AUTHOR'S NOTE (original, Christmas 2015):
First of all, like usual, I can't thank you enough for the reviews. In a desperate attempt to come up with a new way to say this: HOORAAAAAAAAAAY, REVIEWS! REVIEWS ARE GREAT! YOU ARE GREAT! I LOVE YOU ALL! I SHALL BLOW THE BLOWHORN OF HAPPINNESS WHILE FLINGING GLITTER INTO THE AIR WITH EXHUBERANT JOY! (BY THE WAY: The normal reviews are down, but GUEST REVIEWS ARE STILL SHOWING UP. Please, still review, even though the website is having issues!)
Secondly, allow me to reassure you all that I'm churning this out as fast as I can. When I actually add up everything I haven't published yet, it comes out to about an additional 20,000 words, but here's the thing: it's all just bits and pieces. When I started I.A., I was intentionally NOT allowing myself to know what would happen next, because I was trying to keep myself excited to write more. Yeah, that didn't last very long. (You might have noticed a serious change of pace starting around chapter 12.) So, now, I know where I'm going, and I'm stringing together all the bits and pieces to get there. I usually try to update once a week, but as of tomorrow, I'm back into the semester and the lab, which is another way of saying that I will have no life. It might be more like once every two weeks, but I'll try!
Lastly, HAPPY 100,000 WORDS! Thanks for being here and helping me in my desperate efforts to justify my secret hobby! And now I stop talking, and get back to the story. ;)
AUTHOR'S NOTE (added after Drafting Hiatus, June 2017): Oh, how quaint I was. Back when we only reached 100,000 words in THIS chapter. Clearly, I hadn't drafted yet. XD Dear Past Self, prepare to spend four months reconfiguring the First Meeting Scene.
CONTENT WARNING: Sexual innuendo, brief reference to sex after marriage (Basically, that it exists). Like usual, nothing graphic or obscene at all, but these are adults, people. Rated t, proceed with caution.
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39: CHOCOLATE AND ANALYSIS
"Nothing. I swear, there was nothing, Anna!" Elsa exclaimed. "I went through three years worth of records, and—well, I have a lot more research to do, but—nothing citing any child abuse laws! It's an outrage! And I don't believe for one moment that it's because there's no child abuse happening. It's just all being swept under the table. We have to do something about this."
Queen Anna, taking a bite of the raspberry chocolate cake, pondered this. She looked to her sister. "Unbelievable!"
"I know, right?" Elsa bit her lip. "I couldn't fathom it."
"No. I'm totally willing to believe the thing about the legal system being messed up. I mean, it's horrible, but it doesn't surprise me," Anna shrugged, "And obviously, that needs to become out highest political priority."
"Higher than the housing reform?"
"That one's already ready to go. We just need to get it through."
Queen Elsa nodded, looking down to her cake sample. Taking a bite, she then chewed and swallowed, turning back to her sister. "Then what's so unbelievable?" she asked.
"That your idea of a fabulous day with the Spirit of Winter is to drag him to the library to research child abuse laws."
Elsa felt blood rushing to her face.
"Anna," she choked, "Just because he's the Spirit of Winter—"
"—And gorgeous—"
"—It doesn't mean that I get to stop being the Acting Queen," Elsa finished, determinately staring down at her plate. "As Arendelle's leader, I have responsibilities."
"You really don't need to remind me of this," Queen Anna chuckled, and leaned forward onto her elbow. "I get it. Trust me. I just figured, you know, that you and Jack Frost would at least have a snowball fight, or something."
"We did have a snowball fight!"
A look of confusion swept over Anna's face. "I thought you said you went to the library," she said slowly.
A few awkward moments passed in silence. Elsa shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"We cleaned it up," she offered.
"You had a snowball fight… in the library?" Anna gasped.
Elsa determinately stared back down at her piece of cake, poking at it with her fork. Feeling Anna's wide-eyed gaze on her face, she blushed as her sister leaned over to her in her chair.
"Well," the redheaded queen laughed, "I guess that lends itself to the obvious next question."
