Note: Hey guys! Sorry about the time it took to post this chapter, but I haven't had a lot of time to write. For my defense though, it's really long (the longest one yet)! Thank you so much for all the reviews, it really means a lot to me to know what you think! I know that the description isn't great, but I'm really bad at those so I'll probably just make it worse by changing it... though if you have any suggestions, please tell me! Please review this chapter too, I really want to know what y'all think about it. Thanks so much for reading this far, and hope you like it!
Chapter 14: A Shooting Star
"EUGENE," Rapunzel called. "EUGENE COME IN HERE!"
Elsa looked around her. The room was warm and cosy, the walls completely covered in paint; a fire warmed her bones, a wide four poster bed taking up a great deal of space. A rug that looked like heaven for your feet covered the floor, and a huge white wardrobe sat next to the fireplace.
A door opened, and Eugene, who was wearing nothing more than a towel, emerged, a toothbrush in his hand and toothpaste filling his mouth.
"What is it, Blondie?"
His eyes fell on Elsa and Anna and instantly his hand went to his towel, ensuring that it wasn't about to fall off.
"Geez, Rapunzel, next time there's someone in our room when I'm in the bathroom, warn me," he said, taking in the appearance of his wife's cousins in his room.
"Hey Eugene," Anna smiled, "Sorry to barge in like this."
"I can't believe you're here!" squealed Rapunzel, sauntering to them and giving them both a hug. Elsa chuckled as she wrapped her arms around Rapunzel. Her hair had grown back a little, but it was still very short. Her huge green eyes hadn't changed though; still adorable. "How- did Father and Mother forget to tell me you were coming?"
"No. Actually-"
"How long are you staying?!" Rapunzel said excitedly.
"An hour actually," said Elsa, but Rapunzel wasn't listening.
"Do you want my room?! Eugene and I can go take the guest suite-"
"Wow," Elsa heard Jack say, "I can see how Anna and Rapunzel are related. How could you be so serious when you've grown up with these two?"
"I didn't actually grow up with them," Elsa muttered.
"Oh. Well, that explains it."
"Let me call a servant, we'll order tea-"
"RAPUNZEL," shouted Elsa. "We don't want tea."
"Oh. Hot chocolate then?"
"No thanks. We're not staying long, actually."
Rapunzel stopped talking. Eugene quietly entered the bathroom again and emerged fully dressed, before walking to Rapunzel's side and laying his hand on her lower back.
"What's going on?" asked Rapunzel, and for the first time there was worry in her voice. For a second, Elsa found herself at a loss of what to say. Then, she felt Jack's hand slide in her own. She turned, smiled at him, and squeezed back. Though there was no warmth emanating from his body, the pressure of his hand in hers reassured her.
"Rapunzel- so much has been going on, I don't know where to start," she said. "First, if you're going to understand any of this, I need you to…"
Elsa stopped talking. Rapunzel was watching her curiously, her green eyes reflecting the light. She loved Rapunzel, she truly did, but she wasn't Anna; would she believe her?
"What Elsa is trying to say," said Anna, "is that there's someone in the room with us."
Eugene looked uneasily around, tightening his grip on Rapunzel.
"He's next to Elsa, but you can't see him because you don't believe in him."
"Have you two gone mad?" asked Flynn, completely bewildered.
"I don't think so," laughed Anna, "but you won't be able to see him if you two don't believe, without the shadow of a doubt, that there is a boy standing next to Elsa."
Eugene continued to look half-confused, half-worried that the two sisters had completely lost their minds; Rapunzel, however, gasped.
"What the-"
"Hi," said Jack sheepishly.
"Uh- hi?" she squeaked, and Eugene turned to look at her.
"You can see this- this boy they're talking about?"
"He's right there," breathed Rapunzel, her head turning back and forth from Elsa and Jack- who had let go of her hand- and her husband. Eugene looked confused for a second more, his eyes going from searching Rapunzel's face to Elsa's side, but then stumbled back, his eyes wide.
"WOAH," he shouted. "How do you do that?"
"Long story," Jack chuckled. Eugene's eyes bulged.
"Long-"
"Don't freak out, Eugene," Rapunzel said in a teasing voice. "I'm sorry. He freaked out even worse than this when I told him about my magic hair," she laughed.
"I didn't freak out, Blondie," Eugene said, and Elsa was glad to see that a little color was returning to his cheeks, though he still looked shaken.
"Yeah, you did."
"Your magic hair?" asked Jack, now sounding completely perplexed. Rapunzel turned her gaze to him.
"Long story," she replied, and Elsa laughed at the look on his face.
Let the joke be on him, for a change.
"So, tell me everything," Rapunzel said, taking Anna and Elsa by the hand and pulling them towards the unmade bed. They sat down, and Jack walked- Elsa was very thankful that he walked, because if he'd flown, Eugene would have certainly passed out- and leaned against the bed post so he was near her.
Eugene pushed the two armchairs so that they were opposite them and they both sat down in one. Rapunzel crossed her legs and laid her head onto her knuckles, the way she always did when someone was about to tell her a story.
Elsa started talking. She told them everything from the day the guests from the Southern Isles had arrived, Jack and Anna filling the blanks whenever she forgot something. When she finally stopped talking, more than a half-hour later, her throat was so dry she could have begged for a glass of water.
