as natural as breathing, but why? And why was she the only one?
But when some of the princes and dukes that also wanted Elsa's hand had challenged the man for her, the prince Jack Frost, with a flick of his hand, had froze them in their place by creating a coat of ice around their feet. That made the audience draw gasps and exclamations of surprise, but also of outrage. This made clear he was not a human being, or if he was, a clearly powerful one. Elsa's hands trembled in anxiety; only of thinking what this could mean to the spectators, what they would think and report to their own kingdoms… because of this man, Arandell's reputation could go astray in a matter of weeks, if not days.
The prince, Jack Frost, had wanted to take her right away to his palace in the south, but she refused thoroughly. Instead, she managed to turn things around so that they would meet in court to discuss the issue.
"What's there to discuss?" he had said, nonchalantly. "You're parents made a deal, and I've come to collect. Yes, dear, you are the prize," Jack Frost said with a strange, possessive glint in his eyes that didn't promise anything good.
Queen Elsa shuddered. Just the thought of someone like him, who could act indifferent and bored one minute to completely lunatic the next without looking crazy at all! His pose, his stand, it was obvious that he felt himself above everyone else; even Queen Elsa, which meant that he really did see her as a prize. But why did he choose me?
There was a shy knock on the door, and peering in came Anna. "Elsa?" she hesitantly asked. The queen nodded and the princess stepped into the room with her. "Are you really going to meet him today?"
"Yes," the queen said, resigned.
"And are you going to marry him for real?" she said fearfully and, Elsa could tell, on the verge of tears,
"Of course I won't! Anna, why would you ask me something like this?"
"Even if he threatened to hurt me or the kingdom?" she asked again and this time the queen halted.
She had not thought about that at all and that had been reckless. Of course, if said Jack Frost threatened to hurt someone she loved or her beloved kingdom, she would oblige. He could corner her so easily, that the simple thought scared her. She had nothing against him, because even if she relied on her powers, if Jack Frost is the prince of the infamous Winter Court, his powers must be greater than Elsa's, and if she fought, he could take hostages. She was already cornered, and that's why said prince looked so smug!
Indignation and anger burst in her soul; how dare he manipulate the situation so that she would be forced to accept an engagement she did not want, but making everyone believe she did want?! She groaned again and a whimper attracted her attention back to Anna; her gaze immediately softened.
She rose from her seat and embraced her little sister, who was shaking for a reason unknown to the queen. It could be nerves, it could be fears, or everything combined. The point is that Anna didn't want to lose her sister, but above all, she didn't want her sister to be unhappy. She didn't want her to make sacrifices that would make her miserable for the sake of everybody else.
"I'm going to do what I must to protect you," Queen Elsa said after a while. "I won't let him hurt you. I'm sorry if your party got ruined."
The princess backed away from her sister in shock, true horror shown in her face. "What? No, no Elsa, I don't fear for me. I fear for you! I know you are going to do whatever it takes to keep your home safe, even if it makes you unhappy," Anna said through the tears. "My party was perfect, it didn't get ruined at all," she added, but the queen could see the white lie on the eyes of her little sister. She sighed.
"That's what a queen must do, Anna. We don't know what kind of powers he has, but his might be greater than mine. I don't want to be responsible for starting a war, and if I can do something, anything, to keep the peace in Arandell, I will."
With renewed tears, Anna exited the room in a sprint, leaving Elsa to wonder if it was after all the right thing. She did not want to leave Anna either, but once her selfishness had brought immense grief and danger to Arandell, and the queen was not about to let that happen again. Sitting down again, she got lost in her thoughts.
She exhaled an exasperated sigh and finished her tea. Standing up, she grabbed her crown and cloak. She usually left them behind, because she didn't want to look imposing with the petitioners, but with this man she wanted to look very imposing indeed. No one dared to speak to her like he did and get away with it; else the kingdom might think she was weak and try to take advantage of that, same with other diplomats of other kingdoms. Taking deep breaths to calm her raging heart, she made her way to the throne room. There was also the small fact that Jack Frost's strategy of trying to corner her was very plausible, another nagging thing in her head was that he had mentioned a debt of her parents. Why hadn't he heard anything about that up until now? It all seemed very suspicious and everything pointed against her. She saw no possible way of winning, and yet she would not stop trying.
When she entered, the audience turned to her with expectant looks. If they had usually a large crowd witnessing the events that transpired at court, now it had doubled in size. Or tripled? Anyway, it didn't help Queen Elsa get her bearings. When she was settled on the throne, with her upper body tense and rigid, the guards opened the doors to the public court, but instead of it swarming with peasants and other royalty to consult with her, only one man came in.
The despicable man called Jack Frost.
Again, he bowed before her once he was before the throne, but she had the feeling he did it merely because of the etiquette they required. He didn't seem to care, as if nothing, even bowing, could take away his superiority. He also walked with the airs of someone who knew was going to win, and that thought alone sent an unpleasant chill through her backbone.
She also noticed that the temperature in the room had decreased considerably, like an aura emanating from the prince himself. She shuddered when she saw the trail of frost left by his feet, and again wondered what the real extent of his powers was.
