Chapter 43: Eira's Choice

After all the action that evening, Dagur decided to hold his ceremony the following morning and invited the dragon riders to spend the night on Berserker Island. Eira and Ingrid stayed with Dagur and Heather in their hut while the others made alternative accommodations. Snotlout only protested a little before leaving the sisters.

Eira felt exhausted, but she needed to talk to Dagur. She left Ingrid in the room they would be sharing and followed Dagur into his own room. As soon as he closed the door, the chief gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry everything was ruined today," he said. "I wanted to impress you, but I messed up."

Eira shook her head. "It wasn't your fault."

"But I should have known Savage was up to no good."

Eira moved closer to him and offered him a small smile. "You gave him a chance. That's a good thing. With time, you'll learn how to tell when someone is sincere."

The distress did not leave Dagur's face. "But I put you in danger. I should have-"

"Dagur!" Eira rested her hands on the upper part of his arms. "It's fine. I'm fine. I'm just glad you're alright. I was really worried about you."

Dagur's eyes flashed in surprise. "Really?"

Eira smiled. "Of course. And you were very brave. I think you're a great chief."

Dagur grinned. "Thanks, Eira. You were pretty brave too. You would fit in well here." He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Then he paused as if to ask for permission.

Eira noticed his eyes flicker to her lips, and she wondered why he did not kiss her. Then she remembered; it was her turn to initiate. She moved her arms to around his neck so she could push his head down and meet his lips with her own. She felt him smile as he kissed her back; it gave her the euphoric feeling she was beginning to love.

Eira pressed her body against his, but his armor felt cold an uncomfortable. Dagur pulled back and frowned slightly. "Let me fix that," he said. He quickly removed the armor, revealing his loose, brown shirt. "Better?"

Eira smiled. She gripped the fabric and pulled him to her. "Yes." Her hands found his hair as she kissed him again. She closed her eyes in bliss, enjoying the moment.

Dagur gently pushed her backwards until her legs hit his bed. He lifted her up and set her on the bed, allowing them to be at the same height. He held her tightly to him and deepened the kiss. Needing more, Eira pushed his head harder against hers while she wrapped her legs around his waist. Dagur grunted in approval. When she started to lean back, he climbed onto the bed and pushed her down so he was on top of her.

Eira gasped when he kissed her neck. He must have taken this as a sign of disapproval, for he stated to pull back. "No, don't stop," she protested. "Dagur..." She sighed in contentment when he resumed. She liked this feeling. Perhaps a little too much.

Dagur returned to her lips, and she slipped her arms around his back. He became more heated, but she made no move to stop him. Finally, he broke away, breathing heavily. "Eira," he said in a low voice, "if we continue, I won't be able to stop."

Eira's first instinct was to say she did not mind, but then her reason took over. Her eyes widened, and she pulled her arms down to her sides. "Right. Thanks."

Dagur rolled onto his back beside her. "I'm sorry."

Eira closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. "I'm the one who started it."

"But I should have stopped it."

Eira opened her eyes and rolled to the side to look at him. "But you did." She gave him a soft smile. When he smiled in return, she felt her desire grow. "I should get back to Ingrid." She slowly got up from the bed, and Dagur followed suit.

"Good night, Eira."

She resisted the urge to look back at him one last time. "Good night, Dagur." She took a moment to breathe deeply and regain her composure before scurrying into the room with Ingrid.

"Have fun?" her sister said with a small smirk from her spot on the bed.

Eira flushed. "Uh, yeah. I don't want to talk about it. It's been a long day." Thankfully, Ingrid did not push the matter.

As she lied in bed, Eira thought about everything that had occurred. If Dagur had not said anything, she might not have stopped him, and that scared her. She felt like she was losing control. She needed to figure this out quickly.

Everyone woke up early for the ceremony in the morning. Ingrid sat next to Eira, who still would not say much to her. She was curious about what happened the previous night, but she knew she had to wait to interrogate her sister.

"Shut up!" Dagur shouted to gain control of the crowd. "This trophy goes to the most deserving Viking in the land, a Viking that exemplifies what it truly means to be a Berserker."

"It's fake anyway," Snotlout muttered from the other side of Eira. "I don't care."

Dagur turned to Gustav, standing on the stage. "Unfortunately, it's not you, Gusthat." He looked out onto the crowd. "Snotlout, get up here and take what is rightfully yours."