Suddenly, she felt something cold in her mouth that instantly melted, leaving a sweet sensation behind. She looked up at Jack, and he winked.
Thanks, she mouthed. Finally, she turned back to Rapunzel and Eugene. Eugene was still gaping at Jack, but there was a frown on his face; Rapunzel held a hand over her heart as she looked at both her cousins.
"And you've come here to ask for help?" Rapunzel probed slowly. "To help you defeat Prince Hans and his family, who wants your kingdom, and this Pitch Black?"
"Pitch Black is a wicked, evil man, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants," explained Jack. "And in this case, he wants Elsa. She is in very true, and very real danger."
"Why does he want you?" asked Rapunzel.
"Well-" Elsa looked uncertainly at Jack, wondering if she could tell them, and he gave her an almost imperceptible nod. "Jack thinks- we think- that Pitch wants me to help him defeat Jack."
"Defeat- I'm getting a little confused," said Rapunzel, frowning at the both of them.
"Jack is the Spirit of Winter," explained Elsa, "he has powers pretty much like mine. He's more powerful than me, though," she smiled.
"I think we're more than equally matched," chuckled Jack, giving her a not-so-subtle wink.
"How do you know if you're equally powerful or not?" asked Anna curiously, and Elsa blushed furiously.
"Did you two get into a snow fight or something?" she gasped, and before Elsa could answer, Rapunzel and Anna had squealed at the same time.
"That is so romantic," sighed Anna with a pitiful imitation of a swoon.
"Not the point," Elsa seethed as Jack roared with laughter, "Could we get back to asking Rapunzel's help, please?"
"What do you want? Men? Supplies?"
"Men would be a good place to start," said Elsa.
"I'll talk to my parents tomorrow," announced Rapunzel, "How can I tell you if they've agreed or not?"
"It's too dangerous to put this information in a letter," said Elsa, "I was wondering if you could come tomorrow night to Arendelle, there's a pub on the harbour near the castle called the 'Queens Arms'."
"How can we come in less than a day?" asked Eugene, talking for the first time since Elsa had begun talking.
"The same way we came today," answered Anna, "Father Christmas can come and get you and take you with his magic sleigh."
"This is too- freaking- much," Eugene wheezed as Jack burst out laughing again.
"We have to get back," said Elsa. "Santa Claus exists, and he'll come get you tomorrow."
"Right," exhaled Eugene.
"I'M NOT A CAB DRIVER, YOU KNOW!" yelled North from behind the still-open window. Elsa grinned, as Rapunzel gaped and rushed to the window.
"What in the sun's name-"
She pushed herself up from the bed and went to Rapunzel, taking both her hands and kissing her cheek.
"Thank you, Punzie," she said, and Rapunzel, though still astonished at the view of North's sleigh, squeezed back.
"Think nothing of it, El'. You're family, and if a guy wants to kidnap you, I'll beat him up with my frying pan."
"Sounds like a great plan," chuckled Jack as he passed them, Anna in his arms. Elsa saw him set her down on the sleigh, and come back for her. She let him lift her up, blowing a last kiss in Rapunzel's direction and waving at Eugene, who seemed to have given up on asking questions and resigned himself to see the Spirit of Winter flying around. She hesitated for a second, looking down at the sleigh.
"Would you like it better if I flew you back?" asked Jack quietly, so that none of the others could hear him.
Elsa knew that though the sleigh wasn't her favorite way of transportation, that wasn't the only reason why she nodded.
"It will take longer, you know," he grinned, and she smiled back.
"North, I want to show Elsa something," he called, and North turned to look at them. He nodded, but shot a look full of a meaning Elsa couldn't pick up on.
"Remember what I told you, Jack," he called back, and Elsa felt the Spirit of Winter shrug.
The next second, Jack had leapt upwards so suddenly that though Elsa had been expecting it, she squealed all the same, her hands knotting behind his neck. She felt the rumble of his laugh more than she heard it, the wind too strong to hear much. Then, they were above clouds, the air thin and nothing above them but millions of stars.
…
Jack looked down at Elsa's awed face. He smiled to himself. She was still wearing that black dress she'd worn to Katie's funeral, the colour enhancing the pale shade of her hair, her blue eyes searching the heavens.
He thought back to his conversation with North. He hadn't made it apparent, but the conversation had affected him; if the Guardian of Wonder himself didn't believe that love was possible, for any of them, then how could he hope that he was special? That somehow, he could fall in love with Elsa and her with him without any consequences? The more he thought about it, the more he could see that there was no possible solution, so simple way-out… except keep his distances-
"Was that a shooting star?" laughed Elsa, and Jack bent his head to look at her. Her mouth was still open, and she was gazing at the night sky as he was flying her back to her kingdom going a little slower than he could have.
Keeping his distances wasn't an option.
"You should make a wish," he murmured, "isn't that what people do?"
"What people do? Have you never wished on a shooting star?"
"I don't see the point on wishing on a great ball of fire that could destroy the world."
"You are such a killjoy," she grumbled and he chuckled. At the sound of his laugh, she'd shifted a little in his arms, so that her head was now inclined against his chest. They were silent for a while, Jack telling himself that he was enjoying the feeling of her body against his a little too much for it to be honourable.
