Okay, I know I am a bit late with this chapter, but truthfully I'm put off writing this chapter. Why? Well, this chapter is a turning point in the story and from this point I'm going to be working towards the climax and (sadly) the ending. Yes, people there has to be an end. Believe me when I say I don't want to end as much as you do.


Elsa opened her eyes, squinting in the early morning sun filtering into her room. She turned over smiling at Zephyr's sleeping form. She pressed a light kiss to his brow and slipped quietly out of bed. She moved over to her vanity taking up her brush. The festival was today so she had to get an early start. She was half way through braiding her hair when something caught her eye in her reflection. Hanging around her neck was a simple sliver chain, with a delicately crafted snowflake pendant.

Her hand flew up to it, her fingers tracing the edges of the cool metal. She hadn't been wearing it when she went to sleep. She'd never even seen the necklace before.

"Happy Birthday,"
She spun around to see Zephyr sitting up.
"You…how'd you know?"
"Anna told me,"
"The necklace, did you…"
"I'm sorry it's something so frivolous. I didn't have much time,"
"Zephyr no, it's beautiful." Elsa said going towards him. She took his face in her hands, "I love it,"
"It's not even half as beautiful as you,"
"You're so mushy,"
"It's what you do to me," He kissed her lightly, "Now, why don't you come back to bed so I can give you another birthday gift,"

Elsa smirked, "As tempting as that is we have a big day, and I have to get ready,"
"You can a spare a few minutes,"
"It wouldn't be a few minutes," She said slipping from his arms. He let out a groan and Elsa laughed. "You should start getting ready too,"
"The ball is this evening."
"Yes, but there is plenty to do between then and now."
"Fine," He tossed back the covers getting out a bed.

A knock at the door drew their attention.
"Is it safe for me to come in?" Anna's voice rang out.
"It's open Anna," Elsa called. Anna burst in through the door and tackled hugged Elsa.
"Happy Birthday!"
Elsa laughed, stumbling back under Anna's weight. The princess released her and dropped a brightly wrapped gift into her sister's hands. "Don't just stare at it, open it," Anna urged.
"Alright, I'm opening," She pulled the ribbon off and lifted to the top of the box. She took out a snow globe showing a miniature North Mountain and the Ice Palace.

"Anna, where in the world did you get this?"
"That's for me to know." Anna winked, "Do you like it?"
"It's wonderful," Elsa pulled Anna into a hug.
"Hurry and get dressed everyone is waiting for you,"
"What do you mean everyone is waiting for me?"
"Oops,"
"Anna, way to let the cat out of the bag," Zephyr said.
"What are you planning?" Elsa asked.
"Well, there may be a tinny tiny party," Anna said
"You know I don't like a fuss for my birthday. We already have the ball this evening,"
"I know, I know. But it's only our closest friends,"

"This is why you convinced my advisors and myself to move up the celebrations this year," Elsa said rising and eyebrow.
"Maybe," Anna said smiling shyly. Elsa rolled her eyes.
"Fine, I'll be ready in a minute," Elsa said shaking her head. Anna's eyes lit up. She kissed Elsa on the cheek and ran from the room.
"Don't take too long," Anna called over her shoulder.

"What I wouldn't do for her," Elsa said sighing. Zephyr was laughing. "What's so funny?"
"You are,"
"Oh?"
"The way you act I mean. You say don't like excessive attention, but Anna loves company and festivity so I think you really enjoy it, because she does,"
"There you go, getting all philosophical on me again,"

"I love seeing you and Anna together. It reminds so much of…" Zephyr cut himself short, making Elsa curious.
"Reminds you of what?"
"Nothing important," Zephyr said shrugging. He kissed her, "I'd better head to my room and get dressed. I wouldn't want to be late to your party." He winked before departing. Elsa stood perplexed for a moment. It wasn't like Zephyr to withhold anything, especially from her. She shook head, pushing it from her mind. It was probably nothing. Besides she had a party to get to.

As it turned out she did enjoy the party. Like Anna had said it was only their closest friends, namely Rapunzel, Eugene and a few other visiting royals. Kristoff, Sven and Olaf were off course there too. The party was then crashed by the children and an impromptu snowball fight was started.

