Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognise from either fandom. Most importantly, this fic is a translation of the fascinating Almas cruzadas by Sandy97 and is uploaded here with her permission; any edits to the material are only what is required to make the translation flow appropriately.
Feedback: Always appreciated.
Crossed Souls
Chapter 7: The Sun after the Dome II
Hiccup, moved by the queen's enthusiasm, followed her around the castle again.
Faced with the impossibility of taking the dragons with her, the queen asked the boy for patience with the promise that they would not be locked in those dungeons for much longer. In fact, and as a sign that she intended to fulfill her promise, she didn't even lift the bars of ice again, leaving those beasts to move freely through the dungeons, although the queen hoped that nobody else would go down there that night.
After they left through a fourth exit from those dungeons, Hiccup was left with further proof that the castle was a meaningless maze as far as he was concerned. What surprised him most is that they went back to the kitchens, which also seemed to be part of the heart of the whole network. To his surprise, there was no trace of the women who previously inhabited that room, which still kept the fire burning, next to which a brown cat slept, who didn't lift an ear when it saw them pass.
Hiccup was totally bewildered, as it was the first time he had seen a glimpse of happiness or joviality in the queen. Her serious face or frigid demeanor had disappeared to make way for a taciturn but energetic Elsa who could have climbed the steps two at a time, only holding back because of her injuries and because Hiccup couldn't go faster with his prosthetics.
The Viking didn't know how long they were climbing stairs, but what was certain is that they didn't stop climbing for some time. He didn't even realize how long they'd been in the dungeons talking until he could see the sun go through a window.
After several minutes of going up and passing closed doors, Hiccup noticed how the corridors began to become murkier, the stairs to tilt and the dust to increase. It seemed that no one should have used that part of the castle in years. At times Elsa stopped to get some air, carefully holding herself below the ribs and trying to act like she was fine. Hiccup would have asked her about her health if it weren't for those few moments she used to practically catch air to continue.
"We're almost there," the queen promised, breaking the lock on a door with the same technique she had used in the dungeons.
Hiccup nodded and followed her into another tower with stairs. It was hard to see in there, so they had to slow down to avoid getting a scare and falling down that twisted staircase, since there were no windows and hardly any rays of light entered through the bricks.
The Viking felt happy when he noticed how Elsa stopped, denoting the end of this climb and especially of that frenetic rhythm, since the stump pain was killing him.
"It's here," Elsa said at the bottom of the stairs, practically brushing her head against the low ceiling, in front of an even smaller door.
The door was carved wood where Arendelle's seal could clearly be distinguished. Unlike the doors that Elsa had been opening without any care in her path, this time the girl dedicated herself to caressing the gap in the door with her fingers, where there should be a key. As Hiccup watched, Elsa illuminated her hand with her magic to create a small key out of nothing in the palm of her hand. The Viking couldn't help but gawk at the queen's satisfied face illuminated by her own magic, especially when the key fitted perfectly.
Elsa pushed the door gently after opening the bolt, but was unsuccessful, verifying that the wood had swollen due to humidity. She pushed with both hands, but got the same result.
"Wait, I can help you," Hiccup offered, brushing a cobweb over his head and pushing both hands against the door with all his might, only to be met with an equal lack of success.
"I thought I had married a Viking," Elsa said, as she tried to open it again after the boy's failure.
Hiccup was surprised that the queen was beginning to respond to him for the first time, and even with hurt pride, he smiled to himself.
"I don't need to remind you that you didn't marry me because of my muscles, Your Highness," he bellowed sarcastically, standing next to her to push at the same time. "On three?"
The queen got ready and they both started to give the door a little push until it started to give way. A beautiful tan light, orange, like sunset, began to appear through the crack.
"A little more…" Elsa asked, trying to cheer them both up.
The door creaked and opened a little more, but it also got stuck. Elsa wiped the sweat from her forehead in embarrassment and motioned for Hiccup to stop pushing.
"It's jammed," she said, still weary. "Do you think you can pass?"
"Let's try it; has to be some benefit to me not looking like my father," Hiccup replied, with that strange humor the queen was getting used to.
Carefully the boy passed through the slit in the door, holding the air a little. However, he had no problem. It was not the first time that he had entered narrow places. In fact, in the past year he had been exploring some caves with Astrid in search of certain dragon species and rare materials. At first they had just peered inside a few caves, but over time they had gone deeper and deeper into them, exploring every nook and cranny on the trail of some hidden treasure or dragon egg, which were often hidden by their mothers in the coolest and narrowest areas.
Of course, that wasn't the only thing they were going to do there, only Hiccup avoided thinking those things in public.
Seeing him disappear through the narrow door, Elsa ventured to follow him. She was able to pass with less difficulty and gasped once outside.
They had climbed to literally the highest peak in the entire castle, now standing in the highest part of the central tower, accompanied by a small balcony where some swallows had nested long ago. The space was not very large, since that site was designed more than anything to go out to repair the roof if necessary or to be able to defend the castle from above in case of war.
That same tower had been closed since before Elsa's parents died, since, according to what she heard, the housekeeper's son had fallen down those stairs playing with other children when a step broke. Her father thought it was dangerous to have such an accessible place in the castle and to avoid more scares he simply closed it as a precaution.
Since then Elsa had not gone up there, but the views of Arendelle made her instantly regret not having done so before. From up there it was possible to see the great width of the forest at the foot of Arendelle, just as you could see the great river crossing the mountains of the fjord. Her father even told her once that from up there, on really clear summer days, the continent could be seen in the distance. You could also see the whole town, clouded by the mist of the dome, which filtered the last rays of the sun, still orange, that began to die in the sea.
"It's incredible…" Hiccup whispered, absorbed in the vastness of the landscape.
Elsa gave him a discreet, pleased look. She was sure that Hiccup would like that sight, since she was beginning to see the strange sensitivity that the Viking had.
"Only something is missing," Elsa said before raising her arms.