"Anna, we're just friends."
"I was going to ask who won."
"Oh."
The door into the food preparation area swung open, and a tall maid wearing an apron bustled into the room, holding a silver tray with two more tiny plates on it. Coming over to Anna and Elsa, she set it down, gesturing to the raspberry cake plates and raising her eyebrows slightly. Elsa smiled, thanking her as she replaced it with the new plate.
"The cake is lovely," Elsa said. "I think we ought to certainly have at least two of that flavor."
"Agreed," Anna nodded.
"Would you prefer it baked into layered circles, or in sheets, your majesty?" she asked, quickly pulling out a tiny notebook and writing down Elsa's words.
"Layered circles would be wonderful."
Anna frantically scooped up the last bite of the raspberry chocolate cake sample and popped it into her mouth, grinning triumphantly and sitting back as the maid took her now-empty plate, replacing it with a new one.
"The chef's specialty lemon sugar bar, with lemon curd imported from far south," the maid announced.
Elsa and Anna oohed and ahhed appropriately, Queen Anna struggling to finished chewing and swallowing the last of the previous sample. As the maid left through the door again, Elsa turned to her sister, giggling at her chipmunk cheeks.
"You're not really supposed to eat all of it," Elsa laughed. "I mean—Anna—this is a tasting, not a consuming."
"Buh ith chocate."
"Hmm?"
Anna swallowed, sheepishly looking to Elsa again.
"But it's chocolate," she insisted.
Elsa smirked slightly, raising an eyebrow. "That doesn't mean you have to stuff in all in your face as quickly as possible."
"I'll stuff it in my face if I want to."
They both burst out laughing, Elsa shaking her head as they turned to the lemon bars in front of them.
She had hardly picked up her fork before Anna suddenly turned to her, half of her lemon bar already gone.
"Ya know wha ith needth?" the pregnant queen blurted. "Chocate."
"Anna, we can't have chocolate in every dessert," Elsa chuckled.
"What? Why not?"
Elsa raised an eyebrow, daintily cutting off a piece of the lemon bar with her fork. "Well," she said patiently, "Some people are allergic to it, for one thing."
Anna gasped, her face going pale as Elsa took a bite of the lemon bar. After a few moments, Queen Anna looked to her sister, her enormous blue eyes wide in horrified disbelief.
"Those poor, lifeless souls," Anna breathed.
Elsa choked.
Struggling to regain her composure as she swallowed the lemon bar more carefully, Elsa bit her lip, subtlety wiping off her mouth on her pristine lilac napkin.
"That should not be a thing," Anna proclaimed, drawing herself up with a sarcastic glint in her eyes, "That is just cruel and unusual, and there's—there's got to be something we could do. What could we do? Decree that all allergies and illnesses stay away from the people of Arendelle? Let's make allergies and illnesses illegal. Also, sleep deprivation. THAT should solve the problem."
Queen Elsa snorted. "Oooh, Anna," she laughed, shaking her head, "What am I going to do with you?"
"First of all, dear sister," Anna retorted, changing the subject back, "You are going to explain why I wasn't invited to see that."
"See what?"
"The Spirit of Winter versus the Snow Queen… and in the library?" Anna breathed.
Elsa shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, as she turned back to the lemon bar and picked up her knife. "Well, it wasn't exactly planned—"
"—Who cares? It was probably the snowball fight of the century. And you still haven't told me who won."
Elsa laughed, her cheeks flushing slightly. Then, a pensive expression crept over her features, and she contemplated the question.
"I—I'm not actually sure," the Fifth Spirit admitted quietly. "To be completely honest, I thought I was trying to go easy on Jack, but Kristoff thinks he was going easy on me. And, Jack did eventually catch me, but—well, I got his staff away from him. Twice."
A hint of a grin tugged at the edge of Anna's mouth. "So… it was a tie?"
"Why… yes," Elsa realized, looking up. "I… I suppose it was."
A few moments passed in silence.
Queen Anna burst out laughing again, nearly falling off her seat with the giggles as Elsa blushed furiously, shaking her head and looking back to the lemon bar.
