The Joys and Woes of Love
It was another day in the Rowan lands as the castle staff bustled about. As they went the Princess, awake, and particularly lively this morning, was weaving her way past the staff. The princess had a smile on her face that she'd been wearing almost nonstop for a week. From what the castle could gather the Princess had found herself a lover. They couldn't help but wonder which of her suitors she was meeting in secret.
Merida snatched an apple from a basket being carried by one of her subjects before vaulting over the rails of the stairs and landing on a tall candleholder. It tipped over and she rode it down before landing on the floor.
She dashed out to the stables before saddling up Angus. She climbed atop him and began riding out. She rode past the castle gates and to the forests surrounding her home. She smiled as Angus' hooves beat against the ground, mimicking the rapid thumping of her heart as she thought of seeing her lover.
She veered off the main trail and toward her secret spot. She soon came to the clearing and found Hiccup already there, sitting against the tree as he waited for her. He looked up, greeting her with forest green eyes as she leapt down off Angus and to the ground.
He stood up as she rushed to him. They embraced and she greeted him with a heated kiss, arms around his neck and pulling him down while she rose up on her toes. She pulled away, smiling and face flushed. He smiled back as he unfurled his wings and wrapped them around her.
She sighed, sagging into him as they slowly lowered themselves to the ground. Soon Hiccup was sitting back against the tree. Merida sat in front of him, leaning back against his chest as he wrapped his arms and wings around her.
They sat in silence before Merida began to ask him questions. They'd been doing this for the past week, learning about each other. She had many questions about him, and Hiccup was more than willing to tell her.
He was 200 years old. Still relatively young for a faye. He came from a place far to the north, where the seas froze over and it snowed and hailed year round. His people were like him, all winged and able to take to the skies. The blood of dragons flowed through their veins.
Besides his wings Hiccup had shown her two sets of retractable claws on both his hands and a set of sharp teeth that could slide out over his normal ones and a forked tongue. Around his shoulders and back were patches of scales, a dark shimmering blue that looked almost black. Merida loved them, thought they were beautiful, and it didn't hurt that she'd gotten a glimpse of his lean and toned body when he'd shown them to her.
His eyes were also unique, able to shift from a forest to an acid green, sometimes thin like a reptile's, and sometimes normal.
"Salmon?" Merida asked with a laugh.
"It's good," Hiccup said with a chuckle. "How about you?"
"Cakes. Filled with honey or jams," Merida answered as she told him of her favorite food.
"That does sound delicious," he conceded.
"Maybe one day you'll get to taste them," she said casually. She felt Hiccup tense and he didn't say anything in response. "Ok, I have another question Hiccup," she said.
"Go ahead."
Merida turned her head, playful smile tugging at her lips as she stared into her eyes. "How long has it been since you've been with a woman?"
Hiccup swallowed as his face began to flush and heat up. "It...been a while," he admitted shyly. Merida shifted around in his hold until she was sitting in his lap.
She began to kiss at his neck. His body shuddered and his wings closed around her. "How long?" she asked again.
"About 150 years," he finally answered.
Merida pulled away to gape at him in horror. Hiccup blushed as she stared at him, wide eyed.
"One hundred and fifty years!?" Merida cried in shock.
"I told you it's been a while," he said with a shrug.
"Hiccup that's awful!" Merida cried. For a faye to go without sex...it was like going without the sun. Merida narrowed her eyes in determination, deciding that this travesty would not stand if she had anything to say about it. She suddenly began grabbing at Hiccup's armor.
Hiccup threw his hands up. "Wha-What are you doing?" he squeaked out.
"Trying to take your armor off," she answered in frustration as her fingers fumbled at the straps. "How the bloody hell do you-"
Hiccup suddenly grabbed at her hands and stopped her. She looked up at him in confusion. "I don't want to have sex Merida," he said.
Merida flinched back as if she'd been struck.
"I mean not right now," Hiccup corrected.
Merida blinked and cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Why?" she asked. For a faye to reject an offer of sex was unheard of. And she was admittedly rather insulted by his lack of willingness.
"It just doesn't feel right," he said. "Just not yet."
Merida couldn't help but pout, put off by his rejection. In one last attempt to change his mind she crossed her arms under her breasts and pushed her chest out. "Are you sure?" She was also tempted to use glamour, but felt that might be a little beneath her.
"Yes," he said, after his eyes flicked down appreciatively to her chest.
Merida frowned, but relented with a low, "Ok."
