So before you get to the chapter I just want to apologise but it had to be done sooner or later... yeah good luck 3

Chapter 5

"Elsa?" I rolled my eyes, sitting down across from him.

"Please, Nikolai, I've known you since we were born. This deal has been long in the making and we both know it so stop acting like you're an entitled snob because I know that's not what you're like." He paused for a second, thinking, and slumped.

"I'm sorry. It's my father. He's always doting on Gerald and never gives me a second thought, now he's entrusting me to make a deal with our most influential neighbour and it's getting to me." I smiled sympathetically,

"It's fine, but stop it, okay? I'm not marrying the guy I met in there." He smiled the smile that I remembered from when I was a child.

"So you did accept the proposal and this isn't just a ruse intended to get me here?" I released a breath I wasn't aware I was holding and Nikolai's gaze became more intent.

"I was hoping that we might be able to come to an agreement that doesn't involve a marriage." His eyes watched my face carefully.

"You are involved, aren't you? With a commoner." I joined his staring contest, forcing him to back down, but he didn't falter.

"Nikolai, I just don't want to be forced into marriage for a political alliance." His eyes didn't back down, but they softened.

"It's okay, you know. Not all the options are of elite blood." I smiled and dropped my stare. "But, there's no room to move on the proposal. My father will not resume trade until I've been married off to the Queen Elsa of Arendelle, and I'm not welcome home until I've done just that either." I sighed,

"I don't know what to do now." I put my head in my hands. Nikolai came across the room to sit beside me.

"Elsa, this marriage wont be a proper marriage, you know that; it's just to solidify a political relation. Although I would have liked to have gotten a proper marriage out of it I would never stop you from perusing a relationship with this man." I looked at Nikolai and I could tell he was serious; he would knowingly allow me to carry out an affair with Jackson if we were married.

"I guess we'll have to go over a contract then." I sighed. It was still far less than ideal and Jackson would still be really angry at Nikolai, but it was all I could do to save Arendelle from going hungry or being on the wrong side of a war. Nikolai stood up and started rummaging through his pockets. "What are you doing." He moved on to another pocket.

"I am doing this the right way." He stopped rummaging and pulled out a box.

"Nikolai, come on." He shook his head.

"No, indulge me. Please?" He got down on his knee and held out the box, flipping open the lid to reveal a simple silver band with a small pattern of a diamond ice crystal. I smiled.

"Cute." I scoffed and held out my hand for him to put the band on. I looked at the ring and sighed again. I turned when I heard a sound and saw Jackson walk into the sitting room. "Jackson, I told you to stay with Eugene." He didn't even look at me, he was glaring daggers at Nikolai. His eyes flicked to me when he saw the light catch on the silver band on my finger.

"It's been twenty minutes." His breathing was deep and angry. "You didn't even try."

"Jackson, I tried and there's no way to get Arendelle out of this unscathed by hunger and war." He shook his head and stormed out of the room. "Jackson!" I called after him and moved to follow, but Nikolai grabbed my arm before I had the chance.

"He needs to think it through on his own, in his own way." I pulled my hand from his wrist.

"I'm going back to the party." I left Nikolai in the sitting room and melted back into the pool of royals and authority figures. I let myself be immersed into the happy birthdays and the conversations about nothing mixed with the champagne and neat little snacks circulating the room. No one noticed the ring, or at least no one said anything.

A few hours later and the more disinterested leaders left, leaving the rest to join Anna and I for lunch. It was the first time in years the servants weren't able to eat lunch with us, but they would eat when we finished. More useless talking went around the table and I kept glancing at Kai, a silent question is Jackson was back. Every time he shook his head.

"Nikolai, I'm going after him." He grabbed hold of my wrist again, under the table.

"If you go after him, you're going to say something he's going to take the wrong way. Let him cool off first. He's got to be pretty angry; it's going to take more than a couple hours to cool off." I glared at his hand until he let me go.

"You need to stop holding me back." I stayed at the table anyway, knowing he was right, but I didn't talk to him the rest of the meal. The remaining guests dispersed slowly after lunch and I found myself sitting in the dining room with Kai, Gerda, Anna, Nikolai and a pile of perfectly wrapped gifts.

"Nikolai, with all due respect, I know you have other business to attend to in town, you can leave." He declined Kai's offer,

"It's fine, the business can wait. It's not like I'm going anywhere for the time being." I saw his eyes flick over to me, or more specifically, my hand. Kai followed his line of sight and his eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise.

"So the engagement is official then? Is that why Mr Overland didn't stay?" I nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Anna was a little hurt on the other side of the room.

"I don't want it announced until at least tomorrow." She huffed but stomped over to see the ring anyway.

"If you want to skip logging in the gifts, Gerda and I can take care of it for you." I smiled, hugging Kai quickly and hurrying out the door before Nikolai could tell me not to go. I heard Footsteps following me through the courtyard and turned to see both Anna and Nikolai falling into step behind me.

"You both want to come find Jackson? Anna, you only know him through me, and Nikolai, he's likely to punch you." They shrugged,

"We're coming anyway, I guess." Anna smiled. I rolled my eyes at her and turned back, headed to the Overlands' village.

"Tara!" I called into the small cottage, pushing the door open. "Mary?" no one answered. "Jackson?" I called in almost a whisper. Nothing. It barely took me a minute to search each room and confirm none of the Overlands were home. I went back to Anna and Nikolai. "Wait here, if they come back send Jackson to find me, or Nikolai… either way, keep them separated." I told my sister and she immediately turned her attention to keeping Nikolai where he stood.

I didn't even need to make it all the way to the tree line that lead to the lake to know something was wrong. I could see footsteps and a sled pulled by some kind of animal franticly headed that way. I started running and then I was practically flying across the snow to the lake. I stopped when I hit the clearing. Tara and Mary were kneeling on the ground beside the lake.

"Jackson?" I called out. The Overland girls looked up at the sound of my voice.

"Elsa, stop." I could see past them now and I couldn't see anything there. There was no unconscious Jackson that I could save. There was no Jackson anywhere. He was already gone.

"Where is he? Tara, where is Jackson?" I was becoming frantic. He was fine, something else happened.

"Elsa, you need to sit." Tara tried to grab my arm.

"No! What happened?" Tara grabbed my wrist again and pulled me down into the snow. I could see between them now and I saw a flicker of brown hair and snow-white skin beneath the ice. I stood up again. "Jackson!" I could feel tears streaming down my cheeks as I screamed myself hoarse, calling for him, pushing Tara away. Someone was restraining me though because I was trying to get into the lake, to get Jackson, but I could feel hands holding me back.

"Elsa." Tara's face blocked my vision and I saw hers in what must be a mirror of mine. Horror, distraught, gut-wrenching awful loss and cheeks lined with tear trails. I finally collapsed into the snow, crying and muttering to myself that he was gone. Jackson is dead.

A/N

Wow I'm sorry I'm gonna go now.