So, somehow I wrote as many words in three hours as I did in the previous two whole weeks. Anyway, another chapter to make up for the week I missed. Enjoy.


"Hiccup! Just the man I wanted to see!"

Hiccup, who was the last to come out of the Meade Hall after a meeting with the visiting chiefs (it was just a general meeting, but the possibility of a group of pirates attacking some of the southern and western islands was also mentioned) looked over to see the Meathead chief approaching him. Toothless, who was at his rider's side, grumbled pleasantly at the other man.

"Hello Hacksaw," Hiccup greeted cheerfully. He was in a good mood. Not only had the meeting gone well (with only one loud argument), but he was long overdue for a flight with Toothless, and this was the perfect time to go.

"I have a question for you, lad, if you don't mind. And it's sort of private."

They were smack in the middle of town and as it was a nice day with plenty of visitors, it was bustling with children and dragons and people selling and buying things and just general socializing and business.

"We can go back in there?" Hiccup suggested, nodding towards the Meade Hall.

"Alright,"

They reentered the hall, Toothless, of course, joining them.

"Such a strange creature you are." Hacksaw told Toothless, giving the Night Fury a friendly pat. "Just a dog in a big scaly body, eh?"

Toothless purred and gave a gummy smile to the man.

Hacksaw chuckled and gave the dragon a final scratch before looking back to Hiccup. "As you are aware, my oldest boy, Reamer, is taking over for me next year."

Hiccup nodded. Reamer was only three years younger than him and it was weird to hear someone talk about a twenty seven year old to him like twenty seven was so young. Reamer had sat in at the meeting along with his younger brother.

"He's married, hoping for a baby. You know, all that stuff."

Hiccup nodded, but then said "No offense, sir, but what exactly does this have to do with me?"

Hacksaw smiled a bit. "Ah, yes, I was just getting to that. My youngest-"

"Auger?" Hiccup interrupted.

"Yes, Auger. He's in the market for a girl of his own now and I was wondering if you would be at all interested in him as a son-in-law?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. What was this guy suggesting? "Uh, I'm sorry. I'm lost."

"I'm suggesting that Auger marries your daughter, lad. Your eldest girl, of course. The cheerful blonde one you adopted."

Hiccup glanced at Toothless, who looked just as shocked as he felt. "Irena?"

"Yes, that's it. Irena."

"Why?"

"Why not? It'd only strengthen the treaty your father and I made some years ago. And Auger's seemed to take a liking to her. Told me he thinks she's very pretty. They'd make a good match."

"She's only fourteen, Hacksaw."

"I know Auger's a few years older than her, but she won't be fourteen forever, Hiccup." Hacksaw pointed out. "By what I've seen of her, she's great with children. She'd be an exceptional mother. You see, Reamer and his wife have been having some trouble with having an heir. And if it continues, your Irena and Auger might be the ones to provide my people with an heir. And me and my wife with a much wished for grandchild."

"Wait, let me get this straight: you want me to have my daughter marry your son just in case your heir can't come up with his own?"

"Well, that's one way of putting it. But that's not the only reason why."

Hiccup looked at the Meathead chief like he had just spouted another head. "You... did hear me say she's fourteen, right?"

"I heard you, boy. I know of girls who've had children younger than that. It's not a new concept, lad. Once a girl starts her cycle, she's pretty much fair game. You know that."

He did know that. He knew that all too well. Cassia had been pregnant three times before she was twenty. Irena was the only surviving one of those babies and she was born when her mother was fifteen. Nova also had a baby at fifteen and lost another at sixteen. There was no way, no way in Hel he was marrying his fourteen year old off to some boy to provide an heir for his island. There was already two too many girls close to him who went through that much earlier than they needed to. They were taken advantage of. They were hurt. Cassia was going to be jumpy, shy and anxious for the rest of her life. Nova was bitter due to suffering in silence for so long.

He couldn't let Irena suffer that way. Irena, despite the first four years of her life being miserable and cruel, had a pure soul, a heart of gold, patience and kindness beyond what most were capable of, and a wisdom beyond her years. He couldn't destroy the happy little girl that had come from so much pain. She deserved a happy life. He wasn't going to make her have a baby at fourteen years old.

