Disclaimer: This work of fan fiction uses characters from Rise of the Guardians, The Guardians of Childhood, and Frozen which are trademarked by DreamWorks Animation, William Joyce, and the Walt Disney Company respectively. The author of this story claims no ownership over them. The story the author is telling is of her own invention and it is not purported or believed to be part of the canon storyline. This story is made for entertainment purposes only. The author is not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story.
I'm afraid I'll get caught.
I'm afraid you'll leave.
I'm being fake in front of you,
I'm a fake who pretends to be strong, you know?
–Stellar, Mask
Uncertainty – Vampire Knight Guilty OST
Dawn – Pride and Prejudice OST
Premonition – Vampire Knight Guilty OST
Nocturne: The Third Movement – Part I
My dearest Anna,
I bear awful news: Jack collapsed this evening. He complained to me of a headache earlier today, but he never showed signs of fatigue nor dizziness nor pain during dinner, but then he left the table early. I thought nothing of it. We heard a loud crash in the hall and then a maid screamed, crying his name.
He fainted in the hall right outside the dining room. Emma was quick to react, dashing out the door as fast as she could and when we found him, he was lying unconscious, surrounded by broken porcelain with blood dripping down the side of his forehead. Apparently, he took a vase down with him.
Queen Olivia was so calm as she dealt with her son's bleeding head. His mother kept it together while I nearly lost myself in fright. I could have created a blizzard right then and there if it wasn't for Kristoff. Oh god, Anna, there was so much blood; it stained his white hair and it got all over Queen Olivia's hands. When the doctor came, he said that it was natural for head injuries to bleed heavily though, and with just a couple stitches, Jack should be fine.
I didn't know what to do, Anna. I stood there petrified like a wounded deer surrounded by a pack of starving wolves! Jack woke up several minutes later, dazed and confused, but his first lucid words when informed about his head injury were: 'Do you think it'll scar?'
I was so relieved, Anna. I was so relieved that it hurt.
I was so scared and utterly terrified of losing him. All I could think about was what would happen if he died, and he just fainted! And I couldn't help but think this was somehow my fault. I knew that he was feeling ill and I chose not to tell anyone about it.
What if it was worse?
And what if, in the event that something worse happened to Jack, I did something so foolish that you or Arendelle had to pay for my mistakes? I couldn't bear that! I can't do this, Anna! What kind of queen would I be if I let my heart rule over my judgement?
Is it normal for me to be crying over a man I met only several months ago? Is this being in love, Anna? Does the world stop revolving when Kristoff is hurt? Do you get lost in a storm created by your own heart because of him? Does everything cease to exist at the thought of him gone?
Jack and I made a promise to not hide our doubts and fears from each other. But he is hiding something from me, Anna, I know he is, and I think it could be the reason behind this event.
But then this also raises the question: does he love me as much as I apparently love him? I never thought myself to be a hopeless romantic and now here I am, nearly in tears because of him.
Am I being foolish, Anna?
I miss you. I wish you were here with me.
Forever yours,
"Elsa?" Kristoff called, knocking on the half-open door of the study, "can I come in?"
The young queen flinched, knocking over the pot of ink and spilling it all over the parchment in front of her, staining her carefully written words in pitch black. But Elsa could care less about her ruined letter; she quickly dropped her quill and frantically wiped the tear threatening to fall from her eyes.
"I-I didn't mean to barge in on you, Elsa. I – "
"No, no, it's alright, Kristoff." Elsa replied with a forced smile. She scrunched the blackened parchment into a ball and then tossed it into the fireplace behind her desk. "It wasn't important anyway."
"Are you sure?" he asked, watching the black-stained parchment burn into ashes, "I can look over these on my own."
"Nonsense, I promised to help you prepare for the summit since I dragged you with me. So come, sit down."
Kristoff's dark eyebrows furrowed, concerned over the obviously distraught queen. But he didn't question her, choosing to let matters be. That was one of the many reasons why Elsa favoured Kristoff: he knew when not to pry. So she cleared the desk, wiping away the spilt ink and moving aside the clean parchment paper.
However, she couldn't help but take a fleeting glance back to the fireplace, watching the letter to her sister burn away.
But it wasn't as though Anna could heal her uncertain heart anyway.
"How is Princess Anna?" Empress Cassandra asked the Queen of Snow.
