The Adventurer and the Snow Queen:
A Tale of Two Worlds
Chapter 10: Farewells
The next morning I was sitting on one of the many couches around the palace, reading a book of legends I had pilfered from the library. It was interesting to see how legends and myths were in a world that still had its magic. This place had so many wonders and I was just beginning to scratch the surface. There was so much wonder, so much magic. It felt like I had fallen into a fairytale, which I suppose wasn't too far from the truth.
I was interrupted by the sound of heels clicking against wood and looked up to see Elsa striding over with a book of her own. "Mind if I join you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not at all," I replied, moving over to give her room. She sat down and began to read. For several hours we sat there together, just reading our books and enjoying each other's presence. It was peaceful, and Elsa's cool presence was soothing, if a bit intoxicating. After a while I began to get drowsy, and somewhere along the way I drifted off to sleep.
. . . . .
I woke up slowly, reluctantly leaving a very pleasant dream. When I did wake up I felt a weight on my left shoulder and looked down to see Elsa sleeping peacefully beside me, her head laying on my shoulder. Her face was perfect in every way, her relaxed face bearing the slightest of smiles, as if she was experiencing a particularly pleasant dream of her own. Looking down at her then, I didn't think I could ever been more in love then I was at that moment.
I smiled down at her and gently lifted her head from my shoulder, standing up and putting her head down on the couch. I turned around to see Eugene looking at me, waggling his eyebrows and grinning. "You two look pretty cozy," he told me.
"She fell asleep while reading," I explained, glancing at her awkwardly. "Trust me, once she wakes up she will be just as hostile to me as ever."
"Sure she will," he replied with a grin. "But I didn't come over here just to poke fun at you and her majesty. You are mostly recovered, enough that you were able to pull that stunt with the chocolate. It was fun getting to know you John, but Rapunzel and I originally came here for our honeymoon, and we have responsibilities of our own. It's past time for us to return to Corona. We will be leaving tomorrow afternoon."
"I understand," I told him. He was a really nice guy, once you got past some of the harsher aspects of his personality. I would be sad to see him go. "I am glad that I got to know you, and while you may not have liked me at first, I think I can know call you friend."
"You overheard our conversation outside your room that first day, didn't you?"
"Oh yeah."
"Alright then," he sighed, clapping me on the shoulder. "See you tomorrow John."
. . . . .
The next day Rapunzel and Eugene left for Corona. Anna and Kristoff gave them gifts to take home. Anna picked all of Rapunzel's presents, while Kristoff needed a little help from the rest of us to decide what to get Eugene. Rapunzel was given an easel with some of the finest canvas in Arendelle, along with various exotic paints and a new frying pan that I had enchanted to be both lighter and stronger than any other, allowing for optimum use in emergencies. Eugene got a spyglass and a change of clothing that I had enchanted that morning to blend into its surroundings, to aid in sneaking around. I'm sure he ended up getting into all sorts of trouble with that.
A small crowd gathered at the docks, comprised of the Arendelle royal family, myself, various servants, and some of the townspeople who had gotten to know the Coronian couple. They waved at us from the bow of the ship as it sailed away, and I decided that the occasion needed a little more festiveness. Pointing towards the sky, I let loose a volley of magical fireworks from my fingers, lighting the sky as my new friends left for home.
Once they were out of sight we left, my beautiful fireworks fading away into darkness. As we when through the gates I stumbled and Kristoff had to catch me, pulling me back to my feet. "I really need to stop showing off," I chuckled weakly. "I'm going to get myself killed." I stumbled the rest of the way to my room, Elsa and the rest of them supporting me. I soon fell asleep, not knowing that I had little more than a week left in this wonderful place.