"Sandy told us that his home, the Sand Island, was created by a shooting star falling into the sea, and all the wishes that had been made upon it had erupted into dreams, that wandered around the island," Jack said softly, breaking the silence. Elsa shifted again, lifting her head so that she could see him.
"That's a nice story," she whispered. He looked down and met her huge blue eyes, and his stomach back-flipped.
He couldn't have kept his distance if he tried.
"They're your family, aren't they?"
It took Jack a second to understand that she was talking about the Guardians.
"Yes," he said, "they are."
He thought about Tooth, Bunny, North, and Sandy. He truly loved them, in the way you can only love a family you've chosen for yourself.
"I hope they liked me," Elsa muttered, and Jack looked at her, startled for a second.
"If they liked you?" he sputtered, bewildered.
"Well, yes," she said, shifting back to laying on his chest, and Jack looked back up, careful of where he was going. "I want them to like me. If they're so important to you." He didn't need to see her to know she was blushing.
"Snowflake, I'm sure they completely adored you," he said, chuckling. He felt her shrug.
"Seems like North didn't grow on me, though," she said in a would-be casually voice, but Jack detected a hint of a question.
"Is that what you're afraid of? Not getting an approval from my family?"
She didn't answer, and Jack sighed in exasperation.
"They loved you. Even Bunny, and the blizzards know that he's a tough guy to crack. North is just… he's worried about me."
"Worried about you?" she asked, confused. "Does he think- does he think I'm dangerous to be around?"
"What?! No, of course not," he protested.
"Oh," she said, and Jack could feel the relief in her voice. His heart broke a little- after nearly a month, during which he had spent nearly every waking moment with her, working extremely hard to gain her trust, she still thought that he might run away from her.
"You're not dangerous to be around," he said, "Or I would be too. You're not some kind of wild beast."
The necklace he'd given her glinted in the moonlight as she seized it, fiddling with it.
"North is scared that I'm getting- um- attached," he continued, mumbling the last word.
"Attached?"
"Yep."
"Oh," she said again, though this time it was comprehension in her voice. Jack could feel his frozen heart beat faster. "And are you?"
Jack hesitated.
"Yes," he said, quietly enough that maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't have been able to hear him. But she did, and she turned her face upwards again. He didn't dare meet her gaze, but he felt her arm move, and felt the contact of her hand against his jawline, and he looked down.
She's not going to feel the same, how could she?
"Why would he be scared of you getting attached to me?" she asked softly.
"That's- um- a good question," he said, laughing nervously. "You know it's kind of complicated for Guardians to have- uh- girlfriends?" he said, choking the last word out. He was relieved to see that she was smiling up at him, and he found himself, somehow, softening, his nerves gone.
"Girlfriends, huh?" she said, lifting an eyebrow. "Is that what you want me to be?"
He knew that if they'd been on the ground, Elsa would never have let herself go like this. Maybe it was the fact that they were completely alone, or the stars shining on them from above…
"I wouldn't mind," he grinned. She laughed, her head lolling back against him. She yawned.
"For what it's worth," she said sleepily, "I wouldn't mind either."
Jack was pretty sure that at that precise moment, he could have burst from happiness.
…
Elsa was asleep when Jack finally saw the castle emerge out of the gloom. He navigated to her window, sent the wind to push it open without a single thought, and had set her down on the bed. He'd been on the point to fly back to the window to close it and then go to rest on the armchair he used as a bed, when Elsa squirmed in her sleep.
"Please don't," he heard her mumble.
The beautiful queen, still in her mourning gown, was having another nightmare. He couldn't imagine what her nightmares were like to make her scream and plead in her sleep; when she usually slept quietly, barely moving.
No, he hadn't watched her sleep.
"Elsa," he said softly, but the words didn't appease her; on the contrary, she twisted in her sheets violently, her hands reaching and pulling her hair. He shook her, seeing no other way to pull her out of her torturous sleep. She woke up gasping, tears not-yet spilled shining in her eyes. She was shaking, he realized, completely terrorized.
"Elsa? Are you okay?"
She looked up at him for a second more, and then burst into tears.
"Shh, Elsa, it's okay look you're in your room, nothing's going to happen to you, you're with me-"
"I'm so sorry," she gasped in between sobs.
"What are you apologizing for?" he exclaimed, setting his staff on the ground and sitting on the bed.
"Making a spectacle of myself-"
"You're not making a spectacle of yourself!" he blurted, nearly laughing, "You had a bad dream!"
She didn't answer, but covered her face with her hands, trying her best to stop the flow of tears. She wasn't even making crying sounds- no, she was crying silently, as if (and the thought made him shiver) she'd trained herself to not make a sound when she cried. Not knowing what to say, he offered the only comfort he could, the same he'd offered her all those nights ago. He shifted closer to her, swinging his legs on the bed, and pulled her to him, her face on his torso and her hand wrapping itself around his body as she heaved with sobs.
It was another ten minutes before she stopped crying, Jack gently caressing her back with the tip of his fingers. When she'd gone silent again, he found his voice.
"What did you dream about?" he asked. He felt her hesitation, felt her walls return, but before they could-
"Did you dream about that room you told me about?" he said, and he felt her stiffen against him. "Talk to me, Snowflake."
"Yes," she whispered. "I dream about it less these days, but it comes back from time to time."
He waited for more, not daring to say something that would make her stop talking, stop relieving herself.
