Mine or Yours - A New Start

Badump. Badump. Badump. Hiccup opened his eyes as he looked at the kingdom in the far. He stood at the cliff as he remained hidden from all eyes that were probably already searching for him. His heart beat fast. The excitement and guilt worked together to fuel his heart with agony. He turned around to look back at the fire that was still burning the royal crest of his tunic. It is better that way, is what he thought to himself. It had already become like a chant to keep himself from going back. Just a few hours ago, he had complained to his father that he was worrying too much over him. The next moment, knights and guards lay dead in their own blood as he and his father escaped through an emergency tunnel. His father had insisted for him to run as far away as possible and obviously, he was against the idea of leaving his father back with the enemy. However, before he could protest, Gobber had hoisted him over his shoulder with ease as he ran to the horse stall.

Now he stood on a cliff, far away from his kingdom as he burned the proof of his royal blood. All he wore was simple brown leather pants, black boots that went up just below his knee, a white tunic and a black cloak. The only thing he could not throw away was his mother's ring. It was the only momentum he had of his mother, and he insisted to keep it after arguing with Gobber over it for a good while. He pulled a leather string through the ring and made a tight knot, making sure it would not fall loose in any way. He pulled it over his head and hid the ring under his tunic. Both men waited until the fire burnt off every proof of their survival until the fire extinguished altogether. Hiccup looked back at the kingdom, at his home, as fire and explosions lit every corner of the kingdom alight. After a while he felt a strong palm on his shoulder and Hiccup looked back. Gobber just patted his shoulder in sympathy as he worked his chin towards the forest that lay in front of them. "We have to go," he said with a low voice and Hiccup's face darkened again. Why, why did all this have to happen?

Hiccup nodded and walked towards one of the two horses that was as black as the night. He mounted him and waited for Gobber to do the same. When both were ready and nodded to each other, they moved towards the darkness, towards the day after today, away from all this nightmare. His heart clenched tighter the further they rode away from the kingdom. Eventually, Gobber had taken the lead and Hiccup watched the back of the only man he could trust now. As he was sure that the old man could not see him from this angle, Hiccup allowed his pain to take over for a second, shedding tears silently as the wind blew them away, leaving scars of his agony in form of a crusty skin where the tears had dried.

...

After nearly three months, both men had finally arrived at the kingdom where Gobber had spent a few years in order to establish a good relationship with their allies. Gobber had told him that he would need a new name now that he was wanted in his own kingdom. A new name and a new identity. All Hiccup did was eat, sleep and listen. He had stopped talking and Gobber decided to take over the talking for him whenever people wanted to ask the young man something. Sometimes Gobber would force him to train his swordsmanship while they rested and after a few threatening comments, Hiccup gave in. Gobber knew what it meant to lose someone or to leave someone close to one's heart behind. Nevertheless, he also knew that it would do him no good if he did not do anything at all. That is how Hiccup still had some muscle beneath all that tall and scrawny build.

People looked up to them as the two passed the streets in a walking pace. Some people recognized Gobber and greeted him while others took a good look at the young man who was following him. Hiccup never lifted his head once, never looked at the people while all he did was being lost in his thoughts, back home. He never realized that he was on royal ground until Gobber spoke up, "Your majesty."

Hiccup looked up and watched as Gobber dismounted his horse in a smooth motion. He did the same and bowed when Gobber had put his hand on his head and pushed it down. He stood silent and waited until a loud laugh pierced his ears.

"Don't be so formal, old friend. What takes you to our beloved kingdom? And who is that young man behind you?" a deep yet friendly voice asked. Gobber just smiled sadly and replied, "He is my… apprentice. His name is Henry Borgenson. And for the other matter…" Gobber stopped to look at the king with a frown and the king knew immediately that something was up. The king moved his hand and waited for the guard to come up.

