Well, so close to 107 but oh well. I still love you guys and all. We got perdy close though. On that note, thank you to everyone who reviewed:
Guest (Anna is very stubborn, that's why), Shimmer Shine, Brickgirl101, 007, queenlionesses, EmiliaKyuchi, Lord Edric, FrostSapphire, Steadymouth. Wildmind, Breezy2319, Livia Toric, and lovinglovexx
A break from children birthing. Other stuff has to happen.
"Queen Elsa, there is someone waiting to see you." An attendant knocked respectfully on the door of her study. Elsa sighed, looking up.
"They don't have an appointment, do they?" She asked, wondering if she'd skipped a part where someone was supposed to see her. Maybe she had. She'd been a bit frazzled lately.
"No, I don't believe so."
Elsa pursed her lips. Currently she was writing an angry letter to the neighboring kingdom where they got their textiles from. A shipment had just simply never arrived, even though it was supposed to be here weeks ago! With the wind chilling, she knew her people needed more fabric for warm clothes. Still, any interruption from it would be pleasing so she waved her hand.
"Send them in, I suppose."
The man that burst in was grinning wide. He was an old man, as far as she could tell. Deep wrinkles lined his face, and he had a thick and manly beard. His arms were like tree-trunks, and there was an eternal twinkle in his eyes.
"Queen Elsa!" He bowed respectfully, and looked at her.
She hesitated. "Sir..." She waited. His smile was a thousand watts.
"Ah, you do not recognize me either." He said. Elsa was a little shocked; she thought she knew everyone in the village at least by face, if not name. But he...he was defiantly from around here, but yet Elsa did not know him. Elsa was in the process of scrutinizing him and trying to figure out how she knew him when Jack burst in.
"Elsa!" He scurried over to the desk, paying no attention to the man standing, "Elsa, uh..." He looked bashful, and rubbed his neck, "I just wanted to let you know...Heimdall has a cut on his face." This caught Elsa's attention, if just for a moment. Her eyes widened.
"It's uh, not a big scar...but uh...you know...not what some may call 'small' either but what is small really?" He began to laugh nervously, and Elsa gave him the stone-cold glare, and he sobered, "Okay, I just wanted to let you know that it didn't happen on my watch. This one is not my fault." He threw up a finger pridefully. Elsa was not amused.
The man gasped, and nearly dropped to the floor. "King Jack!" He wheezed out. Jack turned, one hand still on the desk, the other still pointing in the air.
"Whose this, Elsa?" He asked, turning his head. Elsa stared at him, and a wave of surprise washed over her.
"Jack...you remember Mr. Finnes...don't you?" She realized and Jack jumped away.
"What?" He gaped, "The man you kicked off the council?"
"Jack, hush." Elsa snapped, and stood up.
"No, no!" The man got up, swiftly, "I have to thank you for that." It was Elsa's turn to look shocked.
"W...wait. What?" She came to help the man to a standing position.
"Let me explain." He put his hands up, waving them around.
"Jack, a chair?" She looked at her husband, and he wheeled a chair for him to sit, but he refused.
"I am better than ever. Queen, I was furious when you asked me to leave. Angry. I wanted to lash out, get back and show you I was right and you were wrong. Well," He chuckled, "Those were some dark months. It wasn't until my youngest daughter pulled me out of my sad little house filled with anger and told me I would be staying with her for a while. Ah, she always had a wise look to her." Jack and Elsa felt as though this may be longer than just a short story, so they both automatically sat. Mr. Finnes eased down onto a chair.
"I stayed with them a long time, played with my grandchildren and took time to think. Wondered the biggest questions of the universe, I suppose. I would go often into the snow and just look up at the stars. I thought about what you said everyday, Elsa, it played in my mind."
"I'm sorry it was bothersome, then." Elsa glanced around uncertainty, but Mr. Finnes waved his hands.
"No. Don't be sorry. Well, it's been how many years since I was excused?" He tilted his chair back, but Jack beat him to his math.
"Five." He said swiftly, "Five years sir."
"Yes, so short, but so long. Well, I stayed with family for about two years. Then my grandson, he was about sixteen at the time, I overheard him saying about how he wanted to travel the world. I figured I had nothing else to do, so I said I'd take him." His eyes began to shine.
"Where did you go?" Elsa asked, genuinely interested.
