=Hiccup's POV=
(Sunnudagr, Goi; Afternoon)
(Berk; The Cove)

If everything else throughout my eighteen years of life wasn't bad enough, I just learned that my father arranged for me to get married to some girl when I turned eighteen, and this was happening in a month? Couldn't my father have mentioned this to me? I feel like I have the right to know that I'm getting married long before now! I know this is how Vikings did things, arranged marriages were nothing out of the ordinary, especially for an Heir or Heiress. However, I didn't agree that we should be left in the dark until a month before. I couldn't believe this, and I doubt there was anything I could do to stop or change it. That didn't mean I wouldn't try, of course.

I'd already voiced with one word how shocked and not okay with this I was. So far no one had said anything. "Son," Stoick reached for me as I backed up. "Listen, son…I know you're probably upset," Stoick began.

"Probably?" I arched a brow. "You think I'm probably upset about the fact I just got informed that you arranged for me to marry someone six years ago and I'm getting married to said person in a month?"

"Okay, you're upset…" Stoick sighed. "Hiccup, Vikings have always used arranged marriages…You know this," he tried.

"Yeah, but I was pretty sure that the Heir, upon the time of beginning their Chieftain training, is the one who picks their bride, or husband if the Tribe operates in that fashion, and then the marital contracts come into play. Since when do we arrange marriages the way you've chosen to do things?" I asked now.

"How did you know that?" Stoick blinked a bit.

"Just because I never showed an interest in being Chief doesn't mean I neglected my duties as Heir and needing to know laws and tradition of the Tribe I would be running…" I rolled my eyes. "So back on topic…Why did you decide to arrange my marriage when I was twelve if the tradition is that I pick who I marry?"

Stoick sighed, closing his eyes. "S-Son, you have to understand that at the time…" he began.

"Out with it," Hiccup stared.

"I-I didn't think you would be able to, Hiccup…" Stoick admitted, almost ashamed to be saying it. I stared at him.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"I…" Stoick stopped, looking at me now. "I didn't believe you would be capable of choosing…A bride for yourself," he confessed. I continued staring for a moment, and then I closed my eyes and turned away from my father. "Hi-Hiccup…" Stoick said, but I put my hand up.

"No. No; you can just stop right now," I remarked.

"Hiccup, please…I-I didn't know you'd-," Stoick tried.

"Yeah, I know!" I turned around, glaring at him now. "There's a lot of things you didn't know about me or that I could do. You didn't think I would survive my birth. You didn't know I was constantly teased, scolded, degraded, belittled, picked on, and beat up by everyone except Gobber and Gothi. You didn't I could handle working in the forge, but the ax you love so much was built by me. I made it for your birthday when I was thirteen," I yelled at him as he looked at his ax.

"I will back that statement," Gobber put a finger up.

"You didn't think I could be Chief. You didn't believe I'd even survive out here during my punishment. And on that…You didn't even believe me when I said that I didn't do it. You never listen to me, Dad. You just push me off as a problem you don't want to deal with. And don't think I don't know that you forgot about me being banished! And what's worse…You didn't just forget as my Chief; you did as my father too, " I snapped at him.

"You admitted it yesterday; scared to lose me because I'm just like my mother. Different. Gods…If you don't want to lose me, stop pushing me away! Stop ignoring me. Stop trying to control everything I do. For Odin's sake, you have so little faith in your son that you expect to run the Tribe; you arranged for me to marry someone when I was twelve because you didn't think I could do it. I know how contracts work…There's no way out of it unless I get cast out or end up dead. So thanks, Dad…Thanks for absolutely nothing. Is there anything else I should know about my life that you decided to choose for it?" I asked.

"No, Hiccup…" Stoick said calmly, feeling guilt for what he'd done.

"Good. Because I'm ridiculously close to building a boat and leaving," I said.

"Hiccup! You wouldn't!..." Gobber interjected.

