Chapter 2—To Be Free:
When her father told her that she would be marrying Dagur, Hiccup was in complete and utter shock. He hadn't even asked her before he set the whole arrangement up, and Dagur was apparently perfectly on board. She couldn't imagine being Dagur's wife; they'd always just had a sibling's relationship. Even when he was trying to kill her he'd always call her 'sister'. To think he would go from calling her that to dear, sweetheart, or hun, was just strange and frankly uncomfortable. Besides, she was already in love with someone else. "A chief protects their own" though, as her father would say hammering it into her, and if this was what it took to help her village she supposed she would just have to bear with it.
At the moment she was in her home with her father at the dining table going over a list of things she would have to do that day. She sat hunched over, board, as he did so, a fist propping her head up, and her tail lazily swaying from side to side. She wasn't really paying close attention. Since starting her chiefly lessons, Hiccup had been swamped with more and more work to do. Meetings to go to left and right, countless villagers to help and sort things with, not to mention preparing for her wedding, of which the dress was arranged and probably being worked on at the moment. This stuff just wasn't her thing; she would have much rather been flying high up in the clouds, free from burden, traveling the world far and wide, but frankly her dad didn't seem to care.
Her dad just kept going on, and on, and she lazily looked over to see her Night Fury laying board on the floor as well, eyes just following her swaying tail. Hiccup couldn't take it anymore. She exasperatedly sighed. There was only one way she would be able to get her father to listen to her, and that was by surprising him.
"For these years I've always wanted to have one day just for me. Nothing to do, and for once nowhere I need to be." As she began to sing her father stopped looking up from the list curiously watching as she began to stand. "With no lessons, lords, or lunches, or to-do-lists in the way. No one to say when to eat or read or leave or stay! That would be the day!"
000
At the Northern Markets, Alva was working on the Berkian heir's wedding dress, unknowingly too wishing for a better life. Her smaller than average Light Fury, Luna, watched as Alva sung and stitched loving it when she heard her hybrid's angelic voice.
"For these years I've always wanted to have one day for myself. Not waking up with a pile of work on every shelf. With no helms in need of pressing, and no sleeves in disarray; no wedding gown with a thousand stitches to crochet! And no debt to pay!"
"Lady Brenna", Alva's co-worker, Kari, gasped as their boss burst through the door.
"What do you think I'm running here, eh? A cabaret?" their mistress spoke harshly.
"I would have said a debtors prison", Alva muttered sarcastically from her table with a role of her eyes.
"Keep laughing… You'll be working for me for another thirty-seven years."
"But I've already payed off more than half?!"
"But there's an interest, isn't there? Your parents should have thought about that before they borrowed so much."
"They did it to feed me!" she said sternly, her green eyes sliting for a moment.
"Their mistake", Lady Brenna said before slamming the door to attend to the buyers of her shop oblivious to how cruel the large woman really was. Putting her work down, Alva lamented.
"What would it be like to be…?"
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"What would it be like to be…?"
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"Free!" Alva sang getting up.
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"Free!" Hiccup sang opening the door of her home. "Free to try crazy things!" she danced spinning wildly outside.
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"Free from endless IOUs!" Alva steadily danced around the work room.
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"Free to fly."
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"Free to sing."
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"And marry whom I choose", Hiccup finished leaning on a tree looking longingly at Aric who was in the academy training some young warriors.
Her father then came up to her placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, hun. I know how you and Aric feel about one another, but this unity is for the good of our tribe. Remember—"
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I know", Hiccup recited sadly.
"On the bright side, that Dagur has become quite the generous one. Another gift came today", he said presenting the large box with a bow.
"Another one?" she asked taking it and moving it in her hands. "There are those who think I'm lucky; that I have so many things. They just don't realize that every present comes with strings", she finished tossing the bow string aside uncaringly. Opening the box, she found it to be another beautiful short dress. It was blue this time, instead of the wonderful red one she wore now only given to her a week prior, and still much more intricate than her normal wear. But, despite being so much more complicated, she still didn't look like some frilly princess; at least Dagur knew her well.
000
Alva was still in the work room, now gathering fabric for another dress to be sown. "Though I know I have so little, my determination's strong. People will gather around the world to hear my song!" Alva sung dancing with the fabric in her hands.
"Can I come along?" Kari added.
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Hiccup turned with sorrow in her eyes. "Now I fear I'll never be…"
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Alva turned looking longingly. "Soon I will forever be…"
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" "Free! I close my eyes and feel myself fly a thousand miles away" ", the two sang unknowingly at the same time heading for their respectful locations, a cliff and a window, and flapping their wings slowly taking air at the edge of taking off. " "I could take flight, but would it be right? My conscience tells me stay!" "
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"I'll remain forever royal!" Hiccup declared stopping her wings, her feet landing firmly on the ground.
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"I'll repay my parents' debt!" Alva declared doing the same.
" "Duty means doing the things your heart may well regret!" "
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"But I'll never stop believing."
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"She can never stop my schemes."
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" "There's more to living than gloves and gowns and threads and seams. In my dreams I'll be free!" "