Note: I'm so sorry for the time it took to post this chapter! It's been back to school and everything, so I didn't really get time to write. But here it is, and I promise the next one is coming soon. Please, please leave a review, I'd really like to know what all of you think. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 22: The Cost of Freedom

Jack watched as night swept over the forest they'd camped in for the night. Anna and Lucinda were sleeping, tightly wrapped in each other's arms inside the tent. He was standing guard, and Kristoff was staring into the dying embers of the fire they'd ignited to cook their dinner- two snow rabbits, that Kristoff had hunted.

"Are you okay?" he asked, turning his head to the side and eyeing Kristoff carefully. His eyes were downcast, and he didn't seem to have heard him.

"Kristoff?" he called.

"Mmh?"

"I asked if you were okay," Jack said patiently. He looked out at the darkness surrounding them, squinting his eyes. He would rather avoid any unpleasant encounters with Nightmares tonight.

"I'm fine," Kristoff said, looking up. "I was just wondering if-if we did the right thing."

Jack frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Kristoff averted his gaze, searching the dying fire again as if it contained a solution to all of their problems.

"I was wondering if we shouldn't have let Elsa send us away."

Jack's breath was knocked out of him, and he determinedly kept his back to Kristoff, trying to conceal his expression. In the fortnight since they'd left Arendelle, he'd done his best to not think of Elsa. The first week had been the hardest- they'd been on a boat, heading towards Denmark, and he'd had nothing to do except think about blue eyes and teasing laughter. Once they'd arrived, Jack had constantly been on guard. The news of Anna's disappearance from Arendelle was bound to travel to Pitch's ears, and the last thing they needed was to be found now- he'd done his best to keep Elsa out of his mind.

Until now.

Fearing his voice would sound strangled, he opted on staying silent.

"It's just… she needs us, you know? And sending us away is just so typically her, and we let her do it because Anna is pregnant-"

"Anna couldn't stay in Arendelle," Jack mumbled, still turning his back to Kristoff.

"Maybe but- haven't you thought that maybe this was all a way of getting us out of there? That she used Anna as an excuse to get us to safety? I mean, look around you, Jack. We are the ones she cares about most, and we're all away from Arendelle."

Jack gave in, turning around to face Kristoff.

"She wanted us to bring Anna to safety," he said firmly. He refused to have this conversation- he was barely stopping himself from flying towards Arendelle as fast as the wind could push him forwards.

"I couldn't see it when we were in Arendelle," pressed Kristoff, as if he hadn't heard him, "But now that I've got perspective- don't you see?"

Jack continued to stay silent, fiddling with his staff. Half of him wanted to block Kristoff's words- the other half was desperate for an excuse to return to Arendelle.

"This whole thing- the attack on New Year's, the towns destroyed, Rapunzel's kidnapping- it's all a trap. A trap that's closing in on Elsa, and she doesn't know how to break free so…"

"… she did what she does best," finished Jack. He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second before opening them again. Kristoff nodded.

"She sent the ones she loved away from her. To protect them."

Jack exhaled, looking up at the night sky. The vision of the Moon, that usually instantly appeased him, did nothing for him now.

"I promised Elsa I would come right back-"

"Jack, Corona is still another fortnight away- even a month, if the weather picks up. You might be too late."

"I won't be," he said firmly. Though he was doing a conscious effort to keep his feet anchored in the snow, a cold wind had picked up- a tell-tale sign that he wanted to go.

"You should sleep," he told Kristoff, pushing on the hand on his knee to get up. "We have a long journey ahead of us, that I'd like to keep as short as possible."

…

Gregory walked quickly towards the Council Room, closely followed by Eugene. When they arrived in front of the double-doors, Eugene pulled them open, to find Elsa, the Counsellors, and Eleanor inside. There was a shriek, that came from Eleanor as she ran towards him, before swinging her arms around his neck. He pressed her closer, burying his face in her neck, breathing in the perfume of her red curls. She leaned away to kiss him, before breaking away again- but still in his arms. And that was all that mattered.

"So?" asked Eleanor, looking back and forth between the both of them. Gregory stood up a bit straighter as he looked directly at Elsa.

"They're waiting for you, your Majesty."

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then cries of relief from Eleanor and the Counsellors. Elsa wrapped her arms around Eleanor for a second before disentangling from her arms and approaching Eugene and Gregory. She smiled, and- quite unexpectedly- swung her arms around the both of them, bringing their heads together.

