By late afternoon, Jack was ready to have a nervous breakdown. His father was attempting to diffuse a heated argument between the head cook and several of his assistants, Aster was running around like a nervous rabbit with a list of last minute instructions for that night, and the ever increasing hoard of girls had finally managed to catch him. If Jack didn't get out of the chaos soon it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Remember to bow to each princess both before and after they sing, stand up straight, maintain gentle eye contact, enter the ballroom through the- er, Yer Highness?"

A tiny crack had appeared in the sea of fluttering fans and Jack wasn't about to waste the opportunity. "Aster, please, trust me, I promise I won't let you down but I have got to get out of here!"

The prince quickly slipped between a pair of raven haired twins and through the nearest door leading outside; and a short sprint across the grounds brought him to the stables in just under a minute.

Hector was surprised to see the prince on such a busy day but he bowed respectively. "Good afternoon, Your Highness. Can I help you with anything?" Jack led Fernfrost out of her stall, though he again ignored the line of ready saddles. "Yes. If Hiccup has completed his work for the day will you call him here please?"

The old man was rather alarmed by the prince's unusually tight tone. "He's just putting away his tools now. I'm sure whatever the boy has done wasn't intentional, Your Highness; I'll gladly take responsibility for any trouble he may have caused."

Hiccup appeared from a side room looking confusedly between Jack's amused but tired eyes and Hector signaling for him to bow. Jack kept his face impassive as he shook his head. "I admire your loyalty, but I'm afraid in this instance you can not take his place."

Swinging lightly onto the horse's broad back, Jack held out his hand. "Come with me."

The freckled boy blushed as he took the prince's hand as he settled behind him and sent an apologetic look to Hector as they rode out of the barn. Once outside, Hiccup wrapped his arms around Jack's waist. "Is this a kidnapping?" Jack let out the chuckle he'd been holding in for a while. "Yes. I went crazy and grabbed the first good looking stable boy I came across." Hiccup chuckled too and kissed Jack's shoulder, "Hmm, I'm glad you did. What do you want for a ransom?"

"Can you come up with something fun to do?"

Remembering how much Jack had enjoyed gathering herbs; Hiccup knew just the thing to cheer him up. Jack felt a little kiss behind his ear and a whisper, "Turn left at that big tree."

A few minutes later they arrived at a small shady area where Hiccup dismounted and held his hand out to the prince. "Would you like to go berry picking?" Jack's wide smile was answer enough as he slipped down off the horse and allowed the brunet to guide him.

"First thing to look for is color. Those ones over there are raspberries and they're red when they're ripe, but these ones are black raspberries so they're red before they're ripe and black after. Blackberries are black but much bigger than black raspberries, and despite looking similar all three taste different."

Hiccup handed the prince one of each to try before continuing. "The next thing to know about berries is if you have to fight to pull it off, it's not ready. Ripe berries should fall into your hand with only the slightest pressure."

Jack managed to nudge a few black raspberries into his palm before a sharp thorn snagged one of his fingers and he hissed at the small drop of blood that appeared on it. "I guess rule number three is watch out for thorns."

He was about to stick his finger in his mouth when someone else beat him to it. A gentle freckled hand caught his before guiding it to a different soft mouth. Jack felt his breathing increase slightly as Hiccup's warm tongue gently caressed his sore finger, teeth lightly scraping his knuckle as he sucked it a little to dull the pain.

Pulling the finger from his mouth, Hiccup kissed it before letting go. "There, all better. Now let's try this again."

Jack was still dizzy from the rather intimate contact Hiccup had given him so he ended up grabbing thorns more often than berries; and in the end it was decided that if Jack was going to have any fingers left at all he could hold the berries while Hiccup picked them. After gathering as many as they could, they sat down together to eat. Since his hands were full, Jack let Hiccup feed him, though he stuck out his tongue once or twice when the brunet would have a berry almost to his mouth then laugh and eat it himself. Just as Jack was about to receive the last berry, Hiccup popped it into his own mouth with a grin. Jack stuck his tongue out in protest. "Hey! I was going to eat that!"

