Chapter 11: The Dance

"When will the alliance be announced then, if your sister's wedding takes place on Christmas Eve?" demanded the King, his voice shaking with controlled fury.

"The date has yet to be set," said Elsa, the image of grace, as always. Most unlike her sister, Jack noticed, highly amused. You could see on Anna's face that all she really wanted to do was insult the whole bunch of them.

"Do I have to remind you that we will invade your country if this alliance doesn't take place?" snarled the King.

"It will take place," insisted Elsa. "Just not on Christmas Eve."

"Fine," snapped the King irritably, giving in. "I will negotiate the new dates with your counsellors."

Elsa didn't even flinch at the thinly-veiled provocation, though Jack gritted his teeth.

"Did I mention how I really hate that guy?" he muttered in Elsa's direction, and Elsa mouthed 'Me too'.

His thoughts flashed back to that afternoon, when Elsa had told him about her plans. He'd been more than impressed as her eyes had taken a far-away look. He'd fallen in love a little, while she'd talked on and on about how to pay for the health insurance she wanted to start, without raising taxes.

And then he'd told her how she'd make a great queen, and she'd looked at him with those eyes- and she'd kissed him.

On the cheek, added an annoying voice in the back of his mind, but still. And though everything in him screamed that this would only lead to more sorrow for the both of them, he just couldn't get enough.

"You will negotiate the dates with my sister," he heard Anna say, pulling him back to reality, "Because she is the Queen of Arendelle."

"Anna," said Elsa warningly.

"With all due respect, miss-"

Now it was Elsa's turn to look affronted.

"Miss?! My sister is a princess, and is to be addressed as such!"

"My sister is kind enough to host all of you here after what Hans tried to do, when personally I would have told all of you to go fuck yourselves-"

"HAHAHA ANNA," said Elsa loudly while Jack burst out laughing, doubling over, "What the princess means-"

"What I mean," interrupted Anna, "Is that you should be grovelling for our forgiveness, and not coming here with only threats and disrespect!"

"I really, really, really, really, really like her," said Jack, while Elsa was visibly trying not to laugh.

"I think it is time we bid you a good night," she announced quickly, stopping the retort the King was about to throw Anna's way, which was sure to lead them to even more hostility. If that was possible.

Elsa stood up and left first, Kristoff following- but he stopped and looked back, noticing that Anna was not behind him. Jack followed his gaze, and saw that Anna was still seated, glowering at the King, who looked rather unnerved. Jack was beginning to wonder if Kristoff was going to have to physically restrain Anna from attacking the King.

"I really don't like you." she said finally before getting up and taking Kristoff's hand as they left, leaving the stunned royals behind them.

…

"That. Was. Incredible." laughed Jack, doing a kind of loop in the air.

"I know, right?!" Anna said excitedly, looking up at him. "Did you see how I put him back in his place!"

"Yeah, and then the way you looked at him-" joined in Kristoff.

"It wasn't funny, you three. That could've gotten really serious," said Elsa sternly, as she walked fast in front of them.

"Aw come on Snowflake, you were giggling-"

"I most certainly was not!" she said, at the same moment Anna exclaimed, "You were?!"

Elsa looked back at her sister, and Jack saw her eyes soften.

"Okay, Anna, maybe I was a little impressed, but don't do that kind of thing again-"

"Did you hear that?!" Anna squealed. "Elsa was impressed!"

"Don't let it get to your head." Elsa muttered, and Jack chuckled. He loved watching Anna and Elsa together- maybe it was because Anna was the only person that could make Elsa completely let her guard down, or maybe it was just the fact that they were sisters- but Elsa didn't seem to hold back in any way… as she sometimes seemed to hold back when she was with him.

"We should probably get to bed," said Elsa looking at the three of them. Elsa and Anna hugged, whilst Jack and Hans looked at each other awkwardly.

They parted ways at the top of the staircase, Jack and Elsa going right as Anna and Kristoff went left.

Elsa pushed open the doors of her room, letting herself and Jack in.

"So- I guess I'll see you tomorrow then." Jack said, walking towards the window.