"Thank you so much, to the both of you," she breathed.

"Trust me, we didn't do much," grinned Eugene, winking at his cousin-in-law, "They didn't need much convincing."

"You two should go change out of your travelling clothes," said Eleanor, wrinkling her nose, "You don't smell too good."

Eugene looked down at himself, and then at Gregory's attire. Both of them were drenched from the rain and melted snow- two weeks of travelling would do that to you.

The second Jack and the others had left, Elsa had insisted that they gather their troops for the battle that was to come- and they'd soon realized that their army was nothing compared to the Southern Isles, who had tens of thousands of men- Arendelle barely had five thousand.

Elsa had asked Gregory and Eugene to travel the realm and stop in every remaining village, and ask her people to follow her to war- though she'd ordered not to force anyone to join. Eugene highly doubted that it would change much- but they had had to try.

And now they were back, and he was stunned at how many men he had brought back. He'd travelled to the north of Arendelle, deep into snowy mountains and unforgiving weather- and not one man had refused to come with them.

Not one.

There were at least twenty thousand, cramped in the soldiers' barracks, waiting for their queen to address them.

…

Elsa wasn't kidding herself: she knew that their numbers were very inferior to the Southern Isles'. But she was also very hopeful that soon, reinforcements from Corona would join her beginning of an army.

Maybe- just maybe- they had a fighting chance.

But this happy news still couldn't fill the hole in her heart she'd felt ever since Jack had passed through the gates of the castle. Every time she was in her room, her mind kept going back to memories- the Winter Spirit rushing into her room while she was getting dressed, a night sky full of stars, when she'd been high above the ground and safe in his arms, a cavern…

She smiled to herself, before remembering that right now, Jack was across a sea and far away. On the other hand, he was safer that way. She half-hoped that Pitch would attack while he was gone, though she knew it was foolish.

She was walking fast towards the barracks, descending rapidly the spiralling stairwell of the Entrance Hall when suddenly, she felt squeamish. She leaned against the wall. The Hall was spiralling around her, and she felt intensely dizzy.

"Your Majesty?" she vaguely heard one of the Counsellors say, "Are you alright?"

She nodded, though she didn't leave the support of the wall behind her back. She didn't know what was going on, but she couldn't be sick now- she had a speech to give, soldiers to meet-

"Elsa," she heard a feminine voice say, and she felt a rush of relief when she saw Eleanor's red curls as she felt her arms circle her waist and held her up. Slowly, her vision cleared, and the ground seemed solid again.

"Sorry," she said, still holding onto Eleanor, "I guess I'm coming down with a cold."

The counsellor nodded, but Eleanor looked suspiciously at her.

"You've been overworking, Elsa. The speech can wait, you should rest-"

"These soldiers have travelled across the whole realm to help me fight this war. I'm not going to make them wait."

She saw Eleanor cover a smile before she resumed walking briskly through the Entrance Hall and into the courtyard.

When she entered the barracks, she felt as if a sudden hush descended on the room. Her stunned eyes met thousands- and suddenly, she realized that she didn't know what to say.

Slowly, she walked onto the platform and stood facing all of them. Her throat was dry, and she felt a new wave of nausea coursed through her. She closed her eyes, blocking out everything. Slowly, her hand raised to her navel, and she touched her pendant, that had the shape of a snowflake. The pendant Jack had given her, what seemed like so long ago.

Suddenly, she felt as if he was right there, grinning his usual insolent grin, and flashing bright blue eyes. She opened her eyes, meeting the eyes of the soldiers, every one of them watching her.

"Gentlemen," she said. After all, most of them hadn't even picked up a weapon in their life. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you, though I hope you'll be tolerant- I don't know if I'll be able to remember all of your names before I'm fifty."

There was a ripple of laughter that spread across the room, and Elsa felt the trembling of her legs cease- when she spoke again, her words were louder, clearer.

"I don't have words to describe what I feel when I see all of you here, because you want to defend your country and… me."

Her words were met by silence, before she heard someone in the crowd shout:

"LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!"

"Well thank you," she said, smiling, amused, as another ripple of laughter spread across the room. She regained seriousness, as did the crowd. "I'd love to say that all of you will survive the battle that's coming, but that is a promise that I am not sure I will be able to keep. You are free to leave at any time. But before you do, I think you should know what we are up against."