"I just- I see him, pushing me into this room and I'm trapped, I can't breathe, but I have to stop my powers, which is near impossible, when I'm severely under-stress, by the way- and I can't lean back, I can't sit down, I just feel like the walls are getting closer to me-"
She stopped, breathing with difficultly.
"You're not in that room anymore," he murmured, loud enough that she could hear him. She didn't answer, but her arm tightened around him as he stroked her hair. "Go to sleep, Snowflake. I'm here."
…
The sun crept in through the window, its light illuminating her bedroom. Through her closed eyelids, she could see the orange of its light. She shifted restlessly, and opened her eyes.
Elsa found that she was on her side, Jack's arm wrapped around her middle. She felt his body against her back, his breath tingling against her navel. After that first moment of panic, she relaxed, listening to the pattern of his breathing.
She laid like this for a while, before she heard Jack say sleepily:
"Are you awake?"
She turned in his arms, so that they were now face to face and smiled at him. He had this air of laziness around him, his hair messy and his eyes still closed.
"Hi," she said, touching his nose with a finger. He groaned, his arms tightening around her as he buried his face in her shoulder.
"Ten more minutes," he mumbled, "I'm way too comfortable here."
She blushed, but didn't try to pull away, enjoying the feeling of safety, as if she was wrapped in a cocoon.
"Come on, sleepyhead," she said, "We should probably get going."
He shifted again and opened his eyes. They were so close that their breaths mingled.
At the thought, Elsa wrenched herself from his arms.
"What is it?" he said, startled.
"I have morning breath!" she choked. To her surprise, Jack roared with laughter.
"Is that it?" he said breathlessly as she watched him with disapproval. "You just ran away from me like I'd transformed into Pitch, and you're saying it's because you have morning breath?"
"Just turn around," she grumbled as she pulled out a dress from her closet. He sighed and turned to his other side, still laying on the bed. She quickly pulled off the dress she'd been wearing since yesterday with relief, and pulled on a simple silk one, that was a turquoise blue. It was very simple; it needed no corset, and the skirt didn't expand as many of her other dresses did. It had no sleeves, only straps on her shoulders. She told Jack that he could turn around as she braided her hair in the mirror.
"You look good," said Jack appreciatively. She laughed, shaking her head. Before she could answer, a knock sounded on the door.
"Your Majesty?" called a voice from behind the door. "The Council is requesting your presence."
"I'm coming," she called back. She threw another glance in the mirror and slipped her feet into white high heels. The necklace Jack had given her glinted as it caught the morning light, and Elsa marvelled again at the sheer beauty of it.
"What do they want to talk to you for?" asked Jack, and Elsa thought he detected a hint of anxiety.
"They're probably going to tell me when I have to announce my engagement to one of the Southern Princes," she answered, walking towards the door. Jack followed suit, getting off the bed and picking up his staff, kicking it onto his shoulder.
"This is going to be fun," he said, rolling his eyes, and Elsa grinned as she opened the door. She was not looking forward to being in the same room as the counsellors, even less if Counsellor Archimedes was there, but she noticed that the feeling of fore-boding that she'd had every time she'd walked in the direction of the council room was gone.
And something told her that this had everything to do with the Spirit of Winter walking by her side. She thought back to that conversation last night, when they'd as good as confessed their attraction to each other. She didn't know what had taken over her; especially since her instinct cried out that this was very far from being wise; as if the Queen of Arendelle could have the freedom of just dating, to be someone's girlfriend.
But his words yesterday had made her heart beat fast and her breathing had become rapid. She'd known, of course, that there was something between them. It had been like that since that snowball fight and that moment above the clouds; since the dinner, when he'd been outraged for her… even North had noticed, and he had seen the both of them together only once.
It had been in every word he'd said to her, every time he'd been careful about her well-being; he thought she hadn't noticed how he'd done everything to gain her trust, but she had.
When I kiss you, you'll be ready.
I'd like to see you in an ice dress.
She was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed that they had arrived in front of the double doors of the council room. She pushed them open, and strode in.
The seven counsellors at once stopped talking, turning their heads. They bowed their heads, and she sat down at the head of the long table.
"Gentlemen," she said, inclining her head slightly.
"Your Majesty," greeted Counsellor Archimedes. Jack didn't utter a single word, and Elsa had just realized that maybe Jack, though he knew who her jailer had been, had maybe no idea what he looked like.
Which would explain why the guy wasn't under a pile of snow already.
"I think you know why you're here?" asked the counsellor.
"To talk about the engagement?"
"Actually," said Archimedes, "Not exactly."
"Oh," she said, her tone coated with feigned confidence. "Well, what is it then? Don't tell me this is about matters of state because we all know that you have kept me from them for a while now."
"This is about the fact that we found the King of the Southern Isles pinned to a wall by icy spikes yesterday evening. He says that you are responsible. Is that true?"
"Yes," said Elsa, without a trace of hesitation. So, she was here so that they could scold her like a child that had misbehaved.
They were wasting their time, then, because there was not a chance in hell that she would apologize.
The counsellors all looked quite taken aback by her frank honesty, and she lifted her chin a little higher.
"Well," coughed Archimedes, "of course there was no doubt that you had, because who else could have frozen the King to the wall?"
He laughed, but his laugh was unnaturally high-pitched and fake; none of the other counsellors followed suit. The sound of his laugh soon died out.