"Gobber…I would. Of everything I've had to deal with these past eighteen years…I'm more than ready to exile myself," I stared as Gobber bit back nervously. "Now, will everyone please just back off so I can attempt to settle with the fact I have to train to become the next Chief, and that I'm getting married in a month?" I remarked. I started for my house now.

"Stoick, don't…" I heard Gobber tell my father.

"Gobber, he can't just walk away from this," Stoick informed.

"He's not, Chief. Hiccup is only asking for a little time to sit with everything. I mean…You've known about this for years; he just found out that not only is he betrothed, but going to get married in a month. And you want him to start his training after you only lifted that two-year punishment yesterday morning…Give the lad some space because if you keep pushing him…He will leave, and you have seen that he can survive on his own," Gobber told Stoick firmly. "Back off…"

Stoick sighed. "I've messed up badly, haven't I?"

"Yes. Yes, you have," I remarked before going into my house and slamming the door shut. I listened as Gobber suggested that they all just go back to the village.

"Stoick, just stop. I'll try to talk to him. He isn't going to respond to you right now; you'll only make it worse. Let me try and calm him down," Gobber offered. I sat in my house extremely angry about all this new information. How could my father not tell me that he arranged for me to marry someone six years ago?! You don't just forget those kinds of things. Then again; my father forgot he banished me. I knew this because I heard it before I entered the Great Hall yesterday.

"Lad?" Gobber knocked.

"What?" I snapped.

"Come now…Don't be that way with me. I've never done ya any wrong," Gobber stated. "Can I come in?" he asked. I sighed heavily and flipped the lock. Gobber pushed the door open a bit, peering in and seeing me sitting at my table with a mug in my hand. "I know what he did wasn't fair,"

"Wasn't fair? I didn't even get a say, Gobber. I never do, in anything. I'm supposed to be his son, his Heir to the Tribe…But I get nothing. And he has so little faith in me; that he picked my future wife for me? Because he didn't believe I would be capable? Just like all the other stuff he didn't believe about me. I never even got a chance. I get I'm different, but for him to just…Disregard me like that? How can he expect me to run the Tribe with the love and respect from the villagers if he can't even respect me as his son and Heir…?" I mention.

"I see what you're saying, laddie. I do, but this happened a long time ago, and there's nothing that can be done now. Maybe it won't be so bad?" Gobber tried as I shot him an unamused look.

"I'm getting married in a month to someone I don't even know or have feelings for that I've been betrothed to since I was twelve and just learned about after being forgotten about for two years, and avoided or ignored all the years before. Oh, and I'm going to be training to be the next Chief to a Tribe that hates me. Yeah, I don't see how this could possibly go wrong…" I rolled my eyes, taking a drink.

"Alright, you got a point, 'Iccup…But who knows? Maybe you and this girl could learn to like one another…? And you'd do fine running the Tribe. Look at all you've done here in two years? The weapons you've made with me? I'd say as sure as I'm a Viking that you can do this without a problem," Gobber tried.

"Oh, so Dad got to marry my mom out of love, but I have to marry because he didn't believe I'd ever find someone for myself? And the worst part…There's no way out of this, as I mentioned," I sighed. "I'm gonna be married in a month, and Thor only knows until he makes me Chief…" I closed my eyes. "It's just…Not fair, Gobber. I'm only eighteen…Being out here on my own for two years…I finally felt some peace. No scolding, teasing…No being my dad's biggest disappointment…And now, all that changes. I didn't get to enjoy my childhood, and it looks like I don't get any say in my adulthood either…"

"Everything will work out, lad. Stop looking at all this as a bad thing. Yeah, all this stuff is happening, but what if instead of seeing it as what happened because no one believed you could do it; you go through with everything and prove them all wrong?" Gobber offered as I looked at him.

"I…Guess I didn't think of things that way," I admitted.

"No one believes you can be Chief, so train hard and become the Chief. Prove them wrong. Be the best Chief we've ever had, and you know something else? Do it your way. Yeah, follow the traditions and laws…But rule in a way that shows the best of you. Because Hiccup, you are not useless and you are not a failure. You're creative, smart, strong, and capable of so much that they can't see. This is your moment to show them who you are. Your time to shine," Gobber informed. "I think you can change a lot for us with your different," he smiled.

