Chapter 3: The Ball

Anna had thought Elsa's coronation was the most lavish party she would ever see. But the Midsummer's Ball had her rethinking that assertion.

The castle staff had truly outdone themselves with the decorations. The chandeliers in the main ballroom were sparkling with a golden elegance. The entire room gave off an opulent glow, the moonlight cascading through the windows adding atmosphere. Dukes and princes were laughing and discussing matters dressed in classy suits, sipping from champagne flutes provided by the numerous waiters milling about. There were couples already on the dance floor, waltzing about gracefully to the string quartet tucked in the corner.

Everyone had masquerade masks on and it was amusing seeing other people guess who they were talking to. Of course, sometimes it was quite obvious. Anna spotted the girl with the frizzy red locks was the Princess of Dunbroch chatting animatedly to a hulking man Anna assumed to be her father. There were a couple other princes and princesses she recognized and she was about to go introduce herself when suddenly, Anna felt a tap on her back.

"ANNA!" Anna turned around and her cousin Rapunzel wrapped her up in a big hug. Both girls took off their masks so they could see each other clearly. "Good thing it was you otherwise that would've been weird," Rapunzel said, smiling. "You still look the same as if the Coronation was yesterday! But wow it's been so long! I have to apologize for leaving Elsa's coronation. We had no idea what was going to happen. I don't know how…"

"Rapunzel," Anna said seriously. "It's fine." She broke into one of her trademark smiles. "It's so great to see you." The two cousins hugged again.

"Well this is touching," the man next to Rapunzel said with a wry smile. "Evening Anna. Nice to see you again."

"C'mon Flynn. No need to be so formal around family," Rapunzel chastised. "Give her a hug."

Anna opened her arms and smirked at the future King of Corona. He smiled and complied gently, wrapping his surprisingly muscular arms around her, something Anna had to comment on.

Flynn laughed. "Yeah, since my thieving days are over, I've had to find a new hobby. Rapunzel definitely approves of this one." He gave his wife a sly wink.

Rapunzel shook her head, smiling. "Where's Elsa?" Rapunzel asked, scanning the ballroom for that signature platinum braid. "I've been wanting to talk to her all night too. We all need to catch up together."

"She's busy doing some last minute preparations for the official start of the knight's tourney," Anna replied.

"Oh! I heard about that!" Rapunzel exclaimed, her voice climbing in pitch. "I can't wait for the tournament to start. It sounds so exciting!"

"OH IS IT EVER!" Anna yelled, causing nearby guests to turn their heads towards the boisterous princess. Unabashed, Anna expressed her enthusiasm in the way only she could to an enthralled Rapunzel and a slightly less enthralled Flynn. Her pace got faster and faster and it became increasingly difficult for anyone to understand Arendelle's princess. She rambled on about the knights' strength, and tournament statistics and win rates. Rapunzel tuned out but surprisingly, Flynn seemed engaged.

"And that's why Simba will win this year! His brute strength and fierceness will carry him to the finals!" Anna finished with a flurry. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself. A slight glean of sweat was visible on her brow.

Flynn laughed. "Well, now that your done spouting your lies," he started. Anna stuck her tongue out at him. "I will tell you what's really going to happen." He went on to discuss various other stats, including speed, blade types, and armour. It was a very technical talk and Rapunzel's head was spinning at the information overload. "Do you even know the full list of who's competing this year?" As both Rapunzel and Anna shook their heads, the former much less enthusiastically, Flynn dropped his voice to a whisper. "Rumour has it the fabled White Knight is competing. He's never lost a tourney ever."

"Psh," Anna scoffed. "There's no way Simba will lose though. He's got the strength of a lion!"

"Please. The White Knight can't even be touched he's so fast…"

"I'm going to go walk around for a bit," Rapunzel said to deaf ears. Both Flynn and Anna murmured some assent, quickly getting back to their heated argument.