Hiccup watched curiously as the queen closed her eyes and repeated somehow what she had done that morning in the dungeons. Arms raised, she took a deep breath and then a blue light began to emanate from the palms of his hands. Instantly the Viking directed his gaze to the dome, which also began to shine with a celestial wake. Suddenly a sharp white thread began to surround the translucent layer. Elsa seemed extremely focused. Little by little a white glow began to come out of his hands, transforming into a white ray that shot out of his hands towards the ceiling of the dome with a blinding light. Hiccup had to squint, shifting them towards the dome and noticing how the temperature had suddenly dropped. In just an instant, the entire dome changed, as if it materialized from a magical flash to a much more opaque material, like glass or polished ice. It solidified from top to bottom, creaking and groaning, and then, with a sigh, it broke into a thousand pieces.
All the pieces of the dome began to fall gently on the castle of Arendelle, rocked by the wind. They were so small, it really was like snowing. Tiny chunks of snow blowing in the wind, melting before reaching the loose by the last rays of the sun. It was a beautiful and magical image.
Some inhabitants of Arendelle went outside alerted by the white flash, encountering the beautiful image of the snowy interior garden. Some looked at the sky with a certain fear, and others marveled at the feeling of freedom.
Anna was not long in leaving too, unable to believe that Elsa had given in. She hugged Kristoff tightly and without wasting much time she left decided to look for Colonel Roston, whom she was going to alert about the new security measures. And this time he would listen to her.
Above, at the top of the castle, Hiccup had Elsa by the waist, since after coming out of her trance she had collapsed on her feet.
"Excuse me," Elsa said in embarrassment, putting a hand on the Viking's chest and regaining stability.
"You're good?" Hiccup asked anxiously, since it seemed that feat had worn her down.
However, the queen, still clutching the Viking's shoulder, saw how the magic flowed again in her free hand.
"Better than ever," Elsa replied, noticing that her powers had returned to her despite the recent effort. "Sorry again."
It was then that she separated from him, embarrassed.
"Nothing happened," Hiccup shrugged her off, staring at the horizon, now without a dome. "Wow…"
Elsa watched him, surprised to find herself taking note of how his hair turned copper with the last rays of the sun and was ruffled by the air.
"You feel it?" the queen asked, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
The Viking knew perfectly well what she was referring to.
"You know," she began to relate as the wind messed up her blonde braid, "what I liked most about going out to the balcony of my room when I had a problem was that I felt the breeze on my face. It's like… like I can travel in the wind, feel really free. I have always thought that it is full of wisdom, as if listening to the wind could hear the voices that it brings and carries with it."
Hiccup didn't know why, but he couldn't take his eyes off Elsa and her white hair. It was as if he had first encountered a person with his same concerns, beyond the mundane concerns he shared with the rest. It was strange to hear her and feel that somehow they already knew each other.
"Sorry," she apologized, to the boy's surprise. "I don't want to bore you with my stupid ideas…"
"Not at all," he said quickly. "I… I feel the same way."
Elsa then looked at him curiously.
"When I go back to Toothless and feel the wind on my face it's as if I no longer feel the cold, the hunger or the weather… it's as if up there I was really free and completely eternal."
Elsa smiled to herself and then looked away with a certain melancholy. She longed to feel that way one day, like when she left Arendelle the first time.
"You know… if you wanted to…" Hiccup searched for the words, not quite sure why, "you could come with me and Toothless to the enchanted forest to investigate. I think you'd love the feeling of flying, believe me, it is much more liberating than the wind on your face… Only if you want, of course."
Elsa hesitated a moment.
"I don't know…" she replied. "I don't think my sister would agree with me flying in this state…"
Hiccup had completely forgotten that Elsa was still hurt, even as he could see the marks on her skin.
"But as soon as I recover I will be delighted to do so," she hastened to reply.
"Great…" said Hiccup, with a certain shyness that had not manifested for years.
The sun kept going down, coloring the snow and the mountains of ocher and dyeing the sky an intense purple color.
"Hey," the Viking caught her attention. "So, about the trolls, is that true?"
Elsa couldn't help but smile, knowing that Hiccup still didn't believe that. Deep down they both just wanted an excuse to stay up there, as if they didn't have to face their reality.
"As true as my powers."
"And… have you ever seen them in person?" he asked curiously. "What are they like?"
Elsa remembered, trying to explain to Hiccup.
"Well… I've only seen them twice and one of them was when I was very small, but they are like beings totally integrated with nature," she tried to describe them. "They're like… like rocks."
The Viking of course showed his strangeness by frowning. Elsa snorted at the sight of him.
"Okay," she said, "you have your sketchbook with you, right?"
Hiccup nodded and took out the notebook to give it to the queen, who took a few seconds to learn how to hold the strange pencil. Carefully Elsa began to trace on a blank page.
"They're like enchanted stones," she continued, "that come to life when they want to be seen or feel that someone needs them. Their leader calls himself Grand Pabbie and is a being full of wisdom, who controls white magic. My parents apparently knew of his existence and came to visit him for the first time when Anna and I were very young."
"And why did they go looking for the trolls?" Hiccup asked curiously, without taking his eyes off Elsa's drawing.
The queen stopped drawing for a second, before resuming her sketch.
"I hurt Anna with my magic," she confessed. "The trolls were the only ones who could prevent her from dying because of it."
That information surprised Hiccup, who couldn't imagine the queen hurting her sister.
"It was an accident," Elsa continued, "but since then my parents forbade me to see her and to show my powers again."
Hiccup then remembered that something like that had been vaguely explained to him by his father.
"How old were you when that happened?"
"Seven or eight years, I think."
Hiccup was surprised that the sisters had been separated.
"And how come…?"
"My people accept my powers now?" She finished for him.
Before the insistent gaze of Hiccup and the atmosphere of confessions that they had established that day, Elsa decided to tell him the whole story. Of course some details were spared, but basically not much was left behind. She explained about her coronation and her problem in hiding her powers and how she had been angry with Anna for her sudden engagement.
"And look at me, now I've gone and married a stranger," she said wryly, smiling at the Viking.
