=Normal POV=
(Saturday; 6/15/2020-7:30 pm)
(Archian Isle; Palace Courtyard)
Nobody really knew what to make of the royal ball so far. It had gone around the school, even the kingdom that Astrid and Bolverk had a fight on Wednesday, and he went back to Outcast Island. Unfortunately, it also got out that Astrid went to get Bolverk back, ended up captured by the very man she was currently dancing with and claiming to love, but Bolverk and his friends saved her. So everyone, right now, was left in shock and confusion. Bolverk was left hurt, and that strong front he always had was beginning to falter watching Astrid and Dagur dance together.
Heather finally moved up a bit and put her hand on Bolverk's arm, pulling him back gently. "Come on," Heather said gently as Bolverk gave in and moved to stand with Heather, and the rest of his friends. Even Camicazi, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut were with them.
"This is what I get for being a good guy," Bolverk sighed, and he'd love to deck Dagur in the face too. However, that would probably hurt Astrid since she's clearly in love with him. "Or is it what I get for being myself…"
"Don't beat yourself up, Bolverk…She had us all fooled," Camicazi said.
"Not overly fond of the fact we risked our lives to save her from him now…" Soren scoffed.
Olivia moved between Heather and Bolverk now. "We're with you, Bol…" She reminded.
"It doesn't matter anymore…" Bolverk shook his head. "She's made her choice…And now, so have I," He stepped away from them, going around Dagur and Astrid to leave. As Bolverk went to go by Astrid's parents, Stoick stopped him with a light grab to the arm.
"Bolverk, stay, please?" Valka tried.
"We didn't know anything about all this," Gobber added.
"We'll talk to Astrid," Stoick reassured.
"I don't have a reason to stay," Bolverk pulled his arm free. "I'm sorry…But I can't do this. I can't be here…Or I'm gonna end up hurting someone by accident, though, I will happily and purposely hurt him if he touches me again," He remarked, motioning his head towards Dagur. "Thank you," Bolverk bowed his head to them. "For everything you've done for me, and my friends,"
Bolverk prepared to leave when Camicazi quickly hurried to Gobber. "Gobber! Gobber, quick! Unveil the gift, Bolverk needs to see it!" Camicazi stated quickly. "Wait, Bolverk!"
"Ah, right." Gobber remembered with a smile. "A gift from her royal highness to her lord," Gobber motioned as Bolverk sighed and looked with everyone else to the covered gift. The guards pulled the strings and it fell to reveal a large painting of Bolverk and Astrid facing one another, staring into each other's eyes. Bolverk's arm was around her waist, and the other hand was caressing her cheek. Astrid was pressed against him and both her arms around his midsection, her hair down, and elegantly set as if it were blowing in a breeze. However, that wasn't the eye-catching part, it was the clothes. Astrid was dressed in formal queen attire, but Bolverk wasn't in anything formal like her. Bolverk's outfit was his style of formal, similar to what he was actually wearing right now and there was the king's crown on his head.
"Astrid did this?" Bolverk asked.
"Yes, she drew the entire thing herself in a notebook, and then gave it to the castle painter to enlarge into this masterpiece," Camicazi informed cheerfully. "She referred to the design as something she kept dreaming of since you came into her life and believing that it must mean you're her true love," Bolverk could see this meant Astrid had always seen him for who he really is. "Well, originally, I think it was you in a more kingly suit, but changed it to this after you guys got back," She tapped her chin.
"Indeed, quick fix too. In fact, Astrid referred to it as an emergency that the image is changed to this scene," Valka smiled.
"She said it didn't seem right," Stoick nodded. "Pretty sure she used magic to change it so fast,"
"Cute," Dagur shrugged. "Obviously made before she met me as I'm her true love. Right, babe?" Astrid never answered as Dagur realized she was staring at the painting curiously. Dagur nudged her as she snapped out of it and looked at him.
"And you're mine," Astrid smiled. Bolverk knew he originally stated he was going to leave, but something about this didn't feel right all of a sudden. It hadn't from the moment he saw Dagur there, but now it really felt off.
"Should we tell them our big announcement, and your gift to me?" Dagur inquired.
"Oh, yes. I have an announcement!" Astrid called out. "Dagur and I will be getting married, and he will be joining the court tonight as my lord…My gift to my future husband…Is that I'm bringing down the barrier once and for all," Everyone gasped. "Bring me the scepter," She ordered.
"No…" Valka whispered.
"Astrid, what are you thinking?" Stoick asked quickly.
"Do not bring it to her," Valka demanded.
"You're not in charge anymore…I am, and as queen, I say the barrier comes down," Astrid stated. "Bring me the scepter," Astrid commanded again. "I am your queen!"
