Hiccup let out a groan as the man took the tools away, allowing Hiccup a small reprieve from the pain. A line of soldiers stood at the far end of the wall—and Drago himself sat in a chair a safe distance from Hiccup, but close enough to admire the intimate handiwork of the interrogator.

"I told you already," Hiccup muttered, panting slightly as he tried to catch his breath. "I don't know…who poisoned Astrid. But it wasn't me."

He gritted his teeth as something hard and sharp was pressed into the crease of his arm.

"You must understand why that might be hard for us to imagine," Drago said, calmly. It was eerie how calm he was—how easily he watched Hiccup be tortured, without even a hint of guilt or horror on his features.

"Why?" Hiccup asked, glaring at him with pure hatred. "Because I'm a Wilderwestener?"

Drago gave a small laugh. "That," he admitted. "And because you spent more time with the Sun than anyone. You are, after all, her lover."

"Which is exactly why I wouldn't kill her," Hiccup said, spitting out a bit of blood onto the floor. "If she dies, the protection I, my father, and my people have would be gone. You think I would risk all that just for petty revenge? I need her. Berk needs her to survive. If anything I'm willing to protect her."

Drago nodded slowly, a knowing smile on his face.

"Do you have feelings for the Sun?" Drago finally asked after what seemed a moment of reflection. "When you were brought in here you were most eager to hear news of her condition."

"She is—was—pregnant with my child," Hiccup said. "But yes, I…I care for her. How could I not? After all the time we spent together?"

Drago gazed at him shrewdly, before turning to look at the interrogator. He gave a short wave of his hand, and the interrogator walked over to the table that held his tools. "What are you planning on doing now?" Hiccup asked, unable to keep the worried tone out of his voice.

"It seems we need to make things a bit more intense to get the truth out of you," Drago said. "You understand, of course, that in these dire times, we can tolerate no treason—no danger to our Yorvani way of life." Drago leaned forward menacingly. "We can afford no threat to our people—and you, Hiccup, are a threat."

"How exactly am I a threat?" Hiccup asked, his lip curling with loathing.

Drago's eyes shone with something grotesquely similar to excitement for what was about to come. "What for?" he asked. "You are too close to the Sun. You are too engrossed in our culture. You know too much—have too much freedom. You are a threat, Hiccup, because you have no bounds." He leaned back in his seat again. "A defeated enemy should only ever be a slave—give a slave freedom, and he will kill his old master one day."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes, as Drago gave him a sneer. "I cannot let you give the Wilderwestener's hope," he said. "Hope destroys empires."

At a rattling sound, Hiccup tore his eyes away from Drago, looking back at the interrogator. The interrogator was now holding a strange device—clearly something that not only caused pain, but also death. "But I'm innocent!" Hiccup said, turning to look at Drago with fury. "You can't kill me until I have been convicted!"

"Ah," Drago said, "Except that I am a member of the High Council, and if I say that an exception must be made for the safety of all Yorvani, but especially our beloved Sun, then an exception must be made."

Hiccup's eyes widened with fear, as the interrogator walked towards him. The the interrogator began to line up the device with Hiccup's head. "And now," Drago said, "I hope you will not hold it against me, Hiccup. I do hope you will be able to rest in peace in the next world."

Hiccup's breathing came in short gasps as he began to panic, and just as strange, twisted metal sticks began to wind themselves towards his eyes, the doors swung open.

Drago stood up suddenly, and Hiccup tried to look over, but his head was being held stiffly in place.

"What is the meaning of this?" Drago demanded.

"By orders of the Sun," a woman's voice rang clearly in the hall. Heather. It was Heather. "You are to release the Prince of Berk to her custody."

"She is awake?" Drago asked, frowning, before he looked at Hiccup. Finally, he looked back at Heather. "Very well—tell the Sun I am relieved she is in recover."

"I am sure you are," Heather said somewhat forcibly. Hiccup heard footsteps, before Heather appeared before him. "Hiccup…" she murmured, her eyes wide and searching his face. "You!" she barked at the interrogator, standing up quickly, "Get him out of this."

Hiccup stood up once he was free, and promptly fell, thankful that Heather was there to catch him. "Thanks," he said, his voice hoarse.

"Let's get you out of here," Heather said, putting his arm around her shoulders and aiding him out of the room. A battalion of guards were with her, escorting them out of the prison.

"What about Rafan?" Hiccup asked.

"That'll be trickier," Heather whispered, a worried look on her face. "But worry about yourself for now."

"Astrid—how is she? Is she alright? In pain? What do the healer's say about—" Hiccup didn't manage to get anymore words out before he succumbed to a coughing fit.

"Just worry about yourself first," Heather said.

Heather brought him to the royal healers, where he was patched up. Luckily there was little damage—pain, yes, but not much that would need too much care. He flexed his arm, before wincing. He was covered in bruises—but thankfully those would heal relatively quickly. A few scratches and cuts. But nothing too serious.

But Astrid…her injuries were serious. And internal. He felt an aching of anxiety in his gut. Again, he felt the probing sensation fo Toothless' mind trying to reach him.

I'm alright now, Bud, he spoke within their connection. Don't worry about me.

Hiccup turned to look at Heather. "When can I see Astrid?" he asked, for what seemed to be the tenth time in the last two hours.