Snotlout looked around in surprise. Eira smiled and gently nudged him. "Go on," she said.

Snotlout raced onto the stage and accepted the trophy - a gold statue of Dagur's head - from Dagur. "Oh, Thor!" he exclaimed while the crowd cheered. He smirked at a dejected Gustav. "Welcome to the Hat family, pal."

"Yeah!" Ingrid cheered along with the crowd. "All right! Snotlout!"

Snotlout grinned at Dagur. "Oh, my Thor! You like me, you really like me!"

Ingrid smiled at the scene. She was glad to see the two of them finally get along. She was impressed with both of them, which made her job all the more difficult. At least she knew Eira would end up with a good man no matter who she chose.

While everyone crowded around Snotlout, Ingrid made her way to Gustav. "Hey, cheer up," she said. "Your time will come. You just need to grow up a bit."

Gustav looked her up and down. "Aren't you the same age as me?"

Ingrid shrugged. "Girls mature faster than boys." She faced the crowd and pushed past everyone to reach Snotlout. "Hey, congratulations."

Snotlout smiled at her. "Thanks, Ingrid! There was never really any doubt."

Ingrid chuckled. "Right." Next, she made her way over to Dagur. "That was really great what you did there."

Dagur brightened at the praise. "Really? Was it chiefly?"

Ingrid smiled. "Very. Thank you for hosting us. I had fun getting to know your island."

Dagur grinned. "You're welcome back any time."

Ingrid was glad everything turned out well. After the commotion died down, the dragon riders flew back to Dragon's Edge. Snotlout held his head high as he clutched his trophy.

"Well, Snotlout, pretty pleased with yourself, huh?" Hiccup said.

"To be named the baddest, smartest, craziest Viking in and outside the archipelago?" Snotlout said. "Uh, yeah. And I got the proof right here." He held up the trophy. "Yeah!" Suddenly, he frowned and brought the trophy closer to his face. "What?! 'Snotknuckles?!' He wrote 'Snotknuckles?!'"

Eira burst out laughing. Soon, everyone else followed. Snotlout grumbled to himself. He stared at the trophy in distaste and then tossed it into the ocean. It seemed like Dagur was the one who won the day in the end.

"I believe I have enough information to help you make your decision," Ingrid declared as the sisters entered Eira's hut a few days after visiting Berserker Island.

Eira's heart immediately started hammering, and she smiled nervously. "Really?" They sat on her bed and faced each other.

"You know I'm not going to tell you who to choose, right?"

Eira twisted her hands around in her lap. "It would be easier if you did."

Ingrid gave her a pointed look. "If I made the wrong choice, you would resent me for the rest of your life. Besides, I don't think you could guy wrong with either guy. There are certain problems that could occur with each of them, and I just want to bring them up to make sure you have thought this through."

Eira nodded. That made sense. "Okay. Let's do this."

"Keep in mind that this decision is not final. You don't have to marry the guy you choose. It's fine if you decide things aren't working out along the way. Just don't expect the other guy to be waiting for you - he may have moved on."

"Right."

Ingrid smiled. "So, we can start with Snotlout. The main problem with him is the anxiety issues you described. Is there anything in particular you're worried about?"

Eira took a moment to reflect on her answer. "At first, I worried that he would overreact to finding out that I'm a princess - and he did, really. I feared he would become too interested in the title and fail to see me as a person. But now I think he's capable of being interested in both."

"I agree. It seems to me the title and everything that comes with it is another reason for him to like you. I've found no evidence that he doesn't care about you. You will have to work to keep him focused on what's really important, but you appear to have done a great job of that while you've been friends."

Eira thought back to the times she had helped Snotlout in stressful situations. After each event, she was able to better gouge what to do in the future. And he seemed to be willing to learn as well. "You're right. I don't think it's anything I can't manage."

Ingrid nodded. "Good. As long as you're both on the same page and willing to make it work, that's what counts."

Eira shifted on the bed. "So, uh, do you think Mom and Dad would approve?" That was the big question, after all. Not that she needed their approval, but she did not want to create any unnecessary rifts in the family.

Ingrid placed her hands on her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes. "Eira, you will have no problem gaining approval for Snotlout. Once they get to know him, Mom and Dad will love him. And he is willing to go along with whatever is required of him. I think he'll quickly learn what's expected of him and play the proper role." She lowered her hands and leaned back. "You may worry he's doing it for the attention - and that may be part of it - but I think he does want to impress you and your family because he likes you."