The tension in the room was now palpable, and Elsa saw Eleanor smiling encouragingly from beside the platform.

"The Southern Isles and Arendelle have always had strained diplomatic relations, but we have never fallen into the horrible depths of war. That is something that my father, and my grandfather before him, tried to avoid at any cost." Elsa lifted her chin. "If there was one thing my father taught me, it was that war is pointless and that its cost in human lives is too high. A good sovereign only holds the good of his people as important, and it is a lesson I have tried to live by my whole life."

There were mutters of agreement in the crowd.

"But today, the Southern Isles have declared war on Arendelle. They have allied themselves with a powerful and dark man, who is after this." She swiped her hand through the air, and icy particles erupted into the air, forming a magnificent pattern that the soldiers soon recognized as a map of Arendelle, hanging over their heads. Enchanted gasps erupted from the crowd. Most of them had heard of their queen's powers, but had never seen it in person.

"Arendelle, and my powers. He hopes he can use them to spread devastation across our beautiful, snowy land; and I refuse to let him!" Her fists had become clenched in fists, her words now louder than ever. "War is something I have tried to avoid. But now it is upon us, and we have to meet this together, united in protecting our motherland!"

The soldiers shouted in agreements, stomping their feet in agreement, so that Elsa had to nearly shout to be heard by all of them.

"I was born here! I grew up here, with my sister by my side. This is where I felt loss, this is where I felt victory, and this is where I found love. I will not let anyone take our land from us. The cost of freedom is always high, but if we don't pay it, there is only one path that is open to us: the path of surrender and submission. And never, as long as I'm alive, will Arendelle be submitted to anyone, and even less so Southern barbarians!"

"Hear hear!" shouted the soldiers.

"Now, will you protect this land with your strength, your dreams, your body and your blood?"

"AYE!"

"Will you resist the invader, and pay that terrible cost of freedom?"

"AYE!"

The last echoes of their shouts hadn't drowned out that they were shouting again, and it took several seconds to understand what they were all saying.

"LONG LIVE QUEEN ELSA! LONG LIVE THE ICE QUEEN!"

…

The sun was high when Jack stopped and looked behind him. Snow was everywhere; it was falling around them, on the ground, in the trees… it painted a brilliant white landscape. Though Jack could fly above it, Kristoff was knee-deep in it, and the huge sleigh on which Anna and Lucinda were had difficulty advancing, no matter how much the Huskies pulled.

They were going even slower than he'd feared.

Suddenly, there was a flutter of wings, and Jack turned around- to find none other than Toothiana above him.

"Tooth!" he said, half-surprised, half-joyful, "How are you? How are the others?"

"Fine, we're fine- Jack, I've been looking for you everywhere, where have you been?"

"Travelling," he explained. "Elsa asked me to accompany her sister to Corona."

"So she's alone in Arendelle?" asked Tooth in disbelief. "Are you insane?"

"Hey!" Jack shouted defensively, flying to her height. He saw from the corner of his eye that Kristoff had sped up, and Anna was looking curiously up at them. "It'll be a quick journey, I'll be back in no time-"

"Yeah, seems like it," said a voice sarcastically from beneath them. Jack looked down to see Bunny, his boomerang slung over his back.

"Well if it isn't bright little ray of sunshine," grinned Jack, landing in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

"Tooth was worried about you," Bunny grumbled, and Jack's grin widened.

"Yeah, right. I'm sure you were worried about me."

"In your dreams, Frost," said Bunny, though Jack thought he saw the shadow of an amused smile on the Easter rabbit's frowned face.

"Pitch is getting stronger, Jack," said Tooth in an urgent voice, fluttering down to them, "We can feel it; I feel like my powers have already begun to weaken."

"But no children have stopped believing in us," Jack objected, confused. Kristoff caught up with them, looking in disbelief at Bunny, who ignored him. Jack swallowed back a laugh. There were more urgent matters at hand.

"No but we're scared that he'll soon send his nightmares after the children again," explained Bunny. "And we all remember how close he got last time…"

Jack remembered all too well. That one light on the globe, Jamie's light, one single child that still believed, that- without knowing it- had had the fate of the world in his grasp.

"We're going to defeat him, guys," said Jack. "I don't doubt it for a second."

"He's stronger now," pointed out Bunny.

"But we've got someone stronger," said Jack, flashing them a grin. "The Ice Queen."

