AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, I really ESPECIALLY want to thank you guys for your continued love and support right now. You're reading this? That indicates that you support it. And that means that I ADORE you forever, so, thanks!

Between trying to deal with some plagiarism issues/my writing getting ripped off (specifically, I'm trying to grit my teeth and ignore it) and the fact that I now appear to be LOSING a few follows every time I post, I've been REALLY falling back onto your kind words and reviews to reassure myself that it's worth my time to keep working on Ice Alliance—you know, instead of just focusing on my original pieces. While I still can't really wrap my brain around the fact that people are actually reading this (I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU, SO MUCH), it would appear from my traffic counter and reviews that people are, so I really TRY to update about once a month or so. The reason that the last chapter took so long (I'mSorryI'mSorryI'mSorry!) was because I was almost ready to post, and then realized—well, basically, I was "telling," not "showing." In other words, it sucked. In OTHER words, I frantically spent a week and a half re-configuring and rewriting the whole thing.

For where my time is being spent, writing-wise, here's a summary of the three main projects I'm focusing on right now:

1. Fanfiction: Relationship relationship relationship emotions emotions emotions feelings feelings feelings feelings feelings feelings FEEEEEEEEELINGGGGGGGGGGGS.

2. Physics Writing: I will now explain the Kinematic Equations of Motion… without using any equations… in the style of a humor essay.

3. Original Fiction Piece: "COULD WE, LIKE, NOT BE DETONATING MAGICKAL EXPLOSIVES IN THE CAR!?"

So… yeah, I think I've basically run the gambit, for diverse writing styles. Either way, the fact that people seem to be enjoying this means EVERYTHING to me, because—even though I'm trying to make sure that I'm still keeping my original stuff moving—that makes Ice Alliance worth my time. I think. I hope. Oh, man, I hope. ("Oh, look! It's Question-My-Motivations-o-Clock! Time to go eat chocolate and cry!")

I love and adore you ALL,

~NopeNotTelling

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CONTENT WARNING: Just in case you somehow haven't figured it out by now, Jack is aware of the fact that Elsa is female. Innuendo ensues.

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61: THE EVIL QUEEN

An hour later, the Throne Room was hardly recognizable; menacing arches and jagged, crystalline spikes of ice exploding into existence as the Snow Queen ran up and down its length, cackling and blasting back the normally plush, decorative parlor furniture with violent explosions of snow.

Her eyes narrowed with determination, Elsa threw her hand to the side, sweeping her arm over her head and drawing up another archway of ice with a distinctive creak. Flicking her fingers above her, a large, frosty phrase swept across it in a gust of wind.

Elsa took a step back, eying her work.

CRUSH THE WEAK OF RESOLVE

That was sure to throw them off.

As Jack silently stepped forward, staring at the menacing archway, Elsa bit the edge of her lip, restraining from actually skipping forward to the next arch. She raised her arms again, sending another whoosh through the room as a new phrase swept over the ice.

IT IS BETTER TO BE FEARED THAN TO BE LOVED

Hee hee!

"Uh…" Jack breathed, making Elsa glance back to him as she lowered her arms. "Wow."

Elsa's heart leapt. "You like it?" she laughed.

"Am I supposed to?"

Elsa considered this for a moment. Clasping her hands together, she then turned away from him, smirking and starting to walk towards the last arch.

"No," she said curtly.

Jack shrugged, pulling in his breath as Elsa lifted her hands. "In that case, it's probably perfect—"

Whoosh!

A new phrase billowed across the ice of the last arch.

BEWARE THE FROZEN HEART

"As Suitor-Repellant," Jack finished.

Elsa nodded, happily gazing up at her work. "I think the Machiavelli quote is my favorite. If you're looking for terrifying, Ruler-With-An-Iron-Fist-type stuff, The Prince is always a good place to start."

Jack scoffed in disbelief. "I had no idea you had this in you, Snowflake."

The Fifth Spirit giggled, looking up with pride at the blasts of ice threateningly spiking out from all around the room. Her heart leapt again.

"I'm actually a little excited about this round of suitors," she chuckled slyly. "My! It's fascinating, the things one learns about oneself, from courting."

"I don't know if this counts as courting."

