Somebody to Love

Chapter 17

BourbonCowboy

Winter's Waltz

The snow was blowing cold across the mountain. Though Jack walked thru the snow, he didn't leave a single footprint behind. Standing in the dark and the cold, he felt more isolated and alone than ever before. He had tried to resist returning here, he really had. But he was drawn to the Ice Queen like a moth to a flame. He had been told to watch his charge like a hawk and had been doing so for months. There hadn't been any new developments. Things were progressing fine in Camelot and Hiccup wasn't planning on attending the Cinderella Ball tonight anyway. If anything, the Viking would probably go spend the evening with his friend Maurice or Simba. Tired of fighting himself, Jack lifted his staff and allowed the wind to lift him up out of the snowbank and carry him towards the lights of the castle.

Bare feet alighted on the sill of an open window. The Guardian looked down into an empty throne room. The last time he had been here he had come during the day and watched as Queen Elsa held court. She had smiled politely to the foreign dignitaries that stood before her. She smoothed out trade deals, offered aid to a kingdom affected by a tropical hurricane, negotiated tariffs and listened to the general needs and wants of her diplomatic neighbors. She appeared regal and serene, every inch a queen. Of course any time foreign dignitaries visited they had to be entertained. A feast was prepared that evening and Jack had watched as Queen Elsa talked and laughed and ate with everyone. Because he observed her so closely, he saw the looks of longing she could not hide as she observed her subjects. There were lovers embracing in the shadows, hands exploring each other boldly, thinking themselves undiscovered. There were children snuggling close to their mothers and falling asleep, cheek to chest. A sweet-faced maid held her elderly grandfather's hand and escorted him back to his rooms. Everywhere people touched and were touched without thought or worry or care. Everyone except the queen. She had taken off the gloves but not the mentality that went with it. She was cautious around others and they were careful of her. She pretended not to notice. She pretended not to feel.

Now the throne room was empty. The partygoers gone. Where was the queen who had stolen his heart? Jack slipped silently into the room. His bare feet did not make a sound as they padded across the stone floor. He was moving towards an open door behind the throne where the light from a candle flickered. He could hear her singing quietly to herself. The melody was haunting. Jack reached out a hand to push the door open the rest of the way. He just wanted to see her…"OUCH!" Heat! An uncomfortable warmth flashed across his chest and Jack staggered back. The hand that had reached out towards the door now clenched in a fist over his racing heart. His breath hitched in his lungs. With difficulty, Jack turned his head. Those icy blue eyes searched for the source of his agony. Floating near the throne was a light. Not just any light, but a fairy light. The tiny voice jingled out in admonishment. "Jack Frost! You should not have left your post. Hurry now before everything is ruined!" The fairy flitted over to the window and tapped on it. The white-hot agony from the fairy's spell left him, leaving in its place cold panic as Jack observed the images that began to dance across the window's surface. It was the Cinderella Ball. The ball he was sure his charge would not attend. Yet there he was and worse! Hiccup was dancing with the Highland Princess. The images faded and Jack looked at the fairy in panic. "Hurry! Before you're too late!" The fairy snapped. Jack flung himself up and out the open window and into the fierce winter wind.

He flew. His heart pounded in his chest. Though he was impervious to the cold, he could have sworn he was chilled to the bone. Failure was not an option! If he screwed this up he would never…no! Jack shook his head. He would not fail. Faster! He urged the wind to push him faster. He was pretty sure he dropped a snowstorm on an island in the South Pacific in his haste, but he didn't care. Camelot was below him now. Jack bounded across buildings, bare feet leaving icy prints behind as he flung himself off roofs and around corners. Lampposts froze in his wake and their lights snuffed out. Somewhere nearby a dog began to growl, or was that sound coming from behind Jack's own bared teeth? Faster! There was the castle! There were the carriages outside awaiting their drunken, happy passengers. The music danced out of the open windows and the warmth and light were a harsh juxtaposition to his inner turmoil. Jack hovered for a moment high in the air over the crowded ballroom. His eyes scanned the partygoers for his charge. There! He was dancing at the edge of the ballroom floor and the princess was leaning into him brazenly. She tilted her round face up towards Hiccup's own as the Viking leaned down. They were going to kiss! He was going to be too late! Jack threw himself towards the couple, landing beside them with a thump! He reached out and touched each on a shoulder, putting an extra jolt into the princess. How many times was he going to have to magic that girl? How many more times could she take it without suffering irreparable damage? That would be rich. He'd just tell his employer he had stalled her heart so often it was forever frozen and unable to love and their plans to harness the power of True Love's kiss were thwarted by their own meddling. Somehow he didn't think that would go over well.

