FROST

Chapter 8: The Frozen Flower

Jack ran down the long hall. He was five years old, wearing a gray newsboy cap, and a dark gray plaid sweater vest over a white cuffed sleeved shirt. "Momma!" he cried, bursting into a dark room, "Momma, they're here!" "Shh!" Elsa scolded him, giving him a disapproving look. He went quiet suddenly, tears welling up in his eyes. "Oh, Jack, I'm sorry," "Momma just doesn't want you to wake up the baby." His little sister started crying in the crib. Elsa sighed. "Sorry, mommy," Jack said softly. "It's okay, sweetie," she said apologetically, "It's probably time for her to wake up anyways." She lifted her out of the bed. After a while, she stopped crying. "It's Aunt Anna and Uncle Kristoff," Jack told her eagerly, "And Duncan and Grace. They all came over to play today." "Yeah, I know they did," Elsa said, "Let's go say hi, shall we?" "Yeah, okay," Jack said. "Smile!" she beamed at him, "Let's try to happy today, alright?" Jack nodded. She fixed his gray cap into place on top of his head and beamed at him, "Go on, pumpkin." He ran off down the long corridor and vanished out of sight when turning down a hall.

Everyone waited at the bottom of the stairs. Kristoff and Anna had twins a year younger than Jack, a girl named Grace and a boy named Duncan. Grace had blue eyes and red hair, and Duncan had brown eyes and long, dark brown hair. "They should be here any minute now, Elsa's probably just checking on the baby," Jacques said, and then he turned his head, "Oh, someone's up." "Aunt Anna!" Jack came running to her. He slammed into her, hugging her, "I missed you!" "Aw, I missed you, too!" Anna said, and then she kissed him all over. "Ew, gross!" Jack cried, wiping his hand over his face. "You can't wipe my kisses off, you little troll!" she said playfully, and planted a big smooch on his cheek. "Yuck!" Jack said, looking disgusted. She smiled at him. "Hi, Uncle Kristoff!" Jack looked up at him. "Hey buddy," Kristoff grinned at him. "Hi Jack!" Grace said aloud, and went up to hug him. "Hi, Jack," Duncan replied quietly, looking shy. "Hi guys!" he said. Jack turned to face Anna, "What are we gonna do today?" "I don't know! What are we going to do today?" Anna exclaimed. "No really, what are we gonna do today?" he asked again. "Well, first we're going to have lunch," Elsa said with a smile, "And then I thought we could go outside because the sun is out." "Yay!" Grace shouted excitedly, "We get to go outside!" "Kristoff, how about you take some of the bags to the guest bedroom?" Anna asked, looking at him. "Sure thing, sweetie," he leaned down to kiss her.

He lifted the bags and started walking away. "I wanna come with you, daddy!" Grace called after him. "Me, too," Duncan said, following. "How is she?" Anna asked Elsa. "I think she's still tired," Elsa replied, "She sleeps a lot." "Aw," Anna gazed at her, and then smiled, "Well, sometimes that's a good thing. The kids are a lot easier when they're asleep." Elsa had a small laugh, "True." She gazed down at her, seeing her eyes shine like sapphires, her eyelashes long and full. She looked tenderly at her. "What's her name again?" Anna asked curiously. "Cosette," Elsa told her. "Oh, that's beautiful," Anna clasped her hands, looking admiringly at her, "Just like her. She'll be really pretty someday. Of course, she's cute now." "Thank you," Elsa smiled. "And also, I love your dress!" Anna said. It was lilac with a dove gray bodice. "Oh, yes, it's a new dress," Elsa told her, and then added, "I like yours, too." Anna grinned back at her. "Momma!" Jack tugged at her dress. "What is it, love?" she asked him. "When are we gonna eat?" Jack groaned. He waved his arms in the air, "I'm hungry!" "Alright, let's go eat now," Elsa smiled at them, and led them down the hall, "Come on."

