== Alright, there seemed to be a bit of confusion... so let me try to clear things up. The story takes place a year after Frozen and four years after HTTYD2. Elsa is 22, Hiccup is 24. I put the Frozen timeline setting in the story description, and I placed Elsa's age in the first chapter. I will respond to the comments and reviews at the end of the chapter, so for now, Happy Reading!==
Chapter 2
Hiccup growled in frustration as his mother led him further away from Berk. Instead of letting him fly on his own, she had insisted she ride with him on Toothless, and Cloudjumper would fly beside them. He guessed it was a tactic to ensure he didn't run away.
"Hiccup… this will be good for us. All of us. Perhaps we can find Tuffnut an eligable woman here. There will definitely be more to choose from." Valka said, chuckling to herself. Hiccup sighed. It was a poor attempt to lighten the mood.
He had already been having enough troubles, what with his father dead and him taking over Berk as chief and all that. He had been planning his marriage to Astrid when Valka had come across an old scrap of paper hidden in Stoick's belongings. Armed with that old piece of paper, she had cancelled everything.
"Hiccup!" Valka cried as she came tearing out of the chief's house, a tattered piece of paper in her hand. "Did you know about this?"
Hiccup had just returned from another island scout and had barely even been on the ground for five minutes. It was days after the four year anniversary of Stoick's death, so his head hadn't really been into the search. He returned early, hoping to ask Gothi for a remedy. Instead, he was met with his mother's unease.
"Know about what? Mom what is that?"
"It's the agreement your father and I made with the royal family of Arendelle when you were just a wee thing. You were not even three years old." Valka breathlessly handed the worn paper to her son, so he could read the contents. "Not even a week after this agreement was made, Cloudjumper took me."
Hiccup mouthed the words silently as his eyes scanned the page. Hiccup wordlessly handed the paper back to his mother. His green eyes shimmered in a wordless anger. His fists clenched tightly together.
"Mom, you and dad planned my life for me?"
"Well, it was a good plan at the time. They have good land, and your father had been hoping to branch out, so that the dragons couldn't decimate our supplies. But I think he forgot about it when you brought home your Night Fury friend." Valka nodded and placed her arms around Hiccup's shoulders.
"It says here that it's only in agreement if both are still alive. There could be a chance…"
Valka nodded. "It seems we need to check on that, don't we? You can't continue preparations with Astrid until this is sorted out."
Hiccup's mouth dropped open in horror.
"I'm supposed to be marrying Astrid, in a month. She's a Viking. And I love her. I don't want to marry some strange girl in a distant land. I should be allowed to live my life the way I want- the way I have always lived it. I don't agree with this betrothal."
Valka's eyes grew soft as she looked at her son. She could feel his anger and his confusion. It was true that Vikings didn't really believe in the betrothal system, and this arrangement could have been dealt with better, but this was the course that had been chosen. Valka reached out and cupped Hiccup's chin in her hand, forcing him to look at her.
"Now, I know I wasn't there to help you grow up. Maybe this whole thing could have been avoided if I had come back. But Hiccup, I know you have a good head on your shoulders. You have to do the right thing. A Chief takes care of his own."
So a small trade ship had been dispatched to find out if Princess Elsa of Arendelle was alive. Within two weeks, the ship returned with confirmation that the Princess, now Queen, was alive and well. The ship had also arrived with many fine fabrics and plants as a "welcoming gift" to Berk, along with a royal note that stated a meeting would be held in a month's time, in Arendelle, so that marriage preparations could get under way.
And in that moment, Hiccup realized just how unprepared he was. As a man, as a leader. The month passed and Hiccup spent most of his time away from Berk, trying to avoid his mother, and trying to find a way out of the arrangement- without dying.
However, after the first week Valka was aware of her sons idea and began to pay some Riders to follow him, and stop any escapes. Every failed attempt was met with a quiet scold from Valka, always ending in "a Chief protects his own."
And as the days dragged by Hiccup noticed that Astrid had begun to avoid him. Completely. The sting of rejection hit him hard. His anger with his parents grew steadily each day. He didn't care about land, or resources. He had had the only things that mattered to him- Toothless and Astrid. Now he only had one.
And then the storms set in. A ship was sent ahead of the riding party, about three days time, with a message for the Queen of Arendelle. Because of the early timing of the storms, they would arrive in Arendelle about a week early.
