This is the first Jackunzel wedding, to my knowledge. In fanfiction, at least… you'll have to let me know if I'm wrong. I'm so tired of Jack showing up to Punz and Flynn's wedding, though. Those always break my heart.

So, since it's a sci-fi story, I wanted to at least give the wedding unique elements, though I found I couldn't get too far from the typical American ceremony (which I know very little about, actually, since I've never been to a wedding). Neither Star Wars Union (Luke Skywalker's wedding to Mara Jade) or Star Wars The Courtship of Princess Leia (Han Solo and Princess Leia's wedding) prepared me for this – and even Spock's near marriage in Star Trek The Original Series (which I've been watching) didn't help me much. In the end I was left pretty much on my own, with a few glances at Tangled Ever After (not much help either, for the record). I decided to go very much with symbolism – most of it is explained in the story. I did try to give the vows a similar feel to the Guardian's Oath from the movie. Not sure how well I did.

When I asked for ideas for the wedding on tumblr, rotbtdfangirls suggested lots of fresh flowers. I hope there are enough flowers for her. XD

Chapter dedicated to Eva Marvex (Daydreamerssmile on tumblr), from her advice, ideas, and listening to me while I cry, whine and vent.

Among The Stars

Chapter 18

Jack was woken up by a pillow slamming against his back.

"Wake up, Frost," Merida said, her voice breaking the last hold unconsciousness had over him. "Come on, or ye're gonna miss yer own weddin'."

The pillow collided with his shoulder blades again.

"If you'd stop hitting me with that pillow, I might actually be able to sit up," Jack muttered, rolling onto his back, throwing up his arms to block her next blow before it collided with his solar plexus. He succeeded, but she pulled back and made another pass. He rolled his eyes, sat up and caught the pillow, this time yanking it from her grasp. "Would you stop it?"

"Tooth already let ya sleep in," Merida said. "Now git up, Frostbite."

"Don't you have pickles and ice cream to eat?" he asked around a yawn. "Ech. I get a bad taste in my mouth just saying that."

"Someone had t' wake ya up – 'specially since yer wolves are terrorizin' the Corona's, an' ye're the only one that can call 'em off."

That made his hand freeze in the middle of pushing back his bangs. "What are they doing?"

Merida shrugged. "Just wanderin' the gardens. But the Coronans don't seem too fond of 'em."

Nothing unusual then. The pack was free to go wherever they wanted around the palace and gardens when they were there (which wasn't often – they preferred to stay in Winter, and their own hunting grounds). But he'd forgotten the Coronans probably weren't used to wolves walking around.

The door closed behind Merida as he got up and went over to the closet.

All the furniture that had been in the room when he got back was still just as it had been when he was seventeen, but most of his personal items had already been moved into the new room a few halls down that he would share with Rapunzel from tonight forward. (He tried not to think too much about that, not exactly sure how to feel. Excitement felt wrong somehow – but when he pushed that aside nerves and worry took its place.) So the only clothes left in the closet were his formal outfit for the ceremony, as well as a pair of jeans and a black tshirt he had set aside so he would have something to wear while he took care of the last few things before he had to get ready for the ceremony. Toothiana would never let him live it down if he ruined his formal clothes hours before the ceremony.

As he finished dressing and reached for his staff he glanced toward Baby Tooth's small alcove in the corner. She had passed out before he did when they had gotten back from dinner, and she didn't need much sleep so he wasn't surprised when he saw no sign of her. She was probably with Rapunzel, or anywhere where something was going on. She was as excited about the wedding as anyone.

By the time he got to the door the snow fox, which had been returned to him from the North Pole, was scratching at the door, looking at him with pleading green eyes. Jack grinned, opening the door and letting the fox out before leaving as well, closing the door behind him.

As carried him to the gardens outside the guest wing, he passed two yetis who each carried a bucket full of fresh flowers, arguing with each other and gesturing with their furry arms, as though they had no idea what to do with all the flowers. Jack didn't blame or envy them.

Someone called his name as he flew past one of the larger ponds (there were several of various sizes, in addition to the pool), and he pulled to a stop, hovering midair as he looked around. He finally sat Katherine sitting in a near one of the trees near the water's edge, her book laying in her lap. He wasn't too surprised by her presence, since Kailash was floating on the water's surface.

"I heard something about the wolves," he said.

