Merida sat watching her brothers practice their sword skills, "they're getting' better." She commented to her father.
"Of course they are!" he said laughing, "me and you are the ones teaching them."
She smiled, "have you heard that Princess Ana of Arendelle is gettin' married?"
"Aye, we received the invitation the other day." He said, 'of course, me and your mother want to stay home, I'll be sendin' you and your brothers in our stead…along with your fiancé."
"She smiled, thinking of young McGuffin, the young scot had been one of her few suitors that she had actually liked, he hadn't even tried all that hard to get her attention, the large, hulking boy was just more compassionate then the others, actually caring for her as a person. "You want me and McGuffin representin' Scotland? Ye sure ye want that?"
"I'm sure ye two will do fine…I'm more worried about yer brothers, teenagers are troublesome…as we knew with you."
She grinned mischievously, 'boys!" she shouted, "Get over here, enough practice."
The three boys ran over, at fifteen they were lean built and muscular, the only thing that really set them apart form each other was their hair, Hubert had cut his short, his curly hair sitting like a mop on his head, Harris had his in a wolf's tail, and cut to about his shoulders, Hamish's hair was the longest of the brothers, going down to the small of his back. Simply tied back to keep it out of his eyes.
"Why ye stoppin' our bout sis?" Harris asked, "ah had Hubert on the ropes."
'As if, ye know ah was winnin'." Hubert said, pushing his brother.
Hamish threw his arms around his brothers and caught them in a choke hold, "ah ye both are daft, ah was winnin' easily, could've ended it anytime ah wanted."
Merida cleared her throat, making the bickering boys stop, "can ah say what ah need ta?"
"Go ahead." Hamish said, slamming his brothers' heads together.
"Do ye remember the young Princess Elsa and her Sister Ana?"
"Aye, they visited here like…ten years ago after that bear fiasco!" Hubert muttered, rubbing his head, "Hamish had fun teasing the eldest."
"Aye, she was too serious, her sister knew how te take a joke, Elsa tried ta stop us! Ah hope her hair is still dyed black!"
Merida rolled her eyes, "well, Ana is gettin' married."
"WHAT!" the three exclaimed, "oh no! She got saddled!" Hubert cried dramatically, falling to his knees.
"Why do all the good women leave me!" Harris groaned, falling to his back.
Hamish just laughed, "Oh ah feel sorry for the man who has te put up with her." He chuckled, holding his sides.
"Well, we're goin' to be at that wedding." She said, "and ah want ye on your best behavior.'
"No promises." They chorused before returning to their sparring, their minds on the wedding to come.
Hiccup sat on top of Toothless, watching his clan unload their ships, in the four years since his father died, Hiccup had changed from the scrawny boy to a muscular man, a rough beard beginning to grow, his hair was longer too, resting easily on his shoulders.
"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted from underneath him, he jumped off Toothless and walked over to her.
"Yes my love?" he asked as he enveloped her in a hug. She smiled and put her head against his chest, returning the hug.
"We have a letter from your cousins." She said, looking up at him, "Elsa and Anna?'
he scratched his chin, 'Hmm…haven't seen them since I was a kid…maybe when we were 6 or 7? Elsa was a shy little girl, and you couldn't even keep Ana focused on one thing for more then a few minutes."
"well, she's gonna have to get that under control considering she's getting married." She said, handing him the letter.
'what?" he asked in surprise, opening the letter quickly and reading it over, "why…this is fantastic news! Oh I can't believe my little cousin is getting married! We…we have to start planning, get together a party! Get gifts!" he said excitedly, pacing back and forth, trying to decide what to get stared on first, toothless was doing the small jig with him too.
Astrid chuckled, "calm down, before you wet yourself." She said lightly, "we should inform the clan and ask who wants to join you to go see the wedding, you'll need an entourage, not to mention a present that's fit for a princess and a queen."
"I thought Elsa was the queen?"
"She is, and you haven't seen her in over ten years! You got a lot of catching up to do."