She also told him about her flight to the mountains and her crystal palace and how she had accidentally hurt her sister again. She also told him about Hans and his plan to take over the kingdom.
"I thought you knew the dungeons too well…" Hiccup couldn't help commenting when the queen told him that Hans had locked her there.
The queen had already told him the day before that she had already known treason and he could now understand it better.
Finally, she explained that her people had accepted her as queen, despite her powers and that, although she knew deep down that they feared her more than they loved her, she felt that Arendelle could finally be a place for her.
When that story ended, Hiccup felt much closer to the queen, not only because he too had gone through collective rejection, but because he understood her cold and taciturn attitude better. After all, living away from everyone for years with the weight of guilt was something that undoubtedly made a person much more reserved and afraid to show herself.
Hiccup also looked at the drawings of Elsa, who had not stopped drawing while speaking, as if it would be easier for her to explain all this if she didn't face Hiccup's gaze and his possible judgment on her.
Those drawings were very good. Elsa had painted not only the trolls, but also the ice palace, the forest, some snowflakes, and a quick sketch of her sister.
"Gee… they are very good" Hiccup said, taking the notebook.
"Do you think so? Elsa asked uncertainly, retrieving the notebook, embarrassed. "As girls Anna and I drew a lot together."
The sun had completely hidden on the horizon, still leaving a purple trail next to the last lights of the day.
"You also sketch very well," she said then, turning some pages of the notebook, where Hiccup had other drawings. "May l?" she asked, in a queenly manner.
"Sure."
Elsa began to browse in Hiccup's notebook, full of drawings of dragons and fantasy landscapes.
"Are these real?" she asked, pointing to waterfalls.
Hiccup nodded, causing Elsa to smile.
The Viking also had invention sketches, quick notes, house drawings, edible plants, and nonsensical doodles. Elsa had to admit that Hiccup had a lot of talent to capture reality and a lot of ingenuity with his inventions. It was then that she found a drawing of a smiling woman, who gathered her hair behind her ear. Elsa didn't avoid scrutinizing her beautiful face and the natural happiness captured in the portrait. The next page also had the girl portrayed, this time with a more thoughtful look, sitting on a rock while sharpening the tip of an ax. The next drawing showed her again, this time smiling, with her hair down and her shoulders bare.
"She's gorgeous," whispered the queen.
When Hiccup realized that Elsa had found those drawings, her cheeks lit up.
"Gods," he cursed in Viking, having forgotten that he had those drawings there.
"Is this…?" the queen asked.
Hiccup snorted, dead with embarrassment.
"Yes, it's Astrid," he confirmed, biting his lip, embarrassed.
"She is very beautiful," said the queen, who could not take her eyes off that portrait.
"Yes, yes it is…"
"What did you call her?"
Hiccup didn't understand what he was referring to.
"Mmm… Astrid?"
"No, the other night," the queen specified, "when you told me about her, you said that she looked like…"
"A Valkyrie," Hiccup recalled.
"That!" Elsa confirmed. "A valkyrie. Are they like angels?"
Hiccup didn't understand the comparison very well, since he hardly knew anything about God or the mythology that Christians believed in.
"They are something like…" he tried to explain. "They're warriors of Odin, one of our gods, who fight under the orders of the Goddess Freyja, the Goddess of love, war and beauty. The Valkyries are extraordinary warriors who fight worldly battles and decide who dies and who will be taken to Valhalla. Legend has it that they are astonishingly beautiful and strong, hence the comparison."
Elsa was not expecting that answer, since she also didn't know much about the culture of the Vikings and was surprised that the boy compares his girlfriend to something like a goddess of death.
"Does she look like your angels?" Hiccup asked curiously, pronouncing the word 'angel' with a terrible Viking accent.
Elsa smiled.
"Angels are something like pure beings who serve God… so well, maybe there is a connection," she said uncertainly, before she let out a small laugh.
"What are you laughing at?" He asked, smiling despite his lack of understanding.
Elsa couldn't contain her melodious laughter.
"That I still can't believe that our councils were so desperate as to celebrate a pagan-Christian wedding."
Hiccup snorted mockingly.
"I… I still can't believe it either." He put his hand to his forehead. "That my father let his son's wedding be presided over by a Christian priest."
They both looked at each other and didn't hide that this really had its grace.
"By all the Gods…"
"My mother… and I without a veil."
Elsa continued laughing, who knew that in her culture marrying without a veil questioned her purity as a maiden.
"Or I dressed in those strange clothes that took two sizes off me," Hiccup continued, shaking his head. "How can your men wear that?"
"Your clothes were supposed to be snug."
"Snug?" Hiccup repeated incredulously.
"Oh God… we got married even without rings."
"Rings?" Hiccup asked.
Elsa still didn't understand how Hiccup and she could look so much alike having such disparate cultures.
"Yes," she explained. "At our weddings the bride and groom exchange rings that they must wear forever, until death separates them. It's a symbol of union, of pacts, of promises and also an identification. When people see it in your hand you know you are married.
"Well… that would save a lot of Viking fights," Hiccup pointed sarcastically, recalling the numerous 'love' problems he had witnessed throughout his short life.
Elsa laughed again at the comment, accompanied by the boy. There was hardly any light left up there, since the sun had completely hidden and the moon had not yet begun to fully shine in the sky.
"Hey Hiccup, can I ask you a question?" she said then, much more serious.
"Yeah, sure."
"Why didn't you marry this woman?"
That question clearly caught him off guard, as he thought it was something more banal. He swallowed, not knowing what to say.
"I don't want to get overly personal," said the queen, "but I don't know, how old are you? Twenty two? Twenty three?"
"Twenty one."
"Well, you're the same age as Anna?" she commented, surprised to discover that the boy was younger than her, before she focused on her question. "The point is that I appreciate that I don't know everything, but you're young, in love and of marriageable age, so why didn't you marry her? You could have saved yourself this trouble…"
Hiccup knew that the queen was right. At her age her father had already married her mother and grandfather even earlier. Also, he had been in love with Astrid all his life, no one would have thought it rash…
"I really don't know," he said honestly. "I guess I had a lot of doubts…"
"With Astrid?"