"A big deal about nothing," Katherine said, waving a hand. Then she nodded over her shoulder, to the right of the way Jack had been going. "They're by the snapdragons. Once you're done with that, Tooth is looking for you."

"Right," he nodded. "Thanks Katherine!"

"No problem," she said. And Kailash honked after him cheerfully.

Isolfr's mate, Eira, was in the grassy area by the snapdragon flowers – as Katherine had said – watching two of her pups wrestle with each other, rolling among the grass with small yips that sounded suspiciously like small laughs.

They ran up to him at he arrived, jumping up to meet him as he set down, asking him to play with them. He wanted to – but remembered Katherine's reminder that Toothiana was looking for him.

Once Eira began herding her pups toward another part of the gardens, away from the guest wing, he flew back toward the palace in search of the fairy queen that had taken charge of the day's events.

#

Warren palace was decorated more lavishly than Jack had ever seen – which was saying something. While he'd never witnessed a wedding for one of the governors, and never one in the palace itself, he'd seen plenty other festivals and celebrations.

As usual, all the governors were represented in the color scheme of the decorations – North's red, Bunny's green, Sandy's gold, Toothiana's pink, Nightlight's light blue, Katherine's yellow, though Jack's own dark blue, with the addition of Corona's gold sun emblem on a deep purple background, were the most frequent.

And flowers were everywhere, in every possible shade. Bunnymund, a proud gardener, had gathered more than Jack had thought necessary (in addition to putting his chocolate making eggs into overdrive – though no one was really complaining about that). Then the Coronans had brought literally hundreds more, including the golden lilies that represented the royal family. He wasn't complaining (he wouldn't dare) but it was a lot of flowers.

It seemed like everywhere he went in the palace there were more yeits arguing about what to do with the buckets full of them.

The sanctuary where the ceremony was to take place was a large, rectangular shaped room made with light stained wood amidst the white washed walls. Tall, narrow windows lined the side walls at regular intervals, filling the room with warm light from the sun that was about to start setting. It was filled for the most part with rows of benches (Jack had no idea where all these people came from, or why they were at his wedding), save for the dais at the front. High on the front wall was a large, circular window that represented the moon.

Dark blue fabric was draped from the rafters, to the wall space between the windows. And, of course, flowers were everywhere, filling the room with their perfume.

Jack had refrained from saying anything about the formal clothing he was required to wear – marrying Rapunzel was worth it. That was something he had never expected to say. Though it didn't make him any less uncomfortable as he stood a few feet inside the sanctuary doors. The black slacks, with a silver line down the outside of the legs, were fine. But the high collared, light blue shirt, and the dark blue jacket with black and silver detailing – just the fact they were formal made them annoying.

His nerves certainly weren't helping. It was taking all his self-discipline not to fidget.

A small hand poked the side of his back. "Jack."

He looked back as Sascha, the young girl sitting behind him. She and her brother Petter were two of the orphans that lived in the Warren palace.

Sascha pointed at the wooden floor, where frost was spreading further and further from his feet, despite the boots forced on him.

"The room's getting cold," she whispered.

"Sorry," he chuckled, tousling her hair lightly as he pulled in his aura of cold.

Finally the heavy double doors were opened by the yetis that stood on the other side. His left hand tightened around his staff.

One of the hardest parts of the negotiations had been whether or not the ceremony would follow Corona or Warren's customs. It had taken three hours (and a splitting headache on Jack's part), but they had gotten the Warren ceremony he and Rapunzel had agreed they wanted. He had wanted it in part because he already knew the customs, and they were less complex than Corona's from the research he had done. Rapunzel said that if she was going to live on Warren, she wanted to follow Warren's customs. "I might as well start now," she had said. Hack though that should have been enough, but Corona's council seemed to have been determined to fight every step of the way.

Corona's custom was for the bride to be led to the altar by her father.

But they followed Warren's custom. Thomas and Adela stood on either side of Rapunzel just on the other side of the doorway. Jack stepped forward to meet them, holding his right hand over the threshold to Rapunzel. Their eyes locked through her sheer white veil, and her smile made his heart begin to race.

Her dress was layers of flowing white chiffon. Her seventy feet of golden hair had been expertly done up, strings of pearls and fresh flowers twisted and braided amongst the strands, though it still trailed on the floor.