Everyone was gathered outside in the green courtyard of the castle. The patio that was positioned before the wooden doors was made of bricks and gray limestone, and the railings made of wrought iron. There were garden beds around the staircase with an assortment of herbs and flowers, from lilies and orchids, to lavender and rosemary, and bushes of Russian sage and white hydrangeas. Butterflies hovered and fluttered all around dancing in the sunlight. Anna and Elsa sat at a table underneath the shade of a tree, talking and drinking tea together. The children were running around in the open field on the turf of grass.

They all came running up the steps to pour themselves a drink of water from a glass pitcher filled with ice. They took drinks in between pants for air. Grace glanced towards Elsa and asked, "Aunt Elsa, what are some things you like to do?" "What do I like to do?" Elsa looked at her, "Well, I like talking to your mom." "Oh, is that it?" she looked disappointed suddenly. "Well, that's not the only thing I like to do," Elsa said, looking amused. "You wanna know what stuff I like?" Grace exclaimed, her eyes going wide. "What?" Elsa smiled at her patiently. "I love cute things! I like fluffy bunnies and kittens and puppies," she cried vivaciously, all the while running out of breath, "And I like pink, and dolls, and dancing, and I absolutely love tea parties!" She took a deep breath, and drank some water, "I wish I could join you." Elsa and Anna giggled a bit. "And what do you like, Duncan?" Elsa looked at her nephew, "Is there something you enjoy doing?" Duncan looked down at the ground. Timidly, he raised his eyes to meet hers, "I like rocks." "He likes rocks," Anna told her, and then whispered, "You know where he gets that from." "Oh," Elsa stared, looking surprised, "Well, alright. Rocks it is. You like what you like."

"Alright, how about you all go and run around a bit more?" Anna told the children. "And do what? Play tag?" Jack asked. "Sure! Go and play tag!" Anna said enthusiastically. "Ok!" Jack said, and they all ran down the steps into the open field, "I'll race ya!" "Have fun!" she waved at them. "She definitely has your personality," Elsa commented. "Who Grace?" Anna asked. "Yep," Elsa nodded. "Yeah, she does," Anna said, and then watched the sun shine upon the lawn, "Wow, it's gorgeous out here! I love the summer. Might as well enjoy it, they're short and sweet, especially around here." Kristoff and Jacques had been sitting quietly beside them. Jacques gently rocked the baby on the ground to put her to sleep. "So, what have you been up to?" Kristoff asked, trying to break the awkward silence between them. "Not much," Jacques answered him, "Other than meetings with some business people. I haven't had a lot of down time." "Tell me about it," Kristoff sighed, agreeing.

"Momma! Momma!" Jack shouted, running to Elsa. "Jack, settle down, will you please?" Jacques snapped angrily. "Honey, be nice to him," Elsa said. "Here!" Jack said brightly, holding out the flower out to her. "Oh, is this a daffodil?" Elsa smiled at him, taking it from his hand. "Uh huh," he nodded. "Thank you, Jack," she pulled him close to kiss him, "I'll have someone get some water for this." She looked at the butler who was standing nearby; tall and slim, bald, dark of skin. She called him over, "Could you please put this inside of a vase?" "Why certainly, my lady," he nodded and bowed at her, gently taking the flower from her.

"Be right back!" Jack said loudly, and ran away down the steps. "Aw, that's so cute!" Anna said with a small laugh, "He absolutely adores you!" Elsa smiled modestly, not finding any words to say. "He's a mama's boy alright," Anna told her. "You really think so?" she asked. "Oh, I know so!" Anna beamed, "Look, he's picking those flowers for you right now!" "He loves his father, too," Elsa said, "I wouldn't exactly call him a mama's boy." "Come on, Elsa, being a mama's boy is not a bad thing," Jacques smiled, then added, "Although, some people think it is." "People just think that it's a bad thing because they're worried that someone will have dependency issues," Kristoff said, "It's not necessarily the case with everyone, though." "I grew a lot closer to my mom when I was sick," Jacques said. "Kristoff's really close to his mom," Anna interjected, "Except that he was adopted by trolls." "You have a troll for a mother?" Jacques asked. "They're my family, remember?" Kristoff looked at him angrily. "Oh, yeah that's right," Jacques said, suddenly reminded of the fact. "I think it's a good thing," Anna said cheerfully, "What I meant to say was that he just loves you. There's nothing wrong with that."