"No, no," the boy hurriedly corrected. "Astrid is the only thing in my life that I've never doubted; I've been in love with her since I can remember, and there are times I sincerely doubt that I even deserve her love."
Elsa nodded in understanding, silently encouraging him to continue.
"She's just… perfect," the young man sighed. "Not only is she beautiful, but she's also the most intelligent, courageous, fun girl I've ever met in my life. When I'm with her I can be myself, the true Hiccup, not the leader everyone thinks I should be… She's my best friend." The boy looked down, serious. "I don't know… I guess neither of us were ready to take the plunge, and the worst thing is that I've lost her forever…"
Elsa could feel his pain in those words, and without even fully knowing why, she placed her hand on the Viking's shoulder, in a tentative attempt to cheer him up.
"We'll find a way for you to be with her," she suggested in a conciliatory manner. "Just because you're my husband doesn't mean you have to be faithful to me."
The boy was surprised that Elsa was proposing this to him. Hiccup had never been a conservative person, but he did think that marriage was a sacred union blessed by the gods. Of course, precisely their wedding had not been attended by their gods.
"I don't know, Elsa…" he hesitated. "Don't get me wrong, but if I remember correctly I swore to be faithful to you in front of your God until my death."
Elsa shrugged, trying to play it down.
"If I'm honest, I was never very devoted," she said. "I have cried a lot to God to take away my powers and he never listened to me. Also, if there is a God or Gods, I don't think they would want to make you suffer by being with a woman you don't love."
"Elsa, I don't want to disrespect you," Hiccup said. "I am not that kind of person and you… it really seems that you don't deserve that from me."
The queen was thoughtful, analyzing the boy's words. Elsa had a much more unpleasant and disloyal concept of men and more when she thought of the Vikings. In fact, Hiccup's integrity pleasantly surprised her.
"Besides, I don't think Astrid will want to see me again when she finds out that I married another woman."
Hiccup began to play with the pencil in his hands, hitting the railing on which they were leaning, while the wind rocked his hair in the darkness.
"We can annul our marriage," Elsa proposed then. "Not now, of course, but later."
Hiccup eyed her uneasily.
"I… I am a virgin," she confessed modestly, something Hiccup could imagine from his nervousness on the wedding night. "We can say that we never consummated the marriage and they would nullify it."
"Would you do that for me?"
The queen nodded, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks. Hiccup knew that exposing himself to something like that was devastating to both of them, as it questioned the Viking's manhood and Elsa's validity as a woman. However, for the first time since he had landed on Arendelle, he didn't feel trapped.
"You are a good person Hiccup and you deserve to be happy," was the queen's only answer.
Elsa removed her hand from the boy's shoulder and looked down. This is how it should be. Hiccup must be with the woman he loved and she would be alone again. After all, she always had been and she didn't feel so bad in that solitude. Or at least she liked to tell herself.
Hiccup felt that at that moment he could read the woman's mind. Anna's words came to her mind that morning about her sister 'She thinks she has to carry everything on her own.' And he realized that Elsa had not only been taken away from everything so as not to harm anyone, but that she herself kept away from people when she thought she could get hurt.
Hiccup approached her, taking the liberty of picking up a lock behind her ear.
"You deserve to be happy, too, Elsa."
The girl didn't respond, surprised by his contact. He didn't know what to say, so he just smiled at her.
"We should go down," she said. "My sister will be looking for me like crazy around the castle."
"Yes, of course," the Viking agreed, rubbing his shoulders. "Besides, it's starting to get cold up here."
"I hadn't noticed," the queen said cheerfully, pulling out a smile.
Hiccup nodded, taking one last look at the towering night landscape before slipping back through that old door that he wouldn't be using again for a long time.
"Elsa!" Anna shouted when she found her sister, pouncing on her in a tight hug.
Hiccup and Elsa had scrapped the labyrinthine way back from the keep to the castle halls, where they were all waiting for dinner. Apparently, during her absence, everyone who could walk had gone out into the inner courtyard and started to celebrate the beautiful sunset under the royal sky. Some began to cast bad omens against the disappearance of the dome, but for most villagers it was like saying that everything was fine and that somehow they were back to normal.
During this time Stoick had searched for his son like mad throughout the castle. The council had told him to give up on the idea of finding him, since the queen was also missing and perhaps in the end the boy had turned out to be 'more Viking' than his father had imagined. Stoick could not believe that, he knew his son too well to imagine him with the queen frolicking naked in some room. His son might have done his conjugal chores, but his stubbornness and love for Astrid was too great to lose himself in another woman's flesh.
However, Stoick gave up on the idea of convincing them otherwise, so they went looking for the dragons, only to be surprised to find the beasts moving freely in the dungeons. Stoick then divided the council into tasks, since in the absence of a dome someone had to watch over the safety and well-being of those people and he didn't exactly trust Arendelle's guards to entrust their lives to them. However, vigilance was something that riders always did, so everyone began to complain about the ailments of age to avoid a turn of vigilance. Finally, in the absence of consensus, Stoick and Alea offered to watch the sky that night, waiting for reinforcements to arrive.
For the rest, the rest of the townspeople seemed to be celebrating a second nuptials, since the tables were full of food and they had even taken out the mead reserves.
Elsa and Hiccup could not believe it, who looked around in amazement.
"I have spoken to the women, and although many have strongly refused," Anna explained to them, "I think I have managed to assemble a fairly large group for tomorrow."
"Alea told us she was delighted to instruct them," added Kristoff.
The kings had sat at a separate table along with Anna and Kristoff, who seemed to have lived a most hectic day in parallel.
While Elsa and Hiccup had spent the day alone and talking about their respective lives, Anna and Kristoff had gathered a group of women to train, had confronted Colonel Roston and his lieutenant, had sent a messenger for the trolls, and had met urgently with the council to discuss what to do now that the dome was gone.
"Where have you been?" Anna asked. "We were looking for you everywhere."
