Featuring an appearance by Tsar Lunar, The Man In The Moon himself! And, in which I overuse the words "light", "glow", "radiance", "luminous", "radiant", as well as several others – all in the space of about 100 words.

Also, since it's mentioned in this chapter: the tradition of carrying the bride over the threshold is a Viking custom. I'm trying to keep the wedding customs distinct. And I couldn't have Jack carry Rapunzel over the threshold without giving a reason, since this is a sci-fi story. But when it comes to Berk, I'm just going with the HTTYD books, and what little I know about Viking customs, with the obvious sci-fi twist. But at the same time, I didn't want him to actually carry her bridal style.

While writing and editing this chapter, I listened to Gabrielle Aplin's song Start of Time on loop – thank you to chocolafied and daydreamerssmile on tumblr, who introduced me to this song. It has been added to the playlist.

In my mind, at least, this chapter earns the T rating. Though some of you may think nothing of it.

Among The Stars

Chapter 19

This time the yetis actually had a chance to prepare, so the banquet hall was even more brilliantly decorated than when The Night Fury had first arrived, with so many candles and lanterns the room seemed to glow with their light. The paper lanterns overhead alternated with the colors and symbols of the governors, now with Corona's sun emblem. The tables were draped in the same colors, decorated with vases of brightly colored flowers. Jack still believed the amount was superfluous – but at the moment he really didn't care.

Rapunzel leaned toward him, squeezing his hand. "Are you actually hungry?"

Jack gestured to the plate of barely touched food in front of him in way of answer. "You?"

She shook her head. "Too excited."

He glanced at her as he took a drink of fruit juice. He didn't lower it, and managed to keep a straight face, as he asked: "For what?"

She smiled, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Jack smirked and shook his head.

After a moment he glanced around. Nearly everyone was more interested in talking amongst themselves than eating. The only person still actively eating was Merida. Very little if any attention was directed toward the newlyweds – they were expected to slip off into the night soon anyway.

From the corner of his eye he noticed Sandy trying to get someone's attention a ways down the hall.

"Come on," he said, turning back to Rapunzel and taking her hand. "I want to show you something."

"'Kay." She stood up as well, and he started to lead her around the main table and toward the door.

But they didn't get anywhere near the door before everyone's attention was caught by a loud jingling, much louder than the sound of the elves' hats, which they had all quickly relegated to white noise. They looked around until all eyes landed on Sandy, who hovered three feet or so off the ground, holding one of North's elves by its jingle bell tipped hat. The elf looked extremely jostled; its eyes out of focus from the violent shaking Sandy had just given it.

Dropping the elf in a visible huff, Sandy pointed upwards towards the circular skylight in the high, vaulted ceiling above the strings of lanterns.

Jack, and everyone present, looked up to see the full moon directly overhead. As they looked, all the lights in the room dimmed, until the only light was the silvery moonlight that spilled into the banquet hall, onto the circular design in the floor that bore the symbol of the governors.

The hall had fallen silent. Even the Coronans, who couldn't understand the significance of what was happening – only that something was happening.

"What is it?" Rapunzel whispered.

"The Man in the Moon," Jack said, his voice tight. "I wasn't expecting him to make an appearance."

"Why wouldn't he? You are a governor."

"He's never paid me much attention." He managed a weak grin. "It must be for you, Princess."

He looked back towards the moonbeams coming through the skylight.

The room was silent.

"Oh." Rapunzel gasped.

Jack looked back at her when her hand tightened around his. Her eyes were wide as she turned her head to meet his gaze.

Before he could ask, he felt the familiar touch of moonlight on his mind, and his eyes turned back to the moonbeams. Tsar Lunar didn't speak to them in words, more in feelings and impressions. The same as when he had told Jack his name after he had woken up at the pond in Winter – he had just had a knowing that his name was Jack Frost, and that the moon had told him so.

After a time, the moonbeams returned back through the skylight. Everyone in the hall was left blinking, as though they were just coming out of a daze. And in a way, maybe they were.