"Obey her," Dagur added firmly. Bolverk realized it then and there; Astrid had been spelled. There was no other explanation. According to Camicazi and Astrid's parents, Astrid changed this painting of them when they returned from Outcast Island earlier, calling it true love. So how would she have suddenly fallen for Dagur and still changed it to represent himself and Astrid. Dagur spelled Astrid to love him and that's why she was doing all this.
The guards were bringing the scepter to Astrid as she smiled at Dagur. "Would you like the honor, my soon to be king?" Astrid invited.
Bolverk knew he'd need an element of surprise type of move, and he knew exactly how to pull it off. Watching for his moment, Bolverk saw it come when Astrid stepped away from Dagur as he went to reach his hand towards the scepter.
"I owe all this to you, Astrid…Finally, no one to stop me from getting what I want," Dagur grinned.
"Don't be so sure," A voice called. Dagur looked up to find the person, and immediately got smacked in the gut with a black blast of energy, which forced him back. Dagur coughed and cringed a bit to see Bolverk walking forward. "Now, now, brother…I'm sure I've told you before that your overconfident attitude is why you always fail in your plans,"
"Bolverk," Dagur glared.
"That's my name, don't wear it out," Bolverk folded his arms over his chest.
"Oh, are we going to fight now because I took your girl?" Dagur grinned, getting to his feet.
"Fight? Nah. You're not a challenge for me," Bolverk stated. "And she's still mine,"
"Aw, it's cute that think that," Dagur smirked. "Astrid, my love, bring me the scepter,"
"Of course," Astrid smiled, turning to give the box to him. Bolverk moved in front of her, so she couldn't look at Dagur.
"Astrid, don't give it to him," Bolverk said as she looked at him now.
"Beloved, our future awaits," Dagur said. Astrid's eyes shifted to look at Dagur again.
"Astrid. Astrid, look at me," Bolverk recalled her attention as she looked at him once more. Dagur shoved him a bit, now standing next to him.
"Eyes on me, love," Dagur smiled. "You love me, remember? He left you,"
"No, you don't," Bolverk countered as Astrid's eyes focused more on Bolverk now.
"Astrid…" Dagur said in a slightly warning tone. Astrid's eyes went to shift to look at Dagur again.
"Milady, please?" Bolverk put his hand on hers lightly, which stopped her from looking Dagur's way again.
"Astrid…" Dagur growled, but Astrid didn't even look at him.
"I want to show you something I've been holding onto," Bolverk informed as Astrid managed a nod as Bolverk shifted to be next to her, moving Dagur out of the way before holding up his palm and forming a small white blast and then turning his wrist outward, sending the blast forward. It created a white square as images came forward of Astrid and Bolverk when he brought her out of the water and were drying off.
Astrid put her hand on his as he looked at her. "Um, Bolverk…I told you that I loved you," She started. "Do you love me?"
Bolverk looked away from her. "I don't know what love feels like, Astrid,"
Astrid only smiled, holding his hand tighter as he looked back at her. "Maybe I can teach and show you,"
The images changed to the day of Astrid's coronation when they were in the carriage heading to the place for her crowning to be queen and she'd just finished the cookie that he made for her and Bolverk realized Astrid figured out that he spelled her because he liked her and didn't believe things would happen on their own.
"I suppose I should be thanking you. If you hadn't done what you did, I might not have seen how awful Thuggory was of a boyfriend. Heck, I found out my parents didn't even like him," Astrid revealed.
Bolverk blinked a bit. "Oh, uh…You're welcome, I think?" He said. "So…How long have you known?"
"Since our date in the Enchanted Cove. Your spell washed away when I went swimming. After you saved me, I questioned why I was there with you, and then it hit that you must have spelled me to love you if I was on a date with you. Everything from that night I found you and your friends making that drink came forward and it made sense," Astrid shrugged.
"Oh, so you've been…Faking everything since then," Bolverk wondered.
Astrid lifted his hand and slid her ring on his finger. A perfect fit. Their eyes met. "I haven't been faking anything, Bolverk," She leaned over and kissed his cheek as his eyes widened realizing that she actually did love him.
"What are you supposed to be showing her?" Dagur remarked. "All you're doing is revealing that she loved you with her everything and you obviously didn't return her feelings." He folded his arms over one another.
"SHUT UP!" Everyone else yelled at Dagur, glaring. Dagur mumbled a bit.
"I promise you will see in this last one what I want you to understand…" Bolverk told Astrid gently. There was one final image that showed. When Astrid went to Outcast Island to try and get Bolverk to come back, but he was telling her that he couldn't change who he was.
"Don't do this, Bolverk…" Astrid moved in, holding his hand and placing the ring in his palm. "Don't quit on us now, please?" Bolverk lifted the ring, looking over it. He smiled a bit, but it was a pained one. "The people love you, Bol…" She paused. "I love you," Bolverk met her blue eyes. "Don't you love me?"
