Chapter 15
The King of the Southern Isles gaped at Stoick but he did shut his mouth as all eyes turned towards Astrid. Hiccup said nothing but she could feel that he would support her no matter what.
Astrid held the bearing of a Noble lady with ease, her back was straight and her head was held high, as she glanced at the Ministers before curtsying once more to the King. "Your Highness," Astrid began. "It is true that I injured both the King and Princess of the Southern Isles," Several Ministers gasped at that blatant admission and some were muttering something under their breath but Astrid wasn't done talking just yet. She had vultures around her and she was going to devour them. In her eyes this seemed like the best opportunity to show the King's court officials that she was no pushover. She would be their Crownprincess and future Queen-consort. To these people respect was earned by being cunning. She wouldn't lie. A lie was easy to pick apart. She would go with the cold hard irrefutable truth. "However,..." Astrid continued only to be interrupted by Margarette. 'Honestly had this girl no tact?' she asked herself.
"Hah! She admitted it!" Margarette gleefully exclaimed. "I demand justice!"
"Before I was so rudely interrupted," Astrid glared at the other woman so venomously, "I was going to say that; However, these injuries were inflicted in self-defense." This caused both Margarette and her father to sputter while Stoick merely lifted a brow.
"Lady Astrid," Stoick began. "Captain Heather sang your praises for your combat ability. Surely injuring them to that extent was more than self-defense." Hiccup could see his father hated asking this but the injuries sustained by the other party were more than he thought. The King had to remain neutral in this matter.
"That would have been the case until a sword was pointed at me and my chastity was put into question."
Hiccup's mind came to a near screeching halt as he and the rest of the court sputtered. "They did what?!" He exclaimed and then sent a glare at the duo from the Southern Isles. In this Hiccup rivaled his mother. Valka could stop an army with but a glare and she still made several Generals gulp and take a step back. The Prince scarcely used that particular glare but when he did people shut up. Astrid was watching her fiance and she was very much impressed by what she saw. Hiccup may not look it but he could command a room. "Do you realize what you have insinuated!" the Prince hissed.
"Dear," Astrid said as she placed a placating hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "Let me finish telling the story. You can rip into them after you hear the worst part,"
"There's a worse part?!" Hiccup whirled around and took Astrid's hand. "Do you want me to call Toothless? He could plasmablast them for you. Or Stormfly," Hiccup suggested because for a noblewoman to have her chastity questioned was one of the most grievous insults and here Astrid was saying there was a worse part. Astrid gave Hiccup a smile at his suggestions before turning back to Stoick.
"Your Majesty, your son can attest to the fact that I was merely in line to buy several skewers. After Hiccup left for a moment this woman," She gestured towards Margarette with her fan "approached me screeching like a fishmonger's wife that had lost her husband to the tentacles of a large squid." Hiccup could have sworn he saw Alvin hide a laugh and blush. "She, nor her guardian, ever identified themselves and when her screeching of why I was in the vicinity of the Crownprince ceased she attempted to slap me. I was merely faster and punched her."
Stoick nodded as murmurs broke out between the court officials. Astrid however continued her tale. "That would account for one of the black eyes the Princess sustained. The older gentleman that accompanied her, which I now know to be her father, was not there for her initial rant as the crowd that had formed kept him behind them. When he did arrive he found his daughter on the ground. However, he next acted in a manner unbefitting of a Noble and drew his sword at me, called me a harlot and then proceeded to make various overtures on how I must get on my knees where I belong."
"How dare you!" the King of the Southern Isles exclaimed.
"I dare very much," Astrid said as she held her head high. "The first thing a Noble learns is to keep a cool head but you rushed in, not even checking your daughter for injuries before you pointed a sword at an UNARMED lady!" she hissed and took a step towards the King of the Southern Isles who despite his larger size took a step back. "Furthermore you failed to identify yourself as a Noble. For all I knew you could have been a wealthy merchant. How a wealthy merchant is treated as opposed to Nobility is very different. If I had known I would have allowed you to save face."
All eyes continued to be on Astrid as she stared the man down. "What Noble, nay, what Royal forgets protocol? Even if I had been a commoner you should still not have jumped to conclusions and slandered me. You were not there to witness your daughter's actions but you dared pull a sword in a public square!"
Stoick cleared his throat and then said "I'm assuming that the sprained wrist the King of the Southern isles sustained was from you disarming him."
"Indeed your Majesty," Astrid confessed. "As you know it is illegal to pull a weapon in public squares. Even if Nobles carried weapons such as swords they can only be used in self-defense. There was a dense crowd around us and I feared he would cause more harm to them than me. I myself had a dagger strapped to my knee but I refused to draw it in case he disarmed me and the weapon was sent flying into the crowd."
"The lass has got a point," Alvin spoke up as several Ministers nodded. "Her first thoughts were on the safety of the public." Hiccup saw his father nod as well while watching the duo blanch. The implication was strong and both of them knew it. Both the King and Princess of the Southern Isles were not of Berk and causing a public disturbance like that could have easily led to heavier sanctions against their kingdom or at worse war if people died.
"After disarming the lady's guardian he lunged at me out of either rage or spite which prompted me to lift up my skirts and deliver a solid roundhouse kick to his face." Astrid deadpanned. "I, however, was remiss in not securing the man's weapon, for the lady scrambled up and took possession of it." She stated. "I thank the heavens that the Princess was not proficient in the ways of the sword. She lunged at me screaming that I would never take her prize. It was easy to sidestep the lunge and I proceeded to punch her once more, knocking her out." Astrid stated as she glanced around the room. "Everything I did was in self-defense and in the defense of the public from an inexperienced girl waving around a sharp object."
Margarette balked and then uttered while pointing an accusing finger at Astrid "How dare you call me inexperienced!"
"But you are," Astrid raised a brow and replied "Both in tact and arms."
"I do have to ask, where was my son in all of this?" Stoick raised a brow as Hiccup rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
Astrid smiled and then showed off the sapphire engagement ring Hiccup had given her. "I believe he went to get this," Hiccup blushed as the court officials gaped. Everyone knew of the Sapphire of the Sea and though it was Hiccup's to give to who he wanted the gem still drew crowds as it had special significance and was deemed a national treasure.
"You filthy wrech!" Margarette exclaimed and much to the horror of her father sped towards Astrid, her hands before her obviously intending to strangle her "That stone was supposed to be mine!" She exclaimed and Hiccup had but a second to ponder that. He would have never given her the stone though as he didn't think she deserved it when she was his fiance. Astrid on the other hand….. Oh that woman made him feel alive. Hiccup noticed Heather draw her sword as Princess Margarette was seen as a threat now but Astrid was closer and faster. He watched his fiance huff in an annoyed manner before decking the Princess for the third time. 'What a woman!' His mind supplied as he watched his fiance turn towards his father and utter "I believe my point has been made,"