Rapunzel chuckled, shaking her head.

Who knew both Flynn and Anna were such fangirls?

Jack Morgenstern watched the night's events unfold from above. He was standing on one of the ballroom's inner balconies, two floors above the ground, surveying the crowd for any anomalies. Jack had become attuned to the the behaviour of the sinister and he had a sixth sense when it came to spotting trouble. Currently, everything looked peaceful. It was quiet up above, the sound coming from the ball muted, dull. He let out a breath and took a moment to reflect on the night so far.

Walking in, Jack was awestruck by the decor. He had never seen such an ornate castle before. Arendelle was truly magnificent. He did not have time to enjoy it though. Almost immediately after entering, a girl had asked him to dance. Jack was surprised to be accosted so quickly. He politely turned her down.

Jack originally planned to stay on the ground floor in order to monitor the situation, but after similar incidents occurred another three times, he decided that the constant interruptions were far too distracting. Technically, the balcony he was on was off limits, but the guards were very lax tonight and Jack managed to sneak past them with ease.

Now, he was alone, guarding the lives of people who didn't know he existed.

Jack smiled and looked up to the heavens above.

Guess this is the life you lived, Father. I hope I'm making you proud.

Jack rested his arms against the railing and sighed. He had kept an eye on Anna, seeing her embrace another noble she assumed was someone close to her. Currently she was in some argument with a man, but Jack's intuition told him it wasn't serious.

Threat level: low. No intervention needed. Remain alert.

Elsa was still a no-show, which meant she was still relatively safe in another wing of the castle.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned around quickly, startling the brown haired girl behind him. He quickly released the tension in his form and assumed a non-threatening stance, arms casually draped to the sides.

"I'm sorry," she quickly uttered. "The guard told me the washrooms were just upstairs but I think I got lost."

It was the girl Anna was talking to earlier, Jack realized. The short brown hair and the pink dress had stood out among all the black and white below. She was much shorter in person, barely reaching up to Jack's neck region with heels. However, she was quite beautiful, Jack thought. Almost unconventionally so with her short brown hair and sparkling green eyes.

"I'm Rapunzel by the way, Princess of Corona."

That's right. The lost princess.

Jack had heard stories of the lost Princess. Wild tales about pans and lanterns and taverns and witches. This girl had been through a lot. All due to the mysterious powers she had once possessed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Princess," Jack said, bowing formally. "As for your earlier objective, the washroom is just around the corner on your right." Jack pointed her in the right direction.

"Thanks!" Rapunzel smiled cheerfully. She turned to leave when a thought occurred to her. A chill ran up her spine. She wished she had her trusty pan with her.

"Wait a second…" She turned to face Jack, narrowing her gaze suspiciously. "You're not supposed to be here. The guards said this area was off limits. He only let me up because I said I'd be right back."

For the love of Freya!

Jack stared, face emotionless, at Rapunzel for a moment. Then he smiled.

"My Princess, you have excellent intuition," Jack complemented, giving her a disarming smile.

Rapunzel blushed in spite of herself.

His eyes are really sparkly, she thought. Even through the mask.

"That doesn't explain why you're up here though," she countered.

"Normally no one would be allowed up here, you are correct. However, the Queen wanted an extra security detail to monitor the ballroom from above."

Jack gestured below him. "As you can see, it is a great vantage point to spot out potential trouble."

Rapunzel followed his lead and leaned over the railings. Jack had not lied. The view over the ballroom was magnificent. A clear view of the stage and the entire ballroom; the lighting cast beautifully dark shadows around the room. Everything seemed beautiful from a distance. She nodded affirmatively. "Yeah! This is spectacular!"

She felt slightly more at ease now. There was just something comforting about this man's presence. He reminded her of her father in a weird way. That feeling of safety and security. Rapunzel watched him out of the corner of her eye. The man had a stoic demeanour about him, but also a kind face. Her heart knew she could trust this man, even though her head told her to be careful.

