Frozen, Rise of the Guardians 1. I

**Author's Notes:**

I need more Jelsa in my life, so I've been toying with a plethora of ideas for a one-shot/two-shot these last couple of days. In other words, here's this; obviously an alternate universe where human!Jack lived in Arendelle before he died and was made a Guardian. I'm going to attempt to keep it in character as much as I can (or at least the way that I see Jack/Elsa would be); advice is always greatly appreciated, though.

(And if you're wondering, this is obviously before Elsa's coronation. I'm going to try and make this a two-shot for the Jelsa feels, if not more~ Sorry this became so lengthy.

Also, I named Jack's sister "Pippa". I hope that's cool since I know people are argumentative about it being Emma/Pippa... Just let me write my Jelsa in peace, okaaayyy?!)  
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Drawing in a breathy inhale, the eldest princess of Arendelle felt nervous as she slid neatly out of her bedroom door within the castle. The young woman was dressed significantly down, despite her royal title that preceded her. Unlike her normally very heavy dresses and rich fabrics, Elsa had chosen - quite exquisitely - to attire herself as nothing more than a commoner. Clad in a simple dark gown, complimented by a hooded cloak (and a pair of clothed gloves, of course), she was cautious to click her bedroom door back into place; cringing slightly, as she looked down the corridor to where her younger sister's room was, petrified at the thought that her schemes could be potentially thwarted by waking Anna up.

Although Elsa hadn't been close with Anna in many years since the two had been children, she hoped that her heavy sleeping routine hadn't changed since then. And with a little huff of relief, the soon-to-be queen was off, carefully moving down the narrow hallway until she hit the grand staircase. It wouldn't be her first occurrence - much to anyone else's surprise that might have known her within the castle walls - that Elsa had sneaked out of her tower early in the morning while the maids and the guards slept or became lax on their duties. The first time had been during her teenage years, before her parents had died, and it had become a monthly habit. But since then, Elsa couldn't remember repeating the actions for what felt like a very long time.

Regardless, the princess had felt smothered by the individuals who resided in the castle. In just one week, she was going to be crowned the Queen of Arendelle, and the thought suffocated her. It felt as if all of the worry and fretting that her late parents had made towards her powers - making the extra precautions to keep her safe, even closing off the castle to Arendelle's people - had been for absolutely nothing. As the pressure of her coronation grew quicker to the date, Elsa decided promptly that morning that she needed a breath of fresh air. Especially if it meant being relieved of the confined castle walls, as long as she could keep her abilities under check...

Tiptoeing down to the first floor, Elsa gave out a brief exhale as she moved through the darkened room. It was early enough that the sun wasn't quite out yet, but she didn't know how much time that would actually give her. Conscious to keep her purse held tight underneath her cloak, the blonde girl moved further throughout the first story of the castle until she found the desolate passageway that her father had once shown her when she had been a child. "For safety", he had called it, which was ironic considering that Elsa had used the door mostly for escaping the castle unnoticed... But what her father had never known couldn't hurt him, could it...?

So long as she kept her powers under control, of course.

Finally, Elsa found herself in open air for the first time in what must have been months. At first, the only thing that she could focus on was the fresh air that flowed through her lungs, grateful for the cool summer wind that blew on the back of her hood. But as soon as she remembered that she was running out of time, Elsa quickened her steps again. She maneuvered out through the courtyard with her azure eyes focused on the task at hand, slipping easily through a broken shaft of brick that she and Anna had once discovered as children. Sadly, Elsa wondered if Anna's memories had been revoked of that, too; but decided it didn't matter, as much of her childhood with her sister had been taken, and she would never dare to ask.

All things set aside, the princess was very pleased with the walk that was offered to her. As she strolled down the rocky pathway, she kept her eyes aware of her surrounding despite that she knew Arendelle as well as her own hands. And as Elsa entered the town again, she felt herself engulfed with emotions; recalling many instances of her childhood when she and Anna had once been gushed over for being members of the royal family. Once the reminiscence began, however, she felt her fingertips tingle with a familiar cold sensation rippling up through the flesh of her hands. Biting her lip warily, Elsa fought to keep her gloved hands at her sides, refusing to further indulge herself in the memories that brought on a mixture of emotions that she had abandoned.

The young woman instead found that the town was still mostly asleep, despite that this meant that there weren't many options that she could visit. Frowning some, she looked around at the titles of the stores, wondering if she should dare show her face towards anyone who might recognize her. It had been thirteen years since the castle had been locked down to keep her safe, but Elsa was still as wary as ever, keeping her hood around her face. Finally, after her gaze had scanned the familiar area, she found that a bakery was open judging by the lit candles and the smoke up ahead coming from the chimney of the parlor. With a sigh, she attempted to keep her head high as she moved towards the little shop. It couldn't hurt, could it, to get something to eat before going back to the castle for the next dozen years...?

Bells clanked together as soon as Elsa pushed the wooden door of the bakery open. Instinctively, she froze on spot, eyes widening when she was spotted by a young man strolling out to the front counter. He looked just like any baker would, she surmised, despite his unruly brown hair and the fact that he didn't look _quite _like someone who would be opening a bakery... Especially since he was so young, surely Anna's age, or younger. But she thought his floured apron might have done the touch. It hugged his very slender, lanky frame.

"Hello stranger," He greeted enthusiastically, tilting his head a bit. He grinned at her, a gesture that Elsa wasn't so sure that she knew how to respond to. "You're up early."

It was too late for her to back out of a conversation now. And with determination, the young princess cleared her throat and entered the bakery door. She was instantly engulfed with the smell of sweets and pastries that lingered within the shop, suddenly feeling hungrier than she might have in years. But she kept her ground, eventually lowering her hood as she stepped closer to where the counter and the young man were positioned.

"Not from around here, I'm guessing?" His voice was friendly, despite that his eyebrows were waggling at her playfully. Another expression that again, Elsa wasn't accustomed to returning, especially since she thought that for some reason he might see right through her visage.

Somehow, she managed to find her voice.

"No, I'm rather far from home, to tell you the truth..." It wasn't an _entire _lie. Anywhere outside of the castle boundaries seemed far away at this point. Either way, her gaze was instantly drawn to every little item displayed around the bakery, feeling somehow like a child again as she stared at everything that was in her wake. It was difficult for her to focus on the young man once more until he spoke.

"Really? Where are you from?"

Stomach sinking, Elsa slowly looked up at him again, taking in the appearance of his disheveled dark hair. Their eyes met, and she was very aware of his slightly crooked smile, bronze-colored eyes, and spirited demeanor. He seemed like someone that she could trust, but she wasn't going to even test those waters. Not today, not ever, despite that she could agree that he was somehow... Dashing.

"Norway." Elsa answered after a small silence, clasping her gloved hands together in front of her. She was quick to continue in case he seemed suspicious of her. "From Bergen, I'm here visiting my family for the next couple of weeks."

"Oh?" The boy didn't seem to skip a beat. "Who are you staying with? Bet I know them."

Elsa felt the color rising in her cheeks.

"They don't live in the village here." Her lie wasn't getting any more intricate, but she knew that she had to try if it was going to keep him from asking questions. "But maybe - do you know... The Waldau family?"

Heart beginning to race, she felt her breathing return to her when the baker boy scratched his head and looked stumped.

"Can't say that I do..."

"They don't get out much." She attempted to smile, growing a bit closer to the counter. "My uncle is... Well, not very friendly to say the least."

That must have done the trick, because he eventually chuckled and changed the subject.

"Oh, I meet people like that all of the time. It's the pleasure of working in customer service on a daily basis." He responded humorously, serving to make Elsa's smile a little more genuine before glancing around. "Anyway, dear lady; what can I get for you today? I recommend the cinnamon buns, they just came out. They're top notch, I promise; I made them myself."

It was strange to Elsa that the boy seemed to glow the more that he talked. But it wasn't long before she was clearing her throat and agreeing that a cinnamon bun would do just fine. The only time that she faltered was when she dangled her purse out from beneath her cloak, causing the boy's amber eyes to widen.

"Wow, that's a nice thing you've got under there..." He leaned against the counter, looking impressed. "How much did that cost you?"

Managing to keep a straight face, Elsa attempted to look innocent, despite that she felt herself grimacing.

"Is it?" She asked naively, gloved fingertips nearly dropping a coin from inside of the confinement within the bag. "It was a gift from my mother, so I wouldn't know."

"Looks like it... You must have rich family in Bergen, then." His assumptions were strangely accurate coming from someone that she had only just met. Either way, Elsa kept her mouth shut as she slid the coin out for him. And in return, the boy spun around and disappear beyond the doors behind him, returning only a moment later with the plate of cinnamon bun that she had requested; complimented by his typical grin and a wink.

Breakfast in hand, Elsa felt the dire need to escape but suppressed her urges. The sun still wasn't peaking over the valley yet, but she didn't know how many more questions she could be given by the bakery boy. What if she slipped up and he figured out who she was...?

Gripping the plate hard, she eventually found herself wandering to a table near the creaky door. At least if she had to make an abrupt escape, it would be nearby. Regardless, as soon as she was settled and her mouth came in contact with the warm pastry, she was grateful that she didn't leave. It was just as delicious as the boy had promised it would be.

She was so engulfed in the taste that she didn't even notice the boy coming back to her again, laughing heartily as he approached.

"Ha, your family must be rich, little dove... Just look at the way you eat that, you'd think you were sitting in Arendelle's palace eating with the princesses themselves."

Flushing yet again, Elsa tried to look around her to see if she had done anything wrong by the way she sat up straight and ate her pastry carefully with a utensil rather than with her hands. But the young man was quick to laugh again, distracting her.

"I'm only joking." He insisted. Elsa's eyes fell to him curiously, noting that he had the intention of joining her at the table she had picked with one plate of the aforementioned pastry in hand himself, holding two mugs potently.

"Oh, I know." Elsa attempted to chime, watching him carefully.

"Mind if I join you?" The boy asked, sliding the mugs onto the table. "I brought milk, if that gives me any points... Despite that I'm a lowly baker boy, _your highness_."

It was difficult for her not to smile at his words, but she didn't suppress the urge. His words were a joke, and she knew that much, despite that the social setting made her nervous. So instead, she nodded, suddenly acknowledging how very dry her throat felt was.

"Well, thank you, lowly baker boy. Keep this up and you'll be my personal squire by noon." Her words were deadpanned and sarcastic. She wondered silently whether he would catch on, but thankfully, he did. His dark eyes lit up with laughter.

"Very funny. I might be a baker, but I'm no squire." He leaned one of his lanky legs up against the table, an action which caused Elsa to blink curiously at him. It certainly wasn't how she had seen _anyone _act at the table back in the castle... Ever.

"By the way, my name is Jack." He suddenly reached out one hand towards her - evidently in a formal greeting, but Elsa had never shaken hands with anyone before - while shoveling part of the cinnamon bun into his mouth.

Gingerly, Elsa brought one of her gloved hands to his, grateful that he did more of the initiating to their "hand shake" before letting go.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Jack." Elsa started, forgetting momentarily that her name (or at least her real one) shouldn't be uttered within the vicinity of anyone at that moment. "My name is Elsa."

As soon as the words were spoken, she felt the color drain from her face. Fortunately, baker boy Jack was too busy choking on his pastry with laughter to notice before he composed himself again.

"Elsa?!" Jack sputtered, laughter roaring out of him. It would have been amusing to watch, if it hadn't been for the fact that she had slipped up. "You're kidding!"

"No, I'm not." Elsa continued, brushing a piece of blonde hair behind her ear that had escaped from her braid. "Why? Is that the name of _your _squire? I didn't know that bakers had them."

Jack seemed to take the bait, gawking a bit, as if he might have been surprised by her lack of knowledge... If she truly had any.

"More like the princess of Arendelle! You didn't know that?!" He asked at once, leaning up in his chair. Elsa kept her smile frank as she reached for the mug he had laid out for her.

"Can't say that I did, but I do now." Elsa responded calmly, unable to resist teasing him as she took a deliberate sip out of the mug. "Is that where all of this monarchy monologue is coming from? Your infatuation with a princess named 'Elsa'?"

Jack offered her a comical look with a roll of his eyes.

"Nah, I haven't even met her before. I don't think many of us have, to be honest... Her coronation is next week though, they're making her the queen of Arendelle. You didn't know that?"

Another reminder of the upcoming seven days sent a slight shiver rippling down her spine, but otherwise, Elsa kept her face free of any terseness that might have been warranted.

"I heard. Is the castle far from here?" Her questions were as naive as they had been before, resting the mug back on the table, feeling very grateful towards Jack for having thought of it for her. He was turning out to be something else...

"Not far at all. Did you want to see it while you were here?" It seemed as though he might jump at the opportunity to give her the tour himself. But Elsa was calm, shaking her head firmly at his question.

"No, no... I have no interest in anything like that." She murmured, unable to rest asking him, "Why, do you plan on attending...?"

Jack briefly shrugged his shoulders, reaching for his own mug again as he pressed his knobbly knees against the table.

"Probably, Arendelle's citizens are always invited to that sort of ceremony, I guess. Even if there hasn't been one in years..."

Silently, Elsa hoped that he wouldn't show, knowing that he would recognize her there. But she managed to keep her face flat as her eyes continued staring at him, shoveling that cinnamon bun down his throat again...

"They sound boring." Elsa commented, unable to prevent herself from teasing him further. "Are you sure that you would want to attend that?"

Jack suddenly leaned forward once more, grinning yet again; somehow looking more mischievous than he had before.

"Says who, you? Miss Fancy Bag and Perfect Hair?"

Chuckling, Elsa glanced away momentarily, unsure of how to answer the question when her gaze fell away towards the counter again. Instead, the inquiry was only brought with another question, since the princess no longer wanted to discuss Arendelle or the possibility of him figuring out who she was.

"Have you worked here long, Jack?" She asked, looking over the bakery silently.

"No, only for a little while... My dad passed away a few years ago, so this is just what I'm doing to help my mother and my sister out." His answer was simply and informative. Elsa found her eyes traveling back to him again.

"You have a sister?"

"Yeah, little Pippa..." It was impossible not to see how proud he seemed at the mention of his sister. Jack practically beamed, grin as intact as ever. "We're eight years apart, but we're pretty inseparable... I've taught her a lot of things, especially since it's mostly just me and her at home..." He ran a hand through his already tousled hair, looking at Elsa with an additional smile. "She loves ice skating, but there isn't much of that around this time of year, if you can believe it."

Elsa didn't know what she should say, but she did find it endearing that he was so close to his sister.

"I have a sister too, but..." Her stomach clenched slightly, as her eyes drifted towards the mug that she gripped in her hand. "We're not close."

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(That's all I can get in for the night. I will add more later, I dunno if this is going well or not... Lololol. Alternate universes aren't my specialty. But hey, Jelsa; Jelsa, Jelsa... Sorry if I have a more adult-like relationship between them. I just have a particular way that I think Elsa should be played, but that's just meee.)


	2. II

**Author's Note:**

I guess this isn't a one-shot like I had originally intended for it to be. I might make it something a little more. Man, I ship Jelsa so hard it hurts.

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Every emotion that Jack seemed to feel was in his eyes, Elsa decided. Ever since she had walked into the bakery, she had been able to read his expressions fluently, even after only a few minutes of meeting him. The more that she looked at him, meeting his gaze with hers, the more that she felt sympathized with, especially at the remark towards herself and Anna. Granted, it was exemplary reaction; plenty had shown her empathy whenever they noticed that Elsa and Anna were hardly relatable. But Jack was different, as if the prospect was inconceivable to him, and under his stare she felt self-conscious; unable to hold her eyes to his before her gaze fell short, averting in favor of her handbag so that she didn't feel so scrutinized.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Must be rough." Jack told her, voice surprisingly earnest for someone that she had only just met. "Why's that?"

Swallowing, Elsa did her best to keep her lies as eloquent as before, but she found herself struggling.

"We've just fallen apart, over time." Elsa explained a moment later, bringing both of her hands back up to rest on the table next to her plate of forgotten cinnamon bun and mug that Jack had so graciously given her. "We're very..." She paused some, struggling to settle on one word to describe it. But finally, she did, lips curling into the smallest of somber smiles. "_Different_, from one another."

_If being "different" meant that one of them could conjure ice and snow out of thin air while the other couldn't, of course. _Elsa thought to herself sardonically, looking back up at Jack again when his words came as easily as before. She wondered what it was like, being as charismatic as he was. It wasn't anything that she thought she would ever achieve; Jack seemed like such a natural.

"Well, I'm sure that it's nothing that can't be fixed." Jack answered, suddenly looking hopeful for her, but she didn't know why. Why should he care that she and Anna hadn't been on speaking terms, for the most part, since their accident during her childhood...? Was it truly that uncommon to have sisters that weren't close? "Have you tried talking to her about it at all? Maybe she wants to sort things out too."

But that was the issue that Jack wasn't aware of. Anna likely would love to rekindle their sisterhood, while Elsa knew that they couldn't. Not with the sake of her abilities being exposed; not only to Anna, but to the entire castle and maybe even Arendelle as a whole. Just the thought of it made Elsa feel a cool flood of fear in the middle of her chest, like the time that she had accidentally struck Anna so hard with her icy powers that she had nearly killed her. Ergo, the princess could only release a shaky breath in response at first, closing her eyes and smiling fondly at the boy across from her.

"Thank you, Jack. I'll think about it." Her words were far less of a promise. After all, when had been the last time that she had done so much as _spoken _to Anna, unless it was only in passing? But she knew that explaining that to Jack was impossible without revealing too much of who she really was. She wasn't just an Elsa from Norway; she was the princess of Arendelle, born with an abominable ability to summon winter from her fingertips. It was a secret that she had kept for a very long time, and not one that she planned on risking to anyone. Even if there was an instinctive part of her brain that told her she could trust Jack, but she didn't know why. It must have been his warm smile and his honest, bright brown eyes.

Thereafter, Jack leaned back into his chair, finishing off the last bit of his cinnamon pastry.

"Well, you should do it soon and let me know how it goes." He told her, brushing his hands on his apron.

Elsa smiled a bit, shaking her head at him and his encouragement. It was as if he thought it would be that easy. And maybe it would be, if he was in her shoes, but perhaps he also would have been just as frozen to the horror of her abilities as she herself was since the incident of she and Anna's childhood if he knew the whole truth. It was difficult to tell, Jack was certainly much different from her. A pleasant sort of different, at least, without him being overbearing.

"Is it that simple for you, when you and your Pippa get into a fight?" Elsa asked, curious at what his answer would be then. Jack suddenly exhaled, reaching for his mug with his long, white forefinger to hook it into his grasp.

"Not always," He answered shortly, taking a brief drink, before resting the ceramic confinement on the top of his knee. "Pippa's a stubborn little thing, like our mother. I've hurt her feelings a few times accidentally by playing tricks to the point where she'll spend days on end not talking to me. But in the end, she always changes her mind." Again, Jack just seemed to glow as he talked about his sister. It was impossible for Elsa not to smile at him while he spoke so tenderly regarding her. "I think that your sister would do the same, if you gave it time."

Again, their eyes met. Elsa looked searchingly into that bronze stare of his, wondering idly what he could be thinking, and what she should say next. Would she tell him that surely his and Pippa's relationship was nothing like she and Anna's? That there were more complications to the matter than he was aware? Elsa felt that she was treading too deeply in the water of her past by bringing up Anna in the first place. Regardless, she knew that she had stared too long in the uncomfortable silence when the corners of Jack's lips curved into a smirk.

"What's wrong, my lady?" His voice returned, tone growing cocky as he tilted his head to the side. "Enjoying the view?"

Blinking, Elsa quickly looked away from his eyes, feeling flustered as color shot up through her neck and her face. How could he be so full of himself...? His laughter filled the room, and at first, the princess didn't know what to say. But when his chortles finally ceased, Elsa managed to come up with something - at least so she didn't seem like a dumbstruck girl.

"No, I was just thinking." She tried to explain, feeling herself falter terribly by clearing her throat. Subconsciously, she looked down at her cloth gloves again, tugging at them to ensure that they were over her palms and her wrists. With every emotion that she was feeling, she wanted to ensure that the gloves were intact. Her ice powers were a secret, especially to handsome baker boys that she had just met. "I think there's too much between my sister and I to make much of a difference at the present time, but... Maybe some day, I hope."

Jack looked slightly more elated at her words, finishing off the last of the contents in his mug with a chipper smile.

"That's the spirit, Elsa." He told her, tone as supportive as ever, before bringing the mug back down to the table. His eyes briefly wandered to watching her fix her gloves - a nervous habit by now, of course - while lifting an eyebrow at the action. "Why are you wearing those, by the way...? It's the middle of summer. Aren't they a little hot for summertime?"

Elsa felt her nerves return to her, not daring to look up at him again while she forced her hands to retract back down to her sides. Jack certainly didn't have a problem asking too many questions in one sitting, and she wondered if he was like that towards everyone. Despite that Elsa had lied through the majority of their conversation to keep her status safe, she felt like he already knew more about her than the superiority of the castle did. Although that wasn't by much, considering that there were few within the castle walls that Elsa even spoke to in a less than professional manner... However, as she sucked in a deep breath, she eventually responded to Jack's inquiry and did so with a surprisingly calm note in her voice.

"You sure do ask a lot of questions, Jack." Elsa teased, raising her eyebrows at him. "Are you always this social whenever someone new graces your presence?"

Again, Jack laughed, his smirk growing sly.

"Nah, only when it comes to fair young ladies such as yourself." He winked again, catching Elsa off guard by the compliment. "I made an extra exception to the rules today by sitting down with you."

Again, she felt heat rise up to her cheeks, unable to keep her eyes on his as his smile grew wide. Never before could she recall having anyone make the effort to do so much as... _Flirt _with her, of all people. Then again, it must have been something he was good at, Elsa reminded herself dully. Her list of suitors had been terribly small since her parents had locked down the castle, but she already found herself far enamored by him than she had any other duke or prince that she had met in the past. And the thought alarmed her, deciding that now - as she glanced out the windows of the bakery and saw that the bright sun was finally showing itself along the mountain peaks of Arendelle - that it was time for her to go, and leave this mysterious Jack alone.

"Well, it was a fine exception. Thank you, Jack." Elsa spoke with a sigh, making the polite gesture of standing up from the chair, scooting it in promptly, and curtsying at him. "You have been very kind; it was a pleasure."

Jack looked surprised, finally moving his angular legs down from pressing them up against the table. She pursed her lips, marveling about only what her late mother and father might have said about his careless mannerisms, but the thought served to bring another small smile to her lips. Jack was already an enigma, in her eyes, perhaps because she hadn't met many common individuals in a very long time.

"You're leaving so soon?" The disappointment in his voice was not amiss, making Elsa blink at him in confusion. "But the sun isn't even up yet!"

"I don't want my family to worry about me." Elsa insisted, reaching up for the hood of her cloak again to pull it over the top of her head. Another smile was shed for him as she reached down to clasp her hands together in front of her. Again, she found herself unable to stop teasing him, perhaps because he had made the comment about "enjoying the view", which had undoubtedly taken her off of her protective guard. "Not all of us have the time to woo young women in bakeries, you know."

Jack stood up, staring at her momentarily like he wanted to stop her from leaving. It struck her suddenly that he was rather tall, at least a head taller than she herself. But he frowned for the first time that she had arrived that day, which surprised her. Did it displease him that she was leaving...?

"Then come back." Jack spoke abruptly, sounding hopeful at the sound of his own suggestion. "Tomorrow morning! I'll be here."

Elsa attempted to smile at him, shaking her head at him and his suggestions.

"I can't make any promises like that. I'm sorry." Just as she began to turn away from him, however, Jack was moving around the table again. He had such long legs that it was so easy for him to cut the distance between them in such an even stride. Elsa felt his hand on her shoulder, eyes widening at first by his broad actions, before he turned her to look at him. The gesture was very quick as to keep her underwhelmed by his touch, but he was cautious - sliding something over his head that had been hidden under his shirt.

"Here," Jack started, slipping the unknown item over the top of her head until it fell just below her collars. "Now you have to return, to give this back to me."

Looking down, Elsa's gaze was met with a necklace. The chain was made of nothing more than some kind of twine, but it was attached to what appeared to be an alabaster stone. Gasping a little, Elsa held the little stone in her gloved fingers. It wasn't very big, just a little wider than a coin, but it looked like it held more sentimental value than it was worth. She didn't know what to say, before looking up at him again with a sudden loss of words.

"Jack... I - "

"Just say we'll see each other again, it's that easy." Jack urged, those bright eyes meeting hers again as he placed his hands on his waist. "Just once more, before you go back to Bergen, or wherever you said you were from..."

She tried to tell him no. Tried to come up with more excuses, but there were none. His actions of being forward were intimidating, so much that Elsa stammered. But eventually as they made eye contact, she finally exhaled deeply; slipping the little stone underneath the fabric of her dress.

"Once more." Elsa agreed, retracting the arm back down to her side. "But just once."

Jack's grin reappeared in that instant, but Elsa didn't know how to smile back at him. After all, the coronation was in a week's time, and if he did show up there as he had mentioned that he would... Well, there wouldn't be any more secrets, would there? But the very least, she would be able to return the necklace to him without feeling too much guilt on her conscience. Subsequently, Elsa dropped her gaze and began moving towards the creaking door again to leave him behind. As her hand rested on the door, she glanced over her shoulder to look at him, still watching her.

"Goodbye, Jack." She called, waiting momentarily for whatever his response might be. And again, the playful grin contorted his lips before she slipped through the exit and into the morning air.

"Bye, Elsa."

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Annnnddd there will be more shortly, I hope. Sorry if this is totes lame. The Lannisters send their regard?


	3. III

**Author's Notes:**  
Thank you very much for the few kind reviews I was given. :) And yeah, the end of this isn't going to be a very happy one, as one might guess. Even though it's AU, Jack is still going to become a guardian (not to stray too far from canon), so... There you have it. Enjoy the potential drama that is ahead, I guess. Teehee.

On the brightside, I have a few more Jelsa ideas that I'm trying to sort out for more potential fanfic goodies in the future if that makes up for the tragedy bound in this one.

And I apologize for focusing a lot on Elsa and Anna's relationship in this chapter. I hope it's okay, I just have a particular way of portraying Elsa because I think she's a very complex character. Don't shoot me, plz. I will get to the Jelsa soon. These things take time...! *aggressively ships Jelsa to the moon*

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Three days passed after Elsa's encounter with the young man named Jack. The interaction between them had been on the very lasts of Elsa's mind within those hours, however. The castle had been buckling down to prepare for the vivid reality of her coronation in four days, which meant rearranging the furniture and portraits within the large spacious rooms, along with dusting that had been forgotten over the span of time after her parents had passed away. And Elsa had the misfortune of being tangled up in the mess, standing amidst the maids and servants that her father had hired before his death feeling more than apathetic and bothered.

"Princess Elsa, where would you like this one put? It's a Frits Thaulow - I'm sure your guests would like to see it."

"Should we place the table in the dining area, your majesty? It's been in the ballroom for far too long, it's taking up more space than it should..."

"Shall we go with the magenta cape for your coronation, my lady? The blue _hardly _looks regal for such an important day..."

The staff within the castle was so few that the servants were working tirelessly in the afternoons to make the rooms appear more friendly for visitors. Elsa was exhausted from each question she was asked, wondering if this had been what her mother and father tolerated when they had been the king and queen. But it was too late to ask them that now, she reminded herself, along with many other inquiries that had been brought to her attention by each individual that worked in the castle in just those few days. Luckily, most of them she had known since her childhood, so she was at least familiar with the faces surrounding her.

By the end of the third day however, she was so tired from being on her feet that there was nothing more that she wanted to do but disappear. The pressure of her upcoming coronation as the Queen of Arendelle did not loosen on her emotions nor her abilities, and Elsa was just thankful that she had her gloves to cover her hands during moments where she felt herself grow assertive and unpleasant. By the end of the day, she was more than thankful to retire to her bedroom. Subsequently, as she reached the top of the grand staircase, she was met with the face of her younger sister (clad in a nightgown, bearing testimony that it was actually much later than Elsa thought it was) standing in front of Elsa's bedroom door.

Anna looked fretted, that much was evident as she muttered something under her breath about Elsa always keeping her out, knocking firmly on the door for what had likely been the second or third time. But she was so caught up in her efforts that she didn't notice that her sister had arrived behind her. Elsa made an emphasis to clear her throat loudly, causing Anna to spin around to meet her, freckled face flushing almost as red as the strawberry blonde color of her hair. Elsa nearly smiled, but felt more concerned as to what Anna needed, considering that the rarity of her ever coming to her bedroom was just that: a rarity.

"Oh, hi, Elsa..." Anna blathered instantly, brushing one of the braids of her hair over her shoulder as if doing so self-consciously. "Sorry to bother you, I was... Well, you know, I was just looking through mother's old things, and... I was thinking about the coronation and those gorgeous earrings she had? Do you remember, they were gold and diamond? She wore them to the ball when we were young. Anyway, I thought that I had taken them a while ago, but I can't find them _anywhere _in my jewelry box - and... And, since well, the coronation is a big deal, I wanted to wear them, but..." Anna's voice fell away slightly, as if she had lost what she had been meaning to get at. But finally, she perked up again; Elsa had to control her flat face from looking amused. "Did you happen to pick them up, lately, I mean?"

Moments like these were difficult for Elsa, who missed the sister that she had spent shutting out for the last thirteen years of her life to keep her safe. And for the barest split of a second, she opened her mouth, daring to retort with a teasing remark, like she would have back when they were children, or the way that she had with Jack only a few days before. But the lingering reminder of her power was there as well, causing her slight smile to fail along with any jokes that she might have made. Instead, Elsa made her way for the bedroom, watching Anna out of the corner of her vision.

"I don't know, but you can check." Elsa murmured plainly, opening the bedroom door and stepping aside for Anna to enter first. "Mother's heirlooms were fairly mixed up between the two of us... But feel free to look, Anna."

She couldn't remember the last time that Anna had entered her room, but she thought that it must have been before their parents had died. And, judging from Anna's surprised expression, she must have been thinking the same thing. Her sister moved on cautiously around Elsa before entering the luxurious room, glancing over her shoulder warily as if anticipating that she might shoo her away again. Elsa meekly offered her sister another nod of approval, in which case, Anna finally stepped inside.

"Thanks, Elsa..." Anna mumbled softly, before releasing a tiny shiver and covering her chest with her arms. "Brr, it's freezing in here... How do you stand it? I swear your room is colder than the rest of the castle."

Elsa smiled some, stepping into the room after Anna did, observing silently at the door while her sister walked over to her wardrobe in the corner towards the elegantly crafted mahogany jewelry box that had been given to her after their mother's passing.

"I think you're imagining things, Anna." Elsa told her confidently despite herself, resting her arms in front of her as Anna began to open the latches of the box. Feeling as if she was prying too much on Anna's actions, she wandered over to her bed, taking off her folded scarf that she had worn that day. But it wasn't so long after that when Anna had her attention again, making the effort to ask questions.

"Did you get everything ready for the coronation today?" Anna asked innocently. But she sounded nervous, like she always did whenever it came to a casual conversation between the pair. Elsa bit her lip at yet another mention of the upcoming coronation, but she treated it with a grain of salt. After all, she wasn't going to be able to ignore Anna or force her out when the entire kingdom was going to be within the castle walls in a few days' time...

