"Angry is just sad's bodyguard."

Jack's voice strains with each word. "You know him?"

"Yes...he is Pitch Black, the King of Nightmares."

Jack's jaw tightens. "I don't care who he is." He softens his voice. "Together we can defeat him."

"Snow cannot overcome the night." Pitch drawls out the words. He turns leisurely. "Nor can ice destroy darkness."

I press my eyelids close for a second. If only it were only Jack and I and my castle.

"The world has yet to see our powers combined." Jack shouts, his hand closing around mine.

"Yes, yes." Pitch waves his hand. "I too am interested to see what the Snow Queen and the Spirit of Winter can achieve. But first of all, what do you think of my home, young man?"

Jack glances at me. "Uh...what?" His eyes shift to Pitch who paces in front of us.

"Do you like it?"

Jack shrugs. "It's repulsive and dreary."

"Look closer." Pitch sighs. "Are you really that oblivious? What is it made of?" He punctuates every word.

"It's made of-" Jack stiffens. He turns, his hand releasing mine. "Ice."

Blood drains from my face. Perhaps Pitch's change in conversation wasn't as random as I thought.

"You did this, Elsa." It's not a question. It's an accusation. One I cannot deny.

My silence is answer enough.

Jack stands in front of me, his staff gripped in one hand. "Why would make a castle for him?"

"I didn't!" I exclaim. I wish I could follow his lead, but I could never ignore Pitch completely. He smirks at me over Jack's shoulder. This must have been his plan all along. But how could he possibly know that Jack would come after me? I didn't even know that!

"Jack, you have to believe me. When I ran away from my coronation ball, I didn't plan on returning. I created this palace for me. This is my ice castle. Only later did Pitch Black show up at my front door."

"And you let him in." Jack drops his head.

"Oh, she did more than that." Pitch laughs. "She spied for me. She told me all about you and your little guardian friends."

"No, I didn't!" I scream. I shove past Jack, my hands raising in anger. I want to destroy this liar. I won't let Pitch take Jack away from me too. "You are a liar."

Pitch sneers. "Am I the liar or are you? You did everything I asked you to. You even brought Jack Frost to my doorstep. For that, I thank you."

I stiffen at the sound Jack's gasp behind me. I turn in time to catch his hateful words.

"You didn't run away to keep Arendelle safe. You ran away because you knew I would follow you here. This is what you wanted. You wanted to hand me over to this 'King of Nightmares'."

"Jack-" I battle for breath. I step towards him. "You know me. I'm Elsa. Elsa! Anna's sister. I would never willingly hurt you or anyone. Everything I have done was to protect my kingdom, not destroy it! How can you believe the words of this monster?"

Jack exhales sharply. His chest rises with every breath. He looks down at me and something inside him breaks. I can see pain cut through his soul and reflect in his eyes. His words are quiet, soft and sharper than any sword. "Pitch isn't the monster. You are."

**

Pain slashes through my heart. I never knew the power of words until they buried themselves under my skin, like broken glass tearing away at my soul until every part of me bled.

"You don't mean that." I breathe the words.

Anger swells inside my chest. What right does this guardian have to judge me? I am a queen. Well, I was a queen. He is a no one. He only has his powers because of my storm. "You don't mean that!" I say again, this time loud enough for him to hear.

"Yes I do." Jack clenches his staff in his hand. "'Beware the Snow Queen.' The others warned me, but I wouldn't listen. They were right about you!"

"Jack-!" My pulse pounds in my head. Pitch watches us fight. It's not my fault, it is his! How can Jack not see that? But no matter how fierce the voice in my head, no matter how injured my pride is-even I have to admit that this is my fault. That is why I have to fix it.

"I trusted you." His blue eyes tear away from mine. "But I guess no one can touch the Snow Queen's frozen heart." His next words are so quiet, I have to lean forward in order to hear them. "Not even me."

**

Pitch claps his hands. "Very good, children. But I am afraid that I must interrupt this tender moment. You see, we appear to have some more unexpected guests. It would be rude to leave them outside."

Guests?

I run to the window. In the horizon, beyond the snow-tipped mountains, I see small figures running towards us.

The guardians!

And they are not alone, which is probably why they didn't use the magic ball. My sister and a dozen or so of the castle guards run with them.

They are coming to save us!

Like a blast of cold wind, the prophecy collides with my thoughts.

Oh, no! I haven't gotten rid of my power yet! What do I do? I have to find Gothel, but how can I with Pitch watching my every move? And now even Jack surveys me with anger.

I will not be able to defeat them both.

There is so much that I have to do in the seconds that it will take for my rescuers to arrive.

Despair pushes at me, but I ignore it.

Rapunzel called me a hero. Jack called me a monster. But I am neither.

I am Elsa, sister of Anna, forever the Queen of Arendelle.

And I am the girl who will always love Jack Frost...even if he never forgives me.