Jack came running up the stairs again. "Mommy, look!" he cried energetically, "I got a whole bunch of them!" He laid down at least a dozen different flowers on the table, some of them appearing to have been ripped apart. The butler returned with the flower in a vase, and then looked surprised when seeing more flowers on the table. "Jack, how many flowers does your mother need?" he asked. "Thank you, Steve," Elsa said, taking the vase and setting it on the table. "You're welcome, my lady," he replied, walking away. "Jack, sweetie, this is really nice," she said, and then reprimanded him, "But mommy doesn't need all these flowers. I think it would be better to leave some in the garden." He took a deep breath, looking disappointed, "Oh, momma. I thought you'd like all of them." "This is a very kind gesture," Elsa told him, "And I appreciate it. But I think you could be nicer to the flowers and not damage them." "Well, you can have the good ones," Jack replied, "Sorry if some of them are all messed up." He took a smashed flower in his hand, the petals flaking off, and the head fell over since the stem was broken down the middle.

"Why don't you go play with your cousins now?" Elsa told him, "They'll only be here for a few days, and they're here to have fun with you." "Okay," Jack lowered his voice, looking down. "Go on," she urged him. He took off running down the steps again into the turf of grass. "Hey Jack!" Grace called, "Come see these roses that we found!" Jack walked to where his cousins were, by a bush of peach colored roses. "They sure are pretty," Grace said admiringly. "You think my mom might want one?" Jack asked her. "I don't know, Jack," Grace said worriedly, "Those thorns look like they'll prick you! I wouldn't wanna touch one of those." "I guess my mom said no more flowers," Jack said quietly, "But maybe one isn't so bad."

"Well, I don't think we can pick any of them," Grace told him. "So uh… what do you wanna do now?" Duncan asked. "Well, we played tag," Grace replied. "I know!" Jack shouted excitedly, "We could play freeze tag!" "Oh no," Duncan shook his head, looking worried, "I don't think that's such a good idea." "I'm actually tired of playing tag," "I thought we could do something else." "Like what?" her brother asked. "Oh, I don't know," "Play hide and seek again?" "Nah," he shook his head again. Jack reached out to touch one of the flowers, and tried to snap the stem. A thorn pricked his finger. "Ow!" he cried. "Jack, are you ok?" Grace turned around. "Ouch, those really hurt," he said. "Jack, you're not doing what I think you're doing, are you?" Grace asked him, putting her hands on her hips. "I've got an idea," he told her, "Watch this." In a flash, he froze the rose bush when a white light emitted from his tiny hands.

His cousins stared in fascination as they watched the green leaves and stems freeze and turn as clear as crystal. Jack bent the flower by the stem, and it broke off like ice. One by one, he started to remove the thorns, and they easily fell off to the ground. It was transparent, sparkling, and beautiful. He put his fist around it, holding it up for them to see, "See! It's all better now!" "Wow… how did you do that?" Grace exclaimed, waving her arms in the air. "That sure looks like a funny icicle," Duncan said. "It's a flower!" Grace corrected him in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, and crossed her arms, "Not an icicle!"