"It's a very long story," Elsa played down. "What have you discussed with the council?"
"We have decided to raise a guard," he explained. "The Vikings will watch from the air day and night and our warriors will watch from the ground. We have been told that when the riders arrive they will teach ours to fly as well. When do you think that will be Hiccup?"
The boy seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.
"I suppose if nothing strange happened, they should be here in a week or less," he calculated. "I can still try to instruct some in the meantime."
"Great," Anna confirmed. "Did you find anything about the symbols in the library?"
Elsa and Hiccup exchanged glances.
"No, we haven't gone to the library yet," Hiccup confessed.
"We can start looking tonight before we go to sleep," Elsa suggested, feeling somewhat guilty.
"Okay, great," her sister agreed.
At that moment, Gobber approached the table, pouncing on Hiccup's shoulders, giving him a good scare.
"Son!" he yelled drunk. "Where have you been all day?"
The Viking was so drunk that he could only speak in their lingo, so only Hiccup at that table understood what he was saying.
"You stink, Gobber," he replied in the same language, noting how the Viking's shirt was soaked with mead and sweat. "How much did you drink?"
"Proportional to my body," he said with a laugh. "Not counting the limbs I don't have."
Gobber took a big drink from his mug, wetting his mustache.
"And my father?" Hiccup asked, unable to find him among the crowd.
"It was his turn to watch with Alea, the hooligan." He nudged the boy.
Hiccup rolled his eyes.
"Tomorrow you're going to have a memorable hangover," he said with a smile.
"And what are you doing that you are not drinking anything?" Gobber asked the rest, puzzled that they didn't share the collective euphoria.
They all looked at each other without understanding. Between the dialect, the accent and the drunkenness, it was a miracle that at least Hiccup could understand him.
"He says why aren't we drinking too," Hiccup translated.
"How proud I am of you Hiccup," Gobber continued speaking. "Not even your mother, may she rest in peace, mastered this language so well."
After this he took another sip from his jug.
"What are you up to, Gobber?" Hiccup asked, trying to clear his instructor a little.
"I had to give you this," he said, taking a piece of paper from his pocket and handing it to the boy.
Hiccup quickly scanned it over, knowing that calligraphy almost better than his.
"Is it a list of materials?"
"Yes," he said. "Anna-" he indicated the red-headed princess "-has asked me to look for weapons for this army of Valkyries and since there are none, they will have to be made. That colonel is a jerk who doesn't want to share, or even let women look at them."
Hiccup then understood that this list of materials was for making weapons, but they didn't have a forge there as in Berk, so he would have to think of an alternative.
"Okay, I'll take care of it tomorrow," he confirmed.
"Great," the man said happily. "Come on, come and have a jug with us; si-since you got married there is no excuse for you, little boy, not to leave the poor girl unable to walk in a week."
Hiccup pinched the septum of his nose, red as a tomato and grateful that no one was understanding that conversation.
"If you'll excuse me," Hiccup said, jumping up from the table. "I'll be back in a second; someone has drunk more than they should today."
Hiccup put a hand on Gobber's back and forced him to walk to the table where the rest of the Vikings were. However, he had to make a real effort, since Gobber was distracted by courting women and greeting friends he had just made.
In the distance the faces of Elsa, Anna and Kristoff were a poem of bewilderment, ending up laughing at the strange situation.
"Did you understand something of what he said?" Anna asked her sister, the only one who had a good command of the Vikings' language.
"I honestly didn't understand a word," Elsa replied amused.
"Perhaps he was giving us a lesson full of wisdom and we have not appreciated it," said Kristoff, who was still watching Hiccup try to seat the man in a chair.
"I doubt it," Anna replied.
"Well," said Kristoff then, getting up from the chair, "maybe we should relax a little and have a drink, after today we deserve it. Do you want me to bring you one?"
"No / Yes," Elsa and Anna answered at the same time.
They both looked at each other with an amused face.
"Oh come on Elsa, don't be boring," Anna complained. "Bring her one."
"At your command," Kristoff grinned before disappearing into the crowd.
"Anna, I still have to check books tonight," she complained, smiling. "You know the drink makes me sleepy."
But her sister didn't even listen to her.
"Where have you been all day?" Anna asked, full of enthusiasm.
Elsa knew that look in her sister, so she struggled to control the blush.
"Anna, it's not what you think-"
"Oh come on Elsa, you don't know what I'm thinking," she teased mischievously. "Is he a good kisser?"
Elsa's colors went up to her ears.
"Anna!" Elsa scolded, blushing. "Lower your voice, what a shame."
"Then it's true?" Anna's eyes widened.
"No!" Elsa tried to control herself, lowering her voice as she glanced around anxiously in case someone was listening. "No, we haven't kissed or… done anything you're thinking about; we've just been talking, like two friendly adults."
"Now, now…" Anna countered. "So you're not going to tell me anything?"
"No, because there is nothing to tell," Elsa defended herself. "Nothing has happened and nothing will happen."
"Oh come on Elsa, don't kid yourself," Anna countered, recognising Elsa's manner when she was trying to at least bend the truth. "I've seen how you look at him."
"How I look at him?" Elsa felt as though she'd been slapped.
"Well, I don't know how you look at people when you like them," she tried to explain. "Hey, I don't blame you, he's pretty handsome and has his little-"
"Anna," Elsa cut him off. "I don't like Hiccup."
Anna raised an eyebrow, demanding and incredulous.
"I mean, he's a very nice boy," Elsa excused himself, "and he's smart, and, well, if you say he is handsome… yes, he's not bad… but…"
"But what?" her sister urged her. "Oh come on Elsa, there is nothing wrong with having feelings or you liking someone. Besides, I think he likes you too."
Elsa cast a worried glance across the room, where Hiccup had sat down with the Vikings, who were making a big fuss while two were wrestling. The boy turned then, meeting Elsa's gaze and giving a smile of resignation to the queen, who returned the gesture.
"He is in love with another woman Anna," the queen explained solemnly, looking at her sister.
That made the princess's spirits drop, seeing how her sister's eyes clouded.