There was no way in Hel he would marry Irena off anyway. He wanted all his children to marry for love. Not for peace. Not for good will. Not to manufacture an heir. Just love.

His girls (Nova and Evelina included) were deserving of respect. Respect for their age, personalities and bodies. He was going to make sure they were respected.

Some said it wasn't possible to live hoping to fall in love and not be matched politically in the world they lived in. Love wasn't necessary in marriages. Love didn't hold a marriage together.

That was false.

Look at Rapunzel and Eugene, Anna and Kristoff, The Engmans, Ramona and Axel Hofferson, his mom and dad, him and Astrid.

All of Berk's couples were happily married. Not one was for politics.

He took a deep breath. "I'm very sorry about Reamer and his wife, Hacksaw, but I can't let Irena marry Auger. She's just too young now. Too young for marriage and being a mother. I know some girls who became mothers early, they're still suffering. Irena's mother is one of them. I mean no disrespect, sir, but I want my children to marry people they love, if they choose to marry at all. I can't- and I won't- force my daughter into anything."

Hacksaw sighed. "I understand, Hiccup. Thank you for listening anyway." he held his hand out and Hiccup shook it.

"I hope everything goes well for Reamer."

"Me too." Hacksaw replied before leaving the hall.


"Can you believe that?" Hiccup asked Astrid when he got home. He had recounted the whole conversation, even including a voice impersonation. He was angrier about the situation than he had let on to Hacksaw.

"Unfortunately, I can." Astrid sighed, folding the last of Gabe's shirts. "Women aren't treated like people in some places, you know. And some places still treat women like property. I mean, here, there kind of like that. It's more tradition than anything though."

"Your dad is as firmly against that tradition." When Hiccup had gathered the guts to ask Axel permission to ask Astrid to marry him several years ago, Axel firmly stated that Astrid wasn't a yak and he wasn't expecting anything from Hiccup 'in return for her hand'.

"And besides," he had added good-naturedly. "She can flip you without even trying. If anything, I should be giving you money to treat your injuries."

"So are you. And so am I, but not everyone thinks like us, babe."

"I know," Hiccup sighed heavily, sitting on the bed. Toothless sighed a dragon sigh and put his head in Hiccup's lap.

Unfortunately, this movement made some of Astrid's nicely stacked laundry topple over.

She gave Hiccup a little slap on the arm and shot him a look.

"Ow, sorry, I'll fix it. Ow." he rubbed his arm.

"No way. You can't fold for anything. I'll fix it. Why don't you two go play with the kids or something?"

"Are you kicking me out?"

"Yes." Astrid replied simply, folding a shirt.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, but stood up and kissed her cheek anyway. "Alright, I'll be outside then."

"I'll come out when I'm done."

"Okay. Come on, bud."

Toothless warbled and beat Hiccup outside. He ran off to join Irena, Gabe and the twins, who were playing with Hic, Blossom, Petal, and Safira. Ember and Cami were nearby, Ember desperately trying to stand on her own without toppling over. Hiccup stopped halfway there, next to the tree Nova was sitting under. Evelina was napping in Nova's lap, sprawled out on her legs. Nova was holding a book, squinting at the page and her finger under a word. Irena told him Nova had never really learned to read and was trying to teach herself now that she had the chance.

"That says 'inconspicuously'." Hiccup told quietly her after glancing at where her finger was. "It means not very noticeable."

Nova jumped a little, startled.

"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly.

"Thank you," Nova said softly without looking at him.

"You're welcome. If you ever get stuck on a word, you can ask any of us. We'll be happy to help you."

Nova nodded.

Hiccup hesitated but continued towards Toothless and his children. He could've sworn he heard Nova say 'inconspicuously' under her breath before he was gone.


Irena didn't know about Auger's father's conversation with her father. No one but Astrid did.

She was in bed, staring at the ceiling of her room. Hic had woken her by waking up crying. He had quieted a long time ago, but she couldn't fall back to sleep.

