The King of Arendelle

Sov Ikke

In Arendelle, Sophie ran down the hall and into her mother's room.

Emily was moaning and crying out—something she never did in her sleep. Nicholas' crib had been moved to her room for the time being, and so he'd been woken up and was whining. Sophie's long hair fell over her face as she leaned over her mother and shook her, "Mom!"

Emily jerked awake. She was sweating and shivering at once, she couldn't breathe.

"Mom, it's me! It's Sophie." She reassured. Both of them turned to the crib, where Nicholas was close to crying. "I got him." Sophie walked over and picked him up. "Shh, it's okay."

Emily hadn't woken up like this in years. She rarely had nightmares; even when her husband died, or when Jack had vanished for the longest three years of her life, her dreams were never mournful or frightening. When she dreamed of her dear Nicholas, it was of his kisses, of him whispering he loved her while he caressed her cheek.

Sometimes a tear or two would creep down her face, but nothing more.

"Are you okay?" Sophie asked.

Emily nodded, "Fine." She sighed, "I don't usually wake up like this, you know." She grinned. Jack seemed to have inherited his need to 'joke to deflect' from her.

"What happened?"

"I had a bad dream, what do you mean?"

"I mean in your dream." Sophie sat down as her nephew clicked and cooed in her arms. "It had to be awful."

"I feel so silly," she snorted, "it was a dream about your brother. He was small again, maybe five or six. He was playing outside... Something he never got to do. He was laughing and smiling, making big snowmen; it was really nice at first. Then these men on horses came up to me and started accusing me of teaching him witchcraft. They took him from me, right out of my arms. I scratched and screamed, he was crying for me... I haven't had a dream like that in years."

Sophie frowned, ignoring Nicholas pulling on her nightgown, "Are you worried about him?"

"I mean, as a mother, I always worry." She confessed, "But I have to remember Jack's not a child anymore. He hasn't been for a long time. I have to trust he's going to be all right."

Sophie looked down and saw her nephew was mouthing her dress, sucking for milk but whining in frustration when nothing came out. He misses his mommy, Sophie thought.

"Here, I have a bottle ready." Emily took the baby and began to feed him. He looked so much like Jack did when he was a baby... She smiled, "I didn't realize how much I missed having a little baby until Agnes was born. I could do this forever."

"You got lucky, you have some amazing kids and grandkids." Sophie smirked.

"Promise me you'll give me some more. Maybe eight? Five? I'll settle for three." At that, Sophie was rolling her eyes, grinning.

Someone knocked on the door, "Soph?" It was her childhood friend, now fiancé, Jamie, "Everything okay?"

"Mhm. Little mite here was hungry." Sophie noticed someone else was with him.

"Agnes was looking for you." Jamie explained. She looked sad, clutching onto her bunny. An aunt's duties were never finished when the parents weren't around. Sophie kissed her mother's cheek, Nicholas' forehead, then proceeded to walk Agnes back to her room so she could tuck her in.

"Are Mommy and Daddy gonna be home soon?" She asked.

"Very soon. Don't worry. I bet they're sailing back already."