The prince's eyes went wide when the other boy held his tongue out with the berry nestled on it. "If you wan' it, come an' ge' it." Hiccup lost track of his senses at that point as Jack threw himself into kissing the daylights out of him.

When the tidal wave of passion eventually reduced to a trickle, Hiccup stood leaning against a tree to get his bearings. While he was straightening his shirt he noticed several purple stains. "Oh man, the gods hate me again."

Jack looked at the similar smudges on his own shirt and shrugged. "They'll probably wash out, what's the matter?"

Hiccup sighed and tried to clean his hands on the slightly damp grass. "These were my best clothes. I didn't know if I was going to have time to change tonight so I went to work prepared. I was so careful to stay clean all day then I end up covered in blackberry juice." Jack squinted and poked at one of the stains. "I think that one is actually black raspberry, but don't worry, you can borrow some of my clothes."

After sitting behind the prince on Fernfrost again, Hiccup started chattering worriedly. "I can't wear your clothes! They're, they're... fancy clothes! I only wear linen and wool most of the time with maybe a bit of leather if I'm lucky."

Jack slowed Fernfrost to a walk and shifted so he could face Hiccup. "If you don't want to go through with this I'll understand. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Puzzled green eyes met the prince's concerned blue. "Not go through with what? Marrying you? Jack, I always want to marry you. You, the you that only I get to see, the you covered in berry juice, the you that was hiding in the pantry, the you that rides this horse backwards without a saddle. That's the you I love, and that's the you I want to marry. I'm just not comfortable with all the imperial court stuff yet. I'm a simple stable hand, even when my father tried to get me to join the emperor's fleet I couldn't do it, I only wanted to work with horses. I'm sorry if that's not... enough, but it's who I am and I don't know if I can change."

Hiccup felt a few hot tears dampen his shoulder as Jack held him close. "Please don't ever change. I never wanted to be a prince or an emperor, I've always wanted to be normal, and this one week with you has made me happier than a whole life of living in a palace. If I had a choice, I would want a simple life with you."

Hiccup sighed and buried his nose deeper into Jack's warm neck. "So what are we gonna do?" A small smile spread over the prince's face and he kissed Hiccup's forehead before turning back around to ride. "We're just going to be ourselves."

Jack left Hiccup to take care of Fernfrost while he went back to the palace for two fresh changes of clothes. Sneaking into the pantry through a busy kitchen proved a challenge, but the prince hadn't gone through years of pranking servants and tutors without learning a thing or two about becoming invisible when he wanted. Once he reached his rooms, the prince acted completely nonchalant about his disheveled appearance. His bathing attendants cringed and the head clothing attendant nearly fainted but hurriedly regained his composure. "Your Highness, after you, er, bathe, might I suggest the ebony trousers and scarlet tunic with matching pointed shoes?"

Jack shook his head and waved away a bathing attendant who was coming at him armed with a wet sponge. "Tonight I am choosing my own clothes. Can you please dismiss everyone for the evening?" The attendant looked scandalized but obeyed the prince's command. "You heard His Highness, everyone out! Please ring if you require assistance, sire."

As soon as the room was empty, Jack hurried to his wardrobe and found the items he was searching for; two soft linen shirts, simple brown pants, and matching blue leather vests. Stuffing everything into a clean pillowcase, the prince peeked around the doorway before bolting to the hidden stairs.

After taking care of the horse, Hiccup had to face a very confused old man who wanted an explanation as to why he had been taken away by the prince and come back with purple stained hands and clothes. The brunet's freckles disappeared under a blush. "Um, well... we went berry picking."

Hector raised a suspicious eyebrow at this causing Hiccup to give him a dry look in return. "You'll believe me later. Do we have anything that will get this stuff off?" The old man shook his head, "Not that I know of, you'd have better luck asking the cook about that."

Jack returned then with the pillowcase slung over one shoulder and gasping slightly from running. "It's later than I thought, so we'll have to get going soon. Did you find a way to get rid of the berry juice?"

