Three reasons why this took me so long to post:

1) There was originally a battle scene in this chapter but I cut it out moving it into its own chapter since it was taking too long to finish. I have a hard time writing battles; try to avoid it as much as I can.

2) Lots of rewriting. First draft was vastly different from this final cut.

3) I had some trouble in how to write the parts with the wedding. I mean researching the wedding rituals for Viking weddings is not easy, let me tell you, and unfortunately, HTTYD3 didn't give me the kind of foundation for this like I would have hoped. Astrid's hair wasn't even dressed properly. In every source I've found it says that the woman's hair is the main focus, a huge emphasis put on it, and they would dress their hair with many intricate braids (the longer the hair the better). With how long Astrid's hair is they really missed the opportunity to give her a beautiful hairdo in the traditional Viking bride sense.

Oh well.

Hiccup's hair being short had to undergo some experimenting, but lucky for me, I had her hair length when I was writing that part so I was able to do so on myself (with some help—I can't braid to save my life. Bread, yes; hair, no.)

I also had to derive the vows from a Celtic source, but I think it's close enough.

Literally the only thing the movie gave me that was correct, was their clothing and when Gothi was binding their hands together in that cloth. It was actually only done by some tribes and I explain its significance here, but I might have taken some creative liberties with it for dramatization purposes.

Alright, enough of me rambling on about trying to figure out Viking Weddings. It's time for us to attend one.

Without further ado, enjoy the show.

Chapter 12—Stop the Wedding:

It was just a few hours before the wedding, and Hiccup was now in her home surrounded by her friends' mothers. It was rather quiet for what was supposed to be a joyous day filled with happiness, celebration, excited chattering, and singing. It was like she was going to a funeral rather than a wedding… and maybe, in reality that's where she was actually heading.

She stood in her home with the women helping her dress, putting many intricate braids in her hair as much as the short amount allowed. It wasn't easy, and it wasn't pain free either on Hiccup's end, but by the end she had three beautifully woven braids down from the top of her head all pinned together in the middle with a flower. Next, her dress was put on. It was a simple white. The top held the design of a wonderful weaving motion, the weaved lines crisscrossing before fanning out as the eye went down finding a plain fabric past her waist that draped and flowed past her knees stopping just as it hit the floor past her feet—well, foot. This was followed by golden cuffed bracelets on her wrists and then a white fur cape both passed down from her mother's wedding. Finally, her bridal crown of flowers was placed on her head, and as Hiccup gazed at herself in the mirror in front of her, a birthday gift from Johann long ago, she didn't know what to think.

On the surface was a bride who should have been smiling, but this bride only frowned having been trapped in a union with a demon. The air remained stale. No one was happy about what was to come, but no one was more distressed than Hiccup. Her eyes drifted down.

This was all her fault; everything.

From the moment she trusted Alvin, she had sealed their fates. She shouldn't have trusted him. She shouldn't have let him out of his prison. She should have found another way. If she had just found another way to save her father all those years ago none of this would have ever happened.

Hiccup's face was simply sullen, trying to remind herself who this all was for. But everything was falling apart and Hiccup was completely powerless to stop it. Her past grievances felt utterly petty now. She had once hoped she wouldn't have had to marry Dagur, but now, Hiccup wished more than anything that she could marry Dagur. She hoped, if she ever got the chance to explain, he would be able to forgive her. That Aric could forgive her...Toothless, Heather, and Alva... her father...

Thinking of everyone she loved, Hiccup's eyes drifted back up to her reflection; to the bride standing in front of her now holding a dim fire in her eyes. Whatever happened next, no one was going to be hurt at her expense ever again. This was all her mistake. No one else's.

"Windshear, again! Tail slice!"

Windshear's tail scraped the stones once again barely leaving scratches and doing nothing to help them escape.

"Heather, enough. This clearly isn't working", Dagur said. "You're just making Windshear tired."

"I don't see you doing anything? But please, if you have any bright ideas, feel free to share", Heather shot back.

"Are you crazy, Astrid?! That is the worst plan you have ever come up with!" Aric shouted at Astrid as he tried breaching the stone barricade using his sister's sword as a lever.

"Well it's certainly better than trying to break my sword in half!"

"At least it's just a sword and not our lives!"

"Oh, come on. I'm just saying that if we combine our fire power, we could create an explosion powerful enough that will blow this barricade away."

"And collapse the mine even further crushing all of us. Didn't you hear what I said before?"

"And I'm saying you're wrong. And even so, we could make it."

"And I'm saying you're wrong."

It went on like this for hours. One sibling would come up with an idea, and the other would disagree causing one argument after another. It was times like these where Alva was glad she was an only child. She stood back with Luna as the two pairs of siblings bickered with one another leaning on the left wall of the room in regards to the now blocked exit.

Sick of hearing the four argue, Alva decided to try and tune them out, and when she did she focused on the other sounds she could hear. There was the dragons, either commenting to one another about their humans, or simply the sound of their breathing as Stormfly kept herself calm and Toothless moped feeling useless in this situation—the poor dragon just wanted to get to Hiccup feeling like he'd failed to protect his sister once again. Then there were the sounds of bugs scurrying along the floor, walls, or ceilings of the cave, and the sound of water as it rushed on by.