"Jack," she called back, "Where have you been sleeping?"

"On the roof," he said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"You've been sleeping on the roof?!"

"No need to look so shocked Snowflake, the roof is plenty comfortable-" he started saying in an insulted tone.

"Do you want to sleep with me?" she interrupted, looking straight at him. He froze for a second, before bursting out laughing.

"Well- um- I would love to sleep with you- but- you know, maybe it's kind of early in our relationship-"

Elsa's eyes widened in horror.

"I didn't mean it that way-"

"I know, Snowflake," he said, still laughing, "I'm teasing. You should see your face though-"

"DO YOU WANT TO SLEEP HERE OR NOT?" shouted Elsa, her face red.

"Yes. I'm sorry. I'll sleep here." he said, struggling to regain his breath.

"Good." she said, regally.

Jack turned around while she changed into a nightgown and got into bed. He then sat down on the armchair he'd slept in the night before.

He heard her snort in laughter.

"What?" he asked curiously.

"'It's a little early in our relationship', honestly," she said, and Jack dissolved into fits of laughter again.

…

When Elsa woke up the next day, rain was pounding against the windows, and her room was submerged in a dull grey light.

She turned her gaze to the armchair where Jack had fallen asleep in-

To find it empty. She pulled the covers of the bed off her legs, and ran to her window, pulling it open.

Where the hell is he?

She bent over the window as far as she could go, trying to see past the violent sheet of rain-

But then she felt two hands on her waist, and someone pulled her back inside her room, slamming the windows shut.

"Are you mad, leaning out of the window like that?!" said Jack, looking down at her. She only now noticed that he was a few inches taller than her.

She smiled.

"I was looking to see where you'd gone-"

"I went to fetch you breakfast!" he said in disbelief, "I won't do it again, if it gives you suicidal urges!"

"It doesn't give me suicidal urges," she snapped. But then she looked behind him, and saw that in his haste to pull her away from the window, he'd dumped his staff and food on the bed.

"You brought me breakfast?" she said, her annoyance vanishing.

"Thank you for catching on," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

"But why?"

"Well, I noticed you have a really bad habit of skipping meals-" but Jack stopped talking as she leapt on the bed, pulling the tray of the food towards her.

"I would've done it sooner, if I had known you would like it so much," he chuckled as he sat down beside her on the bed. She looked up at him, her mouth stuffed with blueberries before gulping them down.

"Thank you," she said breathlessly. "This is really good."

An odd look passed in Jack's gaze, but it was gone as soon as it had come.

He grinned at her.

"So," she said, "I'd like to know how old you are."

Jack groaned and flopped backwards on the bed, now facing the ceiling.

"Do you have to know?" he grumbled.

"Honestly, the way you're reacting, you'd think you were three hundred years old-" Elsa started, exasperated, but she stopped talking at the look on Jack's face.

"Are you three hundred years old?" she uttered in disbelief.

"Uh- Maybe?" he said.

Before Elsa could answer however, the door burst open to reveal Anna, breathless.

But whatever Anna had wanted to say, she'd clearly already forgotten as she took in the scene before her; Jack, laying on Elsa's bed, and Elsa herself, in nothing more than a white night gown.

"You are such a hypocrite!" said Anna, grinning.

"Anna, it's not what it looks like-"

"Of course it's not-"

"Sadly, it's really not," mumbled Jack.

"I knew there was something going on-"

"There's nothing going on-"

"I am trying not to feel insulted over here-" Jack intervened again.

"You have to tell me everything," said Anna, closing the door behind her and launching onto the bed with them. "How was it?"

"How was what?" said Elsa, sounding thoroughly exasperated.

"Your first time!" Anna answered, as if it was obvious, but then added, her eyes widening; "Was this not your first time?!"

"NO, Anna-"

"YOU HAD SEX WITHOUT TELLING ME ABOUT IT?!"

"ANNA," shouted Elsa, "WE DIDN'T HAVE SEX!"

"Oh," said Anna in a small voice, with so much disappointment in her face that Jack felt that it was his duty to pat her on the back.