She smiled as she accepted his hand with her let, a symbol that she accepted him as her husband and guardian. He still wasn't sure why she accepted him. But she was grateful she did.

He tore his eyes away from her (which was almost impossible, as beautiful as she was – and the fact she was marrying him), and looked at Thomas. The king met his gaze, nodding slowly as he took a white sash and tied it around their joined hands – the symbol of his approval. Jack bowed to both her parents, out of respect and gratitude, and the gesture was more than just symbolic.

They turned and Jack led her down the aisle toward the dais at the front, her parents a few feet behind the train of Rapunzel's veil.

Jack wasn't sure if it took a second or an hour to reach the front of the sanctuary.

North waited for them on the dais, along with Nightlight, Hiccup and Merida.

Once her parents were seated in the front row, they turned to North, who began to read the wedding ceremony from the leather bound book he held. The last time Jack had heard it had been when he renewed his oath as a governor two months earlier. He barely heard what his mentor said now, he was too busy trying to look at Rapunzel from the corner of his eye, without actually turning his head away from North.

Rapunzel squeezed his hand, and he returned the gesture.

"Will you, Jack Frost, take Rapunzel of Corona as our wife from this day forward, until parted by death, forsaking all others for her, to protect and cherish, love and honor?"

"I will," Jack said, unable to fight back his smile, and not wanting to.

"With you, Rapunzel, take Jack Frost as your husband, from this day forward, until parted by death, forsaking all others for him, to love and honor, cherish and respect? And will you keep him out of trouble?"

Jack opened his mouth to retort (he didn't miss Merida's laugh), but Rapunzel squeezed his hand again.

"I will," she said, her smile radiant.

Jack closed his mouth, deciding to just let it go. He forgot about it a moment later.

"As Governor of the North Pole Territory, I, Nicholas St. North, declare you are husband and wife. Jack, you may kiss the bride."

"Gladly." Turning toward Nightlight, who stood behind him to the left, he tossed him his staff. "Hold this for me, will you?"

Nightlight caught it easily in the hand not already holding his own staff.

Rapunzel smiled as Jack turned back to her and lifted her veil.

He reached up to touch her cheek, running his knuckles from her temple, down her jaw slowly, watching as her eyes closed. He felt her breath hitch as he lifted her chin, unable to stop as small smirk as he leaned down, lips brushing against hers.

He started to pull back, trying to keep the kiss chaste. But before he could, Rapunzel twined her free arm around his neck, keeping him close. Surprise made him freeze for a moment, but he quickly responded, his arm sliding around her waist. He wanted to hold her, but with their hands still bound that wasn't really an option.

But he forgot that as he realized it was the first time he was truly free to kiss her. No one had the right to disapprove, and no one could step in again.

He savored it. Savored the taste of her, and the way her fingers tangled in the hair at the back of his neck.

He vaguely registered the applause and cheers from people present, including an especially loud whoop from Merida. And part of him wanted to cheer as well… but a much larger part decided he would rather kiss Rapunzel.

Too soon he heard North clear his throat. He and Rapunzel pulled back just enough to look at the older man.

He gestured toward the door of the sanctuary – a reminder that the ceremony was over, but the wedding wasn't.

#

The lantern was simple waxed paper, with his snowflake emblem on one side, Corona's sun emblem on the other. Rapunzel told him she had made it herself, unlike the thousands of others, which had been commissioned from artisans on both Corona and Warren.

Phil the yeti brought it, along with several matched, when everyone had left the sanctuary, and they stood on the porch in front of the doors. Jack was glad this was the last public part of the ceremony. All the people watching them was unnerving. But the lanterns were a tradition that marked any event in the royal family.

Rapunzel held the lantern while Jack struck one of the matches. A bright drop of flame ignited, dancing in the breeze.

"Watch your fingers," he whispered, lighting the lantern while keeping the flame as far from her fingers as possible. It took easily, the light shining through the paper, silhouetting the emblems and patterns that decorated it. Jack blew out the match as he took the other side of the lantern, holding back his powers as much as he could while the flame warmed the air inside.

Rapunzel nodded (she was the one with experience when it came to the lanterns), and they let down. Jack's breath caught as the lantern rose from their fingers, floating upwards toward the sky. Other lanterns were lit and released by those present, rising slowly and silently, illuminating the evening sky.