The Peasant's Promise

The Truth Shall Be Revealed...Or Not

       I head out of my cottage, putting on the new brown cloak my mother gave me. She had worked for months to save and to buy the material and make it for me, and I loved it even more because she had put her heart and soul into making it for me.

   "Be careful, Jack, when you head out today. There's a storm coming soon...I feel it on the wind," Mom says as she folds her arms, rubbing them with her hands.

  "Alright, Mom." I tell her as I kiss her on the cheek. Emma pops out from behind her, her eyes pleading, begging me to take her with me.

   "Emma, I don't think you should-" I start, but she interrupts.

  "MOM CAN I GO PLEASE I NEVER GET TO GO ANYWHERE! PLEEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSSEEEEE!" She whines at the top of her lungs. My gosh, where did she get that annoying but terribly cute voice?

  Mom sighs heavily, her patience obviously wearing thin. "Fine," she huffs, handing Emma another layer of clothing. "Put this on so you won't be cold." She instructs, her gaze shifting to me. "Watch her carefully. I trust you to do that." I nod, saying,"I won't let her out of my sight."

     Mom lets out a sigh of relief, and she shuts the door behind her. I look around, and sure enough, Emma was already gone. "Em!" I shout, and she peeks at me from behind a tree, grinning from ear to ear. I shake my head, laughing departed myself.

   "Em, come here." I say sternly. She does, and I bend down to grab her shoulder. "I need you to listen to me, okay? I'm normally funny, but now I'm serious. Mom is counting on me to watch you, and I don't want o make her any more worried than she already is. So don't run off. Okay?"

   She smiles. "Okay, Jackie."

I roll my eyes, pulling her in for a hug as I rub her head, messing up her hair. "Come one, now, munchkin." She laughs, taking my staff away from me. I had recently found it lying in the woods, and I adored it because of its uniqueness. It had a sort of g-shaped hook on the end, and that's what intrigued me. Now I carry it everywhere.

   I can't wait to show Elsa, I think.

   But will she even be out today?

   The wind picks up, chilling me to the bone. I pull Emma closer, putting a piece of my cloak over her to keep her warm. I can feel her shivering stop as I do.

   "Where are we going? To the village?"

  I shake my head. "Palace gardens."

  "But the gates are closed. We can't get through." I stop.

  What? The gates are usually open for the workers and their food carts to be delivered.

   "Are you sure, Ems?"

   "When am I not sure? I can see from here!" She moves the cloak, pointing to the edge of the tree-line to the towering gates overhead. No. No, no...

   Elsa.
_________________________

   I sigh, filling out some paperwork Gerda had instructed me to do for the day. I massage my hand; it was throbbing since I had been writing for the past two hours.

    I put down my pen, looking at the window outside. I wish I could go...suddenly, a knock on the door distracts me from my thoughts. I'm about to open the door when I hear Anna's voice.

  "Elsa? Please...I know you're in there. People are asking where you've been. They say have courage, and I'm trying to, I'm here for you, just let me in..." Her voice cracks as she sings the final sentence-and my heart shatters in two as she does.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?" I hear her slump against the door, and I put my hand on the doorknob, struggling to decide whether I should finally let her in. She'll find out about my powers eventually...maybe she'll embrace them, like Jack did with me.

   Or she'll reject them, and see me as the monster I really am inside.

   I slide down against the door, sobbing. I can't. I can't. I can't risk that chance. Everything I've always done to try and protect her would be for nothing. I could hurt her again. I could-

    Out of the corner of my eye, I see a figure lurk in the shadows. I tense up, afraid. "G-Go away!" I sob, burying my face in my hands. I'm just imagining it, I'm just imagining it....

    But the cold hand pressing on my shoulder says otherwise.

A/N: 😰🙈🙈 Who is the person in her room? Will Jack and Elsa ever get together? *sighs* I need to update more...but school, and homework...((kill me, please!)) I'll update when I can, lovelies. For now, bonjour!