"Take the horses to the stall and show this young man to the guest chamber," he ordered before he whispered, albeit still audible. "Have you already found her?" The guard let out a sigh and shook his head. The king sighed and rubbed his temple. "That girl is driving me crazy. Alright, get back to work," he commanded, turning around and leaving first. Gobber gave Hiccup a nod and nudged with his head in the guard's direction, telling him to follow him. Hiccup complied and followed the guard without a word. When the horses were taken care of, the guard motioned him to follow him yet again. Since Hiccup had nothing to do anyway, he took a closer look at the surrounding. The kingdom was really… green. A large forest was surrounding the castle and the people were cheerful. Good for them – they were not the ones who lost everything. He also noticed that some guards were flustered or annoyed, running around as they checked every corner. Were they searching for someone? Just then he heard a pair of giggles from above and he turned his head in that direction. There was only a tree next to him and he was about to turn his head away again when his eyes met a pair of blue eyes. Then he noticed that two girls were hiding up high in the crown of a tree, their clothes blending in with the leaves. The guard noticed that Hiccup had stopped in his track and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Hiccup watched as the two girls held their breath as they shook their head, telling him to not rat on them. He looked back at the guard with a straight face and said in a low voice, "Just a squirrel."

"Well, I'm glad that you're so interested in squirrels but please let me show you to your chamber first before you wander off sightseeing," the guard said politely and waited for Hiccup to follow again. He gave a last glance at the two blonde girls before he went away. This kingdom surely had nothing to worry over at all.

After a good walk of ten minutes, they arrived at the chamber. The guard told him everything that was necessary and left him to himself. Hiccup looked around, taking in the modest yet luxurious chamber. He could not care less though. A bed was still better than sleeping against a horse. Out in the cold. He opened the windows and the door that led to a large balcony. Everything seemed so peaceful, yet he could not enjoy that feeling. Peace became a foreign word to him and every time he would remind himself that he should just accept the fact that he could not return home anymore. He had no home. Everybody was a stranger to him and every nation was somehow enemy territory. Gobber might have said that this kingdom was his father's greatest ally, yet he could not trust them. He could not trust anyone anymore. They seemed friendly, but it did not mean that they were not bad. He did not know them, therefore he would not trust them - simple as that. After watching the maids and knights doing their work for a little while longer, he decided to take a rest from everything. He would sleep and then he would wake up, hopefully revealing everything to be a bad dream. That is what he hoped every time he went to sleep and that is also the reason why he always slept so often these past few days. Sleep and hope.

Nighttime arrived quickly and Gobber was exhausted. He had explained everything to the king and made sure that he did not leak that information to anyone. He did not tell him that Hiccup was the prince though. He thought it would be best if Hiccup could lead a normal life for a change. As long as he knew his true identity, it was enough. Hiccup should use this chance to begin a new life. He knocked lightly at the door to Hiccup's chamber and waited a few seconds before he opened the door. He watched as Hiccup slept in the bed, blanket covering only his lower half as his chest rose and fell. It had been a while since Gobber saw him sleep in a bed and it reminded him instantly of the time back home. Hiccup would train with him and Gobber would scold him if he did not concentrate. He would sneak away from the castle and wander around in the town and whenever he came back, his father would scold him not to worry him so much. And after a long day, Hiccup would sleep tight in his bed. And every single time he and Stoick would watch over him for a few seconds before they returned to their bed. Stoick as a king had not much time to spend with his son. That was why Gobber jumped in for him and took care of the young boy. That way Hiccup sometimes felt like he had two fathers looking over him. Sometimes it annoyed him but it felt great as well to know that there were people who cared for him. Moreover, two nonetheless. Gobber smiled sadly as he closed the door again. Those times were over and he too had to look forward. For Hiccup's sake. He returned to his chamber and retired for the night.

…

Hiccup awoke to someone shaking him up and groaned. The bed was way too comfortable to just abandon it like that. He pulled the blanket over his head, muttered something about another five minutes, was about to fall into a deep sleep again until Gobber yanked the blanket away and pulled at his legs.