"She is well, Lady Cassandra," Elsa started, addressing the graceful hazel-eyed woman with the proper honorific among royals, "She would have loved to come, if I hadn't insisted that she stay to manage Arendelle in my place."
The Queen of Arendelle sat on an intricately embroidered sofa in the middle of the drawing room. Beside her, Toothiana, the Duchess of Tand-Fé reached for a pastry on the three-tier stand sitting on the table in front of them. Across from them, Queen Olivia sat beside Empress Cassandra of FayDelle, both holding a cup of hot tea in their hands. In the back of the room, King James, Emperor Alexander of FayDelle, King Bronimir of Newlea, his advisor, and Kristoff crowded around a large map laid out on a desk, discussing something about a hunting trip.
"And how are the young princesses?" The Duchess of Tand-Fé asked.
The Duchess of Tand-Fé, Toothiana, was the fiancé of the Crown Prince of Newlea. She was a stunning woman with brown, sun-kissed skin, lush, dark-brown hair, and eyes that seem to glow violet-purple in the sunlight. When they first met outside in the courtyard, the Snow Queen was nearly blinded by the exotic woman's choice of dress: a salwar (1) with embroidered fish-scale patterns in the brilliant colours of green, blue, and yellow. She wore heavy gold jewellery in her ears, around her neck, and wrapped around her wrists. Elsa was stunned by the woman's striking beauty, but soon she grew to love Toothiana in just a matter of minutes. The Duchess was lively and kind, quick to introduce herself as just 'Tooth' to Elsa before commending the shy queen on her sense of fashion.
"Indeed," Elsa added in, smiling softly, "The last time I saw them was last year's Flower Festival."
"Well, the twins are growing up much too fast," Empress Cassandra replied with a sigh, "it seemed like it was only yesterday I was trying to keep up with the girls and now they are almost married."
"Those is the woes of having children." Queen Olivia chuckled. And then Elsa tuned them out: their conversation about their children's youth lost to her, and behind her, the conversation that the kings and advisors were having didn't interest her either. So she turned into her thoughts: a place she often ended up.
The young queen's morning passed by slowly and uneventfully. Both she and Kristoff stayed up late into the night, revising documents in preparation for the summit happening the day after tomorrow. She planned to catch up on lost sleep, but dawn had greeted her much too eagerly, shinning bright sunny light down onto her closed lids and pulling the sleep from her. So she got up and got ready for the day. She had breakfast with Queen Olivia upon the latter's request and afterwards she greeted the arriving monarchies in the Grand Hall, playing host with the Queen of the Western Isles while the King finished up with a meeting.
Days in the Western Isles were always bright and serene, the warmth of the sun combated by the wintery air wafting through the open windows, playfully puffing through the soft white curtains draping over the windows in the large drawing room. Elsa was content with just sitting in the drawing room now, half listening to the conversations and adding in remarks when they were due, but she never liked small talk to begin with. However it was her duty as queen, as was her duty to be present in the room to begin with, otherwise, there was somewhere else that she wanted to be.
No, she couldn't think about him, not now. Not when a sudden drop in temperature in the warm, sunlit room would bring everyone's attention to her.
"Actually, speaking of marriage," Toothianna started, "is Anna and Kristoff planning on tying the knot anytime soon?" The young queen snapped her head over to the lady beside her, grateful to be pulled from her worrisome contemplations but then tensed at topic at hand. Elsa laughed nervously at the thought of her sister's impending marriage plans, subtly playing with the skirt of her deep blue frock.
"I am not sure," Elsa quietly answered, "They haven't made anything official yet."
"They are probably waiting for the right moment. How long has Kristoff been courting Anna?"
"Nearly four years now, if I remember correctly." Elsa replied. "What about you though, Tooth? Aren't you engaged to Crown Prince Sacha?"
"Hm," Tooth replied, "Sacha and I are engaged – and still madly in love if rumours are asking – but there hasn't been time to plan the wedding, especially with the passing of the Dowager Queen, but soon. You will come to the wedding, right, Elsa?"
"Of course I'll go."
"And Anna and Kristoff. Oh, and Olaf too: he could be the ring-bearer! "
Elsa giggled, pressing her fingers against her lips. But suddenly, the enthusiastic woman slid down the length of the couch, stopping only when her knees brushed against the legs of the reserved queen.
