AUTHOR'S NOTE, added 12/16/19: Okay, this chapter is disproportionately long compared to the others in this section, because it's where I stuck a bunch of the Frozen 2 Update stuff. Annnnnd, I didn't feel like shifting every single chapter after this, so... sorry! :-s
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5: ONE-FOR-ONE
The Snow Queen whirled away from him, walking back to the chair, and a rush of excitement swept through Jack's body. Restraining from a grin, he took a few steps back, eying the snowflakes on her dress as she picked up the parchment and tablet, reaching for the quill. A one-for-one trade. In other words, a chance to talk to her.
Now, that he could work with.
"First things first," the girl sighed, dipping the quill in the ink well and placing its tip on the parchment. "How on earth did you get in here?"
"Well," Jack admitted, "Let's just say that—busting into places hasn't ever really been hard for me."
"What do you mean, bust in? Are you—"
"—My turn!"
She paused. After a few seconds, he raised his eyebrows.
"Oh—I'm so sorry," he corrected, "I mean: My turn. As in, it's my turn. M'lady."
Rolling his hand through the air, he swept into a deep, dramatic bow, his hair falling forward into his face.
She blushed. Quickly hiding it, the Ice Powers Girl drew herself up, clasping her hands together in her lap. Righting himself, Jack leaned up against the bars again.
"My question is the same as before, because you didn't answer it," Jack started. "I want to know how long it's been since you've had any fun."
A look of confusion swept over her face. After a few moments, she scoffed, drawing herself up.
"For your information," she said coldly, "I am currently serving as the Acting Queen of Arendelle, in addition to my—other, usual duties. I don't have time for fun."
"WHAT?!" he jolted, "YOU CAN'T BE SERIOU—"
"—You asked a question. I gave you an answer," she snapped, "Now, do you intend to hold up your end of the deal, or not?"
Abruptly snapping his mouth shut, Jack pressed his lips together in frustration. Ice Powers Girl had a point.
But he didn't have to like it.
She sat back in the chair, crossing her right leg over her left and studying him through the bars. As she looked up and down his gangly frame, looking for suspicious characteristics, Jack heard the young queen muttering softly under her breath.
"The kind of devices or magic required for invisibility…" she mused, "And my guards couldn't… you got in, but…!"
Her eyes narrowing in suspicion, the girl suddenly looked back up into his face, pushing herself out of the chair and walking up to the cell.
"That shirt—thing—you're wearing," she quavered intensely. "Take it off. Now."
Jack let out a sharp bark of laughter, grinning in shock.
"Well, that escalated quickly," he chuckled, "Are you always this eag—"
"—I'm. Checking you. For weapons," she enunciated. "OFF."
Raising his eyebrows, Jack scoffed, taking a few steps back. After a few moments—looking back into the young queen's icy glare—his stomach twisted.
Aw, Manny.
She was scared again.
Biting his lip, the Spirit of Winter turned and walked to the back of the cell, leaning his staff up against the wall. Looking back to the young woman on the other side of the bars, he sheepishly reached over his head for his hoodie.
Shirt… off. Taking my shirt off. Yes, ma'am, he thought. Yesssss, MA'AM...
Crumpling it into a ball, the web of ice fading as he held his arms out from his body, the now-shirtless Jack Frost slowly let out his breath, turning all the way around in the cell while she studied him.
"There," he retorted, "No weapons. Are you happy?"
"Not so fast, young man. Let me see that."
"But I—!"
She was expectantly holding her hand out, the sharp gaze of her intelligent eyes suddenly locked with his own.
Jack gulped.
Walking back to the front of the cell and reluctantly holding it out through the bars, he watched as the Ice Powers Girl snatched it out of his hand, stepping away from him. After a few moments of turning it over in her hands, her eyes narrowed with distrust as she inspected the navy cloth, she paced back up to the cell, shoving it back to him.
"Now," Jack said coldly, pulling it back on over his head, "Is that enough for you, or do I have to take off my pants, too?"
"Please don't."
"Fine," he shrugged. "I just want to know if we're still doing a one-for-one trade."
"Why?"
"Because you made me take my shirt off."
"What are you talking about?"
Jack raised his eyebrows.
She jolted.
Setting her jaw, the young queen slapped her hands down onto the armrests of the chair, getting onto her feet. Walking up to the jail cell again and gesturing to the crystalline ice, she forced a cold smile.