Alva opened her eyes. 'Wait…rushing water?' she thought in puzzlement. She turned around to the wall behind her and then turned to press an ear to it. She swore she could hear water, muffled as if underneath it.

"Luna, come over here." Luna came closer to the wall angling her ears towards it seeing what her friend was doing. "Do you hear that? It sounds like water. And where there's rushing water inland, there's…"

" "A river." "

"We must be under a river, or at least near one", Luna said.

"Either way, it's a way out. Hey, guys!" Alva called with excitement. Either no one heard her, or they were so caught up in their yelling at each other to notice. "Guys!" Once again no response. They didn't have time for this. "Hey, Toothless, come here boy."

Toothless' head lifted to look at her, and then he walked on over wondering what she wanted.

"I need you and Luna to blast at this wall with everything you two got", she said, and Toothless' eyes lit up.

"Here?" he clarified in question pointing his nose to the middle of the wall.

"Yes. Right there. With everything you have."

Luna and Toothless each got into position and Alva stepped back.

"On my signal. Everyone get back!" Alva cried and that got everyone's attention looking to her with confusion and surprise. "One…"

"Alva what're doing?!" Heather asked.

"Two…"

Luna and Toothless got their plasma's going, the telltale whistle of a powerful blast coming emanating from their mouths.

"Alva, go for it!" Astrid encouraged.

"Three!"

The two Furies fired at the middle of the wall and water gushed in through the massive hole created. It wasn't long before everyone was under water and trying to swim against the current.

The ceremony was set in the town square, the center of the village where most festivities took place only rivaled by the Great Hall of which the wedding's reception would take place celebrating their union. Alvin made his entrance through the aisle created by rows of chairs to either side as people gathered.

No one appeared to be very happy about their heir marrying him, especially Gobber who looked at him with a very accusing and deathly glare, but Alvin could care less about what the people of Berk thought. Very soon, they would all be bowing down before him.

000

Hiccup stood outside her home waiting for when it was time to go, and her friends were with her trying to convince her to back out.

"Are you really sure you want to do this H? I mean, there's still time to get out?" Tuffnut said.

"Yeah, do you really want to be stuck with Alvin?" Ruffnut asked. "Don't you realize what you would have to do with him? You still need heirs girl-friend."

"I know, guys", Hiccup stated frustrated. "But do you think I have a choice? No. I don't. I messed up, I ruined everything, and now I'm paying the price."

"But Hiccup, there has to be another way", Fishlegs insisted. "There's got to be a way to help Berk without having to marry a man twice your age".

"And ugly. Don't forget ugly", Ruffnut added.

"Look. Guys, I appreciate the sentiment. I do. But, as I see it, there's just no other way", Hiccup said with a sigh.

"Woah, woah, woah! Wait a minute", Snotlout interrupted. "Is Hiccup—the pain in our butts, never gives up, optimistic Hiccup—giving up…? Who are you and what have you done with my cousin?"

"It's still me, Snotlout." She saw as people were gathering in the square, Alvin already there waiting for her, and she knew it was time. "I'm just..." Hiccup looked to the ground searching for the right words. "...trying to do the right thing."

She left them at that, knowing they didn't understand, and walked down to the ceremony to seal her ever spiraling glooming fate.

After a few short moments, a horn announcing the ceremony's start was blown and Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs, and Snotlout all went down to attend their friend's ceremony all wondering the same looming question. Where was Aric and Astrid?

The group of captives clambered out of the water of the river all soaking wet and tired breathing in gulps of air. Dagur had dramatically flopped onto his back in the grass beneath the sun. Aric understood everyone needed a little rest—the swim had sucked most of everyone's energy—and he himself didn't know how much longer he could go on expelling energy where he had virtually none, but they couldn't rest for one second more.

"Come on! We have to keep moving!" Aric said to them all as he got onto Shadowstar and raced on ahead.

They'd already wasted enough precious time, and Hiccup could be getting married at this very moment. Viking unions are forever; there would be no undoing damage already done. They had to keep moving. He had to get to that wedding before it was too late, and the village was all the way on the other side of the island.

Hiccup was at Alvin's side, the ceremony just beginning with Stoick speaking at the moment.

"Don't look so upset, Hiccup", Alvin said hushed to her. "You're doing a noble thing for your people."

"I'm only doing this to protect my friends and Berk", Hiccup shot back at him harshly. "Don't think for a second I'm a willing participant. And Alvin, there's one thing you must promise me."

"Oh? And what's that?" Alvin asked cautiously. The girl was smart; this could easily be something to trick him. But then Hiccup's eyes softened with care and honesty.

"You won't harm my people", she requested. "You can do whatever you want to me; treat me as a slave for all I care. But you will never lay a hand, or order any one of your men or dragons to harm a single citizen of Berk... Including my father."