Heather sighed. "She's not quite in the condition to have guests visit, Hiccup," she said, examining her halberd. She looked up to meet Hiccup's gaze. "She's in a pretty dire state. After all, she almost…" Heather's voice shook slightly, and she quickly looked away.

Hiccup frowned, before sitting down, massaging his arm again. He was thankful that Drago did not inflict (or was unable to inflict) any more harm to him. But he would take any amount of pain and torture and harm if it meant that Astrid would be alright—if she would get out of this and be back to her old self soon.

"I'm not a guest," he finally said, vehemently. "I'm her—"

"—her what, Hiccup?" Heather interrupted. "Legally, you have no right for a say in this matter."

"So you're just going to—to keep me here? Here in my rooms, just a short ways away from her?" he demanded. He had half a mind to call on Toothless and storm Astrid's apartments right then and there—but that would cause issues, and…forcing himself in would probably would be seen as a legitimate threat to Astrid by the Yorvani.

"I love her, Heather," he said, expressing his words with emphasis. "You can't keep me from her forever—I know she'd want to see me."

He turned on his heels and began to walk towards the doors, but the guards blocked his way with their spears.

"She's sleeping, Hiccup," Heather said, sounding exasperated. "She's resting—she had to get up to plead for your case to get you freed. That took a toll on her body and health."

He turned to look at Heather. "So what you're saying is," he said, slowly, "She hurt herself to save me?"

"Pretty much," Heather said, giving Hiccup a look that made Hiccup think Heather was questioning the worthiness of that sacrifice. "Look, Hiccup, I know that you are eager to see her—but you've got to think about what's best for—"

"Hiccup!" a voice said from behind the guards, and Hiccup turned to see Camicazi run towards him.

The guards lifted their spears out of the way and Camicazi jumped into Hiccup's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Oh!" she exclaimed, "I was so worried something had happened to you! I thought for sure you'd be…"

"And where have you been?" Hiccup asked, as Camicazi let go of him. "You are okay as well?"

"I am," Camicazi said. "I've been with the Sun, and—"

"I'm sorry," Hiccup interrupted, "But she got to see Astrid before I did? How the hel is that—"

Heather opened her mouth to rebuff him, but Camicazi grabbed Hiccup by the arm. "That's what I'm here to tell you, Hiccup. Astrid is awake—kind of—and she was asking for you. She wants to see you."

Hiccup looked quickly back at Camicazi. "She does?" he asked, feeling his heart skip a beat "Now?"

Camicazi nodded.

Hiccup didn't wait for Heather or Camicazi to give any verbal permission. He swept by Camicazi and out the doors, and this time the guards made no effort to stop him. He came to a thundering stop before Astrid's doors.

"I heard she wanted to see me," he said, panting heavily, looking at the guards stationed there. The guards glanced at each other, before nodding, opening the doors. Hiccup heaved a breath, before stepping inside.

The Sun's quarters looked as if no expense was too great. But Hiccup did not have time to admirer the interior decorations, and instead came to a sharp stop. A sheer curtain blocked him and the room that Astrid clearly slept in. With almost shaking hands, he opened the curtain, and walked through to her bedroom. His eyes could only see her, asleep on her bed, looking ashen and pale. He tried to steady his breathing, but the sight of her like this cause him to feel even more panic—as if he could break down any moment.

He stood there for a moment, before stepping forward and sitting on the edge of her—very grand and large—bed. He reached out and brushed some hair away from her damp forehead.

He heard footsteps, and looked up in surprise to see that not only were there guards present, but Gana as well. Not having truly seen the woman since they arrived in Cartan, Hiccup was struck by how much she physically resembled Jatha, who Hiccup suddenly remembered was her daughter.

"She was begging for you to come for hours now, but the Healers did not want to risk an outsider seeing her until they knew it was safe," Gana continued, turning her hard gaze from Hiccup to Astrid. But when her eyes rested upon Astrid, they softened into to love and fear. Gana's lips trembled slightly as she spoke, "But she is strong. And she will survive. She will—" Gana's words died on her lips, perhaps to prevent herself from showing so much emotion in front of Hiccup. Gana paused, before turning and leaving the room, the guards following her.

Hiccup nodded silently, to no one in particular, before looking back at Astrid. Astrid was asleep—though calling this state 'sleep' was a far cry from the truth; Like his, Astrid looked more like she was barely out of death's clutches. "Astrid…" he whispered, and she stirred.

Her eyes opened slightly, and she licked her dry lips, before weakly and painfully reaching out for his hand. He took her hand quickly but as gently as he could.

"Hiccup?" she murmured. Her eyelids looked swollen and heavy, and she seemed to have a hard time keeping them open.

"I'm here," he whispered. "Don't worry, nothing is going to happen to you now."

A soft smile played across her weary lips at the irony of his words. They both knew he could not protect her—even though he desperately wished he could. He had neither the power nor the agency to do so.

She tried to open her eyes again, but failed. Hiccup slipped off his shoes, and slipped under the covers, gently holding her close to him. He tucked her head under his chin, and held her as if this was his last chance to do so. And in a way, he thought, it could be.

He would find out who tried to kill her, and to scare her supporters. He would find out if it was Drago, and if so, he would not rest until justice was paid.


TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading! See you soon!