"Would you please step forward and place your hands, firmly, on these two bars?" she asked sweetly.
"Huh? Oh. Uh, yeah. Sure."
Ffft!
Jack's breath caught. Looking down at his wrists, he realized that he was suddenly wearing a solid—and very short—pair of crystalline handcuffs, shackling him to the bars of the cell.
His heart started pounding. He yanked at the handcuffs—and then yanked again. With a breathy laugh of disbelief, he squeezed his eyes shut in frustration.
"Why do I just keep doing EVERYTHING you say!?" Jack groaned.
SLAP!
"OW!"
Withdrawing her hand from between the bars, the young queen calmly turned and walked back to her chair, whirling around and taking a seat in one graceful swoop. "Because you're an amateur?"
"For the laaaaaaast tiiiiiiime," Jack groaned, his cheek stinging, "I am not an assassin!"
"Oh, no; just a strange young man that breaks into women's bedrooms and stands over them while they sleep."
Jack froze.
"I'm not an assassin," he choked.
"Then what are you?"
"I'M—!"
He could feel the blood rushing to his face. Looking down and shifting uncomfortably in the handcuffs, Jack Frost pulled in a shaky, hesitant breath.
"Creepy?" he squeaked.
She raised her eyebrows.
"Okay, but—in my defense," he added quickly, "I didn't realize this was a bedroom. I was in your study, and—"
"You've been through my study?!"
"I—!" Jack nervously blew a tuft of hair out of his eyes as the Ice Powers Girl's face went pale. "It was interesting," he tried again. "But as I said. I didn't know this was a bedroom, until I saw you."
"And after you realized that it was a bedroom, you stayed because why?"
Jack blushed harder.
Because pretty.
"Uh—I was—about to leave," he choked.
They stared at each other through the bars.
Jack Frost looked down to the icy handcuffs, the sting of humiliation in the back of his throat. After a few more moments of painful silence—squeezing his eyes shut—he hesitantly looked back up into her eyes.
"Is it my turn again yet?" Jack squeaked.
She scoffed. "After the shirt comment?"
"Okay, I'm seriously regretting saying that—"
"—Oh, good!"
"—I was joking!" Jack stammered helplessly, "Oh, come on! I swear! I don't want you to actually take off your—I mean—okay, if you really wanted to, I—"
"—This is still a joke to you."
Biting his lip, he fell silent. The young queen leaned forward in the chair, her hands clasped together tightly in her lap.
"This isn't a laughing matter, you know," she said coldly. "You broke into the queen's sleeping quarters. And when my kingdom's safety is hanging in the balance, I promise you, you do not want to find out what I would be willing to do, to counter that threat."
Jack blushed, quietly staring at his handcuffed wrists.
"Sorry," he choked.
"Alright. Thank you," she sighed, sitting back in the chair and reaching for the tablet and parchment on the table. "Then we're going to try this again."
The girl suspiciously eyed the Youngest Guardian as he stood before her, chained to the bars of the icy jail cell, looking up and down his gangly frame as she considered her next question. Picking up the quill, dipping it in the ink well and replacing it on the parchment, she then leaned forward, gazing intently into his eyes.
"Okay, young man," she said quietly. "Who sent you?"
"Santa Claus."
"REALLY?!" she gritted, slamming down the quill.
"But I'm serious!" Jack protested as she rolled her eyes, "He tossed me into a magic portal from the North Pole, and I crash-landed in the fjord!"
She raised her eyebrows.
"Okay," Jack admitted. "That statement is probably not going to help you to believe me."
"Good insight."
"How about a follow-up question?"
A look of confusion swept over her face. Jack pulled in his breath again.
"If we're not back to me getting to ask normal questions yet, can I at least have a follow-up question?" he pleaded. "I mean, come on. Please. That's not even really a full question."
The young woman's eyes narrowed. Reaching up and throwing a stray lock of hair over her shoulder, she readjusted herself in the chair, the entire icy dress sparkling as she moved.
"Fine," she sighed.
"What do you MEAN, you don't have time for fun?"
"I meant just what I said. I don't have time for fun. I—alright, unless it's with my sister," the young woman added before Jack could protest again, "But she's been very sick recently. And the point is that she's supposed to be resting right now."
"Sick with what?"
"My turn."