"What the-!" Hiccup forced his eyes to open and was met with a painful sting that followed as his eyes abruptly met the light. His eyes adjusted slowly and laid down on the huge man that was still holding his leg. "Gobber!"

"Time to get up, lad. I need to introduce you," he simply said and pulled him off the bed for good.

"I'm awake! I'm awake! Stop pulling me- Ow!" The back of his head met the hard ground and forced a groan out of him as he held his head, trying to soothe the pain. "Gobber! I swear-"

"No swearing in my presence. Now come on and get dressed." The man left him on the ground and shut the door. Hiccup listened for a while until the steps could not be heard anymore and sat up. He stretched and cracked his spine and neck before he stood up for good. His father had always scolded him that it was not healthy for his body if he continued to do that. And suddenly his whole mood fell gloomy again as he remembered his father. Surely, he cannot be dead, right? He may be the king but he was also the most feared warrior in the whole kingdom. No, there was no point in overthinking it. He just hoped that all his fears would prove to be wrong and one day his father would show up again. Hope – a word he never thought about until recently. Now he understood what it meant when people prayed and hoped whenever they confronted a crisis. Hope, that the family would come off unscathed. Hope, that everything will be fine. Hope, that the nightmare would end soon. Hiccup began to learn a new definition and meaning concerning that very word and it would probably follow his whole life now. He had never thought about it when his father came back late from a journey. He was always sure that after some free days of messing up and playing around, his father would return and scold him. That was who Stoick the Vast was. That was how his life should have been. Yet, here he was, in a foreign country, foreign kingdom, foreign chamber. At least they spoke the same language.

Hiccup changed into a new tunic and looked at the mirror. He looked awful. There were dark circles around his eyes and his skin was pale. Probably because he did not eat and drink much lately. He lifted his finger to his chin and traced the fading scar gently, as if afraid to rub it off entirely – the scar he got from his first sword battle with his father. He smirked melancholically at the memory. His father even went so far as to use an axe to show him what it meant to be in a real battle. His fingers went up to the rings under his eyes. He should eat more. His father would not want him to look as pitiful as that. He probably would make fun of him and afterwards scold him again. His father…

Hiccup shook his head and went with his hand through his hair, ruffling it a bit until he found himself comfortable with the look. He pulled a brown vest over his white tunic and gave a last look at the ring on his chest. He unconsciously held it tightly in his fist as he left the chamber. Some people gave him a strange look as he passed them but he could not care less. He needed to find Gobber. However, when the guard had shown him to his chamber, he did not focus on the surrounding much after the incident with the two girls. Therefore, he was completely lost in this huge environment. Soon he had to admit that he was lost. When he turned around a corner, a maid was heading towards his direction so he decided to ask her.

"Excuse me?" His voice came off more like a whisper. A side effect from no talking at all the last three months. However, although it was really in a low voice, the maid still got it. "Yes?"

"Could you help me find Sir Gobber's room?" he asked in a gentle voice. The maid smiled at his politeness and replied, "Of course. But please allow me to finish my work first, if that is no problem for you?" Hiccup just nodded and forced a little smile on his lips although he did not feel like smiling. He was taught to always be grateful to people who were willing to help him. Hiccup accompanied the maid down the hall and stood silent most of the time. However, the maid decided to break the silence. "So, I guess you're not from here, young man." It was more like a statement than a question.

"No, I'm not."

"Thought so. You hold yourself differently. Where are you from?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

The maid looked back to him over her shoulder and found his face darkening. A taboo topic, huh. Now that she thought about it, if he was searching for Sir Gobber, he might come from Berk, the country of freezing cold, as well. Interesting. It would certainly explain his pale skin. Although she had to admit that her first impression of him resembled more of a ghost than a human. Now when she took a closer look, she would notice that he was tall and in some way handsome. More so if he had a bit more flesh on him to form his growing body. His messy hair was extraordinary and somewhat refreshing. He certainly was not from here, especially after noticing the grace he held with himself. People of the lower class would never walk like that. Head held high, back straight and yet modest in a way. This boy was mysterious. She was sure that now she had a topic to gossip about with the other maids.

