Time for the highly anticipated chapter! John's reveal.
Enjoy!
"What do you mean?" Elsa stands up straight to lessen the height difference between them. It didn't really help.
"I've kept the truth from you." John turns around to face her.
"You lied to me?" She looks at him in shock. Out of every man she has met, she would never have guessed John would be the one to lie.
"Yes." He sighs heavily.
"Well, what did you lie about?" She steps to the side and moves behind the coach. John runs his fingers through his hair and looks at the fire again.
"I'm not who I said I am." He starts.
"You're not a prince?" Elsa asks in shock, she's never met someone who lied about being royalty.
"No! I am a prince! I am one if the thirteen princes of the Southern Isles! It's just, I'm not..." He trails off when he turns to look at her.
"You're not what?" She stares at him expectantly with a hint of fear. He sighs and slumps against the wall beside the fireplace.
"I'm not the third born son. I'm the eleventh...I'm also twenty-three, not thirty-one." The part about his age had been bugging him for days. He had continuously asked Harald if he looked thirty-one and Harald continuously told him that he did not.
"So, you...you lied to me about your age?" Elsa was quite shocked. She could not imagine why anyone would lie to her about their name, especially someone like John.
"Correct." John nods.
"Why?" Elsa asks. John pushes himself off the wall with grace and walks to the window. From there he could see his ship floating there in its lonesome.
"I thought if you met the eleventh eldest prince, you wouldn't take me seriously. It's happened before. We've met with dignitaries and the royals of other kingdoms, and when they met me, they all said I was cute or adorable. Like I'm nothing compared to my older brothers." He explains. Elsa remains silent behind him.
"Be honest with me, if I had told you that I am only two years older than Hans, and that I was treated the same way as he was when we were kids, would you have taken me seriously? Or would you have thought that I was up to the same no good business as my brother?" He turns around and stares at her. She looks down as to avoid his eyes.
"Now that you mention it, I guess it's...possible." She shifts from foot to foot to relieve the awkward tension.
"Exactly." He slumps down into a chair and sighs.
"But why was it so important that you got on my good side? Was it all so I would take you seriously?" She asks. She prayed it wasn't true.
"No, it was also so...you would trust me I guess. After the mess Hans caused, neighboring kingdoms broke off alliances. No kingdom wanted to be involved with a kingdom whose prince nearly caused the death of another's royal family. Southern Isles is alone and it seemed as though Arendelle was our last chance. Both of my parents have fallen ill, so at the moment, my oldest brother is in training to take over the throne. And the other ten are too cool to get involved apparently. I was the one who went to my parents and proposed getting on good terms with Arendelle. Surprisingly, they agreed, after they asked me which one I was: ten, eleven, or twelve. " He frowns and buries his face in his hands. Elsa thought he looked exhausted, the circles beneath his eyes became more distinct under the glow of the flame.
"You lied to me in hopes of gaining my kingdom as a trading partner?" Elsa asks with a frown.
"We can't afford to lose anymore in the kingdom. And my brother is definitely not capable of leading a kingdom with no alliances! I thought a small lie wouldn't be bad, if it meant saving my kingdom from what my butler Harald calls the end of the world then I wanted to do it. I knew it was a slim chance of you even responding to my message, but you did. That's when I left the kingdom and came here. I didn't think it would last long. I would go to the ball, meet you, get to know you, and leave the following morning. Unfortunately I got stuck with the seasick captain who hates the ocean! And I didn't just get to know you, I...I made a friend. Which is something that hasn't happened in a long time." He spews everything out in a desperate attempt for her to understand. When he finally lifts his head up, he finds her sitting in the chair across from him.
"I'm sorry I lied to you Elsa." He rests an arm on the table beside him. Elsa inhales deeply and sits up straight.
"I'm sorry you lied too." She frowns at him. For a moment, he looks at her in shock and disappointment.
"You shouldn't have to lie in order to make a friend, but I'm glad you did." She says quietly.
"What do you mean?" He shakes his head to express that he didn't understand.
"As crazy as it sounds, I'm glad you lied, because I made a friend from your lie. And it seems as though you've made one too." She smiles sincerely.
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