Astrid strode across the island, her arms clutching each other in front of her. She looked back, feeling eyes watching her from behind, but saw no one.

She walked with an increasing sense of urgency. She had to get out of there.

He had lied to her.

Letting out a noise that was some cross between a growl and a moan, she passed through the village with her head down. A squall of tension stormed inside of her as she followed the stone road a ways, before it veered off to the left. Astrid kept walking straight, though, her feet swishing against the grass.

Suddenly she stopped; her path led to the cliffs above the docks, and another step would send her plummeting into the ocean. For a moment she looked up, and stared beyond the docks, past the ships that floated in and out of the harbor, and to the horizon. The wind came running up the sheer rock, and Astrid could feel the gust brushing against her face as she looked to the union of sea and sky.

Astrid remembered this view from years ago, long before Hiccup left for and returned from the dragons' nest. The very scope of it left her with a strange sense of scale, and made her feel small. Now, seeing it again, she began to feel calm.

Five years later, this view had not changed in the slightest.

Astrid sat on the ground, crossing her legs. She leaned her elbow on one of her boots, resting her head in her hand. Her mind stopped spinning, and she took a slow, deep breath.

Everything is going to be alright.

Now that she had restored some semblance of order in her mind, Astrid began going through her situation bit by bit.

First of all, Hiccup had kept a secret from her for over five years, and a very serious one at that. He hadn't trusted her to know about something so important, he hadn't trusted her to not mock him over it, and he was planning to marry her without telling her about it. She wondered to herself if he had ever even intended to tell her, or if he had simply decided to keep up the charade indefinitely.

Aside from the personal offense, however, Astrid also mulled over another question that troubled her: if he lied about his leg...what else had he lied about? This set her stomach to churning again. Hiccup had been declining for a long time, and from what she did see of him, she knew that he wasn't the same as he had been - his power had gone to his head. But now she wondered if there was even more to him, and if he had done anything behind her back. Anything worse.

Her imagination, ever active, presented a list of things Hiccup might have done, and she groaned.

"Oh, gods…"

The flood of imagery sickened her, and she turned towards the dragon stables. Even from this distance she could see the reptiles flying in and out.

She could do it.

She could stop him any time, Astrid realized that. All she had to do was rally the dragons, tell them to not follow Hiccup. He would surely try to fight back, with whatever dragons he could manage to keep under his control, but she was confident she could take him down.

Yet she didn't want to.

She crouched on her toes like she wanted to get up, but she only stayed crouching. Just as she resolved to push forward, she remembered Hiccup when he had been kind and gentle. Even a few months ago, he hadn't been a cruel leader - strict, yes, but reasonable.

Astrid wanted one of those Hiccup's back, and at this point she didn't care which. She could still save him. At least, she hoped she could.

She sat on the cliff's edge for a long time, her head in her hand, the sun warm in her hair. The breeze washed over her skin…

"Astrid?"

She jerked awake, her head jumping from her hand. Her wrist hurt terribly now, and she blinked herself back to consciousness. "Huh, yeah?"

"I've been looking for you." Hiccup came up from behind and sat on her right, but didn't look at her. Instead he stared across the sea, some troubled look in his eyes. "I was worried when you didn't come back."

Astrid turned away and hugged herself. A chill ran through her.

"Astrid…" He looked down and sighed. "I know you're upset. And you have every right to be upset with me." Now he watched her. "What I did was wrong, and I want to make up to you. I want to make things right." From the corner of her eye, Astrid saw him reaching his hand over to stroke her cheek. "How can I make things right?"

She felt his hand try to softly turn her head, and she relented. Now she stared into his eyes.

"What can I do to make things right?"

Her mouth hung open as she took a slow breath, trying to figure out what to say. "You've changed," she finally got out. "Hiccup, you've changed so much, and...I don't like it."

He nodded. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I think about it myself, and if I'm doing the right thing." His thumb rubbed circles on her cheek as he spoke softly. "But Astrid, I can't help it. I'm a leader now, I have to change how I act. I have to be stronger now."

She shook her head. "But not like this...gods, not like this Hiccup. You're not being strong, you're being cruel. You can't do all of this...I can't live like this...please…"

Hiccup looked down, and his thumb paused. Astrid held her breath until he raised his eyes again.

"I'm sorry, Astrid. I really, really am. If it means anything to you, I promise," his expression was sincere, "that I will do my best to change." He brushed some of her bangs out of the way. "Astrid, I love you. Please, let me know what I can do for you."

She said nothing for a while. This could be it, she thought to herself. He might really mean it. All at once, though, Astrid felt an enormous tiredness hit her - she hadn't slept the whole night before, and had only had a short nap before Hiccup had found her. She slipped her hand behind his neck.

