Henrik led Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Jack and Olaf down the corridors of the palace. The group walking in silence as Elsa continued to think of what she was going to say when she met Prince William. She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't nervous, she did have his younger brother imprisoned to be sent home, but according to Anna he didn't seem to be upset about that after what Hans tried to do. She glanced over her shoulder at Jack who had now caught up with the rest of the group and was walking in silence as well. He met her eyes and gave her a soft smile, which she returned before looking forward again. Her face flushed a bit when she thought of how he looked at her when she changed back into her ice dress. No one had ever looked at her like that, especially after they found out what she could do. Even though she kept her cool at the time and even teased him a bit, she had to admit that she enjoyed it. As long as he's with me I know everything will be alright, Elsa thought to herself.
Elsa was broken out of her thoughts by Henrik stopping in front of a large wooden door, Elsa immediately recognized it as one of the lounges the palace had to host guests. He turned to look at the group and then to Elsa. "Jarle said to meet them in there when you were ready," Henrik said as he motioned to the door.
Elsa looked at the door for a moment before turning around to see that Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Jack had also gathered around the entrance. Elsa put on a polite smile before putting her hand up. "It might be best if you all wait here," Elsa said as kindly as she could.
"But I want to see what happens!" Anna said while pouting her lip.
"I know, it's just that he already knows about my powers and all of us plus a talking snowman might be a bit overwhelming." Elsa reasoned.
Olaf let out a gasp. "I'll have you know that I'm a delight!" He said as he crossed his arms.
Jack looked to Olaf and Anna, then back to Elsa. "Elsa's right." He said, getting everyone's attention. "She's the queen and he's going to be king, it wouldn't be appropriate for us to be there. Plus it's not like she needs us." Jack said calmly as he gave Elsa a small smile.
Elsa looked at him with wonder, a little surprised of his understanding of proper etiquette when dealing with a royal figure. Her heart fluttered when she heard him speak about her with such confidence.
"I would have to agree," Henrik said as he gave Jack a nod.
"But..but," Anna began before she looked at Jack with a raised eyebrow. "Did you just call her Elsa?" Anna asked with a puzzled expression.
"Never mind that," Elsa began, getting Anna's attention. "I'll be fine, and I'll let you know exactly what happens, I promise." Elsa finished, giving her sister a small hug.
Anna returned the hug before giving her sister one last look. "Oh ok, will be waiting right out here." She said as she moved away from the door.
"Good luck," Kristoff said with a small smile before he followed Anna.
"Knock'em dead!" Olaf said with a laugh before he too went with Anna and Kristoff.
Jack took a moment to look over Elsa again, he still couldn't believe how amazing she looked in her new dress. "It suits you," he said casually with a grin.
Elsa let out a soft laugh. "Thank you, I had almost forgotten how much I loved to wear this." She said as she looked at Jack with affection in her eyes. "But thanks to you I remembered." She said happily before giving Jack a small hug.
"I guess I am pretty awesome," Jack said playfully as he hugged Elsa back.
Elsa rolled her eyes at his comment as she had done many times before as she pulled back from the hug.
"Now go be the awesome queen I know you are," Jack said with a bright smile.
The pair looked into each other's eyes for a moment. The rest of the world seemed to fade around them like they were the only two left in the world. Before Jack had the chance to move any closer he was suddenly pulled back by a strong force.
"While Elsa's busy, you'll have plenty of time to tell us what exactly happened while you two were up on the mountain." Anna said sternly as she pulled Jack with her.
"Yea spill it!" Olaf said excitedly.
"Sorta curious myself." Kristoff said as he rubbed his chin with his hand.
"Well..you see...uh," Jack said nervously as he thought of the best way to explain what happened between the two.
Elsa gave them one more look as she let out a small laugh. "Good luck to you as well," she said before walking to the door.
She looked over to Henrik who gave her a small nod before she pushed open the doors to the lounge. Closing the door behind her she saw Jarle and Eirik standing by one of the windows looking out at the kingdom. Next to them was an unfamiliar person who she assumed was Prince William, the three of them were talking calmly while admiring the view. At the sound of the door closing Eirik look over to her before putting a smile on his face.