"I think you impressed them, Snowflake," Jack muttered, and she felt his breath against her ear. She looked around at the other counsellors. A few of them seemed to have indeed something like respect- or at least consideration- glinting in their eyes.
"Queen Elsa, the council hereby thinks that you should apologize." said counsellor Archimedes, and she turned her attention back to him.
"You do, do you?" she asked, and there was a snarl in her voice. Archimedes looked taken aback at the bite.
"I have myself taught you to never use your powers, yet you do," he said, trying to regain his composure, "and this just shows how you are not fit to be queen!"
Not fit to be queen.
The words sounded in her head, and a dull roar of rage was filling her ears. There was a pause, and then, suddenly, she lurched from her chair and slammed her fist on the table. Ice sprung from her closed hand and covered the table; the counsellors sprang back from the table, counsellor Archimedes the first one to scurry away as fast as he could.
Then, suddenly, she realized something, that was the answer to the question she'd been asking herself for years.
Why had he treated her like this, containing her powers in that way, making her suffer like he knew she had?
He's scared of me.
But for once, the knowledge that someone was afraid of her didn't feel her with sadness and a sense of hate for herself.
No.
This time, she smiled.
"I am fit to be queen," she said, in a voice that she didn't recognize. It was full of authority, it was made of sheer command; the voice of a ruler, the voice of a queen. "I have been fit to be queen for a while. But you, gentlemen, have been blinded by your thirst for power, and the fact that you refuse to let me be a ruler. The truth is, you're scared of me. You're scared of what I could do, because you know that I would do whatever it takes for this country's future, and you know that you are not part of it."
"Your-" tried to intervene Archimedes.
"I am not done talking," she snapped. "I am done asking for your permission, I am done waiting for you to let me be what I was born to be. I am done. I am your Queen, and I expect respect from all of you, or you will get out of this room. You are no longer regents, Counsellors. I am not a child that you can scold, but a queen in her own right, that defended herself when the Southern King tried to strike me. And I will defend myself against you if you stand in my way."
She was thankful that Jack stayed silent during all of this, because hearing his voice would have more than certainly made her soften, extinguishing the flame of rage that burned in her stomach. She glared at the counsellors, and saw that all, except counsellor Archimedes, were looking at her with respect, bearing expressions of deep admiration.
"I don't know why I haven't fired the whole lot of you after what you've made me go through, but you're still here now. If you want to stay here, to assist me as I become the Queen I am supposed to be, then swear allegiance to me. Not Counsellor Archimedes, not your petty opinions that whisper in your ear that as a woman, I can't possibly be fit to be a ruler, not alliances you have made with the Southern isles. Swear allegiance to me, and see that I will rule with the same integrity and honour that my father had before me."
The Counsellors looked at each other, and the room was silent for a moment. Then, the youngest counsellor, Counsellor Terence, shrugged at his peers. He came forward, and bent down on one knee before Elsa. He bent his head.
"Queen Elsa. I pledge my allegiance to you. I shall assist you in the dark years and the light years, obey you as I obeyed my father as a child. I shall always protect you, or die doing so. I shall never betray or lay a hand on you, my sovereign. That is my sacred vow to you, forever and always."
Jack whistled.
"Quite a vow," he breathed.
"I thank you, counsellor Terence. I promise that you will forever be protected in my kingdom."
One by one, the counsellors stepped forward and pledged their alliance to her, saying the words of the old, binding vow. It was the vow that they had made to her father, a vow she knew they wouldn't break, for it was sacred. At last, only counsellor Archimedes was left. If looks could kill, Elsa and all the counsellors that had pledged their alliance to her would have been dead within the minute.
"I will not," he spat finally. Elsa felt Jack stiffen.
"You will not?" she asked coolly, lifting her eyebrows.
"Women are not fit to rule," he spat at her, "Especially you. You are not a queen. You are a filthy, unholy witch."
Several things happened at once. Some of the counsellors stepped forward menacingly, but held back as Elsa lifted her hand, signalling them to stop. Another counsellor gasped, 'How dare you?!' and Jack leapt forward, and spat at Archimedes' feet.
Suddenly, Archimedes reached inside the inside pocket of his coat. He pulled out a silver dagger, with an intricate, white handle.
"ELSA!" shouted Jack as he saw the dagger. "ELSA, GET BACK!"
A few of the counsellors had thrown themselves in front of her, protecting her. Elsa felt a new kind of hatred simmering in her veins as she watched Archimedes advance. He was a skilled sword-fighter, and she knew, as she looked in his gaze, filled with hatred, that he wouldn't hesitate to bring down a few of the men that had just sworn allegiance to her if it meant that he had a shot at murdering her.
"Get out of my way," she snapped, and the two counsellors- counsellor Terence and Nicodeme- threw her a confused look.
"Your Majesty-"
"Get out of my way," she said again, and they did. Jack landed next to her.
"What are you doing?" he muttered urgently, grabbing her arm as she began to walk forward. She didn't answer him, wrenching her arm from his grasp.
"You have mistreated me for as long as I can remember," she said to counsellor Archimedes, "You have grappled for power. You have been insolent and disloyal, as you have tried and failed to keep me from being Queen. You have damaged and hurt me in a way that I will never recover from, you refuse to swear your allegiance to me, and now you dare threaten my life."
