Rifiuto: Non Miriena

The continuous storm raged outside, the only sound the wind as it banged against the windows, demanding entrance. Not that the lone occupant of the bed paid it any mind.

She awoke that morning to the scent of coffee, and bolted upright. It wasn't so much the smell of the coffee that set her head turning, or the continuous darkness from the ever-raging storm outside the palace, or even the fact that Jack had most likely slipped out to make his rounds as a Guardian. No, if anything, it was the feel of something moving over her skin that made her reach for the curtain about their bed and stagger to her feet, only to quickly return to the comfort of the covers. She took a deep breath before slowly rising to her feet and grabbing her dressing gown, sliding it on over her pale skin.

Silent, she washed her face, and then grabbed her hairbrush, running the bristles quickly through her tangled platinum locks with shaking hands. She had a feeling that she knew what was going on, but she couldn't be sure, and she didn't want to get her hopes up- or Jack's- only to have it all be for naught. Once done, she wandered over to the tray, and poured a cup of coffee, taking a sip. And then immediately sat down on the window seat, suddenly shaky. Again, she felt the familiar movement along her shoulder, as though something had slid beneath her skin and was slithering just below the surface. Taking a deep breath, Elsa slowly shrugged off the shoulder of her robe and got up, going to the closest wall. The sight of the frost on her shoulder set her beat less heart racing.

Slowly, the Crown Princess leaned closer, making sure that what she was seeing was true.

He shook his head. Jack didn't mind being a Guardian, but there were times when he wished he could just skip his duties and stay in bed, wrapped around his wife, like he had been that morning before he needed to get up.

The sight of Elsa, completely nude, hair in wild tangles about her head, and covered in nothing but bites was a sight he hated to leave behind. Over the course of the previous night, he'd managed to cover her beautiful alabaster skin in the bruises- clearly stating to everyone at court that she was off-limits to everyone but him and only him. When it came to his wife, Jack was possessive, but then again, so was she. For every he'd given her, she'd returned it, coating his own skin in the dark bruises that informed every woman of the court that he belonged to the young Crown Princess, and that no other female was allowed to have him.

And certainly not allowed to lay with him.

Jack chuckled, thinking about the ball that had been thrown a couple months earlier; he and Elsa had spent time off by themselves, talking softly and focusing only on each other, when a couple of the ladies-in-waiting passed by, each sending their gazes roving from Jack's shoes to his hair and back, hungry looks on their faces. Jack of course had ignored them, his focus only on his wife, but Elsa had noticed.

And she'd let her possessive side take over.

She'd slid her arms around his waist, pressing herself into him, watching the two ladies-in-waiting with narrowed blue eyes, and then, without a word- more like a simple flick of her wrist- she'd sent icicles careening towards them. One had hit one of the women in the head, and the other had sliced through the material of the other woman's dress, but had only shaken her up. Both had gotten the message, though.

The Crown Prince was to be left alone.

Now, he moved through the palace, heading to check on Snegurka before returning to their chambers. He poked his head into the child's nursery, not at all surprised to see their little one sound asleep. Staff slung over his shoulder, he'd wandered over to her, reaching out and gently brushing a stray curl off her cheek before he quickly conjured a set of snow bees and set them buzzing over his daughter's head. Then, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her head. "Sweet dreams and snowflakes, little one. I love you." Then, he left, slipping out of his daughter's room and heading back towards their chamber. He shut the door softly behind him as he stepped inside; after setting his staff down, he wandered over to the table, but he never got that far.

"Jack!" His head snapped up, and he turned in time to see Elsa rushing towards him; how he'd missed her sitting on the window seat, he had no idea. She threw her arms around his neck, capturing his mouth in a deep kiss that Jack struggled to make sense of. When he finally pulled away, he searched her face, suddenly worried.

"What is it, what's wrong, princess?" But his wife just shook her head and pulled away. The way she was reacting put his senses on high alert- "Elsa? What happened? Did something happen? Are you hurt?" She chuckled softly, and instead of answering, turned her back on him and shrugged the robe off her shoulders. He studied her alabaster skin, confused, even as she turned her head, meeting his gaze.

"Nothing's wrong, Jack. Nothing at all." Slowly, his eyes moved over her skin, before coming to rest on her shoulder, and Elsa giggled.

There, residing and growing slowly on her shoulder, was a small, frosted vine.

They lay among the blankets of their bed, the curtains drawn; dawn was hours away, and the wind had died down. Elsa had since shed her dressing gown like a second skin, returning to bed completely nude, and one quick glance with those enchanting blue eyes sent Jack shedding his own clothing and joining her. They now lay among the pillows and blankets, exhausted, but talking softly. She lay on her back beside him, gaze intently locked on his. Gently, she reached up, tugging his chin down to steal a soft kiss. He lay on his side next to her, rubbing his hand over her belly. "I can't believe it. We're having another one." She nodded, silent.

"This felt different- I got dizzy, like my head wasn't on straight." He sighed.

"I've heard other immortal women talk about that happening with their second pregnancies. It's not uncommon."

"That's what Mistress Chilali said when I asked her to come up. She also said that... I would show sooner with this one than I did with Snegurka. She told me not to be alarmed at how big I grow, especially in the next couple months; that... an immortal's subsequent pregnancies are always bigger and that... there will be times in the next several months where I will look as though I am carrying more than one, but that I will only be carrying one. She said that it's... it's just my body... falling back into the familiarity of pregnancy." He nodded, silent. "Jack, are you happy?"

He met his wife's gaze, and she saw the surprise and excitement reflected within. "Ecstatic, princess. Absolutely ecstatic."