"Your majesty, we didn't expect you back so soon!" Eirik said happily as he gave a small bow.
Jarle and William turned to look at her as well. "It's good to have you back," Jarle said with a small bow of his own.
"It's good to be back," Elsa said with a soft smile as she walked over to the group before focusing her attention on William.
William gave her a charismatic smile before taking hold of one of her hands. "Queen Elsa of Arendelle, it's a honor to meet you. I'm William, the crown prince of the Southern Isles." He said as he kissed her hand the same way he did with Anna.
"The pleasure is mine Prince William, I apologize for not being here for your arrival," Elsa said in a professional tone.
William raised his hand and gave a small wave. "Please, call me William, and it was no problem at all. I'm sure whatever business you had was important, plus I got the chance to meet your lovely sister and even get a tour of the palace from your advisors." William said calmly.
"We were about to take him through the gardens before you arrived your majesty," Jarle said.
Elsa looked to Jarle and then back to William with a smile. "It would be my pleasure to take you myself. Please, it's this way." Elsa said as she started to walk to the door on the opposite side of the room that lead down to the garden.
"Excellent, it will give us the opportunity to talk about why I came here," William said as he started to follow Elsa.
Once Elsa got to the door she turned back to Jarle and Eirik. "Thank you for helping while I was away. Please see to it that we are not disturbed." Elsa said before she and William exited the room and made their way to the garden.
Jarle and Eirik watched them go before going to the door that Elsa had originally come in through. Once they opened the door, Anna, Jack, and Olaf suddenly fell forward onto the floor. Jarle and Eirik looked at the three of them with a raised eyebrow before looking over to Kristoff who had his hand on his forehead and was shaking his head. "Told you that was going to happen," Kristoff said knowingly.
The three quickly stood up and dusted themselves off. "Well we tried," Jack said as he let out a breath of relief that the doors opened. He was somehow able to use Anna's curious nature against her and convince her that it would be more interesting to try to hear what was going on in the room then listen to his story about what happened with him and Elsa on the mountain. Even though he had to promise to tell her everything later, at least he bought himself some time to work out with Elsa exactly what they wanted to share.
Anna looked past Jarle and Eirik to the empty room. "Wait, where are Elsa and Prince William?" Anna asked curiously.
"Your sister took Prince William to see the gardens so that they may speak in private," Jarle said.
"She asked to not be disturbed," Eirik said before looking to Henrik. "We figured that you could make sure that they aren't." He said.
Henrik nodded his head. "Of course," he said before he started walking towards the gardens to make sure Elsa and William weren't disturbed.
Eirik watched him go for a moment before turning his attention to Jack. "So how has the training going, is she making any progress?" Eirik asked curiously.
Jack was about to speak before he heard an amused sigh. "From what I've seen it must be going pretty good." Anna said with a small laugh.
Jack gave her a dull look before looking back to Eirik and giving him a thumbs up. "Just as you would expect, she's making great progress. She had so much potential, but she was trying so hard to keep it locked away. But once she put her fear aside, it didn't seem like there was anything she couldn't do." Jack explained happily.
"We always knew she could do it, that's wonderful news," Eirik said happily with a smile.
"Thank you again Jack, were lucky you came along when you did," Jarle said sincerely.
Jack raised up his hand to the two of them. "Please, it's been my pleasure." He said with a grin before looking to Anna. "Although there are a few more things I would like to show her. She's making incredible progress so it shouldn't take too long if you don't mind running the show for a bit longer." Jack said to Anna.
Anna looked down and let out a small sigh as she thought of the work she would have to continue doing before looking back to Jack. "I was able to see a difference in her immediately. Whatever it is you're doing, you're making my sister happy and that's all I ever wanted, so of course I'll keep helping out." Anna said sincerely with a bright smile. She was able to see a difference in Elsa from just the trip back. She seemed happier and more comfortable, Anna figured some of it was due to her learning to control her power better, but that another large part was Jack. He was helping her break down her walls of ice that she had up all her life, and Anna couldn't be happier about it. She would be willing to help as long as needed if it meant her sister would be truly happy.
"And will of course keep helping out as well," Jarle said as Eirik nodded his head in agreement.