"Come on." He squeezed Rapunzel's hand, hurrying toward the door before the others could think to look around for them. Outside the air was cooler than it had been earlier in the day, but still warm. He assumed so, at least. He could feel the difference, but couldn't gauge exactly what it would be for anyone with a normal body temperature. But Rapunzel didn't seem cold in her strapless dress.

He led her down one of the paths that would take them deeper into the garden, letting go of her hand to unzip his jacket, but not bothering to take it off so it wouldn't get in the way.

"Isn't our room that way?" she asked, gesturing down another path to their left.

Jack grinned, taking hold of her hand again. "I told you I want to show you something."

The paths he led them down were familiar enough to him he didn't worry about getting lost, though he hadn't walked them in a while. He normally flew, though now he wanted a few minutes to clear his head after what had just happened.

The further they went toward the center of the gardens, the more side paths they had to take. Everyone knew what was in the center of the garden, and how to get there. But it wasn't somewhere they went often. The paths were well maintained, but narrower the closer they got, until they had to walk single file, Jack leading, and finally turn sideways to slip through the hedge formed on either side by bushes bursting with large pink and purple flowers.

"I didn't get to show you much of Warren last time you were here," he said, as they neared the end of the path, which spilled into the heart of the garden. "I figured we'd start here."

They stepped passed the last of the bushes, like stepping over a threshold, into a field of flowers. The large white petals took on a silver hue, glowing in the light of the full moon.

"Jack, it's beautiful," she breathed, looking around at the hundreds of luminescent flowers that surrounded them like a sea. The translucent layers of her dress caught among the flowers, some of the lights shining through the fine threads until she seemed to be one more flower among them, a part of the field, the fabric glowing.

"How?" she asked, looking back at him.

"I'm not a botanist," he chuckled, leaning on his staff. "But they only glow under a full moon. That's why I wanted to bring you here tonight."

Their wedding, like most events on Warren, had been planned for the day of the full moon.

She took a few steps forward, looking around with wide green eyes, picking her way carefully among the flowers to avoid stepping on any of them.

Jack grinned, trailing behind her. The moonlight and the radiance from the flowers illuminated her in a luminous glow, shone through the layers of her dress and her veil, radiating off her cheeks and hair. And he was content just to follow her. This was a luxury hadn't been allowed before: to just watch and admire, without worry of attack, or getting in trouble for letting his feelings show. She was small and lovely, and the light about her now was a reflection of the spiritual light she cast in his life.

And she had married him – that was almost beyond his comprehension, considering all the mistakes he had made in just the ten or so years that he remembered. He was content to be her moon, following her endlessly just to reflect her light, and protect her from the shadows.

A lunar moth rose from one of the flowers, incandescent silver dust trailing behind it as it fluttered around Rapunzel. She giggled, spinning back toward him to watch its flight as it rose higher above them. Some of the dust from its wings landed on her cheeks. Her nose twitched as the dust touched her skin, glittering in the moonlight.

Jack leaned on his staff watching, smiling.

"What did he say?" he asked, when their eyes met.

She smiled, coming back to meet him. "He welcomed me to Warren." She took his hands, with a gentleness that surprised him, and almost unnerved him. "He asked me to look after you – he said you've been through a great deal, and you deserve to be happy. What did he say to you?"

"'Welcome home.'" He reached up to touch the sweep of hair on her forehead. "And he told me to cherish you – that you're a light in an ever darkening galaxy. But I already knew that."

The glittering dust from the lunar moth was still on her cheeks. Combined with the moonbeams it was enough for him to see her blush as her eyes shied away. After a moment she looked back at him. "Did you?"

"The moment I saw you through the vent of that cell." He leaned in to kiss her forehead, then kissed the dust from her cheeks. "He also told me we have his blessing."

He pulled back before his lips could find his way to hers. "You ready to go in?"

She nodded.

He led her across the small field, to the hedge that bordered the other side, down another path toward the living quarters. Once the path widened out, and there was room enough to walk side-by-side, he wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing the top of her head.

