Sorry for the late chapters lately, lovelies - I've just started working on the storyline for a SECOND Jelsa story, which means TWICE THE JELSA! How exciting! Go ahead and read the sneak peak - check my profile. Enjoy the chapter, and as always:

*Disclaimer

I DO NOT OWN RISE OF THE GUARDIANS OR FROZEN.

I only own Adon, Orion, Lira, Cecilie, Aquilo, Eira, Rune, Dylan, Harry, Maximus and Gregory.

A trickle of sweat dripped down Elsa's face as she slammed her fist down into the dummy over and over, jets of snow flying out and above her head, cloaking the training room in thick layers of ice. Bunny's thick, gruff laughter filled the room, followed by Toothiana's bell-like voice.

"Just because we've had a few bad missions, doesn't mean that you should be eternally infuriated." The spritely woman chided, watching as the bracelet of teeth that dangled on Elsa's wrists shot across the room as she threw her arms up in frustration. Elsa sighed, running her fingers through her messy hair. Sweat moistened the back of her short sleeved blue blouse, while her pants clung to her legs. Her feet were bare.

"A few is an understatement." Elsa growled, letting her arms flop back to her sides as she slumped to the floor in exhaustion. Almost three weeks had gone by since the Queen had gone on her first mission with Toothiana, and she had been dragged along on every mission since. Not only had her hand to hand combat skills increased, so had her control of the powers. Tooth had even gone so far as to reward her with her own bracelet - which was now resting on the other side of the room.

"Elsa, it was four missions, and our most recent one was so successful that we let the lady keep her teeth." Tooth reminded her as she strode over to lift up the jewelry piece. She inspected it with her delicate fingers as she walked back.

"Doesn't matter anyways." Elsa huffed, standing and brushing herself off. She could hear Anna's tinkling laughter drifting in from behind the door as she and Kristoff watched her train. They were probably eating lunch and having a steaming cup of tea. Elsa's stomach growled.

"Hungry? Let's call it quits for the day." Bunny said as he lifted the ice block that was once a dummy up from the floor. Tooth tossed her the bracelet, which Elsa barely caught before it smacked her face. She slipped the piece on and nodded in thanks, stretching her arms and rolling her neck as she strode out the door.

Outside, the ever slightly more swollen Anna giggled and embraced her sister. "You need a bath and to calm down. The baby got even more scared than we did, and he's buried underneath all of this." She gestured to her dress, and Elsa rolled her eyes.

"Right then. Have you seen Jack?" Elsa darted past her sister, snatching a teacake from Kristoff's hands. He scowled at her in protest as she popped it between her pale lips.

"Well that was polite." He mocked sarcastically, as Elsa smirked playfully.

"You have plenty there."

"Well, not exactly. There's one less than plenty now." He huffed.

"Don't you have ice to bare, dear?" Anna approached the table. Kristoff laughed, standing and pulling Anna in for a hug, pecking her lips.

"Our baby is going to be so amazing and stubborn. How are we going to deal?" He mused, pulling away. "I'm going to go be with Sven for a bit."

"Right darling, give him my regards." Anna pecked him on the cheek once more, just as the door burst open with an icy wind.

"Elsa!" Rumbled Jack Frost as he stormed into the room angrily, slamming the door behind him, eyes blazing with fury.

"Hm?" Elsa replied, trying to stifle her laughter at his obvious frustration.

"You really hid the books from me? Again?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She smiled cheekily, turning back to face Anna, only to grabbed from behind by Jack and pulled into the training room, despite her loud protests.

"Tell you what, Snow Queen." Jack stood her at the opposite end of the room. "We fight for the books."

"Jack, for one thing, I'm not going to fight you. For another, I haven't been training that long." Elsa smiled. "Just ask me where the books are, and I'll tell you."

About two weeks ago, Elsa had introduced Jack to her mythology books, and he had been hooked. Ever since, they were like his drug - he needed at least one story a morning to be sated.

"No, no no. We fight for the books permanent return. As in, you never, ever, steal them again. Clear?" Jack smirked. Elsa nodded, readying her fists, when a large snowball slammed into her stomach. She crumpled to the floor, a whoosh of air escaping her lips.

"I fight dirty, or I don't fight at all, Elsa. Come on then, hit back." He taunted. Elsa lay there momentarily, gathering her bearings, before lifting her head and slamming her hand onto the floor. Ice shot out from her fingertips, blanketing the hardwood, and a gust of icy wind shoved Jack forward. He stumbled, slipped, and fell face forward. His body went limp. Elsa laughed triumphantly, until she saw the small puddle of blood staining the wood.

