FROST

Chapter 5: Elsa's Secret

The seasons passed from spring, to summer, and fall. Trade prospered and businesses expanded across the kingdom far and wide from exchanging goods with the neighboring country. Times were busy, and the queen was often in meetings, traveling, or sifting through letters throughout the long months. Inside the castle, she sat at the desk in her study reading through a high stack of papers, bleary-eyed while quietly sipping at a cup of coffee. She rested a hand on her forehead, and then felt the temptation to drift off to sleep after closing her eyes. Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. "Oh, Elsa!" Anna's voice came from behind the door. "Yes?" Elsa raised her voice slightly, "What is it? I'm a little busy right now." Anna barged into the room, swinging the door open on its hinges, "Guess what I got!" Elsa didn't respond. "Apples! Bundles of them! I thought we could make a pie," Anna squealed with delight, smiling brightly at her, "I left them in the kitchen. Wouldn't it be fun this weekend to do some baking? And maybe we can go wine tasting, or go shopping at the farmer's market or pick pumpkins! How does that sound?"

"Oh, yeah, it sounds like fun," she said tiredly with a weary smile. "Would you like to join in on the fun?" Anna asked in a perky tone of voice. "Anna! I've told you how many times? I can't!" Elsa snapped back at her, "I've had a lot to do lately." "You can take a little break once in a while," Anna's joy was suddenly replaced by anger by Elsa's sour mood, "I mean what do you do besides work?" "Ride horses every morning," Elsa quickly responded without glancing up at her. "Is that really much of a break?" Anna asked, sounding sarcastic. "They have to be taken out every day," Elsa replied irritably. "I know that!" Anna responded back, "I mean a real break, like taking a whole day off to spend time with your family!" "Funny, you're the only family I have left," Elsa replied, "Maybe you could help me by reading through the letters. That would make my day a lot easier." "Alright, don't mind if I do," Anna picked up a letter and tore it out of the envelope, and stared at it in bewilderment for a moment, "Wow… this one is interesting." "What does it say?" Elsa asked. "It says, 'Queen Elsa, I hate you, you are the worst queen that has ever lived. I asked you to give me a few more months, but instead you foreclosed my business. For that, I want to move out of this country.' And there's no signature on it," Anna said, and widened her eyes when looking back at her sister.

Elsa looked at her skeptically, and grabbed the paper out of her hand. She glimpsed at it, and then crumpled it into a ball and tossed it behind her, "I might as well give him a reason to leave the country." "What do you plan to do?" Anna asked, "Freeze the kingdom again?" Elsa gazed at her in amusement, and then sighed, "I'm not even going to bother reading complaints from people anymore. It does nothing but waste time." "I'll say," Anna said, and then asked, "Why did you foreclose his business?" "He never paid anything back," Elsa replied, "Not to mention, I've received complaints from his workers saying that he almost never showed up when they needed him. A lot of customers complained about him, too." "Wow, it doesn't sound like he took his job seriously," Anna said. "Of course, he's blaming me and thinks I'm a bad queen," Elsa let out a small sigh, and then asked, "Am I? Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing my job well enough." "No, Elsa, you're doing great!" Anna beamed at her, "Really!" "Well, I'm glad you think so," Elsa said appreciatively, "But I have to get back to work now." "No, Elsa, don't worry. I can read these letters for you," Anna said eagerly. "Oh, you would? Thank you so much, Anna," Elsa smiled. "Hey, that's what sisters are for," Anna beamed at her.

Elsa got up from her chair, and walked out of the room into the long corridor of the castle. She was immediately stopped by Kai who was trying to hand another letter to her, "Queen Elsa, I have a message for you." "I'm done reading letters for the day," Elsa told him in a firm tone of voice. "Oh, but I insist you read this one," Kai replied, offering it to her, "It's from Jacques." Elsa held it in her hands, and when she looked up she saw that he winked at her and walked off. "Well, I guess that changes things," she said, and opened the sealed envelope, unfolding the paper inside and began reading it.

