Hi? So I'm alive?

I've been busy as heck in college but I looked at the last time I updated (for any story) and it was literally April... my bad.

BUT... I've been writing like crazy because college schedules are now a thing in my life (yay!) so expect updates soon!


I arrive back home just in time for lunch, and walk in to the sight of my father and Austen's parents sitting together at our kitchen table. They suddenly stop talking when they hear the front door creak open and turn towards me.

"Uhhh what's going on?" I ask, looking towards my dad for some clue as to why Austen's parents would be at our house. He just looked back at me with a shrug.

"Perfect timing Hicca, I was about to ask them that myself." He says, motioning for me to sit in the empty chair next to him.

"Well," Helga says, patting Asmund's leg briefly "we wanted to talk to your dad about a potential… arrangement between our families."

This can't be good.

"Well… What kind of 'arrangement' are you talking about." I ask them, glancing towards my dad to see him looking as clueless as I felt and thinking about it, I probably looked as clueless as him.

"A marriage arrangement." Asmund says, looking towards my dad with a gleam in his eye.

WHAT

"I'm sorry. Excuse me? A what?!" I ask, looking between Helga, Asmund and my dad.

"A marriage arrangement." Helga says, "It wouldn't be for now of course; Maybe in a couple of years. But it would be a way for us to make sure that both of our families have heirs and a way to ensure an heir to chief hood for the village." She turns to my dad.

"Stoick you have to admit this is a good idea." Asmund says looking at my dad before gesturing to me, "Hicca is your only child. You don't have any other way of producing an heir."

"Okay while that is certainly a special idea, I think you have forgotten about the person who will actually be affected by this! Me? And what about Austen? Has he agreed to this?" I ask, standing up and looking at Helga. She gets up also and puts a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to calm me down.

I swear if that whole talk at the cove was just an attempt to make me agree to this, I'm gonna-

"Well… no. But we haven't told him yet. I'm sure once we do-" Helga says before I cut her off.

Oh… nevermind then

"You haven't told him yet? So you've literally just walked in here and proposed a marriage arrangement without asking EITHER ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD GET MARRIED?"

"Hicca." My dad says, quieting us both down. When I look at him, he gestures towards the front door. With a nod, I follow him outside. As soon as the door closes, I snap.

"Come on dad! You can't actually be thinking about saying yes to this! I just talked to Austen; He didn't mention this at all. At least let me ask him if he knew about this. Just give me some time. A week! A week is all I ask." I plead.

After a long moment of us staring at each other, he drops his gaze with a sigh and nods.

"Fine. Talk to Austen. I'll give you a week. But in a week, I expect you to have an answer." With that settled, we go back inside.

"Okay. Here is what Hicca and I have decided." My dad stares at Helga.

"Hicca is going to speak to Austen." Helga opens her mouth to speak but he just lifts a hand and she stops. "I'm giving her a week to decide what she wants to do. She will have the final say in this. Not you." With that he walks over to the front door and gestures for them to leave.

As soon as they do, he turns to me with a smile.

"So what do you want for lunch?"

Really...


After a very quiet lunch where my dad and I just stare awkwardly at each other. I leave to go find Austen.

I walk through the village until I see him talking to Snotlout by the Great Hall. As soon as I see Snotlout, I freeze and immediately regret looking for Austen now. I turn around and go right back home.

"Hicca?" I hear Austen shout after me. I keep walking and don't turn around but I hear him say goodbye to Snotlout and then the sound of feet coming towards me. I speed up in an attempt to avoid him but hear his footsteps pick up and realize that I have talk to him. With a sigh, I slow down and that's all it takes for Austen to catch up to me and come around to face me with a smile.

"Hey why did you turn around and leave like that?" He asks with a head tilt.

"You were by Snotlout." I say wondering why he even asked that.

"So? Why are you avoiding him?"

"Really?" At his clueless look, I continue, "Well, Snotlout has been bullying basically since we could walk. I at least try to avoid that when I can."

"Oh…" He trails off, unsure how to respond.

Well this conversation isn't going how I planned. What did I want to say? Oh! The marriage thingy.

"Anyway, have you talked to your parents recently?" I ask, trying to see if he had been told about it within the time I was eating with my dad.

"No, why? Have you been talking to my parents?" He asks with a weird look on his face.

"Well I didn't have a choice but yes I have been. They were at my house when I went home."

"Why would they be at your house?" He asks but it seems like he's just thinking out loud so I don't answer him.

'm about to tell him but notice how many people are watching us. At least they're all trying to look like they're not but they're vikings; they suck at it.

I look back at Austen to see him still deep in thought so I tap his wrist and say in a quiet tone. "This isn't something we should talk about with this many people watching. Meet me behind my house in five minutes." With that I walk off. As soon as I do, I realise how bad that sounded and wince but keep walking.

I make it to my house and wait two minutes before Austen comes walking up, trying to be casual but his beet red face says he's anything but casual.

"So Hicca," he says, clearing his throat and leaning against the wood piled behind my house for the fires, "what did you wanna talk about?"

I simply look at him for a second, taking in how the Austen Hofferson is nervous before deciding to just say it.

"Apparently your parents want us to get married." I say bluntly, watching for his reaction. I was not disappointed. He freezes up and stares at me. He then starts sputtering unintelligibly before falling forwards from leaning on the house in a dead faint.


Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

I wanna start doing a question of the chapter thing so first question issssss...

Where are you guys from?

I've been wondering for a while now where my readers are from so don't forget to leave a review!

P.S. I don't expect you to write your city (if you don't want) but like country wise I'm curious

~Night Fury's Avenger