"Elsa?" asked Tooth.

Jack nodded. "She is going to kick the frustrated piece of shit's butt. I wouldn't worry if I were you."

"If she's anything like you, I don't feel reassured at all," grumbled Bunny. Jack chuckled.

"We have to go, Jack," announced Tooth, "We just thought we should warn you. We'll come back if there's any news."

Before she could fly away, Jack grabbed her hand.

"Could you maybe- check if Elsa's okay for me?"

Tooth frowned.

"Please?"

She sighed, defeated, and nodded. He thanked her for a smile.

Next second, his friends were gone, and he was left alone with Kristoff, Anna, Lucinda, snow and cold.

…

"It has been confirmed, my King. One of the Ice Queen's Counsellors, that is working for us, has just sent a raven informing us that Jack Frost has left Arendelle."

"Are you sure?" insisted Pitch, not letting the King answer. Hans watched attentively as the servant turned to face the pale-faced man. Maybe it was his imagination, but he was trembling.

Pitch had that effect on people.

"Yes, sir."

"You may go," said Hans' father, and the servant scurried out of the room as if he'd just seen the devil himself.

Which, maybe, he had.

"What does this mean for us?" asked the King. Pitch turned back to face them, and Hans' stomach lurched as he saw the triumphant grin on Pitch's greyish face.

"It means," he said, walking towards them, "that the Queen is alone. And there is nothing easier to prey on than a person that is alone."

…

Elsa closed the door of her bedroom behind her, shaking. The second she'd stepped down from the platform in the barracks, a wave of dizziness had come over her again, and nausea threatened to overwhelm her.

She fell onto her bed, curling into a ball. She touched her forehead- it wasn't feverish, which was a good sign, but what on earth could be the matter with her? This was the worst time for her to be sick. The only thing that could possibly make this world would be if she started sneezing. She'd have an army of small snowmen then. Maybe they could fight Pitch.

And with that ridiculous thought, she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

When she woke up, her room was basking in moonlight. She straightened up. She searched for the reason she'd woken up, and saw that her window was wide open, the sheer white curtains blowing in.

"Hi Elsa," she heard a kind voice say, and she turned her head so fast that she fell off her bed in a tangle of covers.

"Tooth!" she exclaimed, straightening up, doing her best to keep her dignity. "What are you doing here?"

"Jack asked me to check on you," she explained, and Elsa felt her heart leap.

"You've seen him? How is he? How's Anna?"

"They're all fine," Tooth reassured her, "I think he misses you very much."

"I miss him too," she said, smiling sadly. She would give anything to have him by her side now.

Suddenly, she felt a horrible sensation in her throat and lurched into the bathroom.

"Elsa?" called Tooth in a worried voice, but she wasn't listening. She was leaning over the bathtub, retching. She heard the bathroom door open, and she felt Tooth's hands grasping her hair, pulling it out of her face. She rubbed Elsa's back as Elsa spilled out her last meal.

"Are you alright?" she asked when the vomiting had stopped. Elsa leaned back against the wall, savouring the cold of the blue tiles.

"I'm sorry," she said, hugging herself with her trembling hands, "I don't know what's the matter with me."

There was a silence before Tooth spoke again.

"Elsa… when did you have your- you know. Last period."

Her eyes snapped open to meet Tooth's violently purple ones.

"What?"

"Well- I suppose you and Jack have- made it official-"

"Are you suggesting that I might be…"

She couldn't even finish the sentence. Her throat had gone dry, and the trembling of her hands had doubled.

"It's not possible- we only- it happened twice-"

"That's all it takes," said Tooth, taking her hand.

"Oh God," said Elsa, raising a trembling hand to cover her mouth. "Oh God. This can't be happening."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and the both of them jumped. Elsa heard Eugene, Gregory and Eleanor's voice from behind it.

"I have to go," said Tooth, "But I'll come back soon to check on you. Are you going to be okay?"

"I- I don't know- I think I'm in shock-"

"Listen," said Tooth, as a knock sounded on the door again, "We're not sure yet. Maybe you're just late and this is a cold-"

The knocking was getting louder.

"Promise me you won't say anything to Jack about this. Promise me, Tooth!"

Something in Elsa's eyes made Tooth say:

"I promise."

Then, she was gone, and Elsa was left alone in her room, with the sound of her friends just behind her door, having no idea that-

That maybe she was pregnant.