Melted [ Elsa x Jack Frost ]

Chapter 10

He was here, she could feel it.
It was a bone chilling awareness, just like the first night they met at the party.
As soon as she entered the gates into Arendelle the next afternoon, she knew she had lost.
How he got there faster than her, she did not know, but she was determined not to let it get her hopes down.
The plan was crazy, surely they'd all see the truth.
She was tired of fighting the forces of good and evil every few years.
Not wasting a moment of time, she dismounted Nokk in the town square and released him. Walking briskly the rest of the way, she noticed how the towns people gawked at her as she passed.
They were probably terrified she was bringing more bad omens and danger.
Guess it was somewhat true although finally she was not a direct cause.
The guards allowed her entry without hesitation and she glided through the palace, heading straight for the throne room where she knew Kristoff and Ana would be completing their daily duties as rulers.
That was one thing she did not miss for sure. As she opened the door, the first person she saw (or rather felt) was Jack.
He had already been staring at the door with arms crossed, as if he was bored from waiting. Clenching her hands as irritation and exhaustion swept over her, Elsa immediately looked to Ana next.
She was sitting on the left side of the expansive room with Kristoff at a large table.
Jack sat directly across them on the other side.
Next to him was an empty chair.
Perhaps they had already begun the meeting, although Ana would normally insist on waiting for her.
As Elsa walked over to join the group, Ana seemed to notice her sisters' distress and immediately stood abruptly.
"Elsa? What's wrong?"
Elsa thought on how to respond.
Jack must have done the decent thing and waited for her arrival, the whole "3 days time" thing being a test.
Looking towards the man in question, she saw he was once more smothering a grin on his face.
What the hell was so amusing she wondered?
It would only make the victory sweeter in the end, she decided, when that grin was wiped off his face at her families' dismissal.
Ignoring him as best as she could, she took the chair next to him and sat to face Ana and Kristoff as well.
Motioning for Ana to sit, Elsa shook her head.
"Nothing is wrong, just some quick matters to clear up."
However before Elsa could say anything more, Ana immediately laughed.
"Oh Jack, you know you don't need our permission to marry my sister right? We knew you would both be perfect for each other."
All at once the room went silent.
Kristoff looked uneasily between Elsa and Jack, sensing the tension while Ana continued to stare expectantly towards Jack.
With nervous laughter, Jack shook his head and held up his hands.
"Sorry Your highness, you got it all wrong. I have no interests towards your sister other than coming to an agreement on land usage. In fact I'd rather have frost bite than marry her."
At this, Ana frowned at Jack for his unecessary barb aimed at Elsa, while Elsa in turn tried to hide her embarrassment.
So she hadn't been the most pleasant or agreeable person, but surely it was not that bad.
Maybe her attraction truly was one sided.
In that moment she realized there was something worse than dying alone and that was dying alone while being in love with someone.
But she was getting ahead of herself.
She definitely was not in love, attracted yes, but nothing more.
Trying to clear the awkward silence once more filling the room, Elsa cleared her throat,
"Thanks for that Jack, he's mostly right Ana, we've come to discuss the forest adjacent to Northuldra."
"Ostrovia? Bordering the black mountains? What could you want with that land, it's unfarmable."
Elsa nodded her head at Ana's observation.
"Yes, but I find myself in a unique situation with Jack regarding something on the property, why don't you speak up Jack."
For the next few minutes, Jack shared what he had originally told Elsa.
While Kristoff looked interested, Ana looked worried and she put a hand unconsciously over her still slim stomach.
"Will this cause problems for us in Arendelle?" Ana asked.
Jack rushed to reassure her,
"No of course not, even Northuldra won't be affected, I'm easily able to contain the quakes into targeted areas."
Ana and Kristoff seemed impressed by this, while Kristoff knew a limited amount about Jack's abilities, he was now able to piece together a good picture.
He spoke up next,
"So what's the issue then, why not just go get it done?"
Elsa shook her head and interjected.
"I won't have him possibly endangering any of the villagers. Those ecosystems he's destroying are thousands of years old that are well protected and maintained no matter how useless they seem. The Northuldrans would never stand for it if it came to light."
"But it wouldent come to light!", Jack fired back,
"They literally never have to find out."
Elsa scoffed,
"Sorry I forgot one could just throw a blanket over the chasms and dead trees that now makeup the once beautiful ostrovian forest. It's not as if people don't occasionally trek through there to get to the trading paths in the Black mountains."
Now Jack was fully facing her,
"The fact is, a few upset people and a ruined forest is better than what will come if this isn't stopped. People will die Elsa. I understand change is hard for you but this needs to happen, surely the two of you see that."
He once more faced Ana and Kristoff.
Elsa threw up her hands,
"You almost killed me!"
Ana gasped at this and Kristoff raised an eyebrow.
"Oh for goodness sakes, how long are you going to hold that over me? I literally saved your life!"
"I wouldn't have to be saved if you hadn't brought the danger to begin with."
Before Jack could reply back however, Kristoff held up a hand.
Silence once more descended as he shared a glance with Ana and nodded.
"We will consider both sides in this. We both understand the things at stake."
Resting his gaze upon Elsa, he smiled as he grasped Ana's hand.
The show of solidarity warmed her heart.
This was it.
She glanced at Jack in her peripheral vision, anticipating the shock when Kristoff announced they sided with Elsa.
It never came.
"Elsa, you mean the world to me and Ana and you know we'd do anything for you. You being upset is all the more reason to think this over carefully. However lives being in peril is also something else we cannot overlook easily."
As he said this, Elsa felt a wave of shame hit her.
She would never choose a bunch of trees over actual lives.
However she believed there was always another way to do something, one that wouldn't destroy the only place she had come to love.
Kristoff continued,
"That being said, we will need more time to discuss this. There is a festival in town tonight to celebrate the coming harvest, therefore we hope you will both join us for the next day as we decide."
Jack nodded, unsurprised, while Elsa nodded more slowly.
She was hoping this would be an easy choice, but they were right.
Much was at stake for both parties so they would need to await a final choice.
A few moments later, Ana and Kristoff dismissed them both as they had more chores to complete.
Rather than lingering and possibly having to face Jack after his humiliating rejection, Elsa quickly left to the chamber assigned to her.
The day would not pass quickly enough.