"But now if you'll excuse us, we have other matters to attend to," Jarle said. He and Eirik gave the group a small nod before heading off. As they get a little ways away Jarle turned back around. "Please give your sister some privacy princess," he said, trying to convince the over curious strawberry blonde to not try and listen in on what he figured would be a very important conversation.
"Ok," Anna said as she nodded her head. She watched them go for a moment before turning around to look at Kristoff, Jack and Olaf with a mischievous smile.
"I don't like that look," Kristoff said worriedly.
"That's my favorite look!" Olaf exclaimed in excitement.
"So what's the plan?" Jack asked curiously. He didn't want to mess anything up for Elsa and he knew she could handle herself perfectly. But after the story he was told about the last time someone from the Southern Isles showed up, he just wanted to make sure she was alright. Plus a little eavesdropping never hurt anybody.
"I lived in this palace my whole life and know it better than almost anyone." Anna began confidently. "I just so happen to know of a tower that looks right over the gardens, we may not be able to hear anything but at least we can see what's going on." She explained.
"I dunno," Kristoff began cautiously. "She seemed pretty serious about not wanting any interruptions." He said. He knew Anna was never one for patience, and that she just wanted to make sure her sister was alright, but still, he didn't want her to do anything that would land them all on Elsa's bad side.
"We won't interrupt, will just observe, no one will even know were there." Anna reasoned. "Come on, follow me," She said as she started to hurry away.
"Following Elsa around is so much more fun with other people!" Olaf said happily as he through his hands up in the air and started to run after Anna.
Jack glanced to Kristoff and gave him a shrug. "What else do we have to do. I'm sure it will be fine." He said before he headed off as well.
"I hope so," Kristoff said with a sigh before he too began to follow the group.
Anna led Jack, Olaf, and Kristoff through a series of corridors around the palace before coming to an old flight of stairs. "It's just up here," Anna said as she glanced over her shoulder at everyone before starting to climb the steps of the tower. The three followed closely behind her until they reached the top of the tower.
"It's a little small," Jack said as he caught his breath from running up the stairs.
"Yea, but check out the view," Anna said as she pointed out the window. The group all gathered around it to see that it did in fact look directly over the gardens of the palace.
"There they are!" Olaf said as he pointed down below. The group all looked to see Elsa and William enter the gardens from the palace.
Elsa and William walked through the gardens in silence, neither one had said anything since they left the room they met in. The sun was beginning to set as an orange glow filled the sky. Elsa gave him a quick glance as they walked and admired the flowers in the garden. For some reason he gave her an uneasy feeling, it wasn't that she sensed any hostility from him, quite the opposite, it was almost as if he was being too nice and charismatic. When Jack first arrived he was cocky and sarcastic, and even though that got on Elsa's nerves she was able to tell that he was being sincere as to why he came to Arendelle. With William it was almost as if he was putting on an act for everyone while keeping his true motives secret. Still, he was the crown prince and it could just be nerves throwing her off. Regardless of how she was feeling, she was going to do her best as a hostess in hopes of helping her kingdom thrive.
"Again, I apologize for not being here for your arrival. If you sent word that you were coming here I would have made sure we had a larger welcome." Elsa said sincerely.
"Don't worry about that." William began as he glanced to Elsa with a bright smile. "I should still be apologizing to you about what happened with my younger brother. After he returned, I didn't want to waste any time in coming to see you to make things right." He said.
Once the pair had reached the center of the garden, Elsa stopped walking. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" Elsa asked curiously. Elsa remembered Anna telling her that the reason William came to Arendelle was to make amends for what Hans did, but he never mentioned how he was going to do that.
William took a few steps forward and bent down to pick out a light blue flower. "By asking you for something that would ensure both Arendelle and the Southern Isles continued to thrive for a long time to come." He said as he examined the flower.
"And what would that be?" Elsa asked slowly, not entirely sure where he was going with this.
William gave her another smile before walking over and handing Elsa the flower he picked out. "Why by asking you for your hand in marriage," he said calmly.
Elsa eyes widened and she took a few steps back after hearing what he said. "W-what? For my hand in marriage?" Elsa asked in a surprised tone, she certainly wasn't expecting that.