"I am—so proud of you!" Anna gasped. "My sister! And against Jack Frost!"
Elsa shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "It was fun."
"So—his staff," Anna started again, her eyes wide with curiosity, "Is—is that, like, the source of his powers?"
"Oh, no. Jack's powers are his own," Elsa countered. "They're just—harder to control without it, I think. But, without the staff, he can't fly."
"Oh. That makes sense."
The sisters went quiet, a calm falling over the table.
The pregnant queen silently placed her fork next to her plate, her eyes sliding in Elsa's direction. Finally, she cleared her throat.
"Soooo…"
Anna raised her eyebrows, grinning. A look of confusion swept over Elsa's face.
"Um… so…?" Elsa said slowly.
To this, Queen Anna giggled again. "So… Jack Frost," she whispered, leaning in to her sister. "If you had a crush on him on that first day, I can't imagine what you'd call it now. Not to mention, how I found you two, all snuggled up under the—"
"—We were NOT—!"
"—Spill," Anna chuckled.
Her eyes were wide and expectant again, and Elsa felt heat rising to her face. Her throat tight with embarrassment, she pulled in a long breath.
"Anna," she choked, "I did not have a crush on him. I just thought he was—"
Her voice trailed off as she searched for a word.
"Um—charming," Elsa decided.
Anna raised a single eyebrow, a tiny smirk pulling at the edge of her mouth. Elsa felt herself blushing harder.
"What?" Elsa demanded. "What's so funny?"
"CHaRmInG?"
"He is!"
Queen Anna smiled mischievously, cutting off another chunk of lemon bar as she muttered under her breath. "And gorgeous and amazing and adorable and—"
"—I did not say any of that, and you know it!"
"Your face did."
Elsa smiled in spite of herself, letting out a breathy laugh and rolling her eyes. "Alright. I think that Jack is—attractive," she admitted. "But Anna… we're friends. I promise, it's just a friendship."
Anna studied her sister's face for a few moments. She then gently placed her elbow on the edge of the table, resting her chin on her fist.
"Okaaaaaaaay," Anna started carefully. "So, tell me about this—friendship. Like, what do you know about him? Because, I don't know much of anything, except that he's gorgeous, has ice powers, and is desperately in love with you."
"He is not in love with me."
"Yes, he is."
Elsa opened her mouth to protest, but before she could do so, the door to the food preparation area swung open again, the maid with the silver tray bustling back over to Anna and Elsa.
"How did your majesties like the lemon bar?" she inquired.
"It was absolutely lovely, thank you," Elsa smiled. "Compliments to the chef! We should certainly have a fair amount of those at the ball."
"How many would you like?"
"I believe three hundred should do it. What do you think, Anna?"
Anna nodded. "That should work."
The plates were once again taken and replaced with new ones, and the sister queens found themselves looking down at two thinly-cut, golden-brown slices of cake. The maid drew herself up again, smiling.
"A classic," she announced. "This is the chef's vanilla chocolate cake, with a salted caramel drizzle."
"Our father's favorite," Elsa sighed wistfully. "Thank you."
The maid curtsied and left the room. As soon as the door shut behind the maid, Queen Anna spun around to her sister again.
"Like, you've been spending alllllll of your time with him," Anna prodded, picking up her fork. "What have you been up to?"
"Just the usual affairs of the kingdom."
She raised her eyebrows. "I don't believe that for a second, and you know it."
"Anna—"
"Details!" Anna laughed. "I. Want. Details. Like, today. Start with when you first saw him, today."
Elsa bit her lip, looking to the cake. Anna was not letting this go.
With a long breath, Elsa closed her eyes in defeat and drew herself up.
"Well," she started, "I suppose that this morning, right after I got up, he—well, never mind what happened," Elsa added quickly, deciding against telling Anna. "But Jack seemed really—nervous. And embarrassed. But then he said I was pretty—so, that was good, right? But then he ran away! So, maybe he didn't mean it, or shouldn't have said it? It didn't look like he regretted it, but he clearly felt bad about walking in, and I apologized for it—you know, having ice-blasted him and everything—but then he said it was fantastic, which doesn't make sense to me. Fantastic? I mean, I think that's what he said. Anyway, and then asked if he could kiss me again, and—"
"—YOU'VE KISSED?!" Anna exclaimed.
