Melt for me

Chapter Fifteen

                                                                 **Elsa**   

Sunlight streams in through my eye lids. Daylight...I slowly sit up on my bed, smacking my lips together as my mouth is dry and begging to be quenched.  I wake up feeling oddly warm and cozy, with not snow or even the slightest hint of frost anywhere. I frown.

How strange. Ever since I can remember I have woken up with my room cold and frosty. Today its anything but that.  I don't remember much of my dream expect warm arms embracing arms and the feeling of contentment. Something I haven't felt since... since that night I hurt Anna.

I shiver, even though my room isn't cold at all.

I don't like remembering that night. Because that's the night my family died and my fear of myself was born. The night I began shutting people out.  I clench my blankets in my hands.

Its funny how my Father thought that isolating me was the way to fix me. If anything it made me weak and yet strong. It taught me how cruel people can be, how cruel your own family can be.  How cruel you, yourself can be.  Perhaps that was the whole point of it all. To teach me to become a cold Queen as cold as my ice powers. Or maybe my Father was trying to protect Anna from me. Its not like I will ever know what was going through his head that night.  He and Mother are dead... and that is that.

I stretch my arms over my head and  yawn like a tired bear. My cheek is wet? What the- I look down at my pillow and sure enough there is a pool of drool on it.

Ew

I slowly rise from my bed, still a little tired. Ugh, even with a full nights rest I  still feel dead on my feet. Oh the joys of being a Queen.

I skim through my large wooden wardrobe, even though my clothes are already laid out on my desk chair. Sighing like a five year old who didn't get her way, I make my way over to my desk. Its not that the clothes are ugly but rather that  I didn't get to choose them. Its like there taking away my freedoms one by one. I suppose its punishment for staying out that night, not that Lord Victor could ever prove anything. 

The dress is a light purple and black. I make a face and slip it on. It seems those colours are the only ones I am allowed to wear lately. Blue... too close to ice. Red is the colour of the southern isle's and no one trusts them anymore and green is more of Anna's thing. So all  am left with it purple.  Its a nice colour but... it reminds me too much of the day of my coronation.

I look in the mirror, prepared  to do my hair up in that braid bun but instead.. I put it in a side braid. I smile at myself. My eyes are blue and bright like the sky itself. A new day, a new dawn.

I take a deep breath. I am ready.

I open the door into the hallway and Jack slumps against my feet. His ice blue eyes blink as he looks up at me from on the floor. "Oh... Hey Elsa.."   My cheeks go bright red or at lest it feels like it. "Umm how long have you been here..." I say slowly. Jack jumps up on his feet and awkwardly rubs the back of his neck. "Well you like told me to wait and I did... But I guess you fell asleep or something... " He laughs a bit at the end.

Ohgod, ohgod, ohgod did he hear me snore? Anna used to tell me all the time that I would softly snore as a child. I can feel a blush going across my cheeks like wildfire. I cough trying to hide my embarrassment. "Yes, well I'm sorry you had to sleep on my door all night."

Jack gives me a sweet smile. "Nah its okay." We kind of stand there, looking at each other, both of us not really knowing what to say to one another.  Jack rubs his neck. "So um yeah... I smell food and stuff so um.. want to get food? If your not hungry its fine... hah.. yeah." I giggle. He is so awkward and yet  I cant help but love him the way he is. "Yes, lets go get something to eat."

Jack nods happily, glad to get out of the awkward silence we were in. Now that its daylight we don't need to sneak around the castle so I lead him my usual  way of going to the dinning room.  Jack's eyes are huge, trying to take everything in. The large windows that over look our even bigger gardens. Servants running every where. Bowing when they see me. I nod my head in their direction but keep walking.

When we pass Anna's room, I can hear loud snores coming through. I smile. Some things never change. I make Kristoff sleep on the other side of castle. I told him (rather sternly) the first night he moved in that Anna is off limits. Under no circumstances will there be any kind of nonsense going on. I will not have it. Not under my roof.   

A portrait of my Mother comes into view. Its when she was still young and not married to my Father. Her eyes are smiling but her mouth hidden behind a fan. Her brown hair cascades down her back. I am told she looks very much like my Grandmother Bell.  Jack stops in front of the picture and studies it closely.  Taking in every minor detail. "Wow. You look just like her," Jack says softly.  I scoff. Jack is comparing me to my Mother? My Mother who practically defines beauty and grace? Compared to her... I am nothing.

Jack sees that in my eyes or at lest senses' it. He points to her smiling face; "Your smile is the same. When you smile it reach's your eyes.  I can tell your really smiling, just like her."  I always thought Anna looked like my Mother. I shrug. "Most people think I look like my Father.... Strong and serious."

Jack gives me a cheeky smile. "Trust me Elsa, you can't compare your smile with anything. Its just that dazzling." My mouth goes open a little and makes an o shape. Like I can't believe he would say something like that. . Jack covers his mouth as a blush spreads on his cheeks, he looks away. I can see that his ears are red as well.  "Aw Jackie your blushing," I tease as I pinch his ears.

"Hah, hah, hah very funny Elsa."  He says rubbing them and glaring at me. His cheeks still red. I wonder what made him blush? What a confusing guy..

The wonderful scent of pancakes drifts up from the kitchen. My mouth waters. This castle is known for its amazing pancakes. Knowing Anna, she will gobble all of them up if Jack and I don't get down there. I grab Jack's sleeve, pulling him foreword. He doesn't expect it so he almost falls. "Come on we don't want to be late!" I say still pulling him along.

Jack doesn't say anything but when I peek back at him, he is smiling at our hands. I squeeze his hand tighter. Jack will never know how much his presence comforts me.