"A small misplacement of coin." The princess said again, this time with an annoyed expression that nearly matched her sisters. "That's why he dragged you out of that room?!"

Elsa said nothing, but crossed her arms a little tighter, trying to rein in her anger.

She had left Jack on the teetering edge of control and had very little time to recompose herself before she faced the Masters. A misplacement of nearly two hundred silver pieces that hadn't been catalogued caused the Master of Coin to have a hissy fit. How she wished she could freeze him solid and return to her Lord of Snow. But she knew it wouldn't benefit anyone, and by the time she came back down the hall she saw the window had been left open, and a touch of frost hung on the ledge. Her fury rose again and she'd stormed off towards the southern balcony, trying to find some peace of mind. Instead she found Anna.

"You okay?" Anna asked when her sister remained silent.

With a heavy sigh she dropped into a nearby chair and pressed a hand to her brow. In truth she wasn't, the stress caused by the day to day responsibilities had seemed to come crashing down on her as soon as she left that room. Her temper hadn't made anything easier and it only made her headache worse. That and –

"I have no idea what'll happen now." She confessed,

"Oh I'm sure it'll be fine, they'll find a bill of sale that'll make up for and that's not what you're talking about…." Anna danced around awkwardly when she noticed that half glare between the fingers.

"No."

"Well someone's a little chilly,"

"Anna," She groaned

"Yep, that's me!" Elsa's glare made her eyes darken, "Okay okay! Listen," Anna moved to her sister and sat in a nearby chair. "Don't think of it as the end of the world just…give it some time." She took the queens hands and noted the cold beneath the warmth. "Were you going out tonight?"

Elsa didn't say anything; instead she looked away at the ground and thought. Should she call on him tonight? In her heart she felt that some distance might help, but she warred with another voice, a darker voice that told her to go to the ice castle and find him there. The thoughts that followed soon after were both foreign and delightful. She internally cursed and looked back to her sister, a decision made.

"Not tonight, I think it'll be best if I wait a day or two."

"I'm surprised; I would have jumped back on him. Not that I would I mean he's your man and he's probably handsome, you're handsome too but – wait what?"

Elsa lost it then; a shocked and bewildered laughter rang out and Anna stared furiously at the ground trying to figure out where her mind had gone. She stood and brushed a strand of hair from Anna's face, a silent thank you. Without another word she returned to the sanctuary of the castle and locked the door to her room.

Behind the safety of the wood she let her walls crumble, and she crumbled with them. She fell against the door and let tears silently fall. She needed a break, from everything and even though she hated herself for it, maybe a couple days away from him would help. Catch up on a few things, books, work, sleep…

"Oh who am I kidding," She grumbled, a hand to her face.

"Apparently no one,"

"Do you ever knock?" She didn't lift her face to his.

She heard the click of wood and felt the frost creep up on the door as he sat next to her.

"I don't think knocking is a good idea,"

"You rather he walked in?" Her eyes glanced through the fingers at his smiling form; she heard a nervous laugh as he shifted his staff from one hand to the other.

"Well, that'd be awkward for you."

With a disgusted sound she pushed herself away from the door. "Annoying snow sprite,"

"Hey, I don't have wings! Tooth Fairy does, or so I've heard."

"At this point I don't care if the Tooth Fairy has wings or not, or even if she even exists."

"Ouch." He gestured to the air above her head and snowflakes began to fall. "Take a chill pill and relax."

Without turning from the window she snapped her fingers and the snowflakes froze. The seething anger under her skin burned like acid and she was in no mood for Jack's mischief, but as the minutes tick by she felt the fire die down. In the silence that followed her mind kept on begging the question, what about Jack? Did he leave? She didn't hear the sound of the door being unlocked, and he didn't pass her to leave through the window.

Her answer came soon enough as strong arms wrapped over her shoulders and waist and pulled her against him. She did not expect the touch, though she continue to glared out the window and almost ignore his presence. He buried his head into the crook of her neck and she felt the coolness of his breath on her shoulder. Trapped, she felt oddly safe here, and the remnants of her anger seemed to melt away into nothing. She closed her eyes and with a defeated sound rested against him.