"Yes! Pay attention!" Elsa stammered, "And I—I was emotionally compromised, alright? So, then I told him that I thought we were going too fast, and I thought he'd be relieved, but instead, he said that—actually, I'm not repeating what he said. So anyway, I slapped him, and he said he deserved it, and then he was acting all flirty and nice again, and after that then he got kind of quiet, and—okay. So, then we went to the library, and we did research for a while, but then he got frustrated—he said the people were idiots. But I think he was just bored—oh, I don't know. Why would he come with me, if he didn't like research? It doesn't make sense, quite frankly. But Jack is extremely smart—is this making sense?"
Anna's mouth was hanging slightly open in shock, her face blank with confusion. Her eyes widening slightly, she slowly pulled in her breath.
"Maaaaaaybe we should skip over this part," Anna choked.
Elsa blushed, swallowing hard. Giving her head a little shake, she then fidgeted with her fork, starting again.
"So, then we had our snowball fight—he said that we had a deal, and he wasn't letting me back out of it, and I thought he might be mad, but he was just kind of laughing! And then, when he finally caught me, he—well, he sort of fell on top of me, and—well, it was weird, Anna! I mean, he got off the moment I asked him to, but his expression—it was like he didn't want to, or something. It doesn't make any sense. I mean, at first he was laughing and everything, and joking around, but then he got all—quiet. That's—it's—maybe I did something wrong, or he was angry, or—!"
Elsa's voice trailed off, and she blushed furiously, shaking her head. Biting her lip, she then looked back to the cake, poking at it with her fork.
Queen Anna was silent. After a few moments, she pulled in a long breath again.
"Maybe we should skip over this part, too," Anna said glassily.
"I—I'm sorry," Elsa choked, struggling to keep her voice even. "I just—I've never done this before. I had no idea that friendship was so—complicated."
Anna—her mouth hanging slightly open in shock—raised her eyebrows.
"I had no idea that friendship was so complicated," she breathed.
Anna shifted in her chair, looking back to her sister.
"Elsa," Anna started quietly, "You might be over-analyzing this. A bit."
Elsa bit her lip. "How do you mean?"
"Stop. Analyzing," the pregnant queen laughed under her breath. "Just tell me how you feel."
Elsa said nothing, determinately poking at the cake. After a few moments, she put her fork down, leaning forward and burying her face in her hands.
"I feel like analyzing," Elsa whimpered miserably.
.
.
Twenty minutes later, Elsa was still struggling to come to terms with her feelings—as feelings.
"And I think—well, honestly, Anna, he keeps—flirting at me," Elsa laughed nervously. "I mean, I think he is. I don't really know. I—I don't have any clue what to do about it. I mean, I don't mind it, or anything, but—"
"—Do you like it when he flirts with you?" Anna asked patiently.
"Well," Elsa stammered, "I—I suppose I do—but—"
"—So, flirt back," Queen Anna laughed.
"I—"
Elsa abruptly cut herself off, looking back to the slice of pie on her plate. Shaking her head, she sheepishly picked up her knife and fork, starting to cut into the pie while avoiding her sister's eye contact.
Elsa heard her sister draw in her breath.
"You… don't. Know. How?" Anna gasped.
Blushing furiously, Elsa felt her eyes start stinging. Her knife suddenly cut through the piecrust, hitting the plate with a sharp clank, but instead of picking up the chunk and eating it, she frantically moved her fork over and started sawing away at another piece. "It's not exactly something I've ever studied, okay?" Elsa stammered desperately, "I know economics and p-politics and history and—"
"—You don't know how to FLIRT?!"
"I'm ruling a kingdom! Of COURSE I don't know how!" Elsa protested, "Anna! Come on! Flirting? For a Queen? I don't have time for that kind of nonsense! And besides, where would I have learned, anyway? It's not like they publish books on this!"