"So," Toothiana started, her voice a quiet murmur in comparison to the chatter of the people around them. "Elsa, we can talk, girl to girl, right?" The Snow Queen's brows furrowed.
"…right." Elsa started, puzzled but not particularly concerned by Toothiana's question.
"The rumour mill has been running faster than the king's cavalry, and the story that the people have been most interested in is the courting of Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle by the Prince of the Western Isles, Jackson Overland Frost."
"A-ah."
"It is true, Elsa?"
"W-well."
"Cause if it's not then by the heavens, can gossip be detailed!" The Duchess hissed, "The stories say that you two have gone to the North Mountain in Arendelle together, were seen in the gardens alone, and he was your escort to the Flower Festival, heck, they even got the clothes you and Jack wore down to the stich! Please, just please tell me that its' true."
"I-I –"
"Tell me, did you give him that pocket watch too?" Toothiana asked, "Jack can be sentimental you know. As children, we would have to beg him to throw his old tattered shoes away. He would wear them out so much that they would have holes in the soles, and then he refused to get a new pair since 'his old shoes would be jealous' so he'd walk around barefoot for a time. He broke his old pocket watch sledding, I haven't seen him with one in years."
Elsa blushed, she reached up to tuck a strand hair behind her ear nervously as she tried to formulate coherent words, "I-I can't deny any of it."
"Does that mean that –"
"Yes, Tooth!" Elsa sighed, smiling in spite of herself as she surrendered to Toothiana's interrogation.
"By the heavens, finally. It took the boy long enough. How did you meet each other?" Toothiana asked. The Queen of Arendelle could have quickly shot down the question, refusing to answer the older woman, but she couldn't. Toothiana's curiosity and her sincere interest was difficult to deny, and besides, Elsa didn't mind recalling the pleasant memories she shared with Jack.
"We met in Arendelle, at a ball,"
"How?"
And then she paused, her memories bringing her back to the moments in the Ice Castle: to her shy but easy conversations with the prince, to her shock and anger at his betrayal, then to his sudden but sincere confession of his affections. And then to her own several months after.
"And…" Toothiana murmured, encouraging the suddenly mute queen.
After all this time, the entire morning she spent trying not to think about him, and now she was back where she started: thinking about him.
How was he? Was he feeling better? Would his head be alright? What happened? Was it because of the headache?
… does he love me as much as I apparently love him?
"Elsa?" Toothiana asked.
"I'm sorry," Elsa murmured, casting her eyes towards the soft white curtains, "can we not talk about this now?"
"…did something happen between you and Jack, Elsa?"
"Are my emotions so unrestraint that everyone can see? Even by someone who doesn't even know me?" Elsa snapped, hissing the words angrily under her breath, but then she realized just what she said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lose my temper that was very rude of me."
"It's alright." Toothiana said, smiling softly. "I shouldn't have asked so many questions."
"No, it's just…" Elsa began, hesitating and stopping herself from spilling her heart to a woman she just met.
"Where is Jack, right now anyway?" The Duchess asked, her brows furrowing, "I thought that he would be down here by now, Emma and Aster as well."
"Jack's ill."
"What? What happened?"
"He collapsed and hit his head yesterday evening." Elsa replied, sighing.
"He is alright?"
"I don't know, I hope he'll be alright, I mean, he still had the energy to make a joke."
"That does sound promising, Jack rarely gets sick though…" Toothiana mused, "Even before the incident."
"How long have you known him, Tooth?"
"Practically his entire life. I'm only three years older than he, we grew up together: he's the mischievous little brother I sometimes wish I had. When Emma was born, he took it upon himself to teach her his ways too. The pair were inseparable until the accident. Then, they drifted apart." Toothiana sighed, leaning back against the seat and crossing her legs, "I didn't realize that the siblings had a falling out until he told me a few months after it had been resolved. He's one of the most genuine and spirited individuals you will ever meet. He'll make a good king one day. He has a tendency of keep his worries to himself though, and he's good at it. He's good at keeping his worries underneath a laidback and carefree façade."
"But," Elsa whispered to herself more so that Toothiana, "He said that he won't hide them from me."
Toothiana didn't ask for the young queen to repeat herself, but the duchess didn't seem to have heard Elsa either.
"If there is something bothering you, Elsa." Toothiana begun, "Just talk to him about it. I am certain that whatever it is it's just a misunderstanding."
