Author's Note: Thank you, guys, for your patience today. Next week I'll be late again (I work...again), but the following week I'm back to posting in the morning (or, the morning in America, at least). Anyway, this chapter is intense, as always, but I'll let you guys make your own perceptions on it. I'm exhausted from waking up at four this morning to go to work, so I'll leave my note at that and get to the chapter. As always, let me know what you think and I'll see you all next Saturday.

16. Listen to Me…

"I knew there was something dubious going on here."

—Frozen, Duke

"What?" Elsa demanded, staring in shock at her sister. She noticed the streaks on Anna's cheeks and realized she must have been crying. Subconsciously, Elsa reached out to Anna and wrapped her sister in her arms. Immediately, Anne burst into tears. Elsa led Anna over to her bed and they both sat.

A few moments passed as the only sound that could be heard was Anna's sobbing. Finally, as Anna seemed to have run out of tears, Elsa queried, "What happened, Anna? Why do you want to break off the wedding?"

Anna drew back from her sister, wiping her running nose on her sleeve. Her face was covered with snot and tears, which Elsa gently wiped away with a handkerchief she produced from her pocket.

Between sobs, Anna managed to snout, "Kristoff…Bao…how could he do this to me? I can never speak to him again. All our plans. Oh, Elsa! Please don't leave me!"

Elsa rubbed Anna's arm. "Anna, calm down. I told you. It is just a misunderstanding. I just saw Kristoff myself. He was so distraught thinking that you thought he would leave you for Princess Bao. It is just that her pet and Sven get along so Kristoff and Bao have been setting up playdates for them. That is all."

Anna stopped sobbing and only hiccupped a few times. Her face turned red from anger. "Is that what Kristoff told you?"

"Yes, and Hadyn. The point is that you are stressed and emotional."

"I'm stressed and emotional? I'm emotional?" Anna raised her voice. "You don't know anything. I have a witness who says that Kristoff and Bao were kissing. Kissing! Does that sound like mere pet owners setting up dates for their pets?" She didn't let Elsa answer and went on. "No, that doesn't!"

Elsa had to almost shout to get Anna to hear her. "What witness?"

"Hadyn's cousin. And don't tell me he is someone who would lie."

Elsa stayed quiet as Anna continued to rant. Jain? Why would he tell Anna he saw them kissing? It couldn't be true. Elsa thought over her conversation just a bit ago with Hadyn. He had said not to trust Jain, though Jain had said the same thing himself about Hadyn. Who did she trust more? She'd only known Jain for several hours, and yet in the few weeks she had known Hadyn, he hadn't struck her as a completely trustworthy person. He had killed people, after all…at least, he hadn't deny killing people.

Shaking her head, Elsa turned her attention back to her sister and put firm hands on Anna's shoulder. "Anna, be quiet and listen to me carefully." Her voice was firm and Anna immediately fell silent. "Anna, you have known Kristoff for a year. He has never given you any indication that you should mistrust him. He has been loyal, both to this country and to you. He has been important in helping both you and I intergrade ourselves back into the population after being locked in this castle for so long. Compare that to Jain, who you have known for a few weeks, at most. We know nothing of his character. He could be some sort of cad or a pathological liar. He hasn't proved to be reliable in any way, and yet you trust his word over the promise of your fiancé? Anna, think rationally."

Anna bristled. "Why would Jain lie? He has no reason to!"

"I don't know. I just know that I trust Kristoff."

Anna shook her head, looking suddenly wearied. "But I can't. I…I just can't. Elsa, I'm tired. Can you leave? I want to go to bed." Anne rose and moved over to the door, opening it and gesturing for her sister to leave.

On one hand, Elsa wanted to shake Anna. However, she also didn't want to alienate her sister. Perhaps a night's sleep would do all of them good. Elsa rose and walked out of the door. As she turned to bid her sister goodnight, Anna closed the door in her face.

Blankly, Elsa stared at the closed door. Whatever was going on? Anna was always so easygoing. Why was she suddenly so cold? Something wasn't right. Elsa didn't know what it was, but she was going to find out. A huge yawn struck her just then and she was distracted from her determination by her sudden tiredness. What would one more night hurt?

She turned and hurried down the hallway to her own room, consoling herself with the determination that she would fix everything tomorrow.

As she turned a corner, she spotted Hadyn's cousin lounging on one of the balconies outside, smoking. Pursing her lips, Elsa put aside sleep for a moment as she slid out of the doors. The cold air felt relieving against her skin, as cold always had.

Jain turned when she joined him, bowing as he saw her. "Your majesty, what an unexpected surprise. I would have thought you would be in bed by now. It is nearly midnight."

Elsa glanced up at the moon. It was nearly full and stood high in the sky, reflexing on the frozen, icy lake below them. Crossing her arms, she turned to Jain as he puffed another deep breath of smoke.

Instead of dancing around the question, Elsa merely asked, "Did you tell my sister you saw Kristoff and Bao kissing?"

Jain didn't even twitch as he continued to smoke. There was something about him that unnerved her. He was just too calm. Both cousins seemed controlling, but Hadyn was very direct, whereas Jain seemed much more subtle. Elsa had never been fond of subtle manipulation.

When he didn't answer immediately, she asked, "Is it true?"

Jain glanced at her, his eyes twinkling mysterious. "You think it isn't?"

Elsa retrained her anger, keeping her voice steady. "I want to know exactly what you saw."

"What more is there to explain? I saw them kissing. That is all. Would you like me to elaborate?" He pushed himself away from the balcony edge and inched towards her, his eyes fixed on hers. "How his arm moved slowly around her waist. How his lips breathed against her neck. How she reached her hands into his hair. How their bodies melted together…"

"Stop!" Elsa raised her hand, banging it against his chest. She had no idea he had gotten this close, but his proximity and his words unnerved her. Goosebumps rose on the back of her neck. "I do not know what game you and your cousin are playing, Lord Jain, but I advise you to stay away from me and my sister. If I ever see you around my sister filling her head with lies again, I will be only too pleased to have you thrown out of my kingdom."

Whirling she strode off the balcony and hurried all the way to her room. She did not run into anyone on the way and once she was inside her room, she collapsed on the floor. Her whole body shook. Everything was too much. Jain was so close to her, and yet she didn't feel like she did when Hadyn was close. What kind of mad games were being played with her heart? And her sister, oh, her poor sister. What could she do?

Right there on the floor, Elsa curled up into a ball and fell fast asleep.