It wasn't a long walk, and they didn't speak. Jack couldn't deny part of that might have been the nerves creeping back up on him as they headed toward their room.

"I'm curious to see what Cottontail painted on the door this time," Jack admitted. The hallway toward their room was silent save for their footsteps, and he spoke in a near whisper. He suspected the occupants of the nearby rooms were still in the banquet hall, or had arranged somewhere else to sleep tonight so the newlyweds would have their privacy.

"Actually, he let me paint me it," Rapunzel said. He glanced down and saw her nervous smile.

They reached their doorway. Like his old door it was dark blue, with frost painted around the edges. In the top right corner was a three quarter moon, illuminated by the sun slightly below it and to the left, both in a star strewn sky. He crouched down to look at the lower half, where a frosted sun lily reached toward both of the celestial bodies.

He traced the delicate white ice crystals on the edge of the brilliant golden petals with .

"I was trying to draw something that represented how you make me feel," she admitted. When he glanced back she was rubbing her arm, looking to the side. "I thought about how, when you hold me, I feel like nothing that hurt me. So the frost on the flower—"

"—Represents me holding you," he finished, still tracing the fine lines of the picture.

"Mmhmm."

Jack stood up slowly, turning back to her.

"Is it okay?" She was still look away, blushing and rubbing her arm as though afraid of rejection. He caught her hand, kissing her knuckles.

He tried to find words to tell her how much it meant to him, how it touched him. But he couldn't find them, of course. Even if he had, he wouldn't have been able to form them around the lump in his throat. Instead he caught her hand, kissing her knuckles. "Thank you" was all he could manage.

It wasn't enough, but she seemed to find it adequate, from the way she met his eyes, her smile returning. The strength of the emotions began to ease, and he grinned, reaching for the doorknob.

"Hang on. Hiccup told me about a custom from Berk that I actually like." He stepped through the doorway then reached back, picking her up by the waist and lifting her over the threshold. "Turns out Vikings are extremely superstitious – they think the bride tripping on the threshold is a bad omen, so they have the groom carry her to avoid it. It was one of the few customs he and Merida followed from either of their worlds when they got married."

"Where did they get married?" she asked.

"Long story for another time," he chuckled as he closed the door, turning on the light. "I couldn't do it justice right now."

On the circular table in the center of the room he saw the small box he had asked Phil to set there a couple days earlier. He hadn't doubted the yeti, but he was still glad to see it. Picking it up, he took her hand, leading her over to the bed. He was surprised to see the dark blue comforter, identical to the one in his old room, though large enough to cover the bigger bed. He had expected her to choose a different color.

The room was fairly similar to his, with a white carpet, simple light stained wood furniture. Though the walls were white – he had already given her permission to use them as a canvas, so that wasn't much of a surprise.

"I have something for you," he said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

She sat down as well (he was surprised how comfortable she seemed doing so, when his nerves had stepped up a notch). But she seemed perfectly at ease as she adjusted her hair and veil.

When she was situated, he held the box out to her. She accepted it, slowly lifting the lid.

"I tried to incorporate them into the ceremony, but with the hand binding, and my staff, Tooth and I couldn't figure out a way to make it work." He watched her fingers as she lifted the first layer of cushioning to reveal the two rings Hiccup had forged for them. "You didn't say anything, but when you told me about the custom I could tell it was important to you."

Rapunzel closed her eyes, one hand covering her mouth.

"I hope they're okay," he said, her reaction making him nervous. "Baby Tooth was disappointed she didn't get to be a ring bearer."

She giggled softly, picking up the rings to examine them. Hers was braided platinum, some of the metal worked into a leaf shape that formed the setting for an amethyst.

She held up his, a simple platinum band, pointing to the characters etched into the metal. "What does it say?"

"Loyalty," he said. "It's Warren's native language."

"Can you speak it?"

"It's required for all governors," he said.