"Do you promise to change?"

"I do. I really do."

Astrid brought him forward and slowly pressed her lips against his, and he returned the favor. She held him there for a long time, running her fingers through his hair, and a spark kindled inside of her. Finally they broke.

"What you can do for me," she whispered to him, "is be my pillow for a few hours."

She leaned her head against his chest, and she could hear his heartbeat. The warmth of the leather soothed her, as well as his hand running up and down her arm.

"Astrid," he said. "I was wondering...I found an old Germanic poem and translated it. I wanted to sing it to you for our wedding...but would you like to hear it now?"

"You know...I think I would."

Hiccup leaned close and softly sung the words, and she just caught the last of them before falling asleep:

Sweet blood red roses,

their scent fills the air

Listen, they whisper,

"You're all I love, and all that I see"

So when the roses

caress you so softly

Think of who loves you;

my dear, remember me!

It was sunset when Astrid finally woke up. Yawning, she sat up, taking her head off of Hiccup, who was lying down.

"Did you have a nice nap?" Hiccup grinned as he stood up.

"Mm-hmm," Astrid got up and stretched.

"Here, come on." He put his arm around Astrid, and they went together back towards home. "You know, when I came looking for you, I ran into Fishlegs and Hans. They had finished up, so I sent Hans back to the house. I think he should be making dinner soon."

"Yeah, yeah…" It took a moment for the realization to hit Astrid. "Wait, you called him by his actual name!"

"See, change!" He gave a warm smile, and Astrid began to feel her heart lifted. Maybe he really meant it…

They walked together all the way back, night falling before they got home, and when Hiccup opened the door Astrid smelled fish frying in the pan.

"My lord, my lady!" Hans gave a bow. "Dinner's almost ready, and Gerda's arrived." The quiet woman sat in one of the seats, still trembling as always. "Please, sit down at the table."

Astrid sat across from Hiccup, who every now and then cast a glance at the two preparing the food. The smell tempted her so…

"Oh, I just realized," she said to him, "I haven't eaten yet today! I'm starving..."

"That makes two of us." He cast another glance over. "Icelandic cod, that'll be nice."

Suddenly Astrid felt an absence. "Hold on a moment, where's Toothless?"

"Oh, I left him at the dragon stables. I think, after last night and this morning, we all need a break." Hiccup bit his lip. "I hope you're okay with that?"

"Gods, more than you know, I've needed a break."

He chuckled. "Well, there we go then."

"My lord, my lady!" Hans came over now with two plates, and set one in front of each of them. "I hope you enjoy your meal."

"Gerda, please?"

At Hiccup's gesture, Gerda took her fork. Astrid watched as she speared a small chunk of fish from her plate and swallowed it. Interesting, she realized, how the fish was cut tonight…

Now Gerda came over to Hiccup's plate, speared a chunk, and swallowed.

"Thank you," Astrid nodded and smiled to Gerda, who turned to go.

"Wait."

Gerda froze at Hiccup's command. Astrid looked around at him. "Hiccup, what are you doing?"

"I just want to make sure, can't be too careful. Gerda, give it another taste."

She paused for a moment, but nodded and bent to take another chunk.

"No no no…" He waved her off, and turned the plate around. "A taste from this side, with the strips."

Astrid didn't know why he was making a big deal out of this, but grew more worried when Gerda and Hans began making a big deal out of it. Gerda glanced from Hiccup to Hans to Astrid to the food.

"Take a taste," Hiccup repeated, "from right here." He pointed at the fish, and looked up with a vindictive glint in his eyes - and an expression that he knew something. "Now."

Gerda suddenly plunged her fork into the fish, and took a large bite. Then another. Then another. Then another. Astrid watched as Hans covered his mouth, like in shock. Hiccup suddenly leapt from his chair and seized Gerda by the collar of her tunic.

"Who told you to do this!?"

Astrid still had no idea what was going on. She got a major clue, though, when Gerda began moving like she would vomit. Her head bobbed madly, and she didn't look Hiccup in the eyes as froth began dripping from her mouth.

"Oh my gods!"

Now Astrid was on her feet, covering her mouth. Gerda began convulsing, still in Hiccup's grasp. She gave a sputtering, choking sound as the froth continued to pour out. Then she slowed, and stilled. Hiccup dropped her lifeless body to the floor.

"What…" Astrid couldn't take this anymore. "What just happened?!"

"Someone just tried to murder us," Hiccup growled.

He cast a glare at Hans, who stared back paralyzed.

"Astrid, hide upstairs!"

Hiccup seized a cup from the table and hurled it at the thrall, who ducked out of the way. The last Astrid saw of him, he was stumbling out the door, while she was climbing the chairs and Hiccup was grabbing a bucket of water to douse the fireplace.