*Three years later*
Hiccup was dreaming. He was the captain of his own boat, and he was sailing it out through the fjord and into the wide open ocean beyond. It was a recurring dream he had often, but he had never made it past the protective bay. Something always happened, whether it was a storm, a sea monster, a man jumped overboard, or the dream just ended. But this time he just knew they would make it out. They were so close, and the wind was picking up speed every second. Almost there…
Knock, knock, knock. "Master Henry!"
Moaning, Hiccup turned over and drew the covers over his head. If he could just go back to sleep, then he could make it through the gap…
"Good morning, Master Henry!" Maudie called through the door. "Are you awake?"
Groggily, Hiccup sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Yup, I'm awake…I'm awake…" His head suddenly fell forward, resting on his knees.
"Master Henry, don't make me come in there!"
"Who is it?" he asked, jolting awake. "Is that you, Maudie?"
A loud frustrated sigh was his only answer. "Get up, Master Henry, it's coronation day."
"Coronation day…" Hiccup mumbled, yawning. Suddenly he sat bolt upright. "Oh! It's coronation day!"
He leapt out of bed and quickly put on the fancy new suit that had been delivered to him the week before. This really did merit the early wake up. Although he had managed to sneak out of the castle, he hadn't been able to do it very regularly. After a year or two, he ran into his tutor in the market place, and he had been dragged back. Since that day nearly five years ago, his outings had been very restricted. But Anna, bless her soul, had allowed him to do whatever he liked today, as long as he made it to the coronation and the ball on time. Running with excitement, he threw open the doors and burst into the hallway.
"It's coronation day!" he yelled to no one in particular. He slid down the banister stairs to the grand ballroom, where they were preparing for the night's banquet.
"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
But wow, am I so ready for this change!
He ran out to the courtyard and balanced along the edge of the fountains.
"'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."
Sighing happily, he sat down on the edge of the fountain and looked at his reflection, slipping into his second favorite daydream. This one was new, unlike the sailing dream. In this one, he met a princess, they fell in love, and they moved to another kingdom and went on adventures. He sang quietly to himself.
"And we'll laugh and talk all evening,
Which is totally bizarre
Nothing like the life I've led so far
"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."
Jack looked down from his room over the courtyard the marketplace. So many people were already milling around in the square, waiting for the gates to open. Hiccup was waiting in the courtyard, walking around the fountains like a little kid, even though he was nearly 20. Jack's hands were shaking with nervousness. He had been practicing for weeks, but it still felt weird to have the gloves off. He was terrified something would go wrong. But no, he mustn't think of that.
"Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good prince you always have to be…"
He looked up at the painting of Elsa. She had been so strong, even through the death of her husband. She not only controlled her powers, but the people knew about them and loved her for it. But Jack knew that would not be his fate. There was no way he could control the raging monster inside of him. He picked up a decorative round bowl and a candlestick, pretending like they were the coronation symbols. His hands shook with nerves as frost crept up the sides.
"Conceal, don't feel, put on a show
Make one wrong move and everyone will know."
He quickly set down the frosted items and squared his shoulders. "But it's only for today."
Hiccup was still singing in the courtyard, itching to get back to his beloved city. "It's agony to wait."
Jack threw open the doors to his study, where several servants and guards stood at the ready. "Tell the guards to open up the gates," he declared, trying to look and sound confident.
"The gate!" the guards yelled.
Hiccup jumped to his feet as the massive wooden doors opened for the first time in years. Townsfolk and visiting merchants started pouring in, looking around and talking excitedly, but Hiccup took no notice. He slipped through them all and vaulted to the thick guard rail on the bridge, running down it the whole way and spinning around lamp posts.
"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!"
He jumped down at the end and ran through the nearly empty marketplace, nearly crashing into a girl with fiery red hair and a reindeer. He was back at the wharf, breathing in the thick salty air. The whole way was clear, perfect for a grand finale.
"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!"
He should have known not to sing such dangerous ironic lyrics. Because of course, at that very moment, a girl riding a horse stumbled out of an alleyway and crashed right into him. Hiccup stumbled backwards and landed in a rowboat, very undignified for a prince. But most embarrassingly, he had been caught singing in town.
"Hey!" he protested, flinging a stray piece of seaweed away. His suit was now muddied and ruined.
Looking up, he started in surprise. It was a fine, strong horse, one that seemed like it would belong to a noble. But the girl who was riding it was dressed in rags and was a mess. But even beneath the grime she was stunningly beautiful, with wavy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.
"I'm so sorry," she stuttered. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Hiccup said, gingerly stepping out of the boat. "Where on earth did you get such a fine horse?"
"Um…" the girl stopped, obviously embarrassed.
"Oh! Of course, I should have known. You're also a royal in disguise," Hiccup said. "Don't worry, I used to do that too, until my guardians stopped me."
"Yes!" the girl exclaimed eagerly. "I'm so glad someone finally understands. I'm…Princess Astrid of the Hoffersons of Berk."
"I've always dreamed of visiting Berk," Hiccup said longingly. Then, remembering his manners, he bowed. "I'm Prince…Henry of Arendelle."
"Prince Henry!" Astrid squeaked. She quickly dismounted and curtseyed. "My apologies, your highness. I meant no ill will on this wonderful day of celebration."
"Like I said before, you're fine. Pardoned, I guess is the correct term. You may rise, I guess." He paused. "Do royals say that to each other? I've not had much experience and I just thought of that."
"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure myself," she laughed lightly. "Politics these days are ever so complicated."
Hiccup grinned, glad to know he wasn't the only one. He was really starting to like Princess Astrid. Suddenly, the bells started ringing, the call to the coronation. Looking down, he suddenly realized his suit was in ruins. Astrid looked like she realized the same thing.
