Chapter Text
o0o0o0o
o0o0o0o
Worst. Birthday. Ever.
Jack, or "His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Jackson of Arendelle" as he'd been referred to non-stop for the past few hours, really wasn't one to complain, but so far, his seventeenth birthday was turning out to be one that even he didn't want to be at.
It wasn't so much that he'd been forced to go this lame party full of stuck-up and rule-obsessed nobles and other kingdom representatives, or that he'd been forced to wear some of the most uncomfortable, stiff-feeling clothing to date. Both were things that he'd long since been resigned to given the position he'd been born into, and the latter wasn't so bad since he wasn't required to "dress like a crown prince" that often.
Rather, it was the fact that his parents, Queen Anna and King-Consort Kristoff, were nowhere to be seen!
Jack glared sourly down into the glass he'd been pretending to drink for the last hour – his etiquette tutors insisted it was an 'image' thing even though he really didn't like the taste of alcohol – as he thought about the last time he'd seen his parents.
For whatever reason, right before the party had began, the Queen and King Consort had been summoned for "very important business". They had told Jack that they'd be along later and to "have fun" while they were gone.
And yet, it was nearly midnight, and still, no sign of any of them!
It was even worse since there had been no sign of Aunt Elsa, who had promised Jack and Emma she would be there. He hoped that she was with his parents wherever they were, and not off dealing with some "Guardian of Truth" stuff that would end up with her not being able to visit at all.
Jack was trying not to get frustrated, especially since he knew that his mother had to be even more upset than him right now to miss his birthday and leave him to deal with the nobles alone, but he really couldn't think of what was keeping them so long. It was making him more worried than he was willing to admit.
(Not to mention that he hadn't showed up again...)
"Jack?" called out a familiar voice.
Jack spun around from the spot in the corner that he'd been hiding in (just to get a bit of a break since the last thing he wanted to do was appear grumpy in front of his subjects). His eyes widened when he saw none other than his ten-year-old sister, Princess Emma of Arendelle.
While he was always happy to see her, he knew very well that Olaf had taken her to bed hours ago. And given the lack of the sentient snowman, Jack would bet his favorite sled that Olaf didn't know Emma had snuck out of bed.
Still, there was a smile on Jack's face as he raised an eyebrow.
"Why, dear sister!" Jack exclaimed, putting a hand on his chest as if the sight of her was simply too much for his mind to fathom. "How shocking would it be for the people of Arendelle to know their beloved princess was the type to sneak out of bed at such late hours!?"
Emma giggled, muffling the sound with both of her hands. "Like you didn't do the same at my age!"
"And much worse," Jack agreed with a solemn nod. "Which is why I'm wondering what could be so important that such a responsible princess such as yourself would risk such a scandal?"
She rolled her eyes at him – the irises being the same shade of brown as Jack's own and their father's. They also shared the same brown hair, which they'd apparently inherited from their grandmother (on their mother's side since Kristoff wasn't sure who his birth parents were), so there was no denying they were siblings to any who saw them.
"I want you to open your present," Emma said firmly before giving a frown, looking around at the crowd. "I would've thought Mom, Dad, and Aunt Elsa would back by now too..."
Jack blinked, glancing over to the table where his presents had been laid. It was true that, for most of their birthdays, they opened presents together as a family, but since their parents weren't back yet, he knew they wouldn't mind if he opened a few gifts early.
(Not that he really cared about any gifts that didn't come from his family. Everyone else's presents were obligatory, unimaginative, or downright insulting in how obviously some noble was trying to get into the 'good graces' of the future king.)
Jack looked back at Emma, giving her a thumbs up. "Sounds like a plan. You stay here while I go get it. The one with your excellent blue ribbon skills, right?"
Emma nodded with a giggle. She obediently hid further in the corner to stay out of view of the partygoers as Jack made his way over to the gift pile.
He hoped that he would be able to get there without incident, but was unsurprised as a noble with bright red hair and calculating eyes caught sight of him. The noble immediately went to stand in his way, as if he'd been there all along.
"Your Royal Highness, Crown Prince Jackson," said the man whose name that Jack couldn't remember for the life of him, despite having the misfortune of crossing his path multiple times tonight already.
Jack had been calling him Count Beady Eyes in his head.
"I was wondering where you wandered off to," Count Beady Eyes continued, an obvious air of judgment in his tone and expression.