"Yes, you're the queen and I am going to be king." William began as he spread his arms out. "Why shouldn't we unite our kingdoms? Arendelle has so many natural resources to trade, and the Southern Isles is large enough to really make use of them so that neither kingdom will ever have to worry again." William reasoned casually.
"I..uh..I don't know what to say," Elsa stammered as she tried regain her composure after his surprise proposal.
"Say yes and together we will make sure our kingdoms live on forever," William said as he walked up to Elsa, took her hand and bent down on one knee.
Elsa's eyes darted back and forth as her mind tried to process what had just happened. It's not like he wasn't making sense with what he was saying, but he was treating it more like a business partnership then a marriage proposal. Also given what happened with his younger brother, how William was clearly much older than her and most of all, the fact that she didn't even know him, her mind wasn't exactly screaming yes.
Back up in the tower, everyone's eyes were wide and their mouths hung open at seeing William down on one knee. "Is he proposing to her!" Anna cried out causing Kristoff to put his hand over her mouth.
"Not so loud or they'll hear you," Kristoff said as Anna continued to yell out into his hand.
Olaf tapped Jack's leg a few times." Don't worry, I'm sure it just looks like the soon to be king is proposing to Elsa, potentially taking her away from you forever." Olaf said calmly, not really grasping the situation.
Anna pulled Kristoff's hand away and looked to Olaf. "Olaf!" She said sternly before looking to Jack. "Don't mind him, I'm sure it's not what it looks like, and even if it is, there's no way Elsa would agree to it." Anna said sympathetically.
What was said however never reached Jacks ears as he looked at the scene with a stunned expression. He could clearly see that there was no mistaking the fact that William was indeed proposing to Elsa. Why am I feeling this way? Jack thought. It feels like someone just punched me in the gut. I've only known her for a short time, and even if I did feel something between us, the thought of her saying yes to him shouldn't make me feel sick to my stomach, he thought. Jack's eyes widened more when he had a sudden realization...I love her, he thought.
Sensing Elsa's hesitation, William stood back up. "What's wrong?" He asked keeping his calm smile as if her reaction didn't faze him in the slightest.
Elsa continued to try and think of a way to respond to William, until she remembered what she told Anna when she asked for her blessing with Hans. "It's just," Elsa began as she let out a sigh. "I can't marry a man I just met," she said, the same way she said it to Anna.
William raised his eyebrow at her before letting out a small laugh. "Is that all? It wouldn't have to be right away, we can take all the time you'd like to get to know each other." He said calmly.
Elsa wasn't entirely sure why she was being so hesitant, marrying him would indeed secure Arendelle's future. However, even though she had ice magic, just like all girls, when she was young she often fantasized about her wedding day. She pictured being proposed to and immediately jumping into her lovers arms without a moment's hesitation. She was not feeling that way with William. That wasn't the only reason she wasn't accepting however. Jack, why is he coming to my mind now? She thought. She couldn't stop her mind from replying the events of the last week, from meeting Jack, to training with him...and especially that night they spent out on the balcony together. She had never met anyone that made her feel so safe and secure that she could let down her walls to feel so vulnerable. Someone that made her feel so empowered, yet weak at the knees whenever he hugged her. Someone who truly understood her, someone who she always wanted to be with. Elsa's eyes widened when she had a sudden realization...I love him, she thought.
Elsa smiled softly and then put on a determined expression, erasing every bit of confusion from her face as she handed William the flower back. "I'm sorry that you traveled all the way here, but I can't marry you William," Elsa said without a hint of hesitation.
"And why is that?" William asked, his smile dropping some.
"It's true what you said about uniting our kingdoms, and I know it might be selfish of me. But when I marry, I don't want it to just be a political endeavor, when I marry I want it to be for love. And I know that my people would not condemn me for that." Elsa said without any doubt in her voice. "Again, I'm sorry to disappoint you," she said as she started to walk away, now having said all she needed.
"Did you know that you were actually promised to me?" William said casually causing Elsa to stop in her tracks.
"What?" Elsa said as she turned to look at him with a puzzled expression.
