My updates might be a bit slow. I'm participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year :) Don't forget to review when you finish reading!

Chapter 26

After Jack started to recover, I had the servants prepare a room for him. Ever since I unfroze Arendelle, he had been sleeping—almost like an enchanted sleep. Nothing seemed to be able to wake him. I had quite the task of cleaning up after my mistakes. Most of the dignitaries seemed ready to forgive and forget. But the Duke of Weselton seemed bent on playing the part of the victim. He demanded compensation for traumatization and bodily harm. From the way he had acted when we first met at the ball, I would have never guessed that his true colors would be so…sinister.

I shipped Prince Hans back to his brothers in the brig of his ship. As a traitor, he was not welcome back in Arendelle. But rather than punishing him myself, Anna and I had decided to leave that to his twelve older brothers. As a result of everything that had unfolded, I signed a new decree. Never again would we do business of any kind with Weselton, and Prince Hans was to never set foot in Arendelle again.

And since returning from the mountains, Anna and Kristoff seemed inseparable. In gratitude for what he had done for my sister and me, I replaced the sled Anna had destroyed—with a newer model, of course. And I granted him the title of Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer, which of course wasn't a thing until I made it up. He frequented the palace with his reindeer, Sven. And soon the palace became a lot livelier.

But I couldn't help but feel an emptiness inside me. Jack was still in his enchanted sleep and days quickly turned to weeks. He shouldn't be here. It was summer after all. The only reason he had stayed before was because I had frozen over the kingdom. But now…what was going to happen?

Knocking on the door, I called out his name. "Jack?"

Carefully I pushed open the door. The room was still dark, sunlight filtering through the curtains. As I stepped around the side of the bed, I could see in his face that nothing had changed. I sat on the bed with a sigh. There was a soft knock on the door. I looked up to see Anna standing in the doorway.

"Hi," she said. She strode toward the bed and looked down at Jack. "He's still sleeping, huh?"

I nodded as brushed some of the snowy hair from his face. "Yes." It was strange, but Anna could see him clearly now. Before, he had been invisible to her. The same was true for Kristoff—he could clearly see Jack.

"You know, maybe we should ask Grandpapi? He knows about magic and stuff. Maybe he can help!"

"I don't know, Anna…" I looked down at Jack's face. "I don't know what we should do. I don't even know if it's something that can be fixed."

"That's why we should ask! Come on, Elsa, Grandpapi is practically family!"

"What do you mean family?" I couldn't see how trolls and humans could even be relatives. I didn't even completely believe that Kristoff was a part of the troll family either. "They're trolls."

"Well, yeah, but Kristoff calls them family. I mean they practically raised him! And with everything that's going on I figured they would be like family too because—"

"Wait wait wait. Slow down." I held up my hand. "What do you mean by 'everything that's going on'? Anna, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Well…." Anna wrung her hands and rocked back and forth on her heels. "Mmmmmm…okay, fine." She sighed. "After everything that happened, you know, with you freezing Arendelle and everything, Kristoff and I have been getting to know each other better. I mean it's to-o-o-tally not like it was with Prince Hans but…" her voice trailed off and she glance down at her feet before looking back up at me. I knew she was leading up to something. She always rambled when she was nervous. "I really like him. I…I love him. And I was hoping…." She bit her lip. "That you would bless our engagement."

"Engagement?!" I shot to my feet. "Wh-what are you…Kristoff he—and you?"

She blushed. "Yes! Oh, Elsa, he makes me so happy!" She grasped my hands in hers and squeezed them tightly. "It's like nothing I've ever felt before! I don't know how to describe it but I really do love him."

"Yes, but…engagement? Anna…Are you sure you've thought about this? You haven't known him that long."

"At least it's more than a day." She laughed. "Yes, I'm sure."

I could see the stubbornness in her eyes as she looked at me. I sighed. There was no way to stop her, but I wanted to make sure she knew that this I what she truly wanted. Smiling at her, I nodded.

"I give you my blessing."

"Oh, Elsa—"

"On one condition."

"What?! But Elsa…."

I held up my hand to silence her. "I only ask that you postpone it for a year. If you still love each other like you do now, then I give you my full blessing for your marriage."

A wide grin spread across her face. Anna flung her arms around me and hugged me tightly. "Elsa, you're the best sister I could ever ask for! Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome."

A soft groan came from the bed. I pulled back from Anna's embrace and looked down. Jack was stirring. He was waking up! I rushed to his bedside and knelt by the bed. I took one of his cold hands in my own. His head rolled back and forth before his eyes fluttered open.

"Nnnn…." He blinked, drowsily surveying his surroundings. "Where…am I?"

"Oh, Jack! I'm so glad you're awake!" I gently ran my fingers through his hair. The once pure white locks were flecked with hints of brown. "You're in the one of our guest rooms. In Arendelle."

He held his hand to his head and groaned again. "How long…how long have I been out?"

"A few weeks."

Jack shot straight up. "Pitch, he—!" He winced, clutching at his chest. "What happened?! Last thing I remember, everything was still frozen over and Anna—"

"I'm okay now." Anna stepped forward. "Jack Frost, right? Elsa told me a lot about you."

"Wait. Anna you can…see me?"

"Mhmm!" She nodded, a big grin on her face. "Clear as day!"

H stared down at his hands. "I don't understand…h-how did…?"

"You were dying…" I said slowly. "And to save you, I used my magic and tried to freeze your heart. Like what I accidentally did to Anna. And you survived but your hair started to turn brown and—"

"What?!"

Picked up a hand mirror and held it up for him. "See?"

He stared at his reflection in disbelief. Hand shaking, he touched one of the brown spots in his hair. "That's not possible…."

"I don't understand it either but—"

"I have to go."

He hopped out of bed and hurried toward the window.

"Jack, wait!" I snatched him by the sleeve. "Please."

He glanced back at me, a pained look on his face. "Elsa, I…I-I can't I have to…. I gotta go." He shook my hand off and threw open the window. He shivered as the warm breeze blew through the room. He leaped out and glided shakily on the wind, headed in the direction of the trolls' glen. I watched him disappear toward the mountain. I prayed he would return to me safely and all in one piece.

Chapter 27 coming soon!