Her parent's tenth wedding anniversary was coming up. Sure it was a few weeks away, but it was getting close. She needed a present for them. A present from all her siblings, not just her. She wanted it to be special because they were a special kind of parents. It needed to show how much they loved them.

Safira whined before waking and nosing at the blanket. Irena lifted up a part so her tiny dragon could get under it. Safira licked her hand gratefully before nestling up against her side.

Irena sighed and closed her eyes.

What would both her parents enjoy?


Irena peeked into her mother's room. "Mama, my friend wants to talk to you, if that's okay."

Cassia nodded at her daughter, who then led her friend into her room.

Irena made a move to leave, but Nova grabbed her hand. Irena sat next her her mother on the bed and Nova sat at the foot of the bed after settling Nova on the floor with a little toy.

Irena leaned against her mother, who wrapped an arm around her.

"Mama, this is Nova." Irena introduced.

"Hello," Cassia said quietly with a gentle, timid smile that made Nova calm down a little. She was nervous. "Your daughter is very sweet."

"Thank you," Nova replied.

"Her daughter is what she wanted to talk about with you, if that's okay." Irena explained.

Cassia nodded. The dark haired girl across from her was about the same age she was when Irena was born.

"I-I just wanted to know if it gets easier sometime..." Nova admitted quietly.

"There's always something that is going to be wrong, Nova." Cassia said gently, stroking Irena's hair. "When you look at your daughter and yourself. You are always going to wonder what you did wrong, how you could have prevented her from ever being born. But you have to look at all the good things. You have a beautiful child now. She loves you. That's all that really matters. The past is the past."

Nova nodded.

The conversation lasted a while. Cassia explained why she never took Irena back after she was found (she was too anxious and fidgety), how hard it was to look at her sometimes and know where she came from, how lucky she was that Hiccup and Astrid let her visit her daughter, and many other things. Nova said many things she never thought she could about the day she found out she was pregnant and the day she had Evelina, and much more.

Nova actually hugged Cassia when they ran out of things to say. It was good to get things off her chest. They had been there much too long.

"Do not give up on Evelina. She needs you more than you know. She needs you too be strong. I missed my chance, don't miss yours." Cassia told her quietly they split from the hug. She glanced at Irena, who was playing with Evelina by the door, with a sad look.

Nova nodded.

For the first time in her life, someone understood her. Really understood her. It was nice.


"There's pirates coming after people?" Astrid asked her husband, shocked.

"Not yet, but it is a real possibility." Hiccup replied, running his hand through her hair. He had finally managed to tell her about the other big topic from the previous day's meeting. She had been at the Academy with his mother, showing their guests all about dragons.

Astrid snuggled closer against him. It was late. But they didn't mind. "Who brought them up?"

"Niphe did. Said he saw them off Beserker Island some time ago. They didn't look like much of a threat apparently, but it's been a few weeks and anything could happen. He just gave us all a warning."

"That's good. At least we know they exist. In case anything happens."

"I doubt they'll attack us, if they attack anyone. We're one of the most peaceful Islands in the Archipelago. Plus, we do have hundreds of dragons prepared to help defend us."

Toothless cooed softly from the corner in agreement. Hic was asleep in his cradle, so he didn't want to be too loud.

"Yeah. They'd be stupid to attack us." Astrid agreed, stifling a yawn.

Hiccup kissed the top her her head. "Go to sleep."

"I'm not tired."

"So that's where Gabe gets it from." Hiccup chuckled, the smile on his face evident even in the dark by the sound of his voice.

"I could kick you really hard right now, but I won't."

"Wow, thanks. I feel the love." Hiccup drawled sarcastically.

"You better. I do love you."

"I know. I love you too. Good night, Milady."

"Mmmhmm," Astrid replied.


A/N: So, a lot of new stuff happened in this chapter. What do you guys think about protective Daddycup? Personally, I think he'd be the best dad ever. That's just me, though. What about Nova and Cassia talking? And pirates?

Please note that these are fictional Vikings, therefore not completely historically accurate. (They have giant winged reptiles!) This is for fun.

Thanks for reading, as always. And thank you for 90 reviews on 8 chapters. You guys are incredible.

See you soon! Happy March!

~Pink