Betrothed to Jack Frost (REWRITTEN)

12)The Ice Queen

Re-readers, you'll find that half of this chapter is brand spanking new.
Happy Reading!!
"Gasoline" by Halsey
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"My dear guests, with our lovely ball just beginning, it is customary for the betrothed couple to share their first dance together," announced Boreas, his smile wide and proud as he gestured toward Elle and his son. Elle's response was immediate and vehement. She shook her head vigorously, her expression one of fierce determination. The thought of dancing with Jack Frost—the man she suspected of having a hand in her father's death—was abhorrent. She would sooner hold her breath until she was dead than acquiesce to this demand.

Jack, however, remained silent. He didn't release Elle's hand. Instead, he extended his other hand toward her in a silent request for her to take it.

"No," Elle said firmly, her gaze fixed on Jack with unyielding hostility. Boreas turned his head sharply at her declaration, his expression shifting from jovial to stern. A murmur rippled through the room as the crowd turned to watch the unfolding scene.

"What did you say?" Boreas inquired, his voice booming and filled with authority as he stroked his thick beard.

"I believe the mortal has denied your request, my king," Zetes announced loudly, a smirk on his face. The woman beside him shared his smugness. The attention of the winter court was now fully on Elle, their eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation. The only sound in the room was the echoing organ music, which seemed to grow more distant amidst the tension.

Boreas ignored his son's words, his gaze fixed intently on Elle.

"What did you say, child?" Boreas repeated, his voice now laced with a threatening edge.

Jack Frost squeezed Elle's hand with an odd, almost imperceptible pressure—a gesture that seemed like a warning, though Elle chose to ignore it. She wrenched her hand free from his grip and met Boreas's gaze with fierce resolve. "I. Said. NO," Elle declared through gritted teeth, her glare unwavering.

The queen and Zetes watched with a mixture of smugness and intrigue, while Khione, a look of fear on her face, buried her face in her hands. Jack remained eerily silent; his expression unreadable. Whether he was smirking or not, Elle was too focused on her own defiance to notice.

"You WILL share a first dance with your fiancé," Boreas declared, his tone brooking no argument.

"I will not," Elle shot back, her voice resolute. "I will not hold his hand, I will not dance with him, and most of all, I WILL NOT MARRY JACK FROST!" Her words rang out, filled with a passionate resolve that resonated through the grand hall.

The room fell into a stunned silence. No one spoke or even seemed to breathe as they observed Elle's rebellion. Jack stood nearby, his quiet presence a stark contrast to the commotion. Boreas's face darkened, his grip tightening on his icy scepter. His frustration was palpable, and his eyes blazed with a mix of anger and determination.

"You have no choice in this matter," Boreas said, his voice cold and final. "It is your DESTINY."

Elle's defiance reverberated through the grand hall. Her eyes, ablaze with fury, refused to waver under the weight of Boreas's icy gaze. As the flames on her hands flickered brighter with her growing anger, she backed away from the imposing figure of her would-be father-in-law.

"I said no. I don't want to marry Jack, and he doesn't want to marry me! Find someone else to do it!" Her voice rang with desperate resolve.

Boreas's face twisted into a snarl. "You WILL show me respect, or I shall make you suffer!"

Elle's laughter was a harsh, bitter sound. "HOW are you going to make me suffer!? Are you going to abduct me? Hold me against my will on my birthday? Force me to marry someone I don't love? Oh, I guess not. Because you're already doing that!"