"Uncle Hakon? Why do I have to wear this?" Complained the 4 year old child, as his godfather tightened the heavy fur vest onto him. "I'm boiling."

"Buddy, I don't think anyone ever boils on this island." Hakon finished his work, but putting on a Viking helmet, Hiccup's old helmet onto the head of the small boy. "Right, have you remembered you're lines?"

"Yes."

"Are you warm?"

"Very."

"Do you look like a Chief?"

"I don't know what a Chief looks like."

"He looks like…" Hakon was about to say the name of the boy's father, but then stopped. This wasn't the moment. "He looks like you."

They left the Haddock House, and made their way to the Great Hall, where the whole village, plus some visitors from neighbouring islands, had assembled.

On the steps, the boy asked. "Where's mama?"

"She's inside. She had to show our visitors around." Hakon gripped his godson's hand and his trusty staff tighter.

"Where's dada?" They stopped their walk, and stood still, frozen. Hakon kept silent, this was too painful a subject. "Is he inside too?"

"Buddy, he's… not here…"

"What do you mean? Mama said that dada just went for a long flight and that he'll come back soon."

"Then why is Toothless here?"

"She said he solo flew here, while daddy's testing his new flight suit."

"We'll talk about this later." Hakon practically dragged the boy to the Great Hall.

-000-

The small boy said all of his vows, in front of the entire village, perfectly. He washed his face in the sacred water and sat on the stone Throne where the Chiefs of Berk would reside in. The boy's mother watched in pride as he was crowned a Chief.

However when the elder came up to him, holding the belt that would mark him as the Chief. He stopped her.

"Wait, that's my dada's." He said, quietly so that only the people around him would be able to hear what he said.

Sensing the elder's discomfort and confusion, Hakon walked up the steps and asked what was wrong.

"That belonged to my dada." He pointed to the leather and stone belt.

"Yes, Junior, and now it belongs to you. Now take it and wrap it around your waist." Hakon instructed, in the softest voice he could.

Reluctantly, the 4 year old, took the massive belt, with his tiny hands and fastened it around his waist. He still had absolutely no idea what he was doing, what this whole occasion was about and what happened to his father.

"All Hail Chief Hiccup Horrendous Haddock IV!" All the Berkians shouted and erupted in cheers. This is what they had been waiting for the last half year, a Chief. Leadership. No one bothered that it was just a 4 year old boy, or that his role would be instead taken by his mother and sometimes his godfather.

Right now, no one cared. They had a victory. They had a Chief. And they had their answers.

-000-

"I need to speak to the Chief of Berk." Alfred Hofferson had met at a crossroad with the blind man, at the front of the Haddock House.

"That's a shame, I just put him to bed." Hakon's humour was slowly starting to come back.

"That's fine, I'll come back in the morning." Alfred made a turn to walk down to his own household, when a hand clasped his shoulder and stopped him from going anywhere.

"What was your business anyway with him? You seem to forget that all Chiefly matters of this island are to be directed to his mother or me."

"Very well. I guess it won't be a Chief of Berk's blessing, but I suppose a blessing of a Chief will do. I need your permission for a marriage."

"You're getting married?" Hakon was surprised, he remembered that Astrid's parents were still married.

"No, not for me. For my daughter."

Hakon felt his blood begin to boil. He had just managed to survive her wedding to one man, he didn't know what he'd do if there was another wedding. Kill the groom, whoever he was? Destroy the banquet? Confess to Astrid?

"Marriage? To whom? She's not yet finished with her mourning for her late husband."

"Of course, of course. After her mourning is done. I have already signed a marriage contract with a wealthy family. The Jorgensons."

Hakon stood frozen. This couldn't have been happening. This was a nightmare. He wanted to run up to a well and plunge his face into freezing water so that he could wake up. But this was real, and there was no waking up from this nightmare.

He stood there, unmoved. Imagining everything that would happen to Astrid if she was to wed the overgrown pig. Abuse. Rape. Misery. Those were the words that came to mind.

"So do I have my blessing on the marriage?" Alfred was growing impatient.

"Hold on, Mr Hofferson. Before you do anything, I would like to… offer myself as a husband for your daughter." Hakon couldn't believe what he was hearing, from himself. This was unimaginable.