"That's right, your father King Adgar and my father were acquaintances actually." William began as he took a few steps toward her. "My father did a few favors for your father, and in return he was to marry his first daughter to my father's first son as a sign of peace and prosperity between our kingdoms. Those two children were you and I," William finished.
Elsa's confusion grew at what he was saying. "I was never told about this," she said truthfully, she had no idea what he was talking about, her father never mentioned anything about an arranged marriage.
William clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky. "Of course you weren't, because your father backed out of the agreement before anyone even got the chance to tell you." William said casually. "Not only that, but then he went and closed off the palace from his own citizens and no one heard much from him at all. It was all very confusing. That is until your little display three months ago, suddenly it all made sense." William said.
"He was just trying to protect me, to protect everyone because he knew that I couldn't control my magic." Elsa said sternly, she didn't appreciate him talking about her family the way he was.
"Be that as it may, my father wasn't too happy with him breaking their deal." William said, still keeping his calm composure.
"Even so, that was their deal, I don't owe you anything," Elsa said firmly, making it clear that he wasn't going to be able to use that against her, since she didn't even know if he was telling the truth.
"Oh of course," William said as he turned and took a few steps away before stopping and glancing over his shoulder. "Was a terrible accident that befell your parents by the way, my condolences." He said, although it didn't seem like he meant it.
"Thank you, but it wasn't an accident, it was a large storm. It was completely out of anyone's control." Elsa said, not really sure why he was bringing this up.
"Yes of course," William said as he turned to face her again. "Bit odd though don't you think?" He asked as he tilted his head to the side.
Elsa gave him a curious look. "What's a bit odd?" She asked.
William put on a small grin. "Oh you know, how a royal ship and it's escorts were all sunk by the same storm without a trace of any survivors. Not a lifeboat or anything." William said casually.
Elsa raised her eyebrow at him, she had wondered how no one was able to survive but she never really gave it to much thought, she just figured the storm was too bad. "I suppose, what does that have to do with anything?" Elsa asked slowly, she had no idea where he was going with this.
"It's just that my father is capable of many things. He can run a large kingdom, keep it strong and prosperous. He can be a loving father to all his children, to always make sure their provided for." William said before his smile and calm demeanor dropped. "He can also make a ship look like it was sunk from a storm." He said sharply.
Elsa's eyes widened slightly as she looked at him with confusion. "W-what are you saying?" She breathed out.
William took a step towards her, causing her to take another step back. He let out a small huff as he stopped walking. "I'm saying that breaking a deal with my father is not very wise, a lesson your parents learned the hard way." He said without compassion.
Elsa's eyes widened more as she realized what he was saying. She put her hands up to her head as she tried to control her breathing. She couldn't believe what she just heard, all her life she thought her parents death was due to an act of nature that was out of anyone's control. Never in her wildest dreams did she think the storm was just used as cover for something much more cynical. Her mind was swimming with so many question that she could barely think straight. All she knew right know was that her suspicious of this man was confirmed, his calm and nice disposition was just being used to hide someone much more dangerous. Even though she had no proof of what he was saying, the way he said it was enough to make her believe that it was true. She looked back to William with a horrified expression as she felt her anger rise.
Jack, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf all looked down at the scene with growing concern. "Something's not right," Jack said as he got up on the edge of the widow before being pulled back down by the rest of the group.
"Wait Jack, you can't just go down there like that," Anna said worriedly as she held onto his arm. She could tell that something was off with Elsa but she knew that it still wouldn't be wise for Jack to barge in on a conversation between two royals without more proof that something was really wrong.
"She right Jack, we don't really know what's going on since we can't hear them," Kristoff reasoned as everyone let go of Jack.
"Trust us, we know that Elsa can handle herself." Olaf said, his usual happy tone gone as he too was worried about Elsa.
Jack looked at them and then back down to the courtyard before letting out a huff. "Alright, you're all right." He admitted. "But if anything happens I'm going down there," Jack said sternly. He knew that everything they said was right but he still couldn't help but want to protect her if anything were to happen.
"If anything does happen then I'm counting on you to make sure Elsa's ok," Anna said softly with a small smile. Jack just nodded his head at the young princess before everyone went back to looking out the window.