"Well… I didn't know," she said more seriously. "Well, maybe you can change his mind, you are an incredible woman and also now you are married and…
"Anna," Elsa stopped her. "I'm not going to force fantasies that don't exist. I have married Hiccup, yes, but that does not mean we have to love each other. It would not be the first or last marriage in history without love. Also, we plan to cancel it as soon as all this is over."
That news surprised Anna.
"Cancel your marriage?" she asked without understanding. "How?"
Elsa snorted, lowering her voice as she addressed her sister.
"We haven't consummated it, so it's not valid," she said, her voice low as she confirmed the princess's suspicions. "So when it's all over, it's over. I will return to my life and Hiccup to his."
Anna was going to say something else when Kristoff arrived with three jugs of mead.
"I hope you enjoy them, because I don't think there'll be any more drinks left in a little while," Kristoff said as he sat down. "What strange people, I've never seen anyone drink like that before."
Elsa smiled to herself. Yes, yes they were rare.
Despite Kristoff's concerns, the three were able to enjoy one more round of mead, where they forced themselves to speak no more about wars or strategies and they found Gobber to be the perfect topic of conversation. To Anna, he seemed to be an endearing and very strange man. She and Kristoff explained to Elsa that this noisy Viking had been helping them all the afternoon to get things for his new troop of women. In addition, Anna told Elsa that Hiccup was previously an apprentice in Gobber's workshop and how strange it seemed to see the son of a chief working in an armory, like the rest of the artisans.
Elsa listened silently, laughing at the eccentricities of her stories and unable to stop thinking about Hiccup. Did she really like the boy? Of course not, she told herself. He just seemed like a good person, someone to share a pleasant conversation with. Furthermore, she still had many questions to ask herself before thinking about Hiccup. Then she remembered him watching her the night before while she slept, and a strange feeling of warmth stirred in her lower abdomen.
"Elsa," said her sister a second time. "Let's dance, are you coming?"
"Thanks Anna, but I don't feel like it," she smile at her. "Go on, have fun."
Anna's cheeks were flushed with liquor and a smile as she tugged on her sister's sleeve, finally giving up trying to get her to dance. The citizens of Arendelle had improvised a dance in the center of the room and the group was beginning to get bigger and bigger. Elsa looked at them enviously. They looked tremendously happy. Did she really know her subjects?
"Don't you go out dancing?"
Elsa turned to recognize that voice.
"Legislator," she named him, by way of greeting.
"Only Freud, your highness," he said as he took a seat next to her.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" Elsa asked somewhat annoyed.
The legislator smiled from ear to ear, showing his yellowish teeth.
"I was just going to ask about your health."
"I feel much better, thanks," she replied.
"A pleasure to hear those words from your mouth," replied the legislator. "By the way, a very nice party, don't you think?"
Elsa didn't know where the man wanted to go, but she had a bad feeling.
"People seem to be having fun," Elsa observed.
"Not you, Your Majesty?"
"As you well know, I have more matters to think about than joining this party," he replied, without entering into his provocation. "But if I'm honest, I love to see our people happy, hopeful. You don't?"
The legislator nodded, still smiling.
"Of course, of course," he agreed, "that's the most important thing."
Elsa nodded, showing him a fake smile.
"My lady," he said then, lowering his voice. "I would like to apologize for my behavior and thank you for allowing me to continue being part of your council."
"Apologies accepted," she said, trying to settle that conversation. "The kingdom of Arendelle thanks you for your services."
"For this very reason, my queen," he began to get to the point, "I am afraid that your decision to open the dome was not the wisest, if I may, in my humblest opinion."
Elsa knew from the first moment that this was the man's intention, and she was not willing to listen.
"Right or wrong, it was my decision," she cut him off. "I appreciate your opinion, but the dome will remain open and the dragons free."
"All my respects then," he replied cautiously, "I just wanted to make sure that you hadn't been pressured by your husband to make a decision like this. I am glad to know that our queen does not succumb at will to the wishes of the Vikings."
Elsa took a breath. She was not going to enter her game.
"That's right," she agreed. "I still don't listen to what doesn't interest me."
"Wonderful, I was simply looking after your interests, my queen," he took his ace out of his sleeve, "because, well, without a dome and with dragons on the loose, she might fear that her husband could leave and break our peace deal, but these are only concerns of a man who has lived through too many difficult times."
That, however, did manage to unsettle the queen. She had given the Viking complete freedom to leave if they wanted to. She looked quickly for Hiccup with a glance around the room, but didn't find him sitting next to the rest of the Vikings. With all her self-control, she hid her nervousness, since she didn't want to provoke the legislator.
"Well, my lady," said the legislator, rising to his feet. "Should anything arise, I am at your disposal. Enjoy the evening."
Elsa smiled at him and he bowed, leaving the room. Once she saw him disappear through the main door, Elsa began to look for Hiccup, but could not see him. Had the legislator seen him leave and that was why he had come to warn her? Elsa tried to get that idea out of her head, refusing to believe that Hiccup would do something like that. It had only been hours since she had promised him that she would keep her word and explore options for annulling the marriage, so there was no point in running away…
Elsa stood up, getting better visibility of the hall, but still unable to see Hiccup anywhere.
"You're good?"
Elsa freaked out at the voice on her back, grabbing onto the table and freezing a piece of it.
"Hiccup, you startled me," she said, heart racing even as she felt relieved.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to," the young man said, looking anxiously at Elsa. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, really…" she agreed, relaxing, "I hope you haven't come to dance with me," she said, trying to erase the Viking's concern.
"Oh no, no," Hiccup hurried to reply, indicating his leg with a smile. "Come on, I'm clumsy and lame, dancing is the last thing I want tonight, me and all those people… I just came because the Vikings are pressuring us to sit with them."
"Do they want me to join you?" she asked incredulously, as they never showed much sympathy for the queen.
"Yes, although I warn you that they're very drunk and I don't understand half of the things they're saying."
Elsa glanced quickly in the direction of the Vikings who laughed out loud as they said something to another group of men.