Elsa noticed the ice along the wall near the roses out of the corner of her eye. She gasped aloud, staring at the frozen rose bush, "My roses!" Everyone else looked up in surprise. She got up out of her chair, walking angrily towards him. "Watch the baby, please," Jacques told the butler, and they followed her down the steps. "Uh oh," Grace said, as she watched them approach anxiously, "Someone's in big trouble." "Jack!" her voice rose sharply. Jack gasped when seeing her, looking frightened. "Why did you do this?" she asked in a demanding tone of voice, drawing close to him. Jack didn't respond, lowering his eyes to the ground. "Jack, answer me," she said firmly. Jack only continued to sulk with a pout forming his lips. "I said answer me," she looked angrily at him, "Right now." "Looks like she's got this," Jacques said, "Let's go back." Jack watched as his aunt and uncle led his cousins back to the patio. He looked up at her, glaring, "Maybe if you ask nicely." She stared for a moment. "Jack, are you mad at me?" she asked, her anger softening. "Yes," he said scowling. "I want to know why you froze the rose bush," Elsa said in a calmer voice, "Was it something I said earlier?" "No," Jack told her. "Well then, could you tell me why you did it?" she asked, sounding a bit more patient.

"I just wanted to give you something!" he cried. "Give me what?" Elsa looked confused momentarily. "A flower!" Jack said bitterly. "Oh… a flower?" Elsa's eyes brightened, "Can I see it?" Reluctantly, he showed it to her. Elsa smiled, but after seeing the flower in his hand, her eyes went wide. She stared at it for some time, seeing that it was a flawlessly shaped rose that was completely frozen in ice. She looked up at Jack to see him staring at her, his face drawn into worry that she might be disappointed, as he could not understand why she suddenly fell silent. "Do you like it?" he asked, an uncertain expression came upon his face. "I…" Elsa hesitated, "Why, yes. I love it! It's… it's wonderful, dear." "Do you really?" Jack asked quietly, looking doubtful. "Yes," she smiled, trying to reassure him, "I think it's the most beautiful flower I've ever seen!"

He had a downcast look to his eyes. Elsa felt a twinge of guilt, "Don't you believe me, Jack?" "No," Jack answered tearfully, "You don't love me anymore!" "Don't say that," Elsa looked into his eyes, "That's not true." "Oh, sweetie, come here," she brought him close to her chest, wiped his tears with a free hand and then took the flower, "I think it's a lovely flower." "How come you didn't like it at first? Why weren't you happy about it?" Jack asked, looking confused. "No, it's not that, Jack. I'm very happy," she smiled, but pondered a moment to find the right words to tell him, "Momma was just… surprised. I've never seen anything like it before." "Really?" Jack asked, his mood suddenly lifting. "Yes," she said, and planted a gentle kiss on his forehead, "I'm sorry I got mad at you. Can we forgive one another?"

"Yes, momma," he bobbed his head, "I'm sorry, too." "And no more freezing my rose bushes," she raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, I won't ever do it again," he swore. "I'll keep this somewhere safe," she looked at the flower. "Why does it have to be kept safe?" Jack asked curiously. Elsa sighed. Jack looked at her, waiting for an answer. "It's a secret," she said softly, "No one can know that it's made out of ice." "How come?" he asked with a worried glance. "Because…" she hesitated, "Because some people wouldn't understand, honey." She cupped his cheek. "Can you keep a secret?" she asked. He nodded eagerly. "Promise not to tell anyone?" she looked a little uncertain. "I promise," he said. "Come on, let's go inside," she told him, taking him by the hand, "Everyone is in there waiting for you." They walked across the grass and up towards the stairs, and the butler was waiting outside the closed doors. Elsa approached him. "You're to tell no one of this," she whispered a warning to him, "No one outside of these castle walls." "Yes, my queen, I understand," he nodded gracefully. "Thank you," Elsa said, believing him. Steve smiled at her, "Your secret is safe with me."

Another five years passed. The children were dressed in their baseball uniforms. Elsa was packing their belongings into a leather duffle bag. "It's a Saturday," Jack said excitedly, "Do you know what that means?" "It's the sixth day of the week, Jack," Cosette replied, "I know my days of the week now!" "Well, that's not what I meant," Jack told her, "What I meant to say was… we get to go play baseball!" "Yay!" she threw her arms up in the air, "Little League!" "Alright, it looks like you've got everything for the kids," Jacques said, standing over her shoulder.