A soft smile formed on Eira's face. She could definitely see that. "Thank you, Ingrid. That makes me feel a lot better."

Ingrid grinned. "That's what I'm here for. Now, I have one more question for you. Close your eyes and think about a potential life with Snotlout. Do you think you could be happy?"

Eira closed her eyes and let the scene play out in front of her. She could see her and Snotlout getting married, having kids, and fighting dragon hunters together. There would be adventure but also a stable family life. She saw them growing together and learning to love each other. It was what she imagined for herself as a young girl.

She opened her eyes and gazed at her sister. "Yes," she said firmly. "I could be happy with him." He made her feel comfortable and safe. She agreed he would fit in well with her family. She could see no reason not to choose him.

"Good," Ingrid said. "Now, onto Dagur." She paused as if considering her words carefully. "I actually don't think his past is his biggest problem, even in gaining approval from our parents. Maybe it would be if they had known him before, but if they met him now, I believe they would forgive him for his mistakes and take him as he is in the present."

Eira smiled weakly. "That's good." That had been one of her fears, but there were many more.

"It would be easier if that was the biggest hurtle, but I think the real problem is tied to who he is fundamentally."

Eira bit her lip and looked away. "A crazy Berserker?"

"Well, yes. Not that there's anything wrong with that. His culture is just very different from ours. And while he may initially try to act the right part to please you, I think it is something he will unconsciously resist. You would have to get Dad and Mom to accept him as he is without conditions."

Eira looked back at her in dismay. "And you think that will be difficult."

Ingrid gave her a sympathetic look. "Unfortunately, yes. Dagur is great, but he's loud, impulsive, and unpredictable. He lacks the refinement our family is expecting. Snotlout does as well, but he is more adaptable. Dagur goes all out in everything he does. You need to decide if you can keep up with his energy. If you want to convince our parents he's right for you, then you have to convince yourself first. Think about what life would be like with him."

"Alright..." Eira closed her eyes once more. This time, it was harder to picture the future because Dagur was so present-focused. She saw a lot of passion and adventure. She certainly would never be bored. Could she keep up with him? She did not seem to have a problem when she was with him. It was only when they were apart that her doubts crept in.

"It's hard to imagine," she said upon opening her eyes again. "Life with him would be different from anything else I've experienced. He gets so many ideas all the time that I'm not sure which he'll follow. I do know he loves me and will do his best to make me happy, but I don't know if that's enough."

"Well, you better figure it out soon," Ingrid said. "I won't tell you who to choose, but I can say that you should not choose Dagur unless you are willing to go all in. If you're going to gain Mom and Dad's approval, you have to be totally committed because it will be difficult. Dagur doesn't deserve someone who will give up on him halfway. For his sake, you need to fight for him with everything you have in you. If you can do that, the challenge will certainly make your relationship stronger. But it has to be all or nothing with him. To gain a lot, you have to risk a lot."

Eira nodded slowly. She had not even thought about what all this would mean for Dagur, and that made her feel guilty. Her sister was right; he deserved someone amazing. While she loved the way she felt when she was with him, she did not know if that was enough to give her the courage to face her parents head on. She had always been willing to stand up to her family when she believed in something, but something caused her to hesitate this time.

Was it her strong feelings that scared her or her inability to see the future? Or perhaps she feared that, once the passion died out, they would realize they had nothing in common? Did she really need her parents to point out what she should have figured out on her own? If she did not have her family and duties as a princess to think about, she might be able to adapt to Dagur's lifestyle and enjoy it. If she had a normal family, she might even be able to convince them to go along with it. Comparing the two men, Dagur had more positives but also more negatives. Putting it this way, she knew the safe, smart option.

"Eira," Ingrid said softly, "do you know what you have to do?"

Eira took in a deep breath and locked her eyes onto her sister's. "Yes." Why did her heart suddenly hurt? Was she making the wrong choice? No, she could not have anymore doubts. The guys deserved a resolution to their predicament. "I have to choose Snotlout." She ignored the growing ache in her heart, telling herself it was only natural to feel a loss by choosing one guy over the other.

Ingrid gave her a smile, but it seemed to be tinted in sadness. "We'll tell them tomorrow."

A/N: It's been decided (for now)! Who saw that coming?