Dearest Elsa,

I know we have talked of trade, and have begun to talk about ourselves shortly after, but there is something I would like to share with you. I'm sure you know what it is, but it's time for you to have living proof of the very thing I've been thinking about. You guessed it, it's you. Since the time that I had met you, I feel like you have been lingering throughout my thoughts day in and day out. I love your smile, the way you talk, and your eyes because they are as deep and beautiful as the ocean and I feel lost in them, never knowing where they end, and they are so full of mystery. I love your voice, for it is the song of my heart. You're classy, have a way of enjoying the simple things in life despite what you have, and you always want to do the right thing, even if it stresses you out and you tell me that you lose sleep over it. And what I love most of all is that you are uniquely you. I cannot mention all the things that I love about you because there are far too many, but I do know one thing and that is that I simply cannot get enough of you. You mean the world to me, because in my dreams you are part of my world and it feels incomplete without you in it. Speaking of dreams, there are two different kinds. There is the kind that you have at night, and the other is the kind you have when you are wide awake. To me, you are better than any dream I've had while I'm asleep. It's the dream I love waking up to. You make my heart melt, and I feel that there is nothing that can cool me down. It beats your name, and I do not know how many beats a second it makes.

There must be stars in your eyes because I've been counting them in the sky, and I believe that there are some missing up there. I tend to think you belong in the sky or must have been there before, because you seem like an angel to me. You're always working so hard to watch over everyone. I only wish you wouldn't worry so much. Maybe you fell down from the heavens and have been sad ever since. So, if you could do one thing for me, just be happy. I wish to see you again whenever possible. Each moment feels like a thousand years, and I do not know how much longer you will have me wait.Will you see me sometime this month? There are only so many words I can put onto a page, but if I could I would use a thousand more to tell you how I feel. I will never let you go.

Thinking of You Always,

Jacques

Elsa stared at the letter in her hands for a long time. She felt a smile come over her, and muttered under her breath, "Wow… that's so beautiful, Jacques." She felt a surge of joy bubble up inside her, and then suddenly it stopped with an alarming realization. What about her powers? She widened her eyes, staring at the letter in her hand. As lovely as the words were to her, she suddenly believed that this fantasy was meant to stay a dream and not come true, as disappointing as it was. A twinge of guilt spiked in her chest. She would have to tell him, sooner or later, that they could not be together. She could not be with anyone, as much as she wanted to be with someone. While she had allowed Anna back into her life, it was not the same because romantic love would require a greater deal of intimacy than the friendship she shared with her sister. She remained motionless as the sadness sank into her heart like a dropping stone, feeling numb and cold after this thought came through her mind and stung her. She turned her head to look down the hall, seeing that the door to her office was still open. She decided then that the best thing would be to talk it out with Anna.

Quietly, Elsa treaded the floor and crossed over the threshold of the room, seeing that Anna was working to sort through her letters just as she had promised. She walked into the room unobtrusively, and drew near to Anna's side without her taking much notice. "Anna, can I talk to you?" she asked with a trace of discomfort in her voice. Anna looked up, slightly surprised to see her so soon, "Sure! You can talk to me about anything." "Jacques wrote me a letter," Elsa said softly, "Only this time it was different… he wrote me a love note." "He did?" Anna's eyes widened, "Elsa, that's great! He's finally confessed his love to you after six months of knowing you! At least I think it's been six months... but wow, he must really adore you! I knew he liked you!" "Well, that's just problem," Elsa replied with a hopeless look on her face. "What?" Anna glanced back with a look of surprise, "Why's that?" "Anna, I feel that maybe I led him on or that he misunderstood me. We can't be together," Elsa shook her head ever so slightly. "What do you mean? I thought you wanted him," Anna said, looking a bit mystified. "But Anna, he doesn't know the truth about me or about my powers. If I tell him, I don't know how he's going to react," Elsa explained. "Oh, Elsa, you really shouldn't worry about that," Anna brushed off the comment with a gesture of her hand, "It won't do you any good." "I know, but don't you think he'll find out if we stay together?" Elsa asked apprehensively, "I don't know whether I should tell him or not." "You can't keep a secret forever, you know," Anna replied coolly, "Besides, if he really loves you, he'll accept you for who you are."

