Chapter 9

Eggs sunny side up, bacon, home fried potatoes and a tall glass of orange juice. A perfect sunny breakfast for a perfect sunny day. But no sunny breakfast could penetrate the dark cloud that hung over the breakfast table this morning. Elsa sat straight up, her face expressionless as she ate. Anna and Kristoff, in contrast, wore worried expressions. Anna had told Kristoff everything Victor had told her last night, forgetting that Elsa had also heard the conversation. Now she and Kristoff just watched Elsa as she ate, hoping for a sign that the pleasant person she used to be was still there.

"I went down to the engineers shop this morning." Kristoff commented solemnly. "I'm afraid the flyer is gone."

Anna replied with a frustrated tone, "I can't believe he did that. Just sneak out without even saying goodbye? What a coward!"

"Victor made it clear that it was his intent to do so." Elsa stated flatly. "At least he was honest about it."

"Honest or not," Kristoff replied angrily, "it was still cowardly. No self-respecting man would do that to a woman. It's just so infuriating."

Without looking at him, Elsa said, "Calm yourself, Kristoff. There's no point in letting your emotions run away. What's done is done."

"I'll bet he's a hundred miles away by now." Anna growled.

A commotion in the hallway caught Anna's and Kristoff's attention, while Elsa continued eating unaffected. After a few moments of shouting from the hallway, Victor came charging into the dining hall. Looking squarely at Anna he bellowed,

"ALRIGHT, YOU! WHERE IS IT?!"

Anna and Kristoff jumped up, while Elsa seemed to be oblivious to the commotion. As Victor moved toward Anna, Kristoff blocked his way.
"Hold it there, Victor!"

"My beef isn't with you, Iceboy! Get out of my way!" Victor growled

Kristoff glared in response. "Take one more step towards my fiancé and I'll see to it you go back to Zalaria in a cheese crate!"

Victor reeled backwards a few steps, took a deep breath and replied calmly. "I'm sorry. You're right. But I do have a bone to pick with her."

"Then tell me what the problem is, "Kristoff stated, "and I'll see what I can do."

Victor began. "Fine. This morning I was prepping the flyer to leave. Filled the tanks, loaded some provisions, checked the flight controls, even pushed it out onto the ice by myself. But when I tried to start it, guess what happened."

"I'll guess that it didn't start." Anna replied

"Give the girl a prize!" Victor continued. "I even tried a few more times before popping the engine cover and checking it out. And it didn't take me long to find the problem."

Kristoff asked, "And that would be?"

"Someone had stolen the oil vaporizer nozzle." Victor replied angrily.

"What does it look like?" Kristoff asked.

"It's a small brass cone, about an inch tall." Victor answered. "And the engine won't run without it. Now I've already grilled most of the engineering staff, to no avail. So that only leaves one person with the knowledge of how the engine works AND a reason to keep me here. Any idea who that may be?"

Kristoff looked to Anna. "He makes a good point, dear."

"Wait What?!" Anna replied, clearly shocked. "You don't really think I did it, do you?"

"Well, yes. Actually." Victor responded sarcastically.

"Anna," Kristoff said, "Be honest. Did you steal Victor's engine part?"

Anna was now getting upset. "Honey! NO! I would never…"

"Then that settles that." Kristoff stated. "If she says it wasn't her, then I believe her."

"*-/Is that so?" Victor responded angrily, "and I'm supposed to just accept her word?"

"AHEM!" a gentle voice called out.

All three turned towards the source of the voice and stood in stunned silence. Elsa had turned her chair towards the group, and was now sitting with one leg over the other, her body leant to the right, her right elbow on the table, her chin resting in her right palm, an extremely smug smile on her face, and the pilfered part perfectly perched on the end of her right pinky finger.

"Looking for this?" Elsa asked slyly, waving her pinky.

For a few seconds, no-one could respond. Then Victor finally said, "Um…Kris? It would appear that I owe you and you're fiancé a huge apology."

"It's ok." Kristoff replied. "I think we're just as surprised as you."

"You Elsa?" Anna asked, "But Why? How?"

Elsa stood and began strolling slowly around the room. "Well Anna, after hearing Victor's true feelings, I realized I couldn't just let him fly off with so much left unresolved. So I slipped down to the shop. Luckily for me Victor had explained how the oil vaporizer works, giving me an easily recognizable way to disable his flyer without permanently damaging it. It took me a little time to figure out how to use a wrench, but after that it was easy."

Victor glared at Anna, but Anna responded, "Whoa! I didn't say anything!"

"Anna never told me, Victor." Elsa stated. "She just forgot that I was in the ice room the whole time."

Anna put her hand to her mouth. "Oh No! Elsa I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine, Anna." Elsa smiled. "Cold doesn't bother me. And it did let me hear every word of a conversation that should have been between Victor and myself."

Elsa rounded the table, coming to a stop in front of Victor. Looking into her eyes, Victor fumbled for words.

"Um… Elsa. I…"

Elsa put a finger to his mouth.