Jack shrugged, forcing himself to put on a polite smile. "Well, you know me. I like to wander."
"Hmm, that we do." Count Beady Eyes sighed deeply. "I know that the responsibility of being the Crown Prince is a heavy one, but don't forget you are now seventeen. Yet another year closer to becoming the Ruler of Arendelle. It could come off as rather disappointing, for loyal subjects such as myself, to lose the chance to offer additional wisdom to help guide you for such a demanding future."
Yeah, you really want to 'help' me, Jack thought darkly, recalling how Count Beady Eyes had practically thrown his daughter at him at every ball Jack had ever attended.
"In fact," Count Beady Eyes continued, gaze scanning the crowd, "my daughter would be quite a suitable partner–"
"Yeah, sorry," Jack interrupted quickly, already edging away. "I have 'important royal business' to attend to, so please give my solemn regards!"
Before Count Beady Eyes could say another word, Jack made a beeline for the table of presents. And just in time too as Jack saw Count Beady Eyes' daughter suddenly materialize at her father's side, now frowning in the direction of the Crown Prince.
It wasn't that Jack was trying to be rude, but it was clear that the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree with that bloodline.
It wouldn't have been so bad if the daughter had at least some interest in Jack beyond his position, but every time they interacted, it was like she couldn't even see Jack – like he was invisible as she spoke to the person she believed he was or wanted to craft him into being.
Not that it was that rare of a situation.
Every time Jack went out in public, he was surrounded by people who had expectations – ideas of who he was and who he would be that couldn't be further from the truth if he tried.
His parents had always told him that he just needed to be himself, that'd he be an outstanding ruler someday, but honestly... even though Jack loved his kingdom and the people in it – even those like Count Beady Eyes and his daughter – it felt like no matter how he tried, he would never fit into that kind of role.
Honestly, the only person besides his family to truly see him, to see Jack and accept him, had been...
Stop thinking about him, Jack scolded himself, grabbing Emma's present from the pile with a bit more force than necessary. He forcibly banished the memory of messy brown hair, amused green eyes, and a wry grin from his mind.
(Though there hadn't been a grin on that face the last time Jack saw him. Quite the opposite...)
Jack snuck back to the corner from before, plastering a more genuine grin on his face as he stared down at the eager face of his sister.
Emma was literally bouncing up and down as she stared at the present in his hands. "Open it, open it!"
Even though the shape was pretty distinct, his eyes widened as he ripped off the paper to reveal a new pair of beautiful skates. He went through quite a few every year, so it was always a gift he appreciated.
Emma frowned down at the uneven snowflakes sewn into the side of each skate. "Dad helped me build them, but I didn't do a very good job with the sewing. Mom said it gave it more character, but I don't know..."
"And she's totally right." Jack reached over to tap her nose affectionately. "If I had the choice between these and any other pair of skates in the world, I'd definitely choose these!"
It was the truth. For the fact alone that these had been made for Jack, and not the Crown Prince of Arendelle, these skates were more valuable than any fancy, over-the-top present sure to be in the pile of gifts when he opened them tomorrow.
A wide smile grew on Emma's face, clearly pleased that her present had been well-received.
"Let's try them out!" she demanded eagerly, grabbing at his hand.
Jack raised an eyebrow. While it wouldn't be the first time that they'd snuck out to go ice skating at night, generally it was always him leading the way and not her. She was definitely better at following the rules than him, that's for sure.
He bit his lip, glancing towards the party where people continued to mingle and toast one another. There was no doubt the party would continue for a few more hours yet and, while Jack was infamous for shirking off his responsibilities, he knew that his parents would be disappointed to hear that he just left...
"C'mon, Jack!" Emma pouted at him. "I know you're not having any fun here, so let's go do something that you want to do!"
Ah, so that's why, Jack thought, smiling.
Emma must've seen how disappointed and bored he was and, being the best little sister in the world that she was, had been unable to go to bed until she'd done her best to rectify the situation. He definitely would've done the same if it was her birthday instead of his that had turned out like this.
So, really, how could Jack refuse?
Emma quietly cheered as the two royals slipped away from the party.
All the while, they never noticed the shadow watching them from the corner.
o0o0o0o
Careful so that their giggles didn't wake up Olaf snoring contently in Emma's bed, the two siblings grabbed what winter clothes were needed before racing down the staircase towards the entrance furthest away from the ongoing celebration.