The two would-be lovers shook their heads as the magic faded. Jack fixed a smile on his face. "There you are, buddy! Cornelius sent me. There's trouble at the lab. He needs you right away." It was a believable lie. There was always trouble at the lab. And if Cornelius wasn't there…well, he would deal with the consequences later. Right now all that mattered was separating the Viking from the Highlander.

"Right now?" Hiccup asked, clearly confused. "Is it serious?" His eyes flicked from Frost to Merida and back again. Jack could tell the Viking was on the verge of arguing or asking for clarification which he could not give.

"He said it was an emergency. I'm sorry, but you need to come now." Feeling a little desperate now, Jack took hold of Hiccup's sleeve and began to tug him away.

"Wait!" the princess' voice was surprisingly strong, considering the magical wallop Jack had just given her. He frowned as Hiccup pulled his arm out of Jack's grasp and returned to the princess. The Viking took the girl's hands in his own and stared into her eyes. He had that look again! The look of a man who has found the missing piece. Their hearts, their souls, had recognized each other and there was no stopping them now. They would continue to seek each other out until True Love was satisfied. Jack groaned. He couldn't stop True Love, but he could delay it. He would delay it, if it was the last thing he did. The princess was looking up into Hiccup's eyes and saying sadly, "I don't even know your name."

"Even if I tell you, you won't be able to remember tomorrow. Didn't you hear that they had placed a Cinderella Enchantment on the ball tonight?" Even as the Viking said it, Jack could see him starting to think of a solution. Too soon! And midnight was almost upon them! If they remained past midnight it would not matter that the spell had been placed over the ball because the ball would be over and they would still be together! If there was one thing Jack hated, it was a sloppy enchantment and the ones placed over balls like this were always sloppy and full of loop holes. Jack glanced at the clock on the wall. Minutes till midnight! He had to get Hiccup out of here. "We have to go now!" he hissed at his charge. Finally picking up on the urgency of the situation, Hiccup squeezed the girl's hands and promised "I'll figure something out. Don't worry. I'll find you." At last, Hiccup succumbed to the pressure Jack was exerting on him both physically and magically and followed the Guardian from the dance floor.

Merida stood staring at her feet. A cold, fat tear rolled down her cheek. Then another and another. The clock began to chime midnight and Merida wept all the harder. She could feel the spell beginning to take hold. Her whole body felt cold. The handsome young man she had danced with only minutes ago began to blur in her memory. Why didn't she remember to give him her stupid shoe? After all the joking that the girls had done while getting ready about how Charlotte was bringing extra pairs so to be able to track down as many eligible princes as possible! All of the ladies attending the ball were wearing the special glass slippers. If she had but given the young man her shoe, he would have been able to activate the tracking spell and would have found her the next day! "I'll figure something out. Don't worry. I'll find you!" Had he said that as that other person had pulled him away? Unable to bear up any longer beneath the weight of her sadness and the coldness in her bones, Merida crumpled to the floor.

Several people gasped. Dancers moved away from the sobbing princess, leaving an open ring around her. She didn't know how long she remained there. The bells in the clock tower continued to ring. "Merida!" A chorus of voices exclaimed. Merida found herself surrounded by her friends. Everyone was asking what was wrong. Was she hurt? What happened? The clock chimed for the last time and midnight was officially upon them. Guests were heading to the exits in droves. Merida covered her face in her hands and continued to shiver and cry. "David, can you pick her up? Rapunzel, you come with us. The rest of you, go home." Merida recognized her mentor's kind voice issuing commands that brooked no argument. The Scottish princess felt herself lifted in a pair of strong arms. She buried her head in David's shoulder as he carried her out to a waiting carriage and set her inside on the seat. She felt the carriage shift under the weight of several people as they climbed inside and the door shut softly. "Here now, Merida," Snow White spoke directly into her ear, "Sit up and drink this." A glass vial was pressed to her lips and Merida gulped the sweet tasting liquid then hiccoughed and lay her head back down against the seat and knew no more.