Elsa pondered this for a moment. "I don't know," she said shaking her head, "Do you really think he'll accept me?" "I'm sure he will," Anna said smiling back at her, then frowned slightly, "Only… I imagine he might freak out, maybe just a little bit." Elsa looked a bit startled in response. "No!" her hands shot up to her head, she turned, "No, I can't tell him!" "Elsa, you should tell him! You're supposed to be open and honest with each other!" Anna said. "Then how?" Elsa threw a worried glance at her, "What am I supposed to say to him?" "Hmm…" Anna pondered for a moment, and then said, "I suppose you should just say that you were born with your powers, and you never knew why. And that… you've done everything you can to control them. I would just speak honestly, and if has questions, answer them. Simple as that. And don't worry, you'll do fine."

Elsa fell quiet again, staring at the floor. "Elsa, how do you really feel about him?" Anna asked, biting down on her lower lip eagerly, "Aside from your powers?" Elsa noticed Anna's deliberative smirk. It was no surprise that this subject was the greatest object of her curiosity. "Well… I suppose it's true that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him," Elsa confessed, twiddling her thumbs nervously in her clasped hands, "For the first time in so long, I feel like my heart is saying yes… but then my head is saying no. I felt like maybe he liked me, but I never knew he wanted me this much. And while that's great, I'm just not the right person to love." "No!" Anna replied in a startling voice, making her jump a little, "Elsa, you're a wonderful person, and you totally and completely deserve his love!" Elsa looked up with uncertainty in her eyes, "You really think so?" "Of course!" Anna exclaimed, "Look, I know it's hard for you, but you just have to accept that your powers make you who you are. And you can control them; we've both seen it for ourselves. Don't allow this to get in the way of what you really want or you'll never be happy." Elsa hesitated momentarily, considering the thought, "You know Anna, you're right… I should tell him. Only now is not the right time." "Who said you had to it now?" Anna asked, "You just have to tell him before you marry him, if you marry him, that is." "Alright," Elsa said. "He's not even here, so why worry about it? You should just write back to him and invite him over sometime soon. At least, that's what I think," Anna said smiling at her.

Two years passed by. It was a late afternoon in October, and Kristoff and Sven were in the stone courtyard of the castle loading his black sleigh with ice. He lifted one last heavy, square block on top of the high stack, and wedged it in slightly. "Alright, Sven, I think we're ready to go," Kristoff said with a breath of relief, "One last trip for the day." Sven lifted his head excitedly, braying gleefully in response. Kristoff grabbed a rope, unraveled it, and worked to bind and secure the load of cargo. Sven began pulling, but Kristoff brought him to a halt, "Whoa, Sven! Wait till I'm sitting down, I didn't give you the ok to leave just yet." Sven groaned irritably, and then looked out the castle gate in front of him. He perked up his ears when seeing a white horse drawn carriage approach the castle. He turned his head to face Kristoff. "What is it, Sven?" Kristoff asked, and then glanced towards the bridge, "Huh, I wonder who that might be."

The guards flanked on either side of the gate gestured approvingly at the approaching coachman, and the horse passed through the threshold with its hooves clattering onto the ground. Leaving the doors of the castle, a man with a large frame stepped out into the courtyard. "Master Kai, there's a visitor," one of the guards said. He looked towards the carriage, and a young, black-haired man stepped down to the ground. He wore a dark gray tailcoat with black-cuffed, golden-buttoned sleeves and gilded shoulder pieces, with a light gray shirt overlapped with a silver ascot, and a white gold brocade vest. Below the belt he wore white pants and dark brown, leather boots. Kai grinned at him, "Oh, why, hello Jacques. You're looking fine today." "Oh, yes, thank you," Jacques said, walking towards him, "And you look fine yourself." "Thank you," Kai replied, "If you're looking for Elsa, she's gone away from the castle for a while with her sister. I'm not sure when they're coming back, so my apologies if you have to wait." "Oh, she's not here?" Jacques blinked with surprise for a moment, "No worries. I don't mind waiting." "Well, that's always good to hear," Kai nodded at him, "You don't mind if I keep you company, do you?" "No, not at all," Jacques said. "Patient man," Kai complimented him. "Well, sometimes," Jacques shrugged his shoulders slightly. "And honest, too," he smiled back, "That counts for something."