"Don't lose hope," he said in a grave voice. "Maybe it'll happen someday."

"So," cut in Elsa, "What did you want to tell me?"

"The Counsellors have decided that you don't have to spend every morning with the Princes!"

"What?!" said Elsa, standing up from the bed. "But why?!"

"I think the King barged in and quite insulted them after last night," she explained, "So this is their way to punish him."

"Great!" said Jack, "I was getting tired of pretending to be interested by their plans of world domination."

"Why would you have to pretend to be interested? They couldn't even see you."

"Definitely not the point, Snowflake," he countered.

"Anyway, Kristoff's waiting for me, we're taking Olaf to the village. See you later!" said Anna as she ran out of the room after grabbing a piece of toast.

"That was my toast," Elsa said, outraged.

"Do you know what this means? We have the whole day to ourselves," said Jack, grabbing his staff and leaping from the bed.

"No. This means you have the day to yourself. I, however, am going to-"

"Don't say work. Please don't say work."

"Jack- I'm the Queen-"

"Oh, come on-"

"It's raining anyway," she said, gesturing towards the window.

"So? Since when rain has been an obstacle to having fun?"

Elsa ignored him, walking to her desk. He followed her.

"Come on Elsa, you've been working way too hard."

"Not true," she protested, "I haven't worked on something new in days-"

"Yeah, well, you've been kind of busy trying to prevent an invasion-"

"Still, I can't just forget my other duties-"

"Elsa. Until we get rid of the counsellors and the way they are leading the country as we speak, you won't be able to pass any bill anyway," insisted Jack, and watched as Elsa threw her arms to the ceiling in exasperation.

He grinned, knowing that he'd won.

"Fine," she said. "What do you want to do, then?"

"I don't know," he said. "What do you want to do?"

Elsa frowned, thinking.

"I could show you my Ice Palace," she muttered.

Jack perked up.

"Your Ice Palace?!" he said.

"Or I could show you the music room," she said quickly as if she wanted nothing more than to take back her proposition, but Jack had already swung open the window.

"No way," he said, shaking his head, "I want to see that Ice Palace."

"It's not really a palace-"

"Come on, let's go." said Jack, taking her by the hand and pulling her towards the window.

"Wait! I have to get dressed first!"

"Hurry up," he huffed, rolling his eyes, jumping up and down.

Five minutes later, Elsa told him to turn back around and for a second he forgot all about that Ice Palace he'd been so eager to see.

Elsa had dressed into a simple dark blue dress that reached her ankles, and stayed close to her body, hugging her bodice and hips. Her hair swept over her shoulders, bringing out the colour of her dress, and at her feet were-

"Heels?" Jack asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"You have something against heels?"

Quite the opposite, Snowflake.

"No, but maybe they're not the most appropriate shoes for-"

"Trust me, I'll manage," she said. "Are we going?"

"Well, if you ask like that," Jack grinned, going to the beautiful queen and pulling her to him, letting the moment last a split-second more than it should have before lurching out of the window, enjoying the feeling of Elsa's hands tightening around his neck as the wind caught them, propelling them higher.

…

Anna threw herself into Kristoff, her sword hitting into his. He grunted as he pulled back. Then, with a swing, he knocked Anna's sword out of her hand.

She groaned in frustration.

"I am so bad at this," said Anna.

"No you're not," Kristoff reassured her, "You're just putting too much of your balance on your right side. And you leave your left side unprotected."

"So what you're saying…" said Anna, "is that I'm bad at this."

"You're not that bad," said Kristoff, ruffling her hair.

They were alone in the training room, because nobody was training at this hour.

Lunch hour, he thought darkly.

But Anna had begged him to train her at sword-fighting (not that he was much of an expert, having lived with trolls and all that), so he'd missed lunch.

If that wasn't a proof of love, he didn't know what was.

"I just want to be able to defend myself if Hans returns," she mumbled, and Kristoff put his arm around her.

"I can defend you if Hans returns," he said, trying to be comforting.

"Oh well in that case…" she said airily.

"Seriously?" he asked, hopeful.