"What's wrong?" He said after a moment's silence, "What's really wrong, don't give me that "I'm the queen" garbage. You're still tense." He said after a moment and kissed the bare skin of her shoulder.

She made a sound of amusement and her eyes fluttered open. "Honestly, it's everything. I have a lot to do and I simply don't want to do it." He laughed in his throat, she smiled some but then it fell and she turned her head away from his, oddly embarrassed. "I don't know what to do..."

"Should I apologize?" She could hear the sincerity behind the teasing tone.

"No," She looked over her shoulder and found his smile, "No, that's not necessary."

"Well, I actually do have something to apologize about…" He turned her around and took hold of her shoulders, "I have to go for a couple of days. It's winter in the west and snows aren't falling yet. I do have my own job to do." She looked away as he said this, even though that's what she wanted she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed at his leaving. He tilted her head back up to his, "It won't take long, and I'll be back before you know it." He murmured; the corner of her mouth twisted into the semblance of a smile.

The scene looked like it stepped out of a novel. A Queen held in the arms of her beloved Lord and yet, no one knew about them. The kiss was slow and careful but brief. Elsa did nothing but stand with eyes downcast as the window opened and his hands slipped from hers, and like a summer breeze, he was gone. Her hands clutched nothing and with a final sigh they fell at her side and the window behind her closed shut.

That night she lay in her bed and stared at the ceiling, her mind unable to quiet itself enough for sleep. He said a couple of days, but in truth they did not know how long it would be, and she hated not knowing. She laughed as a thought passed by; she should have grabbed his collar and made him promise to return early. But what promise would she keep? With a bemused sound she turned over, pulled the fur cover over her shoulders, prayed for sleep and wished her Lord of Snow safe travels.


Days slowly ticked by, and each one ended with disappointment, no letter, no word of his return, not even a whisper in the wind. Some nights she slept easier than others and on the fourth night she dreamt of a small town, covered in frost and snow, children playing in the open woods and the twinkling of the ice its own lullaby. When she awoke and felt oddly refreshed, but a glance at the rising autumn sun reminded her that winter was still some ways off, along with her beloved.

With a sigh she rose from the covers and dressed, her hair pulled back with a deep blue ribbon to hang loose at her back. The gown was simple, deep blue edged in blacks and silvers. She would not wear her crown today, but she did brush the cold metal with her fingers in equal fondness and sorrow. The door opened beneath her hand and Anna greeted her with a similar melancholy mood. Kristoff had left early and would not return until much later. With a small smile exchanged the two greeted the day with halfhearted fervor.


"Elsa." She quickly turned towards the Master of Trade; by the way he said her name he must have called to her multiple times. "Are you alright?" His brows furrowed together in curiosity.

"You do seem to be quite distracted as of late my Lady," The Master of Words said from his seat at the far end of the table.

With a heavy sigh, she stood and moved to the window, with their ever watchful eyes there was no use in lying, well not entirely. "Forgive me Masters; my mind is heavy."

"With what?"

"Hopefully the treasury, the two hundred -"

"I do not care about the silver Coin Master," She said bitingly, "That is your job if I remember correctly." Frost grew and quickly faded with her breath on the panes. She looked out the window at the passing ships carrying trade and visitors alike. "You may continue," She instructed though she did not face them.

"As you wish. Trade has picked up some; we've gained some profit in the west, though the fast encroaching winter has slowed fur production. In hind sight we should be able to-" And she shut her ears to the rest.

In truth she only wanted to hear about the winter in the west, or of some strange phenomena that happened that would tell her of Jack's whereabouts. She glanced down at the streets below wondering what sort of mischief he would cause. She glimpsed Olaf tugging Anna by the hand and bouncing around joyfully. Anna put on a face but the tightness around her eyes never left. Sympathy and understanding washed over her and she looked back to her Masters, who were arguing amongst themselves. She laughed quietly shaking her head and turned to them with a smile.

"I can see that I am not only queen to Arendelle but its mother as well," The three stopped and looked to her, each with varying degrees of confusion and annoyance. "My children why do we always fight? It seems that none of my counsel session ends on a good note. So tell me, what is it?"