After around five minutes, they stood in front of a huge door and the maid turned around. "This is my stop. You just have to walk down the hall and turn right. The second door you pass will be Sir Gobber's chamber."

Hiccup nodded and smiled. "Thank you for your help."

"Thank you for the nice company. It has been a while since I felt as if I'm being courted."

"Surely you jest," he said with a broader grin while the maid laughed. She then knocked the door and that was the sign for him to get going. He could still hear how the maid got angry though. Something about Astrid and Princess and Rachel not being responsible. He smiled to himself and left for good, following the path that the maid had described. He was about to turn to the right when suddenly a huge man stood in front of him. "Where were you?"

Hiccup looked up to find Gobber raising an eyebrow at him.

"I was lost."

"Ah yes. Totally forgot about that habit of yours. Come on. The king is waiting."

And just like that Hiccup got dragged around the castle again. At least he was used to the long walks from one place to the other. He looked at the walls that were adorned with paintings of the royal bloodline. Each painting held resemblance to the next one. It was mostly about blond hair and blue eyes. Now that he thought about it, the day before he had seen these pair of blue eyes too, although they were somewhere up the tree. He passed painting by painting until he found an empty space. To the right was a painting of the whole family. To the left was a painting of a little boy who seemed to be nervous. Probably around 7 to 8 years old. He had stopped in his track and looked at the family painting and then back to the young boy. And lastly, to the empty space. The young boy seemed to be the prince of the royal family for he sat next to a young girl on the family painting, which means that the empty space was reserved for the painting of the daughter, probably. Yet there was no painting there. Gobber noticed that Hiccup had stopped in his tracks again and sighed. That boy really should focus more on the important things.

"The painting would never get finished," Gobber explained and watched as Hiccup snapped his head back to Gobber. Hiccup resumed his walk and came up next to Gobber until both men returned to the way to the king.

"Why?"

"Because that girl never smiles when she's to be painted. And she never sits still." They both turned to the left when the hall ended and walked towards a giant door, decorated with gold and gems. Surely, the king was sitting behind this door on his throne. Hiccup could feel it. "Anyway. Just let me do the talking. And for your own sake, you're Henry Borgenson, adopted son after losing his family in the bombardment. Your father is a very good friend of mine, which is the reason I took you under my wing. That all clear?" Hiccup simply nodded as a response and looked at the door. The guards moved to open it for them and Gobber led the way inside while Hiccup followed with a straight back. The guards closed the giant door again, each one motioning the door wing into its lock. Hiccup found himself walking on a red carpet that led to the throne. Sitting on the throne was a huge man. He was not fat - he was well built and had defined muscles on his body. Blond hair that reached his shoulders and a well-groomed blond beard. His eyes were as deep blue as the ocean and on his head lay a golden crown with a blue sapphire in the middle of it. His eyes were strict, yet polite and gentle. Next to him sat a tall woman. Quite beautiful for her age. She too had blonde hair that were long and straight. If she would stand up, the hair would probably reach down over her waist. On her head was also a crown, albeit smaller than the king's. Next to the king stood a young boy. Hiccup immediately noticed that it was the boy who he had just seen in the painting a few minutes before. Although he was two inches taller now while his chubby cheeks had disappeared a little. He had the same blond hair as his parents and looked at Gobber with… was that pride? Happiness? Anticipation? Well, probably something along those lines. The young boy too had a crown on his head and sometimes took a glance at Hiccup. He was just as curious about Hiccup as Hiccup was about him.