"Actually, about that—"
"—Frankly, Anna, if you want to go back to the Italian Renaissance and tell Machiavelli that he needs to add another chapter, then be my guest," Elsa sputtered, "But seriously! Most people do not consider flirting to be a necessary skill for ruling a kingdom!"
"Machia-who, now?"
"Never mind."
Elsa shook her head slightly and took a bite of the pie, hardly tasting it. After a few moments, she felt Anna's hand gently resting on her shoulder.
"Elsa—"
"—I really don't want to talk about this anymore."
Elsa reluctantly looked up, meeting her sister's gaze. Anna's eyes were soft with concern.
"Elsa," she said quietly, "I just want to help. Okay?"
"Help how? I belong alone."
"That isn't true, and you know it."
Elsa stared determinately at the plate, avoiding Queen Anna's gaze again. After a few moments, she heard her sister draw in her breath.
"So, where are we starting?" Anna asked. "What do you know about flirting?"
"Wait, I'm your project now?"
"Elsaaaaaaa…?"
After a few more long, painful seconds, Elsa sighed in defeat. She turned to her sister, dropping her voice to a whisper.
"Okay, Anna," she started, "Take everything, everything, that you know about friendship, and love, and flirting, and—people. Alright?"
"Okay…"
"Now… um… now assume I don't know any of that," Elsa choked. "That's where I am. I know you mean well, but—I'm begging you. Leave me be. Now, can we please not talk about it anymore?"
"Elsa, why are you shutting me out all of a sudden?" Anna whispered, "I just—this defensiveness! Why—"
"—Because it's completely illogical!" Elsa stammered, pulling in a breath, "And I can't afford to get involved, okay? Jack's an impossible dream for me, and all this—talking—and everything will only make everything worse! I can't afford to have hope with—"
Elsa abruptly cut herself off.
A cold silence fell over the table, and she shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Anna took a bite of the pie, waiting for her sister to continue, but Elsa, biting her lip, was quiet.
Suddenly, Anna's eyes widened.
"Elsa," she breathed, "Are—are you trying to tell me that you're heartbroken over Jack Frost—in advance?"
Elsa opened her mouth to say something, but then blushed, closing it again. Her eyes stinging, she sucked in her breath, determinately cutting off more pieces of the pie.
"It will save time," she choked.
"Are you serious?"
The door swung open, and the tall maid stepped into the room with the tray again. Looking up and seeing Queen Elsa's expression, her face went pale, and she spun around on her heel, silently pushing the door back open into the food preparation area.
The door swung shut again.
"What's the point of delaying the inevitable?" Elsa stammered quickly, fighting back tears of embarrassment. "There is no way, ever, that someone like him would be interested in someone like me! It wouldn't make sense! Alright?"
"Why not?"
"HmmLemmeThinkAboutThatForAMomentBecauseHe's JAAAAAAAAACK FRAAAAAAHST?!" Elsa sputtered. "I mean—come on. Jack Frost. The Spirit of Winter? You really think that I could even—? Not a chance, Anna."
Anna raised her eyebrows. "You think you have no chance because he's the Spirit of Winter?"
"Well—of course!"
Her sister grinned wryly, leaning into Elsa's face.
"And you're the Snow Queen," Anna enunciated. "You're the Fifth Spirit of the Enchanted Forest! If there is a single woman in this entire world that has a shot at Jack Frost, I'm pretty sure it's you. And I'm pretty sure that he's pretty sure of that, too."
"But it doesn't make—"
"—And do not say that it doesn't make sense," Anna interrupted. "It makes perfect sense. It makes more sense than anything I've ever seen, and you need to get OVER yourself, and marry Jack Frost and live in an ice castle and have lots and lots and LOTS of snowy little babies and LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER, OKAY?"
"Who said ANYTHING about BABIES!?"
"Oh, like it hasn't occurred to you!"
Elsa's mouth fell open in shock. Gathering her senses, she shook her head.
"We've known each other for THREE DAYS!" Elsa sputtered.