Kai watched Kristoff and Sven go through the castle gate, and said, "That fellow is a hard worker. It's partly because of him that trade in Arendelle is so sufficient. And thanks to you, you're done a lot to help our economy prosper. Your help is very much appreciated." "It's always a pleasure," Jacques said with a slight nod. Kai was silent for a moment, watching Jacques stare longingly towards the castle entrance. "You've been a very faithful trading partner for the last two years," Kai said, raising an eyebrow at him, "So much, in fact, that you've been writing letters nearly every day to the queen." Jacques smiled slightly. "Do you write about anything else besides trade?" Kai asked. "Um… well, that's confidential," Jacques replied. "Oh, confidentiality," Kai nodded as if understanding, "Yes, but, I've noticed that you are a close friend to Elsa. You've taken the time to get to know her as well as her sister, as well as Kristoff." "Yes," Jacques suddenly sounded nervous, and then smiled, "Well, they're a friendly bunch." Kai stared at him, making him uncomfortable, "Um… I mean, Anna is, anyways." "I think it's nice that you get Elsa to talk to you," Kai said, "She's always been a mysterious one. She never trusted too many people, but apparently she trusts you." Jacques stared back at him, "Really?" "I think so, wouldn't you?" Kai asked. "Well, it took some time before she opened up to me," Jacques admitted, "But yes, I think you're right." "Jacques, sorry to ask," Kai looked fixedly at him, "But are you here to pop the question?" "Sorry, what was that?" Jacques asked, sounding confused but looking embarrassed. "You think I don't know about your secret relationship?" Kai asked. "Secret relationship?" Jacques asked, "Uh… what is that supposed to mean?" "All the servants know. There's no use in trying to hide your feelings about Elsa," Kai smirked at him, "Admit it, you're in love with her." He walked away just as Jacques flushed red in the face.

Kai looked out towards the castle gate, smiling, "Oh, here they are." Entering the stone courtyard of the castle came Anna and Elsa mounted on top of two brown mares, the horses' glossy coats gleaming like copper in the sunlight. Anna panted for air, letting out a big sigh, "Whew, wow that was a good workout! Nothing like breaking a sweat!" Elsa smiled slightly at her sister. "Oh, look! Jacques is here!" Anna exclaimed, pointing her finger ahead of her. Elsa stared in Anna's direction, seeing Jacques standing with a far-off look on his face and his hands tucked into his pockets. A surge of emotions overcame her all at once; excitement, bliss, nervousness, and then suddenly embarrassment. She hadn't wanted him to see her this way. She wiped her brow with her wrist; a cool film of perspiration was formed on it, and ran her fingers through her hair anxiously. Jacques's eyes wandered towards her, and his eyes popped open with surprise. She caught his glance, and then swallowed hard as she watched him approach her.

Before he could manage to say hello, she blurted out, "Jacques, you're early." He stopped himself before speaking. "I thought you said you would be here on Saturday," Elsa said, forcing a smile. "Oh, well, I thought it would be better to leave early. Besides, it only takes six hours to get to where you are," Jacques replied with a small laugh, and then beamed brightly at her, "I haven't seen you in a while, in more than a month. When did we last meet? I feel like I'm forgetting." "Um… I believe it's been almost eight weeks," she replied, and then added apologetically, "I'm so sorry, I've been so busy lately." "It's alright. I felt like it had been quite some time, though," he replied back warmly, "By the way, thank you for inviting me to your dinner party over the summer. I really enjoyed it." "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it," Elsa said, and then looked nervously back at him, "I'm sorry, I wish that I looked more… presentable." "No, no, it's fine. You don't have to worry about it," Jacques smiled back, "In fact, you look beautiful." "Really? My hair is a mess and it's all windblown," Elsa replied with an uncertain tone of voice. "I like it," Jacques replied, grinning widely at her.