Elsa grinned wickedly and placed her hands on her hips, considering the room once again. All of a sudden, she found herself wishing that she would have ordered for the ornate parlor furniture to be removed, to leave a more barren (and much less inviting) throne room. She'd had the furniture brought in during the first few months of her initial reign, when she realized that the plush decor helped her subjects to relax—which would, in turn, encourage their honesty and cooperation. In fact, it had worked so well that Queen Anna (despite generally being more traditional than her sister) had kept up the practice. It was a bit unconventional, but Elsa was more keen to find out what her various dignitaries and peasant representatives were actually thinking, rather than to sit on an elevated throne in a traditional display of power.

Granted, after the events with the spirits—and heaven FORBID the great freeze following her coronation—displays of power felt unnecessary at best. For now, however, Elsa wasn't giving audiences as herself, but as The Evil Snow Queen. The usually-inviting furniture, now freshly blasted with ice and half-buried in snowdrifts, would have to do.

For the throne, though…

Walking down the frozen carpet, Queen Elsa pulled back her arms.

CRACK!

Ice erupted out of her skin as she threw her hands forward, snow smashing into the throne and exploding. As dozens of jagged, menacing icicles spiked out of the wood, leaving barely enough room for Elsa to sit down in its center, she giggled maniacally, bouncing on her toes.

Dropping her head back, she threw her hand into the air.

POW!

Another violent blast of ice flew out of her palm, crashing into the ceiling.

As a new set of icicles dripped from the crystalline explosion, stretching towards the carpet and surrounding her throne as they froze mid-air, Elsa nodded. THAT ought to do it.

Just try and court me NOW.

"Jack!" she exclaimed suddenly, whipping around, "You're a man."

Staring up at her work in awe, Jack Frost was still standing in the middle of the room, his staff resting on his shoulder. Snapping into focus, he looked back down to her.

"You're just figuring this out now?" he breathed.

Elsa laughed, casting her gaze about the throne room and walking back towards him. "I think I'm done, but I want to make sure," she admitted. "I need a masculine opinion."

"Wear your hair down more."

Elsa looked to him in surprise.

Jack froze in his tracks, his eyes wide as he sudden realized that the words had actually come out of his mouth. Gripping the shepherd's crook so hard that his knuckles turned white, he then blushed, clearing his throat.

"When it's loose—well, It looks really good that way," Jack backpedaled, drawing in his breath, "Like, when you were getting ready this morning, it looked great—NotThatItDoesn'tLookGreat!"

Elsa's eyes widened. Dropping his head forward, Jack gulped, reaching up and running his fingers through his hair.

"It just looks more—you," he tried again desperately, "When you wear it down. I don't know."

His voice trailed off, and he rubbed the back of his neck. The Fifth Spirit pulled in her breath.

"I actually do wear it down, now," she admitted. "Most of the time."

Jack's eyebrows lifted. "What?"

"I usually wear it down when I'm out in the Forest," Elsa explained, "It feels—right. But I braid it when I'm in the castle, because it feels more business. You know?"

"Really?"

She nodded. His eyes lighting up, Jack took a step forward.

"So, it's normally all loose, and everything?" he pressed, "Like how it is when you wake up? It is so pretty when you wake up; all flowy, and free, and soft, like freshly-fallen snow on a—"

Jack suddenly snapped his mouth shut, cutting himself off once again. Gripping the shepherd's crook with both hands and blushing even harder, he shook his head, like he was in pain.

The Youngest Guardian cleared his throat.

"What was it you were wanting to ask me?" he choked.

Taken aback, Elsa studied Jack's face. Her heart sank as he sighed, realizing that Jack was suddenly looking crestfallen as he stared down at his feet. His ears pink again with embarrassment—just like earlier—she remembered.

Elsa sucked in her breath.

"I'm sorry about breakfast."

Jack stiffened.

"Uh," he asked, looking up to her. "What?"

The Snow Queen clasped her hands in front of her skirt and walked up to him. Coming to a stop a few feet away, she tried again.

"I'm sorry," Elsa stammered, "And I—I owe you an apology. For earlier. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

To this, Jack's eyes widened slightly. Then, he pressed his lips together, his gaze dropping back to the floor as a few tiny snowflakes began to materialize out of the air around him.

