The Invisible (Jelsa)

Chapter XXI

"Queen Elsa, there is someone waiting to see you." An attendant knocked respectfully on the door of her study. Elsa sighed, looking up.

"They don't have an appointment, do they?" She asked, wondering if she'd skipped a part where someone was supposed to see her. Maybe she had. She'd been a bit frazzled lately.

"No, I don't believe so."

Elsa pursed her lips. Currently she was writing an angry letter to the neighboring kingdom where they got their textiles from. A shipment had just simply never arrived, even though it was supposed to be here weeks ago! With the wind chilling, she knew her people needed more fabric for warm clothes. Still, any interruption from it would be pleasing so she waved her hand.

"Send them in, I suppose."

The man that burst in was grinning wide. He was an old man, as far as she could tell. Deep wrinkles lined his face, and he had a thick and manly beard. His arms were like tree-trunks, and there was an eternal twinkle in his eyes.

"Queen Elsa!" He bowed respectfully, and looked at her.

She hesitated. "Sir..." She waited. His smile was a thousand watts.

"Ah, you do not recognize me either." He said. Elsa was a little shocked; she thought she knew everyone in the village at least by face, if not name. But he...he was defiantly from around here, but yet Elsa did not know him. Elsa was in the process of scrutinizing him and trying to figure out how she knew him when Jack burst in.

"Elsa!" He scurried over to the desk, paying no attention to the man standing, "Elsa, uh..." He looked bashful, and rubbed his neck, "I just wanted to let you know...Heimdall has a cut on his face." This caught Elsa's attention, if just for a moment. Her eyes widened.

"It's uh, not a big scar...but uh...you know...not what some may call 'small' either but what is small really?" He began to laugh nervously, and Elsa gave him the stone-cold glare, and he sobered, "Okay, I just wanted to let you know that it didn't happen on my watch. This one is not my fault." He threw up a finger pridefully. Elsa was not amused.

The man gasped, and nearly dropped to the floor. "King Jack!" He wheezed out. Jack turned, one hand still on the desk, the other still pointing in the air.

"Whose this, Elsa?" He asked, turning his head. Elsa stared at him, and a wave of surprise washed over her.

"Jack...you remember Mr. Finnes...don't you?" She realized and Jack jumped away.

"What?" He gaped, "The man you kicked off the council?"

"Jack, hush." Elsa snapped, and stood up.

"No, no!" The man got up, swiftly, "I have to thank you for that." It was Elsa's turn to look shocked.

"W...wait. What?" She came to help the man to a standing position.

"Let me explain." He put his hands up, waving them around.

"Jack, a chair?" She looked at her husband, and he wheeled a chair for him to sit, but he refused.

"I am better than ever. Queen, I was furious when you asked me to leave. Angry. I wanted to lash out, get back and show you I was right and you were wrong. Well," He chuckled, "Those were some dark months. It wasn't until my youngest daughter pulled me out of my sad little house filled with anger and told me I would be staying with her for a while. Ah, she always had a wise look to her." Jack and Elsa felt as though this may be longer than just a short story, so they both automatically sat. Mr. Finnes eased down onto a chair.

"I stayed with them a long time, played with my grandchildren and took time to think. Wondered the biggest questions of the universe, I suppose. I would go often into the snow and just look up at the stars. I thought about what you said everyday, Elsa, it played in my mind."