With that she shifted around to lean back against him. She grabbed his arms and wrapped them around her waist before pulling his wings tighter around her. She relaxed into him, still a tad upset, but not wanting it to ruin their time together.
"He didn't want to have sex with you?" Rapunzel asked in surprise.
"Yes. He just...rejected me," Merida told her friend as they sat in her room. Rapunzel had come for a visit, and to ask how Merida's relationship with Hiccup was going. She was happy to hear that Merida was enjoying her time with her new lover, and surprised that the two of them hadn't had sex yet.
Merida huffed as she changed into her night dress. She went to her bed and sat down with a huff. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled to herself. Rapunzel sat on the bed and watched her.
"I don't know...maybe he just doesn't want to push you?" she offered. Merida looked to her with an arched brow. "I mean you always have men throwing themselves at you...maybe he just doesn't want to be one of them."
"But I offered it to him," Merida said grumpily. She pouted like a child. "What's the point in having a lover if he doesn't want you?"
"I'm sure he does Merida," Rapunzel countered in Hiccup's defense.
With a huff Merida laid down on her bed. She blew out the candle on her nightstand and pulled the blankets up. Rapunzel came in behind her, arms snaking around her waist before dipping lower.
"Rapunzel," Merida said flatly.
"Just kidding," Rapunzel said as she pulled her hands back.
While mostly very free spirited about sex, infidelity was highly frowned upon by the faye unless some kind of agreement was formed. And now that Merida had become lovers with Hiccup she considered herself his, and thus no one else was allowed to touch her. Even her best friend.
As Merida drifted off to sleep she became determined to seduce Hiccup the next day.
As the sun rose on the next day Merida dressed and packed up to spend the entire day with Hiccup. She packed some food, adding some pastries for Hiccup to try, and then checked over her appearance.
She wore a green dress that was cut low around her chest and tightened with crisscrossing laces. Her dress was long but with a high slit cut in the side for her left leg. She smiled at herself as she rocked her hips from side to side. The dress accentuated her figure, and the green really brought out the fiery red in her hair.
With one last smile, and the confidence that she'd soon seduce her lover, she set out. The staff greeted her as she made her way to the stables. Though she heard one of them calling for her. At the mention of her mother Merida pretended not to hear as she picked up the pace, quickly saddling up Angus before pushing him hard out of the castle and to the forest.
She rode past her secret place, heading to Hiccup's home. It took a few hours of riding to get there, but soon enough she was moving through a dead dim forest. She made straight for Hiccup's mountain, riding into a cave that he'd shown her.
She steered Angus inside, coming into a small cavern. The floor was covered in moss, and a stack of hay and a large basis of water was placed at a wall. She smiled in appreciation, knowing that he'd done this for Angus. She jumped down and unsaddled Angus, giving his neck a rub as she led him to the basin of water and hay. As the horse bent down to take a drink she began making her way toward the tunnel that she knew led up to the forge.
She took the ascending, curving, twisting tunnels until she could eventually hear the crackling of fires up ahead and the orange glow of the forge's flames. She entered the forge, but found no Hiccup. She frowned to herself before looking around to see what he was working on.
She came to his workbench, finding wood shaving and a few newly carved arrow shafts. Upon closer inspection, she even found her name carved into them in runic. She smiled in appreciation before glancing over to find a few arrowheads, gleaming and new, and sharpened to a point.
"Like them milady?"
Merida yelped in surprise before whirling around to find Hiccup behind her. He gave her a lopsided grin. She relaxed, but narrowed her eyes at him.
"Don't you know it's impolite to sneak up on a unsuspecting lass?" she chastised.
Hiccup stared into her eyes and took a step closer. Merida took a step back until her backside bumped against his workbench.
"Its also impolite to enter a person's home without permission," he countered.
"I had permission. You invited me," Merida retorted as she held his gaze.
Hiccup chuckled as he placed his hand on either side of her slim waist. He bent down and her eyes began to droop before their lips met. Merida hummed happily as he suddenly lifted her up and placed her atop the workbench.
Merida wrapped her arms around his neck and extended her legs to wrap them around his waist and pull him closer to her. His hands came around to meet at the small of her back. His tongue grazed her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth to allow his tongue entry into her mouth.
Merida moaned as his forked tongue moved inside her mouth, caressing her own. She welcomed it, eyes closed as she rubbed it against his, trying to encourage him deeper.