A sly, playful little half-smile twitched out of the side of her mouth as she looked back up at him.
Jack froze.
His heart leapt, and he grinned sheepishly, sinking down a little into the handcuffs. Wow. With the smile—okay, this one was really kind of a smirk, but he'd take what he could get—the Ice Powers Girl was even—heh. She was just—!
Wooooooooooooooooow.
The Snow Queen gracefully shifted in the seat again, setting the snowflakes on her gown gleaming in the moonlight, and placed the quill and tablet back on the table. Letting out a confused laugh, she leaned onto one arm of the chair, looking back up at him.
"Why are you so concerned about my having fun?" she ventured.
Jack snapped back into focus. "Wait," he asked, "That's your question?"
She turned, glancing to the table and reaching over to dip the quill in the ink well again. Jack shifted in the handcuffs.
"Okay," he offered. "Before I answer—because this changes what I can tell you—I have a request."
She raised her eyebrows. "And what might that be?"
"For the rest of this conversation, I want you to pretend to believe me," he said quickly. "Please. Just humor me. If, for the rest of this conversation, you can pretend to believe that I'm not a complete lunatic, I promise, I'll answer all of your questions the best I can."
She considered this for a few moments.
"Alright, young man," she said smoothly. "I can play."
"Wait, really?"
"If that's what it takes."
He grinned flirtatiously. "Can I suggest, eh, a different game, then?"
"What?"
"Never mind," he said quickly, deciding against the comment, which would without question earn him another slap. "For your question… I'm concerned about your having fun, because it's kind of my job."
"As a professional fun-haver, right?"
"Right. I mean—well," he corrected, "Not entirely. That's not my entire job description."
"So, what is your job description?"
Jack's heart leapt.
"Well. As long as we're pretending that you'll believe me, I'll tell you," he stated, proudly drawing himself up. "I happen to be a Guardian."
"A… guardian," she repeated.
"Better believe it, ma'am." Jack leaned forward against the bars, a sly little smile twitching out of the side of his mouth. "Trade places with me, and I'll guard you just fine."
Glancing to the handcuffs, and then to her again, he raised his eyebrows, flirtatiously peering up at her through his hair.
She froze.
After a few moments, the young queen sucked in her breath, shakily sitting up in the chair again and clasping her hands together in her lap. This brought a slight grin from Jack.
"Tell you what," he whispered, "I'll leave that offer open, if you change your mind."
She ignored the comment. "A guardian of what?"
"Children."
Her eyes bulged in horror.
"OH, gosh. NOT like—I—NO," Jack stammered frantically, leaping away from the bars to be caught and jerked back by the handcuffs as blood rushed to his face, "NOT like—bad timing—oh, that did not sound good—"
"—Who in Heaven's name would trust you with children?!" she sputtered.
"Uh, the Man in the Moon?"
"Of course."
She sat back into the chair, closing her eyes for a long moment. Opening them, she looked back to Jack.
"I believe it's your turn," she said coldly.
He nodded. "So, what's your little sister sick with?"
The Snow Queen sighed, laying the quill down on the tablet and parchment. "Pregnancy, actually," she admitted, "A child. Maybe more than one; she's gotten huge. She and her husband were married eight months ago."
Nice.
"Let me guess," Jack chuckled. "Romantic honeymoon in the mountains?"
"I try not to think about it too much," she muttered, "I mean—she's my little sister. To think about her, and—him—just—ugh."
She shuddered, wincing at the thought. Jack restrained from a laugh at the regal young queen's sudden discomfort.
"So," he ventured, "You don't like the guy, or…?"
"Oh, no. Kristoff's good for her," she corrected quickly, looking back to him, "It's just that—well. Never mind. At least this one didn't try to cut my head off."
Jack jolted. "Wait, what?!"
"Long story."
Jack watched as she shrugged, tossing a lock of hair over her shoulder and picking up the quill again.
"Sweet Manny," he breathed. "No wonder you're so uptight."
"It keeps me alive," she stated emotionlessly.
Jack snapped his mouth shut. Still trapped in the handcuffs, he swallowed against the uncomfortable sensation of being sized up as the young queen's eyes then did a quick, analytical scan down his body, then moving back up to his face. Studying him, she stared for a long, silent moment.
"How old are you?" the young woman asked suddenly.
Jack's brow furrowed. "How—old am I?"
