"Merida?" Slowly opening her door, Eleanor was shocked to see that Merida was already up and dressed in one of her simple dresses, pacing in her room. "You are out of bed before dawn? Something wrong?"
"Just thinking. If I am going to have to go through with this. The next four weeks, I have complete control of it and I am going to take advantage of it." Merida didn't stop her pacing as her mother stood there at the foot of her bed. She totally forgot to ask him what kinds of things they did at Berk so that they could make it in his favor. 'Stupid. I should have asked, that was what I went out there for.'
"So what are you think about with this? You are actually going to focus on this I presume?" Eleanor could see her daughter's brain working. She was going to try and make things go in Hiccup's favor. She had to think of a way that she could stop it!
"I am actually." Stopping to turn and look straight out her window where she already saw Hiccup flying around on Toothless, Merida smiled as she took a deep breath. "Actually going to try and make it so that no one can win a single game. Then I won't have to marry any of them."
Dropping her head, Eleanor sighed. "That won't work. If there is no clear winner, the one who came closest to winning will be the winner of that game Merida." Sitting on the bed, Eleanor sighed. "Come and sit with me. I want to talk to you about…."
Turning to her mother, but not sitting down, Merida sighed. "I heard you and dad last night mum. I will spend just as much time with Hiccup and, yes mum I said and his dragon, as I will the other heirs or you can send them all home." When her mother's eyes narrowed she sighed. "I can hope at least. Otherwise you are just going to have to get off it. This is the one thing that I at least have control of with this. Not you. I will do what I want."
"But that is what I wanted to talk to you about Merida…"
Turning and headed out her door, Merida covered her ears. "Not listening mum!"
Crossing her arms for a moment, Eleanor then stormed after her daughter. She wasn't going to give up that easily. No way.
X
Rushing to the kitchen, Merida laughed as the maids said their hello's and she grabbed a couple snacks. Turning to head for the court yard, she found herself face to face with her mother. "Mum can't you just stop it."
Following her as she exited the kitchen, Eleanor smiled. "How about maybe a horse race for one of the games? They always bring their own steeds when they come, the Lords and their sons. How about you pick one of them?"
Reaching out and grabbing an apple as she walked outside into the inner court yard, Merida laughed. "Or I can tell them whomever can help me touch the clouds is one of the games."
"Merdia….."
Laughing at the disgruntled look on her mother's face, Merida laughed as she kept walking around the court yard away from her. "Mum I am doing what I want. And the only thing I am going to tell you is that one of the things is going to be archery because of how I love it."
"You must tell…" But as Eleanor followed her daughter through a side door of the castle she groaned. She was just gone. "Great. Now where did she go?"
X
Looking up when they heard the groan, Hiccup and Fergus were talking just outside of the stables. Both going wide eyed as an amused Merida weaved in and out of the people going in and out, then over the wall into the court yard, leaving an annoyed Eleanor to have to go all the way around. "Well then."
Rubbing the back of his neck, Fergus sighed as his wife walked in the castle. "She thinks that you are here for reasons other than what you are. I guess she is only going to be proven wrong if you win then."
"I guess so." Hiccup knew that unless they were on Toothless in the air, to talk like he really wanted to win her hand and take her home with him as his wife. "Do you know what they have been talking about? I have seen that off and on all day while flying Toothless around."
"I have no idea. But it is almost time for the meal this evening, I am sure that I will find out then." Fergus then looked down at him and sighed. "Eleanor isn't going to allow the dragon in the castle for the official introductions of you and the other Lords son's to Merida. What are you going to do….."
"I was actually going to ask you about that today. I want to fly him up to the balcony where I first saw you and Merida yesterday. That way no one will see him and try to attack him while the introductions are made." Rubbing Toothless on his head Hiccup laughed. "He made friends with some of your men today but the others….."
"They will see it as something to do for sport I am sure." Fergus then sighed as he walked toward the castle. "After the introdunctions, Merida will stand up and tell everyone how each week is going to play out and what some of the different games are."
"Right." Hiccup then walked in the stable with Toothless laughing again as he rolled in the hay like a big goofy dog. "You know what Toothless, I think we will need to get you some hay when we get you home. And you are going to need your self flying tail we brought."
When Toothless snarled at him, Hiccup only glared. "I know you like the connection with me and the saddle where I help you fly. I do to bud and we will go back to it before we go home. But we don't know who these people getting here soon are or how they will react to you. Just humor me, when I can't be with you, you wear the tail." Laughing as he grumbled and then burrowed fully under the hay. "Well then that's how it's going to be then? Just behave for me."
X
"Merida just listen to me." Eleanor had been chasing her daughter down all day long and trying to recommend things that would give Hiccup a disadvantage. Or trying to get her to tell her anything else that she has decided before she tells it to everyone in the morning and they can't get her to change it. "Just tell me what is going to happen!"
Sitting down on her side of the table, opposite her brothers, Merida rolled her eyes as she dropped her face to the table. "Mum I told you all I am going to tell you about it. Just stop."
"Love…." Fergus then flinched at the glare that Eleanor sent him. "What is going on?"
"She won't talk to me. I have been trying to talk to her about what she has decided about to tell her suitors tomorrow and the only thing she tells me is archery and that she will spend two full days with each one that wins, and one day with the rest until the next game." Eleanor narrowed her eyes at her husband. "This is something you cooked up with her isn't it?"
"I aint talked to her about it." Fergus then rolled his eyes as he started to eat his food as it was brought out.
Lifting her head up with a glare for her mother, Merida crossed her arms. "Mum thinks that I am going to make it so that Hiccup wins. I don't want any of them to win. I don't know them, I don't know if I will love them. I don't want to do this. But she is convinced that I have some big plan going on with you and Hiccup."
"I know….."
"My Lady. My Lord." Giving a bow as they both turned to her, the maid bowed her head. "Lord Macintosh, Lord Dingwall and Lord MacGuffin are all requesting to have an audience with the two of you, and the princess. Now."
"They will all have formal introductions tomorrow morning. Did they tell you what this was about?" Eleanor stood as she smoothed her dress down. They couldn't deny a request like that. Not with what was going on. "Show them into the throne room. We will all be there momentarily."
"My Lady."