All too soon he pulled away. They were both breathless, Merida's face was flushed and she smiled at him seductively. "Quite the greeting," she teased.
He chuckled, brushing some hair out of her face. "I missed you," he said with a shrug.
"I missed you too," she said honestly. She had, and found it curious how she could long to see someone so strongly after only a few hours apart.
His eyes drifted down, stopping at her breasts that were partly visible through the lacings. Merida smirked to herself. "Like my dress?" she asked coyly.
Hiccup took a step back to take a better look at it. Her smile grew as she leaned back, jutting her chest out a trailing a finger over her exposed thigh. She held his gaze and rubbed small circles on her exposed skin with her fingers, hoping it'd entice him to do the same.
His eyes raked up and down her form and she could see the flash of hunger and desire in his eyes. But a moment later the embers in his eyes were extinguished. He swallowed and cleared his throat before slowly forcing his gaze upward and to her face.
"It looks good on you," he said with a smile and a nod.
Merida let out a breath, "Thanks."
"I see you found the new arrows I was working on," he said as he made his way over to the table and picked up one of the heads.
"You know you don't have to make them for me anymore," Merida pointed out.
"I like to," Hiccup said quickly. "I want to," he added lowly. "I like it when you smile for me, because of them," he said, a little red.
Merida reached a hand out and placed it against the side of his face. He turned toward her and she showed him her best smile, "I'll smile whenever you want me to. And you're the only man who's luckily enough to see it."
He smiled back he placed a hand over hers and kissed her palm.
"So what do you want to do?" Hiccup asked her.
Merida pulled her hand back and shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me. I just came to spend time with you," she told him.
"Well it'd be boring to just watch me work," he said. He suddenly grinned playfully, his eyes gleaming in excitement. "But I have an idea."
Hiccup held Merida's hand as he led her to the large cavern with the opening in the ceiling. Light filtered in from the outside and he stood directly under it with her.
"So what did you have in mind?" she asked curiously.
Hiccup's wings unfurled and spread. Merida couldn't help but gasp, like she always did, as they spread out to their full length. His wingspan was nearly 15 feet across. And his wings were so gorgeous.
"Do you want to touch the sky?"
Merida's eyes snapped back to his face in surprise. "Wha?" she asked softly.
"Do you want to fly?" he clarified.
Merida felt her heart began to race. She'd always wondered what it would be like to fly. The only thing she could think of as coming close to it was riding with Angus. But what would it be like to truly soar?
"Merida?" Hiccup asked as he awaited her answer.
She stood there in silence, suddenly afraid of the unknown. It was so unlike her. She clenched her fists and looked up. Head held high and shoulders back, trying to show confidence and the bravery he loved.
"Yes," she finally answered.
Suddenly Hiccup lunged toward, and before she knew it she was lifted off the ground. She let out a shout as she felt her stomach lurch. She pressed herself against him and listened, hearing his wings beat against the air, feeling his body shift and muscles move as he climbed.
"Merida. Look," she heard him say. She hesitantly peeked an eye open. She looked to his face first and was met with his reassuring smile, a silent promise that he'd never let her come to harm.
With a nervous swallow she finally glanced down. She found that that they were above his home, suspended in the air by the powerful downward beating of Hiccup's wings. She found the breath stolen from her, the feeling of actually touching the sky far beyond anything she'd ever imagined.
"Hang on," Hiccup suddenly said. Her stomach dropped as Hiccup let them fall. She let out a scream at the feeling of gravity taking hold. All the while she heard Hiccup laugh as he wrapped his wings around her and began to spin. She became dizzy and surrounded by blackness until he opened them again.
His wings caught the air and they came out of their dive to go flying over the trees of the grey forest below. Merida had opened her eyes again, she gasped for air as she looked down at the trees passing below them.
Hiccup smiled, holding her in his arms as he set course for a more familiar setting. Soon enough they were flying over miles of green and red.
"The Rowan Lands," Merida breathed out in wonder. She could recognize her home anywhere. And yet at the same time it looked so different. She'd grown up in these lands, exploring its forests, scaling it's hills and peaks, and swimming its lakes and rivers. Yet she'd never been able to see it like this in all its entirety, and suddenly it was all brand new and more amazing than it had ever been.
Hiccup flew them to a mountain, toward a massive stone peak jutting out of the ground that she knew all too well. With a sweep of his wings Hiccup landed at the top of the firefalls. He set Merida down and held onto her as the sun began to set just so, turning the water falling from the mountain a shade of red that set them ablaze.