They were together in a large red and gold state room, filled with golden round tables and red velvet couches and chairs around them, along with large drapes over a wide window that let the sunlight fill the air. A great, gold ornate rug was laid on the floor with a ceiling of bronze over them, as well as a white porcelain chandelier. Elsa had loved the room as the wide window faced the great expanse of the kingdom beyond her, with its rivers and forests and mountains in the distance miles away. With all the richness of red on the walls, the servants who had lived in the castle for many years had often called it 'The Gold State Room'. It had been a favorite of the king's according to her husband, a room where the nobles and higher public officials gathered to talk and drink together.

Elsa slung the duffle bag over her shoulder. Jacques turned to face the kids, "Alright, who's ready for baseball?" "I am! I am!" Jack shouted. "Me, too!" Cosette exclaimed. "Okay, great," he said, "We're all going to have a lot of fun today!" Suddenly, Ser Henry opened the door. "Uncle?" Jacques blinked, looking a bit startled, "You didn't tell me you were coming." "Jacques, I need to talk to you," his uncle walked up to him, looking serious. "But it's a Saturday morning!" Jacques exclaimed, "Little League is today, or don't you remember?" "I have spent an hour of my day riding in the carriage to come and speak to you! I will not have you turn me away! Show some respect!" he cried defensively, "Can't you understand? I'm a very busy man! I don't have the time to be sitting and writing letters to you when I have some concerns about the royal budget!" "Um," Jacques lowered his voice, "Can we talk about this later?" Henry noticed Elsa staring at him, "Uh... yes. Yes, once we're alone, we can talk about it."

Henry turned and looked down at Jack, "Oh, and, here's your… belated birthday gift." He forced a smile, handing him the small present he was holding. Elsa took notice of his expression, but Jacques hadn't paid any attention. Jack hurriedly unwrapped the gift. He stopped after looking down inside. An ugly, cheap pair of socks was inside, with no card or even a bit of colored paper to hide it. One sock appeared to have a hole in it. Elsa gaped at it in disbelief, utterly surprised. "Socks?" Jack said angrily, looking at them in disgust, "Ugh! Just like last year! I wanted a new toy! Aunt Anna and Uncle Kristoff give better presents than this!" "Jack, be grateful for what you have," Elsa lowered her voice, "I want you to say thank you to Uncle Henry." "No!" he stomped his foot, and he turned to yell at him, "Uncle Henry, I don't want these socks!" "Jack!" Elsa cried. She grabbed his wrist, scolding him, "Jack, don't embarrass me." He pulled away and ran to him, "I didn't ask for an ugly pair of socks for my tenth birthday!"

Henry turned and stared uneasily back at him, "Well, that was all I could afford." He patted Jack on the back, "Sorry, chap." "Let me take the socks, Jack," Elsa said with a smile, and then turned angrily at Jacques, "Did you notice that these are secondhand clothes?" "What? No," he shook his head. "Are you just going to let him lie to our faces?" she whispered. Jacques sighed, "Elsa, please, not now." "May I talk to you, please?" she asked, looking at Henry. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I don't have the time," he said flippantly, "I... only have the time to speak to Jacques. After all, time is money, and I came here to talk about financial concerns. You might as well get out of here now, you're wasting daylight." Elsa noticed the children watching. She twisted her mouth angrily. "Little League starts at ten," she told him, "We have plenty of time to talk, don't you think?" He only gave her an annoyed look, and averted his eyes from her. "Jacques, I'd like to speak to you privately, if you don't mind," he smiled up at him. Elsa pursed her lips. "I have to stay," Jacques told her, "I'll meet with you later, alright?" She sighed. "Come on, let's go," she ushered the kids out the door.

