The Peasant's Promise

Give Me Clarity

       His mom told him he was born in the middle of winter. She had held him in her arms with her husband right beside her. He had watched him grow up, take his first steps. He is-was- Jack's father.

     Papa was a hard working man. He always came home dirty from a hard day's work at the 'iron shop' as he called it-the blacksmiths' forge. He worked day and night to keep a roof over his family's head. Jack wanted to be just like him one day...selfless and devoted to his family, just like Papa was.

  At least, until he was killed for committing murder and adultery.

    Those were hardly ever heard of in Arendelle, especially adultery. When Jack's mom found out, she broke down. What had she done, she wondered, to drive him away like that? To make him go into the arms of another woman?

     Jack vowed he would never treat anyone like that. He would never leave my wife. Once he gets one, at least.

     "Jack?" He turns to the direction he hears his sister calling. My sweet, charming little sister, Emma.

"What is it, Em?" I ask, getting down from my tree branch.

"Why did you get home so late yesterday?"

  "Well, um," I pause. I couldn't tell her that I was with a girl-she'd run off and tell Mom. But, of course, she immediately knew.

    Emma jumps up and down. "OH MEH GOD JACK YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND! WHO IS IT!?"

"Em, calm down." I urge. "She's not my girlfriend, okay?"

At least, not yet. I want to get to know her first.

  "What's her name?"

"Elsa."

  "I want to meet her! Wait, is it the princess?"

   "Emma, of course not. She's just a regular girl. And a lot of girls are named Elsa now, ever since the Queen and King named their heir that."

     This brings a thought to me. Why exactly was she in the palace gardens when we first met?

   She can't be the princess, can she? That would change everything.

  I shake my head. A girl like her could never love me. And if she was indeed the princess...then she couldn't even speak with a lowly peasant like me.

"Jack? You okay?"

  "Oh, sorry." I snap out of my daze. "I'm fine."

    I get up from my spot. "I'm going to go to town. You want anything?"

   "Candy!"

  "You know we can't afford that, Em."

  She sighs, looking down. "We can't afford anything. If only Daddy was here..." She trails off.

  Mom and it thought it was best we never tell her. She was only three and I was only 10, but I knew what has happened. I had witnessed his hanging.

   It was the most painful thing I had ever experienced.

    I hug Emma, telling her goodbye as I head off. I put the the eight krones in my pocket and head towards the palace, hoping to see Elsa there. She has told me she would meet me today, right at the edge of the treeline outside the palace walls. I check to make sure she isn't in the gardens first. She isn't.

    As I head back to the treeline, I see the one huge tree near the middle of town that stands alone: the Devil's Tree. The place where they hanged my father. I clench my fists and walk a little faster.

     I soon get to the tree line, but Elsa isn't there. I lean one leg against the tree, patiently waiting. I continue to wait until the sky starts to turn pink and the air starts to turn colder. A shiver runs up my spine. I can't believe she stood me up. I sigh, putting my hands in my pockets as I start to walk away.

      Then I hear footsteps behind me. "Jack?"

   She's here. But she is not off the hook.

   I turn, angry. "About time, isn't it?"

  The look on her face is heartbreaking. Her cheeks are flushed and her eyes are puffy. She's been crying.

   All of my anger fades. "Elsa, what happened?"

  "I'm so sorry I was late. I know you hate me and you're so mad at me and-" I cut her off by kissing her lips. She immediately blushes a deep red, but she places her hands on my chest. I pull away first, my cheeks turning crimson.

  "Elsa, I'm sorry. I didn't know what came over me."

   "It's fine. Let's just forget that happened." She looks down, still blushing.

   But the thing was, I never wanted to pull away. I never wanted to stop. I wanted her.