Now, as he dwelled on the past events more and more while he rode with his mother behind him, Hiccup felt the quiet panic set in.
This was really happening.
He was really going through with a marriage he didn't believe in. Because it had been formally promised before he had even learned to crawl. Because he had a duty, as Chief, to take care of his people. And he knew, as much as he hated to admit it- that marrying Queen Elsa of Arendelle would ensure his people always had enough food and shelter, as well as protection.
Not that Berk needed any help in that department. Astrid had stayed behind, and so had all the other Dragon Riders. Hiccup knew that even without him they were extremely capable of defending Berk.
He was twenty-four years old. He had done many heroic things in his short life. He had not flinched at the idea of death, until he had found something great to live for: family. And now, he was shaking in his riding gear, his family all but gone.
Hiccup was lying if he said he wasn't terrified. Marrying someone he didn't love, and a total stranger at that, was one of the worst ideas he had ever heard. But here he was… plunging head first into a two-decade old agreement. Hiccup felt alone. Alone with his frustration and his anger. Alone with his fear.
"Look Hiccup." Valka said, pointing ahead at the pointed spires of a castle.
Hiccup, briefly distracted by the beauty of the building, leaned forward to stare in awe before realizing that that was the dreaded destination. Hiccup looked behind him and noticed that the horizon behind them had gone nearly black with storm clouds.
Below him, Hiccup could see the crystal blue waters of Arendelle's fjord, and amongst the many ships passing in and out of the harbour, Hiccup spotted the envoy ship that had been sent ahead. It was big enough to land the entire riding party on, and Hiccup wasted no time in mentioning this to his mother.
At least then he would have to walk a ways before meeting his bride-to-be.
Valka thought for a moment and nodded. She motioned for Cloudjumper to land first, and soon all five dragons and their riders were perched on the deck of the ship. As the party unleaded and took stock of everything they had, a big balding man came walking up to the ship's boardwalk.
"Would you be the engagement party from Berk?" he asked with authority.
Valka nodded. Yes. I am Valka, and this is my son, Hiccup. We are here to meet the Queen and begin preparations for the wedding.
"I am Kai. Staff to Queen Elsa and to her sister, Princess Anna, of Arendelle." Kai made a short bow before continuing to address the party. "If you will follow me, I will take you to meet the Queen. She is expecting you."
"What about our dragons?" Hiccup asked, wrapping his arm tightly around Toothless' neck.
Kai seemed utterly surprised by Hiccup's question. He stood for a moment in silence before clearing his throat. "Leave them on the ship. They will need their own place to rest, I presume? Once I have the Queen's permission, we can prepare spaces for your… ehem… dragons, and then bring them through the gates and into the castle grounds. I will bring them in personally, if you will allow it."
"If that's the best you can do." Hiccup grumbled, his heart sinking. He took Toothless' big head in his hands and looked into the yellow-green eyes of his friend. "Stay here bud. When Kai comes to get you, follow him. Don't cause trouble, alright?"
Toothless gave an affectionate warble and licked Hiccup's face.
"Oh! Ugh… Toothless!" Hiccup exclaimed, wiping the sticky saliva off his face and flicking it at the dragon. "That doesn't wash out!"
Valka chuckled and took Hiccup's arm, pulling the boy off the ship and dock, and onto the cobbled roadway that led to the castle. Hiccup was trying desperately to remove the remaining saliva from his face and hair before he actually met the Queen.
As they walked, Kai was telling them all the information about Arendelle. Hiccup wasn't fully paying attention to what the attendant said, because he was busy looking around at the clothing of the people of Arendelle. He glanced around and the finely cut clothes in bright fabrics, and looked down at his own clothing.
Leather, while perfect for riding a dragon, was no good for meeting royalty. His mother was no better, in rough cloth, bones and fur. They were severely underdressed, and because of this, Hiccup noticed almost everyone began to stare as they walked past. Suddenly, he couldn't wait to get inside the gates of the castle. All the judgemental stares were driving him crazy.
