Tempest-A Jack Frost and Elsa Fanfiction

Elsa-Chapter 24

There were no more tears left in her body. After Jack's declaration and Anna's departure, Elsa hadn't opened the door to her room for days, crying stormily into her pillow to muffle the sound from the servants' ears. But after a while, her sobs had ceased and she only felt numb, every emotion as frozen as the rest of her world.

There was nothing else to do so she buried herself in work, learning as much as she could about her people so that she could be half the queen her mother was. Mara was on hand much more lately now that Theo had more work to do as summer waned into fall. They had fallen into an easy friendship once again and Elsa was glad she had someone around to confide in. A small pang of sadness shot through her, that person used to be Jack...

She pushed the thought away, instead focusing on the idea that had been forming in her head for the last few days.

"Mara, I've been thinking," Elsa said, creating little flurries of snow as she studied the book in front of her. "I've been up here in the palace studying my realm from books but I don't know anything about it. Nothing really important anyway."

Mara's brow wrinkled in confusion as she studied Elsa carefully. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I can study these books all day long but they can't tell me what I really need to know," Elsa said, rubbing her temples tiredly. "The only subjects of Ledas I've interacted with are the servants. I want to go out riding tomorrow among the people, get to know them. I want to know what they want so I can lead this realm in a good direction."

An approving smile crossed Mara's lips as she nodded. "Spoken just like your mother would have. I didn't know her very long, but you remind me of her in several small ways. We'll arrange for you to go out tomorrow." She hesitated before saying, "Jack won't like it. He'll say you're too exposed outside of the palace. As your protector, it's his job to keep you from harm."

"He should've thought of that before he—" Elsa started angrily but then bit her tongue. It wouldn't help to take out her anger and frustration on Mara when it was really Jack she wanted to hurt. She had tried for days to understand his reasoning, but somehow she just couldn't. They would have different duties if they were together, of course, but that didn't bother her. The only thing that really troubled her was that he had taken her mother's death so personally and she couldn't understand why. She knew they were friends and he was her guardian too, but that didn't mean it was his fault. Like she had told him before, the giants were to blame. Not him.

"Please Mara?" Elsa pleaded. "Will you at least try?"

Mara sighed, sitting down wearily in a chair. "Maybe I can persuade him into it."

"Thank you!" Elsa exclaimed, her magic accidentally whipping papers off her desk in her excitement. Mara's lips twitched as though she was trying hard not to laugh. Elsa's magic had drastically improved over the last few weeks, unless of course she got excited and carried away.

"I won't make any promises, but I think you have an excellent point. In order to rule the people, you have to know them."

Elsa nodded. "Thank you, Mara."

"I'd better get going," Mara chuckled, standing up. "I have a feeling I'm going to have to do some pretty fast talking to convince Jack to let you do this."

"Good luck," Elsa grinned as Mara vanished. Reaching over her desk, she cracked the window open. Whenever Mara visited, she always left the room a little too warm for Elsa's taste.

She bent her head over her book again, putting all her focus on the words in front of her. That is, until she heard Jack and Mara arguing in the courtyard.

"Come on, Jack, you're being ridiculous."

Elsa's head shot up as she heard Jack's deep voice reply. "It's out of the question, Mara. Forget it."

"But how can she rule the people if she doesn't know the people?" Mara demanded. "This will be good for her and Ledas, and since that seems like all you care about—"

Jack's voice rose sharply at her words, the anger evident in his tone. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that Elsa is a fantastic woman," Mara snapped back. "She's so bright, sensitive, caring. She'll make a great ruler."

"I know that."

"You do?" Even in Mara's tone, Elsa could tell she was staring at Jack in shock. "Then why did you push her away? She cares a lot for you, Jack, and you closed yourself off the minute you found out she's Delani's daughter."

"I can't love her that way," Jack bellowed, making even Elsa jump. Jack lowered his voice a fraction and said, "I'm sorry, Mara. But I'm not changing my mind on that point."

Elsa couldn't bear to hear anymore and slammed her window shut, hardly caring if Jack heard it or not. She didn't understand him at all and she was tired of trying. It was just too painful. She had thought he loved her once, but then she had become the Snow Queen and now it seemed as though he hadn't cared as much as she had previously thought. If he truly cared, they would have been together still.

She couldn't stand it anymore, she had to get out of here. Permission or no, she was going to go into the city and meet her people. Creeping carefully down the stairs, she made her way across the now vacant courtyard toward the stables where Glacier waited for her. He pawed the ground happily with his foot at the sight of her and she saddled him with an elegant blue saddle and bridle before leading him outside. Checking to make sure the coast was clear, she jumped up on his back, kicking him into a steady trot.

When she drew near the gates, the guards held up their hands and she slowed Glacier to a stop.

"Where are you going, Your Majesty?" a short guard with pale eyelashes and short whitish blonde hair asked.

"I'm going out for a ride," Elsa replied, steady in the idea that it was only a partial lie. "Please allow me to pass."

The guards bowed solemnly and opened the thick, pearly ice gates for her. She nodded to them as she passed before kicking Glacier into a gallop toward the city. It wasn't far and soon she was trotting down the streets, her subjects eyeing her with awe and bowing as she passed. She slowed to a stop outside a bakery, the smell of chocolate luring her in. Sliding down off Glacier's back, she went inside where the baker and his wife were gawking at her in astonishment.

"I'd like one of whatever those chocolate things are that smell so good," she said, holding out some Ledan coins. "Will this be enough?"

The baker waved away her money, shaking his head wildly. "No no, Your Majesty. You do not have to pay."

"You're too kind," Elsa said, depositing the money on the counter anyway. "I have not lived in Ledas very long and I want to get to know its people better. Tell me, is business good? Do the citizens need anything? I want to be a good queen, but I need to know what my subjects want."

The baker and his wife bowed again before speaking. "Your Majesty, we have not had a queen in twenty-two years. Just having one again gives us hope."

"Yes, but it is the queen's job to serve her people," Elsa replied. "Tell me how I—"

But her words were cut short as the roof was ripped off the bakery and Elsa found herself staring into the cruel face of what could only be a fire giant. It was enormous, made entirely of what looked like volcanic rock, with magma where eyes should have been and a wide, crooked mouth.

The baker and his wife screamed as the giant reached a hand inside the shop. But it wasn't after them, Elsa realized with horror. It was after her. Trying to dodge out of the way of the giant's reaching fingers, Elsa knocked over a table, using it as a shield between herself and the giant. But the enormous fingers just snapped the table in half and plucked her out of the gaping hole in the roof with ease.

Fear gripped Elsa's heart as she stared into that wild, unforgiving face, and she did the only thing she could think to do.

"Jack!" she screamed.