"I hope so. It's been exhausting." Elsa admitted, about to peel the gloves off of her hands before remembering that Anna was still only feet away from her. Sighing breathily, she turned around to face her sister - who had opened each confinement of the jewelry box - but she hadn't yet found their mother's earrings. Instead, in Anna's hands laid the alabaster stone necklace that belonged to Jack. Elsa felt her heart drop to the middle of her stomach, knowing that this was a time that Anna was going to ask questions. And just as she turned to her curiously, Elsa knew what was coming, unsure of what other dishonest stories that she could come up with in a second's time. While she was clever, Anna had known her for a very long time - would her sister be able to discern if she was lying or not?

"What is this?" Anna inquired slowly, picking up the necklace between each of her hands over her head to bring it closer to the light of the room. "I've never seen it before."

Elsa was running thin on ideas, feeling the nervous charge of her emotions get the better of her underneath the gloves where cold ran across the flesh of her hands. But she kept her head held high, ready to deliver any explanation to prevent Anna from investigating further.

"That old thing? You don't remember?" Elsa turned back to her bed nonchalantly, picking up the scarf and folding it into a square. "We found that in the sea once when we were little. I kept it and made it into that. Silly, I know, I still don't know what the stone is..."

Lies, all of it. Elsa felt particularly lucky that her actions were more than offhand and casual, but wondering since when had she turned into such a dishonest young woman in the process. To her surprise, Anna merely shrugged her shoulders and placed the necklace back in the box she had found it in. Relieved, Elsa exhaled deeply, feeling her shoulders slacken immediately despite her brief moment of small panic.

"I don't remember that." Anna reflected softly, smoothing her bangs with her unoccupied hand while the other searched through the next small box. Ergo, the girl smiled a moment later, shooting a deliberate, child-like grin at Elsa. "I remember Olaf though, that snowman that we used to make all of the time. He had that gigantic carrot nose, remember? We'd always ask chef to give us the biggest carrot he had in the kitchen."

Elsa cracked another smile, fully envisioning the time when she and Anna had been much younger and best friends; nearly inseparable at that. But it quickly faded, and as did the memories. While they were keepsakes for Elsa, the young princess had sworn at a young age to keep she and Anna from growing close again in order to keep her safe. The thought of once nearly killing Anna was a recurrent mental wound that she would never forget, even if she missed the childhood that they had once shared together as sisters. Some things mattered more, especially when it came to Elsa's powers.

"Try the smaller box at the bottom there, Anna." Elsa encouraged softly, nodding at the jewelry box. "I keep most of the earrings in there."

She knew that she must have hurt Anna's feelings by ignoring the story of Olaf, however; Anna's warm expression dropped at once, turning back to the jewelry box dejectedly. The only thing that prevented Elsa from apologizing was the bitter realization that keeping her relationship at bay with Anna was the best solution for them both. Regardless, Elsa straightened out her posture and continued watching her sister finally open the smallest box of the set. Gleefully, she seemed to find what she was looking for at once, pulling out two of the diamond earrings that Elsa had forgotten about. It was a bit melancholic to see them without their mother's presence, but Elsa didn't dare to let her thoughts dwell. Instead, she raised both of her eyebrows at Anna inquisitively.

"Oh good, you found them." She said, feeling relieved despite that she hadn't been looking for the earrings herself. Anna appeared thrilled, glancing down at each of the earrings in her hands gleefully.

"Oh, thank you, Elsa...! You're a life saver! I never would have found these!" Anna gushed at first, peering down, before glancing around the room to perhaps recognize that she had overstayed her welcome. The younger princess therefore quickly made the effort to cough, before turning towards the door. "Anyway, I'll... I'll be getting back to my room now." As always, Anna awkwardly shuffled towards the door, shooting only last smile at her sister. "Thanks again, Elsa. Good night."

Shutting the door behind her, Elsa gave a deep sigh once Anna had returned to her own room - about to slip off her dress and into a nightgown to mimic her sister's actions - before remembering that the alabaster necklace still resided in the jewelry box. Grimacing, the young statuesque woman wandered back over to the box that Anna had recently touched, picking up the stone strand that for some reason - completely unbeknownst to her - Jack had given to her for the reassurance that she would return to see him. Already having it in her possession for just a little over three days, Elsa thought that she had been exposed too much. And it was with that thought in mind, when she decided, the necklace had to be recurred to its owner. It was time to get rid of the evidence that she had ever left the castle in the first place.

* * *

Frankly, Elsa preferred winter over summer for more than a hundred reasons. But as she carefully crept out of the castle again that night (for the second time that week, in fact), she could admit that the summer nights were... Pleasant. Regardless, the princess was on alert, cautious to stay on the identical path that she had only a few days prior while attired in the same guise she had worn. It was best to stay as unnoticed as possible, although from how late it was, she hoped that she wouldn't run into anyone new, or even Jack. If the bakery was still open, then she would gladly give him the necklace back and then head home to the castle again. But if Jack wasn't there, she had pre written a note with the necklace to leave there at the bakery, hopeful and self-assured that he would find it there later, surely.

Having only sneaked out of the castle during the early mornings made Elsa wary. Night time was far different, she deduced, acknowledging that there were far more individuals within the kingdom at that time than there had ever been when she had been on her morning escapades before. To her satisfaction, she was not recognized by any of the passersby. Mostly families were around, quickening their paces to get home at the late hour, but Elsa was still horrified by the thought that someone _might _know her face. She made the conscious effort to pull her hood over her head, keeping her gloved hands in front of her. At least they kept her power under control, otherwise her nervous emotions would have gotten the better of her minutes ago.

Finally, the princess found the familiar bakery again, which was closed judging by the darkened windows indicating that no one was there. This served as more of a relief to Elsa than it ever would have been a disappointment. While she wouldn't have minded seeing Jack again, she was more focused on getting back to the castle unseen by anyone. So, as soon as she came to the front of the bakery, Elsa was quick to find the note and necklace that she had shoved in her handbag.

"Your highness! What in the world are you doing?!"

A sudden masculine voice from behind her caused her to jump what felt like a foot in the air. Her heart beat frantically as she spun around, turning to face no one other than tousle-haired, bright eyed Jack. And for that moment, Elsa could have smacked him.

"I didn't know you stole from bakeries. In fact, I didn't know _anyone _stole from them..." His voice was as mischievous and teasing as it had been a few days before. Elsa instantly noted his attire has he paced in front of her despite the dim lights, eyeing his brown trousers, white shirt, and lack of shoes. _Why _in the world wasn't he wearing shoes, at least...?

"Is the next stop an orphanage...?" Jack continued, as playful as ever, chuckling under his breath as he folded his arms across his lanky chest. "That's on your list, right? Stealing from bakeries, orphanages, and then maybe an old widow?" He pretended to grow aghast, impending his face closer to hers in awe before he whispered, "Do you do it all in that order, too?"

"Very funny, Jack." Elsa mumbled coldly, deliberately discarding of the note in her hand before cutting the distance between them and holding out the necklace. "I'm only here to return this, as you requested."

Jack watched her with a smirk, arms still crossed over his torso. Elsa shook her gloved hand in front of him, waiting for him to take it. But when he finally did, he held the alabaster strand in his long, ivory-skinned hands, weaving the twine momentarily between his fingers before looking up at her again.

"Have you ever visited Arendelle at night, Elsa?" Jack asked, tilting his head. "It's quite the sight to behold, you know..."

Elsa looked at him firmly, shooting him a frown.

"No, Jack, I need to go home." She insisted, but made no motion to leave. Jack seemed to notice this, smirk widening when their eyes met.

"Oh, come on; I'll only keep you for an hour, surely the castle isn't going to notice their beloved future queen is missing at this hour." Elsa froze in place, azure eyes widening at his words.

He knew then; he knew that she had been lying a few days before about her identity. But... How?

Jack held his ground, reaching out to shrug the alasbaster necklace over her head again. Elsa was too shocked to make any physical or vocal protest, feeling her mouth open from the shock of being called out, but no sound was made. He seemed to take this as an opportune moment to speak again, resting his hands on his knees so that they were at eye level.

"I promise that I will personally escort you back to the castle myself, princess. And I don't lie quite like you do." Even if Elsa knew that his words were a jest, she felt herself grow offended, looking up at him scathingly.

"I lied to protect myself, Jack." She surprised herself by how calm she sounded. Polite even, despite that she didn't have to be, since she thought that he was being rude. Jack's eyebrows quirked however, when he fixed his posture and gave a bewildered look.

"Well yeah. A locked down princess out and about in Arendelle...? I figured, I'm not stupid." Running a hand through his messy hair again, he frowned. "My only question is, why? Don't you lock everyone out for a reason? Isn't that on your own violation, or whatever?" He paused again. Elsa felt her pulse racing under his scrutinizing stare, unable to look him in the eyes when his questions continued. "I mean, what's the point if you're just going to sneak around?"

"Once again, you ask a lot of questions." Elsa responded callously, pressing her hands against her sides. "Just let me go back to the castle, take your necklace. I did what you wanted, I came back, and for reasons that I quite don't know why - "

"Because you don't like being isolated! That's why!" Jack interjected loudly, laughing. "It's probably boring in there, nothing to do, right?"

Elsa could admit that he had a point, but not enough to say so out loud. Instead, the young woman attempted to look stern at him, unsure of what to do. What if he told the entire kingdom that he had seen her - he had _met _her - twice? Would anyone believe him? Teeth gritting, she exhaled sharply, about to open her mouth yet again to retort. But Jack was quicker, enthusiastic and insistent as he went on.

"I'll have you back to the castle far before midnight." His words were genuine, much like they had been a few days before, and Elsa found herself struggling. What if one of the servants caught her - or him, for that matter? It seemed that he knew just what to say; persuasive and charming, a few attributes that Elsa again knew that she could never possibly imitate herself.

"Do me the honor of being your... Personal _squire _for the evening. I promise, I won't get you into trouble or whatever. Do they even punish princesses...?"

His question hung in the air, long enough for Elsa to finally sigh and shake her head, mostly ignoring his words altogether out of frustration and the peer pressure that she felt in his presence.

"Fine. But you're not my squire, not by a long shot; we don't even have squires anymore." She conceded, narrowing her eyes on him as she folded her arms. "I don't know what you're playing at, but this isn't a game. Just this once, Jack."

Jack grinned, looking down as he brushed beside her. He tilted his head jovially, he met her eyes, clearly reveling in his triumph.

"You said that last time, your majesty." He responded, waggling his eyebrows before nudging her arm with his elbow. "Now come on; I'll show you how you have fun in Arendelle."

/

* * *

(I'm still unsure of how I'm feeling about this. It might be a few days before I update again unless I am struck with magical motivation powers. ;) Cheers.)


	4. IV

**Author's Note:  
**  
I guess I lied when I said it was going to be a few days before I updated again; my bad, I'm just super addicted to Jelsa, ahhh...!

If Elsa or Jack seem ooc, I'm super sorry to whoever might be reading this. Feel free to give me advice if you think I'm not giving them justice.

Or should I say... _Jelstice?_

SO MANY PUNS.

* * *

The vast kingdom of Arendelle was desolate that evening. A canopy of bright stars lit up over the black sky while a surprisingly warm wind drifted over the primarily empty streets, with the exception of a few personages working late or headed in the direction of home. But the street lights lit the village up in a way that Elsa had never been able to admire before, as she had spent the majority of her life living in isolation. It truly was something else - seeing Arendelle alive, but still and agile, as if the entire city was sleeping itself and not just its personages. Yet, even as Jack began dragging her down the streets on the designated path for walkers, Elsa felt concerned. She looked over her shoulder, prepared for any moment that someone might recognize her. The thought caused a shiver to tear down the back of her spine, one that Jack had noticed since he was strolling so close beside her.

"Are you cold?" He asked, giving her a glance. It surprised Elsa when he sounded more concerned than he did teasing or mocking, for once.

"No. Not at all." She answered earnestly, careful to pick up the hems of her dress as they moved over a slightly muddy embankment. Jack was taking her somewhere, but she didn't know where yet. The younger boy had claimed that it was "a surprise", but Elsa didn't know how much patience she could continue to have. Especially since her dress had _not _been made for the outdoors whatsoever, and that factor was becoming more apparent the longer that she stayed with Jack. Finally, after a deep huff of frustration, she looked up at him again. "Where are we going, Jack? You're not taking us some place unsafe - are you?"

Jack looked appalled at the prospect of her suggestion, bronze eyes widening.

"What?! No!" He reached up to ruffle his hair yet again, chuckling lightly under his breath. "Why would you even think that?"

Elsa did her best not to give him her sassiest expression, but it slipped before she could control it.

"Well, first off, you might have noticed _maybe_ that it's the middle of the night, correct? Lest mention that no one knows where I am currently - "

"What, you think I'm some sort of pervert?" Jack interjected, offering her a frown. "Is that it?"

The princess attempted to keep a neutral expession when he jumped in front of her, placing his hands on his waist as their eyes met and they indulged in what felt like a staring contest. Finally, a few seconds passed where Elsa shook her head and moved around him to continue on the path that Jack had directed them on in the first place.

"No, I don't think so." Elsa admitted softly. From the corner of her eye, she watched Jack come to her side again, placing his hands in the pockets of his brown trousers. For the first time since they had left the bakery together, Elsa noticed that he wore a dark satchel across his torso; something that had been amiss before due to the fact that he had nearly given her a heart attack upon greeting her. And of course, as her eyes sought him out, she again acknowledged that he was without designated footwear. The sight of his barefeet caused the royal girl to roll her eyes again, but she decided to keep those inquiries for a later time. Instead, Elsa straightened out her shoulders confidently and caught his gaze. "What I really want to know is how you knew who I was."

Jack looked entertained at the question (and albeit relieved that Elsa didn't think he was making sexual advances on her), glancing up as his mischievous, crooked grin curled at the corners of his lips.

"You ask a lot of questions, princess. Too many for me to answer in one evening, surely - hey!"

Elsa surprised herself when she elbowed him, eyes narrowing. It almost felt as if she had known him for much longer than she had, when in reality, it hadn't been more than a few days. His charisma was undoubtedly catching, but not enough for Elsa to relax. Especially not until she knew that she was going to stay safe - or him, for that matter. If Jack did anything out of hand, her powers were sure to backfire. And frankly, there was nothing more important to Elsa than keeping them a secret. Especially from a boy like Jack.

"Don't hit me! I was just kidding...! I thought you were a princess, aren't you all supposed to be just and fair? Not... Trying to deck me at every chance you get?!" Jack pretended to rub the spot on his forearm where Elsa had elbowed him. She pursed her lips, nearly scoffing.

"Oh, please." She sighed, rearranging the alabaster necklace lying against her collarbones until it was underneath the fabric of her dress again. It sure was a bulgy little thing... "Just tell me, how did you find out? How did you know who I was?"

Jack suddenly grinned bigger than ever, evening out his strides with his long, lanky legs.

"How _didn't _I, is what you should be asking, really." He explained, looking somehow more egotistical as he went on in the same drawl. Elsa's eyebrows lifted marginally, an expression that Jack was more than aware of. "Come on, Elsa. I've lived in Arendelle my whole life. I saw your face when I was a kid, I knew who your parents were, your sister... We all do. How could it have just been a coincidence that a complete 'stranger' wandered into the bakery one morning when no one else was out? Not to mention your fancy dress and that handbag..." A little smile rested on his lips as he stared ahead. "It wasn't that hard to figure out, especially after I talked to you. Sorry not sorry, you weren't that convincing.."

Elsa didn't know what to say as she felt her cheeks redden yet again. Had she truly been that obvious, on that morning only three days ago? The thought made her crestfallen with herself, hoping that no one other than Jack had ever recognized her leaving the castle in the past even if it had been on scarce occasions. Of course, she'd had few interactions - very, very few - in all of those instances, but the thought still plagued her with worry and made her stomach tie up in knots. This sort of thing was something that _Anna _would do, not her, and she felt deep shame for the actions that she had made periodically in secret over the years. At least her parents were no longer alive to possibly know that she was dishonoring their rules, but the thought wasn't at all comforting.

After all, what if she ended up hurting someone? What if Jack somehow managed to find out about her? Could she be so foolhardy to trust him, when she couldn't even confide in herself?

"What's wrong? You asked, I was telling you the truth..." Jack's words interrupted her train of thought, causing her azure eyes to look up at him again. She realized she had been walking much slower when the reflection had occurred, unanticipatedly feeling very nervous and worried about being around Jack. Who was he, anyway? And why was he so set on taking her around Arendelle, a place that she knew herself?

"I know..." Elsa murmured, keeping her gaze trained on her gloved hands for a moment. Jack looked worried, perhaps catching onto her expression better than she herself did and knowing something was up the longer that she marveled over her own thoughts. He opened his mouth to speak once, but Elsa quickly cut him off. "It's just that I think this is a bad idea. I'm far away from the castle, and I shouldn't be here."

She tried to turn around, hoping that he would somehow understand without knowing her. But Jack was rapidly at her heel and just as obstinate as she was.

"You are not. You're much closer to the castle than you think, I promise." Jack told her playfully. Slowly, Elsa inclined her head towards him, and Jack looked more enthusiastic than ever when she stopped pacing forward. "I'll show you, just follow me up this dirt road here... I'll take you back down as soon as you see it for yourself."

In the dim light of the street that Jack had taken them both, Elsa had to squint through the darkness to see what he was talking about. It was an awful slope of mostly rocks, leading up to a hill that seemed very high. Too high to be considered safe, Elsa thought, deciding at once that this was not something that she wanted to be a part of.

"Ridiculous. How will we see anything to get up there? What if we slip?" She asked pessimistically. Jack seemed to have an answer for everything, however; smiling widely yet again.

"Ah, your majesty, such little faith you have in me...! It's insulting, really; after all, a squire like myself, let you fall down a dirt road? My, I'd never! Not on my life!"

With much gusto, Jack reached for his satchel - unclasping its front pocket - to pull out a small set of matches along with a very small lantern. Staring curiously within the thin light, Elsa observed as his slender, deft hands carefully struck the match, using clever fingers to light the inside of the lantern. The bright glow made Elsa blink a little, needing a few seconds for her eyes to adjust before Jack's long frame came into focus. The lantern did make the rocky hill look a little less intimidating, but Elsa was still unsure of herself, grasping her hands together for safety as if she had forgotten that her gloves were still there.

"Jack..." Her voice came out in more of a plead as he began stepping up the rocky path on his own. She didn't know how his feet didn't hurt, from stepping on the stones without anything to cover his feet, but he didn't even wince once. "I've seen Arendelle, I know what it looks like..."

"Not like this, you haven't." Jack explained buoyantly, gesturing up the hill with the lantern. "You've been hiding in the castle for thirteen years. That's one hundred and fifty six months of a whole lot of nothing, isn't it?" His voice became quieter then, softer. "Isn't that why you've been leaving the castle?"

Elsa felt exasperated, her explanations now seeming so much smaller than they ever had before. It was true partially, but he didn't know the entire story; he didn't know her, and yet he seemed so self-assured that he was right.

"It's a long story that isn't really any of your business." Elsa's response was cold, but that didn't deter Jack whatsoever as his eyes flickered more eagerly than ever.

"Well good, it's a big hill. Plenty of time for a long story..."

Elsa held her ground, completely rooted to her spot on the road as she looked up at him. For a moment, she stood silently, averting her eyes in favor of the ground below her. And Jack watched her, staying wordless in those seconds that passed before he wandered back down the path again. He stopped directly in front of her, keeping the lantern down to his side as if worried that he might blind her with the light.

"What are you so scared about? I made you a promise, didn't I? I told you that I would get you back to the castle safe and sound."

"But you cannot guarante that." Elsa replied shortly, afraid to look up at him again, wondering what he must have been thinking of her. This was far away from her comfort zone and she didn't know what to expect from him next. Finally, after attempting to control her nerves, she spoke again in a smaller voice than before. "You don't know me, Jack."

Silence ensued between the pair and Elsa felt her heart race against her chest, awaiting what might be said next, hoping that he would have something to say instead of her. But she kept her stare where it was while she waited. The skin underneath her gloves felt colder than ever, and her fingers curled into fists as she attempted to calm the feeling of being overwhelmed by what was going on. She had never known anyone outside of her family for the most part, and yet here this boy was, attempting to lure her out of the shell and protective nature that she had built over the last thirteen years. A very small, childish part of her wanted to trust him despite it all; but her stubborn essence trumped all of that down with the reminder that her powers and everything about her was _dangerous._

All of those thoughts were cut short by Jack's clear, honest voice again. And Elsa had the hardest time keeping her eyes to the ground when he did speak, feeling touched by his choice of actions and abrupt diplomacy that she never would have thought he was capable of.

"And you don't know me either." Jack started easily, as if he might have been agreeing with her. Elsa heard him release a breathy exhale, swinging the lantern back and forth with his wrist. "But if you want to leave, I won't stop you. I don't want to seem like the type of idiot guy to force you into something you don't wanna do." Even with her head down, she could feel him smiling at her, listening as he moved aside down the path in front of her again.

"Besides, you're royalty, right? I guess I should treat you like the queen you're about to become. Feel free to go, princess."

Finally, Elsa looked up at him, finding his teasing yet honest smile before his eyes. It would have been so much easier for her if he hadn't known her identity all along, she decided. But the longer that she stared, she felt the ingenuity and honor of his words. And she found that - just for that moment, for the first time in forever - she didn't want to be Princess Elsa, the young woman who was held in the captivity of the castle living in fear of herself. So she sucked in a deep breath, holding her head a bit higher to look firmly at the young man called Jack.

"You can call me 'Elsa'." She told him informatively, releasing the exhale as she stepped closer to him; suddenly feeling braver than she had in her entire life. Her eyes met his again, pressing her lips together hard. "And I will go with you, so long as you stop pestering me about my title, about squires, and all of the other royalty nonsense that you think you know."

After all, with the coronation arriving in three days, being reminded that she was becoming a _queen _was just about the last sentiment she wanted to be reminded of. Jack simply stared back at her as she finished speaking, staring intentedly, before his face broke into a fond smile.

"'Just this once', right?" He asked her, tone as teasing as ever while impending his face an inch closer to hers. Elsa nodded, her fingers curling underneath her gloves again.

"Just this once."

Jack's teeth showed in his next slanted grin, leaning back with the lantern in hand. He brought it up overhead towards the destination of the hill. It was very rocky indeed, but nothing that seemed dangerous despite the large slope up ahead... Elsa analyzed what she could see from the lantern shine alone, but didn't have much time to do so. Because behind Jack's endearing grin, he encouraged her further. And the young woman was pleased to hear her name leave his mouth as he emphasized on each of the syllables he spoke.

"I'll lead the way, Elsa. Just don't punch me again."

Elsa turned to him promptly in order to deliver him a glare.

* * *

(This was short. Weeeee. Sorry if it's no bueno.)


	5. V

**Author's Note:**

Thank you immensely and endlessly for each of the reviews I was given (and the follows and the favorites). Most of the guest reviews aren't showing up yet, but I am so insanely flattered by every kind word. I thought I would be lucky to draw maybe a few people in, but this is already exceeding my expectations. So thank you, thank you, thank you, especially to anyone who praised the characterization I've given Elsa. That means so much since I've read fics where I think she's missing a lot of depth.

* * *

Jack had to be the most animated individual that Elsa had ever met, even if the list of people that she had been introduced to for the last thirteen years was a terribly small one. Even if she didn't know very many people outside of Arendelle's palace, she was bewildered how one person could be so naturally charismatic, genuine, and kind, erstwhile equally pushy, persuasive, and acutely (yet endearingly) irritating all at the same time. Her lips pressed together into a hard line when he began moving up the mount of rocks, carefully clearing the distance far better than Elsa herself could while she held the hem of her gown up in each of her hands. The little heel on the back of her oxford shoes nearly caused her to slip as she made her way up the hill behind him, however; she made a little noise of protest in the back of her throat, catching a pine tree beside her to balance herself out just in time as her feet slipped from underneath her.

"Woah, are you alright?" Jack turned around instantly, eyes wide with concern as he caught her clinging to the branches of the pine tree. He shined the lantern in her direction, relieved that she seemed okay, despite the humored chuckle that left his mouth thereafter. "What's wrong, never climbed a hill before, my lady...?"

"It's not funny, Jack." Elsa countered, gritting her teeth together despite that she was well aware that her face was flushing several colors too red. She huffed, straightening herself out to brush off dirt from her dress while attempting to turn her head down as to avoid Jack's acknowledgement that she was thoroughly embarrassed. Evidently though, it didn't matter which way she angled her head; Jack's new eruption of light laughter held enough affirmation that he could see how flustered she had become.

"Well excuuuse me, Elsa; I was just concerned about your well being... It's not my fault that they don't teach you basic climbing skills at the Academy of Locked Down Princesses." Jack sniffed, a grin twisting at his mouth again. Elsa didn't even bother trying not to roll her eyes at him that time.

"Very clever. You have a lot of ridiculous ideas about me, don't you?" Sighing, the young woman began to step up the rock slope, but discovered that her shoes were filled with the soil that had caused her to slip in the first place. Wincing, Elsa looked down, about to give up on Jack's litte adventure altogether. It was bad enough that she was worried about being caught out of the castle, but add the dirt that had gathered in the soles of her shoes were making her irritable. Is this _really _what Jack did for fun? Is this what _anyone _did for fun, for that matter?

"What's wrong now?" Jack asked, sending the glow of the lantern at the direction of her feet. Elsa huffed, twice as embarrassed as she was before.

"I have _dirt _in my _shoes_, Jack!" Her voice raised higher, feeling frustrated with how the evening was going. While she didn't mind accompanying Jack on his endless whims (yet she was still cautious in every way possible), she didn't know what to do about the footwear that had now been tarnished with dirt and small rocks that flattened to her feet. Regardless, the messy-haired boy seemed to be biting his lips as to ensure that he didn't laugh at her mannerisms, before finally - Elsa held her head higher than ever - picking up her dress again and attempting to move up the hill beside him. "Let's just get this over with."

When she glanced over at Jack beside her again, however, he still had the lantern propped up in his hand, light streaming down to where her filthy shoes were. He was silent, before looking up to meet her gaze.

"Take your shoes off." He advised civilly. "It'll be easier for you to climb that way."

Elsa looked at him, positively aghast that he would dare suggest such a thing. Did he not remember where she came from and the values that had come with her royal title? She waited a moment before responding to check if he was being serious or not, but when he didn't instantly make another one of his jokes to go along with the words, Elsa could only shake her head stubbornly.

"No, thank you. I'm not a barbarian quite like you are, Jack." Elsa responded tersely, mostly influenced by sarcasm, but she was undoubtedly appalled by his lack of footwear even if she hadn't said so outright yet. Regardless, as she attempted to continue clambering up the path again with little to no coordination, she turned to shoot him a half-amused look. "By the way, where are _your _shoes? I've been meaning to ask you since we left the bakery."

Jack scrunched up his face at her, looking particularly displeased at anything that had to do with discussing the fact that he had bare feet. The expression surprised her, considering that he that his smile had failed to falter much that evening yet. And in that aspect, she felt a bit relieved; at least he could be kicked off of his high horse a little bit.

"I only wear shoes when I have to, my dear." He explained, looking sullen at the mention of it. But as soon as Elsa noticed that he was pouting, she decided it was her turn to taunt him; at least minimally, if she could.

"Oh, so you prefer to be known as a mongrel...? Or do you just not know how to tie your shoelaces?"

Jack looked thoroughly frustrated for once, maybe even embarrassed just the tiniest bit by her remark.

"I know how to tie my shoes! I just hate them!" Jack explained, a defensive note attached to his voice. "They're _dreadfully _uncomfortable in about a thousand ways, they're expensive, they're stuffy, they're hot... Just awful, I don't know how you or anyone else can wear them all of the time." He took in a deep breath, shaking his head some before finalizing his rant, as if somehow summing it up in the last sentence. "I only wear them when I have to, or if someone forces them on me. Either way, that isn't very often."

Elsa placed one of her gloved hands over her mouth so that he couldn't see that she was nearly laughing at his justifications. It just sounded so childish, him hating shoes as much as he did... A strange pet peeve, one that she would expect from a child, not from a nearly grown man. She tried to say something, but instantly found herself cut off by a few more giggles. At which point, Jack seemed to notice, and the color of his cheeks grew slightly pink in the dim light from the lantern.

"Oh yeah, go ahead, laugh at me..." He grumbled, pausing only lightly in order to smirk. "At least I know how to climb a hill."

Elsa gave him a slightly pointed look with a smile, unable to stop teasing him now that she had started.

"I'm very sure the entire kingdom would agree that not being able to climb up a hill is more a little more redeemable than refusing to wear shoes because they are _uncomfortable, _Jack."

"Whatever." Jack dismissed the subject with a wave of his unoccupied hand, exhaling sharply before his bronze-eyed stare was on her shoes again. "Anyway, take your shoes off. I don't want you to take another _nasty fall_."

Elsa stiffened slightly at the second request, truly obstinate that she was going to keep her footwear on no matter what. After all, she didn't want to walk around with dirty feet and the thought of it alone made her wrinkle her nose in distate. How Jack could walk around on the ground without anything covering his feet was beyond her level of comprehension.

"No, thank you, I'll pass." She murmured, stepping further up the hillside with the help of Jack's lantern. Subsequently, the princess struggled as greatly as before when her heels stuck hard in the dirt. The small crumbling rocks and excrement inside of her soles made her grimace with disgust, but she carried on anyway. Elsa only turned around when she heard Jack snort at her, narrowing her gaze while trying to mentally guess what might come out of his mouth next.

"Take them off or I'm taking them off for you, it's your choice." He mused, the corner of his lip lifting into a mischievous smile. Whatever Elsa had been estimating, it hadn't been that. Instead, her eyes widened, taking a few steps backwards.

"You wouldn't dare."

But she knew that he would. Jack was clearly headstrong, and as he shrugged his shoulders and started coming up after her. Elsa made a little noise that resembled a high yelp, holding her hands out in front of her so that he wouldn't come any closer as if she was already surrendering.

"Okay, okay... I'll take them off, just don't touch me." The last thing she needed was for powers to get out of hand, which was her primary worry despite that it had faded some. Jack had provided enough friendly and amusing conversation that she nearly found herself forgetting that she was supposed to be hiding her existence from the upcoming coronation. She swallowed some at the thought, the reminder that she was somewhere she shouldn't be whatsoever. The night was growing later, and what if someone already had discovered that she had left the palace? Releasing a rattling breath from her chest, she focused her gaze on Jack's grin instead (it was much easier to forget when she was mindful of his nearby figure), who watched as she carefully slid out of her shoes.

"Look, we match now. You're a mongrel, too." Jack laughed, cutting the distance between them in just a few strides like he did three days prior. Elsa couldn't believe how long his legs were and how simple it was for him to walk up such a steep hill, nor did she have anything else to say on the matter, because he was right. Either way, when Jack was met at her side, he picked the shoes up she had left behind, dumped out the dirt for her, and held out the lantern.

"Hold this, my dear. Do you think you can handle that?" He teased. Elsa took it from him at once, surprised again by how small it was and how lightweight it felt in her hands.