Archimedes' face was contorted with fury, and he advanced towards her, menacing.
"Oh no you don't," she heard Jack snarl, and a violent wind picked up the counsellor and threw him across the room, slamming him against the wall.
"You are banished from this kingdom," said Elsa, "And be glad that I leave you your life."
She turned from the still confused looking Archimedes.
"Terence, Nicodeme, assure yourself that this man be locked in a cell until preparations can be made for his departure from my life."
She strode to the doors, pulling them open. Before she could exit the room, however, she turned back to look one, last time, at the man that had destroyed her childhood, who still haunted her dreams at night.
"If you ever come back here," she said, her voice echoing, "I will personally put an end to your miserable life."
…
Jack had followed Elsa as she'd stormed back to her room. Once she'd closed the door, he'd approached her.
"Elsa- Elsa you're shaking," he breathed. And indeed she was.
He hadn't realized until the last moment that the man who was doing everything in his power to stop Elsa from having any authority in her own kingdom was the one that still gave her nightmares, the one who had given her memories she was still terrorized of. He hadn't realized, or the man would have been dead in the second.
And that's what he'd wanted to do. He'd wanted to end his life like he'd made Elsa want to end hers, because she'd thought that she was a worthless monster.
But he hadn't. He hadn't because Elsa was becoming the Queen she really was, and the counsellors had seen that. They'd seen that she was every bit a ruler as her father had been. She'd impressed them.
They'd realized that she wasn't a little girl playing at being queen. They'd realized what Jack had realized the moment he'd laid eyes on her, all those weeks ago.
She was an amazing girl- woman- that would go to any lengths to do what she thought was right.
And he couldn't even imagine the bravery it had taken to confront the man that had done these unspeakable things to her. The bravery she'd needed to break free.
But now, the toll of it was showing. Elsa was leaning against the door of her room, breathing fast, trembling.
"You did it Snowflake!" he laughed, and a feeling of intense pride rushed through him. "You're Queen!"
She smiled a little, and she lifted her hand to cover her mouth, as if she couldn't process what had happened.
"You showed them!" he said again, and he walked to her, grabbing her hands in his, their fingers twisting together. She opened her eyes. The adrenaline hadn't quite disappeared. Her gaze was filled with exhilaration-
She giggled.
Then, she burst into hysteric fits of laughter, and Jack watched, astonished. She gasped and when she seemed to regain control, she just burst into laughter again.
She was so beautiful. So incredible. Did he even deserve to touch her?
"Elsa," he whispered, and she stopped laughing, staring up at him. "Oh, Elsa," he said again, and before he realized what he was doing, Jack had let go of her hands, putting his on her waist, and pulled her to him. She giggled as she was pulled close to him, and she looked up at him, still laughing a little.
He brought his mouth to hers as if he could consume the sound. He kissed her like he'd never kissed anyone before, with a passion that he didn't know he even had in him.
…
Elsa hadn't been expecting it, and for a second she stiffened in his arms. Then, she relaxed, and opened herself to the kiss. Jack kissed her slowly, then broke away. She looked up at him, scared that he'd changed his mind, that after all he didn't want her, didn't want this damaged shell she was-
"Are you sure?" he murmured, and she could have laughed in relief. She nodded, her hands twisting in his white hair, pulling his face to hers.
"Yes," she breathed, and their mouths met again, the kiss slow at first, but intensifying. Suddenly, he lifted her off the ground, so that she was nearly his size, and carried her away from the door. Still kissing her, he lowered her onto the bed. He broke away again, and she squirmed in protest.
"Tell me when you want me to stop," he whispered, and she nodded again. He lowered his mouth to hers again, and Elsa's fist twisted into Jack's sweatshirt, pulling him closer. He kissed her once, twice, small kisses, touches on the lips, and she groaned, pulling him against her again. He laughed.
"Greedy, aren't you?" he chuckled, but she ignored him, lifting her head a little. He kissed her, slowly, then intensified the kiss as she opened herself to the embrace. She felt like her body was awakening from a deep sleep, like every one of her members was trembling. She couldn't get enough of his touch, convincing her that he wanted her. She yearned for more, more, more…
A knock sounded at the door.
"No," Jack muttered. "Go away."
"Elsa?" called Anna from behind the door, "Are you in here?"
"Don't answer," said Jack, his mouth forming the words against hers.
"I have to. It might be important," she said, trying to get up, but Jack crushed her with his body. She laughed.
"Come on Jack," she said. "Invasion? Pitch? Remember?"
"I don't care," he said in a thick voice. "You're going to get up and you'll regret what happened."
Anna knocked again, a little more insistent.
"No, I'm not," she said softly, and kissed him. He groaned, giving in, rolling off her. She got up, and opened the door.
"What is it Anna?" she said, annoyed. She saw her sister take in her appearance; a strap of her dress had fallen from her shoulder, and she knew that her hair must be messy. Anna glanced behind her and saw Jack, laying on the bed, his knees bent, his hands covering his face. She opened her mouth to say something, but Elsa shot her a warning look.
"What is it Anna?" she repeated.
"Um- I- Gregory would like to see you-"
"Prince Gregory?" she asked sharply. "Have you been talking to him?"
