He shut his eyes and tried to sleep.
The nap took Jack almost a century back.
The knight was peacefully dozing on a bed of fragrant hay in the quiet stable, the rhythmic sounds of the horses surrounding him, when the softest tap on his shoulder roused him from his sleep.
He recognized the tap instantly and, with a smile curling beneath the brim of his black hat, he opened his eyes. "What can I help you with, Queenie?"
Elsa's head gently fell onto his stomach, and Jack winced as the weight sent a pang of discomfort through him. "Let's go to the market," she murmured, her voice light, yet filled with unspoken yearning.
Jack nodded in mock solemnity, standing up and bowing with exaggerated reverence. "I shall first seek permission from His Highness, and then we can be off to the market."
Elsa groaned and crossed her arms. "Must you really?"
"You are a princess, and your movements must be known to the king," he replied, his tone teasing but with an underlying warmth. He understood her better than anyone, and he knew the words were more for her than for him.
Elsa grabbed a strand of hay and absentmindedly twirled it in her fingers. "I wish I wasn't," she whispered, almost to herself. "I wish I were just a commoner."
Jack laughed softly, a low chuckle escaping him. "That's what the commoners would say, 'Oh, if only I were royalty.'"
Her lips curved into a reluctant smile, and she sat up straight, her eyes meeting his. "I wish I was free, Jack."
He hesitated, his smile fading as he sensed the deeper meaning behind her words. "But you are, aren't you?"
Her gaze darkened, and she hugged her knees to her chest. "No, Jack. I'm a princess. My hands are shackled by duty, by the expectations placed on me. I don't have a say in anything. My life was planned for me before I was even born. These rules, these chains, they drag me down until I can barely breathe. How can I be free?"
Jack felt a lump form in his throat as he watched her struggle with the weight of her own words. "Elsa."
She met his eyes, her voice trembling as she spoke. "I was sentenced to this life before I even opened my eyes. How can I be free when I can't even make my own choices?"
Jack swallowed hard, and without another word, he held out his hand to her. "Let's go to the market." His tone softened, as if offering her a fleeting moment of escape, a brief taste of freedom. "Come on now."
Her hand slipped into his, her fingers shaking slightly. For the first time, the walls around her heart seemed to loosen, just a little.
Excitedly, Jack draped a luxurious black velvet cloak over her slender shoulders, pulling the hood low over her delicate face, concealing her identity. He slipped on his own oversized coat, hiding his face from prying eyes.
The rush of adrenaline made Elsa bounce up and down, her feet barely touching the ground. "So we're really going to the market?"
"Yes, as you ordered," Jack said, his smile never faltering.
Elsa suddenly stopped, her face serious as she clenched his hand. "Can't you just treat me like a friend for once? Why do you always act like…this? Like I'm untouchable."
Jack sighed, slipping his hand gently from hers. "Elsa…You are my friend. But I'm just a knight, and you-" He paused, looking at her with a mix of awe and sorrow. "-You're going to be a queen. There's a difference between us that can never be erased. You're the ocean, and I'm just a river."
Elsa's gaze flickered with a hint of defiance. "Rivers are stronger than the ocean."
Jack laughed, shaking his head. "That's not even a proverb, and it doesn't make any sense, Queenie."
Elsa crossed her arms and looked away, feigning annoyance. "Your ridiculous saying doesn't make much sense either. I doubt it even exists."
They both chuckled, but the laughter quickly faded. Elsa's eyes grew soft, and she took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest.
"I like you," she said, the words slipping out before she could stop them. She had said it countless times before, but now it felt different. Raw. Honest.
Jack froze mid-step, his expression shifting to one of surprise. "I...I'm sorry, Your Majesty," he stammered, his mind racing. "I just remembered…His Highness asked me to check something-" He turned quickly, his attempt at escape painfully transparent.
But Elsa wasn't going to let him run again. She grabbed his arm, her voice barely a whisper as she groaned in frustration. "How many times will you turn me down, Jack? Why do you keep using 'Your Majesty'? It makes me feel like I'm someone else, someone different than you."
Jack's shoulders slumped, and his voice grew quieter. "Because you are someone else, Elsa. You're the princess, the queen to be. And I'm just a commoner. There's a gap between us that can never be crossed. I'm nothing, and you're everything."