Alvin was hoping Hiccup would forget to mention Stoick, but clearly the clever little runt remembered to leave no loo-pol opened for him. "And what makes you so sure, I won't just go back on me word?" he decided to ask menacingly.

"Because if you break it..." Hiccup's eyes narrowed dangerously. "...I swear to every god I will not hesitate to have every dragon on this island hunt you down and kill you."

Alvin was surprised by Hiccup's ruthless threat towards him. He never would have thought she had it in her. Hiccup was always a pacifist; this everyone knew, and besides for her compassion, it was one of her greatest weaknesses.

He thought about her request. Hiccup was asking for the safety of her friends and family. It was greatly disappointing he wouldn't be able to kill Stoick like he'd originally planned—he wasn't gonna test Hiccup for whether she'd follow through with her threat or not—but he'd still be able to torture him. Sure, Hiccup had said he wasn't allowed to harm him, but she also said he could do whatever he wished to her without fight. Poor innocent, naive, Hiccup. She had no idea of the horrors he could inflict on her. And she had forgotten to realize a father's love for his daughter could be the greatest torture of all.

000

Alvin appeared to be pondering her words after saying a threat Hiccup had never thought she would ever say, but it happened, and Hiccup didn't have time for the dense man to think. It was almost time for them to begin the religious rituals. She needed an answer now.

"Well? Do we have a deal, Alvin?" Hiccup questioned.

"I won't harm your Berkians, don't you worry, runt. But, remember, you're mine."

"Yes. And I won't fight. Just so long as they're all safe."

"On me word, lass."

"You're word is hardly good enough", she scoffed.

"Faster Shadowstar! Come on", Aric urged. He knew Shadowstar was weak, the dragon trying her best to fly as fast as she could, but it seemed it was taking them far too long to get to Hiccup than it should have. He didn't want to push his dragon too hard, but he also needed to stop that wedding. "We need to get there, we need to save her!"

"Aric! Slow down!" he could hear the others call, all concerned for his and his dragon's state of health, but he couldn't slow down. There was no way he would ever slow down. Not when Hiccup was in danger. Never when Hiccup was in danger.

Both rings and swords exchanged, it was now time to exchange vows, her hands held in his. Alvin spoke his vows elegantly and clearly, and all Hiccup could think was how great of an actor he was. She only kept her head down, eyes at her hands she wished were in anybody else's. She couldn't look at him as he spoke such lies.

"I vow to you the first cut of my meat, the first sip of my wine,
from this day it shall only your name I cry out in the night
and into your eyes that I smile each morning;
I shall be a shield for your back as you are for mine,
none shall a grievous word be spoken about us,
for our marriage is sacred between us and no stranger shall hear my grievance.
Above and beyond this, I will cherish and honor you through this life
and into the next."

It was time for her now, and there was absolutely no conviction in her voice. How could there be? She had once thought she could imagine herself speaking to Aric, but now, with him in danger because of her, it only brought pain into her heart.

"I pledge my love to you, and everything that I own..." The weight of everything was starting to hit her like an anvil smashing her into the ground.

"I promise you the first bite of my meat and the first sip from by cup..." These were words meant for the person you loved, not your enemy, and here she was giving herself to one under everyone's noses.

"I pledge that your name will always be the name I cry aloud in the dead of night…" Hiccup merely continued although her face had noticeably fallen, her voice taking on the tone of dread and sorrow.

000

Shadowstar landing just outside the event, Aric could see the wedding ceremony taking place. He could hear as Hiccup, looking so beautiful in her wedding garments, the white accentuating her scales perfectly, her hair done but still as wonderfully wild as ever, spoke her wedding vows with such sadness he didn't know how there weren't any sobs or tears.

"…I promise to honor you above all others.
Our love is never-ending, and we will remain, forevermore, equals in our marriage.
This is my wedding vow to you", she finished with a whisper that could still surprisingly be heard by the audience.

He now saw Stoick take the sash that ended the ceremony; an addition to the vows that made the union official, the vows said binding, and tied the two forever. The rest landing behind him, and his frozen trance broken, Aric ran and yelled with every ounce of energy he had left.

"STOP!"

Cliff hanger. Yeah, I know. Boo me. But I had to cut this chapter in half. It's just taking far too long to finish and I didn't want to just leave you guys hanging, so I gave you the part that was finished.

Also, just heads up for ya'll. I've been thinking of rewriting I am Not a Curse. There's a few reasons for this, but mainly I feel like I need to because I feel like I should have derived and made it my own more than I had. It will have the same premise and points as I don't want what I've written in Riders of Berk needed to be changed in any way shape or form, but I will be rewriting the way I tell the story so it's not just a retelling of the first movie as it had turned into. I do feel that I've significantly grown from that.

I'll also be doing this as I simultaneously write Defenders of Berk which I had decided on pre-writing so I can just post it once a week without having to worry about a dead line looming over my head. And I know everyone probably doesn't care if I'm late, but to me deadlines are extremely important to keep no matter what it is. It's like a promise to me. And I never break my promises; I don't always succeed of course in this, but I try my darn hardest.

Anyway, long story short, it's just easier to pre-write.