Elsa started to glare at William, she could feel her anger and power rise and she was trying her best to keep them both in check. "Y-you," she stammered out.
William felt the temperature around him drop as his calm smile returned to his face. Just one more push, he thought. "Now now, not me, I told you it was my father." William began coolly. "I'm much different than him. This would be a good time however for you to reconsider my offer. You see, I may not be like my father but accidents can happen to anyone. I'm sure you wouldn't want another to happen around you...say to that lovely sister of yours." William said menacingly.
Elsa's eyes shot all the way open as she through her arms out. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't keep it in anymore, especially after hearing what he just said. "No!" She cried out, as she did, ice spikes shot out all around her. Even though she didn't want it to happen, his threat on her sister was just too much for her to handle.
William on the other hand didn't look very surprised or worried about the ice coming at him. Instead of jumping all the way out of the spikes path, he back up just far enough that the longest spike grazed his left arm. He bent down on one knee and let out a small cry of pain as he grabbed his arm. He felt the fabric of his shirt soaking up some blood from the strike before he looked back to Elsa with an accomplished grin.
"Elsa!" Jack shouted before he jumped out of the window, not even letting anyone get the chance to stop him this time. He created a small gust of wind to stop his fall before he landed on the ground and started running over to her.
At the same time, due to the noise, the main entrance to the guardians was flung open. William's two escorts and Henrik quickly ran in before stopping in their tracks and looking at the scene with a stunned expression. All three looked for a moment before William's escorts saw him kneeling on the ground and holding his arm.
"Your majesty!" They both said as they ran over to him.
"Are you alright?" One asked as he bent down to look at William's wound while the other glared at Elsa.
"You attacked his majesty you mons-" the other guard started to say as he reached for his sword, but stop mid sentence when he realized he couldn't pull the sword from its sheath. He looked down and saw that a small amount of ice had formed around the sword and its sheath, preventing him from pulling it out.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jack said as he walked up and in front of Elsa and glared at the three of them. He knew what the next word the guard was planning on using and it made him consider freezing more than just his sword.
Elsa looked to Jack and then shook her head to regain her composure. "Jack," she said softly as she walked up next to him. Even though what she just heard shocked her, being next time him helped her calm down. She wiped away any tears that started to form from her outburst before she glared back at William.
"Henrik," Elsa called out without taking her eyes off William.
"Yes your highness, are you alright?" Henrik asked worriedly, not really sure how what happened came to be. He thought it was going to just be a walk through the gardens.
"I want these three men removed from my palace. They are to leave at once and are barred from ever returning to Arendelle again." Elsa said sternly, she didn't care that he was the crown prince, all she wanted was for him to leave and never come back.
Henrik and Jack both gave her a surprised look, they both couldn't believe that the Queen of Arendelle had just banished a soon to be king when they were supposed to be talking about restoring the relationship between the kingdoms. What happened, Jack thought. He had a lot he wanted to ask, especially about the what looked like a proposal, but he knew now was not the time.
Henrik shook off his surprise before looking back to William and his men. "You heard the queen," he said with authority, he might have been confused by her actions but he still trusted her completely.
William's escorts both made a defensive stance before William let out a small laugh. "It's alright, stand down," William said as he stood up while wincing slightly in pain. "Will leave," he said.
"But your majesty," one of the guards began to protest before William gave him a stern look.
"I said it's alright," William said before he looked to Elsa. "Will leave peacefully," he said as he turned and started to walk with his men out of the palace. After a few steps he stopped and looked over his shoulder back to Elsa. "But I can assure you that we will meet again," William said with an evil grin.
Jack and Elsa watched Henrik lead Prince William and his guards out of the gardens. Jack slowly took Elsa's hand in his own and gave it a small squeeze to help comfort her. He might not have known what happened, but judging from what he did hear it mustn't have been good. Elsa felt Jack take her hand and returned the squeeze. She didn't take her eyes off William until he was out of sight. She definitely didn't expect this to happen when she started talking to him, and one thing was for sure, she didn't like his last words to her.