"Well, he's been talking to me. Worried sick about Eleanor. She's been telling us to tell him that she was okay, but I didn't know if that was wise, so-"
"Where is he now?" she interrupted.
"Probably moping around in the library, that's where he's been since Eleanor has gone missing."
"Fine, I'm coming," she said, and turned to look at Jack, who was looking at her with an accusatory glare. She shrugged.
"Business calls," she said, "Are you coming or not?"
"Oh fine," he snapped and got up from the bed. He grabbed his staff and flew out into the hallway. She followed suit, closing the door of her bedroom behind her, and made her way to the library. Anna called to her that she was returning to her room, but was wise enough not to shout down a palace castle that it was to take care of Eleanor.
Elsa followed Jack, not daring to think too hard about what had happened between them. She was afraid of losing her nerve. They had been flirting for weeks, but this had been so sudden, so nerve-racking. Her body tingled at the memory of his lips on hers, and she traced them with her fingers.
Jack landed suddenly next to her, and she gasped, startled.
"Are you regretting what happened?" he asked, and Elsa detected a hint of fear in his voice.
"No," she whispered truthfully, in case someone else was in the corridor. "You just took me by surprise, that's all."
"You know how I feel," he muttered, and she turned to look at him.
"I'm not regretting anything, Jack," she whispered, and her heart fluttered at his answering grin.
They had arrived at the library, the doors closed in front of her, and Elsa pushed them open.
Then stopped in the doorway.
She hadn't paused to think that seeing the place where Katie was murdered would trigger something inside her. Her breathing became more rapid, her eyelids fluttered, and she started to tremble a little, though her shaking had nothing in common with the way Jack had made her tremble. She'd avoided the library as much as she could since Katie's death, though it had been her place of refuge for so many years, and now that she was in-
She wanted to get out. Now. Any second now, Katie would turn the corner of a bookshelf and her throat would be pierced by an arrow all over again-
"Snowflake," she heard Jack's quiet voice, and she held on to it, holding on to reality. "Hey, Elsa, you're fine. Look."
She slowly opened her eyes, and looked into his eyes, so close to hers. For the first time, she noticed that though his eyes were blue, there was something like patterns of snowflakes in them. She focused on these as his voice washed over her.
"See? I'm with you. There's nothing in here," he continued, and she found her heart slowly returning to a normal pace as she focused on the feeling of his two hands against both of her cheeks.
"Queen Elsa?" said a voice from behind Jack. "Are you alright?"
She inhaled a shuddering breath, and passed Jack to look at Gregory. She seized Jack's hand as she passed him, holding it tightly, keeping the panic at bay.
"Yes, I'm just feeling a little dizzy," she said. "You've been requesting me?"
"Can I be frank?" Prince Gregory asked.
"Of course you can," she said, eyeing him warily as she walked to an armchair, still holding Jack's hand. She sat down, and Prince Gregory sat opposite from her.
"I think you knew exactly what you were doing when you saved Eleanor and I from being caught in the 'act' by the King. Am I right?"
"I'm not sure what you mean," she said slowly.
"I think you knew that by doing so, you would be ensuring that Eleanor would trust you. Maybe you thought she'd make a good spy-"
"I understand your protectiveness," interrupted Elsa, trying to sound both kind and firm, "but I assure you that I do not wish any harm to come to her."
"In any case, if I learn that you have anything to do with her disappearance-"
"Why would I kidnap her?" she asked, confused.
"To hold her for ransom, in exchange for the freedom to refuse this marital alliance."
"You honestly think I would do that?" she said, staring at the Prince.
"I have no idea what you would or wouldn't do."
There was a pause. Elsa didn't know if she should tell him that Eleanor was still in between these very walls.
"How do you know she didn't escape?" she said finally.
"Because I know she wouldn't leave me behind," answered the Prince.
"Are you loyal to your country, Prince Gregory?"
"What do you mean, am I loyal to my country?"
"I mean are you one of those men that would do anything for your country?"
"Yes," he said, without an ounce of hesitation. "The Southern Isles are in my blood; my allegiance will always be to my country."
Elsa sighed, and stood up from her armchair.
"I'm afraid that I can't help you then," she said, and she walked towards the door, still holding Jack's hand.
"Snowflake, maybe you should insist-"
"So you do know where she is!" shouted the prince, and Elsa turned back.
"Yes I do, but I assure you that she is not my prisoner. She fled from the King and ran into my sister, we've hidden her somewhere safe."
"You- you did that for her?" he said, looking taken-aback. Elsa nodded. The prince seemed to hesitate for a second.
"My allegiance is to my country," he said slowly, "but my country has become something that I can't swear my allegiance to. It has allied itself with demonic forces, using the madness of my brother and my father's thirst for power to its advantage. I love Eleanor more than any land, and I will do anything to keep her safe. I love my country nonetheless, and I plan to fight to restore it to goodness."
Elsa looked at Gregory's pleading eyes and wondered if she could believe him, if she could trust him.
"I think he's telling the truth," whispered Jack. Well, if that was good enough for him, then it would be good enough for her.
"There is a pub called the Queens Arms hidden in an alleyway next to the harbour. Meet me there at sundown. I promise that you will see Eleanor again."
And with that, she left the room.
…
Barely an hour was left until sunset. After her discussion with Gregory, Elsa had hurried, nearly running, to Anna's room and told her the same thing she'd told Katie's friends, Rapunzel and Flynn, Gregory; Meet me at sundown, at the Queens Arms.