They sat in silence for a minute, gazing watchfully at the crowd below.

Jack broke the comfortable silence. "Didn't you have to use the washroom?"

Rapunzel abruptly leaned back. "Oh yea!" She buried her face in her hands and laughed. "The view was just too beautiful. Thank you for showing it to me! I know you're supposed to be on duty and all."

Jack laughed along with her. "You're welcome Princess. It was no trouble. Have a wonderful evening," he said turning away from her.

"I never did get your name, kind sir," Rapunzel said.

Jack slowly turned to face her. His eyes were unreadable behind the mask as he considered his options. The truth was dangerous in the wrong hands and he knew he reveal it without a clear benefit. Jack could lie easily. It came naturally to him, like putting on a second skin. Jack had been living lies his entire life. Sometimes, he wasn't sure where the lies ended and the truth began. He had already lied to her about what he was doing up here. One more shouldn't hurt. He glanced at Rapunzel smiling earnestly back at him.

Strangely, he recalled a conversation he had with his father many years ago.

"How can you be so certain of this Father? I'm not ready for this!"

Jack's father looked at him with kind eyes. Jack would always remember those eyes, mirrors of his electric blue ones.

"Well son, the truth is, I'm not certain. But I choose to believe in you."

Jack remembered the pride he felt in that moment.

"And sometimes a little bit of faith is all you need."

He had no way of predicting the ramifications of his next words. He wasn't certain but maybe it was time to have a little faith.

"My name is Jack. It was a pleasure to meet you Rapunzel," he replied, nodding respectfully.

"You too! I'll see you later because now I've really got to go!" Rapunzel cried as she dashed out the balcony's exit.

Jack chuckled, shaking his head at the strange encounter

He heard several loud gasps from the ballroom and instinctively gripped the silver rapier at his belt while turning to the balcony.

A large man and … a reindeer?

The bizarre duo strode in through the entrance, looking rather dapper Jack had to admit. He had no idea how the reindeer managed to get the right sized suit.

Jack felt an almost imperceptible cold breeze whiz past his face. He deduced it originated from the stage area. That could only mean one thing.

"Looks like the Queen is about to make her entrance. Guess it's time to make mine," Jack muttered, taking one last glance at Anna talking with the man and his reindeer.

"ANNA!" Kristoff yelled loudly, spotting her a distance away. Half the room looked at him, but unaware of their eyes, he strode through the crowd, his reindeer, Sven, in tow.

Anna turned hearing someone call her name. She spotted the pair heading towards her.

Wow. They clean up well.

She had no idea Kristoff even knew how to dress properly for such an event but she was pleased at the result. Kristoff was dressed in a white tuxedo, the pockets and lapels lined with jet black fabric. His white dress shirt looked like it had just been pressed, and his shoes looked freshly polished. Anna wouldn't be surprised if she could see her reflection in them. His normally long shaggy hair was slicked back and parted to the side. The black bow tie completed his sophisticated look.

Sven was dressed in an almost identical get up to Kristoff sans pants. The reindeer managed to radiate a classy sort of aura as well.

"Well Anna," Kristoff said as he finally reached her. He did a rather girly spin and Anna laughed. "How do I look?"

"WOW GUYS! You look incredible!" Anna replied enthusiastically. "I definitely didn't see this coming!"

Kristoff laughed then spotted Flynn standing beside Anna. "And who's this?" Kristoff asked, unable to contain the slight jealousy in his voice.

"I'm Prince Flynn of Corona," Flynn said, holding out his hand. "And don't worry, I'm married." He gestured to the ring on his finger, giving Kristoff a subtle wink.

"Anyways," Flynn drawled, "That's a fine looking animal you have there. He looks mighty dapper in that suit."

"You have no idea how long it took to find a tailor to make a suit for Sven…" He relayed the story in animated fashion, causing both Anna and Flynn to break down in laughter.