"Ladies," King James suddenly called, pulling Elsa and Toothiana away from their serious conversation, "I hope you will excuse us; there are a couple of things I'd like to show the gentlemen in the library."
"Ah, actually, what perfect timing," Queen Olivia responded to her husband with a smile, "I was just about to ask if Lady Cassandra would like to have a tour of the palace gardens."
"Yes! Of course." Empress Cassandra replied, "I'd love to."
With that, the men took off first, King James leading them deeper into the halls of the palace as the guard pulled open the doors leading to the garden allowing Queen Olivia and Empress Cassandra to stroll through. Elsa soon followed after, but before she could even stand up, Toothiana reached out and grabbed the Snow Queen's wrist. Elsa paused, glancing back at the brunette woman curiously.
"Alright, so I'm certain that you've already seen the gardens," Toothiana began, Elsa nodded in agreement, "let's go and visit Jack instead. I know you're worried about him and so am I."
"But what of Lady Olivia and Lady Cassandra?" Elsa whispered back.
"Toothiana? Elsa?" Queen Olivia called. Both Toothiana and Elsa whipped over to the sound of the woman's warm and motherly voice. "Aren't you coming, dears?"
Toothiana gave Elsa a pointed look, "It would be much more fun to see Jack, he's probably cooped up inside his room with only the company of his sister and Aster: both whom will have too much fun teasing him."
The young queen couldn't help but let grin grace her lips at the thought, she turned back towards Queen Olivia and Empress Cassandra.
"Actually, is it alright if Tooth and I stay behind, Lady Olivia, Lady Cassandra?"
The Queen of the Western Isles smiled and nodded, "Of course."
With that, Queen Olivia and Empress Cassandra left, strolling down the path to the gardens. As soon as they were out of sight, Toothiana jumped into action, seizing Elsa's arm again, pulling her off of the couch, and towards the door.
"Come on, Jack's rooms are in the Eastern Wing," Toothiana called, pulling Elsa up the stairs. The duchess' flowing trousers billowing around her and the young queen nearly tripped over her own skirts with the speed of their flight. But Elsa honestly didn't mind.
Half way down the Eastern Wing the pair caught an older man dressed in black walking down the hall carrying a leather bag: the Royal Physician.
"Lady Queen," he greeted, bowing at the sight of the ladies, "Lady Tooth, it's been a very long time."
"Likewise, Sir William," Toothiana greeted, her sentence broken into short fragments.
"How is he?" Elsa filled in for the panting woman. And in that short span of time between her question and the physician's answer, Elsa's heart leapt to her throat in panic. Her thoughts spinning in circles over the possibilities of Jack's illness.
"He's fine, the Lord Prince seemed to be suffering from the stress of his duties and the sudden change in climate between traveling south and back north. The cut across his forehead has been cleaned and dealt with. It will unfortunately leave a scar, much to the prince's dismay." Sir William chuckled and shook his head, "His temperature is higher than it normally should be, especially due to his 'condition', but I believe it is his body's attempt at recovering."
Elsa breathed a sigh of relief.
What if it was worse?
"Worry not, Lady Queen, the Lord Prince is resilient and stubborn by nature, but I'll be sure to closely monitor his recovery."
"Thank you once again, Sir William." Toothiana said, curtsying to the grey-haired doctor.
"It is always my pleasure." He replied, bowing and slipping past them, "Good day Lady Tooth, Lady Queen."
"Come on," Toothiana urged, nodding her head towards a set of dark-wood double doors. Elsa watched the woman flint down the hall like a bird, both swift and elegant, before stopping at the door. Elsa joined her but just as the brunette woman raised her arm to knock, she stopped at the sound of Jack's familiar laughter and Emma's recognizable scowl.
"You've been acting strangely."
"I'm fine, Emma. You don't need to worry."
"Jack, you can't keep doing –"
"I'm fine, Aster."
"Says the idiot who cracked his head open."
"Just let her see the stitches."
Elsa felt a smile form on her lips and the worry that curled around her heart unfold. At the sound of his calm and bright chuckles she felt as though her anxiety and doubt were for not.
Toothiana rapped on the wood then, a quick pattern of eight knocks.
"Come in," Jack cried, "The door is open!"
Toothiana quietly turned the doorknob, gesturing for Elsa to enter first. The young queen nodded her thanks before stepping into the room, glancing around curiously.