Going outside was a breath of fresh air – in more ways than one – and already Jack could feel the suffocating pressure that had been building all night begin to retreat as they made their way towards the forest.
It was cold, but not too cold for a pair of siblings from a family that spent more time outdoors than not. The snow crunched delightfully beneath their feet as they made their way towards their favorite pond to skate on. It was a picturesque place with a wide clearing with mountains on every side.
It was also where they held Arendelle's End of Christmas Tree Lighting, which would be just in four days. Jack had been born on the Winter Solstice, so it was definitely a busy time of year for their family and the kingdom.
Caught up in his thoughts as he sat down to help Emma change into her skate, Jack was completely unprepared for her next words.
"Are you upset that Hiccup didn't show up again?"
Jack nearly nicked himself on the blade. It took a moment to process her words before he scowled, not quite meeting her eyes.
"No," Jack said firmly, slipping her right foot from her boot to replace it with a skate. "Why would you... it's been ages since I thought about that guy, forever even–"
"You're lying," Emma answered promptly, eyes watching him intently. "Uncle Olaf said you were cursing Hiccup's name last week when you skipped classes."
I'm surrounded by traitors.
"Yeah, well..." Jack swallowed, moving to put on her left skate. "He has a very curseable name. Seriously, Hiccup–" His throat tightened, but he pushed through it. "–is the most ridiculous name I've ever heard, even for those battle-crazy Vikings."
The sad expression on Emma's face told him that she wasn't buying it. "I miss him too."
Jack faltered. "You were barely old enough to remember him."
"Not true!" Emma denied with a pout. "I was seven when you stopped talking, not a baby!"
She was right. Emma had been seven and Jack had been fourteen the last time they'd seen the fifteen-year-old heir of Berk, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third.
Back then, Hiccup's face had been a regular one to see, particularly during the winters when the dragons plaguing the Barbaric Archipelago had been even more vicious in attacking its residents.
Stoick the Vast would send his heir to Arendelle under the guise of "better fostering allied relationships and negotiating for valuable resources"... though Hiccup had always known it was because his father had given up on him as a warrior who could defend himself, certain that Hiccup would one day be picked up by a dragon and never return.
I wonder if he was, Jack wondered morosely, heart seizing in his chest for a moment. Not like communication with the Archipelago was ever reliable anyway.
He pushed it from his mind. It was better to think that Hiccup was a jerk who'd never returned his letters than... the idea that something had happened to him. Not to mention Jack was pretty sure Arendelle would've been one of the first to hear if something like the heir to such a prominent tribe had died, right?
Regardless, there was no denying that things had changed... and they both needed to accept that.
"You're right," Jack said finally, glancing up at her. "But, Emma, he is the one who decided to stop talking, to stop visiting, us. Not me."
Emma frowned, confused. "But I thought it was because you two had a fight?"
Jack glanced away, the memory of screaming, slamming doors, and watching a ship sail off into the distance without so much as a goodbye lingering in his mind.
"Well," Jack said finally, "him not writing me again proves that I was right."
"About what?"
"That..." His throat squeezed again, and he tied her skates with a bit more force than needed. "The person he wanted to be... wasn't someone I wanted to be friends with."
It was quiet for a few moments as Jack sat down in the snow beside her, pulling off his boots with practiced motion.
"I'm sorry, Jack," Emma said quietly, looking sad again. "I didn't mean to make you more upset."
Jack sighed, letting go of long-standing frustration with practiced ease.
"It's fine, kiddo." Jack reached over to jostle her hair, snickering when she pouted. "Why don't we stop talking about stupid Vikings and start having fun like we came out here to do?"
He gestured encouraging towards the pond with his head, his hands moving to pick up his skates. "Why don't you go out first? I'll be there in a second."
His sister's expression was hesitant before she nodded. Emma turned, slowly walking out onto the ice in a way that made Jack smile despite his previous feelings.
He knew that she was just worried, and it was only fair that she... that she missed Hiccup too, given how well the Viking had treated her since she'd been a literal infant.
But then you had to go and ruin everything, Jack thought darkly.
(If Jack was being honest, he wasn't sure if he was referring to himself or Hiccup.)
But, one day, he would take a boat up to the Barbaric Archipelago, march straight to the house of Chief Stoick the Vast, demand to talk to Hiccup and finally say–
"Jack!"
