Kasper sighed as the sunset and her evening was about to begin. She glanced around the empty ballroom. She was beginning to have second thoughts.

"Princess."

Kasper turned to Bunnymund, her dress twirling elegantly. "Why do you call me that? Not Kasper, not Princess Kasper, just Princess."

Bunnymund smiled as he stepped forward in the first attire Kasper saw him in. "It's a ridiculous gesture I've set in my head."

"Tell me anyway."

Bunnymund stood in front of Kasper. "Before I came here, I was going to call you Princess Kasper, but then I met you. When I saw you, it was almost like my breath was taken away. I didn't know if you were the princess or not, but I wanted to marry you."

Kasper paused with wide eyes.

"I am serious, Princess." Bunnymund smiled charmingly. "So my mindset changed to you weren't just a princess anymore. You were THE Princess."

Kasper blushed and looked away. "I..."

Bunnymund smiled and risked another step forward. "As I said before, I prefer you not choose me for charm. I'd rather you choose me for the man I am." He lightly kissed Kasper forehead. "I hope I'm not making this decision too hard on you."

Kasper smiled and shrugged. "To tell the truth Bunny, you kind of are. But if it makes you feel better, it's not entirely your fault."

                                                    ~~~~~~~

Jack lowered his chin as he heard the music grow louder. Cupid had showed him the underground passage.

Cupid let out a small laugh and tied Jack's mask onto his face. "There is no need to be nervous." She laughed lightly. "Come on." She opened a door and peeked out. She pulled Jack out and began floating toward the ballroom.

Jack felt his heart race. Now, he wasn't nervous. He was excited to see Kasper again. Cupid opened double doors that opened to the back of the ballroom. 

"Cupid?" Jack turned to face Cupid, but she was gone. Jack turned around several times, his heart racing. He was searching for Kasper. His eyes moved around quickly, but he couldn't find her. He stood at the edge of the dancefloor, but she wasn't there.

Jack seemed to need her. He felt some sort of sense, some sort of pull. He had to find her.

Where was she?

                                                          ~~~~~~~

"Princess Kasper." Toothiana flew toward Kasper. "I saw Cupid on the second floor near the balconies."

Kasper smiled. "Thank you." She materilized herself into a ghost and ran through the crowd to the second floor. She caught her breath as Cupid turned to her. Kasper materialized herself back to normal. "Where were you? Why have you been acting so weird? Why did you even leave?"

Cupid gave a weak smile. "I am all right. I've simply been taking care of something."

"What," Kasper almost yelled. "We're best friends, and you haven't told me anything."

Cupid lowered her red eyes. "I have simply needed to take care of a few arrangements."

"Like what? Tell me, Cupid. You can tell me anything."

Cupid pursed her lips. "I know I haven't spoken much since Prince Bunnymund and all these people came along. I know I haven't really been involved..." She took a deep breath and met Kasper's gaze. "And it is because I am afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Kasper's brows furrowed.

"Everyone."

Kasper paused. "What do you mean?"

Cupid smiled and turned to the glass doors to look into the party inside. "Look at them all. They're all excited even if they're not here for dancing. They're all excited even if they're not looking for someone. It scares me as I can't help but analyze who they might be."

Kasper lowered her eyes. "Is that why you went away?"

"It's why I've spoken to almost no one. I'm always afraid I'll lose myself somewhere in the group or crowd that stands before. It's why I could never rule a kingdom. At first my intentions would be pure, but then I would let the fear of them dislike me rule me." Cupid looked at Kasper. "And in this kingdom where I am supposed to help everyone, I fear anyone knowing who I am, Kas. It's why I am only helping you."

Kasper paused once more. "But why haven't you spoken to me?"

Cupid sighed slowly and painfully. "Because I'm almost at the peak of helping you. Tomorrow night, my purpose will be complete. What will become of me then?" She looked at the crowd. "I have no purpose that I desire, and so will tomorrow be the end of me?"

Kasper looked at the crowd for a moment. She tried to understand her best friend's pain because at this point, Cupid was saying she had no one else. It was Kasper who took Cupid in when she was at her lowest. It was Kasper who even found out Cupid's real name. It was Kasper who showed Cupid should be herself. But until now, Kasper had barely known the differences in Cupid's behavior.

"Q," She turned to Cupid, but Cupid was gone. Kasper felt the wind lightly caress her cheek.

"Princess?"

Kasper's eyes widened as she turned to the familiar voice. She smiled and ran to the boy who never told her his name. "You broke your promise."

The boy laughed lightly as he adjusted his blue mask a bit more. "I didn't. I will tell you my name. It's Jackson Overland Frost."

"Jackson." Kasper smiled. "Can I call you Jack for short?"

Jack laughed. "Most people do." His eyes locked with hers. "To be honest, I didn't think I would see you tonight."

"Why?"

Jack took a deep breath. "I thought you fell for someone with charm."

"You don't think you have charm?"

Jack paused. "I suppose not. I'm a mischievious guy. Elegance isn't really my style, but dancing with you was really fun." He smiled sincerely.

"Dancing isn't my thing either," Kasper said shyly.

"Then what is?"

Kasper took a deep breath and materialized herself as a ghost. "Watch." She opened the door to overlook the ballroom. She floated down to the dancefloor and began making people trip and slip as they tried to dance.

Jack laughed as Kasper quickly made her way back to him.

Kasper laughed with him. "That's my idea of fun."