Bolverk took Astrid's hand lightly, then set the ring in her palm, closing her hand around it and pushing her hand away lightly. "I have to remove myself because it's what's best for Archian Isle, and you…" His voice was betraying him by being shaky.
"Bolverk…" Astrid moved to step closer to him. "No, please?" But Bolverk put his hands up for her to stop.
"Astrid…I'm sorry," Bolverk told her, trying to keep his composure up so it wouldn't fall and he wouldn't break in front of her at how much it hurt to let her go. "But I can't do this…" Astrid's eyes widened in a bit of shock and sadness as Bolverk backed up more and picked up his art things. "You should go, Astrid…" Bolverk moved back to the wall and turned to still see Astrid there. "Please leave, Astrid…Please go…" Bolverk pleaded. "Go home…And don't come back here again." He stated in the firmest, coldest voice he could manage before turning his back to her, to keep working on the art piece. Astrid took a few steps back before facing the exit and leaving.
Bolverk sighed with a shaky breath, his forehead against the wall, and his eyes were closed. Without warning, Bolverk's left hand on the wall turned into a fist, and he punched right through it. Bolverk pulled his fist out, looking over to see it now scratched up and bleeding a little. Sharpshot, Toothless, and Drago all looked at each other, then back at Bolverk, who uncurled his fist and turned so his back would be to the call, head against lazily and sort of looking upward. "A million thoughts, in my head…Should I let my heart keep listening?" He started singing as his lips quivered, and tears began forming in his eyes. "I know its time to say goodbye…So hard to let go…" His voice broke as the tears finally fell and he closed his eyes before he slid down to the floor, knees up to his chest, arms wrapped around them, and burying his head against his kneecaps. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" He whispered and continued to cry softly. Sharpshot and Toothless moved to find the best place to be against Bolverk to comfort him. After a moment, Lizard Drago also came over and got on Bolverk's shoulder, settling down there and lightly wrapping his tail as much as he could to reach the other side, sort of like a hug.
Bolverk closed his hand as the visions faded, he could feel everyone being shocked about what was seen, but Bolverk didn't care that he revealed the fight on Outcast Island where he left Astrid. And he didn't care they saw him break down over letting her go. Bolverk did it for a reason, and now it was time to break the spell by admitting that he did love her.
"Astrid…" Bolverk got her attention as she looked at him and Bolverk saw just the slightest spark in her eyes when he took her hand in his. It was just like the day they met, and there was something there as soon as they touched. "I left because I felt like I couldn't fit into the life you wanted us to have together. I felt like you deserved better, someone who could be what you needed at your side. I left because I didn't want you to wake up one day and realize I wasn't the guy you needed me to be. I didn't want you to end up hurt from believing I could change into what you wanted and needed." Bolverk paused. "I thought you wanted me to change to fit into the life you have and I realized I couldn't be anything other than what I am."
Bolverk stared into her eyes, facing her now. "But I was wrong because you already saw in me what I didn't see in myself or believe I could be. And that shows me what you've always known and seen. That's me. That's the real me." Bolverk motioned to the painting and Astrid looked at it. "I see now that you've always seen who I really am, and that I never needed to try to fit in because you fell in love with me just the way I am. And Astrid, you've always believed in me, in us, and everything we can be…" Bolverk paused as he took the box with the scepter in it away from her and handed it off to the guard standing there. "Astrid…" Bolverk looked in her eyes when she faced him again after he'd taken the box. "I never told you that I love you because I didn't know what love felt like until the day I let you go when I thought I wasn't good enough and it was what was best for you. I didn't know what love was until you were gone and the pain I felt in my heart made me punch a wall, hit the floor, and cry…"
Bolverk wrapped an arm around her waist and put his other hand on her cheek. "But I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. I'm not going to run away. I'm not gonna let you go. Astrid. I know what love feels like now because you taught and showed me with yours for me from the very beginning," Bolverk caressed her cheek and leaned in closer with a smile. "I love you, Astrid…Milady, I've always loved you," Bolverk moved in all the way, capturing her lips with his own in a passionate, deep kiss. Astrid closed her eyes the same time Bolverk had and had already shifted herself into a position to accept the kiss as Bolverk had leaned in all the way to give her one. Dagur's eyes widened and everyone else just went awe at the sight.
After a few moments, Bolverk broke the action and pulled away slowly as Astrid opened her eyes and looked into Bolverk's green ones, smiling. "Bolverk…" She said gently.
"The one and only, Milady," Bolverk smiled back as he leaned in again, pressing his forehead to hers as Astrid's arms went around his waist. The scene now was the spitting image of Astrid's painting, minus the crown on Bolverk's head and the slight differences in clothes he was wearing. The scene of true love.
