For anyone who might be interested, andreri is translating this story in Spanish. I have posted the link to it on my profile.
This is part of the Prince of the Ice Kingdom arc.
"Will you bring me a souvenir?" Jade asked, hugging her father as he got ready to leave.
"I don't know if I can get you anything other than an icicle, but I'll bring you something."
"An icicle from Jack Frost's palace. It'll do."
Jade nodded solemnly at her father, letting go of him. Ashley smiled, looking at them fondly. When Jade had asked if the old friend he was visiting was Jack Frost, Jamie had simply told her the truth. That Jack Frost had invited them to visit his summer home in Antarctica. Ashley thought this was just a story, that he wasn't willing to share details of his trip, but she didn't say anything in front of Jade.
At least Sophie was there, having shown up an hour earlier with her suitcase, talking about how eager she was to see their old friend. She acted a lot more naturally than Jamie did. He was barely able to look Ashley in the eyes. He knew he was just making things worst, it wasn't like they would be doing anything wrong, after all, but he could only stare awkwardly at his feet whenever she had asked I'm a question he couldn't answer, not willing to lie but unable to say the truth. She had thankfully stopped pressing him for details, but he feared what she might be thinking of the situation. His worry warred with his excitement over their trip and he wasn't sure which would win.
"C'mon, Jamie, we don't want to make him wait too long."
Sophie grabbed his hand to tug him to the exit, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Jamie was glad he wasn't alone in this. He didn't know what he would do without her. He gave one last smile to his family and waved at them. Jade jumped up and down, waving and shouting her goodbyes.
"Have fun, you two," Ashley said, her eyes catching Jamie's for a moment before he looked down. Sophie squeezed his hand again.
"We will," she answered with a smile. "Don't miss us too much, we'll be back tomorrow night."
Sophie pulled him outside, not letting go of his hand even after they had gone down the steps and into the street.
"Jamie, stop looking so down! Aren't you excited?"
"Of course I'm excited. I wish... I wish we could have lived this when we were children."
"Because finding an excuse to tell our mom would have been easier than finding an excuse to tell your wife?"
Jamie winced.
"Ash knows, you know?"
"That we're going to visit Jack Frost's Ice Kingdom? Then what's the problem?"
"I mean, she knows I'm hiding something from her."
"Of course she does. You act like the guiltiest husband in the world."
Jamie groaned. He would have ran a hand through his hair, but Sophie still wouldn't let go of the hand not holding his suitcase. He felt like they were still kids walking together to the lake.
"She must think I'm cheating on her. That we're going to visit some other woman and you're just covering for me."
"Don't count on me to cover for you if you really cheat on her."
"I won't!"
"Good. But don't worry. I've talked to Ashley."
"You did?"
"Yeah. I told her we were just visiting some old friend you used to have a crush on."
"Soph!" Jamie looked at her in horror. Sophie burst out laughing. He glared at his sister. "Don't scare me like that."
"Don't worry. I don't think she took it seriously." Jamie's eyes widened when he realized Sophie really had said that to his wife. But he supposed she would be less likely to believe it if it was an obvious joke. Sophie's face turned serious before she continued. "Jamie, Ash trusts you. Sure she knows you're hiding something from her, but she still trusts you. She asked me if you were in trouble. If that friend we're visiting is a criminal. She thinks that's why you won't talk to her. That you got involved with some old friend who went bad."
"She does?"
"I had to assure her that you weren't involved with the mafia, or anything like it. You aren't, right?"
He gaped at her.
"Of course not."
"Just making sure. Anyway, I told her what I could. That we're visiting a childhood friend. That he's a very good guy. That we used to be really close to him but drifted apart later. That you met up with him again on Halloween. Only the truth, as much of it as possible."