"Everywhere!" Mr. Finnes eyes swam with memories, "We went as far as we could go. Three years I spent with him, going wherever we wanted. The things I have learned, the people I've met. And it would have never happened had you not told me to leave. I needed the courage and support of my family." He explained.
"And the last year?" Jack prompted. Mr. Finnes gave a long smile, and it was more than a couple seconds before he answered.
"Last year, I was everywhere and nowhere." He said, "I spent time with the great masters of meditation, and worked to let go of anger problems I'd previously had. Then, I came home, and I felt like a new person. I was open minded. My youngest grandchild, oh she's only about three, asked me to read from a book of myths. She said 'too bad they're not real, grandpa'. Well I told her- 'why can't they be?' That's when it happened. I've only been home a short time, and I saw you walking with Jack through the village. My granddaughter sat on the ledge of the house and said, 'Look-It's Jack Frost. You're right, he's from the stories.' And I understood."
He looked long and hard at Jack, "I'm sorry I didn't believe before." He bowed again.
"It's nothing personal, I know." Jack said amicably.
"If only everyone was like you. There is still a small divide, but it's getting smaller and smaller. One day, we may live in a time where everyone can see Jack. That would be wonderful." Elsa sighed in content.
"I just wish to thank you again." Mr. Finnes stood to leave.
"Where are you going?" Elsa frowned.
"Well, back home, I suppose." He played with the frays of his hat.
"Aren't you going to come back to the council?" Elsa asked.
"I...I was not sure if I would be welcome." He admitted, "I was so crude, and so very wrong."
Elsa put both her hands on his shoulders, "I am forgiving, and I hold no grudges. The council would only better to have a wise, well meditated man who has been places that most only see in paintings. You would be a most worthy asset to the council once again. If you please, I'll expect to see you there tomorrow at the usual time."
Mr. Finnes laughed, "Still at seven AM?" He asked, "I'd expect since you had your child- you had it correct- you would have pushed it back."
"No, my son is up with the dawn, like my other two, so I am as well." She said. Mr. Finnes bowed again, and left.
Not soon after, the sound of heavy footsteps through the castle made and Jack and Elsa look at each other with smiles of an expression that was worn well.
"I think our son finally found us." Elsa said with a long sigh.
"He has some uncanny ability to trace us anywhere," Jack chuckled, "He's like a bloodhound, always on the scent to annoy his parents." Elsa listened, and realized his Heimdall's footsteps were walking away.
"I think we're safe for another few minuets." She told Jack, "Maybe one."
"It's incredible about that old trout Mr. Finnes, eh?" He asked, "I never thought we'd see him back." He admitted.
"Me neither. It's wonderful though, that he believes. Although I suppose that anything is possible when one person believes." She gave a silly smile to Jack, who scoffed.
"That's cheesy." He said judingly. Elsa was moving to sit back and finish her letter. She tapped the quill in her fingers.
"Mhh...Chesse? Yes, I'd love some." She winked at Jack and went back to her work.
"Fine, fine. I'll get you some cheese." Jack said after a few moments of watching her work, realizing that she wasn't going to talk to him.
"Thank you, dear." She called, and he grumbled in response.
There was only a brief millisecond between Jack leaving and her silence being shattered by her son rushing in.
"Momma!" He said with glee, "I found you."
"I didn't know we were playing hide and seek." Elsa said, trying to to roll her eyes in frustration.
"We always are." He said, which made a little part that hoped for silence inside Elsa die.
She hadn't really looked at him, and now realized she better look at the 'smallish' cut Jack was talking about. She pulled him in and brushed back his long hair, and saw something was was certainty a large cut on his forehead. She knew it would scar!
"Heimdall, where did you get this?" She shirked.
"I was with Alfsol and he said he knew where papa kept his ice knives. We were trying to make an igloo." Elsa groaned into her hand.
"Did you ever think you could make ice, Heimdall? And why hasn't anything been done about this cut?"
"Alfsol wanted to do it the old way, the way his dad does. And it doesn't hurt. I'm stronger than that!" He said proudly, and Elsa got up. She was going to have a very long talk with her sister's husband. The door clinked open, and entered Jack.
He froze in the door, seeing his son with his wife. The silver platter was placed with caution. "I'm just going to leave you to your cheese..." He said slowly.
"Cheese!" Heimdall ripped himself from his mother's grip and over to the platter. Elsa sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. Motherhood- who would have ever thought?
Yay! Finnes is back!