Disclaimer - I don't own Frozen or Spice and Wolf

Chapter 15

Naeil found himself standing on a grassy knoll, and heard a melodious voice calling to him. He turned to see Elsa standing in the distance. He ran towards her, taking her in his arms and kissing her lightly. He felt the warm joy of being in love. Suddenly the sunny sky had turned gloomy, and he stood on the knoll before a stone marker, surrounded by figures in black. One by one, the figures turned into their own stone markers, until he was alone. Still he stared at the first marker, and the writing engraved upon it.

Here lies Elsa Lawrence
The Snow Queen of Arendelle
Beloved Wife and Mother
Beloved Sister and Aunt

Naeil found himself dimly aware of names on the other stones, Anna, Kristoff, and others he didn't know, but sensed as those yet to be born, sons and daughters, nieces and nephews. All had passed on, but he still remained...and the scene changed around him.

He was now walking down a strange landscape, filled with glittering towers of glass and steel, illuminated by strange lights. Elsa was on his arm, and they were laughing at a giant sign that depicted two cartoonish women standing back to back underneath the words "Disney's Frozen"

"I don't think they really captured the sparkle that was in Anna's eyes."

Naeil nodded, "I can list any number of things they got wrong with you. Of course, what CGI character could ever compare to the real thing."

Elsa blushed and squeezed his hand, "Over 200 years, and you are still one of the sweetest men I've ever met."

He kissed her and they both giggled. Suddenly her face dropped in a strange expression. Naeil followed her eye line and then understood immediately, feeling a pang of regret within his own heart. She was staring at children running in a play-ground, their laughter and shouts echoing over the sound of the traffic around them. He squeezed her shoulders sympathetically, fully aware of the sacrifice they'd made to be together forever...and the scene changed again.

Elsa was cold within his arms, an arrow shaft sticking out of her chest. Tears flowed from his blood red eyes. The Palace was in flames, as was much of the town, offset by sheets of ice. Dark figures approached him, muttering something about demon spawn. He didn't care, all he could sense was his broken heart...

Naeil bolted upright in a cold sweat, and was immediately aware of someone within the room with him. "Who's there?" he demanded.

A figure shifted in the shadows and he realized immediately that he knew this intruder. The scent triggered memories of childhood, and only served to increase his surprise.

"You've certainly changed, Naeil. It's been a long time," came a serene, elegant female voice, but filled with an undercurrent of sincere affection.

Naeil couldn't hold back the surprise in his voice, "Holo..."

The figure leaned into the light, her red hair draping over her shoulders, her wolf ears tipped with white. A beautifully groomed red tail also tipped with white was curled around her and lying in her lap. Her face was forever that of a young woman, but her red eyes were filled with the love of a parent, and the pain and wisdom of an ancient.

"Really Naeil, whatever happened to Grams?"

The Wolf Prince was shocked. Holo the Wise hadn't left the wheat she was bonded to since Naeil was a young child, preferring to remain by the grave of her mortal husband, Kraft Lawrence. She hadn't traveled outside of Yoitsu in centuries, but now she had done both to see one of her grandchildren.

"What...what are you doing here?" he asked.

Holo bowed her head, "I am here to see you, because I must know if you are fully aware of the choice you have just made."

Naeil's eyes widened, "Then news of my engagement has already reached Yoitsu?"

Holo laughed, "News travels fast on the wind amongst our people, you should know that as well as anyone."

Naeil was embarrassed, "Of course, Grams."

Holo's face softened, "So, I arrived while you were sleeping, and I could tell you were having troubling dreams."

Naeil frowned, "They weren't all troubling..."

Holo tilted her head, "They rarely are."

Naeil looked at his elder, and smiled sadly, before describing in general details what he could remember. Holo just listened with a knowing look in her eyes, waiting until her grandson had finished his tale. Finally, when he finished, she nodded, "I figured as much. I once had similar dreams, long before even your father was born." She sighed, "Do you know why your father left Yoitsu, before he met your mother?"

Naeil looked at her, "He wanted to see the world, much like you had with Grandfather." Naeil stumbled on the word. Kraft Lawrence had died centuries before Naeil was born, so he had no special name for him. It was a bit of shame on his part, because he always had felt a smidgen of guilt when talking about him, especially to Holo.

The Wise Wolf nodded, "Yes, that is true, but there was more to it than that. Your father was very close to Kraft, and he took his death very hard." She sighed sadly, "I think he was terrified of feeling that sort of pain ever again. At that time, most of the Wolf Kind in Yoitsu were close cousins, and he did not wish to marry any of them, so he went looking for a mate that was like him, chasing legends of immortal beings. Eventually, he found your mother...someone who, in all actuality, was even more of an immortal than he was. Even I failed to realize the impact that mortal companions can have upon us immortals, which is why I remain in the wheat so much these days. I find that I miss Kraft more so with each passing day, and being in the wheat allows me to be ever at his side."

