Chapter 2

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Astrid asked while blushing. She couldn't believe her outburst just then and hoped she had heard wrongly.

"I wish for you to marry me," Hiccup said once more and Astrid's eyes narrowed. She then proceeded to pinch herself and realized that 'No, she wasn't dreaming' and 'Yes, the Crown Prince had just proposed marriage.'

"Forgive me if I say this but you are either an idiot or so calculating you come off as an idiot." She spoke plainly. Honestly, she was a woman with nothing right now. What did she have to lose?

Hiccup merely laughed and then regarded her with a critical eye. "You're right. I did come here with a secondary intention." He admitted. "But what I said before still stands. You were unfairly imprisoned. So you are free as of now." He showed Astrid a rusted set of keys and then used one of them to unlock her cell. "How about we talk about my other motives in a warmer place?" Just at that moment Astrid's stomach rumbled loudly causing her to blush and Hiccup to laugh.

Astrid blinked as a while later she sat in one of the many cozy rooms of the Palace with a cup of hot chocolate in her hands, a fire roaring in the heart, and her stomach filled with some of the most delicious chicken she had ever had. The carriage ride back had been filled with a somewhat awkward silence. According to Hiccup it would only be safe to talk once they were behind closed doors. She had been ushered out of the prison with haste once she agreed to listen. A carriage was waiting patiently at the side door of the prison and Astrid supposed it would raise eyebrows if the Prince was seen entering from the front door. The coachman didn't spare her a glance as Hiccup held his hand out like a gentleman to help her in the coach. With a flick of the reigns, they had been off towards the palace once both had been seated. She had looked out the window at the scenery. The leaves were beginning to turn orange as winter was not far away. The dampness of her cell had already emphasized that. Astrid also spared some glances towards the Crown Prince. The man was around her age and looked as innocent as a babe but from what Astrid had gleaned there was intellect there. She also thought he looked quite handsome but then mentally kicked her brain.

Astrid had put the porcelain cup down on the table in front of her and looked at her host critically. Hiccup had been munching on a biscuit that a maid had placed on the table. Her host seemed a lot more carefree than she thought he would be with all the secrecy he emphasized.

"Your Highness, I thank you for the hospitality but I think we should get down to business." Astrid said as she stared the Prince straight in the eye. "You asked me to marry you,"

"That is correct," Hiccup answered as he had finished his biscuit. "It is frankly of the utmost importance that I marry."

"Are you unaware of the reputation I currently have?" Astrid asked. "I am a disgraced former Noble. I have no house, no land and no fortune to offer if this union should come to pass. Politically I have absolutely no worth."

"Don't say that Milady. Anyone who can deck my cousin as you did and cause him to sit awkwardly for three days straight has a lot of worth." Hiccup smiled. "It may have been schadenfreude but it was a welcome change from his usual arrogant ego." Hiccup took a sip of his hot chocolate before looking at Astrid. "It certainly showed me that you are a woman that holds her virtues in high regard."

"Still, I will not be your concubine," Astrid held her head high when she said this. She would not be placed in that role, ever. The role of concubines differed from kingdom to kingdom. In some they were not recognized as official wives. In others, like Berk, they were. The problem however was that any concubine was also subservient to the First Wife. It was the reason Astrid saw red when Snotlout offered her that position. It would mean that she had to take anything Camicazi dished out and not be able to utter a word in her defense. Sure she would be a prestigious wife of a Duke but the abuse that could come with that position was one Astrid rather not have especially when she knew how sadistic Camicazi could become.

"I never said anything about you being a concubine," Hiccup replied with a confused look. "Whatever made you think that?"

Now it was Astrid's turn to narrow her eyes. "All the Kingdom knows of your engagement with the Princess of the Southern Isles. Where would I fit into that union if not as a concubine?"

"Yeah…about that…." Hiccup rubbed the back of his head nervously. "That engagement was called off."

"WHAT?!" Astrid nearly sputtered for a second time. She blushed at her outburst and wondered how many more surprises she would have. "When did this happen?!"

"A couple of days ago," Hiccup frowned. "The news has already spread through the whole kingdom."

