Fun little vignette idea that popped into my head so I took it and ran with it. I've written about the adults having their fun after the Jewel Ball, but what about all of those kids running around? Enjoy! Love! Aria
Arendelle 2038, Summer (just before the annual Jewel Ball, Henry is 7)
Emma led the small delegation of dignitaries through a tour of the old palace, smiling and happily pointing out the various historical features of the centuries old building. A translator murmured softly towards the back for the older couple from Russia who could connect their heritage to Queen Tatiana's, Henrik's Queen and wife, and looked around at everything with an awed reverence.
Also in the group were two older English duchesses, who kept their heads bent together and whispered back and forth whenever Emma wasn't pointing something out; Emma had to hold back a chuckle at their excited, over-enthusiastic looks whenever she began talking.
The wife of the ambassador from Sweden kept casting disapproving glances towards the duchesses as she spoke softly with Emma's grandmother. Caroline slipped her hand through the younger woman's arm, gesturing up to a painting on the wall and murmuring something to her as Emma pulled open a door to the portrait gallery for the group.
As she held the door open, she frowned hearing children laughing and screaming before they flew through the opened door. Emma stared as what seemed like all of the children that were currently in residence at the palace ran through, all dressed in bathrobes or had bedsheets tied around their necks like capes. Some of them carried sticks, wrapping paper rolls, and a select few had actual toy lightsabers as they ran, turning to fight each other while making the lightsaber "swoosh" noise as they did so.
Jack, the patriarch and mischievous spirit, helped lead the charge of rampaging children before they turned a corner and began to disappear into one of the ballrooms; a startled cry from one of the palace workers was heard from the open door.
Emma stared, stunned, before looking up to see Jamie, dressed in his own robe, carrying one of the youngest children under his arm and his own prized lightsaber replica in his other hand. The little girl giggled madly as Jamie ran to catch up with the horde. He grinned at her as he passed, pausing briefly to kiss her cheek before taking off again.
"Star Wars!" he called back, turning into the open door, the girl still giggling madly under his arm.
Emma turned as he ran off, still staring at the scene she just witnessed before fixing her best smile to her lips and turning to face her group of guests, moving her hand with a flourish towards the portrait gallery.
"To my right here is our portrait gallery, where we keep some of our most impressive works of art. Please, go in without me and see for yourself, I shall catch up with you in just a moment," she said, nodding her head and keeping her smile brilliant.
The Russian couple nodded as their translation finished, giving her a brief smile and entering the room, speaking quickly to each other and gesturing at their translator who nodded along, responding to a question. The duchesses giggled at Emma, still whispering to themselves as they followed, and Caroline leading the Ambassador's wife in behind them. Caroline turned her head to smile at Emma before Emma spun around and clipped off in the direction the children had ran.
She slid into the ballroom they had run into, the children scattered around the room in their mock battles while they still made the lightsaber noises, laughter the loudest noise that echoed around the room. Jack floated in the air towards the center of the room, one hand wrapped around his throat as two boys with black helmets on raised their hands up. Three girls piled on top of them, shouting and smacking them with their wrapping paper tubes while Jack removed his hand, laughing down madly at them and floating around gleefully.
Emma scanned the room, finally making eye contact with Jamie, who gave her a nervous grin and a wince as she stared at him. He came over to her, still smiling and gestured to the playing children around them.
"You said keep them busy today," he offered. "I got them all to settle into the movie theater and we watched Star Wars."
"I can see that. At what point did you go from watching Star Wars to playing Star Wars?" she asked, watching as Henry was lifted up by an older boy, shouting and pointing his green lightsaber toy at one of the other boys in a Darth Vader helmet, who answered with a battle cry of his own.
Jack was in the mix as well, using his staff to block various attacks and blowing children backwards with blasts of snow, with loud delightful screams from them. Emma felt her anger and shock at the situation fading as she watched all of them play.
"Umm, that would probably have been when Henry and I went and got our lightsabers," Jamie admitted, answering her question. "Then everyone who had one went and got one. Then we had to get something for the kids that didn't. If you get a complaint about piles of wrapping paper from the staff, that wasn't my idea, okay?"
Emma looked back up at him, raising a brow and sighed.
"Jamie," she started.
"I know! I know, I'm sorry. I know this is a big deal for you, with Anton trying to see if you are ready for the responsibility of the throne and all. I just," Jamie started, bringing his hands up quickly. "They just started running around a lot in the theater, and I didn't want to break the equipment, so Jack suggested coming here! And, I thought it was a good idea. We just didn't know you would be giving the tour just then."
Henry ran over to them, wrapping his arms around Emma's middle. "Mom! Did you see me? Did you see me fighting Kristoffer?"
Jamie gave her a wide smile, setting his free hand on Henry's head. Emma smiled down at him, starting to laugh and nodded.
"Yes, I did. Are you having fun?"
The boy nodded his head vigorously, turning when his name was called and running off.
"Bye mom!" he called, raising the plastic toy up as he ran back into the fighting fray.
Emma shook her head, smiling as she watched. "Where is Marit?"
Jamie turned, scanning the crowd of children before pointing to the girl he was carrying earlier, her back to Henry as they moved their toys around to fend off their small attackers.
"She's fine, she's having a blast being able to play with her big brother. I've got this handled, trust me," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
She chuckled, looking up at him. "Okay, okay," she conceded, holding up her hands. "I'll go back to my tour. Try to keep them contained though, please?"
He chuckled. "Yes ma'am," he replied, bending down to kiss her.
Echoes of "ewww" and "gross" sounded from around them as he did so, causing them both to smile and break away. Jamie lunged forward, raising his own saber and chasing after shrieking children, his bathrobe spinning out as he turned around. Emma stayed in the room for a few moments, watching as Jamie and Jack got into their own mock sword battle with the children around them cheering and chanting as they moved in a circle.
Emma shook her head, still smiling and left the ballroom and rejoined her group of dignitaries in the portrait gallery, a sense of relief washing over her as she heard her grandmother's calm voice explaining the tall painting they were grouped around. Emma turned to glance back at the open door at the ballroom, rubbing a hand absentmindedly over her stomach before turning her attention back to the group and adopting the poise she needed as guide, Crown Princess and future Queen of Arendelle.