Merida laughed, the sight never getting old. She stepped forward, out of Hiccup's arms to cup her hands and collect some water. She drank from the firefalls, the water cool and crisp on her tongue before looking back to Hiccup.
He was smiling at her, wings wrapped around himself and staring at her with obvious affection. She gave him a smile back before closing the distance to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him.
Her suitors had been showering her with gifts for decades. Swords, jewelry, beasts, and treasures of unparalleled beauty.
But none of those things put together came close to the amazing gift Hiccup had provided her.
The feeling of falling in love with her home all over again.
They spent a few more hours flying before Hiccup became winded. At Merida's insistence he'd landed and they'd taken to walking around. The explored the hills of the Rowan Lands, with Merida holding onto his arm as they walked.
"Thank you Hiccup," she whispered to him.
"I take it you liked flying?" Hiccup asked.
"Aye. It was truly wonderful."
"I'm glad."
"Hiccup?"
"Yes?"
"Why do you live in that dead forest?" Merida suddenly asked.
Hiccup came to a stop. "It's just my home," he said with a shrug.
"But you're all alone," Merida pointed out. "And it's grey and dim."
"I prefer being alone," Hiccup muttered quietly.
Merida suddenly released his arm. She looked at him with her hands on her hips and an offended look in her eye. "Oh ye do? So does spending time with me an arduous task?"
"I didn't mean it like that," Hiccup said quickly. He took a step forward and placed his hands at her hips. He was thankful she didn't withdraw from his touch, but she still looked upset. "I meant that most faye don't take as kindly to my leg as you have."
Merida blinked before glancing down at the metal limb. "Oh," she said in realization.
"Yeah. I tend to get stares and looks of...well bad looks," he said. "So I find it easier to be alone. No one to judge me. No one to look at me like I'm...wrong," he said, his voice quiet and laced with sadness.
"You aren't wrong," Merida told him as she wrapped her arms around his back and embraced him. "People are just dumb. You're amazing," she said firmly.
"I'm glad you think so," he said. He gave her a kiss atop her crown before they continued on. As they were walking they came to a river. And surrounding it were a small series of pools.
Merida smiled. "Oh a swim sounds lovely," she said. She looked to Hiccup who began to blush at the notion of swimming, which would mean having to get naked. Merida released his arm and went up to a pool. She removed a boot and extended her leg to dip a toe in.
As soon as it did she immediately recoiled with a small shriek. "Bloody hell it's freezing!" she cried.
Hiccup laughed. "Well that's too bad Princess. This is a river, not a hot spring," Hiccup told her.
Merida sighed sadly in disappointment. "Aye," she said. Hiccup took note of the disappointment in her eye as she stared down at the pool. He hated to see it.
With a breath in defeat he walked forward. He stood before the pool and took a deep breath. He released a breath through his nose, letting smoke waft out from his nostrils as he stoked his inner flames.
He opened his mouth and made a rasping noise. Merida stared at him in confusion as Hiccup began releasing a guttural noise from the back of his throat. It was like he was trying to cough up something. She was about to ask him if he was ok, only to notice the faint glow coming from his mouth.
Suddenly Hiccup through his head forward a flash of something purple shot out at the water from his mouth. Suddenly the water began to hiss and a small bit of steam began to drift upward. Merida watched in amazement as he took another breath.
He released it again, this time releasing a small stream of purple fire that began to heat the water. After a few seconds of this Hiccup stopped. He cleared and rubbed at his throat before looking to her.
"Try it now," he said as he gestured to the pool.
Merida looked to the pool and dipped a toe in. She broke into a wide smile as she found the pool to be at nice warm temperature, perfect for bathing.
She looked to him in delight. "You didn't tell me you could breath fire."
Hiccup shrugged. "Blood of dragons," he reminded her.
Merida wrinkled her nose at his nonchalance attitude before looking to the pools. "Shall we then?" She began to undress, pulling her dress over her head and tossing it to the ground. She slowly began to descend into the pools before submerging up to her neck. SHe closed her eyes and dipped her head back while releasing a content sigh.
"Oh this is wonderful," she said aloud. She stood up, hair wet and plastered to the back of her head before glancing to Hiccup, only to find he wasn't joining her. "Hiccup, aren't you coming in?"
Hiccup was sitting at the edge of the pool, his wing extended and acting as a shield to keep him from seeing her. She couldn't help but stare at him in confusion. Did he somehow think he wasn't allowed to look?