Jack, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, Jarle, Erirk, and Henrik all sat around Elsa. After the events of the day, everyone was very curious to know what exactly happened, especially Anna. But Elsa made it clear that before she did any explaining, she wanted to make sure that William's ships had all left the fjord. Once she saw them leave, she gathered everyone back to the room where she first met William to tell her story. Night had fallen and the group made a small fire in the fireplace for light as they listened with stunned expression. Elsa sat in the middle of the large couch in the room with Jack on her one side and Anna on the other, with Kristoff next to Anna. Jarle and Eirik both sat on the chairs that were on each side of the fireplace while Henrik leaned against the fireplaces stone structure with his arms crossed. Olaf sat on the floor a little ways away, even with his flurry he didn't want to get to close to the fire.
"And that's all that happened," Elsa breathed out as she finished explaining her talk with William. She had a difficult time going back through everything he said, but was able to get through it with Jack next to her holding her hand the whole time. An action that didn't go unnoticed by everyone else, but also one no one was going to address at the moment.
"I can't believe it," Anna began as tears swelled up in her eyes. "And I wanted to marry..." Anna said with a horrified expression as she turned and hugged Kristoff.
"After all this time, to find out something like this..." Jarle said with closed eyes.
"It's truly horrible," Eirik agreed as he shook his head and looked down at the floor.
"Why not detain him instead of letting him leave?" Kristoff asked carefully, he didn't want to question Elsa's decision but he couldn't help but be curious.
"That would not have been a very wise idea. He's the crown prince of a kingdom, his absence surely wouldn't go unnoticed." Henrik said as he shook his head.
"Even if we wanted to arrest him, we have nothing to hold him on." Jarle explained. "All we have is a claim of something his father did that we don't even have any proof of." He said regrettably.
"Plus I basically attacked him. To detain him after that would only make things worse," Elsa said solemnly before she looked to Jack. "I'm sorry Jack, I tried to keep in control like you taught me but I just couldn't," she said as she lowered her eyes.
Jack gave her a soft look before reaching out and lifting her chin with his hand so that her eyes met his. "I wouldn't want to meet the person who stayed calm after hearing what you did. You know I understand how you feel and I'll be here for you no matter what." He said with a loving smile.
Elsa looked into his eyes and smiled, despite everything that happened, Jack was once again able to make her feel better. "Thank you," she said softly, she didn't know what else to say, she was just so happy to have him by her side.
The group fell silent again, the sound of the fire crackling was the only thing heard in the room. "So now what?" Anna asked breaking the silence.
Jarle let out a small sigh as he stood up from his chair. "Now we retreat for the evening. It's late and has been a long day, we could all use some rest before we regroup in the morning to plan our next move." He said as Eirik stood up as well.
Elsa quickly looked to him with a surprised expression. "What? How can we sleep after his threat? He basically said he would be back," she said worriedly.
"Don't worry your majesty, once he left we sealed off the fjord. There wasn't anything he could do with only three ships anyway." Henrik reasoned calmly.
"But the Southern Isles is much larger then Arendelle, with much more forces." Elsa said carefully, she knew that her kingdom was small and didn't have the military force of larger ones.
"It's also very far away," Jarle interjected. "It will take him time to return and decided what he wants to do, if he is even going to do anything." He said.
"And Arendelle may be small, but we have a lot of allies that would be willing to come to our aid if need be. It would be very unwise for him to start a confrontation with so many larger nations backing us." Henrik said, trying his best to assure not only Elsa, but everyone that everything will be alright.
Elsa looked around the group before letting out a breath. "Alright, I trust all of you completely," she said as she stood up.
"And we trust you, now let's all try to get some sleep," Eirik said with a smile.
"Sounds good to me," Anna said as she let out a yawn. No matter what was happening around her, the young princess never had any trouble sleeping, usually her trouble came with waking up.
As everyone began to leave the room to retreat for the night, Jack watched Elsa with a close eye. He could easily tell that she was still concerned about everything and was trying to figure out how he could help. "Let me walk you to your room," he said with a smile as he held his hand out to her. Elsa returned the smile and took his hand as the two walked out into the palace hallway.