"No, it's—it was my fault," Jack mumbled, his grip tightening on the staff. "You're not the one who should be apologizing. I didn't realize how much I was—if I was making you uncomfortable. With the touching, and—"

"—I'm fine with the touching."

His eyes widened.

"You—uh," Jack realized, hesitantly looking up to her again. "You are?"

"I know you've been alone for a really long time."

To this, Jack's face fell. Elsa's heart leapt into her throat.

"It's been a lot of years alone for me, too," she blurted, the confession tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop it, "I like being able to tou—um, to—to feel someone."

As the final confession escaped her lips, Jack suddenly stepped forward and grasped Elsa's hand. Her breath caught in surprise, and she snapped her head up, looking at him in wonder.

Elsa held her breath, her heart pounding as Jack Frost gave her hand a squeeze, suddenly in front of her again, and suddenly looking like he was trying to decide what to do next. After another moment, a hesitant smile began to tug at the edge of his mouth.

"Okay." Jack exhaled, twisting his palm against hers and interlacing their fingers. "So—so, you're fine with—like, all of the—?"

His voice trailed off. Elsa nodded again.

"Maybe—um," she admitted, "Maybe just not right in front of my family—"

"—Oh! Yeah, I—okay. That," Jack stammered, laughing nervously and dropping her hand to rub the back of his neck, "That makes sense. Sorry."

"It's fine."

"So—we're good now?"

"Yes," Elsa whispered. "I am. I mean, if you are. I mean—!"

Her gaze suddenly snagging on his, Elsa's breath caught. Jack was giving her that look again, now full-on grinning and staring at her with the same strangely caring, watchful gaze that he'd been giving her on the previous evening.

After a moment, Elsa gave her head a vigorous shake. She cleared her throat.

"We're good," she blurted.

To this, Jack smiled sheepishly, picking up her hand again and lifting it to his cheek. After leaning his face into it for a moment—closing his eyes, like he was savoring the feeling—he then brought it to his lips, gently kissing her knuckles.

"Good," he whispered. "Okay."

Elsa bit her lip, her breath catching as he kissed her hand again, then dropping their hands together between them.

"Okay," Jack nodded.

He bit his lip, like he was trying to hold back a grin. Drawing herself up, Elsa pulled in her breath.

"So," she exhaled.

"So!"

Jack's shoulders visibly relaxed. Seeing it, Elsa felt herself relax as well.

"So, you were—uh," he prompted, "You were—asking for my opinion about something?"

"OH! Yes. Right."

She gave her head a quick shake, yanking herself out of his endless smile. Heh. Yes.

"You can answer me honestly," Elsa started, gesturing to the arches and the spikes. "Because I want to know if I need to add more. As a man—well. If you were considering courting a woman, and you walked in and saw this, would you still be interested in romantically pursuing—"

"—NO."

Jack shook his head vigorously, his eyes bulging in horror. A grin on the edge of her lips, Elsa's heart skipped a beat, and she laughed.

"You don't think so?" she teased, picking up the edge of her capelet and dramatically sweeping around. "What, you don't think you can handle a strong woman?"

"This does not look strong," Jack countered, laughing as he gestured to the spikes. "This looks psychotic."

Elsa cackled, rubbing her hands together. "Excellent."

"You are really not feeling this whole suitor thing, are you?"

"Nope." She smirked, dramatically flouncing her capelet back again and drawing herself up. "Ever heard of Hamlet?"

"You—want them to think that you're crazy."

She smiled wickedly.

"Think they'll want to court me now?" Elsa giggled.

"Uh—let me think about that for a good, long second."

They both laughed, and Jack shook his head. Elsa clasped her hands together, scanning the Throne Room once again.

"I think I'm almost done then," she declared happily.

"What else are you going to change?" Jack asked. "This looks plenty terrifying to me. And most guys, I think."

"My dress."

Elsa turned from him to start walking towards one of the strategically-placed mirrors on the far side of the room. It had been placed there to reflect the most light, which, like the furniture, made the entire space more inviting. Jack followed her.

"What's wrong with that one?" he asked. "You look pretty."