"You planned this too, didn't you?" Elsa asked as she hid behind a snow wall she created. Anna gasped in mocked shock.
"How could I possibly get the kids to come up to the castle, sneak pass the guards to get into the castle, and then persuade a room full of royals to go outside and partake in a snowball fight?"
Elsa raised an eyebrow at Anna. The younger girl laughed.
"Alright you got me, but admit it you are having fun,"
"Yeah I am,"
"Elsa!" Rapunzel yelled from a few feet away were she and three young girls and a duchess were taking cover, "If we lose Eugene is never going to let me live it down!"

It should be noted that the snowball fight was boys vs. girls.
"Okay, let's see how they like this," Elsa made dozens of snowballs that all hung in the air for a moment before sailing towards the boys' camp. Suddenly a gust of wind redirected the snowballs back where they came from. The girls all took cover behind Elsa's snow walls.

"The boyfriend with wind powers, I'm not the biggest fan of right now." Anna said.
"He just sends anything we throw right back at us," Rapunzel said.
"Don't forget who I am. I've never a lost a snowball fight. And I don't intend to start now," Elsa said smirking.
"I know that look. What's the plan?" Anna asked.
"Simple military tactics. Divide and conquer. Anna take about a third of the girls and go left, Rapunzel the same to the right. Try and circle around and take them from behind"
"What are you going to do?" Rapunzel asked.
"I'm going to get Zephyr's attention." Elsa quickly told them her full plan. Once finished the three nodded. "Everyone understand,"
"Yeah,"
"Right," Elsa stood and walked out calmly from behind her snow wall.

When the boys saw Elsa walkout Zephyr called for a cease fire.
"What is she doing?" Kristoff asked.
"It's a trap it has to be," Eugene said, "We should take her out now. With Elsa out there's no way we'll lose," He brought his arm back preparing to throw a snowball but Zephyr held his wrist.
"It's not going to be that easy." He said.
"She's just standing there," Olaf said.

"Something is off, stay here I'll check it out," Zephyr used his winds to make three snowballs hover behind his back, then he jumped over their wall. Elsa smiled when she saw him appear.
"What's you plan Elsa?" He asked holding up his hands to show they were empty. But he made sure that the snowballs hovered close behind him, out of sight. Elsa didn't have anything in her hands, but she was the snow queen. She could make a snowball in a second.
"I could ask you the same thing," She said calmly.
"Our plan is no secret. Stop your snowballs from reaching us. Win. Have bragging rights that we beat the snow queen in a snowball fight. Simple."

"Sounds like you have everything figured out," Elsa said. "Only you've seem to have forgotten the first rule for warfare."
"Oh what's that,"
Elsa smiled, , "Be ready for the unexpected." Snowballs suddenly flew towards him from behind the girls' walls. Zephyr dodged them.
"I forget nothing," He made two of the snowballs from behind his back fly towards Elsa. She blocked them with her snow.
"Nice t – " Elsa ducked, narrowly avoiding the third snowball. "Didn't see that third one coming,"
"Maybe you should take your own advice."
"Maybe I should, or I could do this," Elsa made ten snowballs that flew towards Zephyr. He made a vortex that redirected the snow back at her. A snow bank appeared in front of the queen to stop the snow. She couldn't help but smile. Zephyr was playing right into her hands. Their exchanges became flashier and flashier, each using their powers to try out do the other. But Elsa slipped up, letting Zephyr get to close. He got hold of her, pinning her to the ground.

"He got her!" Eugene yelled happily. He and Kristoff high fived.
"Victory is ours,"
"We're going to win," Olaf said. The younger boys were cheering. But a whistle drew their attention.

Zephyr smiled when he heard the boys cheering. "It's over for you,"
"Is it?" Elsa asked smirking. Before he could ponder her question he heard the cries and yells from the boys. He leapt up, dashing back to his side. He jumped on top of the wall. On the other side the boys were being bombarded by Anna, Rapunzel and the girls who had sneaked around to the back of their camp.

He turned around to face Elsa, who was smiling from ear to ear, "It was a diversion,"
"Of course,"
"You did all that fancy snow work to keep the guys attention on us,"
"And you helped by being fancy yourself,"

He jumped down from the wall and bowed, "My lady, you are too much for me. It was my folly for trying to oppose you,"
"Do you think pretty words are going to save you?"
"I was hoping,"
"Oh no," Elsa said bouncing a snowball in her hands. Zephyr gulped and ran, but only got a few steps away before he was knocked over by a torrent of snowballs.

After that, and a couple minutes of the boys grumbling that Elsa's powers won't fair, and more than a few cups of hot chocolate, the group went into town for more festivities. In Arendelle's main square there was revelry with musicians and dancing. In the centre of the square there was a large group dancing together, happily clapping to the music.