Hiccup smirked at Hector before handing Jack a bar of soap. "This is the best I've got, I think we're just going to have purple hands tonight. There's water in the tack room, and you can change in there." Jack handed Hiccup a set of clothes and caressed his cheek with a soft smile. "I picked out something simple; I hope you like them."

A few minutes later both boys were washed and dressed, (albeit with berry stains that unknowingly had reached to the elbow), and ready to leave. Hector eyed them one last time. "It may not be my place to ask, Your Highness, but what exactly is going on?"

Jack laughed and carefully patted the old man's back. "I would be happy to explain everything, but I don't have enough time. If you would like to attend the coronation ceremony tonight, you'll understand."

Aster was frantically waiting for the prince, and heaved a sigh of relief when he came through the door. "Yer father's already makin' his speech; you'll need to be in there in a few minutes! Where have ya been, what are ya wearing, and what in the name of Easter did ya do to yer hands?!"

Jack laughed and patted his cheek. "Calm down, Bunny, it's just berry juice. I promised I wouldn't let you down, and I'm not going to, so don't get your whiskers in a twist."

Aster nervously tried to make his young friend look presentable. "I hope ya know what yer doin'."

Jack stood tall as he waited for his father to announce him and thought about Hiccup being somewhere in the crowd. "Oh I do, Bunny, I do."

In the great ballroom of Emperor North's palace many high ranking princesses and nobles awaited the arrival Prince Jack, heir to all the northern kingdoms, islands, fjords, archipelagos, and sea routes. Four Princesses each had to present one song to the prince in hopes they would be chosen. Needless to say the stakes, and general tension, were very high.

Hushed whispers discretely hidden behind fans as well as open gossip flew around like a midwinter blizzard among the ladies.

"Did you see who's here?! Princess Merida! Oh she is the perfect choice for the prince; so fearless and feisty."

"Well what about Rapunzel? She's cute and loving, and I've heard the prince is a real sweetheart himself. He needs someone who'll understand him."

"I think he should be with Anna! They would have so much fun together, I'm sure she knows how to appreciate his pranks!"

"Have you been drinking too much punch?! Clearly Elsa is the only one for Prince Jack. You know, ice princess? Pfft! Some people!"

On the far side of the gallery, the princesses in question were talking among themselves and a girl with fiery red curls fingered the sword belt at her waist. "If it was mah choice, ah'd challenge the prince tae a sword fight."

Another girl with at least thirty feet of golden hair blushed shyly and rocked on her bare toes. "I just hope he likes my cooking."

A strawberry blond with a fancy up-do bounced around excitedly looking at everything like she'd never seen so many people in one place before. "This is so cool! Have you ever been to a ball? Cause I've never been to a ball and what if Prince Jack is The One? I mean that would be amazing and we can talk and dance all night and get married tomorrow and-"

An older girl with almost white hair interrupted her with a dry look. "Anna, you really shouldn't marry someone you just met. If Prince Jack does choose you, you should still wait until you get to know each other first."

Anna was about to reply when everyone turned their attention to the herald who had called for silence. "My lords, ladies, and gentlefolk… His Excellency, Emperor North!"

The entire crowd lowered almost to the floor in humble deference and the jolly man laughed. "Come, everybody loosen up! This is very big occasion for all of us; for you, a new emperor and empress, for me... " Here he chuckled again, "A daughter in law. So please, enjoy yourselves, and allow me to introduce my son and heir, Prince Jack!"

A skinny white haired boy strolled casually into the ballroom and bowed. Wild screams from the female guests reverberated around the hall and Jack could swear he saw the windows shake. Emperor North hadn't seemed to notice however and clapped his massive hands together.

"MUSIC! Herald, call the first princess!"

The herald cleared his throat and called out in a squeaky voice, "Princess Merida of Dunbroch!" The redhead strode forward and nodded to the emperor, clasped her hands at chest height and opened her mouth.