"I don't know…" she hesitated.
"Come on, don't stay here alone."
Hiccup offered her his hand and Elsa, despite her doubts, accepted.
At first there was silence when the queen arrived. Elsa clasped her hands in front of her, in that pose of false security that she had learned so well as a child. He swallowed, thinking that maybe it hadn't been a very good idea. After all, all those men thought she was a witch.
The Vikings continued to scrutinize her a second more in silence, observing her wounds and her austere pose. And after this, they all laughed again, inviting her to sit down. Elsa smiled, still confused by her reaction.
Gobber was the first to speak to her. Elsa was very fond of him, not only because of the secret the Viking had kept when he saw her bleeding on the ground, but also because she saw a lot of kindness in him. She still remembered how Finn had run into her arms, introducing her to the other children. He was certainly a good man. However, he was terribly drunk and it was difficult for Elsa to understand what he was saying. Basically Hiccup had to translate each sentence for him, some directly and others in his ear, so as not to anger the Viking who said that Hiccup was not translating it literally.
"I'm not going to translate those to her," the young man complained.
Elsa also appeared informally with the other Viking council members. Hiccup introduced her to Gobber, his father's right hand, and Spitelout, the artillery chief. Gervasio, the oldest, didn't bother to greet her and soon left, but after all he was a very conservative old man, according to Hiccup.
The queen frowned without believing the extravagant stories of members ripped out in memorable battles, battles against beings of the sea and storms, pirates and treasures…
"Don't believe half the things they say," advised Hiccup, who had heard those stories hundreds of times.
After several meads it was Elsa herself who dared to speak, trying her luck with the language of the Vikings. As a child, her parents had insisted that a queen should master as many languages as she could and isolation helped her have enough time to learn to read and write in other languages. Another thing was to speak them, since she never had the opportunity to put it into practice with anyone. However, that night, distracted by the friendliness and informality of the Vikings- and by the alcohol itself- he decided to try his luck. And the truth is that she didn't do anything wrong, although the Vikings insisted that she had an overly refined accent, which looked like a mermaid.
"It's just that you make the vowels very open," Hiccup explained, speaking slowly in his language, so that Elsa could understand him.
"You have a very strong accent," the queen explained, amused.
Hiccup told him that he felt exactly the same about their language, toasting with it.
Elsa couldn't help but look around and think that she could get used to it. She was strange and completely oblivious to the environment of righteousness, manners, and iron standards in which she had grown up, but she still liked it. Despite what she once thought, she felt comfortable with her hands wet with cheap mead dipped in water, with her elbows on the table, and without any speaking protocol or social scales to address.
The simple fact of drinking alcohol at a table full of men already seemed crazy to her, since in general high-born ladies not only didn't drink alcohol, but they didn't do it in the presence of men. And yet there she was, with two more glasses and drinking alongside a Viking who was supposed to be her husband. If someone had told her months ago, she would have been prepared to tell them they were mad.
At that moment, Gobber began to tell one of his most famous stories, that of how he had lost his leg. Known to all, but tremendously deceiving for outsiders.
"Oh gods," Hiccup cursed. "Here he goes again…"
The boy hid his head in his hands, making the queen smile.
"Is the story so bad?"
"As bad as a lie," Hiccup said. "Each time the account invents a different ending. I think I'm going to retire now."
"I'll come with you," Elsa agreed, getting up next to the Viking.
"You can stay if you want," he said quickly. "I think I know how to get to the room."
"No, take it easy," she replied. "I was really already looking for an excuse to leave."
Of course everyone at the table noticed that the couple was leaving, so they began to ask them to stay, in addition to the occasional risqué comment, but the insistence was short-lived and soon they returned to Gobber's story.
The way back to the room was pretty quiet compared to the unstoppable chatter they'd had all day. Each seemed to be distracted by their own thoughts, analyzing a little who was the person next to them.
"If you want, let's go to the library tomorrow," Elsa broke the silence. "The truth is that today I am already quite tired and… somewhat drunk."
"Yeah, I don't think I can focus now either," agreed the Viking. "That said, tomorrow we should go out to do a reconnaissance of the damage and start rebuilding your town."
"Okay," Elsa agreed. "I can try to help with my powers." She looked at her right palm, creating a small light blue that illuminated the hallway. "It looks like Anna was right about the dome; I feel like my powers are back to normal."
Hiccup watched, almost hypnotized by the magical glow, unable to avoid looking at Elsa's illuminated face. It really seemed to him that she had a beauty that was not human.
It was not long before they reached the room, repeating the process of the night before. Elsa changed in the room while Hiccup retired him to the little room next door. When he was ready, he was surprised at Elsa's speed, as she'd not only changed, but had also started the fire and prepared his makeshift bed.
"Tomorrow I will ask to have a room prepared for you," she said, remaking the braid of her hair. "I don't want you to continue sleeping on the floor."
"Can you really do that?" The Viking asked incredulously, as he sat on his 'bed'.
"Of course," she replied. "We wouldn't be the first kings and queens to sleep apart; actually, except for my parents, the rest of my ancestors have always slept in different bedrooms."
To Hiccup all this seemed very strange, but he appreciated the idea of sleeping in a bed, since his whole body hurt.
"Does it seem so strange to you?" the queen smiled, looking at Hiccup's incredulous face.
Elsa thought of that idea even before getting married, but after not having consummated the marriage she thought that perhaps sleeping in separate rooms would raise some suspicions. However, everyone seemed quite convinced that they had had a second honeymoon earlier today, so Elsa allowed herself to relax on the subject.
"Well, a little strange, yes," confirmed the boy, "but as Vikings, I suppose we're more passionate about everything." he played down the importance, preparing the tone he used when he was going to say some nonsense. "If anyone tells a Viking that he can't sleep with his wife…"
"I'm afraid you'll be the first then," Elsa said mischievously, finishing her braid.