Jamie was relieved. Sophie could reassure Ashley. She didn't feel guilty about hiding their friendship with the Spirit of Winter, so she didn't act nearly as suspicious as he did. Hopefully, she would be able to convince her that whatever they were hiding was pretty innocent. He was glad she had stuck to the truth. Hiding things was one thing, lying another. That was when he remembered what she said earlier. He narrowed his eyes at her.
"Only the truth? You said I used to have a crush on said old friend."
"Well, you always looked star-struck whenever he was around."
"That's not a crush! He is Jack Frost, of course I was a little star-stuck."
"Whatever you say. I call that a crush," she said with an innocent smile. She continued without letting argued. "She asked me to take care of you."
"What? Who?"
"Ashley, who else?"
"She asked you to take care of me?"
"That's what I just said. She's worried for you, Jamie. She said you're acting all sad and anxious and you're refusing help." She squeezed his hand again. "So I promised her I'd make sure you're all right. And I will, you hear me?"
He stared at her, his eyes wide, and nodded. He wanted to just say he was fine like he had so many times recently, but this was Sophie. She wouldn't believe him anyway.
"I... thanks."
"Don't mention it. Now hurry up, we're almost there. We're going to the Ice Kingdom, Jamie! Do you realize? And we're going to have fun together, with Jack, like in the good old days."
Jamie laughed.
"You talk about the 'Ice Kingdom' like you've wanted to go your whole life. You only heard about it recently."
"But it's Jack Frost's Ice Kingdom! That's all I need to know."
"I hear it's more a village than a kingdom."
"Don't ruin it, Jamie. Oh, look! Jack's waiting for us. Come on, let's run!"
Still holding his hand, Sophie ran to meet up with Jack, dragging him behind her. Not that he wasn't quite willing to follow. His excitement over their trip to Antarctica made him hurry to run up to the Guardian sitting on one of the large flat rock surrounding the frozen lake. Jack had traded his usual blue hoodie for the outfit he had been wearing when he saw him for the first time in many years on Halloween night, the cloak spread around him on the rock. Light reflected on the ice crown circling his head. He might as well have been sitting on a throne. They came to a stop in front of him, staring a little. Jack looked down at his knees when he noticed, tugging on his clothes.
"Morning, you two." He jumped down from the rock, smoothed the dark blue silk tunic he wore and gave them an embarrassed smile. "I figured if you were coming to visit my 'kingdom' I might as well look the part."
It was impressive how much of a change it made. Even nervous as he obviously was, the costume made him look more imposing, less childish. Yet this felt more like the Jack he remembered. Infinitely older and wiser than him. He felt like a child again. Sophie elbowed him in the ribs.
"That's exactly the starry-eyed look I was talking about earlier," she whispered in his ear.
Jamie dropped his suitcase, grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it in his sister's coat, smiling in satisfaction at her surprised shriek. Jack looked at them with a bemused smile.
"Did I miss something?"
"Nothing important."
When Sophie was done shaking the snow out of her coat, she hugged Jack, then grabbed his arm and gave him a bright smile.
"Can we go to that Ice Kingdom of yours now, my prince?"
Jack laughed and took out a snow globe from his cloak with an exaggerated gesture, brandishing it in front of him.
"Of course, my lady, right this way." He gave the globe a shake and brought it to his lips, whispering, "Ice Kingdom."
The portal opened in front of them, showing them the most stunning vista he had ever seen. In a stark white landscape, delicate ice towers rose on the edge of a sheer cliff. The sun shun from right behind them, it's rays piercing the translucent buildings and making them glow. It looked like something straight out of a fairy tale. Sophie came back to him to grab her suitcase, walking backward to avoid turning her eyes away. She grabbed Jamie's hand again and together they crossed the portal, stepping on the cliff overlooking the sea. They stopped there to fully take in the view.
Jack walked through after them, the portal closing behind him. He grinned at them as they stared in amazement.
"Welcome to the Ice Kingdom."
To be continued. Sorry this turned into one big conversation rather than the visit to the Ice Kingdom I had promised. I'll write that next chapter.