Though I may speak some tongue of old
Or even spit out some holy word
I have no strength with which to speak
When you sit me down and see I'm weak
We will run and scream
You will dance with me
We'll fulfill our dreams
And we'll be free
We will run and scream
You will dance with me
We'll fulfill our dreams
And we'll be free
We will be who we are
And they'll heal our scars
Sadness will be far away
So I had done wrong but you put me right
My judgment burned in the black of night
When I give less than I take
It is my fault, my own mistake
We will run and scream
You will dance with me
We'll fulfill our dreams
And we'll be free
We will be who we are
And they'll heal our scars
Sadness will be far away

Merida drew her sword and pointed it at the prince. "Yer Highness, ah have a sword and ah know how tae use it. If ye'd like a demonstration ah'd be more than happy tae duel with ye."

The prince's face broke into a mischievous grin, "Thank you my lady, I'm afraid I left my sword in the armory but I would love to accept your offer another time."

Emperor North waved to the herald again. "Princess Rapunzel of Corona!"

Long hair trailing behind her, Rapunzel stepped forward and shyly offered the prince a cupcake. "I hope you like strawberries." Jack smiled and accepted the cake. "I love strawberries." Blushing happily the girl pulled a small guitar from the depths of her hair and launched into song.

7 AM, the usual morning lineup
Start on the chores and sweep 'til the floor's all clean
Polish and wax, do laundry, and mop and shine up
Sweep again, and by then it's like 7:15
And so I'll read a book
Or maybe two or three
I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery
I'll play guitar and knit
And cook and basically
Just wonder when will my life begin
Then after lunch it's puzzles and darts and baking
Paper mache, a bit of ballet and chess
Pottery and ventriloquy, candle making
Then I'll stretch, maybe sketch, take a climb
Sew a dress
And I'll reread the books
If I have time to spare
I'll paint the walls some more
I'm sure there's room somewhere
And then I'll brush and brush
and brush and brush my hair
Stuck in the same place I've always been
And I'll keep wonderin' and wonderin'
And wonderin' and wonderin'
When will my life begin
And tomorrow night
Lights will appear
Just like they do on my birthday each year
What is it like
Out there where they glow
Now that I'm older
Mother might just
Let me go ...

Jack applauded, "Thank you Rapunzel, the song and the cake were both lovely."

Another nod from the emperor. "Princess Anna of Arendelle!"

As Jack was bowing to the princess, Anna ran forward, sliding across the polished floor and straight into his arms. Jack looked down at the grinning princess and chuckled. "Hello. Are you alright?"

Anna hurriedly righted herself and curtsied. "I'm great, thank you. Um, I didn't know what to bring for a present, so I'll just sing... if that's alright?"

Jack bowed again, "Please do, songs make the best presents anyways." People in the crowd dodged out of the way as the princess danced wildly around the ballroom.

The window is open, so's that door
I didn't know they did that anymore
Who knew we owned eight thousand salad plates
For years I've roamed these empty halls
Why have a ballroom with no balls
Finally they're opening up the gates
There'll be actual real live people
It'll be totally strange
Wow, am I so ready for this change
'Cause for the first time in forever
There'll be music, there'll be light
For the first time in forever
I'll be dancing through the night
Don't know if I'm elated or gassy
But I'm somewhere in that zone
Cause for the first time in forever
I won't be alone
Tonight imagine me gown and all
Fetchingly draped against the wall
The picture of sophisticated grace
Ooh! I suddenly see him standing there
A beautiful stranger, tall and fair
I wanna stuff some chocolate in my face
But then we laugh and talk all evening
Which is totally bizarre
Nothing like the life I've met so far
Cause' for the first time in forever
There'll be magic, there'll be fun
For the first time in forever
I could be noticed by someone
And I know it is totally crazy
To dream I'd find romance
But for the first time in forever
At least I've got a chance
It's only for today
It's agony to wait
Tell the guards to open up the gate
For the first time in forever
I'm getting what I'm dreaming of
A chance to change my lonely world
A chance to find true love
I know it all ends tomorrow
So it has to be today
'Cause for the first time in forever
For the first time in forever
Nothing's in my way

Anna curtsied once more to the prince and ran back to her sister.

