The Peasant's Promise

Meeting The New Guardian

He was drawn to that place. He didn't know why. The air always felt a bit cooler when he was near to her.

Elsa is quite used to cold. Actually, she's been comforted by it for quite some time.

She had met Jack Frost the day after she read Emma's letter. She had been shut up in her room, like normal, doing her best to shut her magic away and not feel anything. She was reading a book of Christmas poems, and they often mentioned a "Jack Frost". And in her mind she pictured exactly who he was, and in doing so she believed that he was real.

Then when she looked to the window, he was there, peering in at her. His hand rested on the glass, creating patterns of ice that made her gasp in wonder.

She opened the window for him and he stepped into her room all whilst talking to himself about how nice it was that it was finally winter, and how he liked this area very much.

Elsa looked at him curiously and paused before saying, "Excuse me....do I know you? You seem familiar."

Jack stared at her and their eyes locked for a long moment. He had lovely eyes.

"Are you...are you talking to me?" he asked hesitantly.

"Who else would I be talking to?"

Jack stared at her in wonder. "You can hear me? Can you see me, too?"

Elsa raised an eyebrow at him, almost becoming certain that he must be absolutely crazy. "Yes. I mean, it would be quite difficult to speak to someone you cannot see or hear."

Jack's face broke into an expression of complete happiness. He grinned and his eyes brightened as he stepped closer to Elsa, reaching out for her in awe. "How? How is it you can see me when no one else can?"

She shrugged and stepped back, out of his reach. It was not that she feared him, just that she knew better than to let some crazed boy touch her, handsome as he may be. "I don't know. I don't even know who you are."

Jack straightened up, resting his staff against the wall and sticking out a hand for her to shake. "Oh, right. I'm Jack Frost. And what is your name, miss?"

Elsa laughed. "Jack Frost? When I guessed that you existed I didn't think...well, nonetheless, it's nice to meet you. I'm Elsa. Queen Elsa, actually. Though these days it feels like I am the queen of nothing."

His expression grew concerned. "Why? In a palace like this I would think-"

"It's not about the palace!" she snapped, "I just...I can't leave this place. I can't talk to anyone, not even my own sister sometimes. I'm afraid I'll hurt her and the child. Just because I'm different."

"Different how?"

Elsa sighed heavily and sat on the edge of her bed, looking down at her gloved hands. "You think I'd share that with a complete stranger?"

Jack laughed and sat down next to her. "Who am I going to tell? Nobody can hear me except for you."

She eyed him for a long moment, squinting and thinking to herself that he's probably insane. Probably lots of people can see Jack Frost, they just don't say anything because they're concerned that he walks around talking to himself.

Still, the idea of having someone to confide in was more seductive than she could have imagined. And he had been able to make those swirling patterns on her window. Plus he was in all those Christmas poems. Perhaps he knew what it was to be different, as she did.

So Elsa removed her gloves and placed then neatly beside her.

"Fine. But if you're scared, that isn't my fault. You asked to know."