"I'm supposed to look evil."

Biting her lip, the Snow Queen pulled up her hair, considering its weight. A moment later, Jack's statement actually hit her.

Wait—WHAT did he just say?

Before she could respond, however, Jack Frost was suddenly standing next to her again, his eyes scanning down her dress. Looking back up into her gaze, he nodded.

"Point taken," he conceded. "Proceed, Your Evilness."

He smiled into her reflection, their eyes locking. His eyes were absolutely incredible. And kind.

Always, always so… kind.

"Uh… so," Jack started again, pulling his staff down and snapping Elsa back into focus, "Are you going to change, then, or…?"

Elsa stiffened. "Wait, what?"

"No, I—uh, not like—not like that," he blurted, quickly correcting himself as she relaxed. "Nothing weird. I just—you said you were going to fix your dress?"

"Oh." Elsa relaxed again, mentally berating herself for the distraction. She shrugged, glancing to the clock on the far wall. "Yes. We should still have a few minutes."

If I don't waste them all admiring you, she thought bitterly. Just because Jack Frost is a sweetheart, it doesn't mean you should let yourself get distracted by it. Especially NOW, stupid girl!

Remembering her (confounded) suitors, the Fifth Spirit bit down hard on her lip and looked back to the mirror. She pulled her hair into a long spike over her head, then sweeping her hand over its length.

CREeeak!

A spiral of ice materialized out of the strands, setting the spike into place. As she pulled up a violent, sharp-edged crown around its base, icicles creaking as they grew out around it, Elsa then reached to her neckline.

With more creaking and a puff of snow, a tall, dramatic collar erupted out of the top of her dress, shooting up past her ears in a gigantic frame of her face. Elsa swept her hands over her collarbone, and was just materializing a jagged necklace of icicles when she heard Jack let out a long, low whistle.

"Okay, then," he breathed. "Evil Snow Queen. I think I see it now."

Carefully flicking her fingers over her face, Elsa coated the ends of her eyelashes with frost, then pulling the ice forward into unnatural, frozen clumps. "I'm hoping that's what they'll see, too."

Raising her hands to the giant, ice-covered blonde spike that was her hair, Elsa swept her fingers across it, materializing a threatening, crystalline crown. Taking a step back, Jack flipping his shepherd's crook over his wrist.

"I've got to say, Snowflake," Jack chuckled, crossing his ankle onto his knee as he sat down on the staff, "I honestly think you could make anything look good, but this Evil Queen vibe isn't particularly flattering on yoooooOOoou…"

Elsa suddenly touched the front of her neckline, yanking it halfway down to her navel. Fusing the icy fabric to the top of the corset, she then turned away from the mirror to check her capelet, smoothing the front of the dress into place.

Jack froze. After a few moments, a dreamy, half-vacant smile tugged at the edge of his mouth, and he slowly leaned forward, resting his chin on his fist. Staring at the plunging neckline, Jack Frost then casually flicked his other hand to the side, his gaze unwavering.

"Carry on," he breathed.

Elsa drew herself up, continuing to pull her hands across the dress, leaving embellishing spikes and icicles behind. Noticing his expression, she bit her lip.

"Do you think it's a bit much?" Elsa asked hesitantly.

Jack didn't answer, staring happily into space.

"Um… Jack?" she tried again.

"Hmm?"

Elsa teeth clicked together. After a few more moments, she loudly cleared her throat.

"OH!" Jack jolted, his eyes snapping back into focus. "Um—sorry—speaking. Words. You were speaking words. At. To me. What?"

"I think you just gave me my answer," she admitted. "I asked you if you thought it was a bit much."

"Depends. What's the goal?"

"To scare them as much as possible, while still having them look at my face."

"Face?"

Elsa's eyes narrowed.

Drawing herself up, the Fifth Spirit glared, crossing her arms over her chest. "You said the Evil Queen look wasn't flattering," she scoffed.

"It might be growing on me." Leaning forward and resting his chin on his fist again, Jack pulled in his breath, gazing hopefully up into her eyes. "Are you going to do anything with the skirt?"

"I—!"