"Princess Elsa of Arendelle!"

The platinum blonde sighed and walked stiffly forward to curtsy. "Your Highness." Jack bowed in return. "Princess. It is an honor to meet you, and I would be pleased to hear you sing whenever you are ready." Elsa took a deep breath and began to sing.

The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation
And it looks like I'm the queen
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried
Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know
Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
I don't care
What they're going to say
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway
It's funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me I'm free
Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry
Here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let the storm rage on
My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I'm never going back
The past is in the past
Let it go, let it go
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone
Here I stand
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway

During her song, Elsa had transformed from an uncomfortable princess into a breathtaking queen. Flowers of ice decorated the ceiling of the ballroom and light glittering snow drifted down onto the astonished onlookers; as the future emperor of the north, surely Elsa would be the prince's choice. Jack smiled and bowed again. "Your Majesty, that was exquisite. Thank you."

The emperor enthusiastically patted his son's back and turned to the crowd, "Well now we just have to wait and see which of these lovely ladies has stolen the prince's heart!"

All eyes turned to the prince standing in silence before them, brows furrowed, lips pursed in a contemplative line. After several minutes he spoke. "I want to thank every one of you for travelling so far from your homes to be here tonight, and I would like to make a few announcements."

The hushed crowd nearly vibrated in breathless anticipation. "I choose none of the princesses."

A loud collective gasp echoed around the room, but the prince held up his hands for silence. "Please, there's more. Merida, Rapunzel, Anna, and Elsa, tonight you sang from your hearts; longing, dreaming, joyful, powerful songs of what you want most. I want you to be free to live those dreams just as I want to live mine, so from tonight henceforth, the lands of Dunbroch, the kingdoms of Corona and Arendelle, and all other independent lands are free. I hope we can work together to care for our homes as equals and friends."

The crowd cheered wildly and the princesses hugged each other. Emperor North looked a little stunned but smiled down at his son. "That was generous act; you have proved to be wise leader. There still is question of marriage though, you cannot rule yet since you have not chosen a consort."

Jack smiled knowingly and waved his hand for silence. Stepping lightly off the dais, the prince stood at equal height with his subjects while his father looked on in confusion. Once he was satisfied with the stillness, the prince who normally couldn't even whistle did just that. Another answering whistle came from the far side of the room and the crowd slowly began to part for a chestnut haired boy to pass through. Jack made his way to the center of the room, waiting with a racing heart for the other boy to reach him. Hiccup was blushing hard when he finally stood facing the prince; though he smiled when he felt a hand slip into his and heard Jack's warm voice filling the air.

I'll swim and sail on savage seas
With ne'er a fear of drowning
And gladly ride the waves of life
If you will marry me
No scorching sun nor freezing cold
Will stop me on my journey
If you will promise me your heart

Hiccup sang the next lines as they crossed arms and began to dance together.

And love me for eternity
My dearest one, my darling dear
Your mighty words astound me
But I've no need of mighty deeds
When I feel your arms around me

Jack held Hiccup's hand while the stable boy danced lightly around his kneeling prince.

But I would bring you rings of gold
I'd even sing you poetry
And I would keep you from all harm
If you would stay beside me

Hiccup's green eyes shone as he was held in Jack's arms and they stepped to one side then the other.

I have no use for rings of gold
I care not for your poetry
I only want your hand to hold
I only want you near me

Green eyes met blue as the prince wrapped one arm around his heart song's waist and they spun faster and faster together in a laughing swirling blur.

To love and kiss to sweetly hold
For the dancing and the dreaming
Through all life's sorrows
And delights
I'll keep your love inside me
I'll swim and sail on savage seas
With ne'er a fear of drowning
And gladly ride the waves of life
If you will marry me!