"Victor, let me tell you something my mother told me long ago. When my father and mother first met, it wasn't an easy courtship. As was typical, father tried his best to impress mother, with little luck. Until one day, they were taking a walk in the forest and mother commented that she missed the fresh food from home. So father dove into the bushes and killed a wild boar, offering to have it prepared any way she liked."

Anna commented. "That's such a sweet gesture."

"True, it would have been," Elsa continued. "Had mother not been a dedicated vegetarian."

"Ooh! Epic fail!" Kristoff quipped

Elsa giggled. "Not so epic, Kristoff. Father's gift didn't earn him mother's affections, but it did show her the quality she needed to see. He was willing to risk serious injury to himself to please her, even if he showed it by offering her a dead animal."

Victor looked confused. "Elsa, I'm not sure I understand."

"Neither did I." Elsa stated. "Until mother said it like this. 'The best men often do the wrong thing for the right reason'."

Victor stood silent, pondering Elsa's words, as Anna and Kristoff grinned.

"Victor, we are going to have a long and detailed discussion privately in my office." Elsa gently ordered, provocatively tucking the nozzle into the front of her dress.

"And you're not getting that back until I am thoroughly satisfied that every detail has been explored and resolved."

Victor smiled. "Of course, my queen."

It had been a long 5 hours for Anna and Kristoff as they waited to learn the outcome of Elsa and Victor's discussion. Now, with the sky clear and the sun high, Elsa, Anna and Kristoff stood on the ice watching as Victor prepped the Wooden Dragon for flight. Elsa had revealed little about her discussion, and it was driving Anna crazy.

"Elsa! Come on! You can't keep us in the dark forever!"

Elsa giggled. "Not yet Anna."

"Your sister never was much for patience." Kristoff joked. Anna responded by punching him in the arm.

As they watched, Victor closed the engine cover. He then reached into the pilot section and set the controls, double check the ropes securing the flyer to the ice, then walked around to the nose. He then turned the airscrew slowly a few times before giving it a hard pull. The engine sputtered. One more hard pull and the airscrew began to spin, the engine puffing black smoke out the rear of the flyer. Victor ran to the controls and made a few adjustments, and the engine began to run smoothly.

Victor then ran back to the others saying, "She'll need some time to warm up."

Elsa wrapped her arms around him. "Good. Gives me a bit more time right here."

Anna and Kristoff smiled. It was good to see Elsa happy again.

"So," Anna asked excitedly, "now will you tell us?"

Victor chuckled, then replied. "We've decided that we each have to be what we are. Elsa queen of Arendelle, myself a roaming explorer."

"But that doesn't mean," Elsa continued, "that we can't be in love."

"And who knows?" Victor added. "Maybe having a wonderful woman waiting for me will be enough to break my need to travel."

Kristoff commented, "Grandpabbie once told me 'True love is the strongest force in the world, stretching great distances to bring two people together'."

"If that's true," Anna added, "then maybe the strength of your love will guide you back to Arendelle soon."

Victor laughed. "And if that don't work, the map Elsa made me promise to use certainly will."

"Oh! Before I forget." Elsa exclaimed, "I had this made some time ago. I'd like you to have it."

Elsa handed Victor a drawing of herself in an ornate frame. Written at the bottom of the picture were the words:

"Though we must remain apart,

We'll be together in my heart.

Love: Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

Victor looked at the gift and smiled.

"I'll hang it on my control panel." He replied graciously. "That way I'll have something beautiful to look at during the long oversea flights."

Elsa blushed at Victors comment.

"And Kristoff and I have this for you as well." Anna said, handing him a large envelope.

Taking it in hand, Victor asked, "What is it?"

"A royal wedding invitation." Kristoff replied. "On behalf of my fiancé and myself, we would consider it an honor if you would attend."

"Hmm." Victor replied. "A welcoming kingdom, the love of my life, a map to find my way and now a royal wedding invite?" He looked down at Elsa. "Looks like I've got plenty of good reasons to come back soon."

Elsa held him tighter, then said, "As much as I hate to say it, if you're going to go you should go now. It's getting late in the day."

"I've never been someplace I didn't want to leave until now." He replied sadly, "But you're right. I am burning daylight."

For a few moments Victor and Elsa gazed into each other's eyes, then Victor leaned down, placing his lips to hers. Anna and Kristoff respectfully turned away while Elsa and Victor exchanged their silent farewells. As they finally released each other, Victor then turned to Anna and Kristoff.

"Well." He chimed. "Time for me to get in the wind."

Kristoff smiled. "Safe travels, my friend."

"Don't stay away too long." Anna added pleasantly.

With that, Victor ran to the flyer, pulled out the tie downs and climbed in. With a smooth push on the throttle lever the engine roared, pulling the flyer along, faster and faster, until it rose off the ice and quickly into the sky. Elsa, Anna and Kristoff followed with their eyes as Victor turned the flyer around so he was heading back the way he came. As he approached his 3 friends, he rolled the Wooden Dragon in a perfect barrel roll, hollering happily as he passed. Kristoff held his hand high. Anna waved her arms and cheered. But Elsa only smiled, blowing him a kiss. And as he flew beyond the end of the fjord, Elsa whispered;

"Until next time, my love."