They stared at each other briefly, and then Elsa turned her gaze away, "Excuse me for a moment; I have to go put my horse away." "Oh, do you mind if I walk with you?" he asked her. "Um… actually, do you mind waiting here for just a second? I have to go talk to Anna," she said, and tugged at the reins to nudge her horse forward. The horse walked towards Anna, and Elsa felt the slow and steady beat of the horse's stride underneath her. "Anna, can I talk to you?" she whispered with urgency in her voice. Anna turned around with her horse, "Yeah, what is it?" "What is he doing here?" Elsa asked her, "Did you tell him to come a day early?" "Me? No, I don't talk to him as much as you do," Anna replied plainly. "You didn't? Well then, don't you think it's rude for a guest to show up way earlier than expected?" Elsa asked; her voice tinged with anger. "You're worrying about him being early? Most girls have to wait on a guy forever! And then there are the guys that never show up," Anna replied, and then added, "He's probably just excited to see you. I wouldn't make a huge fuss over it, if I were you." "I know, but still he could have let me know that he was going to arrive sooner," Elsa said, "Thank goodness I have my make-up on." "You look fine! In fact, you look really good, so stop worrying about it!" Anna told her, and then said encouragingly, "Elsa, go out there and talk to him! You shouldn't keep your guest waiting too long!"

Anna trotted away from her, and then Elsa turned to face Jacques. After a moment of hesitation, she approached him, and he turned his gaze to her, "So, are you done talking to your sister?" "Yes," Elsa said quickly, "Sorry, I should have said hello when I first saw you." "It's alright," Jacques replied, smiling politely at her, "No apology necessary." Elsa got down from her horse on one side, while still holding the leather reins in one hand. Jacques broke the silence, "Elsa, I was thinking… maybe we could go riding together this evening." "Tonight?" Elsa turned her head, "But what about dinner?" "Well, I mean after we eat, we can go riding," Jacques suggested, "Besides, I'll need to change my clothes for it. What do you say? I bet it would be a lot of fun." "Alright," Elsa nodded, agreeing to it, "Sure, if that's what you want."

Half past seven, the sun melted into the sky, with the earth slowly swallowing it up. Two horses came thundering through the pastures on sprinting hooves, with their unruly mane coursing through the wind. They came up riding over the crest of the hill that dipped down into a valley, with Elsa and Jacques mounted on their backs. Feeling the rush of cool wind over their skin and through their hair, they flicked at the reins to nudge the horses to run faster. The horses snorted loudly while hurdling through the green fields, and then Elsa began to slow down, bringing her horse into a gradual halt to steady its footfalls. Jacques yanked back on the reins, sending his horse rearing up on her haunches. "Whoa, there," Elsa widened her eyes, "Take it easy on your horse." Jacques tossed his hair to the side, "Sorry." "It's not me you should be apologizing to," Elsa said. Jacques looked at his horse, patting her lightly on the neck, "Alright, I'm sorry I did that." She snorted irritably in response. "I only did that because you didn't tell me that you were stopping," Jacques said. "Do I have to tell you I'm stopping?" Elsa asked. "Well, it would be nice," Jacques said, "I don't know the area around here as well as you do." "Figure it out," Elsa replied, her lips curving into a slight smile.

She dismounted her horse, and grabbed hold of the reins to guide her mare alongside of her. Her horse was still puffing air through her nostrils after the long run, but her breathing became less laborious and grew softer until it could no longer be heard. Elsa gently stroked the velvet bridge of her nose, and then nudged her forward with a slight tug at the reins. "Well, I had fun," Jacques said, swinging his leg over his horse, "Did you?" "Of course," Elsa said, crossing her arms, "Why wouldn't I?" "Especially since we were together?" Jacques's face drew into a grin. Elsa stared at him with a smile, "I suppose it adds to the excitement." "You suppose?" Jacques asked, "You know it does, for me anyways. Maybe you just don't want to admit you like it better with me." Elsa had a small laugh, and then asked, "Is that what you think?" "Admit it, riding wouldn't be the same if I was gone," he beamed at her, "You'll miss riding with me." "Maybe I will," Elsa replied, "But it's our first time doing it together." "Oh, yeah? Well, I bet that you'll miss it," he said eagerly, "Which means you'll have to see me more if you want to go riding again, after this weekend."