"Hmm…some of the hatchlings are ready for riders…maybe we can-"
"I don't think that's a good idea." She said quickly, "Southerners don't understand that dragons aren't dangerous…"
"Nonsense, I'm sure they'll warm up to them." He said, walking into the town, "and of course, you'll have to be by my side when I present them, who else to ease their minds but our head dragon trainer?"
She rolled her eyes, 'flattery will get you know where Hiccup." She said, kissing his cheek, before walking ahead, 'lets tell the clan."
Elsa watched as several long ships entered the fjord, "clan dunbroch is here." She said softly, remembering Merida fondly, and remembering her demon brothers with less fondness, she sighed and walked down the steps of the ramparts, going out the gates, Ana was already waiting as the first long ship stopped and Merida stepped off the boat, along with a large, imposing looking man.
"Merida!" Ana cried, throwing her arms around the Scotswoman.
"Ana, ye've grown up on me!" she laughed, returning the hug, "te think your gettin' married!"
"I know, it's so crazy right?" she asked, letting go, "and who's this big bear-like guy?"
The man in question suddenly got shy, ,"Uh…m'names McGuffin, am Merida's Fiancé." He mumbled, "Nice t'meet ye…"
Ana shook his hand warmly, 'it's good to meet you." She shouted, making him flinch.
"Never took you as the one to fall for a softie." Elsa said, making Merida turn around with a smirk.
"At least ah have a man, Ms. Ice queen." She teased, hugging her old friend, "oh it's so good te see ya, ah can't believe It's been so long since the last time we met, ye were soo small, and sooo serious."
"Time flies when you're running a country." She said as the other long ships pulled into port, from one jumped three near-identical boys, "ANA!" they shouted, running over to her sister and tackling her with hugs.
"Hamish! Hubert! Harris!" she said happily, "which ones which again?"
"Like ye don't know!" Hamish said, "am Hamish of course, Hubert's right there, and Harris-" he grabbed his brother and tossed him into the water, "is in the fjord!"
They all laughed while Elsa just shook her head, "why did you have to bring them?" she groaned.
"Fathers orders." Merida said, putting an elbow on Elsa's shoulder, "at least they're not as bad as they were."
Hamish looked over at his sister and Elsa, his eyes widening a little, "an' who's this beaut?" he asked, walking over, "ah think god lost one of his wee lil angels."
Elsa rolled her eyes, "don't you remember me?" she asked.
"Ah think ah'd remember a woman as beautiful as you."
"Mhmm…" she stepped closer to him and slapped him, "I'm the girl who's hair you dyed black." She said, grabbing his kilt and putting over his head, "who's dress you muddied up." she kicked him off the dock and into the water, "and who's food you threw to your dogs."
Hubert and Harris broke into hysterical laughter, Merida was giggling along with Ana and McGuffin just cracked a huge grin.
Elsa smirked and looked over at Hubert and Harris, "boys," she said coolly, nodding to them.
"Queen Elsa." Hubert said, "ah think ye've earned our respect." He held his hand out, and cringed when Elsa fixed him with a glare.
"Do I need to say what you did?" she asked.
"Ah…no, ah'd rather ye not if it gives me the same treatment as Soggy mcbritches over there." He mumbled, gesturing to his brother, who was climbing out of the Fjord.
She smiled, "Good, now lets get inside, I'm sure you're all famished."
/
Hamish sat with his arms crossed in the great hall, everyone was eating and talking, he was still miffed at how Elsa had made him look.
"So, ah hear ye have powers?" Merida asked.
"Yes." She said, "Since I was a girl I've had ice powers."
"And how come ye didn't show us when we were littler?" Hubert asked, tearing a chunk of meat off his turkey leg."
"I was…scared back then, but now." She moved her hands around, making ice form until she made a small sculpture of Merida.
"That's pretty good!" Merida exclaimed.
"Just a figurine." Hamish muttered, "ah could make the same thing with mah knife."
"Can you?" someone asked, he looked to the side and saw a snowman, "can you make a figurine with your knife?'
"What the!" he yelped, pulling his sword out and cutting it's head off.
'Whoa, that's not what I thought you meant." Olaf said, picking up his head and putting it back on.