"No! I can't depend on a man to defend me!" said Anna indignantly. "What kind of a message is that?"

"Fine," he said, rolling his eyes. "Pick up your sword, then."

…

Jack finally landed in front of the icy stairwell that led to the enormous ice castle. He looked up in awe as Elsa combed her hair with her fingers, trying to tame it after the wind had blown it into a tangled mess.

"You built this?"

"Yep," she shrugged, though he detected a hint of pride in her voice. "It was different before, though. I had to rebuild it a little after Hans and his men broke in."

"They broke in?!"

"Yes. I think some of them only wanted me to stop the winter, but two men tried to stop it another way- Coming?" she was already half up the staircase, but he hadn't moved. He followed her up, marvelling at the details of the ramp.

"When you say they tried to stop it another way- do you mean they tried to kill you?" he asked. Elsa didn't answer for a full minute, and he'd given up all hope that she would- having, once again, shut him out. Like that moment in the gardens, when he'd asked about her past…

"They cornered me in a room of the palace. Two of them." she whispered so low, that Jack had barely heard her.

"Cowards," Jack muttered angrily, as Elsa opened the double doors… and all thought was driven out of his mind.

It was beautiful.

Everything was ice, the floor, the walls… even a frozen fountain stood, just next to a sweeping stairwell that led upwards. His reflection stared back at him, eyes wide, as he took in what he was seeing.

"Wow," he breathed. "Elsa… this is beautiful."

"Thank you," she said softly. "I haven't been back here since- since after Hans' trial."

"So what happened?" he questioned again, following her up another staircase, his voice echoing in the icy silence surrounding them. "After they cornered you?"

"They had crossbows, and they tried to shoot at me so- I defended myself. It's one of my biggest regrets."

"To have defended yourself is one of your biggest regrets?" he said disbelievingly, his eyebrows raised.

"I nearly killed them." she said quietly. "And I would have, if Hans hadn't stopped me- I suppose, despite everything that happened, I owe him that."

"They would have deserved it," he said, and Elsa didn't answer.

Finally, they arrived onto the landing, and Jack followed the queen past another set of doors, and tried to take in what he was seeing.

The room was magnificent; the floor was engraved by a large, icy snowflake; a huge chandelier made of icicles was suspended from the ceiling, and doors opened on a balcony that gave a breath-taking view of the mountains around them.

"This is incredible," he said, grinning, as he passed Elsa and walked out to the balcony. The wind ruffled his hair, and he felt her come next to him. He turned to look at her, offering her a grin.

"And you were going to show me the music room!" he snorted.

"It's a very good music room!" she retorted indignantly.

"Yeah, well, this is better," he said, turning back inside the room. His thoughts flashed back to that moment, when they'd been alone and surrounded by darkness in the Globe Room.

Am I making you nervous?

Yes.

He looked around at the icy room again. There wasn't much furniture; two chairs were facing each other next to the balcony, and the only other thing in the room was-

A phonograph.

"Where did you get this?" he asked, going to examine the machine.

"It was a present. For my coronation. One of the first ever made; they can't be bought anywhere yet, the inventor- Edison, I think he's called- insists on perfecting it. I brought it here after I came back to govern."

"How does it work?" he asked curiously. He heard the sound of her heels approach him, and saw her bend towards the phonograph. He heard her slide something into it, and lower something that looked like a needle;

And then a beautiful sound wafted through the air.

Jack recognized the sound of a piano- violins-

"It's my favourite piece of music." He heard her say, and he pushed upon his thigh to stand up. He then bowed dramatically down, looking at her from underneath his eyelashes.

"May I have this dance?"

Elsa laughed.

"Yes, sir, of course you can." she said, taking his hand as he led her towards the center of the room.

"I don't really know how to dance, though," he said, looking at her, and she chuckled.

"You ask people to dance when you don't even know how to dance?" she teased.

"I hadn't really thought it through," he admitted.

"Well you have to put your hand on my waist," she explained, taking his hand and placing it there, "And take my other hand."

He did so, his heart thundering in his ears. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"We have to get a little closer," she said and he happily obliged, his arm tightening around her. He looked down at his feet as Elsa started to move.