"Yes, better than you can tie your shoes." She retorted, sighing a little as she rested her arm back down to her side. Jack's eyebrows raised again, his bright eyes staring hard at her gloves again.

"Still wearing those gloves, I see... What, are you a germ freak or something?"

The question made Elsa's stomach clench, knowing that there were very few excuses that she had for wearing gloves in the middle of the summertime. But she kept her chin high, hoping that Jack didn't notice any hestitation. Instead, she turned instinctively away from him and began walking up the hill, attempting to seem nonchalant and careless about her answer.

"You ask a lot of questions, Jack."

* * *

The pair went up the rocky path much easier after that, with Jack tagging beside her while she held the lantern out for light. Even if Elsa wouldn't admit to it aloud, she was absolutely relieved to be freed of the confinement that her footwear had offered during her struggle. Fortunately, Jack didn't make anymore commentary about the matter, perhaps because he knew he was right without having to say so. Silence came between them as they climbed, but Elsa found herself wishing that he would say anything at all to get her mind off of the fact that she had left the castle.

_"Conceal, don't feel." _

She reminded herself of the endless mantra that her father would repeat to her whenever her powers became out of hand. But the thought only made her more nervous to be with Jack, knowing of the horrors that might occur if he managed to find out or reveal them in some way. Consequently, she was so desperate to stray from her trail of disparaging thoughts that she found herself clearing her throat, being the first to initiate the questions for once.

"Jack..." Elsa started, looking sideways at him. He turned to her at once at the sound of his name. "Did you know who I was as soon as I walked into the bakery?"

A slim smile eased its way onto his mouth, turning to focus his attention on their destination, which still seemed so far away even after several minutes of walking.

"You're still going on about that?" He asked, laughing when she shot him a cross look. "Nah, I didn't know, not until I sat down with you."

The princess paused, staring him down blankly.

"How?"

Jack tilted his head, boyish grin intact.

"Besides the expensive handbag and the fact that you were trying to look discreet and unnoticed as possible? It was pretty suspicious." His grin widened when their eyes met, but it faltered some as he went on in the same breath. "I dunno. There was something familiar about your eyes. I told you, I've lived in Arendelle my entire life... But there was something off about the way the king and queen closed off the castle to everyone thirteen years ago." Hearing him speak about her mother and father was strange, because in some ways more than one, it felt like they were still alive. And Elsa wished every day that they were, even if she had spent most of her years in isolation. At least that meant that she was safe, and everyone else didn't have to know about the dangers of her abilities. Regardless, her thoughts fell short when Jack continued, careful to watch him climb out of the corner of her vision.

"Everyone talked about it, for a long time, wondering what the reasons were. My father especially, stating how bizarre it was that the king and queen would decide to shut everyone out. As if they weren't really trying to keep everyone away, more like..." Jack paused eerily, shutting his mouth briefly before opening it again. "More like they were trying to keep something in."

The words sent a frozen chill rupturing all the way down the back of her neck to her lower spine. She found that she could no longer look at him, as if he could somehow see right through her and the burdens that she carried. But he didn't persist the conversation even if he had wanted to. And for that, Elsa was grateful, hoping that this would be the only and the last time that she would have made the promise to return. It couldn't be risked again, she decided promptly. To her surprise, Jack's laughter returned a little more than a second later.

"Anyway, that's why I decided that you had to come back to see me, at least one last time before your coronation..." He flashed her another grin, and Elsa was suddenly very aware of how white his teeth were against his fair skin. Elsa gave him a frank look in return.

"Because you want to know the reason why my father and mother isolated the castle?" Her inquiry was flat, yet when she asked, she felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach; fearing that was all he wanted out of her.

"No." Jack answered simply, reach up to stretch one of his arms out over his head. He took his time to pursue what he was getting at; another crooked smile flitting to his mouth. "Because your eyes look too sad for someone so beautiful."


	6. VI

**Author's Notes:**

Again, thank you very much for the reviews, favorites, and follows. I am so thrilled. And I'm very sorry that I have to kill Jack soon. I never thought this would grow as anything more than a oneshot, but I'm really enjoying myself. So thank you, yet again~ 

* * *

Living in the quarantine of the castle for the majority of her life, Elsa had never had very many people tell her that she was beautiful apart from when she had been very young. One person who had reminded her of such was her father. Jack's words evoked a memory that Elsa hadn't recalled in many years. She must have been fourteen, when she had broken one of the windows of the castle. Her parents had been gone overseas to the Kingdom of Corona when Elsa had been practicing the use and control of her powers within her bedroom. But one slip of her hand sent a jet of ice shattering the window. The scenario had been overwhelming for the young princess at the time, unable to make up any excuses for the event when the servants came in to ask what had happened. And she anticipated that her parents would be angry upon their return, but instead, her father had merely brushed her hair back with his fingers after she had admitted what had gone wrong.

_"Elsa, you made a mistake, we all do..." _His words were still as memorable as ever, perhaps because it might have been the only time she didn't feel that her parents were disappointed with her. _"You're too beautiful to worry about a broken window. It's just a thing, Elsa. You're more important than a thing."_

The recollection made it difficult to bring her focus back on Jack, but she eventually let out a sigh, casting him a little sideways glance. For the first few seconds, she didn't know what to say, but she was flattered by the compliment regardless. It was nice to hear, even if he didn't know what kind of secrets she held. She doubted that he would say so, if he knew what she was capable of. But eventually, her eyes sought out the rocky path, bringing the lantern to rest between each of her hands.

"Thank you, Jack; that's kind of you to say." Elsa started, reaching up with her free hand to ensure that her hair (which had been fashioned into an elegant bun that evening) was still intact after nearly tripping down the hill. The last thing she needed was her hair to start looking like Anna's did in the morning, even if she didn't know why it mattered. Jack purposefully refused to wear shoes on a daily basis, for heaven's sake... "But I'm not sad, despite what you may think."

Truthfully though, as she said it aloud, the thought had never crossed her mind before. Elsa had been so fretted to ensure that her powers were under control and remained a secret that she had never once thought about her own happiness. Life after her parents' death felt like a blur, and as the days grew quicker towards her coronation as queen, she had never had time to think about herself. So perhaps her sneaking out of the castle three days ago could be explained in that manner; she had needed time to escape, to forget about the fact that they were making her the Queen of Arendelle. That her powers weren't a ticking time bomb, ready to ruin the expanse of the kingdom. And for that moment, she was thankful for Jack. It was easier to forget when he was around, even if she knew there was very little time to spend with him. In just a few days' time, she would become the queen, and that would be that.

Somehow, Jack seemed to be on the same track as her. Yet he was showing his obstinate nature again by vocally disagreeing with what she had said.

"Really? You're not?" His voice was mellower than before, less spirited as his eyes flickered to meet hers. "Then why did you leave the castle?"

Elsa exhaled sharply, chuckling humorlessly as her fingers curled underneath the lantern as she turned to look up the slope again. Finally, it appeared like they were about to reach the top of the long hillside, which was a relief considering that she didn't know how long she could go barefoot or continue straying too far away from the castle. Of course, if anyone knew that she was missing they surely would have known by now. Arendelle was too quiet for anyone to have noticed a misplaced princess, and that helped Elsa relax massively.

"The truth is, I don't think I'm ready to be a queen." Saying it outright felt _outrageously _good somehow. Her concerns of being the Queen of Arendelle had been something that she had suppressed since her parents' death. And as soon as Elsa started venting, she found that she couldn't stop.

"I'm not my parents. I don't know _anyone _in Arendelle, and the castle has been in segregation from the kingdom for so long that I don't even have my parents' actions to base mine off of."

Jack cut her off by gently nudging her with his elbow, winking.

"That's not true. You know me." He insisted, but Elsa cut him off quickly with a huff of breath.

"One out of thousands, Jack." She eyed him for a moment, knowing fully that he couldn't possibly understand, but continuing regardless. "It's going to be a mess, you'll see. They'll never take me seriously. I don't have any experience, I'll probably end up saying something wrong in Prussian and send the entire world alliance to dominate Arendelle right after the coronation ceremony - "

"You speak Prussian?"

"No, that's why it might happen, just wait and see - "

Jack howled with laughter harder than ever, doubling over to hold his sides. For the first little while, Elsa didn't know what to say or was so funny, and inasmuch, could only stare at his chortling form as her face flushed redder than ever.

"I fail to see what is so humorous about the possibility of my future failure." Elsa spoke darkly, attempting to hide her cheeks behind one of her hands. The words didn't cease Jack's laughter, but he made the effort to stop as he straightened out his posture and wiped his eyes with the sleeves of his shirt.

"Elsa, that is the most _ridiculous _thing I've ever heard in my entire life! Prussia isn't going to blow up Arendelle for you making a grammatical error in a language that you don't eve know!" Jack remarked, mouth still wide in a grin while another fit of laughter roared through him. "I mean, it would be _hilarious _if you started a whole war for that reason, but - "

"_Jack_! You're not helping!" Her face felt hotter than ever, teeth gritting together as she continued attempting to hide her face. Did he not see how nerve wracked she was? Not only about the possibility of her powers being exposed in front of everyone, but how nervous she was to named the next queen? Perhaps he wouldn't have joked so much, if he knew that she could freeze him to death should she gained desire to do so...

"I'm sorry." Jack began again, reaching to lower her gloved hand from her face with his own. But she instantly shrugged away from him, unfamiliar with human contact, especially from someone that she hardly knew. The action caused Jack to chuckle a little, as he began moving up the hill again. "I know, what do I know about Arendelle's monarchy, right...?" He scratched his head, keeping his back towards her. "I'll admit, I don't know much. I'm the son of a baker, I hate wearing shoes, and my best friend is my little sister, but... I know that Arendelle really loved your parents and everything they did for the kingdom while they were here." Involunatarily, Elsa looked up at him, feeling touched by his sentiments even if she didn't know how to fathom them. "And they love you, too - you and your sister. Do you know how excited everyone is about the coronation? To see Arendelle's princesses again and how they've grown up?"

Jack laughed again, but not in a mocking way as he trumped down the rocky path again to look at her, stopping only when he stood right in front of her. Their eyes met and upon contact, Elsa knew that he was telling the truth. The honesty and warmth in his bright bronze eyes was still as apparent as the day that she had met him, yet Elsa still felt uncertainty linger within the depths of her mind as her eyes averted. _How could they love a princess who couldn't even control her own birthright powers?_

"It's the only thing anyone will talk about. In fact, it's the only thing they _have _been talking about for months." Jack went on, shaking his head, but his stare didn't leave her once. "They're so excited to see you. They are _so _proud, and they don't even know you yet! So just give yourself a chance, you owe yourself that much, right?" Slowly, Elsa's eyes raised up to find his smile, his nose, and then his eyes again, until he finally rested his hands on his waist again. She didn't know what to say, dubious that the kingdom as a whole could possibly excited to see _her, _of all people. But she couldn't deny the fact that Jack meant every word. The passion in his voice was thick, as if he was bearing a testimony towards something he had believed his entire life. And that alone made Elsa feel calmer than she had in days, growing instantaneously more grateful that she had met him.

"Just _believe in me _Elsa; you'll be great, I promise." Jack murmured gently, sighing a little as he finished. Elsa didn't know what to say to properly convey how his statements had made her feel, but she tried by lifting her head to smile at him. Even if he was somewhat infuriating, he somehow knew how to encourage her. And that was helpful, glowing advice that even her parents had never provided for her when they had been alive.

"Thank you, Jack; that means more than I can say. I'll try." She answered earnestly, holding her gaze to his, hoping that - even if she couldn't say it - he would know how much it relieved her, to hear such praise from him, such promise that she couldn't help but believe, at least for the duration of their time together. It wasn't a minute later that Jack shot her a mischievous smirk, however; ruining the moment as he quickened to tease her again.

"Yeah, just remember that, when you're using the wrong past tense term or adjective in Prussian..."

And that, of course, warranted another reason for Elsa to reach up and flick him against the nose.

* * *

After another five minutes of climbing and listening to Jack blather on about how physically and mentally abusive she was towards him, Elsa was alleviated to see that there was no more hiking to be done. The pair met a grove of pine trees as they finally trekked up the finality of the hill. They were impressively tall and green, from what she could see within the rays of light from the lantern. Elsa wished that she could see what it looked like it daylight, even if she knew that the possibility of her returning to the same place Jack had brought them to was slim. She looked up at the trees with wonder as they both moved towards a grassy field full of trees. Until finally, when they were halfway across admiring the greenery, and she turned to him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk of her own.

"You brought me here to tree gaze? How thoughtful, I could _never_ get enough of them in the courtyard back at the castle..." Elsa started in a sardonic drawl. Jack gave her a mocking glare, tsking loudly as he angled his body towards a separate cluster of trees.

"Such little faith, darling. Must you always be so pessimistic? I thought princesses were supposed to be angelic, not... _Boring._" He jested, tilting his head playfully.

"I guess they didn't teach me that bit at the Academy of Locked Down Princesses. I'll have to file a complaint." Elsa retorted derisively, watching curiously as Jack began to move down to meet the set of trees he had been analyzing. She didn't know what could be so interesting about yet _another _thicket of tall timber, but she didn't make another remark to tease him. Instead, she waited patiently for him to speak again, holding the lantern between each of her hands again as she watched. Finally, after a few seconds, Jack gestured with one of his hands for her to come closer.

"Come here, this is what I wanted to show you..." He urged, his lean body slipping easily between the trees. Elsa followed after, blinking at his retreating figure while releasing a deep breath. It was believable that Jack had persuaded her, of all people in Arendelle, to come up there with him (and to take her _shoes _off, at that). She didn't know how he had the capability to inspire the childish curiosity that she felt that she had lost long ago, but he did. Jack was an enigma, that was for certain.

And finally, the thicket ended, and Jack had lured her onto the opposite side of the hill which exposed a phenomenal view of Arendelle. Elsa nearly had to catch her breath, unable to believe that she could see everything down below as the lights from the kingdom sprang up over the castle, the sea, the kingdom, and the embodiment of the kingdom in between. She could see homes that she had only ever seen or dreamed of from afar, the North Mountain clearer than ever within the moonlight even if it was still far away. The stars were cast above the water around the castle, a place that had felt more like a solitary confinement for her than it did home. She could appreciate the beauty of the sculture, for once, without thinking about how she should be locked in her tower. And finally, her wide azure eyes moved elsewhere to locate the Valley of the Living Rock, a residence she hadn't been near since her parents had begged the trolls to save Anna's life...

It was as if her past, present, and future was looking up right back at her. A strange clump formed in the middle of her throat. For the first little while, she didn't know what to say, nor how to express her gratitude to the young man beside her. Fortunately, Jack looked pleased by her reaction. The smile he wore was proud, as he reached down to place her shoes on the grass before turning to her fully.

"Incredible, isn't it?" Jack reflected tenderly, his voice barely more than a whisper in the darkness. Elsa turned to look at him, noting that his eyes were lit up again as he gazed at the picture below. "I couldn't believe it either, when I found this place... I've come up here a lot since, but you're the first person I've brought here." Pausing, he hooked his forefinger around the lantern she held, taking it from her to blow the light out, placing it down next to the area where he had left her shoes.

"It's... Something else, Jack. I've never seen anything like it." Elsa answered, indecisive on how she could explain how she felt precisely. Despite that Arendelle had been her place of birth, she had never been able to admire it fully before, even when she had been young. "How ever did you find it?"

Jack chuckled, sitting down promptly as he crosses his long legs. Without any instruction, Elsa mimicked his actions, folding her gown underneath her as she sat, but careful to keep a small distance between them. She found herself peering at the castle again, admiring its architecture for the first time in her life. It was different, looking at it from an outsider's perspective. She could conceive why so many people were eager for her coronation then; why it must have been so fascinating. The palace almost looked ethereal with the water that surrounded it, the tall towers, vaulted ceilings, and moonlight above. Elsa was only distracted from the scene when Jack finally opened his mouth to answer, as if he had done so with some difficulty.

"When my father died, I attempted to run away for a day or two." Jack explained, chuckling a little under his breath. "He came up with Diphtheria when I was ten. We were really close and I was young, I guess I didn't really know how to deal with it... So I thought I should run away and never come back." His smile faded, as one of his hands wound around the grass beside them. "But I learned a very valuable lesson that day. That I couldn't just run away from my fears, even if I wanted to... I had to face the fact that he wasn't coming back."

Elsa tried not to stare at the fair-skinned, playful boy beside her, but found that she failed to do so. She thought that they might have had more in common than she had originally suspected, wishing for just a split second, that she could share the concerns of her powers with him. But the conclusion was quickly vanquished by her own deep-settled anxiety. At a young age, she had made an oath with herself not to tell anyone after the situation that had occurred between herself and Anna. And that was a pledge that she intended to keep, no matter what. So instead, Elsa tilted her head so that she could continue marveling over the kingdom, rather than tempting herself to trust Jack. It wasn't a risk that she was about to take.

"What made you go back home?" She asked, bringing her knees up so that she could rest her chin upon them.

"Pippa, actually." Jack responded brightly. "I couldn't just leave her all alone. Well, that and I needed food, of course... I guess I realized that the outdoors doesn't have a kitchen."

Elsa smiled, releasing the barest breath of a laugh while turning to rest her jaw on her knees in order to look at him again.

"So then, what _can _you do, Jack? You can't hunt, you can't tie your shoes... Is there anything that you're good at, besides talking?"

"Ha! Very funny, princess; belittling me, after I've done you this kind favor by bringing you up here?" He beamed at her, placing his hands on each side of him. Subsequently, his eyes softened. "What about you? Things still rocky between you and your sister?"

Elsa hadn't expected him to ask about Anna again. Nor had she really remembered that she had told him about Anna the first day that they had met. But one mention of the younger princess of Arendelle made Elsa feel tense. The only comforting thought she had was that Jack would understand. He seemed to grasp everything that she had told him about so far.

"Always. It's never going to change." She claimed apathetically, watching as one of the flags on the ships below fluttered from a brief gust of wind.

"Well, how do you know unless you try, you wet blanket?" Jack asked, his confident voice returning to him as he delivered her presumptuous grin. Elsa raised her eyebrows at him, attempting to smile despite that it quickly wavered. Anna was not a subject that she favored to bring up lightly, but she figured she owed Jack some insight.

"I... Don't know if I can try, Jack. We're so different now, and I feel like the opportunity I had to fix our relationship was ruined after our parents died." Elsa bit her lip some at the fresh memory. "She tried so hard to reach out to me, but I wasn't there for her. I don't even know if I was there for me, to be honest... I doubt she could ever forgive me for that."

Silence fell between them where Elsa feared to see what kind of judgments he might make. It had been one of her weakest, most selfish moments when her parents had died, and it was a regret that she had carried with her ever since, especially when everyone in the castle expressed their cool astonishment that she refused to attend the funeral. She didn't expect Jack to think highly of her for it. In fact, she didn't know what he would be thinking, but she certainly didn't anticipate what would come out of his mouth next.

"Well, I know that you're good at keeping your promises." Jack spoke lightly at first, nodding firmly at where he had lended her the alabaster necklace again without warning the first and second time. Elsa had almost forgotten she had been wearing it, reaching up with a gloved hand to touch it tentatively. "So just promise me, you'll keep that until you and your sister sort things out."

And to her surprise - even despite herself, despite that she didn't know how he could have so much faith in her - Elsa nodded. Hoping that some day, maybe soon, she would be able to rekindle her friendship with Anna again. But for now, she wanted to stay sitting with the baker boy Jack, not knowing realistically how much time she would likely be able to spend with him in the future.

* * *

(Idon'twantJacktodie. Nooooooo...!)


	7. VII

**Author's Notes:**  
I know I'm updating rather quickly. I have to go to sleep early tonight, so I figured I'd chuck this out now before then... Hopefully that doesn't bother anyone, heh. This probably won't be very long, but here goes.

/

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"Right down there in that red building is the library, and then across from that street, there's a blacksmith shop, the one with the weird shaped window in the front. I wouldn't go in there if I were you though. The guy who owns the place goes by the name of Halvard, but no one can stand him or understand him, really. The place reeks of his terrible body odor. I've never smelled anything quite like him in my life..."

Jack had devoted the last few minutes of his time pointing out everything in the kingdom of Arendelle for her while the two of them sat together on the hillside. This had been warranted after Elsa had sheepishly admitted to him that she was unfamiliar with most of the kingdom. To her surprise, Jack had been more than willing to give her a brief tour, at least by pointing out direct places with his forefinger. Elsa didn't interrupt him once, finding herself fully engrossed in each word that came out of his mouth. She had lived in Arendelle her whole life, but getting an insight from him was appreciated, even when he made commentary about the individuals that he knew. It was a strange prospect, she realized, that in just a few days' time she would be meeting those people herself. And if not then, there would always be room for the future. It made the coronation ceremony seem almost bearable, as if her powers didn't exist for that brief juncture, and becoming queen was going to be easy. Despite that a nagging part of her brain reminded her that it was going to be anything but.

Out of his satchel, Jack had recovered a small tin of Norwegian butter cookies that he had made himself at the bakery, claiming that they were his sister's favorite. They were just as savory as the cinnamon buns had been, making her feel more like a child than she had in ages. Since her parents had died and the only persons who left the castle were the servants, sweet delicacies were rarer to come by. It was normal for Anna to make a request for something special, but Elsa never did, simply sticking with whatever the chef made for them. She wondered idly as she chewed the cookies if Jack had ever made anything for Anna in the past. The idea of it made her think that two energetic people like Jack and Anna - should they ever become acquainted, somehow - would get along just fine. But the vision shattered as quickly as it came to, doubting that she would ever be able to introduce the pair... Only if Anna left the castle after her coronation. But if it was up to Elsa, she would continue to keep the castle closed off once the event was over.

Her gaze returned to Jack when he began pointing out a pub in the eastern area of Arendelle, cutting him off promptly with a new question of her own.

"Where do you live, Jack?" Her question hung in the air momentarily, before Jack's dark eyebrows raised and he smirked.

"Why, do you plan on stalking me, princess?" He asked teasingly, standing up abruptly. Making an effort to brush off his brown trousers, he placed his hands on his waist and grinned down at her.

"No, but I might send you a brochure on how to tie your shoes properly..." Elsa retorted playfully. She found herself caught off her guard when Jack held out his hand for her, however. It was a kind gesture to help her off of the ground, but she felt the nervous flutters in the pit of her stomach return all over again. The gloves over her hands concealed most of her powers, but she still feared that they would fail her should she make any physical contact with Jack.

"Well come on, I'll show you, it's right over there." Jack went on, wavering his extended hand again. "And there is nothing I would love more than a _brochure_ on shoelacing from the future queen of Arendelle."

Elsa stared at his long, slender hand, before closing her eyes to brace herself while reaching up to take it into her own. Even with the fabric of the glove in the way, Jack's hand seemed to radiate in warmth. She only reopened her eyes again when she found that she was on her feet in front of him, blinking momentarily as she straightened herself out and retracted her hand back down to her side again. A little exhale passed between her lips, feeling mild success flood through her.

"What's wrong? Getting tired? I guess it must be past your bedtime... What are you, a grandmother?"

Elsa rolled her eyes at him for what felt like the umpteenth time that evening, following closely behind as Jack moved up the path again, bringing them to another side of the hill. As she peered down at the valley below again, Jack piped in from beside her, pointing to a little cottage more on the outskirts of Arendelle. She could barely see it from the lack of light, but a shimmering body of water behind the lodge that he pointed at made it a little more visible.

"Right there, that's where I live. Feel free to send me any brochures, or you could come over, you know... To practice your Prussian." Jack's laughter returned, but Elsa could only stare in wonder, keeping her gaze trained on where he lived. It seemed so fitting, for someone like him.

"Is that a pond in your backyard?" She asked, leaning up on her tiptoes to get a better view.

"Yeah. Pippa and I go iceskating on it every year during the winter. She's not very coordinated though, poor little thing..." Jack sighed, tilting his head to look up at the moon above. "Anyway, your majesty; I think we'd better get you back to the castle. It's getting late and I remember that I promised I'd get you back soon, right?"

Elsa cast him a sideways glance, the corner of her lip tugging into a smirk.

"You did promise that. You can tell time without a clock? Is it as good as your Prussian is?" She jested softly. Jack chuckled, shrugging his shoulders as he maneuvered around her to pick up the tin of cookies, his satchel, and the oxford shoes that had been left behind temporarily on the hillside.

"Yeah, I'm fluent in Prussian." He waggled his eyebrows at her, voice as sarcastic as ever. "Better keep me around, otherwise that misused verb will burn Arendelle to the ground...!"

"In which case, you would be a very useful squire." Elsa replied tonelessly. Truthfully, she could never imagine Jack of all people working as a servant, let alone one of her own, especially since she thought that Jack had somehow become her friend. When he held out her shoes to her, she was happy to slide them back onto her feet (which were filthy now, a prospect that made her grimace), but couldn't imagine how long it was going to last before dirt and rocks tarnished them again... They still had a little while to go before she was safely tucked in her bedchamber. "I'm sure you'd love being locked up in the palace, wouldn't you, Jack?"

Jack pretended to stroke his chin, as if deep in thought to calculate his answer.

"Hmm, and hang out with a mundane and boring queen for the rest of my life? No thank you, I think I'll pass." He gave her a wide, teasing grin while returning the tin and lantern carefully into his satchel, placing the strap over his shoulder. "Anyway, are you ready to go?"

She nodded, noting how tired she actually felt now that the day's events were finally over with. Therefore, she turned out towards the grove of trees that they had passed upon reaching the top of their hike. But whatever Elsa had been thinking at that time, she hadn't at all anticipated what Jack would be doing next. Because just as she turned to ask him a question, Jack had done the unthinkable. He reached down behind her knees, nearly knocking the wind out of her in alarm, to scoop her up into his arms. Elsa didn't even have enough time to acknowledge how strong he must have been to hold her up before she started thrashing, attempting to wriggle out of his grasp. What _was _he thinking?! She was the heir to the throne, and he was laboring directly under the delusion that she should be picked up as easily as a sack of flour without even doing so much as _forewarning _her?!

"Jack! JACK! What are you doing?! Put me down, put me down this instant, I'm warning you - !" The only thought that filled her head was if he touched any of her skin that she might expose her powers. It was a horror beyond anything else, as she attempted to toss herself out of his arms, but failed miserably to do so as his arms tightened around her back and her legs.

"Hang on, princess. Don't freak out at me yet, I'm just about to get you back to the castle sooner than you think!" Jack explained humorously, laughing again as he began breaking into a quick sprint down the hillside. Elsa was ultimately _appalled, _having not been picked up since she had been very small, and certainly not by someone that she had just met. Involuntarily, she reached up to grasp him around the neck to ensure that he didn't drop her. Her heart jolted frantically in her chest, expecting Jack to drop her at any given moment. And she braced herself, feeling her eyes squeeze shut several times as he slid down part of the soil. Yet, to her relief, his arms didn't weaken from around her.

"Don't you dare drop me, Jack!" Elsa was fully exasperated and feeling slightly nauseous by the time they were halfway down the slope, which seemed like it was taking no time at all. It was certainly less time consuming. Downhill was much easier than uphill, but this felt like a bad experience all the way around. Jack was too busy laughing to respond at first, as he struggled to keep his breath when he darted forward at full speed, but when he finally, Elsa again found the genuinity in his remark despite herself.

"I swear, I'm not going to drop you!"

The earnest tone in his voice made her shoulders slacken slightly, but she still tugged her eyes shut, leaning her cheek into his shirt while grimacing and awaiting the moment where his arms might fall from around her - but they never did. And when they reached the bottom of the hill and Jack attentively lowered her to her feet again, the princess felt a multitude of emotions rage through her all at once when she was safely on the ground. As Jack regained his breath, Elsa wasted no time at all to round on him.

"_What were you thinking?!" _ She hissed, feeling her chest as her heart pulsed painfully against her rib cage. Her head spun some, feeling slightly dizzy, but that didn't stop her from impending on him. "Are you trying to kill me?! You are a mongrel, Jack! A true mongrel! A shoeless, unadulterated, foolhardy _mongrel!_"

Jack, who had leaned his hands down to his knees to recover his air back into his lungs, looked up at her with a cocky grin.

"But we've already established that, haven't we, Elsa?" He asked innocently, brushing his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt, looking _pleased as punch _about his former actions only seconds ago. "I'm a mongrel and you are, too. We're a match made in heaven!"

"Quit trying to be funny, Jack." Elsa interjected, seething as she picked up her hand and closed both of her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. "Do you know what could have happened? Do you have any idea the danger you put the two of us in?" While she meant to imply her powers, Jack was precisely unbeknownst to them, and ergo, raised one of his eyebrows in confusion.

"Yeah, I could've dropped you, but I didn't." Jack stated proudly, inhaling deeply as he grinned, before letting the air out of his lungs happily. "Come on, admit it, you've never had more fun in your life."

"That, was not fun." She shot back, feeling her anger subside somehow when Jack rested one hand on his waist and tilted his head to the side, flashing her a boyish smile.

"Oh please, you've spent the last thirteen years locked in a castle; how can you tell the difference? I'll bet you can't say that's ever going to happen again."

Huffing at his outright immaturity, Elsa turned around sharply on her heel; deducing that she was done with arguing, if he wasn't going to admit that he had done something wrong. But of course, Jack came after her as she began trailing back to central Arendelle. The young woman felt particularly flustered, but she decided that it couldn't last for very long. Especially since Jack's voice rang out from behind her, sounding concerned and sincere.

"Look, I'm sorry, I didn't know you would get so upset..." He started, sighing as he caught up to her side. Yet Elsa still refused to look at him, keeping her blue eyes focused on the trail as she stubbornly crossed her arms. He chuckled at her actions, shaking his head fondly at her. "I did what I promised I would, though; you'll be back to the castle before midnight."

"You make up a lot of assumptions about me, Jack." Elsa countered, turning to scowl at him, but finding it very difficult when her eyes traced his growing smile.

"But I'm not always wrong."

And that was unfortunately something that he was right about, even if Elsa would never admit it to him. All in all, she realized - as a heavy silence filled a gap between them - that the evening _had _been fun. A different kind than what she had been accustomed to as a child (with the exception of being picked up and rushed down a hill, of course), but Jack had fulfilled his promise. And for that, she was secretly appreciative, knowing that even if she was about to be made a queen in a few days' time, she would never forget him.

As they slipped through town in the darkness unnoticed, Elsa was more than relieved to see the castle in full effect again. What she wanted more than ever was to bathe after stepping on dirt for the last hour or two, but after the adrenaline had faded, she found that what mattered more to her was finding herself back in her bed. Sighing as they approached the locked down palace - which was just as dark as when she had first parted from it - Elsa finally turned to Jack again. She attempted to keep her face stern when their eyes met, but even so, the barest of all smiles flitted to her mouth before she could stop herself. Inasmuch, it was Jack's turn to roll his eyes at her.

"You are absolutely _mad_, your highness. One minute you're shouting at me, but now you're smiling? Is that why they locked down the castle - to protect everyone from your multiple personalities?" He asked, shifting his head towards her as he grinned.