She chuckled softly at his words. Jacques stared at her for a moment, and then said, "Maybe we should let them run. They would probably like that." "I'm sure they would," Elsa replied. They slipped the bridles off the horses' heads, and removed the bits from their mouths. Jacques gave a light pat to his horse's behind, signaling her to go, and she charged off into the open meadow. Elsa's horse followed after her, prancing around through the field. They whinnied loudly, noticing bushes of lavender near the edge of a lake. Its scent carried on through the wind. "It sure does smell good around here," Jacques said, inhaling the fresh air. "It's lavender," Elsa commented with a smile. "So that's what's driving the horses crazy," he observed, "They sure look happy." The horses lied down beside the lake, rolling and lolling in the soft, meadow grass under the murky light. "Do you want to walk a little?" Jacques asked, waiting for Elsa's response. "Sure," she shrugged her shoulders slightly, "Why not?"

They walked side by side, looking at all the changing colors of the brittle, autumn leaves, from crimson and orange to russet brown. They swayed gently in the wind, with the sun tossing light on the ground through the long shadows they cast onto the earth below. Coming upon a long white bridge over the lake, the wind brought down a shower of loose leaves of gold and scarlet like rain over them. The paper-thin leaves whirled past them, and landed softly on top of the water's surface. Gazing all around, they saw the golden mist of twilight that swept over the dark hills, the birds fluttering through the spacious skies, the soft pink hue of the drifting clouds, and the long strokes of violet streaming across the broad expanse of the horizon. The gilded glow of the sun illuminated the sky, its blur of colors melting and melding together in a dreamy, fiery blaze. It formed lengthy, velvety shadows along the bridge.

Jacques leaned against the wall of the bridge, feeling the sun's warmth upon it. He looked down at the water that gleamed like the stars. The mood was right, and his soft spot was budding with a newfound tenderness. He gazed up at her and smiled, "Elsa, you look beautiful." "Thank you," she smiled back with a shy look. "It's a beautiful evening as well," he said with his eyes skimming the view. "It is," she said, agreeing with him. He stared off into the distance for some time, his eyes a bit tense, and then asked, "Elsa, can I tell you something?" "What's that?" she asked, turning her head to glance his way. "It's been over two years since I've known you, and…" Jacques began. He hesitated a moment, and Elsa watched waiting in silence. "It's just that… there's something I've wanted to ask you. So, I'd like you to listen for a moment," he said. "Alright," Elsa said, agreeing to it. "I know that we've had our fights, but… how do I say this?" Jacques paused, then spoke again, "To put it simply, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Her heart leapt for a second. She stared back, wide-eyed, "Why Jacques… I don't know what to say." He gave her a charming smile, gazing upon her intently.

After a moment of hesitation, he humbly and bravely went down on one knee. He fumbled through his breast pocket to pull out a small, glittering diamond ring, and smiled meekly at her. She gasped soundlessly in response. "Elsa," he said, "will you marry me?" Silence filled the air. He waited, watching her eyes dance around, seeing the smile vanish from her face that was soon replaced by a furtive glance. "Elsa… what's wrong?" he asked, suddenly looking perplexed. "Nothing," she said quietly. "Are you being honest with me?" Jacques asked, "I mean are you okay?" "Yeah… I'm okay," she answered, casting her eyes down to the ground. "Are you sure?" he raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Yes, I'm fine," she replied. "I just asked you if you wanted to marry me," Jacques said, his eyes flickered warily, "You seem bothered by that." "No, I'm not bothered by it, it's just…" her voice trailed off unexpectedly. "What? Why did you suddenly clam up?" he asked, "I mean I figured you would be surprised, but not like this. The least you could do is explain yourself."

"Hold on," Elsa said, "Just… give me a moment." "What? Is this too soon?" Jacques's voice cut in, but she didn't respond. He fixed his gaze upon her, "Elsa, I just want to know if this a little too fast for you." "Um… yes, yes it is," she nodded back at him. "Oh, alright…" he stared silently at the ground, and then looked up to watch her. "No, sorry, I lied," she confessed, and then added softly, "Listen, Jacques. This is very sweet of you, but I can't accept the offer because there's a reason we can't be together." "What?" he blinked in surprise, "Why not?" "We just can't, ok?" her voice quavered, trembling on the edge of tears. "Wait… what are you saying? We can't be together?" Jacques looked offended, "Elsa, I'm confused. I thought… I thought all this time you loved me." She only looked away, closing her eyes in shame. "Elsa, please explain to me what's really going on," he said, awaiting an answer, "What are you hiding? I insist that you tell me, I have a right to know."

