Trials of the Moonlight

Feen og Voktere

Elsa would be lying if she said she wasn't a little perturbed when Jack didn't even come to say good night to her or Sophie. When it was late enough, she crept with a lantern to his chamber and lightly knocked. What had he and his father talked about for so long? Jack was such a night owl that normally it didn't matter how late anyone kept him up. She didn't expect him to be asleep, yet there was no answer.

"Jack?" She called, trying to be quiet. Should she be rude and burst in? Probably. But she'd take the polite route and crack the door open instead. She peered inside to see Jack's unmade bed still empty. He sat at his window and watched the snow. He didn't even acknowledge her. Elsa closed the door behind her and when she sat next to him, he jumped. He'd been so absorbed in his thoughts about his father. "Sorry!" She hadn't meant to scare him... not this time.

"You know we're not allowed to see each other late at night."

"Actually, the rule is you can't be in my chambers at night. I can go wherever I want." She reassured, and even if she couldn't, who would stop her? "What's been wrong with you?" She kept her voice gentle so that she didn't sound accusing.

Nicholas had told him not to tell Emily or Sophie... but did that extend to Elsa as well? No. He didn't want to mention it, so he wouldn't. It felt like he'd finally gotten those three years with his family back. It was quid pro quo; a son for a father. Elsa knew Jack wasn't one to talk about his feelings. She watched the snow with him. She tapped the glass with her finger and made a frost pattern.

"Hey, guess what I'm drawing." She began to create a shape with her finger.

"Huh?"

"Before I'm done, try and guess what I'm drawing!" She went on.

"Tch." He grinned a little. "Uh..." He couldn't tell. Elsa went as slowly as she could to give him time. "Uh... a cat? A dog!"

"No!" She finished the head. "It's a bunny!" She showed her rudimentary artwork.

"Very... accurate." He laughed.

"Like you can do any better!" She then blew on the window to recover the glass in frost. "Your turn!"

Jack sighed and shook his head. Her attempts at making him feel better were so endearing. He thought of what he wanted to make. Ha! He knew just what. She'd never get it. He began to trace a shape.

"Um– Oh! A maple leaf! A maple tree!"

"Nope." He went on, but then something in the air shifted and he froze.

"Come on, I'm so close!"

Jack could hear the wind howling outside as the snow blazed through the air. It took him all the way to the forest, through thickets of evergreens to...

"Jack?"

He startled back to reality. But what was it trying to show him?

"Oh, um..." What had they been doing? "I forget what I was drawing."

Elsa scowled with worry. "Are you feeling something again?"

"Elsa, just, everything feels off right now." He frustratedly growled. He didn't mean to get mad at her, but Jack felt the world on his shoulders with what he now knew. He didn't need weird 'spells' adding to it. "I think I just need some sleep."

"Maybe it'll help." Elsa agreed. She watched him plop face-down onto the bed and felt guilty for even trying to cheer him up. Strangely, though, he was adorable when he was grumpy—he always said so about her.

"Are you sulking?" She approached him. "Let me see." She squeezed both his cheeks and picked his head up. "Don't sulk." She cooed and crawled next to him. Jack wanted to push Elsa off and demand to be alone, but she didn't know what was really going on... she just wanted to help. Jack gave in and scooted over to give her room. Besides, he wouldn't say no to extra time with her. They held each other close and gazed into each other's eyes.