"No thanks...I'm good," Hiccup croaked out.
Merida frowned. "So you mean I have to bathe alone? Wet? Naked?" she asked suggestively, trying to entice him to join her.
"I'll stand guard," Hiccup told her.
Merida frowned again. She sank back into the pool before making her way over to the edge. "Hiccup. I want you to come in with me," Merida said clearly.
"Maybe another time," Hiccup said.
Merida stared at him, dumbfounded that he'd once again refused such an offer from her. Was there something wrong with her? Why didn't he want to be with her more intimately? Hiccup loved kissing. He loved holding and caressing her. So why wasn't he jumping at these opportunities she was so openly offering him?
"Fine," Merida muttered sourly, intent on at least trying to enjoy her bath. She turned her back to him, running her hands through her hair and splashing her face. She could glance back occasionally to see if Hiccup were at least looking at her, only to find he kept his wings firmly between them.
His lack of interest and being ignored eventually made her get out of the water. "I guess we should head back to your home so I can get Angus. I need to get back to the castle before mum starts sending out the royal guard to search for me," she said as she retrieved went to retrieve her dress.
"Ok," Hiccup said. He lowered his wings ever so slightly to see if she'd dressed yet, only to freeze at the sight of the Princess' naked body. Merida's body was slim, but lithe, athletic, but feminine. Her shoulders were covered in freckles and her waist was slim, yet with well proportioned hips.
She was beautiful.
Hiccup's heart began to pound in his ears at the sight of her. His eyes changed from their forest green to their acidic shade. His pupils narrowed into slits as he stood up. He closed the distance, grabbing her by the shoulder before whipping her around.
Merida released a slight yelp in surprise as she was spun before squeaking as Hiccup's lips were suddenly and insistently pressing against her own. She blinked at the suddenness of the kiss before beginning to return it, only for him to pull away.
She stared into his suddenly feral looking eyes in confusion as he held her by the arms.
Hiccup on the other hand was staring at her face before his eyes drifted down. He took in all over her. To the soft skin of her throat, to the swell of her breasts, the dip of her navel, and the muscle tone in her legs.
Hiccup felt his sharp teeth slide out over his regular ones as he eyed her throat and shoulders. He wanted to bite her, leave his mark so as to alert all contenders that she was his. He wanted to hear her voice, whispering in his ear as he drove her to the edge. He wanted to watch her chest rise and fall as he made her gasp for breath.
It'd been so long since he'd been with a woman, he hadn't realized how desperate he was for this.
And she was willing. He could smell it. She wouldn't turn him away, or stop him. Not like the other women he'd met in his near century alone.
He could finally have her like he'd fantasized about for so long.
Merida waited in silence as Hiccup held her. She was confused by his demeanor. HIs eyes were their dangerous reptilian color and shade. His normally sheathed teeth her out and his claws were extended. And he was looking at her with such a hunger, it was almost like he wanted to devour her.
But suddenly he closed his eyes and took a breath. And when he opened them they were back to normal. He released her and took a step back before turning around.
"Let's get you home," he said as he kept his back firmly to her.
Merida's heart was still thudding in her chest before she muttered a soft, "Ok." Then she began to get dressed.
Soon they were in the air and Hiccup took them back to his mountain. She went down to the cavern where Angus was and saddled him up before leaping atop him. She was about to ride off alone, only for Hiccup to insist that he'd follow her from the sky.
She tried rejecting his offer, but gave up when he told her, "It'd make me feel better."
Touched by his concern she let him do as he wanted. She rode through the dark of the night, knowing that Hiccup was watching her from the skies. She rode back into her lands before heading toward the castle. She rode through the gates and brought Angus to a slow trot before looking up.
She made out a black dot flying before the moon before it veered off and away. She smiled to herself before directing Angus to the stables where she watered and brushed him off for the night before heading up to her room.
That night she lay in bed, but she couldn't get the image of Hiccup's look out of her mind. It's how she wanted him to look at her. Perhaps not all the time, she also like the looks of affection and tenderness. But there were times she wanted passion, want, lust.
And that last look had been filled with such an intenseness that it'd sparked something inside. She rubbed her thighs together as her mind refused to let her sleep. With a sigh her hands began trailing downward to her nether regions.
She closed her and let her mind take her away, to a place that wasn't her room. To a moment when her hands weren't her own.
And to a time where those eyes would be gazing into her own.
new chap.
