Tempest-A Jack Frost and Elsa Fanfiction

Elsa-Chapter 20

Elsa's world seemed to have slowed to a stop, nothing Mara had just said made any sense. She stared blankly at the spot where Jack had vanished, hurt and shocked. The one person she wanted here right now to explain what was going on had inexplicably vanished, leaving her alone with the other Seasons.

She looked down at the floor where the shattered remains of the snow globe Jack had made for her were scattered. Stooping down, she gingerly scooped up the jagged pieces in her hands, tears pricking her eyes as she crouched there with the shattered remains of Jack's lovely gift.

Jack, please come back, she pleaded silently, wondering if he would even hear her. I need you.

"Elsa?" Mara asked tentatively, putting a hand on her arm. Elsa flinched away and Mara dropped her hand to her side. Her face looked sorrowful as she watched Elsa who stared mutely at each of the Seasons in turn.

"How is this possible?" she whispered numbly. "My family is from Illinois. I'm human, I never knew there were other realms until I met Jack. I just thought I was like one of the X-Men."

The Seasons all raised their eyebrows at her and she mumbled, "Sorry, I forgot who I'm talking to. You guys have probably never seen those movies, have you?"

"I've seen them," Alyssa piped up but then quelled under the look Mara gave her. Elsa stared around at the remaining three Seasons, still trying to wrap her brain around what Mara had said.

"I wanted to tell you," Mara said, pleading for Elsa to understand. "But would you have believed me before you met Jack?"

Elsa shook her head, her heart panging. She needed Jack right now more than ever. Where had he gone?

"He didn't know?" she whispered tentatively. Mara shook her head sadly, her eyes downcast.

"No, Jack was Delani's friend and protector, but we couldn't risk your safety by allowing anyone else to know the secret that the royal bloodline still lives in you. The Vatrans would never have stopped hunting you if they had known you were alive. We did everything we could to protect you. I took you to a human family who was desperately longing for a child and who I knew would love you no matter what and they raised you as their own. It was safer for you not to know your identity, we had to protect you from the Vatrans."

"What do the Vatrans want?" Elsa asked. "Why did they kill my mother?"

The words tasted foreign on her tongue as she spoke them aloud. Her mother, a woman she had never known, was the Snow Queen of Ledas. Elsa couldn't wrap her mind around the idea that she was a princess. Her head was swimming, her throat closing over and suddenly she couldn't breathe. She needed to get out of here.

"I need some air," she gasped, running up the steps and flinging open the door to the balcony. The frigid air wrapped her in its embrace, comforting her slightly and cooling her face until she could think straight. She had no idea how to rule a realm that she hadn't known existed until a couple of weeks ago. She knew nothing about Ledas, she was not fit to be queen. Jack should have been king, he was certainly qualified, a natural leader and he knew the people of Ledas better than she could ever hope to.

"Elsa?" Mara asked tentatively, coming out onto the balcony to stand next to her, leaning on the frozen railing and melting it slightly with her touch. Elsa turned to look at her. Even though Mara had lied to her, she still trusted her to a certain extent. She was the one who had told her the truth today, that counted for something.

"I'm not fit to be queen," Elsa sniffed, fighting back tears. "I'm not. I don't know anything about the realms, I don't even know why the Vatrans want to kill me or why they killed my mother."

Mara took a deep breath, her shoulders sagging with the weight of the words she was about to say. "The Vatrans want to take over all the realms and they started their invasion with Ledas and killed Delani. That's why the Seasons had to create the barrier between the realms. Once Jack drove them back to Vatra, we sealed the realms off from each other. Only the seasons can access each realm so that we can do our jobs."

Elsa didn't say anything for a moment, she just stared out at the frozen world before her. How was she supposed to do this?

"I'm not a queen, Mara," she said quietly. "I've spent my whole life hiding. I know nothing about being a ruler, or the people I'm supposed to lead."

Mara smiled gently, squeezing Elsa's hand on the balcony railing. "We'll teach you everything you need to know. You are royal by blood, Elsa. I know that you'll make a fantastic queen."

Elsa smiled weakly, wishing more than anything she could talk to Jack. He always knew what to do to make her feel better.

"So what happens now?" she asked wearily, putting her head in her hands. Mara straightened, pulling Elsa toward the door.

"Now we go to your true home," Mara said, dragging Elsa reluctantly toward where Alyssa and Theo still stood, talking quietly to each other. Well, Theo was talking quietly, Elsa wasn't sure Alyssa could be quiet even if she wanted to.

"Will she be ready in time?" Alyssa hissed. "The Vatrans are getting restless."

Elsa stared at her, her heart rate accelerating rapidly. "What do you mean?" she demanded, her snow swirling around her in agitation. "What's going on?"

Mara glanced at Theo who said, "The Vatrans are threatening another attack. Ledas needs a queen now more than ever to lead if it comes to that."

"It could be war?" Elsa squeaked, the ice swirling faster around her until it nearly knocked Alyssa off her feet. Theo and Mara nodded. "We hope to stop them before it comes to that, but it's time for Ledas' rightful ruler to take her place on the throne. It's time for you to become who you were always meant to be."

They made it sound so simple, so effortless, but Elsa's ice storm continued to rage around the foyer, whipping the Seasons' hair and clothing as she stood there trying not to cry.

Jack! Where are you? I need you so much right now!

But there was no response and Elsa clenched her fists, trying to calm the storm. At last, the wind died down and the flurries stopped flying, but the Seasons were staring at her as though they didn't quite know what to do with her.

"Come on," Mara said gently. "The seal on the doors of the palace can only be broken by one of royal blood. If we're going to prepare you, we're going to have to go there now."

Elsa nodded feebly, following Mara outside. She ran over to the horse she had conjured, who she had named Glacier, nuzzling her face into his neck so that the others couldn't see her fear. She trembled as she clung to his mane, wishing she could hide again. But the time for that was past now. She needed to become the ice princess.

"Elsa, are you ready?" Theo asked gently, shaking her out of her thoughts. Elsa looked up, pressing her lips together in a determined line and swinging herself up on Glacier's back and kicking him forward.

"I'm ready."