"Jack, you have to look at me."

He looked up, and found his face so close to hers that he could see each of her dark eyelashes. He found that his feet were moving automatically, as if they were following a pattern learned long ago.

"You're leading," she said, impressed. He lifted his arm and she twirled. He caught her as they turned together, dancing from each side of the room.

The music swelled around them, becoming more intense, and when the song reached a climaxing note, Jack put both of his hands on Elsa's waist and lifted her up. She squealed a little as her feet left the ground.

"You're really good at this," she said, when he made her twirl again.

"Don't act so surprised, Snowflake," he grinned, as their hands joined again. There was something in her eyes that he hadn't seen since the snow fight- wonder… but this time it wasn't directed at his powers.

It was directed at him.

"Can I ask you something?" she said softly.

"Anything," he breathed.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to- it's just- I was wondering… how-"

"How I died?" he finished, as the music came to a close. But Elsa didn't step out of his embrace; on the contrary, she looked up at him, not glancing away.

She nodded.

"How did you know I died?" he said, after a long pause, the room completely silent now.

"I assumed," she whispered. "I never saw you eat. And your age was a good indicator."

"Ah," he laughed, though it sounded hollow even to his ears. "As smart as you look, then."

"It's fine, Jack. You don't have to tell me- I shouldn't have asked."

She tried to let go of him, but he tightened his grip around her. Their bodies were glued together, their breaths mingling.

"I went ice-skating with my sister," he said, whispering so low he wondered how she could hear him, "And ice broke under her feet. I saved her, pushing her out of the way, but- I fell through."

Elsa didn't utter a sound, but she put both her hands on his shoulders.

"I don't remember much." he continued, looking down at his feet. "Just the pain. The water- it pierced me like a thousand knives. I drowned."

He heard her intake of breath.

"What happened?"

"When I woke up, I was floating above the frozen lake. I didn't remember anything." He paused, feeling a pressure in his throat.

"I never saw my sister again. And nobody- nobody could see me. I was completely invisible. People walked through me, as if I didn't even exist-"

He blinked furiously back tears, but something told him she'd noticed. He felt her hands on his jawline, and he lifted his gaze to her face, his eyes still watery.

"When I was little," she said, maybe speaking even lower than he had, "my sister and I played with my magic. We built snowmen, and I made it snow in the ball room, stuff like that." She held his head in her hands, but she needn't have. He looked down at her face, holding his breath. He didn't want to do anything that would make her stop talking.

"One day, I hurt Anna. I sent a blast of magic in her eye by accident. She healed, but after that my parents thought it best that I be isolated from everyone- even Anna. Counsellor Archimedes used to hit me when I lost control of them, and sometimes-" she suddenly stopped talking. Jack felt her trembling against him.

"Go on," he said softly. She closed her eyes.

"Sometimes he'd lock me up in this room. Except it wasn't really a room. It was completely dark, and it was so small I couldn't sit down. I couldn't even lean on the walls, because there were spikes on them. I had to stand for hours, waiting for him to let me out. If there was an inch of frost on the walls, he'd lock me up again. It was- it was so dark and cold in that room-" a shuddering gasp escaped her. As if she couldn't bear to look at him, she leaned her forehead against his chest, and his arms twisted around her.

"Not even Anna knows," she whispered. "I don't know if I could bear it if she did."

He rested his chin against her hair. Finally, he knew. She'd let him in, and he didn't want to break the moment as they were both so raw, so vulnerable…

"I'll kill him," he said determinedly. "I'll kill that man for what he's done to you."

She let out a sound that sounded like both a laugh and a sob. They stood there for a while, intertwined, having each given the other such a fundamental piece of themselves that they could hardly believe it themselves.

Jack held the Queen of Arendelle with all his might as the sun started to set on her Ice Palace.

…

Hans flinched as Pitch screamed in rage.

"Read. It. Again." he ordered.

"It's no use reading it for a fifth time," snapped Hans. "The words won't change, you know."