"And I've never seen you blush so much in my life!"
Elsa bit her lip.
"Well," she admitted, mumbling under her breath as she poked at the cake sample in front of her, "He did bring up the same species thing."
"Same species?" Queen Anna asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Um—yeah," Elsa shrugged. "He doesn't really think of himself as being completely—human—and I asked him if he considered me to be a human, and he said that he thought—well, he'd call me a—"
Her voice trailed off, and Elsa gave her head a tiny shake. Well—um. Never mind. Actually...
"Elsaaaa?" Anna prodded, raising an eyebrow, "What did Jack call you?"
"You don't want to know."
"You're right. I need to know. Spill."
Elsa gulped, putting down her fork and pulling her hands into her lap. After a few moments of determinately staring into her lap, she held her breath, hesitantly looking towards her sister.
"Sexy Ice Powers Humanoid Thing?" Elsa squeaked.
Anna's eyes bulged.
"Sexy Ice Powers Humanoid Thing?" she sputtered.
"Anna—I'm sure that Jack didn't—"
"—Ooooh, right, he clearly only wants to be friends. Seeing as he pulled the same species card!" Queen Anna scoffed, shaking her head. She then suddenly paused, the strange light of an epiphany creeping over her features.
"I didn't even know that was a card," Anna realized.
"Anna, what on earth are you talking about?"
"Oh, come on," Anna retorted, rolling her eyes. "Same species? You know exactly what that comment implies."
"Of course I do!"
"Oh, really?"
Elsa drew herself up, looking as regal as she could muster. "It means we're the only two people we know with ice powers, because we're both winter spirits, and that we should be FRIENDS!"
"Beeeeeeeeep! WRONG!"
"What?" Elsa scoffed, her throat tightening with embarrassment again. "Then, what do you think he meant?"
The pregnant young queen rolled her eyes, placing her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her fists. "Let's do a little math, shall we?" she giggled. "I know that you were always good with math."
"Anna, it this were anywhere near as simple as math—"
"—We can argue about that statement later. Now, let's think," Anna continued patiently, "When a species is about to die out… what do you want?"
Elsa's eyes narrowed slightly, looking to her sister with distrust.
"Um," she said carefully, "For that to—not—happen?"
"Good! Right!" Anna exclaimed. "So, how do you have that—not—happen?"
"Well, you need more."
"Right again!"
Elsa groaned, placing her own elbow on the table and kneading her eyebrows. "Anna, I don't see how—"
"—Just stay with me here," she said quickly. "And you need—what—to make more?"
A silence fell over the table.
After a few moments, Elsa suddenly gasped, her formerly blank expression of confusion going to horror.
"I'm sure he didn't mean it like that!" she sputtered.
"I'm sure he did mean it like that—"
"—Anna!"
Queen Anna shook her head, chuckling good-naturedly and picking up her fork again. Elsa blinked hard, exhaling. Pressing her hands together, she then slowly pulled in her breath again.
"He. Did not. Mean it like that," she enunciated. "We're friends. I mean, he messes with me sometimes, but it's all a joke. I know he can't feel that way. I would have noticed."
"Take it from the married woman," Anna chuckled, "There's a LOT you're not noticing."
"Like what?"
"Like the fact that the Spirit of Winter is following you around like a lost puppy?"
Elsa froze.
Anna, shifting in her seat, raised her eyebrows. Her expression grave, she then shook her head, leaning in to her sister and dropping her voice to a whisper.
"I saw how Jack was looking at you at the table," she said softly. "He kept—sneaking glances at you, with this—expression—on his face. It was like he had to keep checking, because he was scared you were going to disappear. Then, again, right before the tasting."
Elsa fell quiet. Avoiding Anna's gaze, she started blinking quickly as she stared into her lap, desperately fighting away the forming tears.
"That—that c-can't be true," Elsa choked. "You're—wrong."
"Elsa—"
"—You're wrong, okay?" Elsa shook her head, frantically beginning to flick tears off of her cheeks. "Anna, it's—me. I can't do love. He can't be interested in me like that. Okay? Now, can we please stop talking about it?"