"Jack! Jack!" She said, panicked, rushing forward, sliding on the ice. She kneeled down next to his limp form, taking his head into her arms, and looking at his bloody face. His eyes shot open and a wicked grin permeated his features.

"Bloody nose, my sweet." He rumbled, blasting her back. She skidded backwards on her butt, hit the dry wood and somersaulted backward three or four times, landing on her knees. The room tipped dangerously as vertigo swallowed her vision. Jack smiled, sending a puff of air at her, and watching her topple over.

"I win." He chuckled, sliding forward and taking the woman in his arms.

"You're so mean." She squeaked out, looking up at his spinning, bloody face. He leaned in for a kiss, and she pushed him away. "Clean up first, and then we'll talk."

~X~

That night, at supper, the entire table was filled with jovial laughter as stories were told round and round over steaming goulash. Elsa spooned a piece of beef into her mouth and almost choked when North finished his tale. Cecilie stopped, before clinking her fork against her glass.

"If I could," She began, standing, "Have the attention of the table. First, compliments to the chef for this delicious meal. Second, and the main reason for my speech here - to Elsa. For her hospitality and kindness to visitors of any nation. Cheers." The table chorused after her, Elsa blushing furiously. Underneath the table, Jack squeezed her knee and she felt herself dip into an even deeper shade of crimson.

Eira giggled from the other side of the table. "Cheers to me, the Queen." Mock applause rang throughout the table.

"Darling, the only queens here are Elsa and myself. Perhaps one day you will be lucky enough to become Queen as well." Cecilie chided.

"Wha-?" Eira frowned in confusion. "But Jack and Elsa said I was queen when they came for tea." Aquilo chuckled.

"And what else happened during this little tea party?" Jack and Elsa exchanged hurried glances.

"I told him all about the species of Petra, papa, and then we talked about North." She grinned, sipping from the small cup in front of her.

"Eira, you should address King North by his proper title-" Cecilie began, but was interrupted by the small girl.

"I mean North." She sighed. "We talked about the day she went away."

"What do you mean, Eira?" Orion asked, suddenly curious. Cecilie turned ashen. Jack and Elsa leaned back in their chairs, their fingers locking underneath the table. Anna and Kristoff shot Elsa a glance, and Elsa shot them a look that she hoped was interpreted as 'Just you wait and see.'

"Enough of this talk at the table-" Aquilo, began, rushed, but King North held up a large hand, looking at the small girl.

"No, continue, little girl. I love stories." He rumbled, casting a suspicious look towards the parents.

"Well, we talked about how she went into a room with Mama and Papa, and some guards, and I didn't really ever see her again." Eira continued into the stunned silence. Tooth cast a confused look at the parents, then back at the little girl, so brazen with her words. Elsa felt as if she might fall over. Anna looked like she could at any second.

Glances were being exchanged around the table. Jack and Elsa kept their fingers locked, Elsa's heart pounding in her chest.

"Darling..." Cecilie said shakily, "That's not something we joke or make up stories -"

"This isn't true, right Mother?" Orion asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "Eira, this isn't true. You were too young-" He cut himself off, the doubt that dripped from his voice suddenly disappearing. "Why didn't I see it before..." Orion suddenly hissed between his teeth. Adon looked at the boy in curiosity and a touch of fear. "Of course." His voice rose. "Eira's not lying." He defended, standing up. Bunny looked a bit shocked at his outburst, while North was still registering Eira's comment in his head.

"Orion, you sit down right now -" Aquilo began, but was cut off.

"Or what, you'll sell me off to end a war?" He growled, his knuckles whitening where his hands gripped the table. Elsa and Anna gasped in shock at his harsh words.

Aquilo went white, with fury or fear, Elsa couldn't have told. Cecilie lifted her eyes to meet her son's, and said, in a choked voice, "Orion, sit down. Now. We can continue this later."

"And why not now? If you have nothing to hide, why not spit it out here, in front of everyone?! How can I believe my little sister over my parents?!" He yelled. Cecilie let out an inhuman howl and lunged at the boy. Instantly, the table sprung into action. It took Bunny, Sam, and Tooth to restrain the flailing woman while North took hold of Aquilo. Adon grabbed Orion.

"What were you thinking?" She yelled, as she pulled him from the spastic form that was his mother. Jack hurried over to Eira, scooping the small girl into his arms. All around them, snow and ice exploded as Cecilie screamed and crowed in a dying voice.