Hiccup watched how the king whispered to a maid with an annoyed look while the maid only seemed to apologize and look around the hall for the right solution. Just when the king was about to raise his voice, the door behind him slammed open. Hiccup watched as the kings face fell while he let out a long sigh. Hiccup was about to turn around and see what had caused the commotion. As his face was turned to the side, someone passed his vision in a blur. For a moment, time had slowed down and Hiccup could see clearly who had just passed him- a girl with blonde hair who was just an inch smaller than he himself. Her hair was braided to the side, which blocked his view on her neck. Although her face was looking straight towards her family, he could still make out her blue eyes. However, they were not as deep blue as her father's, not as icy blue as her mother's, but as blue as the sky. The same eyes that had stared at him when he found them in the tree. She wore a red sleeveless tunic that was tugged into the edge of her blue, tight pants. She wore brown leather boots that had little fur as a decoration around the rim as a sign of her wealth. She also wore brown leather arm plates, held together by several strings around it. A sheathed sword hung on her waist while a bow and a quiver full of arrows were on her back. And just like that, the moment had passed and everything around him went back to its normal pace.

When she had arrived next to her mother, the queen immediately whispered something that made the girl roll her eyes. Hiccup smirked a bit at the silent banter between mother and daughter before his face returned to its stony feature. Gobber halted a few feet in front of the king and bowed. Hiccup did the same and waited for their permission to look up. He could hear the king sigh and chuckle and the same time.

"Please, lift your heads," he told them with a snicker, the wrinkles around his eyes drawn close together as his eyes laughed with his smile. Gobber and Hiccup obeyed and stood straight. It was then that Hiccup noticed the girls eyes widen, recognizing him. Though, it only held on for a second before her face returned to the passive and neutral gaze. "I think we already know who you are Gobber," the king said lightly as he laughed, "But how about the young lad next to you? Introduce yourself, boy."

Hiccup took a step forward and gave a modest bow. "My name is Henry Borgenson. It is an honor to meet you, your majesty."

"Borgenson?" The king looked at Gobber with a raised eyebrow. It was now Gobber's turn to talk and he too took a step forward while Hiccup took a step back, his head still in a slight bow.

"He's the son of a good friend of mine. He got involved with the bombardment I've told you about yesterday. I took him under my wing. He's also my apprentice."

Hiccup bit back a comment as he tried to remain calm. At least, Gobber did not say that his father had died. Because they did not know. And as long as there was no proof, he would not believe it.

The king fingered his beard as he gave them a thoughtful look.

"I'm sorry about that. I went over the details with Gobber already. You two may stay in the castle as long as you feel comfortable. We still owe him and his kingdom for their great help. That aside, let me introduce you to my family. I'm Alphonse Hofferson, the king of this country – where the sun never sets." He motioned his hand to his wife and continued, "This is my wife, Queen Armelia Hofferson."

His hand went to the small boy. "My son, Prince Adrian Hofferson and next heir of this kingdom." And last but not least, his hand motioned to the girl who was the only one that did not wear something formal. "My daughter, Princess Astrid Hofferson. By the way, please excuse her earlier behavior. She can be a little rough."

Astrid snorted at that comment and Alphonse shot a glare in her direction, which silenced her immediately. "Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy your stay while you're here. If you ever need help, ask the maids and the guards. I have already told them that you are to be treated like royalty. It was nice to meet you, Henry." The king gave him a gentle and welcoming smile and as gloomy as he might be, he knew that he had to return the favor. He gave a modest yet sincere smile. From the corner of his eyes he noticed how Astrid stared at him, analyzing him. For now, he avoided her gaze, which also meant that he did not take in her full beauty yet.

Thus, his new life began. A new name, a new environment, a new kingdom and a chance of a new life. He felt guilt and agony washing over his face while excitement and anticipation forced their way into his heart. His body trembled at the sheer thought of finally being free. However, his freedom came from many sacrifices and he has yet to decide if it really was worth it, now that he actually got it. Now that he had the freedom he had always sought, his heart demanded his old life back. The life where he lived peacefully with his father and Gobber and his kingdom. Life back at home. He forced the feeling back as he forced himself to accept everything that had happened so far. It was the least he could do for his father and his kingdom. He still was the Prince of Berk in his heart. And with his heart he lived for each and every citizen that fell on that fateful night. He had to try. For his father. For his people. For Gobber. For himself.

Date of Update: 14th February 2016

~ KeGzZ