The door swung open again as the maid tried to come in for the second time. Seeing Anna and Elsa's expressions, she abruptly whirled around, starting to go back, and Elsa abruptly stood up.
"STOP!"
The maid froze. She then hesitantly turned back around, pulling in a deep breath as Elsa gulped.
"Um—everything is fine. We're ready for the next samples," Elsa said carefully as she sat back down. "You don't have to keep waiting."
"I—I'm sorry, your majesties," the maid stammered, "I thought that—"
"—You should not be the one apologizing," Elsa interrupted, "We were the ones in the wrong. Queen Anna and I are very lucky to be served by someone as patient and tactful as you."
The maid relaxed slightly, a little grin tugging at the edge of her mouth as she crossed the room to the table and put down the tray.
"Thank you, ma'am," she whispered. "I—um, may I take these plates?"
"Of course." Elsa drew herself up, mustering the best rendition of The Queen Face that she could. She tried to smile reassuringly. "And what delight has the cook thought up for us this time?"
"This is a chocolate éclair drizzled with fudge."
"Ooo!" Queen Anna squealed. "Now we're talking!"
Elsa giggled, seeing her sister's enthusiasm. "But you haven't even tried it yet—"
"—Don't have to." She beamed, raising her eyebrows and turning back to the maid. "We should definitely have these. We love them, and you should tell her so."
The maid's face flushed slightly, and broke into a nervous smile. "As you wish, your highness," she said, then quickly curtsying and pacing from the room.
As the door swung shut behind her, the sisters were silent again. Elsa could feel Anna's gaze on her face again, and she bit her lip, silently picking up her fork.
"Oh my word," Anna breathed. "You really don't know anything about love—do you?"
Elsa squeezed her eyes shut, letting out a long sigh.
"Honestly," she muttered, "Coming from someone who—"
"—I didn't know anything about love. Romantic love, I mean," she countered. "I learned, Elsa. My problem with Prince Unredeemable Monster of the Unnamed Isles was that I was so desperate for love that I was able to convince myself that anything was it. Your problem is that you're afraid of love that you'll go to the ends of the world to convince yourself that no one could ever fall in love with you."
"Jack is not in love with me."
"You wouldn't know love if it scooped you up, flew you into the mountains, built an ice castle with you, and convinced you to dance." She paused, putting a finger on her lips. "Oh. Wait…"
"Anna," Elsa groaned, "He's not in love. I'm not in love. I mean—I can't. Do. Love. Look at me," she choked. "Romance has never been, nor will ever be, a realistic option for me, alright?"
"But Elsa—didn't you ever think you'd be getting married one day?" Anna asked. "I mean, you grew up knowing you'd be the Queen. At least, that was the original plan, before the whole 'Fifth Spirit' thing."
Elsa sighed. "Honestly? I didn't think I would ever marry," she said quietly. "I always figured that—well, even if I could get the ice powers under control—"
"—And you have—"
"—You know what I mean," she continued, "I just—sharing a room with someone isn't exactly conducive to keeping something like that a secret. And, even if I did get married, I knew it'd be a respectable, politically-savvy match. There would be nothing romantic about it."
"Nothing at all?"
"It's a simple political alliance. Or course not!"
The pregnant queen paused, staring down at her stomach. Drumming her fingers on it and measuring her words carefully, she then turned back to Elsa, who had resumed eating the éclair, pondering its flavor.
"Well… um," Anna said, dropping her voice to a whisper, "How about… you know… after marriage?"
Elsa froze. Biting her lip, she then shook her head slightly, and leaned close into Anna's ear.
"Ah. Yes. That," Elsa choked. "You go to bed. You produce an heir. You keep ruling the confounded kingdom. There isn't supposed to be any emotion attached to it," she added shakily. "It's for Arendelle."
Queen Anna raised her eyebrows.
"Wow," she chuckled, crinkling her nose as Elsa blushed. "I never realized that you were such a romantic, Elsa."