Hiccup and Jack raced out of the ballroom, shoving past partygoers in their ball finery. Several couples gave them annoyed looks at being shoved out of the way while others snickered openly, thinking the two were lovers who could not wait to get home. There came a collective gasp from behind them and Hiccup paused. Hadn't that been where he and the redhead had been dancing? Was someone on the ground? A hole had opened up in the dancers and people were looking down at something or someone. Where had his dance partner gone? Without thinking, Hiccup had started to move back towards the dance floor. Jack grabbed Hiccup by the hand and yanked him back towards the exits. "Quickly, Hiccup! There's no time to lose!" Hiccup gave a last look back at the dance floor. His eyes searched desperately for a sign of curly red hair. Alas, he was too far away and there were too many people between them. Resigned, Hiccup allowed Jack to pull him out of the ballroom and into the crisp night air.

Ever since the last time some part of the machine had exploded, the engineers had been banned from working in the castle basement. Now all aspects of work on the machine were done in the Guild Halls. Thus instead of a quick jaunt downstairs and perhaps getting back before his mystery girl disappeared, Hiccup and Jack instead had to race from the North Ring to the West. The first few streets near the castle were packed with horses, carriages, hostlers, and rickshaw drivers awaiting the end of the ball. A fair number of guests were leaving as the clock began to chime midnight. Hiccup found himself wishing that they had gone back into the castle to get Toothless instead of wading thru the thick crowds of people. Flying would be infinitely faster. Jack was pulling Hiccup along urgently. His hand was cold iron around Hiccup's wrist. The further they got from the castle, the darker the streets became. The bells tolled the last stroke of midnight and Hiccup stopped beside a wide fountain and pulled his mask off. His eyes were itching suddenly. He splashed them with water from the fountain and then studied his reflection. Hiccup rubbed his eyes again and was sure he wasn't imagining the blue dust that fell from his green orbs. "The hell?" he muttered.

"Part of the spell," Jack replied in a strange voice.

"What's part of what spell?" Hiccup asked, splashing his face again.

"The fairies placed a spell on everyone as they entered the ball to disguise their identities, fog memories, and promote a sense of mystery. It's the Cinderella Enchantment, which they explained at the ball but of course now you have forgotten." Jack cursed under his breath about fairies. His voice was tight with barely controlled anger. Hiccup figured whatever was wrong at the lab must be important for Jack to be this upset. He shook the last vestiges of fairy dust off and pushed away from the fountain. The two set off at a quick trot in the direction of the Guild Square.

The duo travelled the rest of the way in silence. Jack was quiet and withdrawn and Hiccup's mind was preoccupied trying to think of what could be wrong with the machine and also how could he determine the identity of his mystery girl. Both were important problems that likely required creative solutions. They finally arrived at the guild. Jack became more twitchy and anxious the closer they came to the lab. Hiccup studied him curiously as he reached for the door to the lab and tried to push it open. The door didn't budge. It was locked.

"Why would Cornelius lock the door?" Hiccup wondered aloud. He made a fist and banged on the door, calling loudly "Cornelius!" He did this several times but there was no answer from within. Hiccup began to worry and started patting down his clothes in search of his spare key. "Of course I don't have my key. Kovu talked me into going to that stupid ball and I left my key in my room. We'll just have to go back and get it. Why doesn't Cornelius answer?"

"Because he isn't here," Jack said softly. Hiccup turned sharply to stare at his friend. The Guardian had his back to him and was staring back the way they had come.

"What do you mean he isn't here?" Hiccup demanded, "Why would he send you to get me for an emergency and then just leave? What's going on?"