"Something like that, you're close, for once." Elsa murmured in response, careful to keep quiet as she tucked her cloak closer towards her for comfort. She peeked sideways at the castle, part of her wary to return, knowing that she couldn't risk another evening to visit Jack again. It was too close to the coronation ceremony and the risk of leaving twice in one week had officially worn down her bravery. Jack seemed to understand what the glance meant, taking that moment to offer her another one of his uneven smiles.

"I guess I'll see you at the coronation ceremony, then." He concluded, a note of enthusiasm in his voice. Elsa exhaled, nodding as she turned to meet his gaze.

"Thank you, Jack. You've... Been very helpful tonight, more than I would have imagined, for a squire fluent in Prussian, can't tie his shoes, and surpasses boundaries by giving me a downright heart attack." Her eyebrows lifted, before pulling into a very serious expression that caused a faint frown-line to appear between them. "Just as long as you don't tell anyone, of course. I... Don't need the entire kingdom knowing about this. Or anyone else, for that matter." The thought alone was petrifying, in fact; and the horror of Jack breaking her trust made a tiny chill tear down her spine.

But Jack laughed once more, shaking his head as he had when they had been on the hillside together.

"Elsa, if you've learned anything about me in the last few hours, it should be that I don't break my promises."

"I know," Elsa paused, grimacing slightly as her gloved fingers curled around each other for comfort at the thought. But finally, she reopened her mouth to battle her own silence. "But thank you, again."

And then, the young man called Jack did something she never thought he would, and that was lowering his lanky stature to bow for her. It was admittedly a such a small gesture, but Elsa could only release a breath of a laugh at the sight. He seemed like he was just about the last person who would make amends to royalty, but he did so regardless. And for that, Elsa couldn't stop smiling as she turned to sneak back towards the path of the castle. His words echoed and carried inside of her head when she finally retired to her bedroom, pleased to find that her escape had been undetected.

"You're welcome, princess. Sleep tight."

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Happy Valentine's Day to all of the Jelsa shippers. Next chapter will have a different point of view. Andddd... I still hope that this isn't terrible.


	8. VIII

**Author's Note:**  
I apologize for the delay to those of you still reading. Real life got in the way, my friend and I decided to write something else Jelsa related (she is a stinker ;D), etc. My condolences if this fic is god-awful, but I still intend to finish! *repents*

Anywayyyy. This chapter is going to be centered around human!Jack rather than Elsa. And it'll probably be centered around him for a little while, until it ends. Oh dearrr. And there's going to be some Kristoff in here as well... Because, well, I like Kristoff and I like to think Jack would butt heads with him a little bit. Again, thank you for the reviews, followers, and the favorites; I promise that I will try not to take so long to update again. There will also be Jack/Pippa. And I might add Jack/Anna later if there are no disputes. Cheers! 

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It was finally the afternoon that Arendelle had been looking forward to months in advance. The castle gates were opening after thirteen years of solitary confinement, which meant that the kingdom was plastered with celebratory individuals attired in fine gowns and suits, speaking eagerly amongst one another for the coronation ceremony of the queen to begin shortly before nightfall. And yet, prior to Jackson Overland meeting the future queen of Arendelle, he'd originally found himself disinterested in the event as everyone had chatted endlessly about the commemoration. Royalty had been the farthest thing on his mind, he surmised, as he observed the bustle of people rushing in, out, and around the marketplace, yet ever since he'd met Princess Elsa himself, he'd been looking forward to seeing the gates open again at last.

Chewing absentmindedly at a green apple perched in his slender hand, Jack kept his bronze eyes attentive to the long and narrow stonewall pathway that led up to the gate as he lounged up against the bakery, ankles folded together to thoroughly bask in the scene. The kingdom suddenly clashed with numerous colors of different ribbons and embroideries, clad only for the event. He was sure that in all of that time, he had never seen Arendelle look so alive, but it was impossible for him not to enjoy the buzz and excitement from all around him. Even so, he chuckled to himself, wondering how in the world Elsa had managed to slip so easily out of the castle walls as she had. It must have taken a lifetime of knowledge for the young woman to complete such a task, which Jack silently commended her for, even if he thought that with his mischievous demeanor, he might have found a way into the castle if he would ever try to do so himself... Despite that the challenge was over, now that the coronation ceremony was about to begin.

And yet, Jack felt mildly irritated as he reached up to stretch out the collar of his shirt, reminding himself that he too had been dressed just as fashionably as the rest of the kingdom was. It was such a wonderful day outside with the sunshine spilling down over the valley. Jack thought silently that it was such a waste he had to wear several layers of clothing in order to look representable for the ceremony, as he stood beneath the shade that the bakery provided him. While gingerly, he attempted to give his neck a breather by fiddling at his own necktie, but felt at a sheer loss since he didn't know how to retie it himself (his mother had insisted on fixing it for him earlier that day) and therefore couldn't disband of it entirely. Huffing, he finished his apple and folded his arms across his chest, eyeing the suit that had once been his father's. Dark blue in color, complimented by a black vest, tight trousers, and even a knee-length _frock coat. _It must have been a sight to behold to anyone who knew the real him, and Jack vowed that this would be the very last time he would succumb to wearing formal clothing, or else he would be caught dead.

Subsequently, Jack observed as foreigners began to pour into Arendelle from the docks. Blinking, he readjusted himself, stepping up on his tiptoes to get a good look at them, wondering which countries they came from. But his fascination was put on hold when he observed a young boy in a black suit pulling away from his mother's grip, feeling the corners of his mouth pull into a grin at the sight.

"Why do I have to wear this?!" He asked loudly, attempting to pry his coat from his body.

"Because, the queen has come of age! It's coronation day!" The woman answered excitedly, reaching for her son's hand as she pulled him towards the castle gates.

"That's not _my _fault!"

Jack laughed heartily at the scene, wondering if he would have reacted similarly when he had been much younger. Either way, he followed after the pair shortly after, still attempting to fiddle with his necktie as much as he could to give himself some fresh air. There were so many people swarming around the kingdom that he hardly had enough room to move his arms in fear of elbowing someone beside him. He wondered - as he passed another cluster of people, in awe of each of the decorations - if anyone else was uncomfortable as he was with the mixture of fancy clothes and hot weather, but kept his feet moving straight forward until he was met with the somewhat familiar sight of a tall, burly blonde man and his large reindeer companion.

"Heh, what do you want, Sven? _Give me a snack?_ What's the magic word? _Please_?"

Jack smirked as he approached, observing as the man gave the reindeer a carrot, before insisting that he shared. It might have been a remarkable sight, watching a grown man offer ventriloquism towards a gigantic reindeer... If only Jack hadn't seen it so frequently, anyway.

"Still talking to that reindeer, Kristoffer?" Jack asked sarcastically, pausing as he raised both of his eyebrows and grinned. "Don't worry, I fully endorse your animalistic relationship, I'll let everyone know..."

Kristoff spun around to look at him, throwing him a faint scowl before rolling his eyes, tucking something away in the sled behind him (likely another stack of carrots, despite that Jack couldn't see beyond a bright shade of orange). They had never been friends, per say; particularly not after the event when Jack had insisted on taking Sven for a ride outside of the pub a few months back when he had been trying to impress a group of girls (or other numerous instances when they had met on chance). But they had been forced to deal with one another on events involving work, as Kristoff _was _the nearest "ice harvester", or whatever he called himself... He was useful, but Jack still couldn't help making fun of him a little bit, all things considered.

"Hey Jack. I see you're wearing shoes for once." Kristoff responded gruffly, likely because Jack had used the informal nickname that was "Kristoffer". Erstwhile, he turned around again as he observed Jack's attire. "What's the occasion? Trying to obtain a girl out of your league again?"

Jack offered him a frank look, smirk still intact as he took a few steps forward.

"What girls out of my league? You mean your sweet fleabag here?" Jack reached out to give Sven a little pat, but no sooner than he did, the reindeer inclined his head to open his mouth towards his finger. Quickly bringing his hand back to his side, Jack shot Kristoff a cheekish grin. "On second thought, you can keep her. Err, it... Him?"

"Him." Kristoff clarified, narrowing his eyes some. "His name is Sven."

"Right, yeah, I knew that, Kristoffer; just testing you, to make sure you were faithful and all." Jack reached up to ruffle his dark hair some, which had originally been attempted to appear more kempt for the event to come. Even so, it was becoming just as tousled as ever, there was no helping it. "Anyway, are you coming to the coronation? Somehow I don't think the queen or the princess will approve of the ice hooligan look, but maybe that'll be something they're into - "

"No, I'm not." Kristoff cut him off, turning around as he began rearranging a few ropes tangled together in his sled. "I only came by to drop off some ice at the castle."

"What a shame, we could have sat together - "

"I wouldn't dream of it, Jack." Sighing, Kristoff turned around and murmured a few words to Sven, before the big reindeer let out a little grunt and began maneuvering in front of the sled. "Besides, I'm not into all of that coronation, princess shenanigans. It isn't for me. But you have fun." He glanced over his broad shoulder, shooting Jack a smirk of his own. "Just don't ruin it for anyone else, since I know that's what you're best at."

Truth be told, Jack had never thought _too _highly of Kristoff, but he offered him a farewell regardless to let him be. Yawning some, Jack lazily redirected his legs towards the castle gates, nearly bumping into a funny looking, short white-haired man who adorned a red embellished uniform. He was murmuring between tall, official looking men about something that sounded a lot like "Weaseltown", wherever that was. Jack didn't pay too much attention to them before someone was calling his name from behind him, disturbing any thoughts that he'd had prior about his ugly shoes, green apples, and Queen Elsa.

"Jack! Jack!"

Recognizing the voice immediately, Jack flipped around to find the girlish voice that belonged to no one other than Pippa. Beaming at the sight of his younger sister, he grinned, admiring what their mother had done with her brunette hair and magenta gown for the event. Ever since the coronation had been announced, Pippa had been talking about the queen and the princess nonstop, and Jack had promised that he would be the one to take her. Inasmuch, he crouched down and held his arms out for her. His younger sister came at full speed to be gathered in his arms, nearly knocking Jack over in the process of doing so, but he laughed hard as he straightened her out in front of him.

"Geez Pip, you'd think you were excited to see _me_ or something." Jack told her, chuckling as he placed both of his hands on her shoulders, smoothing out her hair for her. "You look beautiful; prettiest girl in Arendelle, by far."

Pippa giggled, happily taking one of Jack's hands into both of hers, grinning up at him when he brought himself back up to full height again. It always astonished him, how short his sister was compared to his long stature, but he had to remind himself that she still had quite a bit of growing up to do.

"Have you seen the princesses yet?" She asked eagerly, amber eyes darting around the kingdom, as if anticipating that one of them might appear. Jack nudged her with his elbow, winking at her.

"Oh, sure; I'm looking at her right now."

"_Jack_! I'm being serious!" Pippa laughed, shoving him slightly, yet she kept both of her hands still wound around his as he began luring them towards the castle gates. Jack could barely see a thing, with how many people were smothered around the same vicinity. Exhaling, he was conscious to keep Pippa close to him, not wanting her to get lost in the sea of people... Or the sea itself, for that matter.

"Nah, I haven't seen either of them. But I think they're about to open the gates soon..." Jack led them up through the narrow pathway bridge. He lifted Pippa up abruptly, setting her back down on top of the cement walls. She giggled again, glancing around at everyone, her brown eyes wide at the wonderful sight of Arendelle being so bright, beautiful, and exciting all at once. Jack hoped that the experience was living up to its expectations, as he climbed up the wall beside her in a swift movement, eyeing down two men who were carrying a large, yellow cake. Pippa had been excited about the coronation for months, and Jack felt like it was his responsibility as her older brother to ensure that she wasn't disappointed whatsoever.

"Won't we get in trouble for sitting up here, Jack?" Pippa asked, leaning up against the wall. Jack shrugged, shooting her a boyish smile.

"So what? What'll they do, send us to the queen and the princess? More reason for us to stay here, right?" Jack concluded, wondering what the dear Queen Elsa _would _do if he and Pippa were sent to her for sitting on the wall of the bridge. Thankfully, his sister didn't question him, perhaps since she was more than used to his playful antics.

"Do you really think they would?" Her eyes turned to meet his, mouth opening at the thought. "What do you think they'd do to us?"

"Well, I dunno about Princess Anna..." Jack murmured, stretching out his arms some over his head, despite that he kept his gaze drawn to the castle gates. Would Elsa make an appearance, then and there...? She had certainly seemed more than uncertain of herself, in the period of time that Jack had spent with her previously. But he hoped that he would have the chance to say hello, if he could, and only to prove to her once and for all that he could, in fact, tie his shoes and not look like a "barbarian", as she had put it.

"But Queen Elsa would probably let us off. You know, since you're the prettiest girl in Arendelle and all. Maybe she would make you a princess, too." Jack turned to waggle his eyebrows at his sister. But again, Pippa just giggled at his words, kicking her legs against the wall beneath them.

"How would you know, Jack? You've never met Queen Elsa before!"

Jack's mouth threatened to crack an all-knowing grin, wondering if - perhaps some day - he would be able to tell Pippa about the day he had given the queen her breakfast in the bakery, or taken her out on the hillside to show her what Arendelle looked like under the moonlight... But he knew that he had a promise to keep for the regal young woman. And he would be lying if he said that he hadn't enjoyed her company. Queen or not, she was still Elsa to him, and that was something that he planned to value. True friendships were hard to come by for Jack, but he didn't wish to expose her. Not when she had seemed so unsure of herself only three days ago...

"You know me, I'm an excellent judge of character. When have I ever been wrong about someone?" Jack answered proudly, flicking Pippa softly on the nose. She made a little grunt of protest, rubbing her nose while shooting him a dirty look.

"Not always! You said Kristoff was a jerk - " Jack raised his eyebrows, wondering when and how Pippa could have met a loner like Kristoff, but he was hasty to respond as teasingly as always.

"He is a jerk. Besides, since when have you known Kristoff and his mule?"

"He's not a mule, Jack. His name is Sven, he's a reindeer, and he's really cute, too! He loves carrots!"

"That's not a reindeer, Pip. That's Kristoff's girlfriend."

"_Jack_!"

Pippa shouldered him some, but their playful banter quickly ended as a loud voice announced that the castle gates were opening. Abruptly, Jack felt his own excitement for the event about to take place. Perhaps it had been the mystery surrounding the king, queen, and their daughters for thirteen years. The way that they had reduced the staff, having Arendelle always wonder what had made them take such action... Jack didn't know, before he was impulsively standing up on the wall and peering over heads to get a good look at the gates that had been locked for thirteen years. Anticipation roared through him, noting that the windows the castle could finally be seen clearly as sunlight gleamed from the glass. He hardly heard Pippa's exclamations to sit down among the vivacious chatter around them, until finally, the iron passage made a lurching noise of disuse and abandonment.

Arendelle's castle was open, people streamed through the portal. And a grinning Jack Overland jumped down from the wall, holding out his arms for his sister.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Pippa? Let's go meet the princess and the queen."

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Sorry it was kinda short, I should be updating soon. Promise.


	9. IX

**Author's Note**:  
Ahhh, again, thank you for the favorites, follows, and reviews; always welcomed and appreciated. Just as promised, here's another update. I'm trying to savor time before I have to kill Jack, but it's coming up pretty soon. My dearest apologies, I don't want to kill him either.

And uh, Jack and Hans will be meeting soon. ;D But for this chapter I want to focus on Jack and Pippa.

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The castle of Arendelle proved to be just as majestic upfront as it was from the outside. Pippa tugged Jack along by his hands, hurrying through the freshly opened castle gates, and Jack found his mouth open in awe. It was impossible not to marvel over the broad sculpture, what with its phenomenal towers and stained glass windows. Subsequently, being only commoners, neither Overland sibling was allowed directly into the castle within the long line of people readying themselves for the coronation ceremony. The excited chatter became smaller as the line was directed into the courtyard, swerving around the giant architecture. Which was a funny little place to Jack, who thought that it could have used more greenery amidst the vast cement expansion. To Jack's fortune, the castle offered shade above them, meaning less time to worry about how hot his feet felt within the pair of shoes he begrudgingly wore and more time to focus on Pippa. His little sister looked like her dreams might have come true right at that moment - but Jack surmised that was because she was still young enough to believe that princesses and castles came along with fairy tales. Albeit, he might not have found himself even mildly agreeing with her, if he hadn't met Queen Elsa himself. There was a strange ethereal glow about the young woman, filled to the brim with secrecy and regal context that Jack found himself ultimately intrigued by. And so, seeing her again - even if it was in a public place, where she would likely match up to the demeanor as a reserved queen - was a must for him. Despite that he knew Elsa probably wouldn't be over eager to meet anyone at all, judging by the fact that she had expressed wariness (even fear) to becoming queen whatsoever.

Surprisingly, Pippa was not nearly as talkative as the other children around the vicinity were. A small group of young boys and girls chattered frantically amongst one another, tugging the sleeves of their parents' clothing while marveling over the palace as they were herded around the right tower and brought to a yielding position. It was difficult for Jack to keep his laughter at a minimum, listening in on the other conversations around him. It was an epidemic that the castle was now open after thirteen years... Despite that it would likely only last for a day, before shutting everyone else out again. Jack wondered idly if everyone else was aware of that fact, but instead reveled in what the day had to offer. Pippa was at his side and she was positively glowing, and that was good enough for him.

"Wow, look at the castle, it's _so _big!"

"Will the princess and queen come outside to meet us once the coronation is over with?!"

"I wanna go inside!"

"Will there be food? I'm _hungry._"

Chuckling into the palm of his open hand, he looked down at his sister in her adorable magenta gown, eyes wide as she gaped over the sculptor above. Nudging her slightly, Jack shot her a grin when her trance ended to look up at him.

"So what do you think, Pip?" Jack asked her, thoroughly amused. "Do you like it?"

Pippa pursed her lips some, looking straightforward towards the smaller children up ahead. For being young, Jack had always admired the fact that his sister was rather insightful. More than he was, on some occasions, despite that there was eight years between them.

"It's so pretty." She finally reflected, her response barely more than a murmur. "But only the princess and the queen live here? No one else?"

"The servants too, I expect..." Jack answered, reaching up to scratch his chin thoughtfully. "Dunno how many they have though. That must be nice, right? Having someone clean up for you every time you make a mess?" He waggled his eyebrows playfully at her. "Maybe they could adopt you."

Pippa laughed, shaking her head. The little ringlets in her dark hair bounced as she did so.

"I don't think I would want to live here all alone... It doesn't sound like very much fun.."

The response frankly surprised Jack, who had always known his sister to grow fascinated whenever she became near the desolated castle that had been closed off for a long thirteen years. Ergo, he blinked and looked down at her with a half-amused glance.

"What, really? Like you would pass up the opportunity to live as a princess. Just imagine, then you could donate me some of your riches... I would never have to work again!" His tone was as ecstatic as ever, even if the prospect was purely for teasing measures. And yet, even despite his joking, Pippa took the context more seriously than he would have imagined her capable.

"Well yeah, but... What do Princess Anna and Queen Elsa do all day, if they don't leave the castle?" Pippa's question caused Jack to open his mouth impulsively.

"How do you know that they don't sneak out?" Jack asked, making his voice conspiratorial, despite that he knew good and well that Queen Elsa in particular had been known to abandon her identity at least twice. Regardless, that was something he intended to keep a secret, at least for a while. "I'll bet they leave all of the time and none of us know it because we haven't seen them in a long time."

Pippa didn't believe his words, however. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she shot him a diverted half-smile.

"Yeah right, Jack... I'm not as gullible as I used to be, you know. Like back when you told me that there were trolls that lived in the Valley of the Living Rock, who kidnapped children and experimented on them to make more trolls and sacrifice them to Santa Claus so he could have more elves - "

"Hey now, that is true!" Jack had to bite back another set of laughter, attempting to keep his face stern despite that once his smile appeared, there was no getting rid of it. How in the world she recalled a story that he had told her when they had been much younger was beyond him. "Why would I even joke around about something like that? I was trying to be a good older brother and keep you safe." He pretended to release a dramatic sigh, while placing the back of his hand on top of his forehead. "All of that hard work, for nothing...! I would have sacrificed myself to the trolls for you! How dare you be so ungrateful when all I was trying to do was keep you safe?!"

Pippa erupted in giggles, closing her eyes briefly before composing herself. However, once she did, Jack had been expecting her to make more commentary about the trolls. What she said instead took him by surprise.

"I dunno, I like the castle, but..." Her voice fell awry, as she stared up at the tall towers and glamorous open windows. "I'll bet the princess and the queen get lonely sometimes, if it's just them and some servants who live here all alone... I wouldn't like living all alone with nothing to do all day. It would be boring."

The smile she offered Jack was warm, but he contemplated what she said even if it had been nothing more than a comment. His lips feel into a straight and contemplative line, wondering how a ten-year-old could possibly grasp such an emotional concept more than most adults in Arendelle likely would. It made him again fascinate about what king and queen could have been hiding before their untimely deaths three years prior, when they shut the gates and reduced their staff so long ago with no word of explanation. There were plenty of theories regarding the aspect, of course, but Jack didn't believe any of them. Some people said that one of the princesses was gravely ill and needed constant medical attention, others claimed that they had heirlooms stolen... But there were no proof of these suspicions, in the end. Which left Jack backtracking on his own conclusions, easily recalling the few words that he had spoken to Queen Elsa herself only three days ago.

_"Everyone talked about it, for a long time, wondering what the reasons were. My father especially, stating how bizarre it was that the king and queen would decide to shut everyone out. As if they weren't really trying to keep everyone away, more like... More like they were trying to keep something in."_

But Elsa hadn't given him any answers. The most she had said was that he had been close, when drawing the mental culmination that the castle had been in isolation to protect everyone from her multiple personality disorder, which had been a joke and one that he felt was returned. In the end, Jack didn't have any resolution as he thought he might in the last few days. Queen Elsa and Princess Anna were a mystery to him, just as they were to everyone else in Arendelle, including Pippa. This only served to make Jack run a hand through his disheveled dark hair, feeling frustrated that he was no closer to getting to know Queen Elsa than he had been a week ago.

"Jack? Are you okay?"

It was Pippa's voice that shook Jack back into reality. His bronze eyes veered back to his younger sister's face, staring up at him curiously, making him wonder how long he had been occupied by his own thesis. The line in front of them began to move again, and Jack was able to see that they were being led into the south side of the castle as others in front of them began to pass guards and into the chapel. Sighing, he looked back down at Pippa, smiled crookedly, and ruffled up her hair. An action which warranted her to throw him a sharp look, but it made Jack laugh again.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just thinking... About the trolls that live in the Valley of the Living Rock." He scrunched up his face at her, attempting to make his best troll-like grunt between his teeth. "I hear they like ten-year-olds best; you better watch out, Pip. Or you'll be next on their list, especially since you're the cutest girl in Arendelle...! They'll make you into a stew in order to try and recreate your beauty!"

* * *

The minutes passed quickly then, as Jack and Pippa argued playfully about the rumored trolls coming to kidnap Pippa while being guided towards the castle chapel. The pair instantly straightened up when they were about to enter the building, however. The guards only asked for their names before they were allowed inside of the chapel, and Jack felt heartily relieved that the room felt somehow colder than the outside did. Subsequently, he and Pippa both held expressions of astonishment as they looked around the spacious oratory. The construction on the walls and the vaulted ceilings were all phenomenal, making Jack wonder if the rest of the castle had been provided with such extraordinary detail. His eyes had been drawn towards the blue and green stained glass windows, before he felt Pippa grabbing his wrist and pulling him towards a row of booths. Luckily, she had been paying attention, otherwise Jack would have smacked clean into the people in front of him. Shooting her a boyish grin, Jack was glad when she let him sit by the wall, placing herself right beside him as she tucked her dress beneath her.

Their seats weren't outstanding, but Jack could see enough up at the podium where a religious nut - probably a bishop, Jack reminded himself dully - was wearing a funny purple hat stood. The bells rang out over the chapel, signifying that the coronation was about to begin. Jack yawned, wondering how long these ceremonies took, leaning his head down on Pippa's shoulder. The girl giggled, shoving him off of her, resting her folded hands on her lap. Only hushed whispers could be heard, with feet shuffling against the polished floor where people continued to clamber inside. It was a evidently an event where everyone in the room was attempting to stay quiet, but Jack felt himself grow bored secondly. It must have been _insanely _uninteresting, being a princess. He was glad that he had never been born a part of that lifestyle, otherwise he might have sincerely ran away from home a very long time ago.

Minutes passed and Jack thought that might die of boredom, wondering how anyone else in the room could handle it. Before finally, a choir of individuals in maroon began to sing together above the podium. Sitting up straight, Jack tried to get a good look and see if the queen had arrived yet, but the only person who had arrived thus far was a pretty girl with strawberry-blonde hair and freckles standing off from the bishop, shyly waving and smiling at the crowd who seemed in awe of her. It took Jack a second to realize that the figure was Princess Anna, judging by her extravagant green and black gown. He perked up his head some to get a good look at her, deciding at once that she and her sister didn't look very much alike. Nor did she seem to be nearly as regal nor reserved as her older sister was. Pippa, on the other hand, looked at her with such admiration and fascination that Jack could only chuckle until she whispered up at him.

"Jack, that's Princess Anna...!"

Nodding, Jack leaned back into his seat, wondering if the two behavioral differences between the queen and the princess was a factor to why they weren't close. Consequently, his observations became minimized when everyone in the chapel became quiet and the doors opened again, and every eye in the room was on the white-blonde, statuesque frame of Queen Elsa. Jack felt his jaw slack at the sight of her, knowing that she was without a doubt the most radiant individual in the room as she made her way down the aisle towards the platform. Yet behind those stern azure eyes, flat face, and clenched jaw of hers, Jack thought that she looked nerve wracked even being there. She hardly looked anyone in the eyes when she finally met the rostrum, keeping them in favor of her gloved hands (Jack had to put his hand over his mouth to keep from outright laughing when he realized that she was wearing them, _again_).

And finally, the coronation began with the bishop prattling on in Old Norse, more songs were sang by the choir, and Jack was making painful, agony faces at Pippa to keep himself entertained and from falling asleep, who guffawed quietly at them. Finally, the bishop crowned Elsa, and held out a scepter and an orb for her. Jack blinked, watching as she seemed to hesitate when something was said to her. Her gloves finally came off, as she took the gold objects in her hands and turned around to be announced as "Queen Elsa of Arendelle", despite that she was quick to put them down again altogether. Jack analyzed the scene curiously as best as he could despite being so far away, noting that Elsa fetched the gloves again as quickly as they had come off. But that simply bore testimony to his assumptions from before - she _was _a germ freak.

Finally, the ceremony ended with everyone standing up and offering the new queen a bow. But as soon as the coronation ended, Queen Elsa was nowhere to be seen, slipping away down the other side of the podium and out of sight. Jack might have taken a little longer to observe the action if it hadn't been for Pippa, who chatted eagerly from beside him.

"Jack, let's go outside - I wanna meet them!"

She pulled at his hands, pushing him out of his seat and into everyone attempting to escape the chapel. Jack attempted to apologize between being shoved into everyone around him as Pippa pushed, until finally they were out into the courtyard again. But if Elsa had escaped into the castle again, she was nowhere to be seen now. And only the bustle of people could be found in the courtyard, talking eagerly among one another about the coronation ceremony.

"Did you see them, Jack?! Princess Anna and Queen Elsa?!" Pippa gushed, looking up at him with such enthusiasm that it was hard for Jack not to laugh at the sight. "Their dresses were sooo pretty..."

"Of course I saw them, Pip. What do you think I was looking at the whole time? Surely not the bishop, he looked a bit like..." Jack attempted to screw up his face into something that resembled a gorilla. "Like those gorillas we saw at the circus one year. Especially with that ugly hat."

Pippa laughed, but found herself cut off quickly when Princess Anna made an appearance out in the courtyard from outside of the chapel. The young princess was strolling back and forth, attempting to meet everyone at once between her joyous hellos and having everyone bow to her in recognition. It was an amusing sight to Jack, who didn't know how Anna could be so ecstatic and friendly, while Elsa surely wasn't. Princess Anna was obviously quite a clumsy thing as well, nearly tripping over her dress as she moved along the courtyard. All things set aside, Jack had a mission to meet her, as soon as everyone stopped flocking to her...

"Well come on, I thought you said you wanted to meet the princess." Jack poked Pippa on her side, but she suddenly grew very shy and hid behind him.

"Oh, I don't know... What am I supposed to say?" She asked, looking up at Jack searchingly.

"Say whatever you want! She seems friendly, come on!" He urged her further, despite that Pippa hid behind him as the princess came closer to them. He didn't know what she could be so nervous about, but he hauled her along regardless, picking up one of her hands in his while waiting patiently for Anna to finish her conversation with another passerby. But finally, the conversation ended with another bow, and Jack was quick to bring Pippa proudly to his side.

"Afternoon, your majesty. Nice to finally meet you." Jack greeted ardently, attempting to makeshift a courteous gesture of his own. "I'm Jack Overland, and this is my dear younger sister, Pippa. She's your _biggest _fan, if you can believe it...!"

Any words that had come out of Jack's mouth caused Pippa's face to flush pink, but Princess Anna looked thrilled, gazing down at her with a gleaming smile.

"Oh my, your name is Pippa? What a cute name!" She knelt down slightly, making Jack realize again how short his sister was. "Are you having fun?"

Pippa nodded, her lips finally raising into a smile of her own as her eyes made contact with the princess.

"Your dress is very pretty, princess." She answered shyly. To which, Anna seemed more elated than ever.

"_My _dress is pretty? Not compared to yours, you're adorable! How old are you?!"

It was a pleasant scene to watch, Jack decided, as he smiled down at Pippa who gradually warmed up to the princess the longer that they coerced. From up close, it was easier for him to deduce that Anna and Elsa were indeed related. They had the same eyes, despite that the blue in Princess Anna's were a slightly different shade. However, as Jack watched her, his gaze was drawn to a vivid contrast of color difference in Anna's hair. A single streak was white-blonde, much like Elsa's. Jack studied it, wondering how long it had been there or if she had simply been born with it. Either way, it was odd, as if it had been there deliberately...

"You're lucky your brother was so nice to bring you here! That was very kind of him!"

Jack's bronze eyes lit up at the sound of Princess Anna mentioning him, lips curving into a cheeky smile as he placed his hands on his waist with pride.

"Heh, well I _am_ nice; right, Pip?" He murmured, reaching down to tousle Pippa's hair again. "This has been all she's talked about for weeks. Shame though, that she couldn't meet the queen as well..." He watched Anna collectively, wondering what her response might be. But the girl simply gave out a breathy laugh.

"Oh, my sister... Doesn't get out much, but I'm sure she would have loved to meet you." Her blue eyes glistened down on Pippa as she fixed her posture, smile as radiant as when she had arrived in the courtyard. "It was so wonderful to meet you, Pippa."

The rest of the response between the pair was a blur, as Jack overheard a few men from behind him discussing the ball that was to occur in the next few hours within in the castle. He perked his head a bit closer to the men, attempting to eavesdrop more on their conversation without their knowledge; which was something that he was rather good at, having much experience in the matter.

"Wish I could go to the ball... I'd love to try and get a dance with the queen... She's so beautiful, just like her mother was." One of the men mumbled bitterly. Jack quickly snuck a glance, noting that the man was podgy and well-dressed, displaying a bushy brown mustache. The other was taller and leaner, nearly bald.