Henry looked over his shoulder. "Well, we can finally be alone now," he said, looking pleased, "I wanted to show you something." "What is it you want to show me?" Jacques asked. Henry fumbled his hand through the fold of his jacket, pulling out his new cigar case. "You see this, Jacques?" Henry asked, holding it in front of him, "What a beauty that is. The broker told me the diamonds were nearly six dollars apiece, so I bargained that he'd give me a discount since I was his lord. What kind of jeweler thinks to charge six dollars for every little stone that's encrusted in the box?" "How many diamonds are in it?" Jacques asked curiously. "Well over a hundred!" his uncle said in a loud voice, "How do you think I'm supposed to be able to afford the new chess set I want?" "A chess set? Why do you need a new chess set?" Jacques looked confused for a moment.

"Because I get bored stiff in my manor home when there aren't any games to go to!" Henry griped, "How's an old man supposed to spend the remaining days of his life without a little something extra to keep his mind at work? I've wanted this chess set for ages!" "Uncle, we have a chess set that you could borrow if you would like. The children are too young to use it, and I haven't been using it as much as I used to," Jacques told him, offering it to him. "Why Jacques! This isn't just any old chess set that I want!" Henry retorted. "It's not old. It's fairly new, or at least it's in good condition," Jacques explained. "Pfft! You're asking me to play with that wooden toy you have stowed away in the library? The chess set I want is the Jewel Royale, made entirely of five hundred carat white and black diamonds. Not to mention, the chess table is made out of pure gold and platinum. Tell me, is there any person that wouldn't desire to have that within their own home?" his uncle asked with a look of wonder in his eyes.

"A chess set made entirely of diamonds?" Jacques looked surprised when he said it. "You'd better believe it," Henry grinned widely at him, "And there's nothing that's going to stop me from buying it. People don't call me the diamond man for nothing. You should stop over my manor house again to see what I have. I've got scotch glasses made of diamonds, a piano made of diamonds, my newest timepiece encrusted with diamonds. Even my toilet seat has them!" He let out a roar of laughter, and clapped his nephew on the shoulder. "Where are you getting all this money?" Jacques asked. "Traders of course!" Henry exclaimed, "You really ought to brush up on your business skills. Thankfully you have me as your uncle to teach you these sorts of things!" "I didn't know you had such great expertise in it," Jacques raised an eyebrow, and then added, "Why didn't you think to tell me beforehand?" "Well, I was busy. I've been so busy trading with small business owners left and right that it probably never occurred to me to have told you," he explained.

"Oh, and there's something I'd like to ask you," he continued rambling on, "I continue to forget about it. You know the baseball field in Winchester about a half hour from here?" "Yes, of course," Jacques nodded, "Why?" "Well, Jacques, you know how far away from my home that is. All the way on the west side, it takes my horses well over an hour to get there! That's the closest one to me!" Henry complained, and then added, "I would like you to help me pay for one five minutes away from my estate! I've been investing in building my own place, you know. I call it 'The Diamond District'. All that's missing is that baseball stadium. If it had that, it would be perfect! People from all over would come to pay a visit." He chucked, and then added, "Quite literally." "Honestly, uncle, you could just move away and find a new place to live," Jacques told him. "Absolutely not! I refuse to mingle with the common folk! Such pests they are," Henry grumbled, protesting angrily, "I'm a rich man and I ought to live like one with the rest of the rich men in this kingdom!" "I'm sorry uncle, but I can't let you do this," Jacques told him. "For heaven's sake, why not?" Henry asked bitterly. "Because Elsa wouldn't allow it. There's no need to invest money in building another baseball field," Jacques replied.

He furrowed his brow, "Why is everything about Elsa? Am I not a member of your family? I'm growing old, Jacques, and I don't have much time left in the world. The least you could do is show your love and respect by giving me these gifts. You're allowing Elsa to control you. Do you always have to listen to everything your wife tells you to do?" "I don't see anything wrong with Elsa," Jacques said. "You don't see anything wrong with her? She's taxing the rich like a mad woman!" Henry ranted, "All for these free or affordable health care services, whatever you call it. I'm telling you about the common people, they don't need welfare. They go and they waste money on things they don't need, and then they put the nation in debt!" "You complain to me about the cost of health care?" Jacques replied angrily, "The industry may be in debt since they invest so much money in medicine, but I can cover that debt unless you decide to spend the money I lend to you on diamonds." Henry twitched his whiskers at hearing that.