"He didn't send me to get you. In fact, I haven't seen Cornelius in several days." Jack replied.

"Then…why?" Hiccup was glaring at Jack's back because the other man would not turn around.

Jack was silent for a long time. There were no sounds in that dark, cold hallway save for the sound of Hiccup's breathing getting faster as he became more confused and angrier with each passing moment. His head was aching, probably a result of all the stupid magic he had interacted with today. His heart felt heavy as he tried to imagine the girl from the ball. He felt sure that she was the same girl from his vision on Berk. A girl who's face he had committed to memory and had drawn many times now suddenly he could not recall. It had to be her! Why would Jack stop him from…he was too tired to blush as he thought of the moment that Jack had interrupted. He was not too tired to be pissed off though. Alarms were ringing in his head but still he kept silent, waiting for Jack to offer up some sort of explanation. Finally, and without turning around Jack admitted softly, "I can't tell you." Then he lifted his staff and flew away. Hiccup stayed where he was as though his feet had frozen to the stones beneath his feet. Hiccup remained staring at the space where his friend had been wondering what the hell was going on. He stood there for a long time and finally made up his mind. It was time to get to the bottom of this mystery. If that meant spying on his so-called friend, so be it.

A gentle beam of golden sunlight had slipped thru the opening in the curtains and tiptoed across the sleeping woman's face. Merida wrinkled her nose and turned her head left, right, then left again trying to shake off the stimulus that was pulling her from her medicated sleep. The sunbeam continued unperturbed into the room and stopped at a picture on the far wall. With a groan, Merida opened her tired eyes. The weight of the blanket pulled up to her shoulders was a comfort and she wanted nothing more than to snuggle down into the bed and go back to sleep. But now that her eyes were awake, her mind was also. She tried to piece together the fragments of memories from the night before, but only made herself nauseated. Where was she? This wasn't her room in her apartment. Slowly, Merida sat up. Her whole body ached as though she had been sick.

The princess' feet found the bare wooden floor. She stumbled her way towards a desk and chair on the other side of the room where she could see a note had been left for her. She had to pause and clutch her head which felt as though a noisy beehive had replaced it - one full of angry bees. She shook her head to dispel the swarm and looked at the letter. The note was written in Mary Margaret's neat penmanship.

Good Morning, Merida

Do not worry. You are in my home in the spare bedroom. There is a bathroom attached to your room. Take your time getting cleaned up. I have left you a trio of potions on the sink and ask that you drink all of them. You'll find a chest at the end of the bed. Simply place your hands on top of it and think of what you want to wear then lift the lid. When you are ready, I will be waiting for you in the downstairs sitting room.

Love,

M.M.

Her mentor had never steered her wrong. Merida put the letter down and staggered towards the bathroom. She found that the effort wore her out and was glad when the lights came on without her having to search for a switch or a spell. Sweat was beaded on her upper lip as she gripped the edge of the bathroom sink. There were the three bottles as Mary Margaret had indicated in her note. All three bottles were glass, and three different colors. The first, labeled with a neat #1, was a short fat blue color. Merida picked it up and brought it to her lips only to pause as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her face was pale and drawn. There were dark circles beneath her eyes. Her hair looked limp and greasy. "How long have I been here?" she wondered. "I must really have been sick." Without further delay she gulped the first potion. The blueberry additive did little to help the taste of the concoction. Merida set the first bottle down and picked up the second, a tall and thin green vial. This time she avoided her face in the mirror and simply tossed back the liquid. This one either didn't taste as bad or her mouth was numb from the first potion. She began to feel strength returning to her limbs and the buzzing in her head began to abate. The third potion was also the smallest, nothing more than a sip of some sort of red liquid in a tiny red vial. Feeling much steadier now, Merida turned towards the large soaking tub. Here also were signs of Mary Margaret's impeccable hosting skills. On side the tub were bottles and tubs and tubes of various sizes and colors. Each was labeled in order of when she should use it and what it did. Gratefully, Merida set herself to the task of making herself human again.