"Only those with an invitation are allowed to come." He sniffed derisively. Jack assumed from the egotism in his tone that he must have been invited, but was only confirmed that his presumptions were correct less than a second later. "I assume my family was welcomed based on the work I did for the king before his passing. Glad to see that we were not forgotten, all things considered."

Jack had to cough to cover up another round of laughter that threatened to escape him. _Obviously _he thought that he was very important. The shorter man gave a little sad sigh.

"Perhaps you could convince them to let me in?" He asked, sounding hopeful. But the lean man was having nothing of it.

"I don't think I can do that, Fredrik. You'll just have to wait another time. If the queen decides to keep the gates open, of course..." Again, Jack stole another glance, watching as the taller man stroked his thin-bearded chin. "No promises, however... Judging from how she ran away after the coronation ceremony, I assume that the monarchy will continue to live privately after the event is over."

Jack faded from the conversation, bringing his focus back on Princess Anna and Pippa, who were now chatting excitedly about what Pippa liked to do best, which was ice skating. Erstwhile, a smirk began to slither itself across his mouth, deciding - in that moment - that he was going to get into the ball that he too hadn't been invited to attend. It was a dare that he had never considered for himself before, but if it meant having another conversation with Queen Elsa, well... Then it couldn't be _that _hard to sneak into the castle, right?

* * *

Tune in for more in a few days' time. ;) Jack is a trouble maker.


	10. X

**Author's Note:**  
A million thanks to the follows, reviews, and favorites, like always. And to Hybrid301, yes, I will be covering a bit of Jack when he becomes Jack Frost. My friend gave me an idea for that, but it'll probably be the last chapter that I write for this fic. Weeee. (And yeah, Jack will die the same way that he died in Rise of the Guardians. Although with a few twists, I guess. I'll just keep those secret for now.)

In other news, has it really been ten chapters already? Sheesh, I have not been into a pairing for so long...

Oh, and if anyone has any Jelsa fanfictions that they are currently writing, I would love to read them. Send me a link or whatever, I will totally eat them up.

* * *

To Jack's delight, Pippa had managed to have the time of her life after the coronation ceremony. She spoke fervently about Princess Anna after the strawberry-blonde haired young woman had bade them farewell before moving onto others around the courtyard. Ergo, Jack had watched the princess disappear attempting to meet everyone all at once, so it seemed. It was a strange thought to Jack that someone who had fought so hard to keep her identity from being exposed like Queen Elsa could be sisters with a friendly, smiling girl like Princess Anna. They seemed so different that Jack didn't have to wonder why they were emotionally detached from one another, at least from what Elsa had told him during their encounters. But in that aspect, he wished that he could help them rekindle the loss of their sisterhood - especially since the queen had appeared so somber about their familial loss. But for now, Jack had a goal in mind, and that was to somehow find a way into the castle during the ball. And for an ambitious, rascal of a young man such as Jack Overland, it was not something that he intended to fail.

So when he and Pippa came back from the castle and sauntered into the town square, there was a great part of Jack who felt pleased when Pippa's friends approached them and asked her to play for the rest of the evening. Central Arendelle was just a vivacious as ever, with the vast majority of its occupants glowing with the day of the coronation. There was so much celebration going on that Jack found himself yearning to join the festivities all around, but he had one focus currently, and that was getting himself into that castle no matter what the cost was. Yet Pippa was as considerate as ever, looking up at him when her small group of friends ushered at her to join them. It never ceased to surprise him how very empathetic she could be, as if running off to play with her friends instead of spending time with him might have hurt his feelings somehow.

"Would it be okay if I went and played, Jack?" Pippa asked, sounding tentative as her eyes wandered over to the lot playing a game of rolling hoop. Jack silently pondered what their parents would say, if they knew that their children were partaking in a game while wearing some of their best gowns and suits. But it amused him all the same, and he chuckled humorously at the question presented to him.

"Of course it would be okay. You don't have to hang out here with your boring older brother all day, you know." Jack reminded her jovially, flattening out her hair with the palm of his hand. "I brought you here to have fun, remember? So go hang out with your friends, I'll find something else to do; promise." Little did she know that he had other schemes in mind... Not that she needed to know, anyway.

"You're not boring!" Pippa insisted, eyes lighting up, as if she could hardly believe that he was insinuating as much.

"You're right, who am I kidding? There's no one in Arendelle more fun than I am." Jack responded, joggling his eyebrows up and down. "Just meet up with me later, right before nine... We'll meet in front of the bakery, alright?"

Another flash of surprise rushed through him when Pippa suddenly grasped him around the middle, resting her cheek on his torso and gave him a little squeeze. An embrace that wasn't too uncommon to Jack when it came to his little sister, but as it had come out of nowhere, he therefore took a few seconds to adjust and return the unexpected gesture of devotion. There was certainly no one in the world as close to him as Pippa was.

"Thanks for taking me, Jack. You're the best."

It wouldn't be the first time that Pippa had said something that made Jack feel like he was on top of the world. Her gratitude was never hard to come by, but he felt significantly touched regardless, knowing that he had done something right that day. Even if she had to put up with his prankster behavior and his adept nature to pulling tricks, she still looked up to him in every way, shape, and form. And Jack knew that he would do anything for her, even sit through a hundred more boring coronation ceremonies if it meant seeing Pippa happy. It was without a doubt the best joy of being her older brother, especially since he rarely had to do much to make her smile.

"Hey, no need to thank me until I've saved your life from the trolls in the Valley of the Living Rock...!" Jack countered, laughing when Pippa shrugged away to elbow him from the comment. Chuckling under his breath, he winked as he watched her stroll over to her friends and waved. "Just remember, don't talk to strangers, unless they have puppies... That is the only exception."

Pippa's response was a little giggle, but she waved in return. And inasmuch, Jack was free to do whatever he wanted for the rest of the day. He sighed a little, walking around the celebratory town square while finding himself discreetly unsure of where to begin in order to contemplate his plan to get into the castle for the ball, wondering how many people had been invited for the event. Taking a diagonal course across the street, he eventually found himself in front of the palace again to observe the phenomenal, open scenery. If it had been any other day out of the year, Jack probably could have sneaked in just fine without detection. But now that everyone flocked to the castle, around the bridge, and over the courtyard to stare in awe at the incredible fountains of water, Jack knew that he would be seen if he even tried dabbling closer to try and get a good look at where an open deserted door or window might be. He had always been good at climbing, but even if he tried with the upcoming night as his disguise, Jack knew that he would get caught should he try, which meant that his options were suddenly becoming scarcer. Lest mention the fact that there were guards at every entrance now. The last thing he wanted to do was spend the rest of his evening in the castle dungeon making his mother or Pippa worry about where he had gone...

Frowning, Jack walked around town a little longer. He was obstinate and haughty in his attempts, but he felt his chances were dwindling. Furthermore, he felt starved, and was grateful to accept all of the free food that was offered to him the longer that he spent in town. Most of the individuals he knew by name, but none of them had been invited to attend the ball when he asked, which made Jack feel somewhat sour when he began to realize that the chances of seeing Queen Elsa again that night weren't working out in his favor. Inasmuch, Jack climbed on top of the wall of the bridge again, staring out over the large body of water around the castle while looking searchingly for any opportunity that might arise where he could slink inside. Yet, no such opportunity arose, which meant that Jack - who glumly chewed at a new green apple that had been given to him, and finally had taken off his awful, leather shoes - began to succumb to the recognition that he might not see the queen again at all that evening.

It was only to Jack's great fortune that when the sun began to set, an overwhelming commotion occurred. The sound of yelling men and boisterous horse hooves captured Jack's attention immediately, causing the young man to adjust his feet on top of the wall again to get a look at what was going on. In his foresight was the vision of three men chasing down a magnificent white horse, sprinting up from the docks and into the middle of town. For the first few seconds, Jack had to catch his breath from how truly ridiculous the image was, as hearty laughter roared through him. The stallion shot straight forward as the men dressed in expensive suits attempted to catch him in the town square, which began to cultivate a mass of people staring just to get a laugh. The horse was like a giant dog, sniffing around as if engaging in the greatest chase of his life. It was without a doubt the sort of thing that Pippa would have liked to see, if she had been there with him. But since she wasn't, Jack decided to get a better look, as he forced his shoes back onto his feet and strutted over to where the scene was continuing as vivaciously as ever.

However, when Jack wandered closer towards the town square, he could see that the men attempting to grasp the horse were thoroughly embarrassed. None of them were very old, Jack deduced as he approached, leaning up again the siding of a street lantern. Two of the men wore golden frock coats embroidered with strange sun symbols, and the last of them was a tall, lean man with auburn hair and sideburns that Jack thought belonged to someone who thought they were much more important than they actually were. But he resided his judgment, continuing to observe while the men all formulated a plan by taking the horse by surprise. It was growing in quite the crowd, and Jack was pleased to find that he wasn't the only one laughing.

"Come on, Maximus; we have to get you back to the stalls before the ball starts. Don't make us get the princess; she would be very displeased to know that you've misbehaved ..."

"That's right, she's on her honeymoon and there is no need for you to ruin it for her!"

The two men in golden appeared to be from the same country, but Jack didn't care enough to find out where. He was more concerned about the fact that he was nearly doubling over in laughter when Maximus the horse darted forward, successfully dodging the two men, and scampering off further down the the square towards where Jack was standing. For the first few seconds, Jack felt the need to brace himself when the horse propelled himself at him at such an alarming speed.

"Woah, easy now, boy. Easy!" Jack attempted to calm the horse down, raising up both of his arms to steady the gigantic steed. Without a doubt, Maximus must have been a castle horse judging from his silver saddle and medallion. Ergo, the horse calmed itself at once, taking one chomp to devour the rest of the apple in Jack's hand. In which case, Jack took advantage by grabbing his reins. Maximus instantly looked a little deflated by the capture, but made no further inclination to run away as he neighed sadly and plopped down in front of Jack.

"All that commotion just because you were hungry?" Jack laughed, reaching up to scratch Maximus behind the ears. The horse made a little gruff noise as he did so. "Well hey, it was worth it, right? Wow, you're a good looking guy; I'll bet you're the best looking horse in all of Arendelle."

Maximus seemed to have an innate capability to understand humans, but Jack didn't have much time to continue indulging him in compliments. The three young men from before came up behind the steed, looking relieved yet irritated as they approached.

"Hello boys, is he yours?" Jack shot them a cocky grin.

"Not ours, he belongs to the princess of Corona and her husband." One of the men in gold responded, gritting his teeth as he looked over at his companion. "After reassuring us that he would be here only 'in case of an emergency'..."

"Well, apples are an emergency in my book. Isn't that right, Maximus?" Jack glanced at the horse again, rubbing his neck, which was replied to by an ecstatic neigh.

"Not enough of an emergency to run around Arendelle unsupervised it isn't! The princess will not be very happy to hear about this one, Maximus!" The other gold-attired man cut the distance between them, attempting to take hold of the reins. But as soon as he did so, the horse snapped much like a dog would. Jack had to hold one of his hands over his mouth to keep from guffawing.

"Don't be too hard on him, I'm sure he didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Jack reflected, eyeing the men with a raised eyebrow. Each expression they wore made them look more butthurt than ever. "I can help you take him back to his stall, if you want. It's not too out of my way... And besides, I'd hate for you to lose him again."

For the first few seconds, both men looked back and forth at each other as if contemplating whether they wanted Jack to tag along with them, especially at the expense of his caustic remarks. Until finally, the older of the two looked back at him, making an effort to nod.

"Fine, but don't think that the princess won't hear about this, Maximus. And no more apples, either!"

Consequently - as Jack followed behind the two men in gold, and the auburn-haired man who had yet to say anything to him yet - he slipped Maximus another apple as they passed through the town square and towards the docks, shooting the slender horse a wink.

* * *

The air between the Corona attendants, Jack, Maximus, and Elder Muttons - a nickname that Jack had mentally fashioned for the silent man with horrid sideburns - was stiff and hefty as they guided Maximus back to the docks. But the stallion didn't make any more efforts to run away, surprisingly. Jack only looked up from leading the horse down the street when Elder Muttons slowed his pace to stop beside him, looking quite potent in his white suit and... Was he wearing _pink? _Jack cleared his throat loudly as another bellow of chuckles nearly escaped him. _Nearly_.

"I guess I should firmly thank you for catching the horse." Elder Muttons started, straightening out his posture. Jack didn't know why it mattered - he didn't look any less like he was trying to reach for his ego. "Somehow I ended up tangled up in this mess after he escaped... I thought I was doing them a favor, but it looks like they needed your help all along rather than mine."

"Well, you did a great job taking control of the situation, boyo." Jack responded teasingly. He didn't know what Elder Muttons looked more offended about - being outright useless to catch a loose horse on the run, or being called "boyo" when Jack was visibly much younger than himself. Regardless, he attempted to look more friendly as he peered at fancy gentleman... Wearing pink. "Who're you, anyway? These guys are obviously from Corona, but I didn't catch your name."

"Ah, my apologies, I'm Prince Hans, from the Southern Isles."

Jack had to turn his snort of cackles into a coughing fit, unable to believe what he was hearing. Sure, the guy looked like he belonged in royalty judging from his wardrobe, but a _prince_?! More importantly, why hadn't anyone told him that his facial hair was awful yet? It took him a moment to realize that Hans held a hand out for him in formal greeting, which he took a second later despite that it was awkward to do so while clasping onto Maximus' reins, but he still couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"R-really?" Jack started at first, releasing Hans' hand. "From the Southern Isles? You came all the way here to meet the princess and the queen?"

"I came here as representation, yes. I'm thirteenth in line to the throne, so I volunteered to come here for the queen's coronation." Hans answered civilly. "And you are?"

"Oh. Jack Overland, of... The Arendelle." His remark was comical complimented by another waggle of his eyebrows, but Elder Muttons didn't even twitch a smile, which Jack nearly rolled his eyes at. Regardless, he attempted to make conversation as they neared the docks and towards Corona's ship, wondering how long he was going to have to deal with _Prince Hans of the Southern Isles_... "Thirteenth in line, you said? Heavens, you must be excited to become king some day."

The joke did not sit will with Prince Hans, who looked like he had swallowed a lemon whole.

"Perhaps some day, Mister Overland." He responded curtly, but no other response was offered. Jack could already tell that the conversation had turned Elder Muttons _quite _sour, even if Jack seriously wanted to ask him how he could rule a country if he couldn't even take a joke.

"Just call me 'Jack', make it easier on yourself."

Hans made a little gruff noise in his throat followed by a mumble that Jack couldn't decipher, but whatever he said didn't matter when they reached the pier. Maximus was begrudgingly led towards the ship, giving Jack sad eyes as he went. And once the deed was finished, the two Corona men reluctantly said a word of thanks before Jack was on his merry way back up into the square, down the bridge, and towards the line of people waiting for acceptance into the ball.

In a clever frenzy, Jack attempted to fix his hair, smoothing it over his forehead. And finally, when he was met at the front of the line by the guards, they asked for his name. Shooting them his best polite smile, he batted his eyelashes and smoothed out his suit. And with every tone of pride that he could muster, he opened his mouth and claimed brightly:

"Ah, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles."

* * *

I think that I enjoy writing Jack much more than I should. There's a Maximus!cameo for you. ;) I promise I will have Jelsa interaction in the next chapter. Cheers!


	11. XI

**Author's Note:**  
Here's for the Jelsa feels, sorry it took so long to get to it. (And to maggi, there won't be any Rapunzel and Flynn... I just don't want to detract too much from the events of Frozen. Teehee.)

Cheers, thanks for reading!

* * *

Jack didn't know how long his lie could last while he posed as Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, but it was enough to get him through the castle doors. Surely, someone else around town would recognize him and wonder how he had managed to get invited to the ball, but for now, Jack simply reveled in the moment. His bronze eyes were greeted with a spacious and majestic Great Hall, before moving down the corridor into the ballroom. He instantly became aware of how utterly alluring the place was, unable to look away from the polished mahogany floorboards; along with the arched ceilings, crimson hangings, and extraordinary portraits, stepping into the ballroom with awe. It was everything that Jack had imagined over the span of his life, but seeing it through his own eyes meant so much more to him; wondering curiously what the rest of the castle looked like. Albeit, he decided instantly that he couldn't go rummaging through the other rooms that the palace provided unless he planned on getting caught. And frankly, Prince Hans himself was probably going to strut in at any time to look for whoever it was that had briefly stolen his identity. However, the challenge only caused a mischievous smile to rest on Jack's lips as he slowly sauntered through the ballroom beside everyone else spilling in. It had been worth it, sneaking into the castle, even if he could be potentially exposed.

Consequently, it didn't take long at all for the ball to begin. Drinks were handed around by servants, along with little dishes of desserts that Jack found himself taking promptly upon overture. They were sugary delicacies that must have been from a different culture, though he didn't know where as he swallowed each of them whole. Before long, much dancing was had between everyone in the room apart from Jack, who tried to keep himself as unnoticed as possible until Elder Muttons showed. Yet it was interesting to him, to watch as couples danced to the peppy songs in their marvelous gowns and suits. It definitely wasn't like the kind of dances that he had been to during summer festivals in Arendelle. Everyone in the room was much more formidable than what he was accustomed to, but he observed from afar regardless, only stepping away from his small hiding place when another song ended and Queen Elsa was being announced overhead. In which case, Jack moved around the table to get a good look at the graceful young woman entering the room, looking just as lovely as she had during her coronation ceremony.

A round of applause was sounded shortly after the appearance of Queen Elsa and Princess Anna was announced, and Jack slunk closer to the set of royal ladies underneath another pillar. He lounged against it, observing peculiarly while the sisters coerced. Although he couldn't make out what they were saying from so far away, he thought the awkwardness of their conversation ceased some the longer that they spoke. Which caused a tiny smile to flutter to his mouth when he watched them laugh together before becoming disrupted by the little bespectacled man wearing red that Jack had nearly knocked into earlier that day. Feeling daring, Jack began to step forward cautiously around a row of dancers to get a closer look until he finally grew approximate enough to overhear snippets of the conversation.

"Thank you, only I don't dance." It was Elsa's voice that Jack made out first. "But my sister does."

It wasn't long thereafter where Anna was taken aside by the short man clad in red, leaving behind a chuckling Elsa while a trail of people came up to show their respects to her. Jack would have continued observing, if it weren't for a man who had bumped into him, nearly knocking him over upon impact.

"So sorry, boy; so sorry."

Jack looked up to find a young man with dark hair wearing a purple fitted suit, looking rather important. Yet from the stench of alcohol on his breath, Jack was more amazed that he was still standing up straight on his feet.

"Here, have a drink, that'll make up for it..." He nudged a glass into Jack's hands as soon as he straightened himself out. "Ah, so sorry, I've forgotten to introduce myself... I'm Prince Ensel, of Prussia." The man could hardly keep his eyes straight on Jack's face, slurring each of his words as a smile hazed onto his lips. "And you are?"

Just what were the chances that Jack would meet the _Prince of Prussia _after he and Elsa's conversation three days ago, where she had expressed her fear of sending another country after Arendelle due to a grammatical error in another language? While Jack could have easily kept up the persona that he was Prince Hans, he wondered what he could get away with in front of the intoxicated prince, and therefore said the first five things that came out of his mouth unceremoniously.

"Duke Jackson, of the..." He paused a little, looking down at the ice in his glass. "... Frost." When Prince Ensel's eyebrows raised, Jack clarified by naming the first country off of the top of his head that had to do with ice. "Antarctica."

The man raised his eyebrows, clearly confused. But Jack knew that due to his drunk stupor, he wouldn't be able to call out Jack if he thought that he was lying or not.

"They have dukes there?" Ensel asked naively. Jack coughed into his hand to cover up his laugh.

"Oh yes. We're very established in our culture of polar bear carriages, penguin soups, and... Orca sports." Despite that Jack's fabricated lies weren't very intricate or thoughtful (and in all reality, _ridiculous), _Ensel didn't seem to notice as he squinted at him. Jack took a quick sip out of the glass, cringing slightly at the bitter taste of strong alcohol ripping down his trachea. There was no wonder why the Prince of Prussia was barely able to stand up straight.

"Funny, I've never heard of you."

Jack shot him a beaming smile as he ran a slender hand through his disheveled hair.

"Ah, well, that's because our castle is underground. We let snow leprechauns normally attend formal gatherings such as these." He explained, keeping his gaze on the prince, who looked outright confused and befuddled by the sincere prospect of polar bear carriages, orca sports, and snow leprechauns mentioned all at once. Finally however, Ensel looked up and nodded with a dazed smile.

"... Oh. Right, of course."

"Mmhmm." Jack drawled, catching himself in mid sentence when the queen herself made her figure known right behind the prince. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, despite that a very small smile rested on her lips. She had obviously come to intervene the conversation, as her eyebrows raised deliberately at him, like she might have been mentally telling him to give it up. Clearing his throat, Jack tilted his head a little higher and turned back to Ensel. He nudged the glass back into the prince's hand, who looked like Christmas had come early at the sight of it. "Anyway, nice meeting you, Prince Ensel. But, I must be on my merry way. It would appear that the queen herself owes me a dance."

The prince stumbled some, evidently not having noticed that Queen Elsa was standing right behind him.

"Oh, well... Alright then. Have a good evening, Duke Jackson of the Frost. It was a pleasure." He bade farewell with a half-hearted effort to wave, bounding away towards another table of drinks. Jack nearly exploded with laughter but managed to keep his posture straight to mimic Elsa. The elegant queen kept her gloved hands clasped in front of her, offering Jack a slight look of disapproval as she approached him.

"Jack, what are you doing here?" She asked, glancing him over mildly; as if silently appraising the fact that he was wearing a wardrobe that consulted with the coronation affairs of the day. "And might I interject to say, that you _aren't _Duke Jackson of the Frost from Antarctica." Ergo, even if Elsa tried to keep her tone stern and professional, a second smile came across her mouth only briefly. Just saying the words "Duke Jackson of the Frost" might have done the trick.

Jack grinned at her. "You were listening that whole time? I'm flattered."

"Only partially, after I saw you standing over here." She admitted, azure eyes meeting his. "How did you get in here?"

"We'll just say, I have my methods." Jack answered comically, nodding firmly towards where Prince Ensel was scrounging for another drink. "In other important matters, that's the Prussian prince. Have you managed to misuse a verb yet? Good news is that he's very drunk, so he probably wouldn't even notice if you weren't fluent in his language, just for a reference in the future."

"What a relief." She rolled her eyes at him. "And look at you, wearing shoes for once. Did they come pre-tied? You almost pass as a gentleman."

Jack snickered, lifting his eyebrows and grinning. "Almost?"

"Almost." She affirmed, before her eyebrows scrunched together disapprovingly when they met his tie. "Except for your necktie; don't tell me that's another thing you don't know how to do?"

"Guilty." Jack exhaled a little, glancing down at the silken fabric that had once been bound into a dignified knot. After the days events, it looked nothing less than shabby. And of course, under Queen Elsa's analytical stare, _she _would be the one to point it out to him... Huffing slightly, Jack attemped to fiddle with the necktie, but if anything, his fingers only caused the contortion to worsen. Regardless, he pretended to close his eyes and let out a painful gasp of despair. "I guess I'll never be the Duke of Frost _now_...! What ever will I do with myself?!"

Elsa offered him a prompt look, pursing her lips together as if to pretend that she wasn't amused. In a split second, the queen carefully came in front of them to eliminate their distance.

"Here, let me." She told him softly. Jack watched hesitation flush through her features for more than a few seconds, before her uncertain gloved hands came up to grasp the texture. It was difficult not to watch her with amazement as she worked the knot, keeping her blue eyes centered on the task at hand. Jack almost laughed when her mouth pulled into a slight pout as she made a wrong method, but before long, the disarray of the necktie was solved. And Elsa stood back to admire her work, smirking at him.

"There, now you're nearly there, Duke of Frost." Her words were humored. Jack glanced down at the tie, about to make another remark, but anything that might have been said was lost for the moment.

Evidently, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles had informed the castle staff about his name being impersonated. Jack knew it from the moment that he felt someone grab both of his arms from behind, nearly knocking the breath out of him as he was dragged backwards and brought into custody of a cluster of servants adorned in armor. He barely had time to look over his shoulder before a burly arm had him hooked around the neck, ensuring that he wouldn't escape. Involuntarily however, Jack kicked his legs, unable to move as he was pinned against the burlesque body behind him.

"Here he is! This is the one! We've got him!" One of the men called to the others. Jack struggled for breath before the man released his neck and went in favor of holding his arms behind his back. Gulping for air, he turned his head slightly, attempting to shoot the men a cheekish smile when they all approached at once.

"Evening, ladies. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?" Jack asked tauntingly. He was awarded by being kneed near his lower spine.

"You know why we're here! You have lied about your identity, assuming the role of Prince Hans of the Southern Isles! You are not allowed to be here otherwise and you know it!"

"What's going on?" It was Elsa who spoke thereafter, despite that Jack had another mocking comment about to leave the tip of his tongue. The young queen suddenly looked much older and wiser as she peered at the men, eyebrows furrowing together in disapproval. A few people who noticed the commotion came closer to stare at the situation. Even dancers stopped to observe, blinking as Elsa straightened out her already poise posture. The men all dropped into a bow at once, apart from the one still holding Jack from behind.

"Your majesty." One of the men greeted her jovially, before breaking into an explanation. "This man deceived us by using the name of another to attend the ball, of which he has no right to be here - "

"I have given him right to be here, Anton. You have been misinformed." Elsa announced, interjecting the servant, who looked like he might have swallowed a bar of soap whole. Her tone was calm as she then straightened out her figure in front of Jack's captor, nodding once at him in recognition. "Let him go, he is my guest. I will apologize to Prince Hans if I must, but I will not allow any of my patrons to be mistreated so long as I am the queen."

Jack felt the arms holding him back slacken. Elsa's words had been direct and informative, admirable on all accounts as she took control. She was clearly a young woman who had been born with royal blood. And Jack didn't know how she could doubt herself as the queen, when she clearly had been raised to become one. None of the servants dared to defy her, even if Jack thought for a moment that they might. Again, Elsa turned towards them, jaw setting into a clench.

"I said let him go." She repeated coolly. And in that instant, no other protest was made; Jack fell back onto his feet again, smiling stiffly at the retreating men. Yet, Elsa's smile was gracious as she bowed her head some; just as regal as ever. "Thank you."

Whether the men had responded or not, Jack wouldn't know as he watched Elsa move away from the center of the ballroom. The music continued as fervently as before, dancing commencing amidst the vast flood of people in the castle. Jack readjusted himself, stretching out his arms as he followed Elsa out of the ballroom, wondering idly where she might be going since it was her own coronation ball; she couldn't simply disappear, even if she wanted to. But she must have known he was following her, because as soon as they entered the empty foyer, she turned around to smack him against the arm.

"Ow! What the devil?! Why are you always hitting me?!" Jack asked, rubbing his arm. Elsa's expression was hard.

"You _lied _to get into the castle, Jack?" Her voice was a hushed, angry whisper. In which case, Jack could only chuckle and shrug his shoulders.

"Well, in my defense, Elder Muttons is _very _sure of himself..."

"It isn't funny." Elsa said sharply, looking up at him with a pointed stare. "It isn't funny _at all_. Do you know what they usually do with people who break into the castle?"

"Hey, I didn't break in. I walked in, thank you very much." He attempted to look amused, but Elsa wasn't having anything of it, as if her sense of humor had become zapped since being named Queen of Arendelle earlier that evening.

"_Jack_." Her voice was scolding, as if he was a child; blue eyes intensifying on his when their eyes met and her words continued. "You shouldn't have done it. Those men will probably never take me seriously again - "

"Are you kidding me?!" Jack cut her off with a laugh, despite that she looked irritated that he could find something funny from the situation. She turned away from him, pacing away, but Jack was right behind her heel to follow. "Elsa, if anything, everyone in that room will _respect _you for it! Do you know how awesome you sounded in there?! You were great, no one is going to question your authority, you're without a doubt a _queen_!"

Her face softened uncertainly, before she turned around to face him. Another considerably small smile managed to find her lips, before their eyes met.

"Really? You think so?" She asked skeptically, voice barely more than a murmur.

"Of course I think so, I wouldn't have said it if I thought otherwise." Jack explained breathlessly. He sighed a little, unable to believe that a queen as beautiful as Elsa - of all people - could be so insecure about herself, by constantly making second doubts about her options. Somehow it added to the mystery of the kingdom, but Jack wished that he could know where her dubious nature had stemmed from. But he knew that he couldn't ask more than it was worth; especially then and there. And inasmuch, he impended his face a little closer to hers and smiled crookedly. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Sorry I snuck in, I just really wanted to see you again."

Elsa's fair, ivory skin might have flushed just the faintest of pink before it quickly disappeared. She straightened out her shoulders, clutched her hands togther, and looked up at him firmly.

"Why? So you could show me how well you can tie your shoes?" Again, her tone was sarcastic. Jack made the effort to mockingly roll his eyes at her, before placing his hands on his waist and shooting her a boyish smirk.

"Nope." He murmured gently. "Because I really wanted to ask you to dance with me."

* * *

SORRY TO CUT IT OFF HERE... ;) There will be more shortly, just give me a few days.

#idon'twanttokilljack


	12. XII

**Author's Note:**  
I know I spend enough time saying it, but thank you again for the reviews, favorites, and follows. I am beyond overjoyed. Even to those three people who clicked on this, thought it was good for whatever reason, and then stopped following. That counts as a few views, yeah? ;D

And I'm really sorry to say that I don't have any other outcome to finish this story without killing Jack. I know that I keep saying that I don't want to (because I don't!), but Jack still needs to become a guardian in the end. I'm afraid that if I don't stick with what I have planned, I won't be happy with it; lest mention that I really can't think of another ending without making it super cliche. But I'll try to prolong it as much as I can especially since some of your reviews have given me so many ideas fuheufhweuf... I'll think on it, promise.

* * *

Even though Jack's grin was spread widely across his face, Elsa looked perturbed by the words he had spoken. Her azure eyes fell away with him, averting in favor of the handsome flooring while her gloved hands dropped down to her side. Jack thought that for a moment, she might have been clenching her hands into fists, but he didn't have time to evaluate her body language further before she was taking a step away from him, as if it was a true horror that he had dared to ask her to dance. Inasmuch, Jack felt his own features falter, wondering what she could be thinking as he awaited her response. But when her mouth finally did open again, her lips barely moved and her eyes still refused to see his. Erstwhile, her stare began to look over his shoulder, as if to check and see if anyone had followed them out into the foyer. Jack could sense that she was nervous; a feeling that he had felt emitted from her the moment that they had met, but he didn't know why. Every conclusion that he came up with ended on a dead end, making him wonder just _how much _suffering she had went through while being locked away in the castle, even if he had no substantial evidence that was true.

"I don't dance, Jack." Elsa explained, her voice sounding strangely eerie; almost as if it wasn't that she didn't want to, but that she was thoroughly fearful of something else entirely. Jack's shoulders slackened some in slight disappointment, a gesture that did not go unnoticed to the queen. Her face softened considerably at the sight of his frown. "I'm sorry."

