Chapter 4. Growing Friendship

Jack

The sun shone in through the window, waking Jack up. It was the second week of March and the snow was almost gone. The days were growing warmer and Jack spent plenty of time in the sun.

He rolled over to try and get some more sleep when he heard his father's voice calling for him.

"Jack!" King North called. Jack assumed he was standing outside his bedroom door.

Jack groaned, got up, and walked to his bedroom door.

"Yes Father?" Jack yawned, coming out of his room.

"There is a knighting ceremony in an hour, you were supposed to be ready! Hurry up and get dressed" North scolded.

Yawned again and quickly got dressed. The ceremony went by quickly, which Jack was grateful of, and Aster led the new knights down to the training field. When it was finally over Jack slipped away. He let the wind carry him to the Enchanted Forest. Jack had been meeting Elsa at the river since they had met. He enjoyed talking with her and she was a good listener. She also was funny and had interesting experiences in her life that she told him about. She showed him more of the Enchanted Forest and told him stories of the forest. Her favourite spot to sit was the edge of the broken dam, looking over Arendelle.

"Elsa?" Jack called when he made it to the beach, making sure she didn't see him flying. The snow had almost completely melted and small flowers and plants were beginning to come up.

"I'm here!" an angel like voice answered from the trees.

Elsa stepped out onto the beach and Jack smiled.

"Hi Jack" Elsa said.

She sat down beside Jack and it took him a minute to remember how to speak. He rubbed the textured surface of his staff before he spoke.

"Hi Elsa" Jack finally managed to say.

"You seem very happy today" Elsa noticed.

"I slipped away from my parents again after a boring knighting ceremony," Jack said proudly.

Elsa shook her head, laughing. He knew she saw him as both a child and a mature prince. He was ok with that.

Jack was sure he was blushing. Her dress was beautiful, white like snow with hints of light blue. He was about to comment on her outfit when Gale blew around them.

Gale swirled around them and Elsa seemed to be listening to what she was saying.

Elsa had already introduced him to the elemental spirits of the forest. Gale was the one most likely to follow the two around.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Gale is just teasing. She says we would be a perfect couple." Elsa explained.

Jack turned bright red. He looked away, hoping she hadn't seen him.

They hadn't shared their powers with each other but Gale knew. Jack had spoken with Gale after meeting Elsa that his powers had to remain a secret. Unknown to Jack, Elsa had also asked the other spirits to not tell any outsiders about her powers.

Elsa

Two days later Jack didn't show up when he normally did. Elsa paced along the bank of the river waiting for him. She began to worry. Not for him but for his family. It was late afternoon and Jack hat told her a few days ago that he had a great prank idea. When he finally showed up, he was grinning from ear to ear.

"What did you do this time?" Elsa asked as soon as she spotted him.

"Well, I swapped the sugar and salt in the kitchens, hid my father's belt, put bugs in Jamie's bed, and replaced all of the candles in my brother's room with cheese," Jack said.

"I think your family is going to have to make it up to you at some point. I'm sure if they would like to send you to Arendelle's dungeon for a week we would be happy to keep you locked up. I'm sure some of our knights could think of fun things like tickling you to death, or singing nursery rhymes until you have them memorized," Elsa said.

"I'll have you know that I have memorized many of them and sing them to some of the kids that live in the castle when they are having a hard time sleeping. It's not uncommon for their parents to frantically search for me to make their kid go to sleep," Jack said with a laugh.

"I'm sure it would be annoying for someone else to sing it to you constantly," Elsa stated.

"Maybe," Jack said. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"Well, I was wondering if you would like to come to Arendelle for Charades and dinner tonight. We would have to leave soon, it's a bit of a trip," Elsa said.

"I would love to and I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind. Let me talk to them and I will meet you back here soon," Jack said. Elsa walked him to the bridge and turned to go back to the village.

After Jack had left, Elsa wrote Anna a quick letter explaining her inviting Jack, and letting Anna know that Jack was unaware of her powers. When she was finished, she asked Gale to send it. She knew Olaf was staying with Marshmallow and the Snowgies at her Ice castle on the North Mountain so she wouldn't have to explain a living snowman.