She didn't respond, and he stared apprehensively at her. "You obviously have a secret," he said, "Is it really that bad?" She looked up at him, "I don't know… I've always asked myself that same question." He blinked with a perplexed look on his face, "How don't you know?" "I don't know, Jacques," "I suppose it is bad, but not as bad as other things." "So it's a bad thing…" Jacques stared at her suspiciously, and pondered a moment, "Should I take a wild guess? Have you been leading me on this whole time or something like that?" "No," Elsa said. "Are you unhappy with me?" he asked, and then added, "I'm wondering because you didn't seem that happy when I first came. And not to mention, you don't always act interested. It makes me think that you're hiding something from me. You look like you're about to cry and you're acting like you did something wrong." Suddenly his voice grew tense, "Are you… seeing someone else?" "No, it's not like that!" she interjected. "You mean yes?" he replied angrily, his temper rising, "Apparently I can't trust you to tell the truth since you're turning me away."

He spun around, beginning to walk off in a huff. "No, wait! Don't go!" she pleaded. He turned to listen, staring in anticipation. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice shaky, "I just don't know how I'm supposed to tell you this!" "Tell me what?" he said demanding an answer. "It's not what you think," "It has nothing to do with us! It just has everything to do with me, so if you could please just listen." He stopped, standing motionlessly, "Alright… I'm listening." "Forgive me," she took in a deep breath, "I suppose I'm doing something wrong. Really it's me who doesn't trust you." In curiosity, Jacques turned himself around to look at her, his anger simmering down, "Why's that?" "If I told you… would you understand?" she asked timidly. "Well, it would depend on what it is," he replied frankly, and crossed his arms. Again, she fell silent. "Elsa?" he said her name aloud. She looked at him briefly, "I was born with ice powers." He blinked, staring back in disbelief, "Wait… sorry?" "It's a long story," she interrupted, "I don't really know why I have it. I had to hide it away from everyone for many years because my parents thought it would be dangerous."

"Wait, slow down," he stared back with a confounded look upon his face, "You said that you have… ice powers?" "Jacques, please try to understand," she begged. "Are you for real?" he laughed disbelievingly, "So… you're saying that you can make ice… and snow? Is that it?" Elsa turned away angrily, muttering to herself, "I knew this was a bad idea." "Wait, what is?" Jacques asked. "Telling you! I should have never told you!" she bit back at him, and then muttered a stinging piece of sarcasm, "To think you'd understand anything." She turned to hide her face away from him, looking over the bridge, and formed a few tears in her eyes. "Now, wait, Elsa! Don't cry!" Jacques's voice was suddenly replaced with sympathy. He reached for her hand, "I don't mean to upset you." "Don't touch me!" she cringed back, distancing herself from him. He flinched back in response, "I'm sorry… you probably want nothing to do with me now since I was being a jerk about it." He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "I should have been nicer about it; it just came as a surprise to me. Ice powers… I mean, that's really unexpected." "Well, it's not really that, but thank you anyways," she brushed his hand off, and wiped the tears from her eyes, "Just… don't touch me. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Hurt me? Hurt me with what?" he asked in a baffled tone of voice. "I could freeze you," she glanced back at him. "Freeze me?" he threw a skeptical look at her. "Don't you believe me?" she asked quietly. "Well then, could you show me these powers of yours?" Jacques asked, "I'm a bit curious about them now that you've told me." "Do you really want me to show you?" she raised an eyebrow at him. He nodded. "You won't be scared?" she asked. He shook his head. "Well, you asked for it," she chuckled softly. She exposed the palm of her hand, and a bright blue light flashed before his eyes, expelling tiny ice crystals that formed into snowflakes. Jacques stared in astonishment, "Are these… are these snowflakes?" Elsa nodded. "Wow, that's not something you see every day," he laughed nervously, "Then again, maybe not in your case." He looked away, taking a deep breath. "So, now do you believe me?" Elsa asked. "Yes… after seeing it, I believe you. It's just… I don't know anyone who's ever made snow before right out of their hand," Jacques laughed a little, and then muttered to himself, "That's not weird at all."