All thought left Jack's mind as his sister's fearful cry filled the air. His head jerked up, immediately searching for the cause.
For a moment, he didn't understand what was wrong. Emma hadn't gone very far, only ten feet or so onto the ice. She was staring at him in horror, no, at something just behind him–
His breath stopped. He spun around.
Behind Jack was a tall, lithe man dressed in a long black robe. The figure loomed over the prince with silver-golden eyes that resembled an eclipse, his gaze feeling like it was going to block out all the sunlight in the world.
The being that could only be Pitch Black smiled down at him.
"Hello, Jack."
Jack scrambled to his feet, running out onto the frozen pond and firmly putting Emma behind him. He spotted a nearby staff on the ice that must've been left behind by someone and picked it up, pointing it in Pitch's direction.
But while Jack had been trained in various martial arts while growing up, he would be lying if he said that he thought he could last a minute against the immortal monster in front of him.
"Pitch Black," Jack spat out, trying to best maneuver his body so that Emma was blocked from view. His bare feet were already becoming numb from the ice, but he ignored it. "What do you want?"
"Ah." Pitch's smile widened as he glided out onto the ice. "So you've heard of me?"
That was one way to put it.
The Nightmare King was supposedly the embodiment of fear itself, taking cruel delight and power in ruining the lives of all he crossed – often being the force behind some of the worst disasters in history. Of all the malicious magical creatures Jack had been warned about growing up, there was no denying that Pitch Black was at the top of that list.
Fortunately, despite his formidable status that no one in the surrounding kingdoms could deny, Jack knew very well that Pitch Black wasn't unbeatable.
"Heard of the guy who gets his butt kicked repeatedly by the Guardians?" Jack snarked. "Yeah, I've heard of you."
There was a flicker of annoyance before Pitch's expression smoothed out.
"Perhaps," Pitch allowed, seemingly unbothered. "But I'm sure you're familiar with me in a more... familial way, yes? Specifically, a favored aunt of yours?"
His smile grew as Jack tensed, eyes glittering with pure amusement.
"Such a shame, that Elsa," Pitch continued with a sigh. "So much potential that she let be wasted when she turned her back on me... someone who'd been her friend for years..."
"Like you were ever her friend!" Jack spat, eyes looking around for something that could help them out. But they were alone, far away from the castle, and had told no one where they were going or to find them if they were gone too long. "You only wanted to feed on her fear and use her powers to destroy everything!"
While his parents didn't like to talk about it, Jack had heard bits and pieces of how Pitch Black had played a role in their family history.
Specifically, how a childhood accident and a warning from the Trolls had been twisted by Pitch's influence, filling their grandparents with fear to the point they had locked Elsa and Anna in the castle and away from one another.
Then, when his grandparents' ship had been lost at sea, Elsa had been left alone with that fear.
For years and years, she'd had Pitch's voice in her head, falling prey to his manipulations until the day of her coronation where her uncontainable powers had been revealed for all to see. She'd run away, freezing Arendelle in the process and nearly dooming everyone in the kingdom to die.
Fortunately, Jack's mother had refused to give up on her sister. With the help of Jack's father, they'd teamed up together and eventually got through to Elsa that Anna's love for her was stronger than any fear.
The Guardians had also shown up and, after an earful from Anna, had realized Pitch's influence and dealt with him accordingly. They'd made it so that it'd be very difficult for Pitch to ever directly approach Arendelle or mess with the royal family again...
...until now, it seemed.
"Not true," Pitch denied, tone admonishing Jack like he was a child. "But I suppose with all the lies of those Guardians filling your head, you wouldn't believe a word I said about your Aunt... would you?"
"No," Jack agreed uneasily, grip feeling sweaty around the staff. "So why don't you just leave–"
The sudden intensity of Pitch's eyes stopped Jack in his tracks.
"So why don't we talk about you, Jack," Pitch said, tilting his head with mock curiosity. "And that's what you preferred to be called, right? Jack... not Your Royal Highness, Crown Prince Jackson, first and only son of Queen Anna and King Kristoff of Arendelle."
Pitch took a dramatic breath, sighing loudly. "Quite a mouthful, isn't it? Quite a burden... a frustration to have all those eyes on you... yet no one truly seeing you."
With every well-crafted word, Pitch stepped forward, pushing the two siblings further back onto the ice.