The chambers of the Prince of the Western Isles were simple in nature, but open and brightly-lit. The walls were painted in the traditional colours of the country: white, grey, and various shades of blue. But even if the colours of the Western Isles weren't those, Elsa couldn't associate Jack with anything else. The sitting room and his bedroom were sparsely decorated and furnished. It was just enough meet the needs of a prince, but no more lavish than that.
In one end of the sitting room, Elsa first saw Emma's back as she leaned over her brother who was sprawled out on an embroidered sofa. The young princess was carefully peeling back the bandages wrapped around the white-haired prince's head, peeking to see the condition of the wound. She sat on the back of the settee, her skirts spilling over the edge and blanketing her brother in a swath of dark green fabric as she bent over him, one hand holding his white hair back and the other peeling back the equally white bandages wrapped around his forehead. Jack has his head propped on the armrest, his expression of mock irritation.
Aster leaned against the set of double doors leading out to the balcony, staying further away and being less involved in the siblings' bickering. Elsa curtsied at the general, and behind her, Toothiana daintily waved at her old friend. He glanced over uninterestedly when the doors opened, but then a lop-sided grin pulling on his lips at the sight of the pair.
"Good afternoon, ladies." Aster greeted, bowing respectfully.
"Ladies? I thought that it was just William –" But the rest of Jack's sentence was cut off as he half-sat-up to see over the edge of the couch.
"Hello, Jack," Toothianna greeted playfully, "I leave you for one year and when I come back, you've gone and hurt yourself."
"Elsa! And Tooth! What are you doing here, I thought the next time I'd see you again would be at the wedding!" He cried, a brilliant smile playing at his lips as he tried to sit up to greet the duchess, but then a pair of slender arms draped in dark green pushed him down.
"You're supposed to be resting!" Emma hissed. He huffed indignantly and rolled his eyes.
"Sorry, Tooth," he apologized, glaring at his sister but remained where he lay, "I would greet you properly, and Elsa too, but someone is mothering me past the point of reason."
"That's alright," Toothiana replied, sitting down on the other end of the couch beside Jack. Elsa took the single-seat next to Jack's head. "What's the verdict?"
"William said it will scar, but I am going to say that it won't." Jack explained.
"It's going to scar," Emma replied blatantly, "I just hope you didn't crack your skull open."
"But if it scars, I'll have no epic tale about it." Jack complained, "'I sustained this remarkably large scar across my head because I fainted and got cut by a vase.' How manly is that?"
"You narcissist." Aster snapped.
"My reputation is going to be completely destroyed." The prince moaned, throwing his hands into his face.
"Your vanity never failed to impress me, Jack." Toothiana chuckled.
"You have a reputation?"
"Emma!"
"It's going to be barely visible next to your white hair though," Elsa added. Jack turned, grinning warmly at her.
"Besides, you don't look very manly to begin with," Emma mused, "you have white hair and you are thin as a stick."
"You are more of a delicate snowflake than anything else." Aster sneered.
"Excuse me!" Jack cried in mock outrage, sitting up and swinging his leg over the edge of the couch. Emma clicked her tongue in annoyance, but allowed her brother to get up, "There is no need for malice! At least my name isn't – "
"Jack Frost! Don't you dare – "
"Erbert Aster Bunnymund!"
Silence.
The dark-haired general's eyes widened.
"Erbert?" Toothiana repeated.
"I always thought it was just E…" Emma commented.
"Or it stood for Edgar." Toothiana added.
Then his cheeks started to turn pink.
"I thought it was Edward…" Elsa mumbled.
Suddenly Aster leapt into action, bounding off the wall towards Jack.
"Frost, I'm going to wring you neck!"
Aster's movements were so abrupt and sudden that Elsa was quick to follow, up on her feet and her hand hovering in front of her defensively. Jack yelped in surprise vaulting over the back of the couch and away from his fuming friend. Emma jumped to her feet, putting herself in front of the furiously blushing military leader, placing both hands on his chest.
"No. No!" she warned, "Usually I wouldn't intervene, but the idiot has a gash through his head. You can't beat him up now, Bunny." The general paused in his step, glaring angrily at the prince. The only person who was still relaxed was Toothiana, sitting on the soft chair with her legs crossed and a smile on her face, obviously enjoying the show.
Jack crept closer to the door, slipping past Aster and his sister with an innocent grin.