When Merida finally entered the living room, she had to pause a moment and take it all in. Mary Margaret's living room was the same as ever. There was the full length, footed mirror with gold filigree thru which Merida had first traveled to Camelot. It still stood off to the side of the comfortable sitting room. Eugene lounged on the large tan sofa with the blue patterned flowers. His head was tilted back against the arm, eyes closed and mouth open and one of his stockinged feet was propped up on the coffee table. Notably absent was the tea tray and Merida wondered briefly if her uncouth friend had maybe broken it. Seated next to him on the royal blue love seat with the white afghan were Mary Margaret and David. Mary Margaret was reading from a leather-bound book while David whittled next to her. Curled up asleep in one of the winged chairs that were caddy-corner to the love seat was Rapunzel. Her bare feet were tucked up beneath her purple skirt. Merida saw that her friend had combed out her magical hair and the blonde locks seemed to circle the whole room. Merida's footsteps were muffled by the soft rugs that covered the cherry wood floor. Her eyes darted to the small fireplace in the corner where a fire had been lit the night before, judging by how low it now burned. All around the room the candles of varying heights also glowed softly, their wicks burned low.

Despite the fact that Merida made no notable sound, Mary Margaret sensed the other woman. Doe brown eyes lifted from the book she was perusing and studied the princess quietly. David must have sensed his wife's attention had been diverted for he glanced at her before his eyes flicked over to where Merida was now standing feeling sheepish. The queen set her book down next to her and stood gracefully, someone managing to cross the room quickly while appearing unhurried. Mary Margaret stood before Merida and rested her hands on the girl's shoulders for a moment to study her face. Merida did not avert her gaze but gave back look for look. Mary Margaret slid her hands from Merida's shoulders, down her arms to her waist and pulled the other girl in for a hug. Merida's arms came up of their own accord and clung to her friend and mentor. She felt like she should cry but she was all cried out. Mary Margaret squeezed her tightly and then let go. Gesturing for Merida to remain quiet, Mary Margaret led the way down the hall to the kitchen and pulled Merida down to sit beside her at the table. Having followed the women, David turned now to the task of preparing breakfast. Merida noted with mild surprise that he did so without the use of magic.

"What happened?" Merida asked finally.

"We aren't too sure," Mary Margaret sighed in obvious frustration, "All we know is that you encountered a powerful magic. You collapsed at the ball. When Rapunzel and I started to tend to you, whatever magic that had affected you began to drain us also. We had to use some old-fashioned, non-magical remedies for the first two days. It was only yesterday that Rapunzel was able to use her magic to help heal you."

"I thought the ball spell was supposed to be frivolous. Benign! How long was I unconscious?"

"It's been three days since the ball," Mary Margaret answered. David set a cup of tea in front of each woman but Merida barely saw it. Three days? She had never been sick that long. Well, not in Camelot anyway. There was nothing that the wizards or witches or fairies couldn't cure immediately. Merida realized that her friends, for whatever reason, had not sent for any of Camelot's official healers.

"What do ye think happened to me?" Merida asked, picking up her tea with hands that trembled.

"We know it wasn't the enchantment over the ball that affected you that way," her mentor answered, "Some people, highly sensitive to changes in magical energy, may faint at the stroke of midnight during a ball but they generally don't attend for that reason. Had that been the case, you would have revived by the time we made it to my home."

"And you wouldn't have been ice cold like you were," David put in from where he stood by the stove, spatula in hand. "When I picked you up I was worried I wouldn't be able to make it to the carriage. It was as if your whole body was turning to ice and it was seeping into me where I was holding you."

Merida turned wide eyes to Mary Margaret, "What could have been the cause?"

"I have a theory, but not one I'm ready to share all of," Mary Margaret replied. She held up a hand to forestall the argument Merida looked ready to start. "What I will say is this. You were dancing with someone for a good portion of the night. You seemed enchanted, maybe even enthralled by this masked man. Then just before the stroke of midnight an icy chill swept thru the room. We found you passed out on the floor and your dance partner nowhere around."

"No," Merida thumped her cup down hard on the table, "It wasn't him…it couldna ha' been…" she released her cup only to clutch her head as a fierce headache made itself known.

