Hiccup rubbed at an imaginary scuff on the bottom section of his prosthetic and fastened it back onto his foot, shaking the appendage slightly to make sure the straps were secure. He did not want to stumble walking Elsa up to the altar. But the straps were secure, of fine leather that fastened onto yew wood and iron, both of which gleamed with polish for the occasion. And what an occasion it was.
People from all the nearby countries had flocked to the palace for the wedding of the century. The young, mysterious princess of Arendelle was marrying the boy who captured hearts wherever the king sent him as an ambassador, particularly in the Northern areas. The man had started giving him those missions about seven months ago, only a week or two after he asked Elsa to marry him. It was excellent training, and broadened his scope of the world. So what if it also had the side effect of leaving Elsa alone to spend quality time with her family and learning how to raise one of her own? The king didn't have to explain his motives.
But those missions had certainly paid off. The throne room, rearranged for the ceremony, was close to overflowing with guests. All thirteen of the brothers from the Southern Isles were there, even Hans. He had had words with the older brothers about how they treated the youngest. It had been too close to his own childhood for comfort. Well, they were certainly including him in things now. Hiccup watched their antics, grateful for the distraction from his own nerves, and the sword hilt that was jamming into his side. Then the music started and suddenly, none of that even registered in his mind.
He was about to get married.
To Elsa.
And there was Anna, the maid of honor walking down the aisle with his best man Kristoff. Really, who else would he have chosen? The man had been the first person he'd met here, and they'd liked each other even while he was a dragon. Besides, Anna seemed very comfortable with him, and Hiccup couldn't wait for his speech at the reception.
A chilled wind blew all thoughts of the reception out of his head as Elsa stepped through the grand double doors and into the room. The trail of her dress left frost patterns along the floor as she processed towards him, holding her father's arm the same way Hiccup had taught her almost a year ago.
Slowly, the stately, decorated king processed Crown Princess Elsa up the aisle. He wanted to laugh at the tight grip with which she held his arm. His little girl, all nervous and flustered and not showing even a fraction of it. And now he was surrendering her. But at least it was to a man he now trusted, and who had solved the problem of her powers so he could have at least one year with her before the young man at the front of the room received her.
When the two of them stood at the front of the room together, the crowd sighed with contentment. In most weddings, the bride is the star, but these two were equally brilliant. Hiccup wore no metals, no fancy hat, but the bright white of the tailored suit made the brown of his hair, the shine of his leg, and the green of his eyes stand out like a candle flame in a dark room. Elsa was also in white, the white of the snow she loved so much, a love that repeated in delicate embroidery all the way down her dress from the modest collar to the end of the five foot train. Some would later say that the dress wasn't cloth at all, but the princess's own ice. The tiara certainly looked like it was; crystals that fractured the light and let rainbows dance over the crowd and her in-a-moment husband.
Most of the ceremony barely registered in the heads of the assembly, they were so intent on the bride and groom. The words of the priest's sermon talked about love, loyalty, and trust, but the crowd felt like the speech was contained much more beautifully in the way Hiccup never let go of Elsa's hand. Then the vows were upon them. The two walked to the front of the room and turned to face each other before the assembly. Then Hiccup began to speak.
"You are the reason I am alive. You have healed my wings, melted my heart, and taught me to love again. I promise to do the same for you." He reached out and took her other hand. "If you break, be it in body or spirit, I will mend you. If the fear of what you hold overruns you, I will strike down whatever causes such fear, be it within or without. And if you ever feel there is something you must learn, I will teach it to you or learn alongside you. I will remain as faithful as a dragon, as pure as an ice palace, treat you like a queen, and love you more than anything until the day I die."
Many in the crowd brought out embroidered handkerchiefs during Hiccup's vow, including the queen. But Elsa just smiled at the man who had promised her his life. Now it was time to return the favor.
"I fell in love with you gradually. Your constant presence banished my loneliness, your curiosity has expanded my world, and your love has grounded me in myself. Now I give all of it back to you." She squeezed his hands. "If you are lonely, however it came to be, I will banish it. If your curiosity demands that you travel and discover, I will not keep you bound to me, but know you will come back. And if you ever forget who you are in the midst of something bigger than yourself, I will remind you or rediscover yourself with you. I will remain as faithful as a dragon, as pure as an ice palace, treat you like a king, and love you more than anything until the day I die."
Then Kristoff came forward with the rings, forged by the groom himself. Elsa's ring contained a large diamond, cut in a circular pattern reminiscent of snowflakes. Around the edges were tiny fragments of the black stone, their first discovery together. His was a simple band of gold, but with two wires, one of black gold and one of white gold, twined together and set into the band. They were perfect.
Elsa picked up the band of gold and took Hiccup's left hand. "This ring I give to you is my love and devotion to you manifest. I pledge to you all that I was, all that I am, and all that I will ever be as your wife. With this ring, I marry you and join my life to yours."
She slipped the ring over his knuckle and onto his ring finger, where it fit perfectly. "Just like you," he whispered to her, making her smile.
Then he took her left hand and fingered the gemstone. "This ring I give to you is my love and devotion to you manifest. I pledge to you all that I was, all that I am, and all that I will ever be as your husband. With this ring, I marry you and join my life with yours."
Then the priest gave him permission. He lifted the delicate film of icy lace that covered his beloved's face and placed it over the top of her tiara, letting it flow down her back with the rest of the veil. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes as his hand cupped her ear and lips graced her own.
It was a warm touch, with Elsa's soft lips born of hours indoors and Hiccup's slightly rougher ones, the product of many sea voyages and hours in the forge creating the rings. They separated quickly, mindful of their audience for the first time since the start of the ceremony.
Then the organ started playing and the newlyweds practically raced each other out of the throne room, a far cry from the stately procession. The starting line had been a wall in an ice palace. The halfway mark was a battle.
They had fought the good fight.
They had finished the race.
They had kept the faith in each other.
Now it was their turn to enter paradise.
I absolutely loved writing this. If anyone wants to write a story that takes place during the months I skipped over, I would love to see it. But the courting wasn't what this story was about. By the way, the last part is a slightly tweaked Bible verse. My Catholic upbringing rears its head!
Thank you for all the support of this story, but I now have to say that this is the end of it. I hope you enjoyed Beauty and the Beast, even if it wasn't quite what you expected.