"I want to know what's so special about you, for an organization to hire such a young assassin," she stated, gesturing to him as she crossed her arms, "Especially when the target was me. You're inexperienced, but it was still impressive that you managed to get past the guards. ESPECIALLY when you look—what? Maybe somewhere around seventeen years ol—"
"—NINETEEN!" Jack sputtered, yanking at the handcuffs, "I look NINETEEN!"
Her eyebrows lifted in mild surprise. "Nineteen?"
"Yeah!"
Blushing furiously, Jack set his jaw, glaring daggers at her through the bars. "And, and, emotionally, I'm really more like twenty," he added, "So there's that, too."
"You look nineteen, but you're emotionally twenty?"
"Yeah."
"That doesn't make sense."
"Well, uh—last spring, I was emotionally and physically nineteen, but then—well, stuff started up again, in my brain, and then my birthday is in only a couple months, so, uh," Jack Frost stammered, "So, now I'm more—I'm really more like almost twenty. Mentally. Basically, twenty."
He bent down to the handcuffs again, tapping the side of his forehead with his pointer finger. Slowly straightening up again from the awkward movement, he then looked back to the beautiful young woman before him, who was staring in complete confusion.
"Um…" the Snow Queen said, "That is how birthdays usually work...?"
Jack didn't respond, his cheeks and ears burning. He chewed on his lip.
"So," the girl enunciated again, very slowly, with a tone like she was speaking to a very small, and very stupid child, "You still haven't answered my original question. Are you nineteen, or twenty?"
The 319-year-old Guardian of Fun squeezed his eyes shut.
Why, he thought.
Why is this happening.
"Well," he squeaked, "Uh—technically neither, but—"
"—Neither?!" she burst out, "But how could—"
"—Look, CanYouJustAskMeSomethingElse?" Jack pleaded, desperate to change the subject away from his age, "Anything else. Really. You can even have another question."
"Okay." She placed the tablet and quill down on the icy end table, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at him with skepticism. Jack Frost then watched as the young queen raised a single eyebrow. "My next question is that I want to know why you think your age is such a big deal."
Jack's eyes narrowed.
WOW.
"It's not a big deal," he snapped, "It's just—complicated. That's all."
"How could your age be a complicated—"
"—You know what, I'm taking my turn again now."
She opened her mouth to protest, but then snapped it shut it again. Schooling her expression, the Ice Powers Girl then sat back down into her icy chair and tossed her left leg over her right. She gestured for him to proceed.
"Uh… so!" Jack began, trying to sound casual and shifting on his feet, "You've got a fiancé?"
The young woman's eyes widened. "What?"
"You're engaged? Betrothed?"
"Why would—?" She cut herself off, giving her head a quick shake. "Why would you think I'm engaged?"
Jack shrugged, struggling to keep his voice even as he pressed her further. "Well—I'm not seeing a ring, and it doesn't look like you're sharing this room with anybody, so I'm guessing you're unmarried," he explained, "But I saw the wedding dress."
"Wedding dress?"
She looked completely befuddled. Scoffing, Jack cocked his head towards the art gallery in the next room.
"Oh, come on. Long, pretty white dress? The one that's right there?"
The young queen continued to stare at him in complete confusion.
Allowing himself a quick eye roll, Jack heaved a sigh of frustration. "In your study—art gallery—thing," he stammered, nodding towards it, "There were two sparkly dresses; there was a blue one, and then there was a white one with—"
"—Oh! My Spirit dress!"
Now it was Jack's turn to be confused.
"Spirit dress?" he sputtered, "What in the blizzards is a spirit dress? If it's not a—"
"—Oh, that's not a wedding dress," she laughed softly, tossing a wistful glance in its direction as her eyes lit up. "That's my Spirit Dress. And it's very important to me, but—a bit much, for while I'm staying in the castle. When I'm not in the Forest, I tend to just save it for special occasions."
Still leaning up against the bars, the Youngest Guardian considered this for a moment. Then, Jack Frost raised his eyebrows.
"Like getting married?"
"It's not a wedding dress! I—aurgh."
She dropped her quill and pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose, pulling in a deep breath. Pulling her hands down from her face, she then picked up her quill again, glaring up at him.
