Star-Crossed: The Tragedy of Hiccup and Astrid – A Fragment

A/N: Some time ago, I had planned a HTTYD retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, but almost immediately I ran into problems. It just wasn't possible to force these characters into the roles I wanted them to play. I wound up writing an outline and only finishing three scenes. And since it's Valentine's Day and I feel guilty for not posting anything for a while, I decided to show you this little piece of what the story might have looked like had I followed through with it. It's cheesy and maybe a little silly, but I still like it. I may attempt a full-length retelling someday: I do have another outline that's a looser reworking of the original and I think it would work much better. We'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, here is the famous balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet with our favorite couple. Enjoy!

Two households, both alike in dignity,
On the Isle of Berk, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents' strife…

Hiccup caught his breath, for one of the windows on the upper floor of the house suddenly spilled light into the darkness. He ducked down behind some shrubs, his heart in his throat as he watched the window, holding his breath.

This light is the east, and Astrid is the sun, he thought, and he smiled to himself. Oh rise, beautiful sun, and kill the envious moon, who is sick and pale with grief that you are fairer than she…

He inhaled sharply, for a figure had appeared in the window. He recognized her at once.

It's Astrid! he thought, a thrill of delight running through him at the sight of her. It is my love! Oh, if only she knew she was… He sighed quietly and watched her, enraptured. Astrid was leaning on the windowsill, gazing up at the stars glittering in the night sky. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with reflected starlight, and for a moment Hiccup wondered if her eyes were indeed stars all their own. Surely they could be no more beautiful if they were. He considered speaking and announcing himself, but decided against it, at least for now. It wouldn't be prudent for her to know of his presence. Instead he continued to watch her, noticing how she leaned her head on her palm. He wished rather irrationally that he was a glove on her hand so that he might be able to touch her cheek.

Then Astrid sighed and murmured, "Oh my…"

Hiccup's heart gave a bound. Speak again! he silently begged her. Oh please say something else!

As if she'd heard his thoughts, she spoke, addressing the stars above. "Oh Hiccup, Hiccup…why do you have to be Hiccup? Deny your father and refuse your name. Or, if you will not, then just swear you love me and I'll no longer be a Hofferson."

Hiccup rather thought his heart would explode with joy. He wondered again if he ought to speak but settled for continuing to listen, for Astrid was still talking.

"It's only your name that is my enemy," she mused. "You'd still be yourself even if you weren't a Haddock. What's a Haddock, anyway, apart from a fish? What is it in relation to Hiccup himself? It is not a hand, a foot, an arm, a face, or any other part belonging to a man. Oh be some other name!" She frowned in thought and went on, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose would smell as sweet no matter what we called it. And Hiccup too would still be just as perfect even if he weren't known by his name. Oh Hiccup…" She hugged herself, smiling with delight. "…cast off your name, and in exchange for that name which has nothing to do with you, take all of myself."

Hiccup could remain silent no longer. He jumped up from the shrub and called, "I take you at your word. Just call me your love, and I'll take up a new name!"

Astrid gave a little shriek of surprise. "Who are you?! And what are you doing here, listening to my private thoughts in the dead of night?!"

Oops, Hiccup thought. He said, "I don't know how to tell you who I am, for my name is an enemy to you. Because of this, I hate it. If I had it written down, I would tear the paper to pieces."

Astrid squinted into the darkness, and her face suddenly brightened. "My ears have not yet heard a hundred words spoken by that voice, but I know its sound. Aren't you Hiccup? And a Haddock?"

"Neither," Hiccup replied, "if you dislike them."

"What are you doing here?" Astrid demanded, leaning on the windowsill, her voice filled with urgency. "If any of my family finds you here, they'll kill you!"

"One angry look from you would be far worse than twenty of their swords," Hiccup declared. "But as long as you smile and speak sweetly, then I am invincible to their hatred."

"I'd give anything to prevent them from finding you here!" Astrid said worriedly.

"I have the darkness of night to protect me from their eyes," Hiccup pointed out, spreading his arms to indicate just how dark the night was. "And if you don't love me, then let them find me here. I would rather die by their hands than have to live without your love."

Astrid stared at him for a moment or two. Then she asked quietly, "Do you love me?" And before Hiccup could reply she went on, "I know you'll say 'yes,' and I'll take your word. But you might be playing me false. Many girls before me have been led astray by rogues swearing false words of love. Oh Hiccup, if you truly love me, pronounce it faithfully. Or…" She leaned forward again. "…if you think I'm being too forward, then I'll play hard-to-get as long as that will make you try to win my heart, but otherwise I wouldn't act that way for all the world. In all honesty, Hiccup, I like you too much, and for that reason I'm afraid you might think my behavior as unbecoming or loose. But please believe me, I'll prove myself more faithful than any other girl in the whole Archipelago." She smiled shyly and a faint pink blush touched her cheek. "I must admit, I ought to have been a little less open about my thoughts, but I didn't know you were there, listening to my words of love. So please forgive me, and don't assume that just because you won my heart so easily that my love is not serious."