"And then, Sven was like 'HEY WATCH WHERE YOU'RE POKING THAT' to the tailor!"

The entire group was smiling and giggling at the end of Kristoff's tale. "Anyways, I have to say you look very pretty tonight Anna," he followed, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

Anna blushed, though Kristoff was casually looking away, unaware of the tinge that had spread across Anna's face. "Thank you Kristoff."

Kristoff coughed loudly. "Anyways, care for a dance m'lady?" Kristoff said in a snooty voice, causing Anna to laugh. "I promise I'll be better than that Duke you told me about."

Before she could respond, a fanfare of trumpets sounded, signalling the Queen's entrance. Anna saw Kai, the castle's head of administrations and one of the family's most loyal servants walked onto the stage.

"ANNOUNCING!" Kai pronounced in a thunderous tone. "QUEEN ELSA OF ARENDELLE!"

A polite applause came from the crowd in the ballroom as Elsa made her way on to the stage.

"Wow…" Anna breathed, staring awestruck at her sister, forgetting who was right beside her.

Elsa had outdone herself with the decorations, but her dress was on a whole different level. Anna had always been impressed by Elsa's ice dresses and had always loved the way they looked but this was … different. A good different.

The strapless dress was a cool blueish-white, the icy threads interlacing like gossamer. Her arms, normally covered up by sleeve's were bare, leaving her milky white skin on display like a fine work of art. It was a suitable ballroom gown, extending and trailing onto the tiled ground. There was a tasteful slit extending down the right side, showcasing her flawless legs. The light azure cape glowed luminescent in the castle's warm lighting.

Elsa was the most beautiful thing Anna had ever seen.

Her hair was down in her signature braid and it swung carelessly down her pale skin until it rested at her…chest area. Anna blushed profusely thinking about it.

I wish I could be her hair.

"Good evening ladies and gentleman and let me welcome you to Arendelle," Elsa began.

"My fair country has seen troubling times this past year, I myself having been the root cause." Elsa looked down sadly. Anna felt a strange tug at her heart. She just wanted to go up there and hug her sister and kiss it all better. Then she would like to melt that dress…

Anna shook her head, slightly ashamed at what she just imagined, and continued to listen to her sister's speech.

"However, as I used to say, the past is in the past. Today, we look forward to a brighter future." Elsa smiled warmly. "So with that, I welcome the nations of the world and wish the knights who are competing Royal Tourney the best of luck." A loud applause emerged, resonating around the entire ballroom, causing Elsa to smile demurely. "Kai shall read the official list of names of those competing," Elsa said, gesturing to the man at her side.

Kai cleared his throat and extended a scroll, which rolled onto the ground and extended onto the dance floor.

"ERIC ABEL"

This is going to take a while, Elsa thought. Time to find Anna.

As Kai continued to read the list, eliciting cheers from various parts of the crowd after each name was called, the Queen descended onto the dance floor, trailing gracefully through the masses.

She spotted Anna talking with … Kristoff? And Sven? And … was that Flynn?

Elsa did not realize Anna had invited them. She felt a strange emotion well inside her chest as she quickly rushed over. She hadn't felt this strange feeling since the Coronation.

Anna spotted those platinum locks make their way over. It could only be her beautiful sister, the one and only Queen of Arendelle.

"ELSA!" Anna waved at her sister enthusiastically causing a smile to form on the elder's face.

"Hello Anna!" she replied, giving her sister a hug. "You look beautiful tonight."

Anna blushed deeply. "Well, you look beautifuller." This caused both girls to laugh as they reminisced about the Coronation and how awkward their conversation was.

Elsa turned to the rest of the group. "You're all looking very well-dressed tonight," Elsa said, giving a nod of respect to the two gentleman and the reindeer.

"Thank you," the men replied simultaneously. Sven gave a snort of approval, earning a laugh from Anna.