Jack smirked mischieviously and let an small blast of ice hit the floor of the ballroom. He laughed as three people tried to keep their balance but failed in the end. He turned to Kasper.

Kasper smiled and stared at Jack. "May I... May I take off your mask?"

Jack paused and looked at the crowd, trying to find his stepmother. Worried as he could not spot her, he turned to Kasper. "I am afraid--"

"Hellooo Your highness!"

Every inch of Jack's being froze, and he began to feel angry.

Kasper smiled at Jack's stepmother. "Oh, hi. Thank you for your help in trying to find him." She tilted her head toward Jack.

Jack smirked as his stepmother's eyes widened.

She stared at Jack for a moment, surprised Kasper didn't mean one of her sons. "Him?" She paused as she tried not to glare. "Oh. Hehe. And, uhm, who is he?"

Kasper smiled. "His name is--"

"Jared Oxford," Jack spoke elegantly. He bowed.

Kasper blinked, but she said nothing.

"Oh my," his stepmother smiled with delight. "Are you a prince?"

Jack stood straight and smiled. "In all the best ways."

Kasper blushed, feeling ashamed that she should have known he was a prince by his clothes.

"You have such wonderful white hair." His stepmother laughed lightly. "Is that from your kingdom?"

Jack nodded. "A trait from the far north. It snows everyday, and we celebrate winter with the greatest of parties."

She smiled. "I see." She stared long and hard at Jack.

Kasper bowed. "Well, if you excuse us, we will be on our way."

"Oh. To where, my dear?"

Kasper smiled. "That is a secret." She ringed her arm in Jack's and materialized into a ghost. "Excuse us." They both materialized through the floor, and she ran with him to the garden in the back. She took a deep breath as she closed the door behind her. "What is your real name?"

"Jack."

"Then why did you tell her it was Jared?" Kasper raised a brow.

"That was my stepmother. She can't know I'm here."

Kasper paused. "Wait. So you're not a prince?"

Jack shook his head. "No. I just know what she thinks a prince should act like."

Kasper smiled as she nodded. "That's what you meant by 'in all the best ways.'"

Jack smirked. "I guess." He paused and looked around. "Where are we?" He lightly poked a white flower.

Kasper took a step towards him. "We're the secret garden built for Cupid and me. She used to come here a lot when I first took her in."

Jack looked at Kasper, a mirror that indicated a door behind her. "So you're into flowers?"

"Not really."

"That's too bad." Jack shrugged in some sort of defeat.

Kasper raised a brow. "Why?"

Jack smiled as he turned Kasper around to face the mirror. He quickly grabbed a flower and placed it behind her ear. "I'd give them to you everyday."

Kasper blushed.

"And you look good with them. But since you're not into them," Jack took the flower away, "so I'll just pretend you'll take it from me." He held the flower out to her.

Kasper smiled and took the flower. "Thank you."

Jack twirled Kasper around and began to walk down the brick path toward rows of flowers. The smells of the flowers in the moonlight put him at ease. He didn't really like spring, but that didn't make it a wonderful season.

Kasper could literally hear her own heartbeat, but suddenly it was fading. Jack seemed to now having a completely different story from what she thought he had. She looked at Jack. "So why can't you let your stepmother know you're here?"

Jack paused. "She practically made it her life's mission to make sure I didn't. She wanted you to marry one of my brothers instead of me."

"Why?"

Jack laughed it off. "Tell me something about yourself. This about you anyway. I mean it is your ball."

Kasper shrugged. "There's not much to me. I draw. I don't really leave the castle."

"How come?" Jack raised a brow.

"I don't really feel a need to." Kasper shrugged again. "It's not really something I think about."

Jack smiled. "Well, there is more to you."

Kasper blinked.

Jack went on. "You can make yourself like a ghost. That's pretty cool. I bet there's other things you could do."

Kasper smiled. "Well, I can fly."

"No way." Jack grinned. "That's cool."  He took Kasper's hand and lifted them both into the air. He threw her and caught her. "Was that too rough?"

Kasper embraced Jack. "That was perfect."

Jack paused, feeling his heart almost stop. He closed his eyes and embraced Kasper. They stay like that for a long moment. Jack almost felt her heart beating against his chest. But then the clock struck twelve. He lowered his hand and formed a fist. He took a deep breath angrily. "I have to go."

Kasper pulled back and blinked. "What?"

The clock struck again, and a slightly breeze blew. This time Jack's eyes widened as he ran. "I have to go."

"Wait!"

Jack ran to the secret door, slamming himself against it. It didn't budge, and he slammed himself against it again. Nothing happened, but his sleeves were disappearing.

"Jack!"

Jack's eyes widened as she came closer.

"Jack!"

Jack was pulled into a dark tunnel to his luck.

"Shhh." Cupid lit a candle, revealing her face. She smiled. "Follow me quickly and quietly," she whispered.

Jack nodded and did just that. He noticed torn pieces of his clothes now.

Eventually, they reached the end of the tunnel, and Cupid raised her arms and pushed up to lift a lid off the floor they were ascending to, the pantry.

Cupid went up first, checking that no one was there.

"Jack!"

Jack's eyes widened. He quickly went up. Cupid closed the sewer-like passage.

"Jack, we have to move quickly." Cupid's voice almost sounded grim.

Jack nodded, and Cupid opened the back door of the pantry. The two then flew through the woods back to Jack's house, for flying through the air would catch too much attention.