"Especially when you just want to have fun, right?" Pitch continued, spreading his arms out welcomingly. "I can feel it, Jack... your desire to break free... your need to have the freedom you would have been given freely if you had been born in any other family..."
Don't respond, Jack told himself, swallowing hard. He could feel himself shaking, but it'd be a lie if he said it was only from the cold. He'll only twist your words. Just focus on keeping Emma away from him–
As if sensing Jack's thoughts about Emma, Pitch looked down at the princess. His smile widened as she darted behind Jack, hiding her face in his clothing.
"How rude of me," Pitch said mournfully, shaking his head. "To not also properly greet Princess Emma–"
Jack hissed, pushing Emma back as he took a step forward to point the staff at Pitch's throat. "You stay away from her!"
Pitch held his hands up defensively, as if he was truly threatened by the stick in Jack's hands.
"If you wish," Pitch said 'agreeably' before giving Jack a chiding look. "Though, really, Jack, you can't blame me for wanting to say hello when you refuse to talk to me."
"I can talk," Jack insisted, eyes narrowing. "I can talk all day, believe me."
"That I do," Pitch said with a small chuckle. "Yet another trait that the nobility isn't fond of, are they? Though, I suppose if your mother managed to tame her hyperactivity to 'politically appropriate levels', you will too..." Pitch's smile glittered. "Really, Jack, I'm sure that one day you'll be just like them."
Jack swallowed, unable to respond again.
"Oh?" Pitch's eyes intensified. "But that's the problem, isn't it? It's not just that you're afraid you can't be like them... but that you might successfully become like them – like your mother."
Jack grit his teeth. "My mother is an amazing queen!"
"She is," Pitch acknowledged. "Despite her excitable spirit and a love for fun that matches yours, she changed herself to better fit what a 'queen' should be – what queen needed to be to protect her people..." His expression filled with pity. "And while you admire that, Jack, you also resent it, don't you?"
Pitch's words rang true, but Jack did his best to block them out. "Whatever you're trying to do. It won't work!"
"And what am I trying to do?" Pitch asked innocently. "I'm just focusing on you, and not your sister, as you asked..." He glanced over Jack's shoulder, smilingly devilishly. "Though, perhaps, you should be focusing a little more on her..."
Jack spun around, heart seizing in his chest as he saw that Emma was further away from him than he remembered her being.
Below her skates, the ice had begun to crack.
There's no way the ice could be cracking in this weather, Jack thought frantically. Pitch must've done something!
"It's okay, it's okay," Jack soothed, slowly moving forward towards Emma. He kept Pitch in the corner of his eye, but the Nightmare King seemed content to watch. "Don't look down. Just look at me."
But even as he said that, Jack saw Emma's gaze flash towards the ice, and then over to Pitch.
"J-Jack." Her voice trembled, fear clear in her eyes. "I'm scared."
"I-I know, I know," Jack said. He stepped forward, but the ice cracked beneath his feet. "B-But, you're going to be alright. You're not going to fall in! Uh..." He swallowed, mind-racing for a way to comfort her. "We're... going to have a little fun instead!"
Emma whimpered. "No, we're not!"
He moved forward a little more, careful inch by inch. "Would I trick you?"
"Yes!" Emma cried, tears pooling in her eyes. "You always play tricks!"
"Y-Yeah, well, n-not, not this time," Jack promised, reassuring her. "I promise, I promise." He locked eyes with her, trying to communicate a sense of calm. "You're going to be... you're going to be fine..."
Emma didn't respond, inhaling shakily. He could tell she was trying to keep her composure, but with the circumstances as they were, he couldn't blame her for being terrified.
"You have to believe in me," Jack whispered.
A moment passed.
Then, she gave a small nod, swallowing hard.
"You want to play a game?" Jack asked, forcing excitement into his tone. "We're going to play hopscotch! Like we play every day."
A bit of a smile tugged at Emma's lips, her shoulders relaxing minutely.
"It's as easy as one–" Jack winced as the ice cracked beneath his foot as he took a step to the right, but he hid it with an exaggerated flailing that made Emma laugh.
"Two..." He took another step, resisting the urge to glance at Pitch as the ice no longer cracked beneath his feet. What trick was Pitch trying to pull?
"Three!" Jack took the last step, spreading his arms encouragingly as he knelt down towards the ice with the staff in hand. "Alright, now it's your turn."
He reached the staff out towards her. "One..."
Emma gasped as the ice began to crack more as she took a small step.