"Hmmppf, suit it yourself," he went quiet for a moment. He looked at the documents sprawled over the table, and curiously picked one of them up. "Uncle," Jacques said, "Don't touch those please." "What nonsense is this?" his uncle looked utterly surprised, "Why, Jacques, what businesses are you associating with? Trying to help recover large industries that are already in debt? Why not build upon smaller businesses that can repay their loans!" "Elsa and I decided that industrialization is not our priority," Jacques said calmly. "Not your priority? Then what is?" Uncle Henry asked contemptuously. "Well, besides health care, we're focusing on building better ships for safer transportation," Jacques replied, "Does that answer your question?"

"Oh rubbish!" Uncle Henry snapped angrily at him, "Jacques, what you should be focusing on is commerce and enterprise! Help build the economy by expanding smaller businesses; they will appeal to everyone and not just a limited amount of people." "Uncle Henry, I think I am perfectly capable of running the kingdom myself," Jacques replied, looking irritated with him. "I couldn't disagree more with that statement! Lucky you your father was the firstborn and you managed to inherit the throne! If you ask me, it should have been me who was made king! I don't see why your father wanted you to rule over me!" Uncle Henry rebuked him, and then mocked him, "'I am perfectly capable of running the kingdom myself.' As if! Someone as young and inexperienced as you? What do you know about being responsible enough to properly run a kingdom? If you ask me, I think it's time you found yourself a new trading partner!"

Jacques sighed, glancing at the grandfather clock along the wall. "And I know just the right person!" Henry said aloud, his voice sounding less angry. He beamed at Jacques, "He was an old friend of mine. Nigel's his name, haven't seen him in ages! I've heard that his old country has been reformed by Alphastorm. They've expanded their territories drastically over the last several years, and now they've one of the largest nations in the world. I feel that due to their economic growth, Alphastorm would make for an excellent trading partner! We should contact them right away if we want this kingdom to grow ever richer!" "For the people," Jacques said. Henry glanced up, his jolliness replaced by a serious expression, "Er… yes, for your people. Hopefully we can encourage them to boost the economy, not shoot it down." "What sort of things do they specialize in?" Jacques inquired. "Hmm… I don't exactly know, yet I do know that they are reputable for having a strong military! Perhaps you could trade arms with them and build your armies, as well as the navy," his uncle said with a smile. "Hmm… well, I'll have to write to them and see if they have anything that may interest me," Jacques said. "Oh, I insist that you touch base with them!" his uncle told him brightly, "By all means trade with them! I can assure you, Jacques, you won't regret it!"

Jacques looked at his timepiece. He looked up at his uncle, "How about we go to Little League? Elsa and the kids have been waiting long enough." "Alright," "But don't forget about the traders! I'll contact them for you to help get you started." "I'm not entirely sure if I want to trade with these people," Jacques gazed at him with an uncertain look. "Oh, yes you do!" Henry raised his voice in protest. "Fine, if you insist," he sighed, "But we really should be going. Come on." He walked out of the state room. Henry followed with some reluctance, "You do care about this, don't you Jacques? I mean maximizing profits means that there will be more for the things you like, and why not gain money from another country to help pay off the health care debts?" "Well, I agreed to it," Jacques pointed out, "Isn't that good enough?" "Alright," Henry nodded, "I can accept that."