"So, where's Rapunzel?" Elsa turned to Flynn questioningly.

"Washroom," he replied absentmindedly, grabbing a hors-d'oeuvre from a nearby waiter.

An arrogant-looking nobleman walked brazenly up to the group.

"Queen Elsa," he bowed towards her. "My name is Constantine Von Trapp, Duke of Amestris. I have admired your beauty from a far and would be honoured if you would accept this dance with me."

"My apologies, Duke. I'm not much of a dancer."

The Duke looked slightly miffed at that but managed to keep a smile on. "I see. Then perhaps you would like to dance Princess?"

Kristoff interrupted him. "Actually she's going to dance with me first." He narrowed his gaze at the Duke of Amestris.

"Of course," he responded, venom in his previously polite voice. He gave the group a sour look. "Good evening then." He walked away briskly.

The group stood there giving each other glances of disbelief at the Duke's behaviour. "Well he seems like a lot of fun," Flynn commented clearing the tension in the air.

"Well he did remind me to ask my Princess to dance." He turned towards Anna expectantly. "Well Anna, how about that dance?" Kristoff asked.

Anna glanced at Elsa, wanting her approval before she did anything. Elsa however had suddenly become very interested in the party around her, avoiding all eye contact with her younger sister. Anna frowned, silently begging Elsa to look at her.

Kristoff's smile started to fade, causing Anna to feel very guilty inside.

"Sure Kristoff." She smiled brightly at him, but inside she was conflicted. During those brief moments, she had felt the familiar isolation and loneliness well up inside. She would have to talk to Elsa later.

The couple walked onto the dance floor.

Had Anna turned back, she would have seen Elsa gazing at her sadly, her eyes reflecting the longing in her heart.

"JACK MORGENSTERN!" Kai bellowed.

The room, so used to cheers after every name was called, went utterly silent save for the musicians who continued to play their lively melody. The chattering and laughing gradually died down as the crowd recognized something was amiss. Even the band recognized the silence and the music came to a stop.

The ballroom was utterly silent. All conversations had ceased, everyone wanting to find out why no cheers had gone up for this strange knight. Elsa saw a dark haired man stride onto the stage and exchange a few words with her butler. They shook hands.

Everyone heard Kai clear his throat.

"DAMIEN NIPHELHEIM!"

A raucous cheer emerged from the convoy from the Shadowlands and just like that the ethereal silence was broken.

Morgenstern. Elsa thought.

Why does that name seem so familiar?

Jack heard his name called and smiled at the absolute silence. He walked onto the stage confidently, shaking hands with the castle's butler.

"Guess I'm not as popular here," Jack remarked with a smile.

Kai smiled back. "I'm sure after the first match that will change, Sir Morgenstern," he said respectfully.

It would be interesting not fighting under the White Knight persona this tournament. No cheers from the audience. No expectations.

Jack had originally taken on the persona to earn money to repair his ship, the Black Lightning, after an incident involving alcohol and an Andulasian dancer. His father had been quite a believer in anonymity, so he had donned the now signature white mask. However, it got out of hand quickly as he racked up flawless win after flawless win. He had quite a following around the world, everyone amazed by the White Knight and his skills.

This time though there would be none of that.

Back to the beginning, Jack mused.

He walked off the stage as the next knight was called. He glanced back and saw Damien staring at him blatantly, a unknown, flickering emotion in his eyes. As soon as Jack made eye contact, he looked away, waving at the crowd.

Jack narrowed his gaze. I'll have to watch out for him, Damien, in the tournament. There's just something about him…

Jack noticed everyone gave him a wide berth as he walked onto the ballroom floor. Whether they were intimidated by the silence he wrought or something else entirely was a mystery to Jack.

He spotted Elsa talking to a shaggy-haired man, her back turned to him. Jack made his way over, intending to stay close now that the Queen was amongst the crowd. Using her platinum blonde locks as a guide, he inched closer. However, the crowd seemed to grow more and more dense the closer he got. The distance everyone had given him seemed to fade and soon he had to weave his way through.