Hiccup blushed lightly as Jack held his hand and led him to stand in front of his father. An absolute deafening silence fell over the hall while Emperor North stared down at the boys before him and contemplated the situation carefully. On the one hand, the prince was to be a leader and leaders must uphold the law at all times with no exceptions made for personal reasons. On the other, his son had found the one person in the whole world with whom he could sing, and as a father that made North's own heart sing in joy with him. This boy, North recognized him as old Hector's apprentice; that stood before him, was clearly nervous but at the same time had such an aura of courage and love shining from him that showed the circumstances of his birth hadn't left its mark on his spirit. If the law were different... Hiccup's breathing was beginning to get ragged and he felt Jack squeeze his hand, though the prince's eye contact with his father never wavered. A sudden thought caused the emperor to narrow his eyes and rub his chin thoughtfully. Jack, you sneaky little..! Catching the twinkle in his father's eye, Jack nudged Hiccup in time to see the emperor give them a quick wink before raising his hands to the crowd.

"As my last act as your emperor, I am happy to announce my son has chosen consort and will ascend the throne as my successor! Jack and Hiccup!"

The boys were surprised that North knew Hiccup's name but had no time to question it as they turned to face the cheering crowd. North clapped a huge hand on either boy's shoulder and leaned closer so he could be heard over the nearby reveling. "Well done Jack, you are not only wise leader but also clever one. I wish you both happiness."

Jack grinned, "Thanks, by the way, how did you know Hiccup's name?" North patted his son's shoulder one more time and whispered, "You talk in your sleep."

"Now." North rubbed his hands together gleefully, "Are you ready to make it official?" Jack looked at Hiccup's sparkling green eyes and nodded. "We're ready." After the herald had called for silence, Aster brought out a large brown book and two rings. North opened the old book's crackling pages and began to read softly.

"Will you, Jack, vow to watch over your consort, to guard him with your life, his hopes, his wishes, and his dreams? For he is all that you have, all that you are, and all that you will ever be."

Jack smiled softly at Hiccup as he slipped one of the rings on his left hand, "I will."

"Will you, Hiccup, vow to watch over your consort, to guard him with your life, his hopes, his wishes, and his dreams? For he is all that you have, all that you are, and all that you will ever be."

Hiccup grinned as he placed his ring on Jack's purple, scratched finger and said, "I will."

"Then congratulations, for you are now, and forevermore, Guardians."

Jack gathered his beautiful green eyed stable boy in his arms and Hiccup felt his chin lifted by a feather light touch before losing himself in his prince's kiss. Wails and sobs from the prince's former entourage could be heard between happy applause and many of the girls ran to their rooms to console each other with chocolates.

Anna began cheering loudly and whistled through her fingers. "WOOHOO! YOU GO, JACK!"

Rapunzel spun around until she was completely rolled up in her hair. "Oh my gosh! They are SO CUTE!"

Elsa smiled and raised an appreciative eyebrow, "Well that explains a lot."

Merida just stood staring at them with her sleeve pressed to her nose.

North called again for music and the boys returned to the center of the floor. Hiccup sighed contentedly into Jack's shoulder as he was gently led in a slow dance with the older boy talking quietly and pressing small kisses to the top of his head making him feel more at ease with his surroundings. Together they would make their life the way they wanted it, simple and uncomplicated while still taking care of their responsibilities.

North felt a strong pat on his shoulder and turned to see Stoick standing behind him with a huge grin. "So, what do ye think of yer new son in law?"

The former emperor looked quickly between the chestnut haired boy and the red haired man and made the connection. "Hiccup is your son?! Why didn't you tell me before?!"

Stoick laughed at his friend's wonder filled expression. "I was just waiting to see if ye were going to approve first, if ye didn't, I intended to have some strong words with ye to make you see sense." Stoick looked over at his son gently laughing in Jack's arms. "They really look happy don't they?"

The men stood watching their sons dancing and talked into the night of past memories, present love, and future hope.

AN: Please leave a review if you liked it. Pictures for this story are over on Deviantart: Snowflakesandangels and Tumblr: Snowflakesandangelslove