Happy New Year everyone! Pass it on! :D
"No." Hiccup said immediately. Dagur frowned. "I thought we'd sorted this, Dagur, years ago. Our children don't need to suffer arranged marriages so their home tribes can get along, it's ridiculous!"
"Not to mention the fact that I won't do it!" Ingrid reprimanded. "I'm eleven, I'm not marrying him, I'm not marrying anyone!" She rounded on Dagur, pointing an accusatory finger on him. "You're a dead man if you think you can pull this off. I suggest you take your gormless son and your stupid armada and get the heck off of Berk before I mount your heads on my wall!" Vadik winced and rubbed at his throat, imagining it detached from his body.
"Ingrid." Hiccup's hand alighted on her shoulder gently. Ingrid glared at him. "I'm not agreeing to it, I wouldn't do that to you. But please, let me handle this. Go home to your mother." Ingrid looked ready to argue. "Please." Hiccup tried. She exhaled furiously, flicking her hair from her eyes irritably.
"Fine. But if either of these bozos talks to me again, I will kill them."
"I know. And I won't stop you." Ingrid nodded once and stomped off. It was Hiccup's turn to frown at his rival. Dagur copied.
"You're such a funsponge, Hiccup. Vadik is well suited to your daughter." Hiccup shook his head. "Well, if you're going to be like that, I guess I'll have to play my card." Hiccup mentally groaned in annoyance, cursing Dagur and his stupid nature. "Let's say, for example, that dear little princess Ingrid doesn't ever marry Vadik. Oh my, what could happen? What if someone was to accidentally... oh, I don't know... tell everyone about your little secret?" Hiccup's left hand curled into a fist and Dagur grinned wickedly.
"So be it." Hiccup defied. Dagur's smirk vanished in an instant. "I don't care what it takes, I'm not subjecting Ingrid to a life as his slave." He jabbed a finger at Vadik.
"I'm sure you want grandchildren too, Hiccup!"
"Dagur, I'm not discussing this with you. I've said no and, more importantly, Ingrid has said no." Hiccup snapped his fingers and Toothless joined him. Dagur scowled.
"You couldn't fight me without that Night Fury."
"I can't be bothered to fight you without that Night Fury. Vadik, it was nice to meet you. You're not as disgusting as your father and I thank you for that. But if you upset Ingrid in any way, I know where to find you." Dagur snickered.
"And what are you going to do about it, Hiccup?"
"We all have our secrets, Dagur." Hiccup smiled sweetly, now sat in the saddle. Dagur stared at him, confused. "Good night, Dagur. Vadik." Hiccup nodded at the boy before urging Toothless into the sky. They disappeared into the clouds within seconds. Hiccup massaged his face, letting the cool air abate his anger. "I can't believe that. He's not here even a day and he's already going back on his word." Hiccup smacked himself in the forehead. "What am I saying? I can totally believe that! Oh gods... you wait until Astrid hears this. If Ingrid doesn't kill them first, she will." Toothless chortled in agreement. "You're not helping."
Hiccup was relieved to see Ingrid was at home when he arrived. He had worried himself with the possibility of Dagur's men taking her. Apparently they had tried. Ingrid was ranting about it as she walked in, using chicken legs to demonstrate her defense. "And he was all, nu-uh, not dealing with this! Tackled him and pushed him down the stairs of the Great Hall, that was fun to watch, bounce bounce bounce, splat!" She dropped the meat on her plate and waved her hands, making explosion noises. Astrid patted her on the shoulder, smiling proudly. She looked up as Hiccup dropped his cloak on the back of his chair.
"What did you say?"
"No."
"And Dagur?"
"Well, he's not happy about it. But he's going to have to lump it. Ingrid isn't going to marry the son of a lunatic. She certainly isn't going to marry before she's accepted it." Ingrid nodded confirmingly, looking mighty pleased with herself. "Oh, so you want to get married then?" She swallowed her mouthful of chicken, annoyed now.
"Not if I don't have to! For your information, Dad, I'm quite happy just being me."
"You sound just like your mother." Astrid rolled her eyes, but motioned her agreement all the same. "She'd have stayed single if she hadn't met me. Isn't that right, milady?"
