"So you've come to make up with Elsa?" Anna asked eagerly. "Cause I totally ship you two."
"Anna!"
"What?" Anna grinned at Elsa's horrified expression before turning to Jack whose cheeks were a light pink. "I'm sure he forgave you for crushing his royal mythical family jewels. Right, Jack?"
"They are not mythical! How can you even see me?!"
"Elsa told me everything!" Anna chirped happily. "Is it true that you dropped her mid-flight? Did she scream?"
"No." Elsa snapped the same time Jack grinned and said "Yeah."
"That's beside the point!" Elsa cried out exasperatedly. She turned to Jack who had taken up a casual sitting position a couple feet above her bed. The spirit looked at the queen expectantly.
Elsa stiffened and fought back a childish pout. "I...apologize for breaking your..." Elsa's voice trailed off.
"His man stick," Anna said bluntly.
"No! You know what I mean." Elsa quickly shook her head, embarrassed. "And I also apologize for saying all those things to you."
"Okay."
"And also if you don't- wait, really?" Elsa blinked comically. "That's it?"
"Yeah." Jack grinned sheepishly and awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "I don't have much social experience since I'm pretty much alone most of the time, save for the occasional spirit, you know. I thought about it for a while after I calmed down and I realized I must have acted irrationally. Sorry about that."
"Aww, you two fit perfectly together!" Anna teased. She poked Elsa. "You know, Jack, Elsa was also pretty much alone for a while. You're both, like, socially awkward gumdrops!"
"You forget that you were also shut up in the castle!" Elsa exclaimed as she swatted away Anna's hand.
"Nuh-uh. I was shut up in the castle. You were shut up in your room. There's a difference."
"Hate to break it to you, ice cube, but she's right," Jack commented. He plopped onto Elsa's bed directly below him.
"I was not in my room all the time," Elsa defended. "And don't call me that!"
"Oh, sorry, you were out of your room for an hour a day. At night. How could I forget." Anna rolled her eyes.
* (See author's note)
"Is that true?"
"I–You know what? I have to go." Elsa threw up her hands in exasperation. "I should inform Gerda that everything is okay now."
"But Jack just got here!" Anna pouted, Jack following suit with an adorable pout of his own which was almost enough to make the Ice Queen give in.
Almost.
"I have work to catch up on," Elsa groaned. "I was not expecting you to be back so...soon. You two can keep each other company. I should be finished by nightfall."
"What's the rush?" Jack suddenly allowed himself to plop onto her bed, causing the mattress to jump. "Aren't you happy to see me again, ice cube?"
"Do not call me that," Elsa said automatically. Anna snickered. "I have an obligation to do my duty and it's almost the Autumn Ball. There are people visiting, important people, Jack."
"The Autumn...Ball?" Jack said slowly, almost as if testing out the words. His face was scrunched in confusion. "What's that?"
"A gathering. A formal party of sorts. Arendelle's own little tradition. Since this is the first year we've opened the castle doors, I've invited royalty from the neighboring countries to attend." Elsa explained.
"Annnnnd it's next week! Guess which sister doesn't have a date yet?" Anna grinned mischievously at the both of them. Elsa glared at her.
"I am the queen. It is not required that I have a–"
"Date?" Anna wagged her eyebrows playfully. "Are you sure you don't have a romantic interest, hm?"
"Like...Terry?"
"I...What?" Both Elsa and Anna looked at Jack in surprised. "How do you know about Terry?"
Jack looked down and, well, anywhere but at Elsa. He twirled his staff. "Well… I was going to surprise you earlier in your office…"
"Wait, what about Terry?" Anna asked, confused.
They both ignored her.
"You were…eavesdropping?" Elsa asked in disbelief.
"It was on accident! I didn't think he would go and confess!"
"Terry confessed?!" Anna asked. Then she paused thoughtfully. "Can't say I'm surprised…"
Anna started to speak again when she noticed, for the first time, the tension growing between them. It was rather one-sided, actually. Anna groaned.
"Eavesdropping is a crime punishable by—mmpf!" Elsa tore Anna's hand away from her mouth indignantly. "Anna!"
"And I'm sure he didn't mean it. Now run along now to your work, I have some very important business with Jack here," Anna said cheerfully as she guided Elsa out the door by her elbow. "Tell Gerda I said sorry for scaring her!"
"Anna—"
The door closed.
Elsa stared at the door. Then the click of the lock could be heard. For a moment, she played with the idea of getting someone to open it with a spare key but quickly dismissed the idea. There was work to be done.
"The flowers, your majesty. Would you prefer these or these?" Kai gestured towards a servant holding a vase of pure white Iberises in one hand, and a mix of colorful Chrysanthemums in the other.
"Nothing too colorful, but not snow white either," Elsa commanded. "Something that represents Autumn but nothing that pops out too much. Autumn is a modest season."
The servant nodded and briskly strode away as Kai quickly made note of the command on an ever growing list he held.
"Next we have the updated guest list which has increased by two. Almost all of the invitations have been answered by now, your majesty." Kai read off another list. A servant quickly walked up to the advisor and whispered in his ear. Kai nodded and the servant retreated.
"Speaking of the two newly accepted invitations, the royals themselves are here. Queen Rapunzel and King Eugene has just arrived, your majesty."
Relieved at the excuse to leave the bustling servants, Elsa nodded. "I shall go greet them. Kai, can I trust you to handle everything here?"
"Of course, your majesty. However, I insist on you taking an advisor with you. May I suggest Terry?"
Elsa forced herself to not look her other advisor whose head automatically snapped up at the mention of his name. She had tried to keep him busy for the hours but he always managed to find a way to hover nearby. Frankly, she didn't know how to act around him.
Elsa sighed. First, there was the whole thing with Terry confessing. Then there's that whole issue with Prince Louis. If that wasn't bad enough, she knew for a fact that Anna and Jack were up to something.
"Or perhaps you would rather Terry stay here while I accompany you?" Kai asked, noticing the hesitation.
"No, no. I trust you here. You've known me longest, after all." Elsa smiled at the man. "I think you know my tastes better than anyone here."
"Thank you, your majesty." Kai bowed before stepping back.
Elsa sighed and gestured for Terry who was already walking towards the Queen. For the first time that day, Elsa forced herself to directly look at her other advisor.
Terry was...awkward.
Sure, he was acting normal enough that most other people didn't notice anything off. But today, he was clingy. More so than usual.
Now, Terry was a little clingy to start with. Elsa had written it off as part of being a top advisor. It was necessary for him to be sure that everything that she did was to standards, especially with Elsa being a newly appointed queen. But this, this was just uncomfortable. Maybe Elsa was just hyper-aware of his presence.
"Terry, come with me. We'll be greeting the King and Queen of Corona." She didn't bother seeing if he was following before turning and quickly walking away.
"Yes, your majesty."
* Where Early December 2015 me left off and Late December 2016 me began.
Author's Note:
AHHHHH sorry, sorry, and sorry! This chapter is a year late…
I had actually chosen to drop this story (can't remember why though) but for the first time in a year, I logged onto the email I used solely for this account and I noticed new story favorites/followers all the way up to October and figured this would be good practice. Now that I read this again, I'm cringing really hard so excuse my change in style/plot since I'm still trying to remember everything I had planned for this. m(_ _)m
It's technically still Christmas where I am so… Merry Christmas!