"Really though? Erbert?" Toothiana mused, "How have you been able to keep this a secret for so long?"
"Alright then!" Jack quickly yelled over his childhood friend, clapping his hands and turning to the slightly confused and shocked queen, "Well, Elsa, what do you say to a tour to the castle galleries?"
"Um, sure." Elsa replied when Jack asked for her hand hastily, and as soon as she placed her fingers in his open palm, he pulled her out of the chair, leading her swiftly out the door, quietly closing it behind them, and taking down the hallway with Elsa in tow.
When he deemed them far away enough to be safe from Erbert Aster Bunnymund's wrath, he slowed, leaning against a pillar with Elsa's hand still in his.
"Thanks for saving me back there." He murmured quietly, absentmindedly lifting her fingers to his lips. She smiled, watching him close his eyes and press his lips against her knuckles.
"I'm not sure if I helped much," she started, "Or if I was just an instrument to your escape."
"Nonsense, no one would ever want to anger the infamous Queen of Arendelle." He chuckled, but then his easy laughter died faster than it should have and Elsa watched as his brows furrowed and his lips purse into a straight line. All for only a second before his face smoothed out once more, and that relaxed smile formed again. Her stomach squeezed painfully as her doubts and worries returned for just a single moment.
"How are you, really?" she asked, taking his hand in both of hers and pulling them away from his face and towards her. He sighed, resting his head against the pillar and closing his eyes.
"I don't know," he murmured, "My head still hurts, but I don't think it's from falling. It's still that headache and it's getting worse somehow, and I feel warmer than I normally do. I've told the physician about it, just not Emma or my parents."
"I should have noticed something when you got up suddenly," she said in a rush, "I knew you had a headache."
"Elsa," he started, bolting upright and snapping his eyes open. He placed his free hand reassuringly on her right shoulder, meeting her eyes calmly and seriously, "This wasn't your fault: it's my own disregard to my health. William has told me that it'll get better soon, once I re-adjust to the weather. I'm fine, Elsa, really."
She held his eyes, searching for any hint of uncertainty.
"Jack,"
"Hm?"
He is hiding something from me, Anna, I know he is.
But Tooth was right: Jack was good at concealing his doubts. She sighed, raising their joined hands and pressing her lips against the back of his hands. Just like he always did to her.
"I'm glad, then." she murmured against his skin. He smiled, tracing the length of her right arm down to her fingers, resting his hand against both of hers now.
"Now," he began, "who wants to see century old portraits of dead kings and a bunch of ancient cases? I much rather go outside and I am sure you'll enjoy it too. There is this place I wanted to show you, it's beautiful. If we hurry, we might be able to go down to the kitchens and get the chef to make us something to bring for a picnic before the luncheon rush starts."
"Shouldn't we be there for the luncheon?"
"I never enjoyed luncheons. Besides, I'm ill, I shouldn't be expected to attend. Come on, Elsa, it'll be fun! We can have a re-match snowball fight!"
She gave him a pointed look, glancing at his forehead.
"Alright, we can put that snowball fight on hold until later, let's just go!" he cried, pulling on their intertwined hands. She let him drag her along, laughing all the way.
Maybe, just for one afternoon, she'll pretend that nothing is wrong and all is well.
Jack had taken her to a snowy glade on the outskirts of the castle grounds where they spent the afternoon together, chatting about nonsensical things, watching the snow fall, and the sun set over the mountains.
The rest of the day passed by uneventfully and the next morning came just as calmly. Elsa had found herself in the expansive library of the castle, browsing through various novels and volumes. The library was large, much larger than the one back in Arendelle: two stories high with a lofty ceiling allowing for a third floor to be a built that housed a small sitting area and a window alcove. The room was quiet in the cool, late afternoon, and was softly lit by several flickering oil lamps and a fireplace on every floor. The young queen enjoyed sitting by the window in the alcove, the smell of paper and ink filling her nostrils as she leafed through crisp pages.
But just as she was about to descend the spiraling staircase from her sanctuary in search for another novel, she heard familiar voices speaking in tense and hushed whispers. Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest as realized who it was: Jack and Aster. The pair had just ascended the stairs to the second floor and marched over to a set of sofa, chairs, and tables surrounding a fireplace.