As he was about 10 metres away from the Queen, an alarm went off in his mind. His intuition alerted him before his eyes had consciously identified the threat. He watched as a masked man approach Elsa from behind. There was something about his walk, Jack decided. It was so unnatural. Trying not to attract attention made him stand out in the crowd.

Jack quickly picked up his pace, also trying not to attract any undue attention. Jack analyzed the assailant, keeping pace at his 4 o clock. He looked like an average noble, yet Jack sensed that underneath this façade, a sinister threat lay. The man reached into his jacket pocket, drawing . . . a knife.

Jack reacted immediately, drawing his sword in a wide arc.

"HARK!" Jack yelled, silencing the entire crowd, all eyes turning to him. His sword was pointing directly at the assailant who was a mere 3 meters from the Queen.

The assailant stopped, but kept his view on the Queen, knife casually hanging at his side

"This fellow here has challenged me to a duel," he gestured to the assailant. "Yet he brings a knife to a sword fight. Does anyone have a suitable replacement?"

A short silence filled the air as the people struggled to understand his request.

Surprisingly the Queen walked up. "Here," she said, conjuring an ice sword and handing it to Jack. "The end isn't sharp so it won't cause any injury. It's durable enough to withstand sword blows as well." She nodded at Jack before rejoining the crowd earning a brief applause for her actions.

Jack turned to face his opponent. The look the assailant gave him was downright murderous. Jack could have sworn his eyes flashed blood red, matching the colour of his mask.

Jack tossed him the ice sword, assuming a defensive stance.

"En garde."

The assailant attacked immediately, launching a flurry of sword strikes that caught Jack off guard. It was only his natural agility and muscle memory that enabled him to dodge the hurricane of blows.

Jack heard the crowd's murmured 'oohs' and 'aahs' at the high level of swordplay on display. But mainly he heard the clashing of their two weapons.

The assailant was persistent in his onslaught, combining jabs and feints to try and break through Jack's defence.

Whoever this masked man is, he is an extremely skilled swordsman.

The assailant retreated.

But even skilled swordsmen make mistakes. Jack smirked. Game over.

Sliding back on the floor, Jack pushed off his back foot to launch the counter attack. The assailant stood no chance against the blinding speed and strength of the White Knight. The crowd saw a blur of silver, felt a strong wind blow against their faces, and suddenly the assailant was on the ground, sword hand pinned down against Jack's leg, rapier pointed at his chest. The ice sword was shattered in two broken at the midpoint of the blade.

"Concede," Jack ordered.

Hatred in his eyes, visible only to Jack, the assailant had no choice but to nod.

The crowd applauded as Jack helped the other man to his feet.

Leaning in close, Jack whispered something into the man's ear.

He paled immediately and the pair left, the crowd parting, satisfied with the exciting duel.

"Wow Elsa!" Anna exclaimed, shaking her older sister's arm. "That was sooooooo exciting! I can't wait for the rest of the Tourney!"

"Holy! Who the heck was that guy?" Flynn exclaimed. "I've never seen someone move so fast in my life!"

"Did you see that silver blade? That looked like it could cut through some seriously thick ice!" Kristoff added.

The group continued to discuss the duel.

Elsa however was silent during the group's enamoured conversation. In fact, she looked very troubled. Anna noticed her older sister's face and frowned. "Elsa are you okay?" she asked, concern in her voice. Anna placed her hand on Elsa's cool forehead. "You aren't getting sick are you?" She chuckled.

"I'm fine Anna," Elsa smiled at her sister, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I can't believe my sword broke though. I swear I reinforced it well." Elsa looked for the two swordsman who had mysteriously vanished. "Sorry Anna, I need to go check on something. I have a bad feeling." She started to walk away.