"Your majesty," he said in a monotone voice that reeked of indifference and superiority that he believed he had. In acknowledgement, the queen nodded her head. "Have you had time to think over the subject?"
"I have," was her curt reply.
"And what are your conclusions?" Jack Frost asked with a smirk, as if knowing the answer, which he probably did. She realized that he was driven her towards agreeing in a seemingly pacific way, and she had no idea on how to stop it!
So, she said what she thought on the matter plain and clear, "I have no desire of marrying anyone at the moment."
His smirk widened. "I don't believe you have a choice," he stated and the change in atmosphere, to slightly tense and awkward to having everyone on edge, was obviously notorious. Elsa stole a glance sideways and she could see Anna once again trembling with muted sobs, trying to keep her tears at bay, while Kristoff looked at her worriedly and apprehensively; then his eyes shifted from the queen to Jack, then back to Anna, several times. Her attention shifted back to his majesty Jack Frost.
"I do believe you have to explain what you mean by such bold statement," the queen simply replied, prompting his smirk to keep on widening. It wasn't even a straight smirk; it was a sideways, full of not-so-innocent mischief, smirk; which held much more meaning that anyone on that court room could decipher. He started pacing the length of the room parallel to the queen, so that she could always see him. Oh, how much fun he was having.
"It all started many years ago, when the queen of Arandell could not carry a child to full term. The royal couple then asked for help, an ancient help that the trolls could not give, and so they made a deal with Mother Earth herself," there was a collective gasp and Elsa had to do her best not to shoot some ice into the mouth of that royal prat! He was talking about her parents, and he was not ashamed of badmouthing them, making them look like fools. She could not allow that, especially in front of Anna.
"Enough! I demand you show some respect to the court your standing on," Elsa everything but yelled, making all the witnesses flinch at her tone. Only Jack Frost kept his smirk plastered on his face, and the queen had to contain herself from blasting him across the chest. He raised his hands in mock surrender, before continuing his pacing and his story.
"Long story short, then, Mother Earth promised them a remedy so that the queen could carry the child to full term. She needed elemental magic, which is the most natural type of magic in the world, which we the seasonal spirits have. She asked everyone else before us, can you believe it? She wanted to avoid asking us because she knew the price we demanded. And still, when everyone denied her petition, she had no choice but to come to the Winter Court. Have you ever wondered why your magic is over the ice and cold?"
The last question, again, make everyone react negatively. In a silent agreement they had agreed not to talk about the queen's abilities in front of this stranger, in hopes they could use the surprise as their ally. They thought wrong. Even Queen Elsa had tensed, because she knew as well as she knew how to walk that she did not mention her powers ever in front of this prince of ice. And yet he knows!
The prince smirked once again. "Surprised that I know? You shouldn't, because it was me who gave the magic so that you could be born."
Directing nervous glances around her, the Queen deemed it proper to stop the court session and to continue addressing the issue in private… with all the risks it might have. She stood up. "The court is dismissed, the session is over. Your highness, if you were so kind as to follow me, we are finishing this conversation in private."
Without making an effort to hide her indignation, she did not even turn to see if Jack Frost was following her because she knew he was; if the cold was anything to go by. Strolling into her father's studio, she waited for said prince to appear. She didn't wait long.
"Did I offend you, my lady?" he asked in mockery, with his everlasting grin on his face.
"Of course you didn't; you didn't just humiliate my deceased parents in front of their people, you did not just make insinuations to humiliate and undermine my authority in my own court, and you did not just said many private things into the air," she said as calmly as she could, trying too to use a mocking tone.
"I thought it was a public court and that you wanted to know my motives. Everything I said is the truth, which is what is required to speak out loud in such events," he said, suddenly indifferent again and… bothered? He dared to look bothered?
"You could've requested a private audience there, claiming that it was because you had personal information you did not wish to divulge," the queen exclaimed, raising her voice more than necessary, and composing herself as much as she could afterwards.
"And miss my chance of putting a good show?" he snorted. "You humans are just so predictable," he replied while looking at his flawless nails.
"So you were mocking me, my parents and my court there; weren't you?" she accused, for which he just laughed.
"Didn't we come here to address another matter?" he diverted the topic effectively, which just infuriated the queen more, who was now red-faced with contained anger. She would so definitely go to the mountains to blow some steam when this mess was over… if it ever is over, a nagging voice reminded her that she pushed back. She thought about how to continue, but her voice was filled with so many questions…
She chose, then, to ask the question that most bothered her, "what do you know about my powers?"
"Everything," was his quick reply. "The same magic that I have courses through your veins." As if to prove a point, he touched a nearby window, which immediately got covered in frost. Elsa tensed again.
"Why did you help my parents?" she then asked, the next question in her list, while she still tried to order her thoughts.
"Because I wanted a bride," he said again looking bored. "I don't know if I'll live forever, and I want to ensure I have someone to succeed on the throne I now possess."
Again, indignation flared up in her and she huffed unroyally. "Do you have proof?"