But that didn't at all prevent Jack from being obstinate, as he leaned his head down so that they were on eye level, even if she refused to look at him.

"What can I do to make you change your mind?" He asked, the corners of his lips lifting into a small smile. Elsa's eyes flickered to his for a split second, before dropping away again. "Just one dance is all that I ask, your highness. And then you're free to ignore me for the rest of the night."

"Well, it might be hard to believe, but I don't want to ignore you." The genuinity in her response was difficult to doubt, but Jack was settled on his confusion. Just what _was _making her so hesitant to have a single dance with him?

"Then what are you so afraid of?" Jack asked, keeping his head lowered as his mouth curved into another smile, hoping that she would look at him. "I'm not going to hurt you, Elsa."

"That's not what I'm worried about." Her breathing shifted, exhaling hard as she leaned away from him. But Jack was persistent, intending to get to the bottom of whatever could be bothering her.

"Then what _are_ you worried about?" Jack's questions were continuous, but he made sure to sound concerned. Yet, he couldn't help but add a bit of humor to his inquiries as he placed his hands on his waist and lifted an eyebrow conspiratorially. "What, are you afraid your sister will see you with a boy or something? Because don't worry, I can drop dead and act friend zoned at any given sight of her."

"No, it's nothing like that!" Elsa insisted exasperatedly, reaching up to cover her hands over her cheeks, like she was hiding what color they might have become from his blunt remark. But finally, her eyes found his. "It's complicated, Jack. More than you can imagine..."

Even if she claimed that it was beyond his imagination, Jack tried to come up with more reasons as to why Elsa would deny him the chance to dance with her. It could have easily had something to do with being seen by a commoner, or the fact that she had denied the Duke of Weaseltown - wherever _that _was - a dance with her prior to their engagement. But somehow, Jack wasn't getting the vibe that either were true. So instead, he offered her his best pout face and leaned away.

"Oh fine, I see how it is... After I gave you that cinnamon bun, those cookies, and I even gave you a brief tour of Arendelle... And yet you still refuse to do so much as dance with me?" He made an additional effort to sniffle, placing a hand over his heart. "However will I live, Queen Elsa?! If you will not do me the honor of a _single dance_?! My heart is shattering as I speak - !"

"You are _unbelievably _ridiculous, Jackson Overland!_" _Elsa cut him off, following closely behind his heels as he began to walk away and back towards the ballroom. The fact that she went out of her way to remember his full name made Jack turn around on impulse, shooting her a crooked grin. Her retorted began to hush into a whisper, looking up at him defiantly with narrowed eyes. "Did you forget that you impersonated a prince?! That I just told my staff to leave you be so that you could stay here?! I think I have more than made up for those events of you taking me around Arendelle, Jack! What you did tonight put us both in jeopardy!"

Elsa exhibited a little _huff _of frustration as she finished venting. It was unbelievably adorable, so much that Jack had to hide his face in his hands from a frenzy of chuckles that escaped him. But once acknowledging that she was being laughed at, the regal queen looked more flustered than ever, looking up to shoot him a defiant expression.

"_What _could you possibly be laughing at now?!" She might as well have stomped her foot, from how irritated she sounded. Jack found himself wishing that she would. "Not _everything _is funny, you know!"

Despite his hearty laughter, Jack finally straightened himself out as Elsa demanded an explanation. He faced her with a relaxed exposition, straightening out his mouth as he brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"Queen Elsa, you are without a doubt the most unyielding, enigmatic, well-behaved, and adorable young woman I have ever met." He reached out abruptly, enough to tap his forefinger across her nose only once without protest, despite that she again stepped away at his touch. "That's why I'm laughing. No reason to get so sensitive, my dear."

Elsa's white-blonde eyebrows pulled together almost sternly, but Jack could tell that she was suppressing the urge to smile.

"Did you truly just call me a 'young woman'?" Her words were slow at first. "I believe you're actually the 'young boy' out of our relations, Jack. Correct me if I'm wrong..."

It was true, of course, that Elsa was a few years older than him. Jack wrinkled his nose at her, but he didn't allow the fact to deter him whatsoever as he held his arm out to her and offered her a cocky smile. This was far from over, and Jack decided promptly that he wouldn't stop until she finally said yes.

"So then, do me the honor of giving the old woman a dance." He waggled his eyebrows playfully, before adding as an afterthought, "Please?"

"Excuse me?" She asked, sounding baffled at the thought. "That's a terrible way of gaining one's affection. I hope you don't try that line on anyone else..."

"No, only on the older ladies." Jack deadpanned sarcastically, reaching up to ruffle his hair. "You know, they don't call me a 'cub' at the bakery for no reason at all."

"I sincerely hope that isn't true, Jack. That sounds revolting."

"I was joking. Heavens, woman; didn't they teach you how to make a joke at the Academy of Locked Down Princesses?"

Elsa exhaled sharply, casting her best attempt at a rigid frown. But evidently, she had finally caught onto the fact that Jack wasn't about to leave her alone from engaging in one dance with him before the evening was over.

"You're never going to give this up, are you?" Her tone was flat and outright, initiating Jack's grin to grow incredibly cheekish.

"Not until you say yes." Jack admitted, pausing slightly as his bronze eyes wandered aimlessly around the foyer. Elsa caught onto that at once, looking particularly appalled even before he made a new assumption. "Or you know, you could give me a tour around the castle. Just in case I ever decide to sneak in again..."

"_Jack_!" She opened her mouth in order to scold him further, but Jack pleasantly cut her off with another promise.

"I was _kidding, _Elsa! Just kidding! Calm down!" He waved his arms frantically, laughter erupting from him yet again. Either way, he evaluated as Elsa brought one of her gloved hands up to her chin uncertainly; as if she was lost in a severe train of thought. A frenzy of silence fell between them, in which Jack opened his mouth twice to ask her what she was thinking. But finally, she sighed and looked up at him, the barest of a smile managing to curl at the corners of her lips.

"... One dance, Jack. Just one." She told him softly, facing him as she held an arm out for him to take. However, at that point, Jack felt his mouth open in confusion, wondering what had made her change her mind so abruptly...

"Wait, did you just - ?"

"Better hurry, before I change my mind again." Her eyes gleamed at him playfully. But even as Jack separated the distance between them in a single even stride and gently tucked her concealed arm inside of his, he thought that she might have winced; as if afraid that he might hurt her. Even so, Jack didn't have the guts to call her out, deciding it was just his imagination as he began leading them back into the ballroom where the guests and music was still as active as ever. Even so, as he brought them both back into the magnificent lounge, he was as careful as he could be with Elsa. Ensuring to keep his distance from others, but only stopping enough so that others might not intrude on them. It was only one dance, after all; maybe two or three minutes to spend with her, before she went back to her regal duties as the queen. And it wasn't something that he intended to fail.

"Somehow I knew you would agree with me." Jack murmured softly, reaching out to take one of her hands in his while the other rested on the small of her back. At first, Elsa didn't say anything whatsoever when her other arm reluctantly graced his shoulder; fingertips barely grasping the fabric of his suit. Her eyebrows furrowed, lips crushing into a hard line as he began to sway her to the music. It was impossible for Jack not to watch her, while admiring her gentle features and somber blue eyes. In fact, it was all he could focus on, while wondering privately if he was making her uncomfortable whatsoever. Inasmuch, he cleared his throat, attempting to lead them while conscious to keep his distance from everyone else. A minute or so passed, before Elsa finally made a sound. And to Jack's pleasant surprise, she had covered up her mouth with the back of her hand that had made homage on his shoulder, laughing quietly into it.

"What?" Jack asked her, blinking. "What did I do now?"

"You're a terrible dancer, Jack." Elsa admitted bluntly, retracting her hand back to his shoulder. Her eyes were sprightly, purely teasing him, but Jack felt himself grow a bit defensive with a hollow laugh.

"Ha, ha, Elsa. Come on, I haven't even stepped on your feet yet - " He gestured down at their feet, hoping that she might cut him some slack as the color began to rise in his face. Elsa bit her lip slightly, before grasping his shoulder firmly as to stop him from leading.

"Here, let me teach you."

Her suggestion stunned Jack slightly, despite that he tried to keep up with her as she looked down at his feet and began to murmur instructions to him. It was difficult for him to focus on the sound of her voice in his ears while she directed him to the notes of the music, but he did as best as he could. If anything, he felt that he was doing something right by how often she smiled when he moved his feet, giving him tips as they went. It was incredibly kind and gracious of her, even if Jack would never admit to anyone that Queen Elsa - of all people - had said that he was terrible at dancing. But perhaps, it would be something that he could get better at, with time. Despite the fact that he didn't know anyone who could help him in the future. Pippa, maybe, but she was nowhere close to the dancer that Elsa was, and he knew it just by her agile posture and analytical vision to to correct his mistakes. Granted, being a princess must have guaranteed that much, but Jack was grateful Elsa no longer made the effort to laugh at him.

Erstwhile, Jack couldn't stop himself from frowning when the song finally ended and Elsa pulled away from him. Instinctively, he wanted to keep her close and ask her for just one more dance, but he knew - by the look in her eyes - that it would be an unwarranted action that she would grow displeased with. And so, Jack found his arms back down at his sides while keeping a weathered eye on her.

"Much better." She smiled warmly, reaching up to straighten out his necktie for him again; evening out the lapels of his suit, as if she didn't quite want him to leave yet. Her stare was teasing when their eyes met again. "For a barbarian, anyway. You're not half bad."

"What? Aren't you happy that you had another opportunity to boss me around?" He laughed, drifting closer to her while one of his hand reached up to tap her gently across the back of her hand. "You can always dance with me again, if you want."

The question was never answered, however. And whether or not Elsa's reaction to tug away from him had been when his hand had touched hers or when Princess Anna had appeared out of the middle of nowhere to interrupt them, Jack would never know. All he knew at that moment precisely was that the new scene ahead couldn't end well. The strawberry-blonde haired princess hadn't even bothered to acknowledge the fact that her sister and Jack had been in the middle of conversing, before she strolled forward through the crowd with Prince Hans right beside her; holding his hand. Intuitively, Jack felt the need to hide, wondering if Elder Muttons knew about him claiming his name to get into the castle... But he stayed beside to observe what was going on regardless, aware to keep his distance as he did so.

"There she is...! Elsa! I mean, Queen... Me again." Anna curtsied, continuing on the same trek towards her older sister with Hans following closely behind her. "Um, may I present Prince Hans of the Southern Isles!"

"Your majesty." Prince Hans made a brief inclination with his head to show respect as he took Anna's waiting arm.

"We would like - " They both started at the same time, giggling amongst one another. Jack raised his eyebrows curiously, sight flickering to Elsa's bewildered expression, before looking back at the pair again.

"Uh, your blessing," Hans continued, emitting another chuckle.

"Of our marriage!"

* * *

HERE GO HELL COME... Unless I decide to alter a few things. Like I said, I'm thinking on it. Weewooooo...


	13. XIII

**Author's Note:**  
Andddd here it comes down to the final chapters of this fic. Adios to another follower who I lost. Y'all be great for making me consider a sequel to this monstrosity, but I'm pleased for the kind words, as always. I'll think on it depending on how the end goes down. But thank you for your time; once again, I hope this isn't a horrid mess. (Although I guess it's not as bad as 'My Immortal', so that's something.)

So thank you once more for the reviews. So many compliments I wish I knew how to return. You're all great, thank you.

And to Ichifo-chan... WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! AN OSCAR BEFORE LEO?! Adele Dazeem would be so ashamed. ;)

* * *

If anyone else apart from Jack had been paying attention to the situation between the queen and her sister, they would have easily been able to see that it wasn't going to end well. Jack felt his eyes glued to the scene, attempting to keep his distance, but he couldn't focus on anything else. One look at Elsa and he knew that she was upset. Her eyes were lit up with alarm, staring at her sister and Prince Hans in utter disbelief at what was coming out of their mouths. Erstwhile, Jack found himself wondering just how long the pair had known one another to decide on a marriage so soon, but it was certainly not his place to jump in and voice his opinion. And instead, he attempted to move around a few dancing partners who had yet to acknowledge the scene while keeping his gaze on the young queen. He felt defensive and concerned for her, knowing that whatever was going through her head surely wasn't anything pleasant. But even Jack had the good sense to stay away, aware that he shouldn't intrude on a familial standpoint that he was not a part of.

Finally, Elsa did speak up, blinking as she straightened out her shoulders.

"Marriage?" She repeated the words, as if trying them out in her own mouth like the thought had never once crossed her mind before.

"Yes!" Princess Anna spoke up again, squealing as she cuddled up into Hans' side.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused."

"Well, we haven't work out all the details ourselves... We'll need a few days to plan the ceremony. Of course we'll have soup, roast, and ice cream, and then..." A girlish gasp. Jack himself couldn't believe how impulsive the princess was being, but he continued watching in silence; unable to look away until he sought the outcome. "Wait, would we live here?!"

"Here?" Elsa attempted to interject, but it was Hans who cut her off a moment later.

"Absolutely!" The prince chimed, holding Anna closer to him as he beamed. Jack didn't know what was more annoying - his terrible mutton chops or his obvious ignorance to the fact that Elsa was distressed.

"Anna - " Elsa tried to speak up again, but Anna went off in the same gleeful tangent as before.

"Oh, we can invite all twelve of your brothers to stay with us!"

Jack snorted loudly, surprised that they didn't seem to hear him.

"What? No!" Elsa started, her voice sounding smaller now. "No, no, no, no..."

Anna began babbling about rooms, but finally, it seemed that the queen had set her foot down.

"Wait, slow down." Finally, Hans and Anna turned to look at her, as if she was the very least of their worries. Exhaling, Elsa looked at them dead on. But Jack knew that her words would do nothing but upset the pair - particularly her sister.

"No one's brothers are staying here, no one is getting married."

And any former joy that emitted from Anna was vanquished by that sentence alone as her face crumbled into disappointment.

"Wait... What?" She asked, sounding heartbroken. Jack was surprised by the fact that Elsa seemed more desperate now, looking at Anna hopefully.

"May I talk to you, please...? Alone?" The response was a plead, but evidently Anna didn't notice the significance of them as she grabbed Hans arm, offering her sister a stubborn look.

"No. Whatever you have to say, you can say to both of us."

Jack couldn't imagine what it must have been like to be Elder Muttons in the situation, but he thought that the prince must not have cared, otherwise he would have backed off several seconds ago.

"Fine." Elsa's jaw clenched, azure eyes narrowing as she clasped her hands in front of her, delivering a deadpan line that Jack nearly laughed aloud at from the cool honesty in her tone. "You can't marry a man you just met."

But that didn't deter the enigma that was Princess Anna. The younger girl looked more defensive and stubborn than ever, making Jack realize that the pair were definitely related judging on their obstinate nature.

"You can if it's true love!" She retorted, but Elsa was having nothing of it.

"Anna, what do you know about true love?" Elsa asked through a sigh. But whatever Elsa had been intending for the line only served as more purpose for Anna to grow cross with her.

"More than _you_. All you know is how to shut people out!"

And there it was, a look of hurt that could not be denied. For a moment, Jack wanted to reach out and tell both of the young women to calm down. But even if he had made the steps to do so, Elsa was finally backing away, emotionally closing herself off as she averted her eyes from Anna and Hans.

"You asked for my blessing, but my answer is no. Now... Excuse me." The queen began walking away down the ballroom, looking eager for an escape route. Hans reached out an arm to stop her, but Elsa was quick to deny human contact.

"Your majesty, if I may - ?" Hans started. Elsa's eyes met him once, before her face turned forward.

"No, you may not, and I... I think you should go." She turned to one of the servants nearby deliberately, sounding firmer than ever. "The party is over, close the gates."

Jack felt his mouth open, knowing that the queen had become emotionally compromised and was therefore looking for a quick exit strategy. Again, he wanted to try and help, and might have done so - if it weren't for the princess rushing after her sister, reaching out to grab her.

"What? Elsa, no, no, wait - " Anna had removed Elsa's glove upon contact. And for some reason, the queen looked terribly exposed, staring around the ballroom accusingly as if she'd just had something very precious stolen from her.

"Give me my glove!" Elsa went to reach for it, but Anna looked at her with a begging expression; instantly discouraging her from doing so.

"Elsa, please! Please, I can't live like this anymore!"

"Then _leave_."

Another look of ache. Jack finally got his feet to move forward again, but now, a vast majority of the ballroom occupants had turned to see what the queen and the princess of Arendelle could possibly be arguing about. It was impossible to move with so many people around, which frustrated him, even if he didn't know how he could be of aid to the situation or Elsa herself. Regardless, the young queen began trekking down the room again, eyes moving back and forth hesitantly. She held the now gloveless hand closer to her chest, as if it was now a danger to everyone in the room.

"What did I ever do to you?!" Anna's voice was louder now, especially when Elsa continued to walk away from her. Jack didn't know where she intended to go, but he wanted follow. He kept his bronze eyes focused, ready to pursue the queen as she began heading towards the tall, golden-encrested doors of the castle's ballroom.

"Enough, Anna." Elsa murmured through gritted teeth, as if she was suppressing her emotions as best as she could. Jack expected her to erupt with rage at any given second, but he never would have guessed how right he was about to become.

"No, why?! Why do you shut me out?! Why do you shut the world out?! _What _are you so afraid of?!"

And finally, the queen spun around and threw her arm down in the same motion to face her sister again.

"I said, _enough_!"

But as she did so, Jack felt himself jump back instinctively from a source of sharp ice that came shooting out of Elsa's fingertips and formed into spikes on the ground around her. If he hadn't been watching so fixatedly, he wouldn't have believed it, feeling his eyes widen as shock rattled through his senses. The ice was like glass, forming into an unbelievable pattern of something like looked like a natural, beautiful phenomenon of winter, despite that it came out appearing more like a dangerous sequence. Even so, Jack didn't have much time to give it another look, before everyone in the ballroom was gasping and turning to see what the queen had done. Jack had to remind himself to look past the glossy, shimmering ice to find Elsa, who now looked horrified: as if everything in her life had crumbled in that split second. But it suddenly made so much sense now, why the king and queen had locked the castle down for thirteen years...

It had been Queen Elsa that they had been trying to hide and conceal; nothing more, and nothing less.

And everyone seemed to be drawing the same conclusion all at once. The little man wearing red from before claimed that it was "sorcery". But when Jack looked back up at Elsa again, the queen reached desperately for the door behind her, and she was gone less than a second later. And with little sense, Jack tried to follow after her, but found himself crushed against everyone else who attempted to cram through the now open corridor and around the glassy ice. Finally, when there was room to breath, Jack sprinted forward, but he realized from the havoc around the vicinity that he was too late. When he reached the end of the corridor, Queen Elsa was nowhere to be seen. In her wake, she had left behind a frozen archway that everyone in the courtyard was staring in awe at, along with a now arctic version left behind of one of the water fountains. Erstwhile, the Duke of Weaseltown went off shouting that the Queen of Arendelle was a _monster_.

And yet, that didn't hinder Jack's endurance to find her. A few seconds of eavesdropping let Jack know where Prince Hans and Princess Anna had gone. And after carefully slinking past a few servants making the effort to calm everyone down, he reached through another door. Idly, he wondered if this had been where Elsa had sneaked out to meet him in the past, but found that he didn't care. Because when he peeked out beyond the doorway to find Anna and Hans, he nearly choked at the sight of the entire body of _sea _around Arendelle frozen solid. And the queen was nothing more than a magenta dot, growing fainter and fainter in the distance as she sprinted helplessly to disappear and towards the North Mountain.

Jack blinked as he felt a drop of cold melt onto one of his eyelashes, looking up to find snowflakes littering down onto the ground below. It was hard for him to believe that the queen was capable of so much, but as Anna and Hans began to return up to steps in which they had came, Jack carefully slipped around the outdoor passage to avoid them. Anna looked so rattled up that she probably wasn't even aware that Jack was there, and Hans walked closely beside her as if to catch her should she fall. But as soon as they were out of sight and moving back into the castle courtyard, he crept past the door again. The new chill of an unexpected winter made him shiver, but he had one ambition in mind as he removed his shoes, socks, and frock coat, setting one foot out on the now icebound sea.

He was going to find Elsa, whether she wanted to see him or not.

* * *

Jack had always traveled best and quickest when he was barefoot. Despite the fact that the frozen water underneath him was frigid, he knew that Elsa couldn't get too far in such a short span of time. It surprised him that he was the first person to do so, but while Arendelle recovered that their newly announced queen was capable of an extraordinary power, Jack wanted to try and convince her to come back. Even if she had fled the scene in horror and fear, he thought perhaps that she would listen to a reasonable voice if she heard it; maybe at the thought that there was someone who wasn't scared of her. The regal queen had always been sensible in the instances where he had spoken to her in the past. But unfortunately for Jack, he didn't quite know how very wrong he was.

After nearly slipping several times on the thick ice underneath him, Jack was surprised to find that the North Mountain was already piling with a little less than a foot of snow. He cringed as he stepped upwards and onto the trail, feet becoming unbearably cold as he stomped upwards, eventually meeting a flattened area that Elsa was moving across to continue her expedition of self-exile. Luckily, he could see where Elsa's magenta cape had dragged through the snowfall, so it didn't take him very long to find her. She was still several feet away from where he had finally spotted her, but Jack called out to her anyway.

"Elsa!" Jack shouted, sounding strained as he brought his cold hands up to his mouth and blew heat against them. "Wait, come back here!"

The queen's shoulders seized up at once, cradling her bare hand close to her chest again as she turned to look at him. Evidently, she was appalled that she had been followed, but Jack didn't care. He rushed forward through the fresh snow anyway, nearly slipping as he went.

"Jack, don't." Elsa murmured, blue eyes widening as she watched him. One of her hands clutched around her wrist. "Stay away, I - "

"You won't hurt me." Jack didn't stop until he was in front of her again, keeping his arms extended like his actions might evade her from trying to run away. But he could see from the way Elsa's eyes darted back and forth that she was looking for another exit, and therefore, he tried to make his voice more tentative as he continued. "You can't just run away. Arendelle needs you - "

"N-no..." Elsa stuttered at first, her composure as a reserved queen completely shattered. "Jack, please. _Please, _don't do this, you don't know what I could do."

"I'll take that risk." Jack started again, bringing his arms back down to his sides once he saw that Elsa's eyes were meeting his. It was difficult to stare at her for long, as he noted that the anguish was all there, looking back at him. He exhaled and watched her carefully, acknowledging her tense posture and the absolute essence of terror that clouded her expression. "You need to calm down. Let me help you."

"No, you can't come any closer. Please don't." Her plead made Jack's stomach tighten up into knots. Truthfully, he realized that she was right; he didn't know what she was capable of. Had she hurt others in the past...? Was that the reason that her parents had decided to lock down the castle? All of these things were an enthalling thought to Jack, but he knew better than to ask questions. Especially since he had seen what had happened when her emotions had taken control of her before...

"I won't. I'll stay right here, I promise." Jack pledged gently. His tone must have been earnest, because Elsa's face softened up just the slightest bit. "Just... Tell me, where do you think you're going to go?"

"The North Mountain." Elsa answered frankly, as if the answer should have been obvious. She hugged herself, biting her lower lip some. "I'm... Not going to come back. I want to be alone, Jack."

"That isn't going to work. Did you forget that you're the Queen of Arendelle? You're literally the most important person in the whole country."

The words didn't seem to make any difference. Elsa held her head higher, speaking informatively after she cleared her throat.

"Arendelle will be fine. They'll have Anna, and she'll make twice the queen I could ever be."

"You don't know that." Jack countered, attempting to smile. Elsa's eyebrows furrowed together, a faint frown-line appearing between them.

"I do know that." Her eyes were serious. "And after what just happened, I could never... I could never go back."

When she looked away, Jack tested the waters by taking a few more steps towards her. He speculated how she must have felt, being shut out for so many years, likely thinking of herself as nothing more than a danger to everyone around her. Even if he wanted more details, he didn't have to know everything to understand that much of her story. Ergo, he opened his mouth again, attempting to console her to the best of his abilities.

"It wasn't your fault. If anything, you should blame that Hans guy, he's bad news; I can tell. You're really going to leave and let your sister marry him?" The question hung in the air. Elsa looked deep in thought at the prospect before her azure eyes traveled up to meet his face again.

"Jack... You can't change my mind." The smallest of all smiles traced her lips, as if to convince him that she was going to be alright where she was. Inasmuch, Jack tilted his head, sighing as he paced in front of her.

"I know." He reached up to rub the back of his neck. "But I want to."

"I'm sorry... I can't."

Shivering some against the cold air, Jack again began clearing the distance between them as nonchalantly as he could. He was cautious not to make her feel uncomfortable by doing so, keeping a weathered eye on her face to ensure that he wasn't doing anything out of line. However, he stopped when he was still a few feet away, tossing his hand through his hair sheepishly.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm not afraid of you. You're not a monster, Elsa." Another smile flitted to his lips, hoping that he sounded encouraging. Elsa looked up at him gratefully, but there were no more smiles to be had from her.

"The thought is only comforting, Jack." She told him, voice barely more than a whisper. Albeit, Jack was just as stubborn as she was, and wouldn't stop saying so until she believed him.

"You're not. You're so remarkable, I can't believe that you don't see it."

A tiny scoff emitted from Elsa's throat.

"You hardly know me." She mentioned tersely. Jack raised his eyebrows, the corners of his lips curling.

"I don't have to know you very well to know how wonderful you are." He said, mouth forming a grin. "Besides, at least I'm not bombarding you in a marriage proposal... If you have any reason to go back to Arendelle, do it for your sister. She loves you, I can tell. I doubt she meant for the coronation to end up this way..."

"She didn't." Elsa declared promptly, meeting his eyes. "She didn't know I could do all of that."

The confession only brought on another slew of questions that came to Jack's mind in every direction. But he knew asking questions was not his place, and therefore, could only fold his arms across his chest to act like he wasn't freezing from the abrupt temperature drop.

"So you're really going to let her marry that jerk?" He cocked his head to the side, wondering what her answer might be. And for at least twenty seconds, Elsa was silent, as if she was battling all of her own pros and cons of Anna marrying Prince Hans of the Southern Isles.

"If it's what she wants, I won't stop her." But somehow, Jack didn't think that she was telling the truth whatsoever. "I'm sorry, Jack. I've made up my mind... I don't belong there. I don't want to hurt anyone."

As tenacious as Jack was, he knew that the battle was lost. Elsa had endured an emotional pain that he could not conceive, probably throughout her whole life. And if she didn't want to go back to Arendelle with him, then he was not about to force her. So instead, the young man was wise. A feat that didn't happen very often, but he wanted her to fathom that he respected her as the person she was; not for the monster that she thought she was capable of being.

"... Then I guess that I understand." Jack remarked quietly. He made the inclination to smile when their gazes met. "At least, let me say goodbye then, if you're not going to come back to Arendelle."

Elsa cast him a confused stare. Her lips parted, like she was about to ask him what he might do. But in a clear, confident stride, Jack tore the distance between them. The young queen took one step away warily, in which Jack held his arms out to show her that he didn't mean any harm. She eased up some, staring at him curiously when he took the final step that separated them.

"Don't touch me, Jack. I don't want to hurt you." Her reply _was _a whisper now, sounding almost frantic. But a headstrong young man like Jack took no heed to the warning. He outstretched one hand towards her, careful not to touch any of her skin as he brushed her white-blonde bangs away with the tips of his fingers.

"I'll say it once and I'll say it again, your highness." Jack thought that her breathing might have hitched when he finally dared himself to lower his lips to her forehead, leaving them there for less than a second. It was strange, how cool her skin felt against his; he knew that he never would have imagined such a thing prior to the catastrophe at the castle. "Your eyes are too sad for someone so beautiful."

But the blissful farewell ended as quickly as it came. Whether Elsa had done so voluntarily or not, her frigid hand had brushed against his. And in that one touch, a rupture of ice went shooting over Jack's palm. Letting out a heave of physical agony, Jack watched as his arm began to freeze; blue and white, just like the piercing sculptor back in the ballroom. And Elsa instantly separated their distance, staring back in horror of what she might have done.

Yet, as soon as the ice was tearing through the muscles of his flesh, his hand began to heal. Jack gasped a little, watching as the frozen skin mended itself back to normal. At first, he couldn't believe what he was seeing, only finding it confirmed when Elsa's shrill voice came into his consciousness.

"How did you do that?" She asked, sounding accusing. Jack blinked, looking up at her and then back down at his fair-skinned hand again.

"I don't know." It was illogical; he'd never seen anything like it before in his life, let alone be capable.

But it was not enough to keep Elsa before him. The young queen somehow looked like she had doubled in her affliction. She shook her head, only casting Jack one last glance as she angled her body back towards the direction of the North Mountain.

"This is goodbye, Jack. Don't come after me again." The words were a promise now. And Jack knew from their few encounters that Queen Elsa never went back on her promises, even if he wanted her to change her mind.

But any words of parting were lost. Before Jack knew it, Elsa was off again; disappearing amidst the trees that should have been glowing green with summertime, now tarnished by the snow. And it was with such determination that Jack normally would have admired, if the circumstances weren't as they were. And that left him to continue turning his hand over and over, waiting for the frost to reappear that she had left behind as he trudged down the snowy trail again. But it didn't, the warmth and feeling of his hand that had been temporarily lost remained...

And for just a split second, Jack Overland could have sworn that he saw the moon smiling down at him over the peak of the North Mountain.

* * *

FORESHADOWINGGGGGG. Like three chapters left. I don't even know what to do with myself, to be honest. Idk, let me know what you think.


	14. XIV

**Author's Notes:**  
Wow. Much reviews. Very kind. Such Jelsa.

And to free man writer, thanks for the honesty, I guess? Maybe it might be that this was meant to be a three-shot. I haven't written a legit fanfiction in eight years, so I'm sorry that you're displeased. It might also have something to do with the fact that I have to follow Frozen's timeline to the punch. Along with that I didn't want to write the story like "we just met each other two seconds ago but we're so in looooveeee". I tried to make it more adult, I suppose. But thanks for the follow anyway. You don't have to continue reading if you don't want to, harharhar. If you ever find out what it is that you don't like about the story, feel free to tell me. I know it's nothing spectacular. I guess I just really like Jelsa.

What I wanted out of this story was to determine the fact that Jack Frost and Queen Elsa have so much in common even on subtle matters. I tried to convey that in each of the chapters, which was why I put so much depth into writing Jack as a human and Jack's relationship with Pippa, since we don't really know anything about what Jack was like before his guardianship. This story was never written with the intention to make Jack and Elsa fall in love, but rather to have them connect with a romantic outline on something that will never be based on the direction that I had initially to have it written before Jack's death. I never wanted this to be a cheesy, overdone fic where Elsa can't live without Jack or vice versa (like quite a few Jelsa fics I've read). It was supposed to seem at least slightly realistic. As realistic as it can get with Disney and Dreamworks involved, anyway.

I'd like to say that the direction that I took with this fic _is _different, in that way. And for that, I'm proud with where it's gone.

So with that note in mind, I thank each and every one of you for reviewing, favoriting, and following. Tl;dr, thank you, it's been fun.

And I'm so sorry I have to write this now. Ily, Jack.