He could hear Alfred Hofferson's surprise. "Wh-what?!"

"You heard me sir. I ask for your permission to marry your daughter. We'll get to the official contracts and dowry etc. later."

"Why would you want to marry my daughter? She's the widow of your… almost brother."

"Exactly, so I feel it my duty to protect his wife and son. And in any case. I have a large fortune waiting to be inherited, but I have no heirs, except the young Chief of Berk. So you must understand that I need a wife, if I want children."

Alfred was pondering over the idea. A Chief of Berserkers and Outcasts over a distant family relative of his grandson. "How much of a dowry are you willing to pay?" He asked cautiously.

"How much did Jorgenson offer?"

"Three chests of silver and one of gold. Plus a morning gift, and the whole wedding."

"Six chests of silver and two of gold. Plus a morning gift, the whole wedding, two farms on Berk and a fine collection of weapons, of your own choosing." This was an offer that could never be refused, not even my madmen.

"I'm glad we have had this talk. Let's come to my house. And we'll sign a contract." Alfred put an arm around the blind man's shoulders and guided him to the Hofferson's Household, a Changewing closely following.

-000-

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my very own bride." Snotlout said, leaning on the door frame, watching as Astrid cooked the dinner.

"What do you want, Snotlout?" He growled.

"Oh, nothing much. Just making sure that you know that we have a wedding coming up."

"Nothing is decided. Besides, weddings need blessings from the Chief, and I don't know if you have noticed but he's a 4 year old boy, and I decide all of his business. So I don't give the blessing." She continued stirring the fish.

"In which case… I shall have to force you." Before she could reply, he grabbed her and pushed her against the wall. Her eyes widened at what he was about to do, and she tried to fight him off, but to no avail. Her 4 years of being a housewife and mother and his years of training made it difficult for her.

The door smashed open and an enraged Chief entered. His hands quickly grabbed him by the tunic and tossed him over to the other side of the house.

"YOU BASTARD!" He punched the Jorgenson's face, square in the nose, so it would sprout blood like a fountain. "YOU IDIOT! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

"Being with my bride, to your information." Snotlout sounded in a matter-of-factly. And grabbed the next punch.

"Actually, Alfred Hofferson had just cancelled your contract." Hakon smirked. "He found a different suitor." He got off the Jorgenson.

"Wh-what?" Snotlout slowly got off the floor, holding his dripping with blood nose.

"Yeah, that's right. Run to daddy and find out." He said, catching his breath. Snotlout didn't make a move. "GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!" Snotlout ran as fast as his feet could manage.

"Thank you." Astrid slumped onto a chair. "Hakon, I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Blondie, this is the second time I saved your life. When are you going to repay me?" Hakon smiled. He hadn't used her childhood nickname in years, and boy did it feel good to say it.

"You're a Chief. I'll have a lot of chances."

"True."

"So, what did my father plan about the wedding? You said, he cancelled the contract?"

"Not exactly. He altered it… a lot. You're still getting married."

"To whom?" Her voice sounded dangerous.

"Make a promise that you won't kill me."

"I don't make promises I can't keep."

"Um… uh… me."

There was uncomfortable silence. A horrid silence. Neither yes nor no. Neither good nor bad. It was something in the middle and it was awful.

"I guess, that's better than Snotlout." She said, faintly, after recovering from her shock.

"Please, understand. It was either me or Snotlout. You can choose you know, I could take away my offer—"

"NO! I-I mean… no, please don't."

"I'm just trying to protect my best friend's family."

"I know you are. And I am thankful." She put a hand on his shoulder and embraced him, tightly.

-000-

"Hey, Driftwood, come over here and help!" The trader yelled carrying an especially large basket to the top deck.

"Coming, boss." The auburn haired man got out of his hammock bed and went up to his master, picking up the basket at the other end. "What do you carry in here? Bricks?"

"Quit whining lad. You wanna be my assistant or not?"

"Does it look like I have a choice?"

"That will depend on when you get your memories back."

"In other words 'no'."

The trader was good man at heart, but he was a stubborn and strict master. Driftwood admired him, he took him in after he found him, and didn't spare pleasantries.