So fast he didn't even see the movement, Pitch slammed him against the wall, holding him by the throat. Hans felt his hand squeeze on his windpipe, as he gasped for breath, his eyes bulging. He let go of the letter, sent by his father, that he'd received by pigeon no more than ten minutes ago.

"I WILL TOLERATE NO DISRESPECT FROM YOU OR YOUR USELESS FAMILY, WHO ARE NOT EVEN CAPABLE OF STICKING TO A VERY SIMPLE PLAN!" Pitch roared, before letting Hans drop to the ground. His knees buckled underneath him, and he massaged his neck as he tried to regain his breath. Pitch turned away from him, his cloak sweeping the floor. The greyish tinge of his skin was enhanced as his cruel features were now contorted with rage.

"It's not their fault if princess Anna has decided that she wanted to marry her good-for-nothing fiancé on Christmas Eve," he said, and Pitch turned to look at him again. Hans flinched underneath his gaze.

"Well, I'll have to come up with a new plan, I suppose," Pitch sneered. "And I will not show an ounce of mercy. Everyone will bow down to me, with a little help from the Ice Queen."

"How can you be so sure she'll help you?"

"Trust me. She'll help me," he said, as he swept from the room.

And for the first time, Hans wondered if he hadn't made an enormous mistake.

…

During the flight home, Elsa felt that something had changed between her and Jack. A boundary had been broken, as they had both seen their deepest, darkest scars…

She couldn't imagine what he'd went through when he'd risen again. How he must have felt- remembering nothing about who he was, where he came from, wondering why people couldn't see or feel him, as if he wasn't part of their world, without ever knowing why…

His vulnerability in that moment had been so heart-breaking that she hadn't even made a conscious decision to tell him about her struggles, her fight to forget, every night, what she'd endured…

Jack swooped into her room, and gently let go of her. She swayed, trying to regain her balance. They hadn't spoken since they'd left the Ice Palace.

Elsa saw that he was staring at her, apparently being as much at loss to what to say as she was. He was staring at her though, from underneath his lashes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she said.

"Am I not allowed to look at you now?" he teased, though his voice sounded off.

"Of course you're allowed to look at me," she answered, rolling her eyes.

"Am I allowed to do more than look?" he asked mischievously, taking a step forward, his staff on his shoulder.

"Yeah, don't push your luck," she said, shaking her head as she grinned, fighting the blush that was appearing on her cheeks.

"If I didn't know better, Snowflake, I'd think you had a crush on me." he teased, and this time there was no holding back the blush that tainted her cheeks.

"I most certainly do not have a crush on you," she said, outraged.

"Awwwww. You do!"

"I do not!" she snapped.

"Yeah you do. It's okay Snowflake, I kind of have a crush on me too," he said, laughing, as Elsa started hitting his chest. Not that she was hurting him much.

"You obnoxious, arrogant-"

He grabbed her wrists before she could hit him another time. He opened his mouth- certainly to say something that would send her into another rant about his being suck an arrogant prick, but before he could say anything, a cheerful voice wafted from behind them.

"Hello you two," she said cheerfully, but stopped as she took in the both of them; Elsa, looking semi-flustered, semi-furious, and Jack, gripping Elsa's wrists, looking highly amused.

"Er- am I interrupting something?"

"No!" said Elsa quickly, at the same moment Jack said "Yes, Tooth, you are."

Elsa ripped her wrists from his grip and sat down on the bed, doing her best effort to look regal.

"Um- so, I got Katie's memories-" Tooth started, and at once Elsa stood up again, looking as if she'd completely forgotten what she thought of the Spirit of Winter.

"And? Can we discover anything?"

"Well, as only a fairy can reveal someone's memories, I have to show you myself; but you have to hold on to me, or you won't be able to see a single thing. In normal conditions, only the person to who the memories belong to can access the memories in question."

"Okay, let's do this," said Jack, gritting his teeth. Tooth flitted over to them, and pulling from underneath her feathers a small, golden, long box with beautiful blue, green, and violet patterns.

"Elsa, grab my arm. Jack too." she ordered, and they did so. Then, Tooth lied a hand on the box's patterns.