"Just because a woman chooses to wear a long, beautiful white dress, it doesn't automatically mean that it's because of a MAN," she snapped defensively. "And for as far as you are concerned, I'm afraid that I am spoken for."
"So, there is a boyfriend."
"I never said that I—!" The young queen cut herself off, then shaking her head and starting again. "I don't have a boyfriend."
Jack's eyes bulged. "Girlfriend?!"
"What? No! I—!"
The girl groaned in frustration and squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her fingertips to the bridge of her nose again. Meanwhile, Jack's heart had resumed beating. If the gorgeous young queen had said yes to either of those inquiries, then he would have had to respect that, but—but—!
Phew!
"Look," the young woman started again, looking up to him with daggers in her gaze, "When I said that I am 'spoken for,' I didn't mean that it was by a person, or a betrothal, or—or even a choice—but by this funny little thing called reality."
"What do you mean?"
She stared into his eyes through the bars, unmoving in her chair.
"The 'Professional Fun-Haver' wants me to explain the concept of reality," she deadpanned.
"Humor me."
She shifted on her hips, as if trying to decide how to proceed. Then, she let out her breath.
"It's very simple. I believe that marriage is an alliance meant to be forged between equals," the young queen explained. "If I were to marry, it would need to be to a man whose position, intelligence, morality, and power were equal to my own."
Jack's eyebrows lifted. Wordlessly, he watched as she let out her breath, sitting back into her chair and crossing her left leg over her right.
"Which is why I'm going to be single for the rest of my life," she stated. "And have made my peace with it."
Shooting him a tight, bitter smile, the Snow Queen picked up her quill again, setting it onto the parchment. Jack Frost let out a long, low whistle.
"Sweet Manny," he breathed, studying her through the bars. "A bit cynical, don't you think?"
She shrugged. "It's not arrogant if it's true."
"I didn't say it was arrogant. I said it was cynical."
She looked down, gripping the quill so hard that her knuckles turned white. Jack leaned into the handcuffs, dropping his voice to a whisper.
"Just because you don't believe something is real, it doesn't mean that it can't exist," he said softly. "There could be somebody out there for you. You know, who could… take you on. And… stuff."
His voice trailed off, and Jack Frost fell quiet.
Setting down the quill, the young queen squeezed her eyes shut, like she was in pain. Pulling in her breath, she looked up into his gaze again, hers as cold as ice.
"I do not appreciate being mocked," she said coldly.
"I'm not mocking you!"
Her eyes narrowed.
"Okay, I might have been mocking you earlier, but—not this time," Jack insisted, "Not this time. Just—why is what I'm saying so hard to believe?"
"It's my turn again," she countered, looking away. "Why can't my guards see you?"
Oh, boy.
Jack pulled in a long breath.
"I'm—sort of—invisible—to people who don't believe I exist," he said carefully.
A look of confusion swept over her face. "Invisible?"
"Yeah," he sighed.
"But that's—"
"—You're pretending to believe me, remember? And, it's my turn again."
"Fine."
"Why are you so determined to believe that there isn't a single guy on the face of the PLANET who could match you?" Jack demanded.
She scoffed. "Because there's simply no way that—"
"—Hear me out, hear me out! Have you ever thought," Jack interrupted passionately as the Snow Queen began to rise from her chair and walk towards him, "That maybe there IS a guy out there, who could, you know, 'be your equal' and stuff, but that you're just so convinced he doesn't exist that you wouldn't even notice if he showed up? That maybe if you were just a little more willing to give people a chance that GAUGH!"
Jack startled back against the handcuffs, his eyes bulging at the crystalline dagger made of ice that the young queen was suddenly holding up to his neck through the bars. He let out a nervous laugh.
"PleasePutTheDaggerDown?" he choked.
She didn't.
"I have an idea," the Snow Queen hissed, her eyes narrow as she glared at him through the bars, "Maybe let's—not have any more questions about my love life."
He winced, hesitantly looking up at her with one eye squeezed shut.
"But I was just saying that maybe you could have one?" Jack squeaked.
She raised her eyebrows. "Oh… is that was all of this was?"
"Yes!"
"Well," she shrugged, starting to lower the blade, "In that case, maybe I'll just—let you go."
Jack's eyes widened.
"Uh… really?"
"No."
She threateningly twitched the dagger towards him again, and Jack Frost winced, suddenly racking his memory for the newspaper in the study. What was her name, again?