"Will you teach me?" she asked, looking up at him excitedly.

Jack chuckled. "Not right now."

"I know," she said. "But will you?"

He nodded. "Sure. It will help me get used to it again."

"Will you say something in it?" she asked.

In the two months they'd been apart, he had almost forgotten how much the thought of learning anything new excited her. It was amazing to watch the way she lit up at the prospect of learning a language she might never use. Though she would probably use it to read all the old books in the back of the library.

"First things first," he said, taking the rings from her. "You said it was the left hand?"

She nodded.

Taking her left hand, he slipped the ring onto her finger. When it was in place he kissed the amethyst. When he let go of her hand she took his, sliding the band onto his finger as well, before mimicking his kiss. She sat back, smiling shyly, and he reached out to touch her cheek.

"Loyalty," he said, switching to the old tongue. "That's how you say it," he explained, when she looked at him curiously.

She repeated the word, her pronunciation slightly off. Jack chuckled and said it again, slower so she could catch the cadence. She tried again, slowly, as though tasting the syllables on her tongue. He nodded, and she smiled.

"That's what my vow comes down to," he said. "My loyalty to you."

"Will you say something else?"

"Our wedding night and you want to learn a language," Jack muttered, rolling his eyes. "Encouraging."

Rapunzel giggled, before the sound turned into full on laughter. She fell back, clutching her stomach as her laughter continued.

Jack watched her with a quirked brow for a moment… before he chuckled as well. Then curiosity got the better of him. Reaching over he eased her hands away from her stomach, his fingers going to work at her sides, tickling her. Her laughter kicked up a notch, her body curling around his hands, rolling over in an attempt to get away from him. But he moved quickly, following her so she couldn't escape.

She reached up for his sides, her hands trying to slip past the edges of his unzipped jacket. But he grinned, swatting her hand away.

He stopped just before she started gasping for air. Taking off his jacket he tossed it on the floor before laying down beside her. While he waited for her breathing to return to normal, he unpinned her veil, sending it to join his jacket on the floor.

"Would you take my hair out too?" she asked, still giggling.

He nodded and sat up, going to work first at the end of the braid. He unwrapped the strands that covered the tie that held the braid in place. Some of the flowers had already fallen out, those that remained had already begun to wilt, so he cast those to the floor with her veil and his jacket.

"Are you nervous at all?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him once more, especially with the quivering in his own stomach and fingers. And from what he knew of it, their situations were normally reversed.

"A little," she said, watching as he began to undo the plaiting. "But I love you. And I trust you."

He was too floored by that to respond, so instead he focused on his work.

The main braid was fairly easy to undo – it was when he got to all the twists, the smaller braids and the decorations closer to the scalp it became more challenging. He had to find which braid to undo first, otherwise another one would get in the way.

"I don't think I've ever actually played with hair before," he admitted as she sat up to make his job easier. He grinned as he pulled out a string of small pearls and several of the braids were freed. He dropped the pearls to the floor.

"You're good at it, actually," she said.

"Maybe I had a sister before I got amnesia," he said. He combed his fingers through the hair he had just released, making sure there were no smaller braids hidden on the underside, or another strand of pearls. Rapunzel closed her eyes, leaning into his hand, clearly enjoying the motion. A few more braids, pearls and flowers and her hair was free. He smiled, combing his fingers through the golden strands. "I prefer it down."

"But you don't like it in the way," she reminded, as she turned back to face him.

"Only in life or death situations," he said. Inching closer, he kissed her, lips brushing hers.

She responded immediately, pressing into him, shifting so she could twine her arms around his neck. As with their kiss in the guest room on Corona he found himself getting lost quickly.

It was like when he broke through the surface of the pond – for a moment he lost himself in the cold air, the north wind and the snow. He forgot who he was for a moment, his mind melding with the elements of his territory. But as that began to fade, his brain remembering that he wasn't the ice, it gave way to confusion, his brain trying to figure out where he ended and where the ice began, until after another moment everything snapped back into place.