"Shut up, you fathead." Astrid snorted. Ingrid smirked. Alastor bumbled down the stairs. "Whoa, what's the rush?" Astrid grabbed him by the shoulders. "And where's Aloe?" Another clattering on the steps and their youngest appeared, her beloved dragon toy in hand. She raced around the room, making whooshing noises and roaring. Toothless roared back and pawed at her curiously. "Aloe. Aloe! Oh gods, this is one is definitely your daughter." Aloe dodged her mother's hands, giggling, and scrambled to Hiccup's side, bouncing. Hiccup sat her on his lap and smiled. Her dragon growled at him. He pretended to be scared for her sake and she seemed very happy with that. "Al, sit down." Astrid directed her son into a chair and slid a plate of food before him. A bowl of vegetables greeted Aloe.
"Hey, Al. Get this." Ingrid leant forward. "Dagur wants me to marry that Vadik kid." Alastor froze, chicken leg halfway to his mouth. "I know right! Bloody cheek! And then some of his dunderheads tried to kidnap me on the way home! One of them had to be peeled from the bottom of the Great Hall stairs!" Alastor set his food down, a dozen questions zipping behind his eyes.
"Eat your food, all of you." Hiccup instructed, pinching one of Aloe's carrots. Astrid tutted and served up his meal. "Thank you." He smiled.
Their meal was interrupted halfway through by a thunderous knocking on the door. "If that's Dagur, tell him to come back tomorrow. I'm off duty."
"Dad says to come back tomorrow or he'll cover you in doody."
"That's not what I said Ingrid!" Hiccup sat Aloe on the table and went to the door. "Dagur, no means no. Ingrid isn't marrying Vadik, Vadik isn't marrying Ingrid, good night." He tried to shut the door, by Dagur stuck his foot in the way. Hiccup grumbled a few curses he told Ingrid not to repeat, a futile order, and pulled the door open again, just enough for him to slip outside and face Dagur.
"Listen, Hiccup, you didn't let me finish explaining earlier."
"Because I don't care."
"When I said for Ingrid and Vadik to marry, I didn't mean right away. I meant when she's old enough."
"Give it about forty years then." Hiccup folded his arms. Dagur grunted. A snarl from above signalled Toothless was on the roof, keeping an eye on things. "She's not marrying your son."
"What if she wants to in a few years time?"
"Then that's her decision."
"Can Vadik have your permission to court her until then?"
"No."
"You always make things so difficult, Hiccup!" Dagur stomped his feet, like a toddler having a tantrum. Hiccup blinked slowly, unimpressed. "You said you liked Vadik!"
"I said I prefered him to you, that doesn't necessarily mean I like him."
"You're impossible." Dagur growled. Hiccup inclined his head. "You listen to me, Hiccup. Vadik will marry Ingrid whether you like it or not, whether anyone likes it or not! I don't care! You've kept everything from me ever since you were small! Well, small-er."
"Yes, very original, well done, Dagur."
"This is my chance to take something from you, to settle the score!"
"No. That's it stomp your feet, very nice. Very mature. When you've grown a few extra brain cells, come back to me and we'll try and have a halfway decent conversation where you take no as answer." Hiccup returned inside, taking great satisfaction from shutting the door in Dagur's face. His family had all been listening in, smiling. "What?"
"It's like talking to toddler Ingrid all over again." Astrid laughed. "Good days."
"Yeah." Hiccup agreed. "The days where we could drop her in a barrell and put the lid on until Dad arrived to tell her off."
"I remember that barrell!" Ingrid exclaimed. "And Grandad Stoick telling me off, but I never realised you two were behind it! I'm sticking you both in barrells when your time comes, you ain't getting no ship."
"Such a lovely daughter."
"Your daughter."
"Hiccup, if I wanted your opinion-"
"You'd ask. I was wondering where Ingrid got that from." Toothless came back down the stairs, crossing to scratch at the door. "Is he still out there, bud?" Toothless whined. "Give him a bite on the bum, that'll send him off." The Night Fury cooed happily, pawing the door open and chasing after Dagur. "I love that dragon."