"Hey, let's show them how to have a really good time," Eugene said to Rapunzel. She smiled and took his hand.
"Anna, wait. I'm not sure…" Kristoff complained as Anna grabbed his hand.
"You're not going to make a fool of yourself. Come on, it will be fine," She said laughing. Elsa couldn't help but laugh too. Zephyr bowed to her.
"I know you don't dance my lady, but maybe you can make an exception," He said holding out his hand,
"I believe I can," She took his hand and the two joined the crowd. Elsa was laughing the whole time. The dance required partners to change and Zephyr suddenly found himself dancing with another girl, then moments later they'd switched and Rapunzel was in his arms. She laughed as he spun her into the waiting arms of Eugene and he passed Anna to him. They were laughing more than dancing, but either way they were having fun.

"I think Kristoff is having some trouble," He said as he spotted the ice harvester standing alone in the middle of the dance. "You'd better go save him," Zephyr said. Anna nodded and went to Kristoff easily leading him back into the dance.

Zephyr made his way from the heart of the dance, to the crowd around the edges where everyone was clapping along to the music. Zephyr followed his friends as they danced. He spotted Elsa dancing with a young boy who didn't look like he could be a day over sixteen. Elsa was almost a full head taller than him, but he seemed to be in good spirits about getting to dance with the queen. Zephyr couldn't help but smile at the way she was laughing. He spotted the necklace he'd given her sparkling against her neck and he realised in the moment how lucky he was to have found her.

Every so often someone dancing would pull someone from the crowd into the dance. Zephyr watched as Anna pulled two teens with her into the dance. With the two teens gone were for a gap in the crowds where he'd been standing. Through the gap Zephyr saw someone, but then the gap close and they were gone.

Zephyr's hands froze mid clap. Even though the music was still playing, and everyone around was laughing he suddenly couldn't hear any of it. He'd just seen… no, it couldn't be. Not here, not now.

He pushed through the crowds, towards the place he'd been looking. He had to be sure. He had to be sure. He prayed he'd seen wrong. Please, let his eyes be seeing things. He came to the spot where he thought he'd seen the person. But he couldn't see anyone he recognised now. He turned in a circle, his eyes straining to find something, but hope that they wouldn't. He searched for several minutes but didn't find anything. He allowed himself to relax. He must have been seeing things. He laughed to himself, making his way back to where'd been standing. He'd just been seeing things. That was it. There was no way he could have possibly seen…

His blood ran cold as he spotted Elsa in the dance. She had changing patterns again. Now she was dancing with a young man, with light hazel skin and brown hair. There was a distinctive Spanish look to him, he wasn't from Arendelle. Zephyr knew he wasn't. He was about to run towards them. To get Elsa away from him but he froze when he left a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, amigo," said a voice right behind him. Zephyr gritted his teeth. He didn't say anything. He wanted to turn to face the person talking to him but that would mean taking his eyes off Elsa, and he wasn't going to risk that. Not for a second. As though reading his thoughts the person behind him laughed.
"Don't worry, he's not going to hurt her," The voice said.
"Like I believe that," Zephyr said keeping his eyes locked on Elsa.
"Amigo, you wound me. We just wanted to say hello,"
"Well you've said it. Now leave,"
"You're not even going to offer to have a drink. Amigo, that's not like you."
"Don't make me…" Zephyr clenched his fist. The winds picked up. The person behind him made a tutting sound.
"Now, now there are a lot of people here. You'd better keep that temper in check. We wouldn't want any more Emma's now do we?"
At the name Emma, Zephyr unclenched his fist, taking a deep breath.
"There we go. I have to say Zeph, you've done good for yourself. Living in a castle. And you're with the queen no less. Wouldn't Emma be happy if she could see you now?"

Zephyr gritted his teeth, biting his tongue to stop the string of offences that wanted to leave his mouth.
"Why are you here?" He asked trying to keep his voice steady. Laughter.
"You know why we're here."
"Listen, I'll do whatever. Just don't –"
"Don't what? Hm, Zeph? Don't what?"
Zephyr didn't say anything. The musicians finished their song and everyone clapped for them, including Elsa and the person she'd been dancing with. When the person behind him spoke again Zephyr could hear the smile in his voice.
"We're just stopping to say hello. See you soon," The hand on his shoulder was gone. He turned around looked for the owner of the voice, but they were gone. He swore to himself. This was not good.


Let the dramatic music play *Dun Dun*

Nardragon~ until the next page.