Mean Seasons 94 The duel

"Alright, are you ready to die, peasant?" Hans taunted, circling Jack. "Remember the rules, no powers. Winner takes the crown and everything that goes with it."

Jack was confidently twirling his staff, undaunted by the noble's threatening air.

":Whatever, lets just get this over with so I can return to the party. In all honesty, fighting without powers for no reason bores me."

Anna cringed "I hope he knows what he's doing. Hans has experience on his side, and he isn't a bad swordsman either."

Elsa grit her teeth "Jack may be less experienced with swordplay, but he has suffered being attacked enough that his speed and agility, not to mention his wit, are basicly at peak level."

"Let's hope that will be enough. I don't like the look in Hans' eyes." Kristoff murmured. Sven snorted in agreement.

Jack raised his staff defensively, then threw it to Elsa, who caught it. He then asked for a similer staff while explaining "I realized using my conduit in a no power fight probably wasn't the best idea. Plus if anything happened to it I would feel terribl;e. It was a gift from the moon after all."

What he didn't say, what Elsa knew, was that if anything harmed the conduit, Jack would feel it physically. If Hans slashed it, Jack would bleed inside. Her boy truly was clever!

"Let's get started then!" Hans lunged, Jack jumped out of the way and smacked the man on the backside with his stick. The prince yelped and backslashed, catching the wood as Jack tried to get in another hit.

"You're light on your feet I'll give you that." Hans said honestly impressed as the boy dodged another lunge and backslash. "Your footwork isn't that bad either."

"Thanks." Jack said, blocking a parry and backing up to avoid another thrust before twirling his stick to deflect a charged swipe, "I had a good teacher. Dual weilds and is darn good at it."

Elsa cringed as Hans finally landed a blow, slashing Jack's shoulder as the sprite turned to defend a fake strike. The mans eyes sparkled dangerously. "Your guard seems to be lacking though."

"Be careful Jack." Anna whispered, "He'll sweet talk you while stabbing you in the back."

Jack got a blow in, evening the score, as he thwacked Hans in the leg hard enough that everyone heard the bone-rattling crack. Hans yelped but kept his feet, countering with a three blow strike that had the sprite reeling backwards, able to keep his feet because of his perfect balance. Growling, Hans pressed his attack, until they were fighting up against a wall. Without distance, Jack was forced to defend as blow after blow rained down on him.

Suddenly, the man had the boy by the throat, and Jack struggled as he was lifted in the air. Elsa screamed as Hans turned to her and smiled wickedly, pulling his sword arm back.

"Take a good look, Elsa! Today, you will see Winter DIE!"

Relishing the screams and protests, the villain took his time stabbing the boy through to the hilt, then setting his limp, lifeless body mock-caringly on the ground.

Silence.

Utter silence was what greeted the victor.

He chuckled "I guess I win. Now applaud, Arendelle. Your true king has triumphed! The false ruler is dead, and I—"

"Shut up!"

He turned to the teary-eyed queen, who now was kneeling in the snopw, the boy cradled in her lap. "Just shut up. You murdered the only person who ever loved me for me, besides Anna. You will never be the true King!"

As if to spite him, she leaned down and kissed the lifeless lips of Jack Frost deeply.

And nearly fainted when chilling breath met her lips as she pulled away.

"How many times do I have to tell you." Jack rasped, sitting up and glaring at Hans

"You can't KILL Winter!"

"How?! You had a sword stab you right through!" Hans raged. "Loves kiss...is that what brought you back?! Rubbishy cliché!"

Jack laughed "Nothing so dramatic as that, unfortunately. See my body freezes wounds. It's how it heals me. This one took a bit longer than normal because it was a vital strike."

Elsa didn't care.

"I don't care how you survived, Jack! I'm just glad you did!" She embraced him, and he hugged her back.

"So Hans...best two out of three?"

The prince growled, then smiled wickedl;y

"Can your body heal mortal wounds?"

Jack thought a minute, genuinely curious. "I don't know. I guess I've never had a chance to really find out."

"Let's find out together then."

Elsa snared "No! The duel is finished."

"No it isn't!" both boys protested "It was a tie!"

"I am Queen, and I say it's concluded. Jack is still breathing, so by all rights he is still future King of Arendelle."

She smiled ominously at Hans "Besides, Hans had forfeited the duel when he stabbed Jack. The duel was not a death match, merely a test of skill. By violating the rule of combat, Hans of the West Isles forfeited victory. Gaurds! Get him out of my sight!"

"This isn't over! I will rule! I WILL have Arendelle! WINTER WILL DIE!" Hans raged as the guards took him away.

Arendelle cheered as the couple embraced each other again, and many happy tears were shed. Jack and Elsa paid attention to none of this, as she handed him back his staff, and he returned the kiss she had given him earlier.