"A talking snow man…" Hamish muttered, looking over at Elsa, who had a smirk on her face while everyone laughed at him, "you have a god damned talking snow man!"
"His name is Olaf." Elsa said, "He likes warm hugs."
Hamish glared at her, "do ye think me a fool?"
"A little, yes." She said, nodding her head.
"Calm down Hamish." Hubert said, swishing some wine in his goblet, "sit down and eat."
Hamish huffed and sat down, glaring at the table.
Merida cleared her throat, "So, who else is coming?"
"Well, not a lot of our relatives will be able to make it, but for sure Princess Rapunzel and her husband will be here, so will Hiccup."
"Hiccup?" Harris, suddenly alert, "as in…Hiccup the Horrendous?"
"Yes, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the II, why?"
"He's the Viking that learned how te tame dragons!" he said giddily, "oh that's gonna be great when they fly in!"
"I'm sure those are just rumors." Elsa said calmly, I hope…
"Tis no rumor lassie." Hamish said with a smirk, "he's tamed the beasties."
"Really? Where's the proof?" she asked.
As if in answer, a loud roar echoed from outside. They all stood up and ran outside in time to see a flock of dragons fly over the mountain, the riders on their back hooping and hollering.
"My god…" Elsa whispered.
Out in front was a jet-black dragon with a familiar figure on it's back, it landed and Hiccup jumped off, "Cousin Elsa! Cousin Ana!" He boomed, walking over to them. Limping slightly from his modified peg leg.
"Hiccup!" Ana said happily, hugging her cousin, "what happened to your leg!"
He laughed and motioned back to Toothless, "he couldn't save all of me." he said, walking over to Elsa, "queen Elsa." He said, holding his hand out.
Elsa smirked, "Chieftain hiccup." She said, shaking his hand.
"How is it, that your sister is getting married before you?" he asked, "you would think men would be lining up to marry you."
"They line up, I send them home." She said, looking at all of Hiccups entourage, "and how many hungry Vikings and dragons did you bring?"
"Forty Vikings…forty two dragons." He whistled and two dragons came down from the ramparts, "I remember you and your sister were like summer and winter, so I got a little bit of summer and winter to follow you."
The dragons landed, one was a Nadder with brown and red scales, looking around with curious eyes, bumping into it's counter part every now and then, the other had it's wings pinned to it's back, it was almost like toothless, except it was white, with grayish-blue scales dotting all over it, it's blue eyes were looking right at Elsa.
"These two are the first brood of Toothless and stormfly." Astrid said, walking over and standing by her husband, "mine and Hiccups dragons."
Toothless sat a little straighter, puffing his chest out.
"They don't have names yet." Hiccup said, "and there my gift to you and your sister queen Elsa."
"Wow… Elsa whispered, walking up to the white dragon, it sniffed her hand and nuzzled it, making her laugh a little, "Ana can you…believe it?" Elsa finished lamely as she saw her sister had already tackled the dragon and was busily wrestling with it.
"Beaut's aye?" Hamish asked his brothers.
"The dragons or the queen?" Hubert muttered.
'And what's that supposed te mean?" Hamish asked him crossly.
"We saw how ye were on the pier, ye were basically undressin' her with yer eyes!" Harris said with a laugh.
"Was not!" he exclaimed, turning a bright red.
"Yeah, twasn't like that brother." Hubert said, throwing his arm around Harris, "more like hungrily strippin' her." The two brothers guffawed at the remark, almost falling down.
"Ah yer both daft!" he grumbled, looking back at the queen.
"So, whens' the wedding actually taking place?" Hiccup asked.
"About a week from now." Elsa said, "Christoff is on a run right now, so he needs time to get back, until then you and your dragons are welcome to stay in the castle, and enjoy our full hospitality."
"Ye here that boys!" Gobber shouted, "free food!"
Elsa sat on the ramparts after dinner, down in the courtyard the Vikings were asleep against their dragons, the natural warmth from the beasts keeping them warm throughout the night, beside her, her own dragon sat, looking out across the sea.