Elsa rested her head against his chest, her voice barely audible as she whispered, "I long for you." She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, and quickly changed the subject. "Should we head to the market?"
It was a familiar dance, one they'd been doing for years. Elsa had long given up trying to push him, knowing how this story would unfold.
Only Jack could reject the princess and still be alive.
"Yes, of course, Your Majesty," Jack replied quietly, walking ahead of her. But inside, his heart ached as he hid his own glassy eyes.
Elsa didn't know that Jack had loved her since they were children, since the moment she had first held his hand at the age of five.
Now they were both nineteen, caught in a love that was forbidden by birthright. And as they walked together, the cruel hand of fate seemed to laugh at them, mocking their shared longing.
Why must fate be so cruel to them?
Goodness! Jack jerked awake, gasping for breath, as though he had just been reborn. His heart raced, and a strange, dizzying feeling washed over him.
"Unbelievable! Fuck! I can't believe this. Elsa and I...Shit!" He swore, his hands running through his hair in frustration. Rarely did he ever use such language, and never had he been so utterly speechless. Yet here he was, lost in the aftermath of an experience so bizarre, even his ability to foresee things hadn't prepared him for this.
The image of Elsa burned brightly in his mind. So she was into me, and I felt the same way, he thought, his mind spinning. "But why couldn't we be together? Was I missing something?"
He walked aimlessly around, barefoot, muttering to himself. The feeling of confusion gnawed at him. "Wait…I remember us lying on the grass…so we were together." His head spun with the realization that everything he had seen had to have happened before they'd officially been together.
He suddenly felt ridiculous for talking to himself like this. This wasn't his usual behavior, and yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something larger than him was at play.
"I need to see Gothi. I fucking need to see her right now!" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. He hurriedly grabbed his coat from the couch, throwing it on as he rushed towards the stairs, his mind racing.
When he reached the bottom, there she was, gracefully helping the cook in the kitchen, her movements so elegant that for a moment, she looked exactly like Elsa from his dream. She was the same yet different, a little more grounded, a little more real.
A smile spread across her face when she saw him. "I'm so happy you're awake, babe. Dinner will be ready soon," she said, her voice warm, but then her expression shifted to curiosity as she noticed his attire. "Going somewhere?"
God, that smile. It hit him right in the chest, sending a jolt of warmth through his entire body. "Yes, I am," he said, his voice thick with emotion. Without another word, he crossed the space between them in two strides, wrapping his arms around her in a tight, desperate embrace.
"Well, dinner will be ready soon. You better be back within an hour." Elsa's playful scolding felt oddly comforting, as if he were hers to care for, and she enjoyed that feeling.
Jack shifted nervously, unsure how to deliver the news. "I need to go to Berk right away, but I'll be back within a day."
Elsa's eyes widened, and she instinctively reached for her face, her heart pounding. "Oh god, is everything okay? Is someone hurt? Aunt Val-" Her voice trailed off, the thought of something happening to her family caused her stomach to drop.
"No, no, no, it's not…it's not that." Jack hurried to reassure her, but his words felt hollow. "I have some unfinished business that needs to be dealt with urgently, and I must be there in person." He couldn't bring himself to explain the deeper reasons, unsure of what was happening to him or why it felt so wrong not to be completely honest with her.
"When will you be back?" Elsa asked softly, her voice trembling a little. She didn't understand, but she was sad at the thought of being apart from him.
He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her tightly, reluctant to let go. "Within two days, max. I promise." His gaze lingered on hers, warm and sincere. "Until then, you can visit a few places, or meet someone if you like. Sebastian will be here with you."
Elsa felt a subtle shift, something was off. Jack had called Sebastian by his real name, Sebastian, not 'Loki' as he usually did. The doubt in her grew, and her brow furrowed. "Are you sure everything's okay?"
He didn't lie. "I'm sure." But the weight of his own words felt heavy, and he wasn't telling the whole truth. "I'll be back before you know it." He kissed her softly, nuzzling her neck, already missing her even before he'd left.
"Please call me and tell me when you'll be home," Elsa whispered, the plea in her voice as tender as it was sincere. Home. She loved that word, the feeling of it, especially when it came from him.
"I will," Jack promised, his voice thick with emotion.
"You promise?"