Naeil nodded, "Well, obviously I don't share father's hang ups with mortal relationships."

Holo nodded, "But is that because unlike him, you have a unique option in the matter?"

Naeil was silent, and Holo nodded, "So you have considered it then? The advantage of your mother's bloodline would enable you to make Elsa as you are, an immortal."

Naeil nodded, "Yes, I'm very aware of that, and of the very real risks and consequences."

His mother had told him of what being the son of a Vampire Queen meant on his 16th birthday. She had warned him that while he possessed the ability to "turn" other beings into vampires, as a half-blood, there was roughly a 50/50 chance that the transformation would not occur and he would simply kill the person he was attempting to transform. She had also warned him that if he did succeed in such a transformation, that person would, amongst other things, be rendered sterile. Although the talk had embarrassed him at the time, she didn't apologize, as she'd spent a portion of her life portraying a courtesan in Venice and felt that bluntness about the "facts of life" would be more valuable than dancing around the issue. She had left him though, hugging him kindly, "You are my son, and I know you will use the gifts I have bequeathed unto you wisely, for you are also of Holo the Wise's lineage." Neil inwardly chuckled at the memory as his reaction had been to run away that night, and he had found himself here in Arendelle the next night, hunting for some food with the local wolf pack when he spied a young blonde girl running away from the castle. He had felt a connection in that moment, as if they had been two sides of one coin. It's what had spurred him to intervene and protect her from the other wolves. After his "capture", he'd done everything he could to learn more about that girl, whom he later learned was the then Princess Elsa. He's spend a good amount of coin to get one of the ice miners on the borderlands to acquire the miniature portrait for him, a portrait he'd spent long hours staring at in his chambers at the Wolf Palace. His father ribbed him without remorse when he found out, constantly asking if he was pining over his "Girlfriend". His mother never mentioned it, but instead scheduled him for nearly constant lessons on proper etiquette and, to her mind, the very important skill of court dancing. "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but the way to a woman's heart is through her feet," she'd once said. Naeil had begged to be allowed to attend the coronation when word had reached Yoitsu, arguing it would be the perfect opportunity to establish ties. His parents had flatly refused, on the grounds that since they were not invited, it would be "most unbecoming" to simply show up. Naeil couldn't help but wonder what might have occurred if he had decided to just "crash" Elsa's coronation. Would she have allowed him to come near her, to explain who and what he was? Would he have been able to prevent her from hurting her sister, or stopped the actions of Prince Hans? A soft knowing chuckle broke Naeil from his thoughts back to the older Wolf in the room.

Holo nodded, "With Kraft, I could either leave him, and continue to be lonely, or be with him and suffer the pain of his death."

Naeil nodded, then gained the courage to ask, "So, Grams, do you ever regret your choice?"

Holo smiled, "No...because although I must carry the pain of Kraft's passing for all of eternity, I am no longer lonely." She paused as if in thought, "Just because I'm in my wheat I am still aware of goings on. I see what our children, and their children are doing...and will do so through the centuries. I am proud of the man you have grown into, and I would not hesitate to say that Kraft would be proud to see you defending this kingdom against it's enemies."

Naeil remained silent as he considered the elder Wolf's words.

Elsa watched as Weselton's men surrounded her, and she threw up the shield of ice to block the incoming arrow. She was alone, fighting for her life against these men, and then a giant arctic wolf charged through the balcony doorway, placing itself between her and the attackers.

"LEAVE US BE!" it growled...and the scene changed in a flurry of snowflakes.

She was on a snow covered knoll, and heard laughter, and saw a child, a little girl with whitish blonde hair, wolf ears faintly visible sledding down the hill. "Come on mama, make it higher!" she shouted, and saw Naeil catching her as she passed, and the father and daughter laughing joyously, and then the scene changed.

She saw the same arctic wolf from before, laying around a simple stone marker. It did nothing but lie there, save for the flow of tears from it's eyes, seasons changing rapidly...and the scene changed.

She was bound, unable to create ice for some reason...as a man she didn't quite recognize threw Naeil's Token chain into a blazing inferno. She shouted his name as he vanished into a flurry of snowflakes.

Elsa sat up, and realized the entire room was frosted. She wrapped the blanket around herself, realizing suddenly that she felt uncomfortably cold and sighed, "It's just a dream." She suddenly wished the arms of a certain Wolf Prince were wrapping around her to reassure her of that.