"Your name is Elsa," he remembered suddenly. "Right?"
"That is correct."
That's actually really pretty. "Okay. Sooooo… Elsa," he ventured, watching as she pulled the dagger back through the bars and stepped away from him, "My next question is—"
"—My turn!"
"WHAT?!"
"My name is Elsa. That answers your question," she said coolly. "So, it's my turn again."
"Aaaaaurgh…"
"The hovering-in-the-air thing," the young woman—Elsa—started again, picking up the quill. "How."
Jack's eyes began to wander in the direction of his staff, and he paused. His stomach twisted at the memory of the last time he'd willingly handed over the old shepherd's crook.
Yeah, he thought bitterly. Now that I'm handcuffed and trapped and everything, I think this'd be a great time to tell you all about my trusty weapon. Let me show you how it works.
Jack Frost cleared his throat, looking back to her. "I can fly," he decided, giving a casual shrug. "What about it?"
"People can't fly."
"Magic people can."
She stopped writing, slowly looking up to him. "You're… magic?"
"In more ways than one, Snowflake."
The Ice Powers Girl's eyes widened. Then—seeing a flicker a doubt flash across her features—Jack shifted on his feet, leaning forward against the bars as casually as he could while still in the handcuffs.
"Whaaaaaat?" he chuckled, grinning at her flirtatiously. "You thought you were the only magic person out there?"
"I—!"
Her eyes narrowed with skepticism. She tilted her head slightly to the side, continuing to peer at him in careful wonder as she tried to decipher whether or not he was telling the truth.
The Spirit of Winter's smile faded. Letting out his breath, he then gave her a tiny nod.
"Yeah. Like I said," Jack said softly. "Cynical."
He let his wrists sink into the handcuffs.
After another few long moments of studying him, the young queen finally scoffed, giving her head a shake. Her expression hardening, her teeth clicked together.
"And… like I said," she gritted, readjusting her grip on the quill, "We are not discussing my love life. And you will not be bringing it up again."
"Bringing up your—?"
He paused. An instant later, clicking together the puzzle pieces of their conversation, Jack's mouth fell open. Restraining from a smirk, the Guardian raised a single eyebrow, huffing a bit and regarding the Ice Powers Girl with a knowing glint in his eyes.
"I… wasn't," Jack Frost drawled.
She stiffened.
The Snow Queen's eyes widened, her face reddening as she realized her slip. Quickly fixing her expression, she gave her head a quick shake.
"But—for the record," Jack added, unable to keep his grin contained, "I… am also… single."
She didn't look up, pretending to be engrossed in her notes. Pausing—and then coming up with something to write down—she frantically dipped her quill into the inkwell again, replacing it on the parchment to furiously scribble down a few more words.
Jack leaned forward against the handcuffed. "Just in case that information is interesting to y—"
"—It's NOT."
Queen Elsa finished her last word with a flourish, dotting an i and then replacing the quill into the inkwell. Looking back up at him, she was now glaring daggers once again, her cheeks still flushed an adorable shade of pink.
Sure, Jack thought, feeling himself standing up a bit straighter in the handcuffs as he tried to keeping from smiling. Let's go with that, Snowflake.
As if she could read his mind, the Snow Queen's teeth clicked together, her glare darkening. Schooling her expression, she then forced herself to sit up straight again, calmly folding her hands over one another on her lap.
"I can see what you're trying to do," she said icily. "And I am not that easily distracted, if you think I'm going to make a big mistake. I cannot, and will not, fail Arendelle. Especially right now."
"What's so special about right now?"
Her eyebrows lifted. "You—don't know?" she asked, genuine confusion in her eyes.
Jack shook his head.
The young queen relaxed, her shoulders sinking a bit as she sat back in her chair. "Well. As I'm certain that anyone who has recently read a newspaper is aware," Queen Elsa enunciated, "My younger sister Anna is pregnant. And as we publicly announced, the difficulty of this pregnancy is the entire reason that I have been temporarily reinstated as Acting Queen, and am residing in the castle at all."
"How could—"
"—My turn!"
"Wait, hold on, though!" Jack protested, "I'm asking a political question, not a personal one. I should be allowed to ask you about policy. I mean, you're the queen, right? You can teach me."
She snapped her mouth shut, pressing her lips together. Holding his hands up in surrender, Jack leaned in close to the bars.