"That would explain it. The guards weren't very forthcoming with recent events when I asked." Astrid muttered.

"Well this is what happened a couple of days ago," Hiccup said as he started to explain several events.

Hiccup winced as Toothless, his dragon and best friend, pounced on him. He was still sore from the recent battle with the Red Death, a tyrannical dragon queen that had enslaved many dragons up north. A few weeks ago Hiccup came back victorious but severely wounded after his campaign. So far his ribs had yet to heal.

"Easy there bud." Hiccup said as he gave Toothless an affectionate scratch. The Nightfury had his own room but would come each morning to drag Hiccup out of bed.

"I'm sorry I can't go flying today with you bud," Hiccup said as Toothless started to lick him.

"Wait… aaaah… Toothless… you know that doesn't wash off!" Hiccup shouted. The Nightfury wriggled on the bed sheets hoping for attention and he got it. Hiccup was in the middle of giving the dragon a belly rub when a knock on his chamber doors interrupted him.

"Who is it?" Hiccup asked with a frown. His mother had given strict orders that he was not to be disturbed while healing and his mother, gentle Queen as she could be, was not one to be trifled with.

"Forgive me your Highness but the envoy of the Southern Isles has arrived with news." A female voice said from the other side of the door. Hiccup recognised the voice now and beckoned the woman to come inside.

"Captain Heather," Hiccup greeted. "Did my fiancee also come?" He then asked but the face the Knight Captain made said it all. "She didn't, did she?"

"I'm sorry our Highness," Heather replied with a short bow. "Only the envoy is here but he has brought several convoys with him. Your presence is required in the Court right now since apparently this concerns you."

This caused Hiccup to frown more and sit up slightly. He winced at the pain in his leg and his ribs. Toothless was still on the bed with his tongue lolled out and probably wondering what happened to his belly rub. "Please relay that I will be there shortly."

"Take your time your Highness. Making the envoy wait will be of no consequence. You are still injured after all," the Knight Captain said before departing.

Hiccup didn't know why but he always had an inkling that Heather never liked his fiancee. Sure Princess Margarette was somewhat sheltered growing up but he thought she was very nice. She certainly was no slouch when holding a conversation or debate. Hiccup had been sceptical about this arranged marriage but when they first met they got along very well. Marriages for members of the Royal family were seldom based on love much like the Nobility. It was all about connections for them. Hiccup had no doubt that his parents loved each other but that had happened over time as the marriage progressed. The respect and love they now showed for each other was no farce and Hiccup hoped someday he could have that same type of love in his marriage.

He stood up shakingly after pushing the duvet back. His ribs were not where most of the pain was. It was his leg, or rather his lack of leg. The serious injury Hiccup had gotten due to slaying the Red Death was a missing limb. So far the Royal advisor Gobber, and also his Godfather and former blacksmith, had made a rudimentary prosthetic for him. Toothless nudged him and proceeded to act as a crutch while Hiccup got dressed. So far the news of his missing limb hadn't spread beyond the nobility. Many kingdoms had praised Hiccup and had sent gifts and well wishes. They knew what it meant when the Red Death was defeated. Peace could now fully reign over the lands. Hiccup of course had accepted these gifts, and even donated most of the gold to support the people.

The only person he hadn't heard from was Princess Margarette. As his fiancee she of course had been told in detail of his condition and rehabilitation, yet not even a letter made its way to Hiccup's desk.

When Hiccup finally reached the throne room he was warmly greeted by his father and mother who sat on their thrones as this was an official audience. Also present was his uncle Duke Spitelout Jorgenson and his cousin Snotlout along with his new cousin-in-law Camicazi. Gobber stood to the right of Stoick and made a coughing motion, as Hiccup took his usual place near the throne, before announcing "The envoy of the Southern Isles here to discuss official business. We may now proceed!"

A somewhat muscled man with a neatly combed beard walked forward holding a scroll. He bowed once to the Royal family and then unfurled his message.