"Shh! Shh! Don't try to remember. You're fighting against the enchantment and it will only end in headache, poor dear" Mary Margaret touched Merida's arm. Merida looked at her friend with tears in her eyes. "Okay. Maybe it wasn't him. It's very suspicious that the person you had spent all night with would suddenly disappear right when you got sick. But maybe something happened to him too. We won't know until we find out who he was."

"How is that possible?" Merida asked, astonished.

David set a plate of eggs, biscuits, bacon and fruit down in front of Merida. He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. The White Family has plenty of experience tracking down missing persons. I'll call Emma today."

"Do I smell bacon?" Eugene asked as he strolled into the kitchen. Seeing Merida's plate he sidled over and snatched a piece, popping it into his mouth. He smiled charmingly and ruffled Merida's hair, still damp from the bath. "Good to see ya up and about, Red."

"Merida!" Rapunzel's arms were around Merida's shoulders before the Highlander saw the other girl enter the room. "You're awake!"

"Thanks to ye, I hear," Merida patted her friend on the back. Rapunzel pulled back, sniffling a little. "I'm feeling much better now, thank you, Rapunzel."

Rapunzel dabbed at her eyes with a kerchief pulled from her skirt. Then her hand darted out and smacked Eugene's hand as it inched towards Merida's plate again. Merida looked down in surprise and realized that all of her bacon had disappeared as well as her biscuit and half the fruit. Eugene shrugged unapologetically, chewing a mouthful of stolen breakfast, and Rapunzel glared at him. For Merida, their antics were the best medicine and she tipped her head back and laughed. Rapunzel gave Merida another quick hug and crossed over to the stove to help David make some more food. Merida slid the rest of her plate to Eugene and lifted her teacup to her lips again. Cornflower blue eyes met doe brown over the rim of the cup. Mary Margaret was troubled, but there was a resilience in her gaze that said she would figure out what had happened and protect her charge no matter what. There would be time to search for clues to this mystery later. For now, Merida would focus on breakfast.

The wind was blowing cold across the mountain in that far away kingdom. Floating above the snow drifts, Jack Frost left not a single footprint in that place. He doubted if he ever would. His eyes sought out the lights in the castle windows, but he was too far away. Always too far away.

"It was too close this time, Frost," his employer's voice was cold too. Like everything else around him. Like the icy chain around his neck. "Do you realize what you could have done?" Jack didn't answer. His employer did not expect it of him. "Do you realize what you would have lost had you failed in your mission? I have brought you here to remind you of what is at stake for you, seeing as you don't care about what is at stake for your friends or Camelot or the rest of the world. No. The only thing that matters to you is her. So, let's go."

Jack did not need the reminder. Still, they flew together thru the darkness until they were close enough to see the castle. There was his angel, his Ice Queen, standing in a purple silk dressing gown on the balcony outside her room. She was staring off into the night with a look of sadness and longing on her face. Jack wished that he could tear his eyes away from her. He wished he didn't need her more than the breath in his lungs. His employer was silent for a time. Then he spoke quietly. One could almost believe that was compassion in his voice, but Jack knew better. "I am sorry, Jack. This is just too important for you to be distracted. When your mission is complete, when you are successful, then you will have what your heart so desires." Jack's fetters weighed heavily against him, bound as he was by the ankles, wrists, and neck. He did not nod or otherwise acknowledge he had heard his employer. The other man sighed. "Until the mission is over, Jack, you will not see Elsa again." Jack's head snapped to look at his employer, trying to see under the cowl of the other man's dark robe. "Don't glare at me so, Jack. It's for your own good." He tossed something over his shoulder and a portal opened up. "Be grateful I gave you this last look." The portal swirled and Jack felt himself being pulled towards it by his shackles. He struggled against them even though he knew it was futile. Desperately, he craned his neck to keep Elsa in his vision as long as he could. As the portal closed behind him, shutting him off from her, possibly forever, Jack let out an anguished cry.

On her balcony, Elsa looked up and around in confusion. What was that haunting call? Looking out over the darkness Elsa called quietly, "I can hear you." Only the wind answered.