"Are you sure about this?"
"When am I not sure? C'mon, I wanna see!"
"We worked very hard on that suit, dear. We want to see the final product."
Jack sighed and stepped into the room, adjusting his sleeves nervously. "Good enough for the palace?" he asked, looking at Missy's face.
She was speechless for about six seconds before actual words came out of her mouth. "You look so good, Jack! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a bona-fide prince!"
The three seamstresses nodded in agreement and rushed forward, chattering away as they pinned the suit up in minor ways. Missy stood nearby, smiling like she had gotten a puppy for Christmas. "Elsa's parents will have to love you now!"
Jack looked at his sister, exasperated. "Missy, I'm just going to a party."
"Where Elsa and her parents will be!"
"Miss-"
"That should be all, dear," Fauna said as she stepped backwards to take another look.
"You look dashing!" Flora exclaimed as she pulled Merryweather away from him, "And the suit looks fine. There's nothing else we need to do."
"I'm glad we went with the blue," Merryweather said, "It's a very regal color."
"I still think red was the appropriate choice for the occasion, but this will do nicely."
"Or perhaps green would've sufficed, as well."
"He looks great, ladies." Missy interrupted before they could bicker anymore, "Thank you so much for your help."
"Yes, thank you." Jack added, shaking their hands, "I don't know what we would've done without you."
"Oh, it was no trouble at all," Fauna said, smiling at him. Jack looked at the nearby mirror. The blue and white suit fit him very well, to his surprise. Most suits were too loose on him. What he found strange about the suit was the swirling patterns on the shoulders and sleeves that were only visible in the correct light. These patterns almost reminded him of the frost Elsa made when she was nervous or angry.
He wanted to asked the seamstresses how they managed to create the pattern when a sudden knock on the door made everyone look up. "Who is that?" Missy asked.
"I think it's someone from the palace," Jack answered, standing up and brushing off his suit, "Stay there." He went up to the door and took a deep breath, steeling his nerves. He opened the door to reveal one of the servants from the palace, who held a fancy envelope in his hands. The servant appraised Jack, making him feel a little self-conscious. "Mr. North?"
"Yes, that's me." The servant held out the envelope to him and said, "You've been invited to attend a dinner with the royal family. I'm here to escort you to the palace on behalf of Princess Elsa. If you will come with me, please." The servant started to walk down the road, and Jack turned towards the women.
"Can you watch Missy until I get back?" he asked. They nodded, smiling at him in a way that made him a little uncomfortable. He knelt down to hug Missy. "I'll see you later tonight, okay?"
Missy hugged him back, giggling softly. "Have fun, Jack." She said, "Tell Elsa I said hello."
Jack laughed and got up to leave, following the servant out of the house and towards the castle. The sun was just about to set behind the sea, turning the sky into beautiful shades of orange and purple. Jack stopped for a moment to take it in.
"Is everything alright, sir?"
"Huh?" he asked, "Oh, everything's fine. Just enjoying the view."
The servant stood beside him, looking out towards the sea. "My father was a sailor," he said, "He once told me that a red sunrise meant that calm seas were ahead, but a red sunset would be devastating." Jack looked at the servant for a moment. He looked to be around thirty years old, with brownish-blonde hair and vivid green eyes. "Well, it's time to get going. Don't want to be late for the dinner." He said, turning and walking back to the castle.
Jack caught up to him and gave him another look.
"Have we met before?" he asked, "You look familiar, for some reason."
The servant shook his head. "I don't get out much, and I've never been to Corona before, so I don't believe we've ever met."
Jack nodded, then thought about his response as they entered the gates. "Wait, how did you know that I came from Corona?" Jack asked.
The servant shrugged. "Everyone's been talking about the diplomats from Corona, and I've never seen you before, so I assumed." The servant pointed towards a long hallway where faint music was being played. "Just head down that hallway, third door to the left. Can't miss it."
Jack looked down the hallway. He didn't even know that they had reached the palace already. He turned to thank the man, only to find himself alone in the hall. Jack looked around, but couldn't find him anywhere. He shrugged and made his way towards the music, which became louder the further he walked. The long hallway was ornately decorated with portraits and suits of armor. Jack was so busy staring that he missed the room altogether, and had to turn around. Just as he was about to open the double doors, he heard a soft voice down the hallway.
"I can do this. I can do this. I can do this."
Jack looked up and saw Elsa walking towards him with her head down, hands clasped together nervously. He stared at her for a moment, too stunned for words. Elsa wore a dark blue gown with off-the-shoulders long sleeves and long white gloves. Her blonde hair was up in an intricate bun, small tendrils framing her face like a painting. Elsa looked up suddenly and saw Jack standing by the door. She smiled widely, rushing forward to give him a hug.
"You came!" she said, wrapping her arms around him. She knew that it was probably unprofessional to hug someone in the middle of the hallway, but she couldn't help herself.
Jack regained himself just in time to hug her back. "You think I would skip out on you?" he said, wrapping his arms around her, hoping she couldn't feel his racing heart. Elsa pulled away and took a good look at him.
"Where did you get that suit from?" she asked, her eyes flashing back to his face before they could fully appreciate how well the suit fit his body.
Jack shrugged, tugging at his sleeves uncomfortably. "Missy managed to guilt-trip a few seamstresses into making this for free. You look great by the way, Elsa." Elsa smiled, looking down shyly and clasping her hands together again.