As the gates opened, Hiccup couldn't help but gasp. The double doors of the castle were stained in a chevron pattern of dark and light wood, and a single golden crocus was engraved into each of the stone pillars before the doors. Inside the gate, was a short walk to the front door of the castle. Before Hiccup had a chance to see, the doors were pulled open and a plump elderly lady in a green dress similar to the outfit Kai wore came waddling through. She smiled warmly at the newcomers and ushered them inside.
"Excuse me, and I shall see to your… dragons." Kai said as he bowed curtly and walked briskly away, leaving Hiccup, Valka, Gobber, Gothi, and Eret to stand helplessly in the foyer. It was silent as the Vikings surveyed their new surroundings.
Suddenly, a loud, high pitched squeal blasted through the silence, and the sound of cloth on wood could be heard coming closer to them. Suddenly, a girl with strawberry blonde hair came sliding down the banister, her high pitched giggles resonating in the almost empty room. She jumped off the banister and landed on her feet with ease, freezing the moment she saw the party.
Hiccup watched as the girl looked from one startled face to another, her bright blue eyes widening first in concern and then with realization. Hiccup was slightly taken aback by how brilliantly bright the girl's eyes were. She smiled a brilliant smile and made a small curtsie.
"Hello! I'm Princess Anna of Arendelle."
"Hello Princess." Valka stated, giving a slight nod of her head. "I am Valka, of the island of Berk. And this is-"
"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, Chief of Berk." Hiccup cut in hastily, giving his best bow, trying to remember how Kai had looked. He figured that this was the type of thing that one was supposed to do when meeting royalty, although he felt extremely silly and stiff. And since he was here diplomatically, so to speak, he figured that he might as well try to be the Chief he was supposed to be.
Anna blushed and curtsied again.
"My sister will be down shortly. I would love to stay and chat, but I better go. Bye!"
With a small wave and not another word, Anna ran through the hall and out of sight.
"Well that was a strange girl." Eret said as he busied himself with his shirt. Gothi nodded and smacked Gobber in the gut with her stick, as the old Viking was beginning to drool. Hiccup shook his head in embarrassment.
"Well, she was pretty, wasn't she Hiccup?" Valka asked. "And that's only the younger sister… imagine what the Queen will look like."
"I don't really want to." Hiccup said curtly. "I don't even want to be here."
That much was true. Hiccup would rather have been anywhere but there. Even out with Dagur. But the moment he had seen the Princess, Hiccup began to wonder what the Queen looked like. He silently hoped that Elsa was just as pretty. He wondered if her eyes would be just as bright as Anna's had been- even brighter than Astrid's eyes. But he was resolved to not let his mother know what he was thinking.
No matter what, he would still love Astrid more than he could ever love this girl.
Hiccup was wrapped in his own thoughts, going round and round in circles. He was determined to make this arrangement work, but his heart belonged to someone else. How could a marriage like this work when his heart was elsewhere? Hiccup's frustration grew as he tried to rattle off answers to his own questions. Until a girl's voice cut through the deepest part of his brain, the calm authority nearly bringing him to his already weak knees.
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting."
==Alright... review responses. Colonel Pepper: I will try to keep my story as different from yours as possible. I have not read any Hiccelsa fanfics before I started writing this one, so I have no idea how close or different I am to yours. I have not gotten a chance to read yours yet, but I will do so soon and adjust my storyline accordingly so that I do not infringe upon your story. I do hope that you like what II have written so far. Goldie Roth: I am glad to hear you liked the first chapter, and thank you for the compliment! Guest: This chapter is in Hiccup's POV, and it does jump back in time a little, so please let me know what you think! As for Elsa's dream, there will be little clues within the chapters... at least for a little while. Maybe you will be able to piece together the dream before it is fully revealed? WONDER239: I am glad you enjoyed the chapter, and honestly, I feel like I could probably be Anna some days. It makes life interesting. orca3553: Thank you for the comment! I hope you like this chapter as much as the first! (And your sarcasm was duly noted... but probably a little more accurate than most would like.) ravenx1988: I am glad you enjoyed the first chapter, I hope you enjoy the next chapter as well! Feel free to give me any feedback you may have-questions or plain old comments too! forteEXEMaster: I hope I cleared everything up for you in the top A/N and within this chapter. I'm sorry if it wasn't as clearly written as I thought it was. FrankThePirate: Thanks for the comment! And thanks for trying to help me clear things up! I hope you enjoy this chapter!==
