Disclaimer: Obviously. Not even the title is mine.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the flattering review and the follows! Please continue to do so. The more aware you make me of your mighty need for this story, I will do the best I can to accommodate your wishes! :) Enjoy!

Knock knock

Even though the fate of the Kingdom of the Wilderwest was at stake, his heart felt considerably lighter when her face appeared at the door.

"Good morning, milady," he said, bowing to her, "terribly sorry to intrude but may we come in?"

At times, his best friend knew him better than he knew himself. Toothless nudged Hiccup towards Astrid. The prince tripped on his metal leg a bit, but fell safely into the arms of his most trusted knight. She pulled him in for a kiss.

This is it. This is what it means to be alive thought Hiccup.

Every kiss with Astrid was pure bliss. Time always stopped. Nothing existed but her.

She pulled away, stepped aside, and allowed the prince and his dragon to enter her home. As Hiccup sat down at the kitchen table, Toothless beside him, she asked "Now, Prince Hiccup, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"As much as we would love to exchange pleasant conversation, Toothless and I are here on business today."

"Really?" Astrid asked dubiously.

Usually when Hiccup and Toothless paid her a visit, he would tell his father he was seeing Lady Astrid "for business". Sometimes, the business would be of a different kind entirely. But most of the time, he and Toothless would show up and take her for a flight, talking for hours about nothing serious. Unfortunately, the pressing matters discovered this morning didn't really leave time for either of those types of business.

"Surprisingly, this time we're actually here for business. Toothless and I were flying past the Mystic Mountains today when he noticed a miniscule carving at the base of Troll Mountain. When he flew closer, we could both see that it was an unmistakable Skrill." Astrid flinched. He could tell she didn't like where this was going. "Behind it lay a tunnel."

"So you two, being the adventure-seeking idiots that you are, followed it." She interjected.

Toothless let out a funny sort of growl. Sometimes Hiccup could almost tell what Toothless was saying in his own Dragonese way, as if now, for example, he was saying, "Watch who you're calling idiot, Astrid".

"Naturally," Hiccup agreed.

"What did you find?" She asked.

"It led us to the heart of the mountain. Inside, we found scores and scores of dragons, trapped in chains." The thought still sent shivers running down his spine. He'd seen trapped dragons before but never so many. The poor things, still crying out to him in pain…

Astrid sighed. "Sounds like the dragon trappers are at it again."

He shook his head. "Worse, I'm afraid. At the center of this chaotic prison was an enormous castle."

"Was anyone inside?"

"We didn't see anyone but we have a pretty good guess of who's behind this. The cries of a captured Skrill are not easy to forget."

"Dagur," Lady Astrid whispered vehemently, slamming her fist onto the table, startling Toothless.

Easy, bud, Hiccup thought as he patted the Night Fury on the head. "Yep."

Astrid paced around the table. "And it sounds like he's got a few trappers on his side."

Hiccup nodded. "Certainly more than a few. He was never one for physical labor that didn't result in brutal murder. How else could he have built that monstrosity?"

"How many dragons, did you say?"

"More than I've ever seen." Toothless made a noise of assent.

"But if he has allies too…" Astrid was coming to the unfortunate realization.

"… then he must be building an army. If we know Dagur, and unfortunately we do, he wouldn't be seeking help for any reason other than personal gain."

Astrid stopped pacing and grabbed Hiccup's arm. "You don't think he means to set these dragons upon this castle, do you? After all, revenge is his middle name."

This was a running joke in the Kingdom of the Wilderwest but Hiccup had often wondered if it were true. Anyone strange enough to call their child Dagur is probably crazy enough to make their middle name Revenge. Then again, who names their son Hiccup?

"And you and Toothless were the ones who turned those Exterminator dragons against him. And if he brought them here…." She froze. "I couldn't bear to lose you, Hiccup."

"It's not me you need to worry about. It's the people of this kingdom. Dagur alone is dangerous enough. Add a few dragons to this and he is certainly a force to be reckoned with."

"You've told your father about this, haven't you?" She asked, taking his hand and sitting on his lap.

Hiccup nodded. "We just got back from Troll Mountain. He's discussing it with Gobber now."

"Has he come up with a plan?"

"Not any that he's told me, but he did ask me to prepare all the knights."

Sighing she whispered, "Good."

"Why's that?"

"Because I don't want you getting any ideas about taking on Dagur and the Skrill alone."

As Toothless growled, Hiccup could almost hear him saying "Not alone! I'd be there!" He scratched his best friend behind the ears. "That's right, bud," he said, "I wouldn't be alone, Astrid."

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. Please don't take Dagur on without me there."

"I appreciate your concern, Lady Astrid, but…" Although everyone here now had dragons of their own, the bond Toothless and Hiccup shared was so strong that not even Astrid fully understood it. "There's no safer place for me than with Toothless."

"Some day, you're going to be the King of the Wilderwest and other people will be glad that you 'appreciate my concern'. But I am your girlfriend, Hiccup and I'm not going to take that dragon dung kind of excuse. Promise you won't fight Dagur without me."

Five years ago, Hiccup never could have imagined how much Astrid cared for him today. Even at that moment, her concern touched his heart, as if she had expressed it for the first time. These reminders coursed like blood through his veins and kept him moving when nothing else could. He knew that keeping this promise would not be possible. There was no way he could guarantee that Astrid would be beside him at all times. When had any battle with Dagur gone according to plan?

"I know what you're thinking, Hiccup."

Doesn't she always? He thought, smiling in spite of her.

"Don't do that!" Astrid put a hand to his cheek. "Hiccup, please. You're the Heir to the Throne of the Wilderwest and I want nothing more than your safety."

He could barely argue with her when she put it like this. Her hand was soft and her eyes were more amazing and more beautiful than anything he had ever seen.

"Promise me, Hiccup?"

No one really understood how safe he was with Toothless but if anyone came the close, it was Astrid. He nodded. "Alright."

"Hiccup."

"You're right."
"Hiccup." She said more sternly this time.

"What?" he asked.

"Say the words 'I promise, Astrid.'"

He pressed his hand to her face and stared into those deep blue eyes as if he were looking into the eyes of a dragon whose trust he knew he must earn. Expect when he looked into dragon eyes he eventually had to close his own, otherwise he would become hypnotized and dizzy. But these blue eyes too made him a little disoriented. "I promise, Astrid."

Their lips met.

"Sealed with a kiss," whispered Astrid, "Now if you break your promise, I'll have to break your arm."

No matter how long he lived, he would never understand this about Astrid. Heaving a huge exasperated sigh, Hiccup asked, "Why do you always make it about violence?"