"By order of the Regent of the Southern Isles and by agreement of Princess Margarette, the Kingdom of the Southern Isles wishes to formally break the engagement between Princess Margarette and Prince Hiccup of Berk. The Kingdom of the Southern Isles offers reparation for this decision." The envoy read and if Hiccup wasn't currently slackjawed he would have noticed the very uncomfortable envoy right now. The phrase 'Don't shoot the messenger,' however did occur to him as he had to hold his mother back. The Queen was the one that had leapt out of her throne while Stoick blinked and sat there gaping in a very un-Royal like manner.

"Mom! Don't kill the messenger!" Hiccup swiftly pleaded as he heard his mother growl. He supposed she would be very very angry since she was the main matchmaker between her son and Princess Margarette.

The envoy blanched and then bowed low "Please spare me your Highness."

"What is the meaning of this?!" the King now bellowed as his eyes narrowed.

"Sire….. I don't know…" The envoy answered. "All I was told was to deliver this message and the items that the convoy brought."

Hiccup frowned as he thought the envoy wasn't telling the whole truth. "You're the Ambassador of your Kingdom and a close aide to the Regent," Hiccup stated matter of factly. "If you don't know then something is amiss in your Kingdom." He took a gamble here. It would be an insult for the Kingdom's Ambassador not to know. Princess Margarette's father and mother were on an expedition further south. According to the news they had found new trading partners and the King and Queen went to personally sign the trade agreements as a show of friendship.

"My son is right," Queen Valka said as her green eyes bored into the envoy. "This marriage was agreed upon by the King of the Southern Isles. The Regent and Princess Margarette must state a valid reason for breaking off this engagement."

"Your Highness's… uhmm…" The envoy stammered while looking extremely nervous.

"Dad, if the envoy is afraid to talk, then maybe the reason can lead to war," Hiccup suggested.

"I don't care, Hiccup!" Stoick slammed his fist on the throne's armrest. "I want to know! This union would have made both Kingdoms prosper!"

"Your Majesty please forgive me for what I am about to say," the envoy mumbled as he bowed deeply. "While I had not been given the reason for this decree, I had been privy to several conversations between Princess Margarette and the Regent. The Princess was the one who wanted to end the engagement as soon as she heard of your son's… predicament."

"WHAT!" Both Valka and Stoick shouted while Hiccup's eyebrows nearly reached his hairlines. If Hiccup inferred right then his engagement was being called off because he…lost a leg? With a frown Hiccup asked "Explain further,"

The envoy still couldn't look the Royal family in the eye as he said the next part while praying he wouldn't lose his head "I had overheard a conversation between her Highness and the Regent where she stated that she could not marry a cripple."

"This is an insult!" Stoick growled. "The Southern Isles and Berk have been allies for nearly a century. My son lost his limb while facing a dragon the size of a mountain and they think it makes him less of a human!"

"Dad…Dad… calm down…" Hiccup tried to interrupt.

"How can you not be insulted by this?!" his mother now asked. "My poor baby!"

"It's a shock to me but I think we should cancel the engagement too." Hiccup then said, shocking not only the envoy and his parents but also his uncle and cousin.

"Son what….." Stoick faltered.

"I am to take over the governing of Berk in the future and as such I cannot have a wife that would balk simply because I lost a leg. This kingdom needs a strong woman that can lead by my side," Hiccup uttered. Honestly after what the envoy had inferred he didn't even want to see Princess Margarette again.

"Well he does have a point there, honey," Valka readily agreed.

"But he still needs a wife if he is to inherit the throne," Stoick mumbled.

"Well… if I may suggest…." Gobber now spoke up as he gave Hiccup a wink. Both Valka and Stoick looked at their long time friend. "Seeing as the whole matchmaking thing didn't go as planned, why don't we give the lad a chance to find a wife himself."

"Gobber, that is highly unorthodox," Stoick muttered.

"The boy has a clear understanding of his duties to the Kingdom," Gobber replied. "I fail to see why he wouldn't have a clear understanding of the type of woman he would want as a wife. The job of being Queen isn't something just anyone can handle. At least give the lad a shot. He might even find love!"

"Well… you do have a point…" Stoick said as he thought. "Why not?" He then turned to his son, "Hiccup you have eight months to find a bride. That is all the time I can give you. You know that don't you."