She glanced over them as the window on the far end of the room was overcome by frost. Her eyes tightened infinitesimally and she cleared her throat.

"Think on that and we can continue this discussion later."

"But your Majesty," The Master of Coin interjected,

"How can my kingdom function when you three can't even agree what color the sky is? I see no reason to continue arguing amongst each other, when there is nothing to argue about. Return to me later when you've all figured that out." And with that final word she left the room.

She needed to escape, the very air was suffocating and in truth she was right, they always argued over the most ridiculous of things and it tired her to no end. Wandering amongst the halls she found herself in front of a doorway not particularly used by her, Anna always frequented it and she felt almost out of place. With a steadying breath she pushed open the doors to the garden.

The sunlight spilled into the darkened hall and blinded her briefly, but once her eyes adjusted to the vibrant colors of the grass and flowers she smiled. The lower walls held the waters at bay, but she could still smell the salt amongst the birch trees and tulips that bloomed around. The low hanging branches of a weeping willow swayed in a light breeze. Past rose and daisy bushes alike she smiled at the garden and wondered why she never ventured here before.

Wandering aimlessly she let her mind do the same, though of course it took her back into that room. Where did the silver go? What preparations remained for the end of the month festivities? Has the Westerguard fleet been mobilizing? Was that frost from her or-? With a sound of frustration she fell onto a nearby stone bench and let her head fall in her hands. Her bangs fell in front of her and created somewhat of a curtain between her and the world. But the peaceful silence was broken almost as swiftly as it came. Her head shot back up at the sound of the door being furiously thrown open, the knobs hitting the interior walls before slowly closing shut.

"Stubborn bloody fool," A voice growled out.

"Are you three still at it?"

The Master of Trade blinked, surprised to find his queen there. "Your Majesty, I-"

She waved his apology away and he visibly relaxed, save for the anger in his eyes. He paced the length of the garden as he thought and Elsa quietly watched him, bemused and curious. By the way his boots pounded against the ground and the shallow trench she could tell he did this quite often. She felt a desire to send a sliver of ice into his pathway and let gravity do the rest. But she held back the urge and instead watched with a bemused expression as his frustration boiled over into a shout.

She shook her head, "Whose fault is it now?" She said in an almost bored like tone.

"Your Coin Master is grating on my nerves. He thinks I took the silver."

She laughed darkly and gave him a cheshire grin. "I know who took the silver."

He stopped his pacing and looked down at the sly grin on her face, "You?"

"That's what he wants you to think." She leaned forward and he bent at the knee. "I have a suspicion that this missing silver is a slip up on his part and he's looking for a scapegoat."

"You think he's taking more?"

"Of course" Her statement was delivered like it was something obvious. He blinked at her before his smile matched her own. "I've tasked the Master of Word to look this over, talk to those in town and see what they know. I am now asking you, to speak with your tradesmen about his whereabouts. He is not to leave the city and I am to know everything there is to know. I think my debt is about to substantially grow." She looked away, "I can only pray that I am wrong."

"By your will my queen," He took her hands in his, "Or by my own, I will not be made a liar and a thief. I've left that world and I intend to stay out of it. I will tear him down to nothing if you would allow me to do so. No one as kind and saintly as you should dirty their hands in something like this."

"I will still be his judge." She said definitively, drawing her hands back to her lap.

With a nod he left, muttering to himself about his newest charge. She smiled after him, but it soon fell. She rubbed her hand and a whisper of power emerged, a small flash of powder and ice. I may be a saint ruler but I am not without demons. She smiled and the ice disappeared back into her hand.

She spoke the truth; she could only pray she was wrong. But what if she was right? What then shall she do? With a sigh she stood and began pacing where her Tradesman left off. Her mind was heavy and for once Jack was not a part of the weight. She had a party left to plan and procrastination left the ledger stack tall. Invitations needed to be finalized and sent to the remaining kingdoms. She needed to send some discrete vessel to the isles in the south, a reconnaissance order as it were. She needed to defend her kingdom at a moment's notice, though she still prayed for peace. Arendelle was not heavily fortified and as she glanced at the tall towers she saw their potential. She paused as she thought, but that was all that was needed.

