The night was fresh and smelled of newly opened flowers. The aroma hovered over the lime green fields of Scotland where princess Merida stood tall like a soldier, her blazing red hair almost glimmering in the moonlight like wild fire. Her brilliant blue eyes were wide open and full of anger. Her body stood tall but her heart was crumpled. She held her beautiful bow that her father had given her as a young girl in her right hand. The memories of that day would never leave her and that bow was the token that represented that. The strong family she loved. But today was a different day; today was a day she dreaded. She looked down at the letter they had received just that evening. She had snatched it from her mother as she ran away from the castle with tears running down her bright pink cheeks. She could still hear the conversation loud and clear in her head,

"Merida! Give that back tu meh right this instant!" Her mother's strong voice ringing inside her ears,

"Mum! What is this?" she had demanded. She had heard her mother speaking to her father about how they had finaly received the good news from the island of Berk and that everything was going perfectly… but Merida knew something was up with her. She read through the first couple sentences of the letter and her eyes widened in terror. "Ya want me tu get married?" Merida yelled in shock. "Tu some boy frum the island of Berk? I thought they were all just a bunch o vikin's up there!" Merida's mother collected herself and put together all the patience she had developed over the years.

"Listen Merida, I don't want yu to react the wrong way now," She was saying,

"How can I not mum? Ya didn't even tell me!" Merida screeched,

"Merida! It's time you start putting the family ahead of yur self." Her mother finaly stated. Merida was stopped by this comment,

"Wad'ya mean the famileh ahead of ma' self?" She asked nervously. Her mother sighed and placed a finger on her forehead as if trying to think straight,

"The Vikings are a powerful kingdom now. They have been growin' and the moment I sent out the letter of yur marriage they were the first to answer." She said slowly, "Merida, this is a fantastic opportunity!" She finished saying. Merida felt her eyes burning and her thoughts clattering her mind.

"Mum," she said in a soft voice,

"Merida?" Her mother asked quickly,

"How could ya!" She screamed as she burst out of the doors of the castle. She ran down the steps and towards the stables. Her hands stung as she quickly ripped the latch off the door and let Angus out. His black coating was shining in the moonlight and before he could even realize what was happening she kicked one of her legs over him and got on his sattle.

"Angus, go!" She yelled. Angus neighed loudly and started galloping out of the castle at full speed. That was what took them to where they were now, in the middle of her favorite field looking up at the sky.

"It's not fair, Angus, I'm not ready," Merida said while hiding her face in her hands. "I don't want to live ma life tied to a man! Very less a stinky Vikin! They can't even shot a target a foot from em'!" She retorted. Angus didn't reply but merely looked at her with a sad face, he knew when his beloved master became sad and it pained him to see her like that whatever be the reason. Merida sighed and sat down next to her horse,

"I don't know what to do Angus," she whispered silently. She sat back on the horse's side and closed her eyes. She drifted to sleep before she knew it.

…

"Hiccup ma boy! I was just looking for ya," Stoick the Vast said in his thundering voice. Hiccup, who was now covered in black ashes because of a little miscalculation of Toothless's fire bursts, looked up at his dad in a bit of a confused manner. His light brown hair fell about an inch over his shoulders and his small body was slightly toned from years of training with his dragon Toothless.

"You were looking for me? What for, is there a problem with the dragons?" Hiccup asked worriedly. His father and he had a much better relationship after the fight against the Red Death but even so they knew they were completely different people. They loved each other greatly in their own way but sometimes father and son quality time was just hard to create. Usually Stoick would never try find his son unless there was very bad or good news. Hiccup hadn't noticed anything good today so his stomach prepared for something terrible.

"Ahaha, not at all ma boy! Sit down, you and me are going to talk a bit," He said as he patted a small bench with his huge meaty hand. Hiccup cocked an eyebrow up and slowly approached his father. He sat down hesitantly and looked up at the giant man next to him,

"Um, so, what do you want to talk about dad?" he asked. Stoick smiled and didn't waste a single moment of his time,

"Hiccup, how are things with Astrid?" he asked. His expression changed a bit when he mentioned her names. Hiccup winced,

"Dad, we went through this," Hiccup said with a sigh,

"I know son but I would really like to kno where she stands in your life," he said with a very serious face. Hiccup gave him a confused look, since when did his father talk about such deep subjects?