"Hmm…what's a good name for you?" Elsa asked, scratching behind the dragons' ear, "pamella?"
The dragon shook its head in disgust at the name.
"Yeah, heard it too." She muttered, shivering a little, "um…hmm…Freyja?"
The dragons ears perked up, it let loose a low rumble.
"Guess you like that huh?'
"Like what?" someone asked, making Elsa jump, she turned around and saw Hamish walking up the steps, his broadsword strapped to his side.
"Oh, It's just you." Elsa said, sitting back down.
"Aye lass, it's just me." Hamish said, walking up and putting a foot up on the wall, looking out over the fjord, "guess I'm not the only one who couldn't sleep."
"You're right." She said, "With all this excitement going on…how could I ever get to sleep?"
"It'll be hard." He commented.
Elsa nodded, "um…so…I'm sorry for…slapping you…and throwing your kilt over your head…and kicking you into the fjord."
Freyja gave rumbling cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
Hamish eyed the dragon, and then shrugged, "eh ah deserved it." He mumbled, scratching his head, "ah was kinda an ass to you when ah was little, lets just bury the hatchet, sound good?"
She smiled, "Sounds good," she said, leaning against Freyja, "so, wanna go for a ride?"
"Uh…w-w-w-what?" he asked, stunned.
She cocked an eyebrow as she climbed up onto Freyja, "I meant a ride on Freyja." She said.
"R-right, that's what ah thought ye meant." He said with a nervous chuckle.
"Of course it was." She said with a knowing smirk, 'now hurry up, this'll be the first time I've ridden her."
"All right, hold yer horses Queenie Elsie." He said, jumping on behind her "lets see what she can do!"
Hubert and Harris looked up from their card game as Hamish walked in, "and where have you been?" Hubert asked.
"Ah was with Queen Elsa." He said, "we went for a ride."
They're mouths fell open.
'What!?"
"Oh get yer minds outta the gutters." He said, "on her dragon, Freyja."
"Oh don't even act like ye didn't think the same thing we did."
"Bah, you two are daft." He grumbled, walking over to his bed.
"No, you're daft! Ye think ye can wine and dine the Queen of Arendelle?"
"And who says ah wanna wine and dine her?" he asked angrily.
His brothers chortled, "since ye've done that with every barmaid in Scotland!" Harris said.
"Aye, you tryin' to have a serious relationship with a queen is like father not talkin' about the time his leg got chomped off by mordu, it won't happen!"
Hamish pulled his sword out, "ye two are askin' for a thrashin!"
"Bring it on brother!" they chorused, pulling out their swords and the three brothers were at it, steel ringing out in the night.
Hiccup looked up at the moon from his room inside the palace, dressed only in his pants, he didn't shy away from the cold bite of night, "Hmm…" he mumbled.
"Hiccup?" Astrid mumbled sleepily, walking over from the bed, holding the sheets around her.
"Did I wake you?" He asked, not looking back.
"Kind of, when someone leaves a woman naked in a cold room, she finds out pretty quick." She said, walking over and hugging him from behind, "What's wrong?"
"I…I don't know…I have…a bad feeling."
"Bad feeling?"
He nodded, "like something's about to happen…something horrible…but…I'm not sure what."
"Maybe it's just your nerves." She said, "Since we haven't found drago bludvist. "
"Maybe…maybe it's just the silence of Arendelle." He said, "back home, dragons are roaring throughout the night, here…there's no nocturnal dragons to keep us awake..."
She smiled, "silence is unsettling to you? That usually means you've been at war too long."
"Maybe I have." He said, turning around to look at her, his beautiful wife, who was standing before him, hair undone, nothing to cover her but a thin sheet, he cupped her chin and kissed her, she closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss, when he broke it, he kept his forehead against hers, "you know you're my moon and stars…right?"
She smiled, "of course I do, and you're my thick headed idiot."
He snorted, "Why is it, that every time I say something romantic, you have to take a cheap shot? Is it just how-" he stopped as she kissed him, her arms going around his neck while his went down to her hips.