There, she'd said it. If he did, which he most probably did, she was screwed. But with the way he looked at her, as if she was speaking another language, she knew he didn't have anything. He prompted her to explain.
"My parents died a few years ago, and they never mentioned this supposed deal you claim they made with Mother Earth and, therefore, you. So, you must have some proof about what you're claiming if you expect in the slightest for me to consider your offer," if that can be considered an offer, because he was demanding marriage after all.
The confusion in his face made it clear that he had not contemplated this, and that, at least for now, she was safe. She had won this battle, although the war was far from over.
"I regret to say that I do not possess a proof, and I'd also like to add that I feel deeply offended that my word isn't enough," her eyes had turned steel cold and all trace of mischief and mockery was gone. He was angry, and for the first time, Elsa felt fear towards this mysterious prince.
Queen Elsa took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and looked at Jack Frost in the eyes, defiantly. "I invite you to come back as soon as you have something to prove what you're saying to be right. Until then, you are no longer welcome in Arandell," she declared, knowing she was making a very bold move, but also knowing that it was the only way with which she could prove to this smug prince in front of her that she would not go down without a fight. It would teach him not to underestimate her, and maybe even reconsider if he wanted her as his queen, which was what she was rooting for.
She saw a cold rage in his eyes before the windows burst open and a cold wind engulfed the studio. Papers flew everywhere; everything flew everywhere, actually, making Elsa raise her arms as a shield, which made in turn a thin layer of ice surround her to block the objects from hitting her. When the wind subsided, the studio was a mess, and Jack Frost was gone.
So what did you think? Did you hate it, did you love it? In this chapter we got to see more of the personality of this Jack Frost, and I know he seems like an a** right now, but believe me when I say that he gets better. He has all his background story planed out and he's had it kind of complicated, but that you'll know later on. Please, leave a review to tell me what did you think about this chapter! Now, the replies:
*ForeverDelighted: I'm so glad you like this concept! I know it's different, but browsing through the fandom I saw very similar FanFics and none of them grabbed my attention, so I decided to go for a completely different thing, which is this! The drawing of the cover was made by a friend of mine who really liked the story and she decided to draw some scenes; this is one of them that will appear later on. I would really appreciate if you'd leave another review on this chapter to tell me what you think!
*Otakugirl 13: I know, I also have lots of homework and here I am, writing to my heart's content. To answer to your question, yes, Jack is going to be completely different from the Jack we all know and love. BUT he'll eventually change, but to see how you'll have to stick around ;).
*First Movement: Yes, there's going to be a lot of drama!
*MarianaThamiris: I'm so glad you liked! Thank you for reading, and of course I'll continue.
*Zejo: Yes, it's going to be something like that, although I think I'll add it a different touch. I hope you enjoyed this chapterJ.
*EriNeglop: So, did you like this chapter? There's more of this cold Jack in here, what did you think? Later on you will find out Mother's Earth intention and the plot will be untangled little by little!
*TamaChi-Neko: I'm so glad you liked it! Here goes the update! ;)
* : Me da mucho gusto que te guste, y sí, lo sé, medio difícil de creer que Jack pueda caerle mal a alguien. Pero no importa, va a mejorar!
*FirePrincess96: Hey, so here's your update to help you relax! I hope you did well on your exam, and I hope you liked this chapter. I bet I surprised a few with this twist I gave it. I also checked this episode more than once, so I hope there are fewer mistakes :D.
*Snow Rubies: Well, I'm not going to wait a week, I'm not a patient person. I hope you liked this chapter and I hope you're enjoying the story! I'm working really hard to surprise all of my readers!
*SilverRain0: Well, yes, the whole idea of this story was of writing something different in more than once sense. I hope you bear with this Jack a bit, because I really hope that as the story goes on, and as the readers get to know him through some hints I'll be giving, that you grow to like him better.
*Prinzzez Kitten: I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for your honest review, I'm really glad that you see the changes that way! I believe that change is refreshing, as hope you do to. The story will start taking shape from this chapter onwards, and I hope to pick up the pace in the next chapter. I've already written much!
*harrypotter1998: Wow, you have many questions and all of them are valid, so here are the answers: there is a king of the winter court, he'll be introduced later on around chapter 8 or 9; there is no queen though, and there's an explanation for that which I'll reveal also later on; Mother Earth is based on the tales of Guardians of Childhood, the books from which the movie was based on (Rise of the Guardians, of course), and I can't answer more specifically, I'm sorry, because I don't want to give away spoilers.
*Lizzy19090: Thanks, I'm really glad you like it. What did you think about this chapter? Was this the reaction you were expecting from Elsa? ;)
*Bigby the Big Bad Wolf: I'm really sorry about leaving the chapter there! But I hope I balanced it with this chapter, so I really hope to hear your opinion on it.
Here's everything for now, I hope all of my readers stick around and start falling in love with this story (in fact, I think I'm in love with it!). To all the new readers, please leave a review if you can because I'd love to hear your opinions on this story so far.
Until we meet again,
ClearEyes