A rush of winter wind sent leaves flying past her and her eyes narrowed. She blinked when she realized what could have caused it and turned, only to slam into something akin to a wall. Jack caught her and he heard a sharp intake of breath. Eyes wide and awash in emotion she couldn't tell which she felt more; embarrassment for running into him, relief for it being him or a mixture of love and anger for the entirety of his trip.

Her nails dug into the leather vest, hearing the hide protest was sweet music to her ears. His arms loosely embraced her and she heard a low laugh. She was little more than a statue in his arms; the only sound was the crackle of ice as the blades of grass froze underneath them. He only had to wait a beat more before she quickly wrapped her own arms around him, holding him close. He smelled of mountain air and of the flowers around him.

God how he missed her, he just didn't know how much. He missed her smile, he missed her laugh, hell, he even missed those nails digging into his back as she clung to him. He kissed the top of her hair and laughed in his throat. They stood like that for what seemed like hours, and they couldn't find it in themselves to complain. She pulled away first but only to place a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. She'd forgotten about her plots and schemes on her Masters, the stack of ledgers and the possibility of war, instead she simply felt at peace. Here, in the garden, nothing could touch her and she closed her eyes in bliss.

It was only when he tilted her face up and kissed away the tears did she realize they were there. She laughed and her hands found his face, and soon after his lips found hers. The kiss was slow, but patience wore thin quickly. Her hands trailed from his face down to his collar and she tugged, forcing them farther into the shadow of the castle. With a hand at her waist and the other tangled in her hair the kiss deepened and she smiled all the more. He bit her lip, earning a small gasp as her lips parted beneath his. She reveled in the sensations, for they were more proof that he was there, and she loved it.

With a curse he broke the kiss, equally as out of breath as she. She laughed quietly, both at the rush and his language and brushed away a tuft of hair from his eyes.

"Missed me?" She managed to breathe out,

"You could say that…" His voice had gone dark and she laughed.

He kissed her hard and a sound came from the back of her throat. It was nearly his undoing. Nails bit into cloth and skin and his hands gripped her waist almost painfully but she didn't care. The rough stone dug into her shoulders and he hitched her leg over his waist. Her head fell back but his lips never left her skin, but his teeth soon followed and she clung all the more.

Her eyes shot open as she heard a faint sound, and she wished it was just a figment of her imagination. But then she heard its partner sound and she shoved at Jacks shoulder. Annoyed and confused he looked at her only to see her eyes sharp as glass and looking towards the entrance of the castle.

A slender but sturdy man with short cropped black hair walked to the edge of the garden and looked around. Elsa straightened and cleared her throat, Jack groaned loudly and she smirked, silently agreeing with him. The servant spotted her but halted, a little hesitant under her glare. In the shadow of the castle her eyes glowed feverishly bright against the coat of ice, and her annoyed scowl made her a frightening creature.

"Your Majesty," He called in a calm voice, when her eyes narrowed he stuttered in his step. "A letter from the Master of Word."

She snatched the letter from his hand and turned it over, finding his signature. She glanced over at the servant who made a sound before quickly scurrying back into the castle. She smirked after the servant and turned the thick parchment back over. Jack wrapped an arm around her waist and she leaned into his shoulder. This was the letter she'd been waiting for, but why did it have to come now?

Jack laughed quietly and toyed with her hair.

"Seems your day is already booked, I can meet you later if you wish?" He suggested lightly, though he flexed his jaw in irritation.

She remained silent, and he sighed, taking that as his answer. He released her waist but her hand lashed out and grabbed his shirt. He grimaced as her nails bit into the flesh and dragged him back to her. He looked down at her with confused and slightly amused eyes though she had the same thoughtful gaze that stared out in the distance. She would not make the same mistake again.

"Did I say you could leave?"

She tilted her head up to him with a wicked smile. He took her face in his hands and gave her a swift kiss. She laughed in her throat and quickly tucked the square of paper into her dress pocket and pulled him down.