Hiccup nodded as he looked at a gleeful Snotlout. He was almost a year younger than Snotlout and by law if he wasn't married before his 21st birthday then he would forfeit the title of Crown Prince. The next in line would be either his uncle, whom he knew had no interest in the throne, and his cousin, who was smirking like a dog who got the bone. He would have to choose a wife wisely.

"Okay so let me get this straight….." Astrid said after hearing the story. "You lost your leg after defeating a dragon the size of a mountain." Here Hiccup dragged up his pant leg to show her the prosthetic. Astrid didn't even flinch. Instead she continued "Your ex-fiance dumped you because of that, you need to find a wife before you are 21 otherwise Snotlout has the right to become the next king." At this Astrid looked very much disgusted. "And you choose me of all women."

"Yes, yes and yes," Hiccup answered.

"Just answer me one thing before I make up my mind," Astrid said. "What happened with the Southern Isles?"

"Well, Dad was livid…." Hiccup said. "He sent the envoy back with a decree of his own after accepting the convoy of gold and jewels. Why wouldn't he after all? The Southern Isles were offering it up on a silver platter."

"So this decree…." Astrid leaned forward slightly.

"He announced that all trade with the Southern Isles would cease as of this week." Hiccup stated. "Probably so that the ships still at sea can dock and sell their wares."

"That's… that's….." Astrid gaped. "He was serious?!"

"Yeah," Hiccup nodded.

"But the Southern Isles are near desolate. Produce and medicine from Berk is one of their main imports," she uttered. "This could destroy them!"

"So what do you say?" Hiccup asked. "After hearing my story will you agree to be my bride?"

"You're the future king. Being Queen is a demanding job," Astrid stated.

"I know, Mom often elaborated on her duties." Hiccup nodded "But I believe you can pull it off. Your upbringing certainly suggests it. Also you would be better off than if you were to live as a commoner."

Astrid frowned and thought hard. Her father may have disowned her but he had prepared her for much. Some of the best tutors were hired by him to teach her not only etiquette but also subjects from the Imperial college. She was more than versatile in math, politics, philosophy, economics and other sciences.

"If I marry you, will Snotlout still try to get at me?" She asked as she could never underestimate the reach of a member of Nobility and Royalty.

"You would take on the role of Crown Princess," Hiccup stated. "A duke or soon to be Duke will have no say in your actions."

That was actually a pleasant thing to hear. "I'm guessing violence isn't permitted if I want to get back at someone," She made no allusions. She wanted Snotlout and Camicazi to pay.

"You'll be Royalty. Violence is never the first response." Hiccup answered "Though if no one sees you…"

"Ah.." Astrid smiled.

"You know it's refreshing," Hiccup mumbled. "Most of the girls I've met tend to want to claw their way up to the position of Queen. You don't seem to even care about that."

"What can I say? I'm not conventional," Astrid smirked.

"So do we have a deal?" Hiccup asked as he also noted that his cup was empty. Astrid was looking at him with a neutral expression and he didn't know what she was thinking. Of all the candidates he had considered, she hadn't crossed his mind until he heard of her beating his cousin black and blue. The more he investigated the case, the more he came to like her and her way of doing things. Astrid wasn't one to let go of her virtues and she was more than capable of standing her ground. Something a Queen would need when left in charge of the Kingdom. There were always schemes afoot so a strong woman was needed as a pillar for the country.

Before Astrid could answer however Hiccup said "Wait!"

Astrid looked at him skeptically, thinking that he would have changed his mind, as he then put his hand over his heart and made a vow that would seal her decision. "I Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the 3rd, like my father before me, swear upon the name of the Royal family to only take one wife before, during, and after my reign as sovereign." Astrid's mouth hung open. Hiccup had just basically vowed that if she accepted that he would never take a concubine. This just made her see the seriousness of his proposal. She had made up her mind and leaned forward, pecking a stunned Hiccup on the lips with a chaste kiss.

"Hiccup Haddock, I accept," she wholeheartedly agreed.

"That is great to hear. Now just one more thing." Hiccup said.

"What?" Astrid frowned.

"We have to break the news to my parents."

AN: Well now I have a full plot for this story (cackles deviously). There is a little hint in this chapter. I wonder how many can spot it.