"Oh Astrid," Hiccup said, throwing his hands skyward, "I swear by the moon above that—"

"Oh don't swear by the moon!" Astrid interrupted imploringly. "The inconstant moon! It's always changing its shape, and if you swear by it then I must think your love is likewise changeable."

"What should I swear by then?" Hiccup asked with a little laugh.

Astrid smiled. "Do not swear at all. But if you must, then just swear by your own good self, and I'll believe you."

"Oh my dearest love—"

"No, do not swear," Astrid insisted, shaking her head and straightening. "While I delight in your company, I take no delight in this exchange of promise tonight. It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden…too like the lightning which ceases to be before you even realize you've seen it." She nodded to herself. "My sweet, good night. Perhaps this seed of love between us will blossom into something even more beautiful by the next time we meet." She turned away from the window.

Hiccup felt his heart miss a beat. "Wait!" he cried. "Don't go yet!"

Astrid paused and looked over her shoulder. "What more can possibly be said tonight?"

"Just tell me that you love me," Hiccup begged her. "Swear to me that I'm the only man you love, Astrid, and I'll be satisfied."

Astrid smiled. "I pledged my love to you before you requested it," she said. "Yet I wish I could take those words back."

Hiccup's smile slipped a notch. "Why would you do that?"

"So that I may turn around and give them to you again," Astrid replied. "But I'm wishing for something I already have. My bounty is as boundless as the sea, and my love is as deep. The more I give to you, the more I have, for both are infinite."

Beaming, Hiccup opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment another voice spoke from inside the house. Astrid whipped her head around and called, "Just a moment, Mama!" Glancing again at Hiccup she whispered, "Dear Hiccup, wait here for just a second. I'll be right back."

Hiccup nodded, and Astrid ran away from the window. He sighed happily and rejoiced. "I'm almost afraid that this is all a wonderful dream," he murmured to himself, "too sweet to be real…"

Astrid reappeared at the window and looked down at him intently. "Just a few more words, Hiccup, and I'll say good-night. If your intentions are truly honorable and you wish to marry me, then send me word tomorrow by a messenger that I'll procure for you. Tell them when and where we are to meet, and I will be there to swear my everlasting devotion to you, and I will follow you wherever you may go, even to the end of the world."

From inside the house Helga Hofferson called, "Astrid?"

"I'll be right there!" Astrid called over her shoulder, and then she continued to Hiccup, must faster, "But if your intentions be anything less than honorable—"

"Astrid?!"

"I'm coming!" Astrid cried. "If your intentions are not honorable, then I beg you to stop pursuing me and leave me to my grief. Tomorrow I will send a messenger to you."

"My soul depends on it," Hiccup replied, reaching up with his hand.

Astrid reached down toward him, smiling even though his hands were still too far away to touch. "A thousand times good night."

She turned and disappeared into the house. Hiccup sighed and leaned against the wall. "Love goes toward love as schoolboys leave their texts, but love from love as schoolboys back to their studies again," he murmured.

A shadow spilled across the ground, and he looked up to see Astrid once again framed in the window. His heart gave a jolt. "Hiccup!" she called, not immediately seeing him in the shadows of the house. He stepped into the open, and she smiled again upon seeing him. "What time tomorrow should I send the messenger?"

"By nine o'clock," Hiccup replied. "I'll be at Gobber's by then."

Astrid nodded. "I won't fail. Oh it's twenty years till then." She opened her mouth, paused, and then laughed. "There was something else I meant to say, but I've forgotten it."

Hiccup chuckled. "So I'll stand here until you remember."

Astrid shook her head. "But I'll continue to forget so that you would stay forever, and remember only how much I love your company."

"And I will continue to stand here, even if you never remember," Hiccup replied with a wild grin. "I would forget I have any other home than this place."

Astrid sighed longingly and looked to the horizon. The sky was starting to turn gray with the coming dawn. "It's nearly morning," she said. "Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow that I'll say good night until tonight becomes tomorrow."

And with that she disappeared into the house again. This time the candlelight within went out, and she did not reappear.

Hiccup, feeling as though his soul was lighter than air, turned and hurried away toward the village. He knew what he had to do. He had to speak to Gobber, to see if he would marry them.

Married. He wanted to leap and whoop with joy. Within twelve hours he would be married to Astrid Hofferson, the most wonderful woman in the entire Archipelago. With her by his side, what could possibly stand in the way of his happiness?

A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! If you enjoyed this fragment then please go check out my full-length story Romeo and Juliet: A Tale of Two Horses, which I just finished today. I'm still hard at work on other stories so hopefully you'll be hearing from me again fairly soon. Until then, hope you enjoyed this little piece, and I look forward to hearing from you!