"That's as romantic as I can afford to get. I'm having to be the Queen right now, remember? My single-ness makes me a target."
Anna pondered this. Looking up, she smiled slyly, taking a drink.
"I give him… one week," she muttered.
Elsa abruptly slammed down her fork, whirling around. "What IS it with everybody assuming that Jack and I are having—"
"—One week," Queen Anna chuckled pointedly, "To prove to you that you are, secretly, a romantic!"
Elsa opened her mouth to say something, and then abruptly shut it again, catching the phrase just before it tumbled off the tip of her tongue. She pulled in a breath, shifting in her chair.
"Ah," Elsa choked.
Feeling herself blushing furiously, she turned back to the éclair, poking at it with her fork again. A large, goofy grin was spreading across her sister's face.
"Elsaaaaaaaa—?"
"Never going to happen, Anna."
"Oooooh, that adorable little blush you've developed?" Anna teased, "I'd say it's happening already."
"It's not like that!"
"I think it is exactly like that, dear sister. I'll even give him a week and a half," Anna giggled. "That way, it includes the Ball, and Christmas."
"Anna—"
"—That's ten days," she continued, "Starting tomorrow, to convince you that you like romance."
Elsa let out a breathy, bitter laugh. "And, if he doesn't?" she chuckled. "If he has zero interest in me, and at the end of the ten days, we're still just friends, just like I've already told you we are?"
"Then I'll lose the bet," Anna said slyly.
Queen Elsa raised a single eyebrow, slowly turning around and looking into Queen Anna's eyes. "What kind of a bet are we talking, here?" she asked carefully. "Name your stakes."
"Alright," Anna giggled. After a moment, her finger on her lips, she grinned, pulling in a deep breath. "I will bet you—twenty pounds of chocolate."
Elsa jolted.
"That is so much chocolate!" she gasped, eyes bulging. "Anna—are you sure you want to—"
"—Are you scared?"
"No!"
"Lost. Puppy," Anna taunted. "Come on, Elsa. Do we have a deal?"
The door swung open again, the maid coming in with the last samples. As she came over to the table, beaming and setting down the tray, Elsa grasped Anna's hand, leaning in to her ear.
"Deal," Elsa whispered.
.
.
Jack Frost was waiting outside the door.
As Elsa stepped out after her sister (who was still—even after a year—delightfully oblivious to many royal procedures, which would currently dictate the opposite order), Jack hopped down off of his staff, snatching it up out of the air.
"Hey," he grinned, his face breaking into a smile. "How'd it go?"
"It was AMAZING," Queen Anna squealed. "Although, honestly, I just wish there was more chocolate. You—uh," she paused, looking at Jack, "You do like chocolate—don't you?"
He shrugged. "Yeah, I—"
"—THEN YOU WILL LOVE IT. The Ball is going to be amazing!"
Elsa giggled in spite of herself, covering her mouth with her hand. Jack's face flushed slightly.
"Well, I—um," he admitted, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck, "Honestly, I didn't know if I was invited, or—"
"—YOU'RE INVITED!" Elsa blurted.
Jack and Anna slowly turned to her, two sets of eyebrows slightly lifted in surprise. Elsa bit her lip, feeling heat rushing to her face.
"I mean—um," she stammered, struggling to keep her breathing even, "I—yes. Of course you're invited, Jack."
He shifted his fingers on the staff, letting out a nervous laugh, and then looking back up into Elsa's eyes. Her heart leapt.
"Uh—thanks," he said. "I'll be there."
They stared into each other's eyes for a long, silent moment.
Elsa jolted, snapping back into focus. She gave her head a little shake, shrugging.
"The food and everything is all set," she said quickly. "I'm just—I'm just worried because I have to dance. In front of everybody."
Jack took a step forward, grasping her hand. "It's okay," he whispered. "We'll practice."
He then interlaced his fingers with hers, smiling sheepishly as he looked up into her eyes. Over his shoulder, Elsa saw Queen Anna pull her hands up next to her chin, mimicking puppy paws, and then batting her eyelashes.
Arf! Anna mouthed.