As his gaze dropped back down to her dress, his eyes glazing over, Elsa felt her entire body go rigid. Blood rushing to her face, she reached up and swept her hand over her chest, re-materializing the icy cloth into a high v-neck.

Jack's eyes snapped back into focus, and he jolted, giving his head a quick shake. Letting out his breath, he leapt from the staff.

"Sorry," Jack laughed nervously, snatching the shepherd's crook back out of the air, "I—that was my bad."

Elsa took a step backwards, catching her crown as it started to slip. "It's okay—"

"—No, it's—it's not," he countered. "I'm sorry. I mean, I thought that maybe, since you—no, you weren't doing that on purpose."

Jack let out his breath, hooking his finger into the collar of his hoodie and pulling it forward an inch, pumping it a few times like he was trying to cool down. A look of puzzlement swept over Elsa's face.

Doing WHAT on purpose?

She was just opening her mouth to ask him for clarification when the door handle on the far side of the room thunked loudly. It was opening.

Elsa sucked in her breath as Jack spun around, noticing at the same exact time that she did. There was a gust of wind, and the Spirit of Winter was suddenly standing right beside her, picking up her hand.

"You're going to do great," he whispered.

Before Elsa could respond, Jack Frost then quickly kissed her cheek, dropping her hand and turning away as the enormous doors to the Throne Room swung inwards.

"Good day, your majesty," Rolf said emotionlessly, flipping back a page on his clipboard as he strode into the room. "I presume that you are feeling better. If you are ready, then this morning, the first—"

Leisurely looking up from the clipboard and noticing the state of the throne room, Rolf startled.

The Snow Queen restrained from a laugh of triumph as her Head Councilman's eyes practically bulged out of his skull, his mouth falling open with horror as he looked around the ice-blasted, frozen throne room.

"I—" he stammered, his face going pale. "But—it—when did—?"

Glancing to Jack, Elsa bit down hard on her lip as he hopped up onto his staff, watching Rolf slowly turn around. Shaking his head, the Snow Queen's Head Councilman looked back to her in terrified disbelief, suddenly noticing her—decked out in ice and evil-looking spikes of frost—as well.

"What?" he squeaked.

Elsa beamed.

"Décor," she said simply.

"But, this—it—!"

Elsa turned to walk towards her throne, smoothing the front of her skirt. "I'm just trying something new," she shrugged. "For this last set of suitors. Better luck, perhaps—if they see who I really am. Don't you agree?"

Jack let out a sharp bark of laughter, and the Fifth Spirit restrained a smirk as she stepped up onto the platform. Looking back to him, she saw Rolf open his mouth to speak, then snapping it shut again like he was in pain.

Drawing himself up, he swallowed hard.

"It—uh," Rolf stammered, "So—the suitors."

Elsa nodded, sweeping her capelet forward and carefully sitting down on her ice-blasted throne. "All four are present today, I hope?"

"Right—I mean, um, yes. Your highness."

He cleared his throat, nervously eying the spikes and blasts of ice shot over the furniture, a flash of frustration lighting up his gaze. Clearing his throat again, Rolf clicked his feet together.

"Rolf?" Queen Elsa prompted, making him jump as her left eyebrow twitched upwards. "With all due respect—are my suitors going to be coming in here today, or are we going to be walking out and meeting them in the hallway?"

"OH!" he jolted, "I—I will go and fetch the first. Your majesty."

With an awkwardly quick little bow, Rolf frantically spun around and scurried from the room, heaving the door open and running out. As the doors clunked shut again behind him, Elsa crossed her left leg over her right and leaned back into the ice-blasted throne, carefully adjusting herself in the midst of the menacing spikes. She loved Anna and would do anything for her, but if she was going to have to be stuck back in the castle—back in the politics, back drowning in all of the backstabbing and hatred and disrespect—then at the VERY least, she was going to take Jack Frost's advice and have some fun with it. The Council had invited these men without her permission. And now, they were going to see exactly who they were dealing with. Now—in an ice-blasted throne, and with a crown of icicles on her head—the Snow Queen of Arendelle was ready.

She was BORN ready.

And the Final Round was about the begin.

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(ANOTHER) AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yeah, no suitors in this chapter, sorry. But we get FOUR in the next, so see you then! :D ;)