Henry suddenly noticed that the room before the stairs was opened as they approached it. He stared in wonder, noticing how the door was ajar as it was always locked when he came over. "You know, Jacques," he said, stopping near it, "I've always wondered what was inside of this room." Jacques glanced at him suspiciously. "May I have a look inside?" he asked, reaching for the door. Jacques slammed it shut suddenly, "Sorry, uncle. I can't have you go in there." "What's the matter with you, boy? Are you hiding something from me?" Henry asked, furrowing his brow with suspicion. "Well… actually, it's not like that. Rather, it's meant to be a private room reserved for only me and my wife," he explained. "Oh, come on! It's a reading room!" Henry exclaimed, "I'm your uncle, aren't I? Don't I have the right to go just about anywhere in this castle?" "Oh, I confess… there's a mess in there," Jacques said, looking uneasy. "So," Henry shrugged his shoulders. "So, I'd rather not have you see it," Jacques twisted his mouth anxiously. "Get the servants to clean it up!" his uncle cried. "Yes, well, it'll take some time," Jacques said, and then put a hand on his back to guide him down the hall, "The children... they wandered in when we told them not to. Speaking of the children they'll probably waiting for us. Come along, uncle. We'll go watch the game." His uncle looked suspiciously back at him, and then peered over his shoulder back at the room. "Well," Henry stopped to think for a moment, "Well, just a moment. I... need to use the bathroom!" "Oh, well alright," Jacques said, looking back at him, "How about I meet you outside?" "Sure," he nodded. "By the front gate," Jacques told him, "I'll be waiting." He started descending down the stairs.

Henry sighed with relief. He glanced at the closed doors behind him, and walked towards them, burning with curiosity. "Better make this quick," he said to himself, and went to the door to turn the knob. He pushed it open, and the door squeaked a bit on its hinges. "No, no!" he glanced worriedly around, but no one was there. He peered into the room, seeing that it was spotless. Jacques had lied to him. About what? He didn't know. The thought only made him more curious. He thrust the door open. The room was beautiful, wallpapered with lilac silk patterns, filled with velvet cushions near a hearth. Two bookshelves were along the walls, and in between a window was a desk. Something gleamed brilliantly on the desk like a jewel. Henry widened his eyes. He thought he saw something that looked like glass in the shape of a rose. It was beautiful, he thought. His mouth watered with desire. Quietly he treaded the floor, walking towards the crystalline flower placed on the drawer before the window. It glistened luminously in the light of the sun, the sparkles dancing in his eyes. "Could it be?" he said to himself in fascination, "A crystal rose?" He drew closer to it, and saw just how beautiful it really was. He lifted it with delicate care, examining it closely. He smiled then, "Oh… I simply must have this!" He chuckled to himself. "Or perhaps the glass is made out of diamonds," he said aloud in wonderment, "Hmm… it's rather difficult to know. I'll have to get into contact with my jeweler to find out about this." He noticed how it felt cool to his fingertips. "Interesting," he rubbed his thumb along the stem, "It feels… rather cold."

His eyes went wide when hearing the footfalls of someone approaching. It sounded like a woman walking. He gasped, and looked about for his briefcase. He picked it up, laid it out on the table, and carefully placed the flower inside. Hurriedly he fastened the bag closed, peering over his shoulder, and then crossed the threshold of the room. He held his breath when he noticed that someone was behind him, but when he turned it was only a servant. "Good day, Ser Henry," she said. "Uh… er, good day to you, ma'am!" he replied with edginess in his tone of voice, "Beautiful outside, isn't it?" "Oh, why yes, certainly!" she answered with a smile, "I would much rather be out there right now, but I have a bit more cleaning to do before I'm on break." "Well, I have to go!" he said uneasily, trying to make himself sound pleasant, "Mmm hmm, uh, yes! Yes it's, um, past eleven o'clock now! I have to get to my nephew's game! My grandnephew's game, and grandniece's... you know what I mean!" "Oh, well take care, dear!" the woman waved at him. "Uh, yes, well," he stumbled ever closer to the stairs, "You take care as well!" He blindly reached for the stair railing, and then suddenly toppled over himself with a startled look. "Oh! Are you alright?" the woman cried. "Oh! Well, yes! Absolutely!" he lifted himself up, "I'm fine! Thank you!" "Oh, well, have a nice day," she smiled at him, and watched as he hastily ran down the steps. Without looking back, he made his way out the door.