Elsa ducked behind the staircase, thankful that neither of them noticed her presence. She watched as the white-haired prince sat on the mahogany desk while the dark-haired general leaned against the mantelpiece. Jack's face was haggard and his hair tossed askew, the white bandages noticeably peeking through tousled strands. Aster also appeared apprehensive, his arms crossed defensively over his chest and his jaw locked in a thin line.
"You should tell him." Aster suggested bluntly.
"And say what?" Jack hissed in reply, his tone dark and uncharacteristically disdainful, "'Sorry, father, I've gone and offended the Emperor of Hestia and now...'" The rest of their tense conversation grew too quiet for Elsa to hear.
Jack and I made a promise to each other not to hide our fears and worries.
"Jack." Emma called from the floor below. Her brother jumped to his feet, running a hand through his hair to smooth it down.
"Up here, Emma!" he cried before turning to Aster and hissing something, something that Elsa had a feeling meant not to mention anything about their conversation to the princess.
"Emma," Jack greeted when Emma was in sight. "Do you need something?" The young princess didn't reply, her lips were pressed in a straight line as she took a deep breath through her nose, steeling her shoulders.
"Bunny, can I talk to Jack – alone?" she asked. The general hesitated, taking a fleeting glance back to the prince before nodding and murmuring a reply. He turned away, walking down the spiraling staircase.
Emma waited until the sound of the library doors opening and thumping shut before beginning.
"Jack – you can't keep hiding this from me."
"Hiding what, Emma?"
Elsa couldn't hear the rest, and she couldn't risk coming any closer either. But Elsa could hear but then suddenly the 18-year-old snapped.
"Jack! Stop trying to protect me!" Emma yelled, "I can help –"
"No Emma! You can't! You can't help me with this." Jack cried, his tone equally as desperate as his sister's if not as frustrated.
"I can if you just tell me what's wrong."
"This isn't your problem!"
"Jack – "
"I'm – I'm the crown prince and your future king." he said, shouting out his title almost disbelievingly, breathlessly. "Just leave."
Silence.
"Alright then," Emma replied sardonically, she grabbed her skirts, dipping into a low curtsy, "Good day, Lord Prince." She turned on her heels, storming down the stairs and marching towards the door, the sound of her stiff steps turning into a thundering sprint. Emma slammed loudly into the door, probably ramming her entire body into the complaining wood and before long, the door creaked shut with a resounding boom.
Jack hadn't moved since Emma's departure, but then suddenly he slammed his face into his hands, grabbing a fistful of hair and mangling it as he let out a frustrated growl. He let go abruptly and seized a statue sitting on the table beside him, raising it high over his head, and whipping his arm back in preparation to smash it.
Elsa winced, closing her eyes and waiting for the clatter and the crashing of marble on wood. But it never came. Elsa opened her eyes to see him pausing with his arm still in the air before slowly lowering the statue back down onto the table. He scowled loudly before turning and storming out of the library as well, leaving her alone.
She sighed, sinking down onto the steps of the stairs, resting her head against the metal railing.
So much for not hiding his fears.
Am I being foolish, Anna?
(1) salwar – an Indian garment usually made of silk or cotton, comprised of a long, tunic-like top, loose pants, and a shawl.
- Moments before posting. -
Amaya: You haven't posted yet?
Eirene: I will, right after I write my author's note, but I have forgotten how.
Amaya: You show love, remorse, and beg for forgiveness. Basically a cheating Korean drama boyfriend's note of apology and love.
Eirene: …
Author's Note: ….. So, I sincerely and deeply apologize for terrible delay. I love you all so, so, so much for sticking with me and I genuinely hope you enjoyed this (fairly long) chapter of Nocturne. I have created a Table of Contents for Ouvertüre in Snow as well as make a YouTube playlist for all of the stories. There are hyperlinks on my profile for each story.
Thank you to: AurelianRebels, Dragowolf, Yuuki Zwin, RomanticChicNahJK, corde amare, SunriseImagination, L.M.H Shimmershine, LoveLikeMe, Puteri Tina, ElsaTheSnowQueen2, Guest #1, Guest #2, Guest #3, Trapid, Spiky-Eared Pichu, and JoPoGirlsKickAss for reviewing the last chapter.
I will thank you all individually as soon as I possibly can. It's just, I have a midterm tomorrow and I thought it would be nice if I get the chapter out today.
Thank you all once again! And I hope you enjoyed it!
Please follow, favourite, and review!
With Love,
EireneHamonia