Elsa watched him with a sad look in her eyes. Jacques looked back at her, "Elsa, are you alright?" "You're going to leave, aren't you?" she asked, "I figured since not too many people would understand." "What? Leave? No, Elsa, I'm not leaving you!" he said, "I haven't already, have I?" She stared at him in a moment of hesitation, and then spoke in a soft voice, "I just want someone who will love me." "Elsa," he spoke in a low voice that almost sounded like a whisper, "I love you, and I will always love you." Her eyes brightened suddenly, but then darkened again, "I'm just worried… I don't want to hurt you, much less get you killed." "It's alright! I've already had a near death experience!" he said playfully, "I can handle it." "That's not funny, Jacques," Elsa responded in a more serious tone of voice. "Alright, fine, I won't joke about it," he said with a small laugh.

"I'm dangerous," she said, "That's what I've been trying to tell you. I know you think that we can have a future together, but we can't." "Elsa," Jacques said gingerly, his voice a bit hushed, "I think the thing that you need is just to have a little faith in us being together. You just have to trust that everything will work out and be alright."

"But it's better if I'm alone," she said, disagreeing with him. "And are you going to live the rest of your life like that?" he raised an eyebrow ever so slightly; "You can't keep hiding yourself away from the world forever. Sooner or later, you're going to need someone to be there for you." "I have my sister," Elsa replied, averting her gaze. "Yes, but your sister has her own life. You can't solely depend on one person to comfort you when you're feeling lonely," he told her, "At least, you won't be too happy if you do." "You really want me to say yes, don't you?" Elsa asked. Jacques's eyes widened for a moment, feeling stung by the words. "Um… well, yes. Actually," he replied, his eyes were suddenly watery with sadness, "I really thought you would." He stared at the ring in his hand. "But it's your life. I mean if you don't want to get married or even be together anymore, I'm not saying we have to," he tucked the ring back into his breast pocket, and turned slowly to walk away, "I just thought it would make you happy." Elsa gasped soundlessly as she watched him walk away, and then muttered to herself, "What am I doing?" "Jacques!" she cried out, and he turned around. "I will marry you!" she ran towards him, wrapping her arms around him in an embrace. "You will?" he asked, looking surprised. "Yes!" Elsa nodded in agreement, "Yes, I will!" "Yes!" Jacques exclaimed elatedly, and then smiled, "You've finally decided to come out of your shell once and for all."

Elsa looked up at him, and they stared into each other's eyes. Jacques broke the silence, "You know something? We haven't had one kiss in the two and a half years that we've known each other. I guess we have a long distance relationship to blame for that." "You're asking me for a kiss?" she asked. "Uh… well, yes," he stammered, blushing suddenly, "Sorry. May I… may I kiss you?" She fluttered her eyelashes slightly, "Yes, you may." She closed her eyes, and he closed his a moment after. Their lips reached for each other's and locked together in a graceful motion, and after lingering they pulled away. "Jacques," Elsa said aloud. "Yes?" he asked. "I'm nervous," she said softly. "Why are you nervous, darling?" he asked with a look of concern. "It's just that… this is such a big change for me," she said, her voice quavering slightly. "It's a big change for anyone," Jacques replied. "Yes, but…" Elsa hesitated for a moment, "I've never been this close to anyone, not even to Anna." "Neither have I," he smiled and gazed at her, "But isn't that what this is all about?" She nodded, "Yes… yes I suppose it is." He wrapped his arms around her, and she moved her hands up to feel them. He craned his neck down, and she reached up to meet his kiss. She opened her eyes, "Jacques… you'll never leave me, will you?" "No," he opened his, "Why do you ask?" "I… I just need to know," she replied, pleading for an answer. "Elsa, I will never leave you for anyone else," he lifted her chin gently with the tip of his finger, "That's a promise." "Promise?" she asked, looking uncertainly at him. "Yes," he looked her straight in the eye, sounding more serious for a moment, "I promise." He brought her close to his chest, embracing her, and kissed the top of her head.