"That's it, that's it!" Jack whispered encouragingly, beckoning her. "Two...
She gasped louder as the ice began to dip beneath her feet–
"Three!"
Jack leaned out as far as his body could, wrapping the curved end of the staff around Emma's legs. He pulled with all his might, using the momentum to toss Emma away from the cracked ice as he took her place.
For a moment, Jack could only gasp for air before looking up, a part of him afraid of what he'd find. Pure, unadulterated relief filled Jack as he saw Emma meet his gaze from a safer part of the pond, a wide smile on her face from their victory.
Jack knew a matching grin was on his face, and he let himself just breathe for a moment...
The sound of clapping made both royals stop smiling. They looked over to see Pitch nodding his head in approval, clearly impressed.
"Well done, Jack," Pitch said, hands clasping together. "I must say, I wasn't sure what you'd do. Though, at the same time... I'm sure that you know that you've only delayed the inevitable."
Something inside of Jack froze as he saw shadows moving in the forest around them. Nightmares. They were surrounded. Even if they tried to run, they wouldn't get far.
Jack went to move, but the ice only cracked more beneath him. He swallowed, turning to face Pitch head-on.
"So you're saying that you're only going to be satisfied with killing us?" Jack demanded, his previous exhilaration fading. "Don't we need to be alive for you to feed on our fear?"
"Yes," Pitch acknowledged with a simple shrug. "But at the same time, I only need one of you alive. What is more terror and guilt-provoking than having been helpless to have stopped the death of a beloved sibling? Not to mention the grief your poor parents will go through..."
One last time, Jack glanced towards the castle in the distance. There were no shouts for either of the royal heirs. No lights in the forest signaling fast approaching help. No Guardians suddenly appearing from the sky or ground to drive Pitch away and rescue them...
It was just Jack.
...
...if the option was between Emma or Jack surviving this, there was no question what he would choose.
"Fine," Jack said, ignoring Emma's cry of "No!" from the side. She must've known what he would do once Pitch's terms had been laid out like that. "Then let me die. Not only will you have the 'despair of a sibling and my parents', but from the entire kingdom for losing their crown prince."
Pitch's smile widened, the look in his eyes showing that he'd accepted the deal.
"Such a shame we couldn't have spent more time together," Pitch said, genuinely mournful. "I do believe you and I could have gotten along quite well."
Yeah, right.
Jack didn't bother answering, instead turning to face Emma who was full-on sobbing now.
"P-Please d-don't do this!" Emma cried out. "J-Jack, I-I'm sorry I wanted to go ice skating!"
Jack swallowed, throat tightening painfully. He forced a smile across his lips, refusing to let her last memory of him to have any other expression on his face.
"It's not your fault," Jack soothed, wishing desperately that he could hug her. But he could feel the ice cracking more and more below him, and he knew he had to talk fast. "So, Emma, please... no matter what happens, keep having fun."
Pitch's eyes narrowed and, before Jack could tell Emma to close her eyes, he felt the ice shatter beneath him.
He fell through.
The water was freezing. He immediately plunged downwards, as if he was being dragged down by some unknown force, but after a few mere seconds it didn't matter as the cold made his limbs lock in place and a numbness permeated his body. He struggled to move, eyes blurry as they stared up through the hole in the ice.
For a moment, he thought he saw the full moon, barely visible behind the clouds as if watching him down below, but soon enough he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer...
Everything went dark.
o0o0o0o
To the northwest of Arendelle, across a treacherous sea that few could cross safely, and on an island called Berk... one of the Vikings that lived there ran into the packed Great Hall. The villagers had just sat down to their evening meal, currently celebrating yet another victory by one of their own.
The messenger was breathless as he slowed to stop before his leaders: a mountain of a man whose power was unmatched, his wife who, despite having just recently been discovered alive, was acknowledged as every bit of a threat as her husband, and their son who, while seemingly the least imposing one there, had proven to be the greatest hero of them all.
All eyes landed on the messenger, a sudden lull in conversation showcasing how everyone seemed to know that whatever news had just arrived by raven had to be great to cause such a reaction.
"Prince Jackson of Arendelle is dead," the messenger relayed, voice echoing. "Murdered by Pitch Black."
And cause a reaction it did.
Chaos and arguments fill the Great Hall, but Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third sat motionless. His green eyes uncomprehending.
Then... something inside of him just breaks.