- A.V Storm

* * *

Arendelle was more or less a chaotic mess since Queen Elsa's self-imposed exile. Winter hadn't been a glimmer in anyone's mind for another six months, and as the weather turned into an outright blizzard from the summer shine that it had preceded, Jack wondered how long it was going to last, or if it would ever end on Elsa's behalf. Since it didn't seem that she had any control of her icy powers, Jack doubted it, especially since the heavy snowfall only seemed to double overnight. The evening after the coronation ceremony, Jack and Pippa had returned home like normal as they would on any other occasion. Unlike Jack however, Pippa had seen the events unfold in the castle courtyard when Elsa had ran away. Therefore when he had finally found her in front the bakery, she hardly noticed that he was late, and rather spent the rest of the evening asking him questions on their route home. Which normally wouldn't have been a problem - if Jack hadn't found himself so shaken up after witnessing his own hand freeze and thaw in a single, unexplainable motion.

"Did you see everything that happened, Jack?" She looked up at him ecstatically, taking one of his hands in hers when they began moving down the town square together. As it were, Jack hadn't stopped looking at the hand Elsa had touched with her own, but he tried for Pippa's sake to stay enthralled in what she had to say. It was difficult to focus when there was so much on his mind.

"Yeah, of course I did..." He remarked softly, taking off his frock coat to drape it over Pippa's shoulders. The last thing that he needed was for his sister to get sick due to the cold. "I was downtown all day too, you know."

"They say the queen has ice powers! Can you believe it?! I'll bet that's why they've kept so many secrets over the years... Why they locked down the castle..." Pippa's theories were spot on. Jack tried to smile at her as they walked, catching snippets of the conversations from all around them. Some expressed their concerns for the queen, but others were claiming that Arendelle was better off without the danger of her powers. For a brief second, Jack nearly spun around to answer their retorts with his own sarcasm, but he ended up only stopping abruptly before Pippa turned around to look back and find where he had gone.

"Jack, are you okay?" She asked innocently. Her tone was full of concern, but Jack didn't need her to worry about him. Instead, the young man straightened out his shoulders and contorted his lips into a half-hearted grin, shivering again when a gust of cool air blew against his lanky frame while they walked down the street together. Jack thought for a moment that it must have been nice being Elsa, in that aspect. She probably never felt cold whatsoever. For once, he was glad he was wearing a pair of shoes.

"Yeah, I'm alright... It's just been a long, crazy day, you know." He winked at her, staring sideways to catch a glimpse of her expression. "Did you have fun with your friends?"

"Well, it _was _fun..." Pippa reflected softly, her bronze eyes looking up to meet his. He could tell that she was slightly troubled by what was going on and looking for answers. It must have been very confusing for her. "Do you think that Queen Elsa will come back?"

Jack sighed deeply, running a careless hand through his hair. There was a sharp feeling in his gut that told him that Elsa would return to Arendelle, but in just that week that he had known her personally, he still didn't know for certain. Erstwhile, he couldn't fathom what it must have felt like. Elsa inhabited a powerful ability, one that she had kept secret for at least thirteen whole years. It must have been so painful to have lived all of those years laboring under the sheer belief that she was nothing more than destructive. Jack wished that she would have confided in him somehow, but he knew why she hadn't; she probably anticipated that he would run in a different direction if she had told him the truth. And privately, Jack admitted to himself that he wouldn't have understood - he couldn't have, but he would have tried for _her_.

The thoughts only served to further frustrate Jack, making him wish that he hadn't been so foolhardy and daring only moments ago when he should have convinced her to come back down from her troubling escapade. Just what did she hope to accomplish by being alone? Finally, Jack tore his train of thought apart, looking back down at Pippa beside him. He shuddered from the frigid wind, but otherwise kept his gaze focused on her. There was nothing that he could do now, but he wished that he had done something or anything else. All he had done in the end was scare her away, and that was the bitter reality Jack had to face the consequences of.

"Honestly, I don't know, Pip... But I hope so." He wished that he could tell her everything that he knew about Elsa. But for now, it would just have to remain a private matter... For now, at least until the turmoil was over. "She's probably just scared that she's going to hurt somebody. Can you blame her?"

Pippa blinked up at him, shaking her head firmly.

"No... Do you think that's why she didn't want to meet anyone after the ceremony?"

"I'll bet that's why." He smiled minimally, resting his hands on the back of his head while closing his eyes as he braced another gust of wind. "But she'll probably come back eventually. You know, I'll bet she loves Princess Anna a lot. I don't think she'd leave her all alone forever..."

Jack only reopened his eyes when he heard Pippa giggle. He offered her a confused look in return, but she was quick to clarify.

"Like that time you tried to run away?" She asked teasingly. It wasn't something that Jack expected her to remember - she had been far too young when their father had passed away. Although he surmised that their mother must have mentioned it when his back was turned, causing Jack to smirk.

"Yeah." Jack murmured softly. He reached out to flatten Pippa's dark hair with the palm of his hand encouragingly, brushing the flurry of snowflakes out of her hair. "Just like that. But I'll never run away again, Pippa. I promise, I'm always going to be here."

Pippa shot him an all-knowing, wide smile; as if the knowledge had been there all along.

"I know, Jack. You don't have to tell me."

* * *

He hoped that the sentiment could convey how much Pippa meant to him without sounding gushy or over the top as his gaze drifted from her. In that moment, he could only imagine how Princess Anna felt about pushing her sister over the edge with the new and foreign prospect of marriage... She was probably worried sick, Jack realized, as he would be if Pippa were to run away after a scenario like that. But he hoped that she would do something to bring the young queen back to the castle. Elsa was her sister, after all. And Jack couldn't imagine that any issues that they had endured in the past would prevent her from _caring_.

Regardless, Jack was happy to be home and out of the cold only minutes later. When he and Pippa arrived back at the Overland cottage, Jack was bathed in the warmth from the fireplace basking through the foyer. Their mother was curious to hear every detail to what had occured - between Queen Elsa and the rumors that were patently reaching every area of Arendelle, in addition to the sudden stroke of winter. Luckily, Pippa provided all of the details while Jack slunk back into the kitchen, feeling hungrier than ever. But even so, his stare continued to move over his long-fingered hand, half expecting the frost and ice from before to return.

Yet to his great and momentary fortune, it didn't.

By the next morning, Pippa came crashing into Jack's room fervently. She pounded on the top of his head to wake him, making him squeeze his eyes shut at the stream of sunlight that emitted from his bedroom window. In a desperate attempt, Jack pulled his blankets closer to his body for warmth. He squeezed his eyes shut, muttering something incoherent under his breath about being left alone... But that didn't at all break Pippa's spirit, as she was quick to begin pulling the blankets off of him.

"Jack! Jack! Come on, wake up!" She chimed loudly, her laughter filling his room whole. "The pond is frozen - we can go ice skating!"

Jack grunted, barely holding onto his consciousness as he clamped his hands around the blankets being tugged away from him. However, when Pippa made one more gigantic jerk, Jack let go abruptly. He sat up just in time to watch as his sister slipped and fell on the hard wooden floor, howling with laughter at the scene. Pippa pouted stubbornly, narrowing her gaze and she tossed the blanket aside.

"You did that on purpose!"

"What, me? No, never." Jack grinned mischievously, standing up and stretching out all of his muscles. It was _very _early, he deduced. Yawning as he glanced out the window to observe the new winter outside, he waggled his eyebrows playfully at his sister.

"Anyway, you said you wanted to go ice skating?" Pippa nodded instantly, a grin reappearing on her face where she had been frowning. "Better hurry, before I beat you outside!"

Pippa didn't have to be told twice before she went sprinting out of his room to fetch her ice skates, beaming at his affirmation. Again, Jack yawned, rubbing his eyes as he thought about the day ahead. He wondered if there was any news about Elsa, but decided promptly that he would just have to find out later. For now, he had made plans with his little sister.

* * *

Successfully dressed in a wardrobe that mostly consisted of a lot of _brown_, Jack finally stepped out into the kitchen with his ice skates thrown over his shoulder. He found his mother at the table, reading over something that looked like ingredients in a leatherbound book. Mrs. Overland was a commonly pretty woman with the same dark hair and eyes that her children had inherited; a fact that had never been unknown, as he and Pippa had constantly been reminded how much they looked like her. But Jack's stare was currently on more important things - like the orange sitting beside her. With clever tact, Jack rearranged his poncho over his shoulders and inclined his head towards his mother, pressing a soft kiss against her cheek as his fingers slipped around the round fruit, taking it for his own.

"Mornin', beautiful." Jack greeted her humorously, throwing the orange up in the air before catching it. His mother's bronze eyes blinked with surprise at first, lips settling into a warm smile as turned her head to close the book.

"Morning. I hear you're taking Pippa out to skate." She sounded pleased, but there was a nervous tone in her voice that lapped it.

"Is that all you're hearing about me nowadays?" Jack asked suggestively, raising his eyebrows as he began peeling the orange with his fingers. Albeit, Ms. Overland sighed as she was very accustomed to his mannerisms; tapping her fingers against the table.

"Just be careful, Jack. Watch out for your sister, and don't let her slip." Her motherly advice was as frequent as ever.

"I will, I will... Don't worry."

But just as Jack had made the pledge, Pippa came rushing into the kitchen, grabbing his free hand to tug him towards the back door. The motion caused their mother to smile, standing up straight as she followed them. Pippa opened the door, begging Jack to follow, allowing a cool breeze into the home that just bore more testimony that this _wasn't _how Arendelle should have been in the summertime. Jack sighed a little at another reminder that Queen Elsa was all alone somewhere in the North Mountain, but he vowed that for now, all he wanted to do was have fun.

"Be careful!" His mother's voice rang out again, casting them both a tiny, worried smile. But it only served to make Jack laugh, shooting her one last crooked smile as he glanced back at Pippa, who continued pulling him in the direction of the pond just behind their home.

"We will!"

The pond was just as frozen as Pippa had promised that it would be. At first, Jack chewed at his orange, ensuring that it was safe for the two of them to make pressure on the surface. He stretched out one bare foot across the frozen water before stepping across it cautiously. Once he arrived on the other side of the pond, Pippa was already forcing her skates onto her feet and gliding clumsily across the ice. It was amusing to watch as she nearly fell several times, even if he stifled his laughter into his shoulder in hopes that she wouldn't notice. When he'd finally finished swallowing the rest of the orange, Jack followed suit to tie his skates on as well; noting that they were getting a little small, making him wonder how much his feet had grown in just six months since they had last been in use. However, once making contact with the frozen pond again, he grinned boyishly and skated beside his stumbling sister; outstretching his arm towards her.

"Here, come here, hold my hand." Jack advised. Pippa closely tripped again, but she managed to grasp his hand while attempting to steady herself. "We're going to go real fast, alright?"

"What if I fall?" She asked pathetically, looking down at her feet. Jack shrugged his shoulders, cocking his head to the side.

"Well, then... I'll catch you!"

Pippa didn't at all look reassured, but he didn't give her any time to compose herself (or interject, for that matter) before he was coasting over the frozen pond at full speed. This didn't end well at all on Pippa's end, who begged for him to stop and let her go. But when he finally did - only doing so in order to catch his breath between his speed and laughter - she shot him a very nasty scowl, folding her arms across her chest stubbornly.

"That wasn't funny, Jack!" She exclaimed, cheeks reddened and gaze accusing; as if he had committed some kind of crime by playing with her. Jack roared with laughter, resting his hands on his knees while trying to compose himself.

"You're right, I'm sorry... I just..." Jack gasped for breath, stomach cramping from the chortles that roared through him. "You should have seen the look on your face!"

Any laughter that had erupted from him ceased at once, however. Because as Pippa began to skate away from him in embarrassment, he heard a distinctive _cracking _noise just beneath her. Instinctively, Jack looked down in fear, his eyes widening at the sight of the ice beneath her growing into a split around her ice skates. And the crack only worsened, as she moved her feet sideways...

At first, Jack felt his breathing hitch and his heart fall right into the middle of his stomach.

"Jack..." Her voice was wary, fear clouding up all of her senses as she turned, looking up at him desperately.

"Hold still. Hold still, Pip..." Jack felt chilled right down to the bone with panic, afraid of making any movements of his own, but he did it anyway; moving impulsively into a crouch to untie his ice skates and leave them behind. All that mattered was getting Pippa off of the frozen pond and away from danger.

"It's okay, it's okay..." Jack murmured, holding out a hand to her, wishing that he was just a bit closer that he could grab her... But he knew that he had to stay calm, if he planned on getting her to safety. His mind whirled in a million different directions, but he kept his stare on her, hoping that she might be soothed if she didn't see that he was scared to death. "Don't look down, just... Look at me."

"Jack, I'm scared...!" Pippa moved her legs again, causing Jack's heart to begin pumping hard against his ribs. The cracks grew jaggedly around her, but they yielded again when she stopped moving. But by now, Jack felt frantic.

"I-I know, I know..." He glanced down at the broken ice again, taking one step himself in desperation towards her. As soon as he did so, another crevice formed in the ice - Jack froze at once, but it mattered very little to him - he needed to get Pippa away, first and foremost. And so, the young man made his voice as gentle as he could when he opened his mouth again. "But you're gonna be alright, you're _not _gonna fall in." Casting her his best uneven smile for confidence despite that he had _never _been more afraid in his life, Jack continued in a playful voice; privately begging that he sounded brave. He rubbed his hands together, looking around for any source of theory that might make his sister relax.

"Uh... We're gonna have a little fun instead!"

"No, we're not!" Pippa cried, sounding timid and infuriated that he could suggest such a thing.

"Would I trick you?" Jack inquired lightly. Pippa's eyebrows furrowed together.

"Yes! You always play tricks!"

A habitual breath of laughter came from Jack's throat as he tried to ease his way towards her again.

"Oh, alright, well... N-not this time." Once more, he tried to reach for her - but it was to no avail. And inasmuch, Jack looked up at her, keeping her gaze to his as words escaped him before he could catch them. Surely, if she made any more movements, the ice underneath would plummet and Pippa would drown... But Jack didn't intend for that to happen. Not now, not ever. "I promise, I promise you're gonna be... You're gonna be fine."

Pippa inhaled, searching around the pond for an escape route, but the sentiment seemed to repose her in the tiniest way. And so, he tried by responding in the same calm mantra.

"You have to believe in me."

A stretch of silence came between them. Jack held his breath, looking around for anything that might help them escape the hazard of their situation, but there was nothing except for a strange shaped stick lying facedown on the top of the pond. But for Jack, it looked like a beacon of hope. And hastily, he came up with the first thing on the top of his head to reach it: a _game_.

"You wanna play a game? We're gonna play hopscotch! Like we play every day!" He fixed his posture, feeling a little more confident as he balanced out his feet against the cold sleet beneath him; feeling like his time was ticking, second by second... But the sight of Pippa's uncertain smile was worth it, so he must have been doing something right.

"It's as easy as... Uh..." He reached out one long, lean leg as far as it could stretch across the ice, flattening it down to evoke another seam spreading out like branches. "One..." His fingers shook as he trembled, managing to force his mouth into a grin as he made a dramatic action, like he might fall over. To his delight, Pippa giggled, clapping her hands together at the scene.

"Two..." The ice didn't crack on his second step, and with a skip, Jack made it to his destination. "Three!" His focus was directly on Pippa and Pippa only as his quivering fingers grasped the stick, kneeling down to do so; suddenly feeling much warmer than he had since the unwelcomed winter season had begun the evening prior...

"Now it's your turn." The stick jutted out like a hook, which worked out _impeccably _for making the future inclination to grab Pippa. Yet when he began to whisper the numbers for her, the ice began to break and shudder worse than ever. And with one giant lung, he gripped the stick around her middle using all of the strength that he could muster to pull her back away from the broken ice, skidding and sliding himself forward as he did so. With gusto, Jack propped himself up on his arms and exhaled with relief, watching as Pippa leaned up and smiled at him in return when she had been met with safety.

A little laugh passed through Jack's lips when he brought himself back to his feet again. But in less than a second, everything crumbled - and he was being met with water more frigid than he had ever felt in his entire life. The last words that he heard was his own name being shouted from Pippa, who raced to catch him as he fell, but she was far too late.

At first, his muscles seized up and he was unable to move from the shock that jolted his whole human being - muscles clenching up, pain booming through every inch of his body from the searing cold. It pierced all of his nerve endings; penetrating his skin and flesh, making him immobile. His heart raced as he tried to swim, moving his arms up above him. But wherever the gap had been that he had fallen through, he had lost it. Natural instinct to _survive _came across his mind, but when he tried to breathe, it wasn't oxygen that filled his lungs before his brain finally shut down, body growing numb as his mind lulled and the pain escaped him, unsure of how much time had passed or where he was.

And it was in that place between the haze of pleading to stay conscious, where only the ecstasy of death could revoke his soul from any more physical agony.

* * *

My heart hurts. I'm so sorry. *gross sobbing*


	15. XV

**Author's Notes**:  
Ahhhhhhh you guys kill me. I'm very sorry about Jack... I promise the end will be somewhat fulfilling, at least in the sense that it will end happily with a few characters (not so much on the Jelsa spectrum...), unless I decide to write some kind of sequel that I'm unsure about currently.

Oh, and I changed my mind. I'm going to be writing three more chapters (this one included). I was going to try and shove some massive plot points into this chapter, but I couldn't do it. After that, it'll all be over. In which case, I wholeheartedly apologize. And I realized today that there are quite a few typos in some/most of my chapters that I was apparently too lazy to fix. My bad.

If you're interested whatsoever, I'm writing drabbles on the side for my Jelsa headcanons. You know, just in case you need something warm and fuzzy to read before bedtime.

Thank you again, you're all wonderful. Most of this will just be shitty dialogue, so I apologize. I could write Elsa/Anna forever.

AND TO FIRST MOVEMENT... I promise you will get your answers. Promise promise promise.

* * *

_Three Weeks Later _

* * *

The summer air had returned to Arendelle, sunlight spilling into the castle windows where the queen had been working primitively on a document in the late king's study. Her left hand was arched over the long piece of parchment, holding a quill in between her slender forefinger and thumb. Azure eyes lazily read over what she had written already, pursing her lips in concentration as the sunlight from outside streamed over the back of her neck. She shifted unconsciously in her chair, pulling her white-blonde braid over her shoulder to capture the warmth. It had been three years since she had dared take one step into her father's study, in fear of feeling the emptiness of loss that had been provided since her parents' deaths. But now had been the time for it, since she had learned to control her powers, and inasmuch, no longer lived behind closed doors.

The thought brought the smallest of all smiles to rest on her lips, looking around the square office that adorned nothing more than a desk, a bookcase, and a grandfather's clock, yet there were certain details to the room that made it feel like it was as if her father was still alive. Like the family tapestry bearing the Arendelle crest over the bookcase, or the way he had organized his books in alphabetical order. Elsa had always admired how simple her father had been with decorating - a trait that she had proudly inherited herself. He had been intricate when it came to details, but he had done so subtly. The thought caused a weary sigh to escape her, attempting to focus on the sheet in front of her again while wondering when the former king had used the desk last. She wondered - as she took on the crucial duties as queen, like the current letter being sent to another country - if he would be proud of her.

Exhaling sharply, Elsa quickly signed the bottom of the page that required her signature, raising the parchment up as she intended to fold it into threes, but it was no less than a second later when Anna appeared. Elsa's sharp eyes glanced her over curiously, noting the gown that she wore that day looked more like a relic against the summer season. Her hair had been elegantly curled, the strawberry blonde tendrils spiraling all around her neck and shoulders. At first, Elsa raised her eyebrows. A comical smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, about to ask if Anna intended to be out with _Kristoff _again. But she was pleasantly interrupted when Anna shot her a desperate look.

"Elsa, could you help me? My hair will _not _stay put, no matter how many times I try and pin it back..." Her blue eyes were pleading, causing Elsa to chuckle and usher Anna closer.

"Sure, come here, I'll do what I can..." She responded light-heartedly. "No promises, though. I know what your hair looks like in the morning."

"Oh, thank you so much, Elsa...!"

Anna knelt down in front of her on the floor, turning around to shove a handful of pins into her lap. Blinking, Elsa began to pick up the curls carefully. It had been the first time that she had done anyone's hair but her own in thirteen years. It was something so small, and she hadn't realized that she had missed it until now. A small smile came to her lips while her clever fingers worked up the strands of hair, pulling it back like she thought Anna had intended to before giving up. Regardless, Elsa couldn't resist teasing her sister, if not only slightly.

"All these years and you still have bed hair like this..." Elsa murmured, pinning the curls back with a playful smirk.

"I know, it's awful..." Anna grumbled, tilting her head back when Elsa pressed against the back of her head. "You're so lucky you never look like this."

"Hm, well, I never said that..." Elsa admitted, raising her eyebrows. "You'd be surprised to see what my hair looks like early in the morning."

"Is that an invitation?" Anna turned her head to shoot her older sister a mischievous smile. In which case, Elsa reached to flick her behind the ear.

"I didn't say that. You'd better be nice, otherwise my fingers might slip and I'll freeze your hair for a week..."

Anna emitted a gasp, sounding horrified.

"You _wouldn't_...!"

"Never say never, Anna." Elsa advised humorously. She sighed a little, fingers continuing to work underneath the curls in Anna's hair. "What's the occasion? Another date with Kristoff, I assume?"

Her tone had sounded perfectly nonchalant, until she noted that Anna's neck and face had grown several shades redder from the question. A factor that caused Elsa to laugh, mimicking a certain young man when she began waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"What's wrong? I thought you liked him?"

"Ah, err... Yeah, maybe." Anna pretended to cough, making Elsa roll her eyes - especially when she changed the subject so blatantly as she did. "I'd rather we talked about you, though. How's that letter coming along?"

Elsa shrugged, releasing yet another sigh as she tilted Anna's head to the side.

"It's finished, but I have another to write before the night is over... On top of responding to that invitation we were sent from King George III yesterday, I'll probably be inside all night long." It was a bland activity, but Elsa planned to make the best out of it as she could. All things considered, she wanted to be taken seriously by Arendelle. Especially after the unfortunate circumstances just three weeks prior... It was certainly something that she didn't want to relive any time soon, or ever.

"Why not take a break? You can work in the morning." Anna suggested, sounding chipper by the idea. Elsa smiled glumly, her hands continuing to work Anna's curls from behind her.

"I'd rather not procrastinate, which I know is a skill you excel at yourself, but - "

"Hey!" Anna interjected, pulling her head away to shoot cast Elsa a half-hearted scowl.

"What?" Elsa asked innocently, making an additional effort to shrug as she teased her further. "It's true. I wouldn't say it if it wasn't."

Anna made a little huffing sound before her mouth collapsed into a wide grin, turning around again so that Elsa could maintain fixing her hair for her.

"Riiight... Whatever you said, Elsa." She started slowly, before breaking into a small pause. Elsa smiled again, turning her attention back to the mass of ringlets, but as soon as the smile came to her lips, it quickly dropped.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you... Who was that guy I saw you dancing with at the coronation ball?"

Elsa felt herself freeze in place, hands growing limp as her mind rushed to blank. It surprised her that Anna had remembered that little split second in which she had engaged in a dance with Jack Overland after his persistence, especially since it had been at a time when Anna had been infatuated with the fraud Prince Hans. Therefore, the young queen had never imagined that Anna would ever ask her about it. And now that she had, she didn't know what to say, except...

"What?"

"The one with dark hair. I saw you dancing with him." Anna brushed some of her hair back, as if hardly noticing that Elsa seemed distant about the current topic. But if it was up to Elsa, she intended to keep it that way.

"Oh... No one." She tried to say dismissively, hoping that Anna wouldn't ask any more questions. But there must have been something very off about her voice to make Anna turn back to look at her again with an accusing stare.

"No one?! Come on, you're allowed to taunt me about Kristoff, but I'm not allowed to know who you were spending your time with at the ball?!" Anna asked loudly. Compulsively, Elsa reached up to cover one of her hands over her cheeks as her face began to flush.

"It was one dance, Anna..." Elsa tried to say, knowing that it came out lame and unpracticed. And now Anna was more on alert than ever, spinning around to rest her hands on Elsa's knees.

"Spill. Tell me all about him." She demanded, eyes gleaming conspiratorially. Elsa tried to come up with reasons why she shouldn't have to. One of them included that the dance hadn't meant anything at all, but when she thought back on it... Jack _had _left a lasting impression on her. Even amidst the turmoil that she had felt regarding her own powers, her self-imposed exile, and nearly getting Anna killed, she still had time to think about him. Despite that now, she thought that she may have scared him off the moment that she had frozen his hand. The memory made a somber smile come to Elsa's face, wondering idly where he had gone or if she would ever have the chance to speak to him again. When she finally looked up at Anna again, she knew that there was no way that she was getting out of it. It was habitual for her to want to close off the conversation entirely, but now that she no longer had to hide her powers from anyone, she wanted to be able to trust her sister. So in the end, Elsa exhaled and clasped her hands together.

"Well, as long as you don't freak out..." She murmured, eyeing Anna sharply, as if she meant to threaten her. Anna placed one of her hands on her heart and then in the air.

"I promise, sister code of honor, I won't freak out."

"Alright." Elsa paused, licking her lips warily before she started. "His name is Jack - "

But low and behold, Anna was already covering her hands over her mouth like she was about to implode with happiness.

"Oh my _gosh_! Who is he?! Is he cute?! I didn't get a good look at him, but - "

"_Anna_! It isn't really like that!" Elsa interjected, feeling heat rush up through her neck and her cheeks faster than ever.

"It is if you bring him up to me!" Anna clapped her hands over Elsa's knees, positively beaming. But the young queen frowned, crushing her lips together sternly as she peered down at the younger woman.

"Anna..." She said in her most disapproving tone, hoping that her sister would be able to control herself.

"Sorry! I'm just excited for you! Is that a crime?!" Somehow, Elsa didn't think that she was actually that sorry about her fervent inquiries.

"No, it's not, it's just... You're making it out to be a lot more than it is." Elsa's voice was quieter now, reflective. But Anna didn't seem to notice as one of her eyebrows raised, grinning toothily at her.

"Well it sounds like _something, _that's for sure..."

"He's just a friend."

It felt insanely wonderful to get it off of her chest, as if she no longer had to hide anything from Anna whatsoever. As much as she didn't really appreciate her sister implying that her relationship with Jack was anything more than friendship, she realized that she wanted to tell _someone _about him. He had been the first friend she had made in thirteen years, which was a strange thought to Elsa.

"A friend after one dance?" Anna asked, tilting her head to the side. Elsa hesitated, placing one hand over her mouth.

"Well, not... _ Exactly. _We didn't meet at the dance..."

"Oh my gosh. Oh, my gosh..." Anna stood up from the floor at an ecstatic speed, as if she had never heard anything more enthralling in her entire life. Elsa could hardly believe how excited she was, but she tried to keep herself reserved before Anna finally demanded the whole story from her. Luckily, her hair was just about finished now, so it didn't require any additional pins to contain the strawberry-blonde curls on Anna's head.

"Tell me all of the details _right _now, Elsa!"

* * *

And so, Elsa did as her sister asked. She told Anna the story about how she had sneaked out of the castle and met Jack at the bakery one morning; seven days exactly before the coronation ceremony. From Jack giving her the alabaster necklace that Anna had found in her jewelry box (Anna made several loud noises that she tried to ignore as she went on), explaining how he had made her promise to see him again. And when she had, Jack had taken her to that hill to show her a phenomenal view of Arendelle, giving her the necklace once more on request of only returning it to him when she and Anna had finally spoken. She told her about Jack - his gentle words of encouragement, his love for his own younger sister, and how careful he had been around her. All of which, came streaming out of Elsa's mouth before she could hope to catch them. Making her wonder how Jack had managed to make her feel so affectionate for him in such a short period of time, when she hadn't even told him very much about herself.

In the end, she surmised that it had something to do with his charismatic personality, but even so, Elsa couldn't stop herself from extending the story. She told Anna all about how Jack had used Prince Hans' name to get into the castle, how he had pleaded for her to give him just one dance. Of course, by that time, Anna's temper began to show towards Hans, saying aloud that he deserved it; which, in turn, made Elsa smile. Just when she thought about telling Anna about how Jack had followed her towards the North Mountain, that was when she finally forced her mouth to stop moving when she remembered their farewell. Jack's lips had touched her forehead. And that was not something that she felt that she had to include, knowing that Anna would begin spewing wild accusations that wouldn't be accurate to the context of her friendship with Jack. Even if the memory was a fond one, it was canceled out by the fact that she had brushed his hand with her own on impulse, causing him to endure pain before it had mysteriously healed back to normal.

But when she finally did finish, Anna didn't make a sound, and this caused Elsa to grow worried. Anna's face was suddenly unreadable, standing in front of her with her eyes averted and one hand resting underneath her chin.

"Please say something..." Elsa begged, closing her eyes and she covered her face in her hand.

"I can't believe you sneaked out of the castle and didn't tell me."

That certainly hadn't been the first thing she had anticipated from Anna's mouth, after everything else that she had just admitted. Elsa's thin eyebrows raised high up the span of her forehead, chuckling nervously.

"That's all you have to say?" She asked, looking amused.

"No, of course not!" Anna's voice was higher now, looking down at Elsa accusingly. "I just can't believe you were sneaking around to see a _boy_!"

"It happened twice, Anna. That's all." Elsa muttered, turning the chair back to the desk again. Her fair-skinned fingers picked up the letter from before lying facedown, picking it up promptly to fold the paper.

"But he went out of his way to come to the coronation ball to see you?!" Anna's question caused another sigh to slip between Elsa's lips.

"I guess... He said he wanted to see me again, but that could mean nothing - "

"That does _not _mean nothing." Anna insisted, placing her hands on her hips as she strolled next to her with a grin. "When are you going to see him again?"

Elsa's shoulders stiffened at the question, folding the parchment once more. Another dose of fear flitted through her, but she tried to ignore it by rationalizing her choice not to look for Jack. After all, if their situations had been opposite, she would had ran away from her powers long ago.

"I doubt he wants to see me again after he saw what I did..." Elsa admitted softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I'm sure that I pleasantly scared him away."

"Well, you'll never know unless you pay him a visit." Anna's voice was bright, causing Elsa to look up at her with a stern expression; attempting to tear down her grin with her narrowed eyes. That did not trifle the princess whatsoever, however. "What? I know you want to, I can tell."

Elsa marveled over this, flattening the letter out with her palm against the desk. But Anna was quick to chime in again, looking somehow more eager than ever before.

"Let's go tonight, after my date with Kristoff...! Maybe he'll be working."

"Maybe..." Elsa considered the notion, toying with scenarios in her head to what Jack's reaction would be if she and Anna showed up at the bakery together. The idea of Anna accompanying her made the prospect much less intimidating, especially since Elsa had begun to cling to the idea that she no longer had to be alone since the exposure of her powers. So she looked up and smiled thinly at her sister, keeping her voice even despite that a wash of thrill ran through her. "You'll come with me?"

Anna clapped her hands together, nodding and grinning all at once.

"Of course I will. What are sisters for?"