The queen approached the Viking and sat on the ground next to him, surprising Hiccup, who was not expecting this approach from the queen. Elsa sighed, grateful that the alcohol gave her enough courage to ask the boy what had been on his mind for days. At first she didn't say anything, making Hiccup feel a little anxious, not knowing if Elsa was asking him to do something on his part. However, at the moment the girl grabbed him by the wrists and turned his palms up.
Hiccup looked at Elsa's hands, still with some dried blood under her fingernails and the occasional scratch, and then looked at hers, full of corns and with half-healed minor burns.
"You touched me on our wedding night, right?"
That question sounded terribly violent out loud, making Hiccup's cheeks flush with nervousness. Elsa seemed to notice it, as she soon added:
"I know these type of burns," she explained, "and I know they are my doing."
Hiccup didn't know what to say to him, he didn't want Elsa to think any outrage.
"I promise I only got close because you were having bad dreams; I didn't want to bother you…"
Elsa smiled at him, realizing that Hiccup had become very nervous.
"Don't worry, it happens," she smiled. "During these weeks you are not the first person that I accidentally hurt…"
Elsa remembered seeing those same marks on Miranda and Anna, only that she had been too sick to ask them. However, the queen knew herself and was sure that she was the cause, since when she was ill she had no control over her powers.
"Sometimes I don't control my powers well, Hiccup," she confessed, with a bitter tone, "especially if I'm sick."
Hiccup remembered Elsa's confessions that afternoon, when she had explained that she almost killed her sister in a fit in which she lost control. He understood her concern, but at the same time he was ashamed that Elsa could discover that he had even hummed to her when the girl was delusional. Looking back, he found it a little pathetic.
"I don't want you to feel bad or fear me," Elsa said then, releasing her hands. "Although I wouldn't blame you either…"
Elsa lowered her head, unable to keep holding Hiccup's gaze.
"I just want you to be careful, I don't want to hurt you again," she finished, moving away a little and preparing to stand up.
Hiccup felt he should say something to him, but he didn't know what. What little he had known about the queen had discovered that this strange insecurity was eating away at him. And he also didn't want them both to go to sleep in that awkward silence or to make her feel guilty.
"What does it feel like?" he asked, the surprise prompting Elsa to remain seated rather than try to distance herself from the subject.
"What does what feel like?" Elsa asked without understanding.
"Your powers," Hiccup specified.
Elsa looked at him with a hesitant face.
"Well… I don't know what to tell you, nobody has ever asked me," she said sincerely.
Elsa put her hand to her chin, thinking under Hiccup's gaze.
"Okay," she said then, growing in confidence as she spoke. "Give me your hands again; I'll show you."
Hiccup obeyed, not understanding what the queen intended. At least he was glad to see that she had a shy smile. The truth is that he didn't know if it was because of his closeness, the effects of alcohol or at the moment something uncomfortable from before, but he was still nervous.
Elsa for her part settled in front of him, cross-legged and urging the Viking to do the same. She also asked the boy to keep his hands palms up.
"Now close your eyes," she demanded.
Hiccup obeyed, even as he didn't fully understand where this was going to end up and thinking that perhaps it had not been a good idea to ask. However, his curious nature was much more powerful.
Elsa looked at the boy with his eyes closed, rosy cheeks and freckles scarred by the firelight. She took a deep breath, thinking that perhaps Anna was partly right.
Pushing that thought away, she concentrated and placed her hands on top of Hiccup's, who gave a little start when he noticed the queen's cold hands on his, but said nothing.
"You feel it?" Elsa whispered, making the boy's hair stand on end.
Hiccup frowned, concentrating on her hands and then understood.
He could feel a kind of tingling under the freshness of those hands. The boy didn't know how to explain it, it was a very strange but pleasant feeling. As if someone caressed him under the skin. It was strange, because it felt like a freshness invaded his body, but at the same time a wave of warmth settled in his chest and belly.
"It's magic," Elsa explained. "It flows into me and sometimes I'm terrified of how strong it is. I'm afraid that someday it will dominate me and I won't be able to retain it."
Despite his words Hiccup didn't feel that this feeling could be unpleasant, on the contrary, it seemed to him that he could stay in it for hours.
"Maybe that's not too bad, either," Hiccup said, also softly. "It's… it feels nice."
"You really think so?" She asked hopefully.
Hiccup opened his eyes, facing hers and smiled at her.
"Yes, seriously," he said. "In fact it tickles me."
"Really?" she said in surprise. "I'm… glad then."
Elsa knew that if it wasn't for the alcohol and her sister's words she wouldn't be looking at Hiccup that way. In fact, he couldn't have held her gaze for so long, much less kept his hands on hers. The queen had not only felt her magic, as she always used to, but she had also felt it flow towards him, as if the magic part of herself felt sympathy for the boy. What an idiot, she thought to herself, unable to take her eyes off her face, her smile. Could Anna really have thought that boy would want to kiss her?
Hiccup for his part felt as if something clouded his reason, overwhelmed by that magical sensation. He felt terrible that he had ever been able to think that this woman was a frigid witch, since now he could not help but see her as being divine, as something from another world. In fact, looking at her by the fire, he seemed to even see that her skin glowed, unable to prevent the image of her naked body from returning to her mind.
"Well," said the queen nervously, breaking that strange atmosphere between the two of them. "We should get some sleep."
Elsa separated her hands from the boy's and bolted up from that bed on the floor, overwhelmed and heated for the first time in a long time, heading for hers.
"Yes, of course, tomorrow is going to be a long day," the Viking greatly appreciated, regaining his sanity a little. Good evening Elsa.
"Good evening, Hiccup."
Hiccup immediately lay down and covered the sheet up to his nose, turning towards the fire. What had that been? He asked himself. For some strange reason he was completely disturbed by the previous moment, irreparably blaming alcohol for that effect on him. Elsa just seemed like an interesting and nice woman to him, and there was nothing wrong with seeing her naked either; he was a mature man, not an animal. She would know how to keep control of it. It was just a silly moment, an absurd weakness.
He took several breaths, trying to calm himself as he pushed any image of the queen out of his head. After all, he needed to rest, and he knew that he would not be able to fall asleep until that huge erection had subsided.