"Yes, I promise, snowflake." He brushed his lips against hers in a final kiss before pulling away, the weight of his own promise settling heavy on his chest. "Have a good night, and make sure you eat your dinner."
With one last lingering look, he walked toward the entrance, his heart aching with the thought of leaving her behind. "I love you."
"Come back soon, Jack!" Her voice echoed in his mind as he stepped outside, her words lingering with him like a tender echo.
Sebastian watched Jack with a concerned gaze, his expression softening as he noticed the tension in Jack's posture. "Is everything alright, son?" His voice held the kind of concern only a father figure could convey, an unspoken understanding that Jack's usually calm demeanor had shifted.
Jack shut his eyes briefly, his face tightening with the weight of what he needed to do. He kept walking forward, not pausing to explain. "It is and isn't. Charter my plane. I need to go to Berk."
Sebastian knew better than to press further. Jack's tone was decisive, but there was an underlying strain that made him hesitate before asking any more questions. Without another word, he dialed the number and began making the necessary arrangements. "We should leave now."
As soon as the call ended, Jack motioned for him to stop as they neared the car. "That's not necessary, Sebastian. I'll drive myself. You stay here with Elsa. I trust you with her. Take care of her."
The words were simple, but the weight of them made Sebastian's heart tighten. "Are you sure everything's fine?" Sebastian's voice held a quiet note of disbelief, knowing something was off. Jack had always referred to him as 'Loki,' so the shift in how he addressed him, not to mention his sudden urgency, made it clear this wasn't a typical trip.
Jack didn't meet his gaze but nodded sharply, the mask of resolve back in place. "It is. Just some unfinished business. I'll handle it."
Sebastian studied him for a moment, seeing through the layers of Jack's usual composure. "Alright, Mr. Overland. Come back safe." His words were firm, but a faint shadow of doubt lingered in his eyes. He knew Jack well enough to tell that this wasn't just another business trip. As far as Sebastian knew, there was nothing on Jack's schedule for at least a month, nothing that warranted this kind of rush.
But Jack didn't give him time to dwell on it. He gave a final nod, his eyes momentarily locking with Sebastian's in a silent understanding, before heading for the door.
Sebastian stood quietly in the doorway, watching as Elsa and Elena laughed and talked. It was a scene that felt almost surreal. Elsa, who had always been so guarded, so distant, was now here, smiling so freely. And Elena, with her warmth and easygoing nature, seemed to have melted the walls Elsa had built.
He edged a little closer, just out of their view, and overheard their conversation.
"So, Elena, what's your secret? Your recipes are too good." Elsa's voice, light and full of genuine curiosity, made Sebastian smile. She was laughing, really laughing.
Elena, ever humble, gave her usual response. "As the old saying goes, 'Just make it with love.' Simple as that." She grinned, the motion of her hands effortlessly kneading the dough in front of her.
Elsa let out a genuine, heartfelt laugh, reaching for a glass of water. "I must've heard this a thousand times in Berk." There was a nostalgic fondness in her voice.
Curiosity sparked in Elena's eyes as she stopped her work for a moment. "So you are from Berk? I've heard it's a gorgeous place."
Sebastian knew that Berk was not where Elsa had been born, but the place she will always consider her true home. But hearing Elsa's response made his heart tighten in a way he hadn't expected. She was starting to see the beauty in it.
"Yes, that's my home, and it's unbelievably gorgeous." Elsa's voice softened, and Sebastian caught the hint of tears in her eyes. But this time, they weren't from sadness, they were from something else. Something brighter. "I'll take you there sometime." They were from happiness.
Elena's smile widened, her voice warm and sincere. "I'll be happy to. Thank you, Mrs. Overland."
Elsa chuckled, a sound full of lightness and love. The change in her was subtle but undeniable. She had come so far, and Sebastian couldn't help but feel a pang of pride for her. She had started to embrace her new life, her new family, and in doing so, she was beginning to heal in ways he had never thought possible.
Sebastian stood there a moment longer, watching the two women bond over something so simple, yet so profound. It was a beautiful change for Elsa, and it warmed his heart.
With a quiet sigh, he turned away, slipping out of the room unnoticed. There was no need to interrupt. It was clear to him now that, despite the storm they had been through, Elsa was beginning to find peace, and that was something he could never have imagined seeing a few days ago.
The soft laughter that echoed from the kitchen as he walked away was all he needed to hear.