"Well, she and I are just friends now. It didn't really work out and we decided to see other people." Hiccup said calmly. His heart still ached a bit at the thought of the beautiful and strong Viking girl that had stolen his heart. He swallowed hard. Stoick patted his son on his scrawny little shoulder,

"I know it's hard to talk about son," he said in an understanding voice. Hiccup was even more confused now, was this man even his father? There had to be a catch… "But I have good news for you; I received a letter today from one of the islands of the south." Hiccup's eyes widened,

"Really, you mean the southern royal islands? Which ones? The aristocrats or the clans?" Hiccup asked curiously. Stoick smiled widely,

"Ah, not the stinky aristocrats, those shiny sissy girls with too much make up that bathe every day are only good to steal from!" He said with laughter,

"I bathe every day," Hiccup half whispered.

"But anyway, I got a letter from the clans. The most powerful one to be exact, I got a letter from Scotland!" Stoick the Vast answered. Hiccup could hear the excitement in his voice.

"What did they say?" Hiccup asked, actually very interested in the subject,

"Well, they are looking for a young and strong heir with abilities beyond normal," Stoick recited by heart. Hiccup suddenly understood, his heart skipped a beat,

"Dad… you didn't sign me up for some really dangerous championship or anything like that right?" Hiccup asked nervously. Stoick laughed hard and loud,

"No my boy, the reason they want a boy like that is because the princess Merida has turned eighteen last month!" He said with a big smile. Hiccup stopped for a moment,

"… So did a dragon kidnap her or something?" Hiccup asked with a hint of sarcasm which his father completely missed,

"Not at all, that young girl is fierce like her ancestors. But she is a woman, and no woman can rule a kingdom without a man," Stoick said. Hiccup froze, oh no… I see where this is going… "They were requesting that we sent forward our best warrior or heir to present to princess Merida," No dad don't do this please… "And I decided to write your name and send it right back!" Hiccup's jaw dropped right open.

"You what?" He asked, dumbfounded by the whole situation.

"I sent your name and today the message came back and I have fantastic news for you Hiccup!" He said. His voice was become louder and more excited, almost as if he couldn't contain the news anymore. Hiccup on the other hand was feeling light-headed and thought how good an idea it was for him to sit down before this news.

"Oh Gods don't tell me I'm…"

"You're getting married Hiccup!" Stoick boasted interrupting his son in mid sentence. Hiccup felt like getting eaten by the earth there and then. It had been just a month since Astrid broke up with him. A MONTH. There was no way he was over her and now he was getting married. Hiccup ran his hand through his chestnut hair and his emerald green eyes started searching the room as if to find an answer to stop this all.

"That… this is… I can't…" Hiccup couldn't find words to describe how he was feeling.

"Well that's the news boy; I won't bug ya no more but remember. The wedding is in two months." His father said with a smiling voice. He bumped his son on the shoulder with a huge fist that almost knocked him out unconscious before stomping (unintentionally) out of the door with his chest full of happiness and pride. Hiccup was literally starting to hyperventilate.

"Tooth… Toothless!" Was the first thing that came to his mind. In less than ten seconds the black dragon had entered the room and was at his side staring at him with yellowish green eyes. Hiccup looked at his dragon and felt as his eyes started to burn,

"I couldn't even tell him what I thought," he said with a cracking voice, "He never listens! It's been a whole year since the Red Death and he still can't listen to me! I haven't even seen this girl, I'm not even over Astrid and this… this is so unfair!" Hiccup yelled at no one in particular. He covered his face with his hands and felt the tears rush out. Toothless still had his innocent face on and he opened his right wing to wrap his friend in it. It was his way of comforting him.

"Thanks bud… I just need… some time to think," He finaly said. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third stood up from the bench and made his way to his room with his dragon next to him. The moment he touched his bed the last thing he did was think, instead he entered a deep slumber that slipped him away from the problems that still tortured his thoughts. Maybe, he thought, maybe if I sleep, then maybe tomorrow everything will be gone… But even he knew that wasn't true.