Now she was in her room. Jack had his back turned to her while she was sliding on a very simple, very modest, very unnoticeable brown dress. She grabbed a dark cloak and clasped it over her collarbone, and pulled the hood over her head.
"Coming, Jack?" she murmured, and they both exited her room and walked towards the castle's entrance, trying hard not to bump in anyone; when they did cross someone, Elsa kept her head down careful of keeping her face out of sight.
Soon, they were out of the castle and walking briskly down to the harbour. Elsa turned into an alleyway that was only apparent to people who knew it was there, otherwise it was completely hidden. She walked quickly past a dingy shop that sold what looked vaguely like hats, but their mannequins were all half destroyed. Finally, they arrived in front of the pub.
It was in a greyish building, and a simple black door opened to the inside. If you didn't know it was a pub, you would have probably thought that it was someone's house, however grimy and dingy it looked from the outside.
Anna and Kristoff were already waiting for them, with a carefully hidden Eleanor, dressed in a dark cloak that completely covered her fiery hair.
"Get inside, and find us a table, preferably far from the door," muttered Elsa, and Kristoff entered the place followed quickly by Anna and Eleanor.
"What are we waiting for?" Jack asked, as Elsa lifted her gaze to the sky, though she could only see little of it in between the top of the buildings.
"Rapunzel and Flynn," she said simply, and Jack looked up also.
Barely ten minutes later, North's sleigh slammed into the pavement, a very pale and shaky Rapunzel sliding off gratefully. Flynn leapt from it, grinning.
"That was the strangest thing I've ever done!" he said gleefully, and Rapunzel looked at him as if she was going to puke on him.
"Hi Elsa, Jack," said Flynn conversationally, as if he hadn't been about to faint the last time he's seen the Spirit of Winter. He passed them, and pushed open the door, taking Rapunzel's hand as he pulled her in behind him.
"This is better than the Snuggly Duckling!" he exclaimed, and Elsa heard snippets of laughter and music coming out from the door. She turned to find Jack and North talking, but they stopped when they saw she was watching.
"Should we go in?" she said, lifting her eyebrows at them. Jack immediately did so, opening the door and holding it open for her. She was about to follow him, when North called her back.
"Your Majesty? May I have a word?"
She looked back at him, and though Jack had stiffened, she stepped away from the door.
"I'll join you in a minute," she said distractedly, and moved towards him.
"Elsa-" tried Jack, but she was already walking away from him.
"I'll join you inside," she promised again. She felt Jack's stare on her for a second more, but then heard the door close behind him.
She looked at North, his beard whiter than ever, and he looked down at her every bit as impressive as the last time she'd seen him.
"I wanted to ask you- about your feelings for Jack Frost," he said, sitting down heavily on one of his sleigh's benches.
"My feelings for- I don't think they're any of your business," she said, bewildered.
"Forgive me, your Majesty-"
"Elsa."
"Elsa. You see, Jack is a Guardian. He is immortal. You however, though you are a beautiful queen, are a human being. Mortal. Your body will change with time, whilst Jack's will remain forever more, in the form of a young man."
Elsa didn't answer.
"Jack has known loss like most people can only dream of knowing. He has lost his family, has been invisible to the world for a very long time… I don't think that he could suffer through another loss of a being he might love. You being together… it would, in the long-run, devastate him, hurt him more deeply than anything he has lived through before."
Elsa still didn't answer. She felt like her breath had been robbed from her lungs, like she couldn't even answer North. Though she wanted to argue with him, to prove him wrong…
She knew he was right. She knew that she wouldn't- couldn't- be responsible for Jack's sorrow- she cared about him too much.
"I beg you, Elsa, save him. Save him from the desolation that I myself have felt. Put some distance between you and him, before he falls for you. He has already started: I can see him falling hard, and I beg you to not make him endure another loss. Because he won't get back up."
Elsa realized that she hadn't breathed in a breath for a while, and she inhaled sharply. She knew that she was falling for him too, knew that North was right…
She didn't answer North. She didn't so much as nod.
She turned her back to him, and walked into the Queens Arms.
…
Jack watched the door anxiously. He didn't know what North was going to tell her, but knew that if he succeeded in making her regret, like he was so afraid she would, what had happened between them-
Soft music wafted from a piano in the corner, played by a rather mean-looking bloke; the room was illuminated by the light of candles, illuminating the room. The only people a part from them were a group of five men, and a couple nearby. Otherwise, the pub was empty except for the bartender.
When they'd entered, they'd seen that Isabel and Mary were already here; they'd sat down, and the servants had looked quite impressed at their number. Surely, they'd been thinking that they would only meet with Queen Elsa.
Gregory was not yet here.
The door finally swung open, and Elsa walked in, still hiding her face beneath the hood of her cloak. She walked to them, and sat down between Anna and Rapunzel. The conversations immediately stopped, as Elsa lowered her hood, revealing her platinum blond hair. Jack tried to catch her gaze, but she averted hers.
"You are all probably wondering why I asked you to come here," she said, still determinedly not looking at Jack. "The answer is simple."
She paused, probably for the dramatic effect, Jack thought as he smiled to himself.
"War is coming. And we're here to ready ourselves for when it does."