* * *

Anna was gone for more than a few hours, making Elsa grow slightly anxious as she dressed herself in a white gown for whatever was to come out of her reconciliation with Jack. There was plenty to do in order to keep her mind off of the event to come, particularly where the castle dungeon was concerned. Repairing the damage Elsa had done to it under Hans' imprisonment was not an easy task, and the queen sympathized with every servant who was involved. But as time ticked by, Elsa found herself pacing the foyer of the castle looking for anything else to do apart from staring at a clock, but failed miserably doing so. Until finally, she heard a sled being dragged into the courtyard, meaning that Anna had returned.

Of course, the young queen tried to nonchalantly slip out of the castle without seeming impatient or yearning when she found her sister, Kristoff, and Sven outside. It was nearly evening time now, and the sun was just beginning to descend over the North Mountain. Ergo, Elsa had other matters on her mind but the time of day. And instead, she attempted to offer the aforementioned personages a small smile as she approached while tucking a strand of white-blond hair behind her ear. If anything, she didn't wish to disrupt them until they had acknowledged her, since Anna and Kristoff were looking particularly... Cozy.

Inasmuch, Kristoff waved sheepishly once he saw that Elsa had arrived. The arm holding Anna around the waist dropped at once - as if he thought he might be doing something wrong under her weathered gaze.

"Ah, err, your majesty." Kristoff cleared his throat, gently pushing Anna in her direction. "I've returned the princess in one piece."

Elsa tried to hide her laughter into the back of her hand when Anna turned to give him a stone hard look in response at his awkward greeting.

"I'm more relieved that she brought you back in one piece, to be honest." Elsa countered, lifting one of her eyebrows. "Even the sled is still intact... What a relief."

"Ha, ha. Very funny, you two..." Anna muttered sarcastically, glancing at Kristoff, before smirking some. "Besides, I think we should really be talking about where Elsa and I are going tonight..." Elsa knew where that was going before she could hide the fact that she was thoroughly embarrassed, feeling herself choke on any words of resistance that might have left her mouth.

"Where are you two headed?" Kristoff asked innocently, scratching the back of his head. Elsa tried to cut into the conversation, but Anna was much quicker, sounding sly and taunting all at once.

"Elsa is going to see a _boy."_

"He's just a friend." Elsa inserted breathlessly, straightening out her posture firmly. As if that might have helped her regain any of her pride...

"Oh really?" Kristoff grinned, turning to Anna while raising his eyebrows up and down. "Who's the lucky guy?"

Again, Elsa tried to respond before Anna did, but she had no such luck. Somehow, Anna had the ability to talk much faster than she did. A fact that the young queen suddenly heartily resented.

"His name is Jack!"

"Anna, stop it..." Elsa mumbled, watching as Kristoff turned his back towards the sled. However, when he did so, his shoulders tensed up.

"I hope you don't mean Jack Overland." His voice sounded strangely serious now, turning his head towards Anna curiously. Although Elsa couldn't see his face, she thought that there was something very off about his demeanor now. And finally, she managed to speak up before Anna did.

"You know him?" Her question was purely inquisitive, wondering how the two of them had met. But any inquiries that had risen quickly crumbled when Kristoff turned around, his face unreadable behind a mask of sympathy.

"I... Did know him..." Elsa felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach, clenching against her will. Kristoff's eyes didn't meet anyone, staring in favor of whatever was in the distance between them. But by the time that he clarified what he meant, Kristoff went on, as if he could sense that they were waiting on him.

"Jack Overland passed away in an accident few weeks ago."

* * *

UNBEARABLY LONG.

Sorry about another cliffhanger?  
I promise there will be more in my next update... I will shoot for tomorrow, if I can. Woof woof.


	16. XVI

**Author's Note**:  
Well, hello. One chapter left after this one, and then who knows where I'll go from there. I can't decide what I wanna do. But AS ALWAYS, thank you endlessly for the reviews, favorites, and follows. I hope that I have the ability to capture Elsa's emotions correctly without it seeming overdone or dramatic.

POBRE ELSA INDEED...

And to Nefarious Seraph 13, yes, moon magic and Disney will do the trick. ;) If only they could give us a legitimate sequel to RotG and Frozen now.

* * *

_"Jack Overland passed away in an accident a few weeks ago._"

Elsa had never understood nor encouraged cruel practical jokes. But at that moment precisely, she wished that he would have been joking - readying herself for any punch line, pleading that it might come. _Anything _from the ice harvester that would have meant that he wasn't being serious. And as she waited, a bitter numb feeling took control over her nerve endings. Stomach twisting into several hard knots. Throat tightening up, rendering her uncapable of saying anything at all as she stared through the air of silence and at the two faces peering back at her. Kristoff's face was mostly blank, but Anna had covered her hands over her mouth as if unsure of what she should say. In the end, Elsa felt her hands twist together uncomfortable. Frost formed around the fingertips of her left hand, but she sucked in a deep, rattling breath; forcing herself to regain control.

"How?" It was the only word she could choke out; nothing more than a syllable. Her voice sounded so foreign to her, bringing her back to when she had been told her parents had died. It had taken all of her self-restraint to keep her powers from getting out of hand. All that Elsa really remembered through that haze of anguish was staying locked up in her bedroom, freezing every wall, the window, her bed... She couldn't even attend the funeral. Not because she hadn't wanted to. But because she had _known _that her powers wouldn't have allowed it.

"It was an accident." Kristoff repeated the words, as if it might make it easier somehow. He glanced sideways towards Anna, as if that encouraged him to explain further. Luckily, he was tentative, even if he didn't have an inkling of what was going on. "He drowned in a frozen pond. I guess he was trying to get his sister off of the ice but fell in himself. That's what I heard, anyway..."

If Elsa hadn't known how much Jack had radiated in love for his younger sister, she wouldn't be able to imagine the scene so vividly. But the image that came to her only caused her eyes to avert, mouth tugging into a grimace while she listened to the rest of the story.

"It took three ice harvesters to get his body out... He was under there for a few hours." Kristoff licked his lips, bowing his head an inch. "I didn't know that you knew him, otherwise I would have told Anna earlier... Sorry."

Elsa exhaled shakily, her mind whirling at a speed that she couldn't conceive. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination when she heard her heart pulsing hard in her ears from the finalization narrating Jack's last few minutes as a living, breathing person. All that she knew was that she didn't want to be seen as grief began to arch her eyebrows and jerk at the corners of her mouth... Knowing that Jack wouldn't have fallen through an icy pond, if it hadn't been for her giving Arendelle its first winter that year, six months earlier than it should have come.

"You don't need to apologize." Elsa whispered, surprising herself when she actually gained enough bravery to speak again. Even her voice sounded as paralyzed as her fingers felt when she finally responded honestly, including her train of regret. "It was my fault."

"Elsa..." Anna spoke now, voice dry and concerned. Elsa's miserable stare wandered briefly over her sister's face, meeting her eyes, but she was unable to look at them for very long. She didn't want anyone to feel sorry for her - as if she was wounded, incapable of taking care of herself. And so, the blonde young woman angled her body back towards the castle entrance.

"I'm sorry, excuse me..." She tried to pardon herself, but Anna was behind her before she could get very far.

"No, Elsa, don't say that. It wasn't your fault, you heard what Kristoff said, it was an accident - " But Anna's words didn't make her feel any better. It didn't make her throat stop tightening, nor her heart rate to return to a steady speed. So instead, Elsa turned around and shot her a hardened expression.

"Yes, it was. You don't have to lie to me in order to make me feel better, Anna. I know what I did." Her hands began to tremble, ice forming over her wrists now as she looked at her sister fiercely. But when she realized that she was growing angry - not at Anna, but at herself - she tore her gaze away. Anna took a few steps back, as if afraid that she might lose the manipulation over her powers. But after a lingering pause, Elsa brushed the ice off of her arms, feeling light-headed at what had happened. It slowly sank into her, when she repeated the words in her head... _Jack was dead._

"I'm sorry, I... I need to be alone." Her response was a small plead, turning in favor of the castle doors again. She hoped that Anna wouldn't follow, but now that her sister had a space cushion between them, she did so regardless; footwear clicking prominently against the cement underneath.

"Don't shut me out this time." Anna begged. Elsa could hardly focus on what was being said. "Please, let me be here for you."

The young and normally reserved queen only stopped when she was in front of the closed doors, reaching up to grasp the silver handle tightly. Subsequently, when her fingers made pressure on the iron, ice began to form around the ring where her hand had came in contact with it. Huffing angrily at her sudden inability to keep herself under check, she shook her head irritably and pressed the heavy door open.

"Not now, Anna." She murmured under her breath. Yet she managed to look over at Anna again before she parted, barely able to make out Kristoff and his reindeer in the distance. One look into Anna's eyes told her that her sister was undoubtedly distressed by the news, and even more when she had seen Elsa's reaction to it. But Elsa had lost the ability to smile - and so, she could only manage to mutter an apology before entering the castle and leaving everyone else behind her.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

It wasn't the first time in her life when Elsa had felt robbed; as if something that she valued and cherished had been stolen from her. So when the queen came into the foyer of the castle, she didn't return to her bedroom right away as grief soaked through her senses. Instead, she went back to her father's study, trekking down each of the corridors until she collapsed in the same chair where she had been working previously. Her cool fingers trailed over her lips in thought, staring bleakly across the items that her father had left behind after his death. She thought of him and her mother fondly, and that helped. But when it came back to her thoughts that swirled around Jack's death involuntarily... There was no source of comfort. No reminder that he would be proud of her. Nothing, except for the realization that she would never see him again. And when she had asked him not to follow her up the North Mountain - she hadn't known that it would be permanently, making her wish that she would have told him something or _anything _else, instead of being as selfish as she was, when Jack had been nothing but kind to her.

For several minutes, Elsa attempted to calm herself down by burrowing her face in her arms. She laid her head down on the desk, taking in the scent of pine cleaner that had polished the wooden surface. It wasn't until one of the servants - an older woman by the name of Hilda - cleared her throat to announce that she had entered the office. Slowly, Elsa raised her head to look at the bespectacled, gray-haired woman standing at the entryway.

"Pardon me, your highness; but dinner is being served now." Her tone was informative, yet her eyes closely watched Elsa. As if she could sense that there was something off about her demeanor. Erstwhile, Elsa breathed deeply, standing up from the chair and moving around the woman cautiously; eager to keep everyone out, which was a habitual course of action. Even if she knew that it wasn't at all emotionally safe for her to do so.

"I'm not hungry." Elsa reflected softly, feeling her regal composure deflate by the second, even if she was telling the truth. She kept her back towards the staff member, clasping her hands together while her fingers quivered. Suddenly she felt exhausted, as if there was nothing that she wanted to do more than sleep for the next several days. "But Anna is just outside. You should invite her friend Kristoff, and see if he would like to join her."

Once she escaped the room, she swerved into the empty corridor. But again, Hilda turned around to ask her a question.

"Your majesty? Is something wrong?"

Elsa's shoulders sank in defeat, biting her lip before setting out towards the staircase. The compression in her throat only seemed to grow, barely managing to say anything else to the woman when her mind screamed at her to escape.

"I'm just not hungry, Hilda. Thank you."

* * *

Elsa's bedchamber had been a source of comfort for her over the last thirteen years, where she had once barricaded herself, wishing to remain alone. But as soon as the door was closed from behind her, an emptiness filled her whole at the realization that she was bringing herself into isolation on her own violition. The thought caused her breathing to stiffen, wandering towards the window intuitively. The same window she had spent daydreaming in front of for thirteen years, wishing that she could run away and never have to endure the fear that she had once had. She felt childless when she approached, hands resting on the pane as she admired the sunset. But nothing could distract her from what had happened to Jack, and that much was evident from the way her stomach churned at the mere memory of him.

It was the smaller details that made her yearn to see him again - just once more, that was all she wanted. His uneven crooked smile hovered as a vision in her mind, recalling the feeling of his hand gently resting on the small of her back when he had attempted to lead her in a dance. Awfully, as it were, but the recollection was as heart warming as it was painful. Elsa closed her eyes shortly, resting her forehead against the glass of the window before turning around to face her wardrobe. In just a few even strides, the queen found her jewelry box, fingers hesitating to reach for the alabaster necklace inside. But they found the twine regardless, peering at the stone before returning to the foot of her bed to admire it. Knowing that it was the only evidence that she had to prove that she had known Jack whatsoever.

"Elsa?"

She didn't know how long she had been staring at the sentimental object before she heard her door creak open. It was Anna's voice that shook her out of her thoughts, but she didn't bother to look over to find her sister there waiting for her to answer. A deep settling admiration to Anna festered when she realized that she hadn't knocked. After thirteen years of confinement, Elsa's impulse would have been to ask Anna to leave her alone. But for now - she didn't want Anna to leave.

"He told me to give this back to him when I fixed things with you..." Elsa started softly, sounding fond as her fingertips touched the bulky alabaster stone. She heard a heavy sigh leave Anna's lips before stepping into the room. "And I promised him that I would."

As Anna drew closer to where she sat, words came pouring out of her mouth helplessly; as if she no longer wanted to keep them secret.

"He was only in my life for a week. Only one week, for heaven's sake. But just in that span of time, I felt so _normal _around him. Like I didn't have to hide who I was... As if I could just be myself, for once." She paused, collecting a deep breath as a somber smile stretched across her mouth. "And I'll never be able to repay that to him... I'll never have the chance."

Anna sat down beside her on the bed, giving the alabaster necklace a short stare before coming to rest on Elsa softheartedly. She gave a minimal smile, despite that Elsa did her best not to look with the fear of looking weak and fragile, even if she felt her composure breaking. Finally, Anna did speak, sounding reassuring when she did so, even if Elsa grew frustrated by the context of it.

"It wasn't your fault, what happened. It was an accident." Elsa was getting tired of that word. _Accident. _As if there could have been no way to prevent his death - like it had been written on a contract from the time he had been born. "You don't have to blame yourself. You're strong, Elsa. And some things like this... They just happen. Like when mother and father died, it's just... It's part of being human."

"But it wouldn't have happened if I could have controlled my powers." Elsa countered, eyebrows furrowing together as her left hand clutched around the base of the stone.

"Yeah, but you can control them now." Anna reminded her kindly, reaching up to brush Elsa's white-blonde braid with her fingers, much like their mother would when they had been small. "That's what matters, and I'm sure of Jack was here, he would agree."

"He would agree." Elsa admitted softly, frowning as her eyes began to burn against her hands. "But it doesn't make me feel any better, Anna. He was so kind to me, even when he didn't have to be..."

"You could visit his family." Anna suggested, resting one of her hands on Elsa's. She nodded firmly in gesture. "Give them back the necklace."

"I don't think I can do that."

"Yes you can. I _know _you can."

"And what if they blame me for what happened?" Finally, Elsa turned her head to look at Anna, meeting her gaze despite that her vision was becoming blurred and a sob threatened to escape her throat. "I couldn't live with that on my conscience for the rest of my life."

"Elsa, there is no one blaming you but yourself..."

The young queen made the inclination to turn her head, but before she could do so, Anna had wrapped her arms around her neck. The embrace was more than welcomed, even if it had come out of nowhere. Elsa raised her own arms to return the sentiment, but faltered by Anna making an observation that she hadn't yet noticed.

"Elsa... You're crying."

Blinking, Elsa reached up over Anna's shoulder to touch the few tears that had managed to slip out of her eyes without her knowledge. She quickly brushed them away with her knuckles, as if the documentation that they had been there was now eliminated.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." Elsa whispered, closing her eyes as she buried her face into Anna's shoulder. "I'll stop."

* * *

It took five days for Elsa to finally gain enough courage to make a visit to the Overland's home. The days became easier as they went on, and if it hadn't been for Anna's faith and consolation, she might not have done so whatsoever. But there she was, carriage pulling out into the residential cottage where Jack had lived. Her azure eyes swept the community, remembering when Jack had showed her his home from the hillside. It was so befitting for him that she could only smile, feeling her breath stiffen when her eyes sought out a young, brunette girl sitting on her own. Even from afar, Elsa could tell she must have been Jack's sister. A thought that caused her hands to falter when they touched the door of the carriage, holding her breath as hesitation rushed through her veins.

"Would you like me to accompany you, your majesty?" Her driver asked, sounding cautious. He glanced out around the neighborhood, as if he could hardly believe that the Queen of Arendelle - of all people - had business in such a place.

"No, that's alright. It'll only take me a minute. I won't keep you waiting long." Elsa promised, attempting to smile politely. She released the breath she had been holding in, stepping out into the summer air before facing the residence. The castle certainly dwarfed it in comparison, but Elsa didn't give it another thought before she saw that the young girl was looking at her curiously. Her eyes were wide, shifting awkwardly on the steps; clearly recognizing her. However, Elsa tried not to let that deter her as she strolled up the walkway; stopping only when she was a little more than a foot away from the girl.

"Hello." She greeted her civilly, analyzing the girl who must have been only ten-years-old. "You must be Pippa."

Pippa's bronze eyes widened upon realization that the queen knew her name, staring up in awe, as if she had just walked into a dream. On one hand, Elsa couldn't believe how much Jack and his sister had looked alike. They'd had the same eyes, a factor that made it much simpler for her to adjust in conversation, despite that anxiety fluttered through her stomach.

"Hi, Queen Elsa..." Pippa said softly. She opened her mouth to continue, but Elsa interjected; hoping to eliminate her confusion by being the first to speak.

"I've heard so much about you. So it's pleasure, to finally meet you." Elsa smiled again, clasping her hands together in front of her.

"Y-you have?"

"Yes, from your brother." Pippa looked more confused than ever before, eyebrows shooting up her forehead as if she couldn't believe what she was being told. But even so, her lips tugged downwards into a frown at one word that had anything to do with 'brother'.

"He probably didn't tell you that we were friends. But he told me a lot about you, Pippa." Even if she tried to sound nonchalant, the emotion attached to her voice was impossible to hide. And even when Elsa tried to clear her throat, it was still there.

"He did?" Pippa asked, blinking in return. Elsa nodded, before lowering herself so that she and Pippa were on eye level.

"He certainly did." She paused, azure eyes looking to meet Pippa gaze. "He told me you were his very best friend."

Pippa's chin quivered, eyes growing hooded as they averted to stare at her lap. Elsa reached out to touch her hand softly, but only for a second before retracting it back down to her side, keeping her gaze solely on Pippa and Pippa only.

"I'm sorry to hear about what happened to him. You must be in a lot of pain right now." Elsa whispered, feeling herself exchange the girl a smaller frown. Pippa nodded slowly, melancholy and the reality of loss clinging to her tone when she spoke again.

"I miss him." Her voice was so small that Elsa might have missed it if she hadn't been concentrating so hard. But when her throat began to painfully strain again, she looked down and smiled.

"I miss him too." Elsa admitted gently, biting her lip as her hands wandered down into the purse she had clasped underneath her cape. "But... I wanted to give this to you."

Carefully, she picked up the alabaster necklace by the twine, dropping it into Pippa's lap. When she looked up at the girl again, a true smile had spread itself across her mouth toothily, picking it up in her small hands with amazement.

"This was Jack's!" She exclaimed, as if it was something that she had been looking for all along. "We found this stone in our pond last summer..." Her voice was ecstatic, clutching it to her chest as she beamed. Elsa chuckled at the sight, tilting her head some as she rested her arms against her knees.

"He told me to return it to him when my sister and I were on better terms." Elsa explained. A strange summer breeze slipped down the back of her, causing her to shudder slightly. "And we are now, so... I thought that I should give it back to you since he is no longer here to take it back."

Pippa looked up again, as if the reality of her brother's passing still hadn't sunk in yet, and Elsa's response was nothing more than another testimony of that. Every emotion she held had welled up in her eyes, staring at Elsa with grief that she was trying so hard to conceal. Therefore, Elsa drew in a deep breath and continued, hoping that she might be able to offer the girl something a little more than a necklace that had been handed down from her dead brother.

"Pippa, if you ever need anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask." She paused, making another additional effort to smile. "You know where to find me. The castle is always open. I know how special your brother was, and... That isn't something I think you should have to hide."

For a few seconds, Pippa stared at her blankly. Elsa wondered if she had said something wrong, making her stand up and brush off her gown with her hands.

"Queen Elsa?"

Elsa looked up at the sound of being addressed. But just as she did so, Pippa came in front of her; wrapping her arms around her middle and squeezing her happily, as if there was nothing else she could have said to make her feel better. And in that one hug, Elsa felt better, feeling as if Jack's spirit hadn't been entirely revoked from her, especially when Pippa pulled her arms away, grinning widely at the queen.

"Thank you."

And Queen Elsa of Arendelle went to bed soundly that night for the first time in one month; knowing that she had done something right that day.

Knowing - without a doubt in her mind - that her mother, father, and Jack were all proud of her for doing what she had, even if she didn't know it herself.

* * *

Nope. Swear I'm not getting emotional over this. Nope nope nope.

I can't believe this is one update from being over... What the devil. Didn't I just start writing this like two seconds ago?


	17. XVII

**Author's Note:**  
This won't be very long... Much apologies. The fic was originally intended to end last chapter, but my friend gave me another idea, so here's this mess instead. ;)

I really would love to write something that can continue what I have here, but I'm conflicted. FHwufhuewf... A have a few ideas in mind, but nothing solid yet. If I do, it's going to involve a lot of Pitch, since I love him. I wish I could have included him in this fic here, but unfortunately, there was no room. Next time, Pitchy; next time.

Regardless, thank you again to everyone who stuck with the story and gave me reviews. It gave me a lot of motivation to finish this, so I thank you deeply. I can hardly believe that it's over but you've all been so great to leave me such kind words. I am eternally grateful, especially when it comes to the compliments I received about Elsa's character (I'm talking to you, C!). Like wow, that is something else. I often feel like she's missing so much depth in a lot of fics, completely overshadowing all that Frozen provided for her, so I definitely sought keeping to her character as much as I could. I love her lots.

And with that, this is the end, for now. You're all beautiful people. Thank you. I've never finished a fic before in my life, so this is a first. I guess I just really love Jelsa.

Much love,  
A.V Storm

* * *

Jack Frost couldn't be seen by anyone - but he tried. Endlessly, he would walk through the town square where he had risen from the pond, propelling snow at everyone in sight, attempting to be heard or catch the attention of anyone within the vicinity. But no one saw him; they all stepped through his body, sending a thrill of hot panic shooting through spirit. An emptiness to remind him that he was alone; no one could see him, and he didn't even know who he was himself. It was a redundant existence, while he peered up at the moon every night holding his staff close to him, which felt like the only beacon of hope he'd ever had. The fascination of his own winter powers had died down after weeks and months, flying in every direction that he could - overseas, to countries that he had never dreamed of - fulfilling his duty towards the Man in the Moon as the personification of winter.

But even so, Jack felt loneliness kindling his emotions. He returned to Arendelle as often as he could to try to attain a sliver of knowledge to who he was or if he had ever existed prior to being awakened out of the frozen pond. It was a mundane mantra; always leaving him to feel emptier than ever, leaving and returning every year as if he couldn't help himself.

That was until he saw the Queen of Arendelle one day, bearing similar abilities to his own. At first, Jack hadn't believed the sight. He flew down from the sky above to observe her, landing potently on the roof of the castle. Hanging off the edge to get a closer look while balancing himself out on one of the green towers with his staff, he watched as the beautiful queen - bearing white-blonde hair and a sleek, blue gown made of ice - design frozen scultors to entertain a group of children. They giggled together while the queen worked her magic, forming the magnificent sculptors into angels and horses, like a work of art. If it _was _magic, anyway. Jack didn't know, but he intended to find out.

His bare feet hit the ground of the courtyard, following closely after the Snow Queen. He walked up to her smiling figure, beaming down at all of the children staring in awe at her and the icy sculptors. Jack watched carefully as the ice came fluently from her fingertips, attempting to get a closer look as he impended his face towards the queen.

"You're just like me, aren't you?" Jack asked aloud, wishing that she could hear him. But of course, she didn't - no one ever did. He frowned, ruffling his hair with his hand while examining her profile. There was something about her ivory skin, white-blonde hair, and azure eyes that made him think that she looked familiar. As if he'd seen her before, spoken to her, even. But of course, Jack deduced that it was just another one of his fantasies that came hand in hand with _anyone _having the ability to see him. Of course, he also noticed that she didn't appear as cold as anyone else did in the middle of winter. The children were all wearing wooly coats and scarves, while the queen adorned nothing more than a dress.

"Queen Elsa, a letter just arrived for you." A servant came out from the castle, summoning the queen back inside. So her name was Elsa...? Jack tilted his head, wandering forward to begin following her back into the castle when she bade the cluster of children farewell. They all gave separate noises of disappointment, waving Elsa goodbye as she slipped through the door.

Jack had been so immersed with distinguishing the queen that he hadn't noticed that one of the little girls from the crowd came after her, reaching out to take her hand. She couldn't have been older than two or three. Her hair was light, strawberry blonde; accompanied with freckles and bright, brown eyes. He had just begun to wonder who she was, until two new individuals strolled into the foyer. One look at them and Jack knew that they were the parents of the little girl, judging on the fact that she had inherited both of their features equally.

"See? There she is, she's just been playing with her Aunt Elsa this whole time!" The woman lightly smacked the burly, blonde-haired man - presumably her husband - playfully against his chest.

"Were you looking for her?" The queen asked, raising her eyebrows at the pair while a humored smile toyed at her lips. The servant who had just intended to hand an envelop towards the queen was looking impatient, arm retracting dully to his side when he realized that he was being ignored.

"Sorta..." It was the man who spoke up first, fingering through his hair. "You know how she is. Look away for one second and she's already halfway around the castle..."

"If only you and Sven didn't have the same span of attention." His wife chimed, shooting him a goofy grin.

"We don't have the same span of attention!" The man countered, sighing as he shook his head. "Anyway... We'd better get going. I promised Bulda we would stop for dinner..."

Elsa looked surprised, blinking as she peered across the room at the pair.

"You're going out tonight?" Her voice was mostly inquisitive, but it made Jack wonder if she didn't like the idea of being alone.

"Yeah, but we'll be back before it gets dark." The woman explained. Jack thought that she and the queen must have been sisters, considering that they looked far more alike than Elsa did to the broad-shouldered man. Even so, he couldn't keep his eyes off the scene. Something told him that he knew these people, but he didn't know how or where. Or if it was just something that his imagination had come up with to deal with living his winter spirit existence all alone.

"Come here, little one. It's time for you to put your coat on... It's cold out there." Elsa's sister knelt down, holding out a coat towards the little girl. But stubbornly, she pouted and pulled at her aunt's hand, causing Jack to chuckle.

"Aunt Elsie!" She proclaimed, amber eyes staring up at the queen.

"She'll be here when we get back." The strawberry blonde haired woman crossed through the foyer, attempting to wriggle her daughter into the coat to no avail. The toddler simply shrugged her arms back and forth until her mother gave up, and the queen took the coat from her; laughing softly into the back of her hand.

"That's right, you'd better bundle up." Elsa crouched down, smiling happily as she held the coat out. The little girl looked uncertain at first, but eventually gave in; slipping her arms through the bulky fabric. When she turned around again, Elsa tapped her on the nose gently. "You don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose..."

Jack blinked at the sound of his own name, watching as the little girl giggled and bounded towards her parents at the door. It must have been purely coincidental that she would use such a phrase, he decided. Some practical joke that the moon must have been pulling on him, surely...

Frowning, Jack looked towards the door again, observing while the family said their farewells and slipped into the wintery evening. That meant that he and the queen were alone then, didn't it...?

"I apologize, Anton. I'll get to this right away."

Jack looked back to find that the queen had finally taken the envelop carefully between her fingers.

"No need to apologize, your highness." The servant responded gruffly. But he had no other words to provide, before disappearing down the corridor. Inasmuch, Elsa carefully opened the paper parcel. Her stare moved back and forth over the page, emitting a little sigh as she did so. Jack tried to read over her shoulder, but just as he tried to do so, the queen had retracted her arm back down to her side. She pressed her forefinger and her thumb over her eyelids, pressing down on them lightly. And for the first time that evening, Jack thought that she might have looked terribly lonesome.

But he followed her through the castle when she began to move, analyzing the elegant way in which she walked through the halls. Her posture was impeccable, and it was difficult for him not to admire her while he glided behind her, staff still in hand. His stare had briefly wandered over the royal portraits on the walls as they passed, but finally, the queen found her way into a private study. Jack studied the room, making the mental note that it didn't at all look like it would have belonged to a woman. But he resided his judgment while his bright indigo eyes watched Elsa begin to work at the desk. She pulled out a set of parchment, an ink, and a quill, scrawling with her hand precisely. Even her penmanship was elegant, something that Jack knew he could never mimic.

"You're left handed." Jack observed quietly, sitting down on the corner of the desk as he watched the letter progress. It must have been a letter to an official, because it made him bored to tears when he tried to read it. Sighing, Jack continued to stare her down while she worked. He thought about sending a snowball in her direction to try and get her to acknowledge his presence. Maybe even form a sheet of ice over the desk, just to see what her reaction would be...

But any inclination that he'd had to make himself known, he couldn't dare himself to do it. There was just something about the queen's eyes and expression that made him see how outright sombershe looked, as if being alone truly bothered her, even if her family hadn't been gone for long at all. This only served to further frustrate Jack, causing him to jump off of the desk and run a hand through his white hair. He wished that he could _talk _to her, just to ask her about her powers and how she had obtained them. But for some reason, he didn't want to scare her. A feature in itself, as he normally made everything a joke within his grasp. But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to do it. As if he was afraid that he might scare her should he try.

"I wish you could hear me." Jack muttered, resting his elbows down on the desk. He looked at her again, daring himself to touch her. The impulse came quickly, so fast that Jack didn't bother to control himself, as if his subconscious was trying to remind him of something that he had forgotten. Her name slipped out of his mouth so easily, as if he had said it multiple times before. "Elsa..."

Jack tried to touch her, extending his forefinger to brush her cheek. But just like always, that searing pain returned, and his hand slipped right through her. Huffing, he flipped around, placing his hands on his waist while feeling angry that the queen was just another person who couldn't see him. Even so, the yearning to look at her for just a minute longer consumed him. So the winter spirit turned around, watching while she worked again; dabbing the end of the quill into the ink several times. Her expression didn't shift once - as if she was distracting herself on purpose, to avoid her own thoughts.

But finally, Jack knew that he didn't have any other reason to stay. Winter had been delivered, and the answers that he heavily seeked surely weren't being held by a queen. The idea and notion of it all was _preposterous _on all accounts.

"Your majesty..." Jack started, voice falling awry. He tried once more to reach out for her, but it failed as easily as the first time. And with a disgruntled huff, Jack tilted his head and smiled at her, even if she couldn't see him.

"Your eyes are too sad for someone so beautiful."

And with that sentence as the last farewell to the Queen of Arendelle, Jack dislodged the clasp on the window of the study. He freed himself, holding his staff beside him as he went soaring into the cool, wintery sky; silently vowing that he would never return to the castle. It was time for him to move on with his existence, rather than worry about solving the mysteries of the enchanting Snow Queen...

After all, what was the point if she didn't even believe in him?

* * *

_~fin~_


	18. The New Patron Saints And Angels

**Author's Notes:**  
I fooled you. This is not actually a chapter.

But after several reviews asking me to write a second part to Summer Shudder, it has been done.

You can find The New Patron Saints And Angels on my page.

You know, if you're still interested. ;)

Much love,  
A.V Storm. 


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