"I think we should play a game," he tried again. "It's called: let's pretend that I have no idea how royal stuff works."
The Snow Queen considered this for a long moment, glancing to the side. After a few moments, she shrugged.
"Alright," she conceded. "You may proceed."
Shifting in the handcuffs, Jack huffed a laugh of disbelief. "Temporarily reinstated?" he asked, "You can be reinstated as queen? Since when is THAT a thing?"
"Since Queen Anna and I added an amendment to the law allowing for it to be."
"Queen Anna?"
"Yes," she nodded. "My younger sister is the Queen of Arendelle."
Now, Jack was REALLY confused.
"Your… younger sister is the queen?" he asked slowly.
"I gave up my crown when I moved to the Enchanted Forest."
"Give up your crown!? How does that—"
"—It is a long, if not somewhat confidential, story," she snapped, "And I don't feel obligated to divulge the whole thing right now. But anyway, a year ago, I had to leave the castle for a couple of weeks, and when I got back, I found out that my Royal Council had somehow managed to dismantle everything that—"
Suddenly realizing what she was saying, the young woman cut herself off. Giving her head a quick shake, she then pulled in her breath.
"Anyway," she tried again, shifting in her seat, "Anna's been learning the ropes really brilliantly. But she needed a break with the pregnancy, and we needed to make sure that Arendelle still had an Acting Queen. So, we rewrote the succession law to allow for me to be reinstated, so that she could take a leave without everything falling apart."
"But if she's the queen," Jack pressed, pulling at the handcuffs and nodding to scratch his head, "Can't she just take a break whenever she wants?"
The Ice Powers Girl didn't answer.
After a few seconds of staring into each other's eyes, Jack shifted on his feet, twisting uncomfortably in the handcuffs. He huffed again, smiling back at her wryly.
"Super-secret royal something, right?" he chuckled.
Her stare hardened into a glare, her entire body suddenly tense in her seat. Jack's smile faded.
"Okay…" he conceded, trying again, "Is… the stony silence a way of telling me that you're not answering that?"
The young queen remained silent, her lips pressed together into a firm line.
"I'll—take that as a yes," Jack muttered.
After a few moments, she placed the ice-clipboard and quill onto the crystalline table beside her, rising from her chair. "It doesn't matter," she gritted, her voice dangerously soft. "Why Anna needs me to keep this position active is irrelevant, because for the next few months, for as far as you, or anyone else is concerned: I am the Reigning Queen of Arendelle. And I will be treated as such."
Standing on the other side of the bars, the stunningly beautiful Snow Queen stood before him, her piercing eyes as cold as a glacier. The moonlight sparkling off of the ice crystals on her gown, she was a fortress—strong, unshakable, and with many secrets buried deep inside.
Oh—and, clearly not about to surrender any more information on this subject.
What is even going ON in this kingdom?
"Okaaaaaay," Jack said carefully, "So… let me see if I've got this right. Your sister in on leave because of the pregnancy, so you're filling in for her?"
"Correct."
"Aaaaaaaand I'm not allowed to ask about the super-secret royal thing."
"Also correct."
"Alright," he shrugged, hiding his curiosity as he switched to another question, "So, you said something about moving to an Enchanted Forest; what in the BLIZZARDS do you—"
"—It's my turn, young man. That's enough questions for now."
He stopped talking, taking a tiny step back. Still shackled, he gestured for her to go ahead.
The young queen studied him again, picking up her quill. "You don't seem to—know very much about Arendelle's current political situation," she said quizzically, "You—you were hired at the last minute, weren't you? How long have you been involved with your current organization?"
His brow crinkled. "You mean, the Guardians?"
"Um—yes."
"Since last March. But!" Jack added quickly, seeing the confused shock on her face, "My coming here was kind of—unexpected."
To this, the young queen nodded. "So… it was a last-minute decision," she said darkly. "I see. And I'm guessing that this all came as something of a surprise to you?"
In his mind's eye, Jack Frost was suddenly back in the Workshop, being held fast on the North's thigh with the Guardian of Wonder's questioning, demanding, and very big eyes only an excruciatingly uncomfortable few inches from his own.
The Spirit of Winter nodded.
"Definitely," Jack choked.