"Thank you, Jack." She said, feeling her cheeks heat up a small bit.
They stood outside the doors for a while, listening to the music and faint sounds of polite chatter.
"Well," Jack said, "Should we head inside?" Elsa looked at the doors for a moment with a worried expression.
"What if I freeze something?" she said, "What if I lose control and-"
Jack stopped her before she could continue, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, hey, hey," he said, "There's nothing to worry about, okay? You're going to do great in there."
Elsa looked at him unconvincingly.
"Tell you what," he said, "Whenever you feel cold, you just reach over and hold my hand until you feel comfortable again, alright?" Elsa thought for a moment and nodded. It wasn't the best plan, but it was better than no plan at all.
"Alright. You ready?" Jack said as he turned to open the door. Elsa nodded again as Jack opened the door.
"Thank you for coming," the Queen said as she stood by the door. The guests slowly mingled out of the dining hall, graciously thanking the King and Queen for the wonderful party. The King shook hands with an older Councilman and looked up to see Elsa deep in conversation with Jack.
"I'm glad she did so well," he told the Queen quietly.
The Queen looked up as well and smiled. "I think that boy had something to do with it," she whispered, "Are we sure we've never met him before?"
The King thought about it. Jack did seem familiar for some reason, but he couldn't explain why or how. "I honestly have no clue," he told her, watching his daughter smile, "But Elsa seems to like him."
"Maybe there's something there we're not seeing?" The Queen suggested with a small smile.
The king shook his head. "No, no, no," he assured his wife, "There's absolutely nothing to suggest that Elsa has even taken an interest in suitors."
"Look again," the Queen said, slyly pointing across the room. The King looked again and saw no difference in the conversation between Jack and Elsa.
"I don't understand," he admitted, turning towards the Queen, "What are you saying?"
"She is old enough, Adgar," the Queen said, "Maybe it's time to consider her future."
The King looked at the Queen incredulously, then looked at Elsa again. "Her powers aren't in control yet," he said, "She isn't ready yet."
"Maybe she is," the Queen said, "Maybe she's ready for someone like him."
She turned the King's face towards Elsa again, and right then, he saw that Elsa seemed much more cheerful around Jack, and smiled more tonight than in years. "Not to mention when we broke the news, she immediately took his hand," the Queen reminded him, "Tell me that doesn't mean anything."
"But she just met him!" he argued, "Elsa wouldn't do that for someone she just met!"
"Well, maybe she met him before, and we just forgot," she said, "How about we go ask her instead of whispering around?"
The King nodded, and after waving good-bye to their last guest, they walked over to Elsa and Jack.
"Well, I hoped you enjoyed yourself, Jackson," the King said, shaking Jack's hand.
"It was a pleasure. Thank you for inviting me." He said politely.
"Do you need any assistance on your way back?" the Queen asked, a warm smile gracing her lips.
Jack shook his head. "I can find my way back just fine, thank you."
"Remember, our offer still stands if you need a ride back to Corona," the King told him.
Jack smiled and nodded his head. "I will let you know if it comes to that." Jack turned to Elsa, who had been watching the interaction carefully. "Thank you for tonight, Elsa. I had a wonderful time."
"Thank you for coming, Jack. I'm glad you could come." She said.
Her parents watched closely, noticing Elsa's bright smile. They exchanged a look as Jack made his way out of the dining hall, waving good-bye.
As soon as he left the room, the King and Queen turned to Elsa, who looked at them nervously.
"Did you have a nice time, Elsa?" the King asked.
She nodded, a small smile still on her lips. "It was a very nice party. I'm glad it went well." She said, "I think it's time I should head to bed, however. Good night."
"Wait just a moment," the Queen said, "We have a few questions about Jack."
Elsa looked down, suddenly uneasy. "Alright," she said shyly, "What do you want to know?"
"You seem very comfortable with Jack," her father said, "Have you met him before?"
Elsa looked up, a little surprised that he didn't remember. "Well, um," she said, "His mother used to work for us when I was a child, and we used to play together all the time. It was before the accident."
Her parents exchanged another look. "So, you've known him for a long time," the Queen said, looking at Elsa.
She nodded. "Well, we've lost touch a few years ago, but yes, we've known each other for a long time."
"What is your opinion of him?" the King asked, earning a nudge from the Queen.
Elsa's cheeks turned pink, and words suddenly became hard to form. "Well, he um, he's a very good friend," she said, "And uh… He's hardworking and nice and a good brother to his sister."
Her parents nodded along, and the King raised his hand. "That's enough, Elsa," he said gently, "It's time for you to go to bed now."
Elsa nodded and walked towards the door, ready to fall asleep.
"Elsa?"
She turned to see her parents smiling at her. "We're proud of you. You did great tonight."
Elsa turned a shade redder and nodded, running up to her room. The King and Queen stayed behind, quiet for a moment.
"Are you sure we can go?" the Queen asked, "If something happens and we're not here…"
"Everything will be fine," the King assured her, "Besides, how often will our long lost niece get married?"
Next chapter is here! I think maybe another chapter or two, and then we'll get into the main events of Frozen, which is what we're leading up to, in case you didn't notice. Please leave a review either about the story, or just badger me about being really slow with updates, and I will get the next one up really soon. Byyyyeeeeee!