'I can be a thick headed idiot sometimes." He mumbled against her lips as he picked her up, making her give an uncharacteristic giggle as he walked back to their bed.
in the morning
Hiccup woke up to someone knocking on his door, he groaned and brought his head up, he was sprawled out on the bed, Astrid asleep on his chest the covers only covering their legs, he put his arms around Astrid and tried to get back to sleep, until there was another knock at the door, "what is it." He groaned.
"Sorry to bother you chieftain Hiccup," the guard said from behind the door, "but breakfast is about to be served."
He grumbled something under his breath, "we'll be down shortly." He said, shaking Astrid's shoulder softly.
"Hmm…?"
"Time for breakfast my love." He said to her, "and I doubt you want to go down like this."
/
Elsa sat talking with Ana in the dining hall, "okay, so you and Hamish went for a midnight ride?" Ana asked.
"When you say it like that it sounds so…dirty."
"Sorry, but it's true?"
"Yes, we got on Freyja, and went to see what she could do, god it's beautiful up there Ana.' Elsa said, "the moonlight, and the Fjord, and the snow glistening, I could stay up there all day and night.'
"Can't wait to see it." Ana said with a smile, "although I may have to wait until Christoff gets back before I can go on my own midnight ride."
"What's this about midnight rides?" Merida asked, jumping into her chair, "ah thought that wasn't supposed ta happen til' after the weddin'."
Elsa and Anna both blushed, "um- that's not-we weren't talking about-you see-" Elsa started.
"What's so embarrassing about midnight rides?" Astrid asked with a yawn, walking in from a side door, "me and Hiccup had our first 'midnight ride' before we even had thoughts of marriage."
Ana looked ready to faint, while Elsa was struggling to keep her composure, 'okay, we were not talking about that kind of 'midnight ride'." Elsa said, "I took Freyja out flying last night."
"Oh…." Merida and Astrid said at the same time, a blush coming to their cheeks, the four women sat there in uncomfortable silence for a little while, til they all started laughing.
"Oi, what's so funny?" Harris asked, walking in with Hamish and Hubert behind him, the two brothers were wrestling/walking into the room.
"Nothing ye need ta concern yourself with." Merida said with a snort.
"Yeah, just talking about Queen Elsa's first Midnight ride." Astrid teased, making Elsa blush again.
"Aye, she said she had sooo much fun and would love for it to happen again." Merida said.
The brothers mouths hung open, Harris turned to Hamish, "you said ya didn't do nothin' but ride the dragon with her!"
"Aye! Ye lyin' scum!" Hubert shouted, tackling his brother, Harris jumping on top for added effect.
Merida and Astrid looked at each other, then at Elsa.
"He went with me." she defended herself, "get your mind out of the gutters."
"And you just…failed to mention that?" Astrid asked innocently.
"I mentioned it…I said we went for a ride." She said, looking away.
"'We', made it sound like, 'you and Freyja' not 'you and Hamish'."
'Sorry?" she tried, as Hamish threw his brothers off of him and jumped on top of them, "didn't mean to confuse you."
"I thought you two hated each other.' Merida said suspiciously.
"We buried the hatchet." Hamish said, slamming his brothers together, "she asked if ah wanted to ride the dragon Freyja, and ah agreed, twas a great time."
"Hmm, me and Hiccup first became friends when he took me for a ride on Toothless." She said, "of course it wasn't exactly a mutual agreement to ride toothless."
'What wasn't a mutual agreement?" Hiccup asked walking in.
"The first ride with toothless."
"It wasn't that bad."
"He tried to throw me off several times." She deadpanned.
"…But did you die?" he asked, making everyone laugh.
"So, who's ready for the banquet tonight?" Ana asked giddily, "Rapunzel will get here by lunch, and we're gonna celebrate!"
"Ah didn't know we were havin' a banquet." Hamish said, "and me without ma good suit."
"Ye don' have a good suit!" Harris said, tackling him to the ground. And the brothers were at it again.
Elsa sighed, "am I going to have to freeze you three!" she threatened, and instantly they separated.
"He started it!" they chorused, pointing at each other.