"I'm so sorry, I'm afraid I have to go," Hiccup said, quickly leaving. He bowed quickly. "Um, nice meeting you!"
Astrid watched him go, an idea slowly forming in her mind. Kind Prince Henry, the one that so many had forgotten about. He was perfect. Now all she needed were the right clothes. She quickly led the horse back to a stable, where the new stable boy thanked her profusely and paid her the reward he had promised, even though she had been the one to steal the horse the night before. But nobody needed to know that. Astrid pocketed the money and ran to the tailor's, a good friend of her family for a long time.
"Quickly, what do you have that I can buy and go to the coronation?" she asked.
"You're going to the coronation?" the tailor asked in confusion.
"Yes, if you have a dress that fits me and is ready to go," she begged. "I brought money, see?"
The old man looked her over. "You're going to need a lot more than that, sweetheart. Now, let's see what we can do."
"Jack!" Hiccup knocked on the door frantically. "Jack, can I come in? Please, my suit was accidentally ruined and I need a new one."
Jack opened the door in alarm and confusion. "How did you accidentally ruin a suit?" he asked incredously. Hiccup shrugged, at a loss for words. "Fine, but hurry," Jack said in annoyance, pointing to the closet. "You're taller than me, though. Anything you get is going to look small."
These were the first words they had spoken in years, and Hiccup wasn't sure what to say. And since when was he the taller one? He managed to find one that wasn't too terrible in length and hurriedly left. Jack was left on the bed, a bit winded from the brief encounter. Hiccup was so full of energy and so incredibly carefree that it almost hurt. It seemed like his days of wanting to reconnect were over as well. The brothers had barely looked at each other. And since when had Hiccup surpassed him in height? He'd try to play it off casually, but the difference had shocked him.
"Jack?" Anna had slipped in so quietly he hadn't noticed.
"Hi," Jack said.
"Was that Hiccup? In here?"
"Yes," Jack answered simply. "His suit was ruined five minutes after he put it on so he came to borrow one of mine."
"Did you speak to him?" Anna asked eagerly. "He's been so lonely lately."
"Not much," Jack said, looking at the floor a little guilty. "But to be fair he was in and out like a summer storm."
"Elsa never wanted it to be like this, Jack," Anna sighed. "She didn't want you to feel like you had to hide or be afraid of yourself."
"I'm not afraid of myself," he lied. "I just don't want to hurt Hiccup. Not again. I can't hurt anyone again. When she died, I promised myself I would never use my powers again. But I can't control them, it just slips out."
"That's not true," Anna said. "I just won't believe that. You will learn to control your powers just like Elsa did."
"Yeah, that's what mom said," Jack fired back, clutching the bed posts. Frosty patterns swirled along the wood as he tried to control it.
Anna was quiet for a long time. "I know you'll make her proud," she said at last. "Good luck at the coronation. You remember everything we went over?"
"Yes."
"Good. Our carriage is arriving shortly and apparently I have to make sure Hiccup looks presentable. I'll see you there."
Hiccup was waiting in the foyer of the chapel when Jack's carriage pulled up. Jack had known that his brother would be there, but his heart still caught in his throat when he noticed how nice and dressed up he was. Hiccup was an adult now. Heck, he was an adult now, and about to be crowned king. The footman opened the door and Jack alighted, trying not sway. He tugged on the thin white gloves, making sure they were on correctly. He did not imagine that being this nervous was even possible. The door to the chapel closed behind him with a resounding bang, and both boys jumped. Hiccup tried to laugh it off lightly, but Jack could only smile.
"You nervous?" Hiccup asked.
Jack laughed, short and harsh. "I'm about to be crowned king. Yes, I'm nervous." He glanced sideways at him. "You don't look too steady yourself."
"My brother's about to be crowned king. There are people in the castle and I just realized I've forgotten all the dances I've ever been taught. I'm probably going to look like a fool in front of all these people."
"I guarantee there will be worse dancers than you," Jack said. "Remember mother's story about the Duke of Wesleton's efforts to woo her?"
Hiccup stifled a laugh. "I wonder if he'll be here tonight."
"Dear God, I hope not." The music playing in the chapel started to fade and suddenly Jack was all nerves. "How do I look?"
"Fine. Maybe don't have your hand resting on your sword though, you look like you're ready to kill somebody at any moment."
Jack quickly dropped his hands to his side, partly because the sentence scared him more than Hiccup knew. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and gathering courage. The doors opened, and he smiled at the standing crowd. Slowly, he walked down the aisle to the declaration of trumpets. The rest of the ceremony past in a blur; the oath, the recited history, everything was forgotten except for the end. Anna and Kristoff had removed their regent's diadems and given them back to the officiators. As they stepped to the side, Anna gave Jack a severe look. Time to take off the gloves. Shakily, Jack slipped the gloves off and handed them to Hiccup, who was nearest. Then the priest brought forth the coronation regalia. These were more than just the candlestick and bowl he had practiced with. Stiffly, Jack took them in his hands and turned to face the crowd. He heard Anna hold her breath.
"Announcing," the priest said in a loud, magnificent, frustratingly slow voice. "Jackson Lopet..."
Hurry up! Jack thought desperately as ice crackled around his hands. It would become visible any second. Hiccup would see.
"Robert Reginald Frost, King of Arendelle!"
As soon as the applause started, Jack turned and thrust the frosted items onto the pillow, away from prying eyes. He held out a hand and Hiccup gave him back the gloves. Once they were on, he felt safe again, and turned to face the crowd, relaxed once again. The hard part was over. But he didn't see Anna and Kristoff exchange a rapid, worried glance.