"You think so?" I asked.

"No, lad; I know so," Gobber said. "And I promise that I'm on your side no matter what. You need anything; you come to me, and ole Gobber will do everything he can for ya," he added. I smiled a bit and took a breath.

"Alright…I guess maybe it won't be so bad. Gonna take some serious adjusting…" I sighed a bit.

"Part of life, kiddo," Gobber lightly punched my arm.

"Just…Wish there was a way to push things back, give me a little time, you know? I've got a month…" I said.

"It'll be alright, laddie. Don't worry; you can do it as you have everything else. You've always had to fight for your place in the world, don't stop now. You got what it takes to overcome anything you face, so don't give up. It's not your style," Gobber winked.

"Yeah, I guess so," I replied. "I'm still mad at him, though,"

"Not gonna tell you that you can't be, but it's time to take the place you've fought for, laddie. You're the Heir and upcoming Chief of Berk. Let's show them what you got," Gobber encouraged.

"Alright, alright…Let's go," I finished my drink and stood up.

"Atta boy," Gobber smiled. It would be a challenge for me to do all this; it wasn't just the marriage and Chieftain training. I still had my work as Drage Riddari to worry about, and Toothless too. I had to find a way to continue those aspects of my life. This only drove me to want to find the source of the raids and end it faster, and maybe…Just maybe when I became Chief; I could show everyone that Vikings weren't bad. My goal was peace, and this might be the best way to achieve it. Exiting the house; I saw that my father, the Chieftains, and the Heir's were still here. I felt Gobber's hand on my shoulder as I sighed.

"Son," Stoick stood instantly. "I-," he started, but I put my hand up to stop him.

"I don't want to hear any more apologies from you, Dad. You keep saying you're sorry, and those things will change, and so far; the only thing that has changed is my life. I already couldn't live the way I wanted growing up because you and the rest of the Vikings don't like that I'm not like you. I'm different. And now because of you, I don't have a say in my future either, or at least who I get to spend the rest of my life with into it. However…As I have no say whatsoever in this, and it would be frowned upon with you looking bad if I decided to up and leave…I'll deal with the life you've chosen for me. And just like with my banishment; I'll find a way to survive," I said in a flat voice.

Stoick didn't say anything. For once, I don't think he knew what to say in response to my words. Gobber stepped up, clearing his throat. "Perhaps…It would be a good idea to introduce the lad to his future wife, Chief? It's a month to the wedding; I think they could use a little time to get to know one another better?" he suggested.

"That seems like a wonderful idea, " stated Cuyler of the Peaceables Tribe.

"It's…Against the tradition," Stoick sighed.

"I think we can afford to change a few things up, in light of the circumstance that Hiccup did not know anything about this arranged marriage until today when all others involved have…" Cuyler informed. "The lad hasn't had six years to prepare for a wedding that is happening in a month. So I believe it might be alright that he meets his bride sooner than the day of,"

"Aye," Stoick nodded, agreeing now. "Hiccup, I'd like you to meet the firstborn daughter of Chief Cuyler," Stoick motioned to Brenna; the girl with blonde hair and purple eyes. I watched her step forward with a small smile.

"Hi," Brenna waved. I stepped closer before her; she was stuck in this as much as I would, so I wouldn't be a jerk to her. I watched as my dad and Brenna's father had stepped back. "I-I'm Brenna Grayson; firstborn to Cuyler and Mildri Grayson of Peaceable Country. It's a pleasure to meet you,"

"I'm Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third; first and only born son to Stoick and Valka Haddock of Berk," I went to shake her outstretched hand, but decided to hold it gently and bow slightly, kissing the back of her hand. "The pleasure is all mine, Milady," I added before standing up straight again and releasing her hand. Brenna was blushing a deep shade of red, and the rest watching were just surprised. Boy, am I glad I spent some time off the island and traveled the world to see a lot of other customs of how men were with women. This could be interesting after all.