The Ice Powers Girl was still writing, dipping the quill into the inkwell a few times and then continuing to scribble frantic notes, the characteristic scritch scritch scritching sound of her quill filling the space. After a few moments, Jack pulled in his breath.
"I'm pretty sure it's my turn," he said.
She paused, her quill stilling. Then, without looking up, the Snow Queen nodded, starting to write again.
Scritch. Scritch scritch.
"Okay," Jack started slowly, raising a single eyebrow, "When I was first in here…"
He paused, glancing to the bed.
Finally looking up, she nodded. "Yes?" Queen Elsa asked.
Jack teasingly looked up at her through his eyelashes.
"Were you just negotiating a trade agreement," he chuckled, "In your sleep?"
She jolted, her face flushing. "So what if I was?"
He let out a sharp bark of laughter. "You really need to take a break from this Queen thing."
"Can't do that."
"But—"
"—In fact," she interrupted, her smile suddenly fading as she sat up, glancing back down to her quill, "I—I probably need to be getting back to it."
"Wait, the Queen thing?" he laughed. "Uh… ma'am? It's kind of the middle of the night."
"Yes," she enunciated, setting the writing implement to the side, "It is. Isn't it?"
She smiled coldly.
Jack felt blood rising to his face.
Picking up the parchment, Queen Elsa cleared her throat, regally crossing her ankles and looking down to it. "So… to review," she sighed, "According to my notes… Jack…"
He nodded. "Jack Frost. Yep."
She visibly restrained from rolling her eyes.
"You are currently employed by the Man in the Moon as a professional fun-haver, you guard children against something you never specified, you have magic that gives you the ability to fly, you're invisible to anyone that doesn't believe you exist, and you're in Arendelle because…?"
She slowly looked up from the parchment, raising a single eyebrow. After a few moments, she looked back down, reading one of the final sentences.
"Because Santa Claus threw you into a magic portal from the North Pole," Elsa finished coldly.
Awkward silence.
"Uh… right," Jack choked.
The Spirit of Winter watched as she placed the parchment back onto the end table on top of the tablet and quill, shaking her head and pushing herself up onto her feet.
"Oooh, I did not need this tonight," she mumbled miserably.
Her face pained, she forced a smile.
"Well, then," the Snow Queen sighed, walking towards the art gallery, "Thank you for your cooperation. We will resume in—"
"—But it's true!" Jack protested, yanking against the handcuffs again, "I—I swear it's—why are you—?"
His voice trailed off as she left the room, passing through the door into the art gallery. Straining to hear, Jack Frost could tell that she was at the desk, rummaging through the drawers for something.
After a few more moments, Queen Elsa was coming through the door again, the ice particles on her dress sparkling as she swept past the window, dropping a large key into a velvet bag.
"There is a private holding cell by the dungeons. It's meant to be used for—special—prisoners of the King or Queen," she told him, "So, it should be empty. If my guards can't see you, I will escort you there myself."
Jack's mouth fell open as she drew herself up, closing her eyes in concentration and lifting her hands towards the bars.
"Wait!"
She paused, opening her eyes again.
"Can't I just stay here?" he blurted hopefully, "I mean—okay, if I can keep trying to convince you—"
"—Magic portals?" Elsa snapped, "Santa Claus? Oh! The Man in the Moon?!"
Jack Frost looked down to his feet, shifting uncomfortably in the handcuffs.
"Maybe I can convince you in the morning?" he squeaked.
She glared.
"I'm sorry," Elsa drawled. "I already have a previous engagement with the Big Dipper."
She whirled away from him again, tossing the bag onto the icy end table and reaching for the chair. A wave of panic sweeping through him, Jack leapt forward, gripping the bars in the handcuffs.
"I still have my last question!"
Queen Elsa stopped.
"One more!" Jack pleaded, "Please! I—I just want to ask one more question."
A long moment passed in silence.
Jack watched as the young queen let out her breath in defeat, her tense shoulders relaxing, still facing away from the cell. Crossing her arms over her chest as she shrugged her long, loose blonde locks to the side, she reluctantly let go of the chair and turned around, staring into his eyes.
"Fine," she sighed. "One more."
The quiet fell again. Jack pulled in his breath, staring at the stunningly beautiful young queen through the bars as she stood before him, her piercing, intelligent gaze locked onto his own.
He leaned forward in the handcuffs, dropping his voice to a whisper.
"How long have you believed in Jack Frost?"