The way those two left so quickly is so weird. Not accepting congratulations or anything, Elsa thought. They just vanished into thin air.

Elsa was so lost in her thoughts she didn't hear Anna call her.

"Wait Elsa." Anna grabbed onto Elsa's bare arm, sending shivers down the Queen's spine.

Elsa stopped in her tracks, turning to face her sister.

"If you think something's wrong then I'm not going to let you go alone. We'll do it together." Anna took her sister's hand bringing a smile to both their faces.

Anna turned back to Flynn, Kristoff, and Sven. "Sorry Kristoff." She smiled apologetically. "We can dance more later. Sorry for stepping on your foot."

Kristoff smiled. "It's fine. Just hurry back here okay?"

Anna nodded. The two sisters, the royals of Arendelle, walked off towards the doors leading outside, leaving the men standing around awkwardly.

"So…" Flynn started. "How's the ice business?"

"Good. How's the prince business?"

"Good."

"I'm glad to hear it's going good."

They stood in silence for a couple minutes and just when it seemed like the awkwardness would cause an explosion, Rapunzel suddenly appeared.

"OH! Thank the stars! I love you so much Punzie," Flynn declared giving her a hug.

Rapunzel laughed and accepted the hug. "HEY! What happened while I was in the washroom?"

The two men looked at each other and laughed, Sven joining in with his beastly chuckle.

"Well do we have a story to tell you…"

Jack helped the man come to his feet. Before the assailant could react, Jack had grabbed the knife at his belt and thrust it through the man's stomach.

"I know you tried to assassinate the Queen. Walk with me outside. You make a move and I'll kill you on the spot. I don't care about witnesses. I would be out of here before anyone caught me," Jack threatened.

The assailant paled and gave a nod as Jack shoved him towards the door.

Now they were outside the castle, in a nearby forest.

The sight of fresh blood on the snow sparked some unpleasant memories in Jack's mind.

Shaking his head, he kicked the assailant in the stomach.

"I'm not going to ask again. Who are you and why were you trying to assassinate the Queen of Arendelle?"

"Go to hell!" the man responded, spitting blood in Jack's direction.

Jack shook his head disapprovingly.

"No one will disturb us out here you know? We could do this all night," he said, stabbing the failed assassin in the leg with his rapier. The blood, dark red, gushed out of the wound, staining the white snow with the marks of carnage. His face grimaced in pain, contorting into a demonic visage.

A low laugh sounded deep from within the man's throat causing Jack to frown. Jack pointed his blade at the man's heart. A sinister wind had started to blow in and it suddenly seemed darker, as if the lights had faded away.

"You think you can stop what's coming. You are strong." The voice that emerged from the man's mouth was not his own. It was deeper, demonic. Blood slowly dripped down from his mouth. "I know who you are Jack Morgenstern. I know what you've done." Jack visibly paled. His hands started to tremble. "You will not succeed in stopping the darkness. Arendelle will fall and the last remaining obstacle will be out of the way."

Faster than even Jack could react, the assassin leaned forward and plunged his chest onto Jack's outstretched sword. He was dead before his body hit the ground.

Jack remained motionless, stunned at what had just occurred.

He dropped his sword and sunk to the ground. "Damn it," he swore, punching the ground hard enough to cause his knuckles to bleed. Standing up, he sheathed the now bloody rapier and looked solemnly at the body.

Eventually they'll find the body. But for now it'd be too difficult to hide.

The night was chilly despite the current season, no doubt due to Elsa's powers and perhaps something far more sinister. Jack shivered and started back to the castle, the warm moonlight illuminating the snowy pathway.

AN: This chapter was a long time coming. I spent so much time editing but I think it's presentable now. I've been really busy so the story has kind of been put aside but I definitely want to finish the next chapter by March. Next chapter will definitely reveal some more into the past of the Morgenstern bloodline and their connection with Arendelle. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

Every review is appreciated! Feel free to drop one if you're so inclined.