The pair walked through the palace in silence, the moon was shining down through the windows as all was peaceful and quiet, on the outside. Inside Elsa's head was a much different story. Her mind wouldn't stop replying the events of the day. She knew what Henrik had said was true, that Arendelle did have many allies, but she also didn't want anyone in her kingdom getting hurt by what could happen. She knew that she most likely wouldn't get much sleep, but at least for the time being she was a little at ease with Jack next to her.
Jack continued to hold her hand softly as they walked and after a few more moments they were standing in front of a large door that lead to Elsa's room. As Elsa turned to look at him he could still see concern on her face. "You're worried aren't you?" Jack asked even though he already knew the answer.
Elsa nodded her head slightly as she looked down. "It's not even that I'm worried about myself, I'm worried about Anna and the people that live here. I'm their queen and I'm supposed to protect them, but I'm not sure if I can," Elsa said sadly.
Jack gave her a stern look before he reached up and softly grabbed her shoulders. "You will, I know it. I know it because you're the most amazing person I've ever met, who has wonderful people around her that will help." Jack said without a hint of doubt. As Elsa looked up to met his eyes he pulled her into a soft hug. "You just have to believe in yourself, just like you did with controlling your magic," he said softly as he hugged her.
After a moment he pulled back and gave her a bright smile. "Now try to get some sleep, you'll feel better and be ready to go tomorrow," he said as he turned and started to walk away, only to be stopped by Elsa grabbing his arm. Jack looked over his shoulder and saw her looking down with a small blush on her face.
"What is it?" Jack asked as he turned around to face her.
Elsa's blushed intensified and she closed her eyes. "C-could you stay with me tonight, just so I'm not alone?" She said quickly in one breath.
Jack looked at her with wonder and surprise at what he just heard. "I..uh...sure," he said, nervousness present in his voice. The two had spent a lot of time together over the past week, and even slept out on the couch one night together, but never had they shared a bed.
Elsa took a deep breath before turning and opening her door, she pulled Jack inside before closing it again. Jack looked around her room slowly, not really sure what he was supposed to do. He suddenly felt a cool wind blow, as he glanced back to Elsa he saw that she had used her magic to change her blue dress into a blue nightgown that stopped just above her knees. Jack stared at her with wonder, the silky material laying over her body in the moonlight took his breath away.
"What is it?" Elsa asked with a slightly embarrassed tone as she looked down at herself.
Jack shook his head to clear his thoughts. "It's just...you're beautiful." He said sincerely.
Elsa eyes widened slightly as she felt another blush creep up her neck but did her best to suppress it. "Thank you," she said as calmly as she could. That was the first time he'd ever called her that and she was trying to stay composed, even though her stomach felt like it was filled with butterflies. She had been called beautiful before but when he said it, it sent shivers down her spine.
"Aren't you going to change?" She asked as she looked to what he was wearing.
Jack looked down at himself and jumped slightly. "Oh yea," he said as he waved his hand over himself and used his magic to change into his brown pants and blue hoodie.
The two then walked over to each side of the bed and stood there awkwardly for a moment, not really sure what to do. Neither one was used to having others around when they slept, especially when it came to something as intimate as sharing a bed. After another moment the two slowly slid into each side of the large bed. They both laid there looking at the ceiling, not feeling very relaxed before Elsa couldn't take it anymore and quickly moved over and laid her head on Jacks chest. Jack slowly wrapped his arms around her and held her close as they both started to relax. Jack suddenly wondered how he was ever able to lay in a bed without her next to him, it was the greatest feeling to just hold her.
"Thanks, I really didn't want to be alone," Elsa said as she closed her eyes, being in his arms managed to make her mind calm down and she was suddenly very tired.
"You never have to be again. No matter what happens, I'll do everything in my power to protect you." Jack said softly as he felt sleep start to take him over as well.
They both knew that the realization they had earlier that day was completely true. They both drifted off to sleep in the arms of the personal they loved.
However, their peace didn't last long as the sound of an explosion was heard outside as smoke and fire filled the night sky.
I do try to post more then once a week but time to write is tough to come by sometimes so I hope this chapter makes up for the shorter one last week! So no one seemed to think William was a good guy! He couldn't be, if your two main characters of a story have awesome ice magic then they need a bad guys butt to kick!