This was a sensation he didn't want to escape, though.

His lungs were not romantics, apparently, because eventually they demanded air, and he had to pull back. He could feel Rapunzel's warm breath fanning across his face as they both gasped for air.

"If you get too cold-"

Her palm pressed against his cheek as she met his eyes. "Jack, please. I trust you."

"Just tell me, okay?"

"Okay," but the word was almost lost as she kissed him again.

And he was losing himself again, his mind losing clarity. He looped his arm around her waist. She squeaked against his lips as he lifted her easily, adjusting their position so they were closer to the head of the bed.

Without breaking the kiss she pulled her body away from his, fingers finding their ways to the small clasps of his formal shirt. He helped her, glad to be rid of it. The fabric was uncomfortable against his skin – and now it was in the way. Eventually one of them got frustrated (he wasn't sure which), and pulled too hard at the delicate fabric. The sound of ripping threads made them both pull back, at first surprised. Then he grinned, and ripped the last part of the shirt, yanking to break through the hem, so he could remove it without working at the last few clasps.

By this point he was used to being shirtless around Rapunzel, he thought little of it as he added the shirt to the growing pile of discarded garments on the floor. He paused a moment to remove his gauntlet, setting it on the nightstand before turning back to her.

He caught her eyes roaming over his chest as he turned back to her, her cheeks a distinct hue of pink. When she realized he had caught her, the color darkened further.

"You're blushing?" he asked, blinking in surprised.

She turned away, cheeks now close to red, not meeting his eyes.

Jack touched her shoulder, turning her back to him. "Hang on. Rapunzel, you've seen more of me than any other woman – and you're blushing? I don't remember you blushing on Corona when your fingers were all over my scars."

"Th-that was different," she said. Their eyes met, and her breath hitched. "That wasn't… this."

He chuckled, stroking the side of her face again to coax her closer. "Have I mentioned that you're incredibly cute?"

"Not the word a woman wants to hear at a moment like this," she said, though he caught a teasing glint in her eyes.

"Adorable?" he tried, grin growing.

She rolled her eyes.

"Lovely?"

Her lips brushed his – but just a brush.

"Beautiful?"

That seemed to satisfy her, and she kissed him, pressed against him. And there was that feeling of floating again. Not like the wind or water – something warm and enveloping. A little like waking up without his powers. Not being woken up, but waking up because he was fully rested, wrapped in blankets that offered warmth and a feeling of safety.

She was so warm, her fingers tangling in his hair, and her breath filling his lungs. Or was that his warmth? It made no sense, he knew his body temperature was rising (still not quite to a normal human temperature), but the warmth was undeniable, like she was leaving a trail of sunlight across his skin.

It helped him relax, letting go of the fear he might accidentally hurt her.

He pulled back from her lips, wanting to try another endearment. One hand was braced against the mattress, while the other was at her back, following the lacing of her dress in search of the ends.

"My wife," he whispered. A thrill of excitement surged through him as he said the word, realizing exactly what it meant – a moment he had prayed for, but given up hope for, that night they had fallen asleep in the guest room on Corona.

He didn't know how to describe her reaction, it wasn't physical save for a small gasp, but he still felt… something – he guessed she felt the same thrill he did at the word.

"My husband," she said, voice breathless.

There went any last semblance of control he had.

He had found the end of the lacing of her dress and he pulled it, the bow giving way easily (a lot easier than some of her braids had).

Shifting their position again, he rolled over so her back was against the mattress and he hovered over her. One hand still pressed against the mattress, holding him up. His free hand went to caress the side of her face again.

After that, there were no more words.

The world fell away around them, until all he could think about, feel or see was Rapunzel. Her breathing. The beat of his heart – or was it hers? He began to suspect their hearts had merged at some point without him noticing; only one beat for both of them. It was like dying again, the way everything faded from the edges, as though the world were unraveling until all that was left were those few details he hung onto for dear life.

But there was the awareness even as he fell asleep later that he would wake up – and she would be by his side when he did.