"You brat! Scum! How could you?! You are NO son of mine! NO!" Frost curled up the window while wind hurled itself against the castle. Aquilo silently attempted to struggle against North's bulging arms, but found it useless, slumping back into them in defeat.

"Anna, take Kristoff and Dylan and get them out of here. You too." Elsa hissed to her sister, who obeyed without a word. Jack beckoned her with one arm while shushing and calming a shaky Eira in the other. Elsa rushed over, stroking the girl's blonde hair. The small child blinked back tears, mumbling "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Over and over again.

"It's okay, it isn't your fault." Jack shushed her, watching as Sam touched the woman's forehead. She crumpled to the floor, dead asleep. Instantly, the whirling snowstorm inside and out halted. Aquilo sunk to his knees, tears in his eyes.

Elsa was torn - one side for the girl lost because of her parents' keen interest of war, the other side for the parents who had no choice but to give up their daughter to end it all.

"Is she dead?" Elsa asked, staring straight off into the distance, thoughts whirring and buzzing in her head.

"We... We're not sure." Aquilo finished.

"Oh." Elsa said softly, crossing her arms and hunching slightly. Pains shot and wracked at her heart. "If you'll pardon me." She turned and walked out silently, Jack holding the shaking Eira in his arms.

~X~

When Jack finally located Elsa, she was curled up in a ball in the library. The spiraling colored glass barely masked the darkness of the night and pinpricks of light that shone through the inky blackness. A book rested on her lap, and she turned the pages idly. Jack watched her stare at a page for a moment, before turning again. It seemed to him that she wasn't actually reading.

"I find that North and I are quite alike." Elsa said into the blackness. Jack started at her words - had she seen him?

"Jack, I can see you." She sighed, closing the novel and rubbing her eyelids. Jack approached her from behind the shelf. He took a seat across from hers.

"And how is that?" He asked.

"How could I see you? Well, it was fairly obvious, you made a lot of noise-" She began, but Jack stopped her.

"No, no, how are you and North alike?"

"Well, I suppose you know the tale. My mother and father locked me away for a majority of my life, which is similar to Eira's story. It can definitely make a girl feel... Isolated, at the least. She was our age, Jack. Older, maybe, by a few years or so, but close." Elsa paused. "I guess what I'm trying to say here is that being shoved away all your life isn't exactly the greatest way to learn how to behave when around other people. So, when she was introduced to the prince, she fell in love, fast. And she couldn't..." She stopped for a moment, before chuckling darkly. "Well, she couldn't control it. 'It' being herself. And she rushed into love, fast and quick. And she almost killed people. We're alike in that way. I rushed into the life of someone who was normal much to quickly." She continued. "I'm guessing her parents much have raised North much alike the princess in the fairytale."

Jack was silent for a moment. "Want to know what I think?"

Elsa nodded. "I think that its amazing that you're not normal. Because normal people are very boring. And I would much rather be with someone who is abnormal rather than someone who tries too hard to be normal." He chuckled to himself, "I also think that North disappearing has a lot to do with this repeat in history."

Elsa sighed. "Jack, don't be illogical-"

"No, think about it!" He said, leaning forward. "What if the tale Eira told us wasn't a lie?"

"You've been reading too many mythologies."

"And you haven't read enough, clearly." He retorted with a smirk. "What if, in the same way the original princess was vulnerable, North was vulnerable, and had to be kept safe?"

"From what?" Elsa asked.

"The Ignus."

Elsa was silent for a moment. "I guess it could be considered. However, we don't know until..." She stopped. Until what?

"Maybe we could talk to Orion." Jack offered. "He's still rather upset at his parents. He should be willing to offer plenty of information."

"So that's the next step. Orion." Elsa smiled as she stood. Jack watched as she snuffed out a candle.

"Orion." He said definitively.

Life is shit. Good thing I have some of the most amazing people in the world to keep me company. (Hint: It's you guys.) So much crazy shit has been happening lately - INCLUDING WRITERS BLOCK GROSS - but I swear to you I'll get this next chapter out soon. Only because I've been so terrible with you lovelies lately. GO READ MY PROLOGUE FOR MY OTHER JELSA STORY. Lots of love, lovelies. As always, thank you sososoososososoosososos much for reading, and please feel free to review/favorite/follow, whatever your little heart desires. Remember, every review is motivation for me to write sooner. I am master of the procrastinators. Bow to me, bitches. Until next time, lovelies!