And Elsa was blinded by a dazzling, white light.

…

Katie was taking care of her sick mother. She'd been ill for as long as Katie could remember, and they only survived with the meagre pension that the bar where her mother used to be a waitress gave them every month. It was barely enough to buy enough wood to keep them warm, and enough food to keep them fed.

Katie was at her mother's funeral. She was alone in the church, with only the priest, dressed in black robes, and an open coffin where her mother laid. If she didn't know better, Katie would have thought she was asleep. Rain pounded against the stained-glass windows, falling as steadily as the tears on her cheeks.

Katie had sold the house where she'd grown up, to pay for her mother's debts. She had taken a job at the castle, and served the Queen herself. She was always warm now, always fed. And though she missed greatly her mother, her life had taken a turn for the better.

Katie prepared the bedroom for one of the princes of the Southern Isles. She felt hands on her hips, and turned around suddenly. Behind her, one of the princes, with a shock of red hair, leered at her. He'd pushed her on the bed and had ripped her clothes off, before knocking her out, exasperated at her struggles.

She was crying now, in her bed, her friend Isabelle, another servant, asking her what was wrong. She pushed her away when Isabelle tried to touch her; she couldn't bear being touched. She just wanted to wash of the scent of the prince, his marks on her…

Katie listened as she made the bed, listened to the argument between the King and one of the princes. She knew instinctively that it was the one who'd attacked her, and she wanted nothing more than to run away… but something kept her glued to the spot.

"I know, the situation is getting out of hand with the boy- I thought if I married Eleanor, he would come back to his senses," was saying the King.

"Father, they still meet in secret, whenever they can, and I know for a fact that he thinks he loves her, and can't bear for her to be mistreated."

"I WILL MISTREAT MY WIFE IF I WANT TO!" the King roared, "SHE IS MINE, NOT HIS!"

"Father, if I may- I think he may betray us."

"You think he'd go that far?! Choose this- this woman, over our country?"

"Yes, Father. I think- we may have to dispose of him."

"I will talk to him," grumbled the King. "If he refuses to change his mind, then you will stage a little accident for him- before we invade Arendelle."

Katie was running towards the library now-

"STOP!" Jack heard Elsa scream as if from very far away. "I don't- I can't see her die again, I just can't-"

And just as suddenly as it had started, the memory vanished, and Jack found himself in Elsa's room, gasping. Elsa was trembling, and Jack instantly strode over to her, putting his arm around her as he looked at Tooth.

"Thank you Tooth," he said. "We'll manage now."

Tooth simply nodded, and flew out the window, leaving them behind her.

…

"I can't believe it," gasped Elsa. "I- I let them come here, in my home, and they- they-"

"I know, Snowflake. I know," he said softly.

"Katie was raped!" Elsa shouted, as if saying it aloud could change something. "She was raped, and I didn't even know!"

She was pacing now, and Jack noticed that frost was starting to cover the walls.

"How could you have known?" he asked, but he could have been talking to a doorknob, for all the impact it had on Elsa.

"She'll have a royal burial. And I'll force every one of those horrid- disgusting- princes to kneel before her coffin if I have to-"

"An honourable plan," he said, though not getting his hopes up that she would give him any more attention than she had for the last half-hour, since Tooth had left.

"I hate them, the whole bunch, stupid, power-hungry-"

"Maybe one is different though," he said quietly, and Elsa rounded on him, her eyes flashing. Before she could start shouting on him though, he lifted his hands in the air, as if in surrender.

"Hear me out."

Elsa looked at him, hesitating, then crossed her arms over her chest.

"We heard the King and one of the princes say that another one of the princes was in love with the King's wife."

"Which is gross," Elsa said, and Jack couldn't help but grin a little, though immediately became serious again as Elsa noticed.

"Anyway, they were talking about one of the princes betraying them. If we could find that Prince, we could get more information on Pitch's whereabouts-"

"We're talking about twelve princes. How are we supposed to guess which one it is?"

Jack looked up, a glint of malice in his eyes.

"Well that part's easy," he said. "We ask the Queen."