[My words bother you?]
Astrid shook her head. She looked down at the youngling whose neck she never stopped scratching.
[Young queen-to-be, is something wrong?]
The youngling looked up at Astrid and chittered. [Friend queen? You be okay?]
Astrid gritted her teeth. Vikings did not open up to other Vikings not about things like this. She blinked. She was not with other Vikings. She was with dragons. She had poured her heart out once to Stormfly before Hiccup ever woke up. It had been a particular bad day and they feared the one they had shunned and who had yet saved their lives would succumb to his wounds. Astrid remembered leaving the chief's hut as Gothi and her mother frantically used everything they knew to keep Hiccup alive.
Astrid did not remember the head long rush to her house, only that Stormfly was waiting and as soon as Astrid vaulted onto the dragon's back, Stormfly took off. Astrid remembered sharing all her fears in that flight. Hiccup dying without ever knowing his tribe realized their stupidity. Hiccup dying without knowing all the change he had brought. Hiccup dying and Astrid left alone with enough guilt to drown her. She had been cold, distance, caring only for restoring her family's honor, and Hiccup had shown her the beauty of flight and Berk from the air and he trusted her to keep Toothless safe. Stormfly never interrupted her. Never judged her for the weakness she showed that day. The dragon just flew on.
Astrid took a deep breath. Gothi wanted her to talk to Hiccup but Astrid knew she would not be able to do that if she did not speak to someone else first. Around Hiccup, words failed her, especially words of her own fears. He did not deserve to deal with her insecurities. She was supposed to hold him up, not the other way around. She owed him that.
[Sister?]
"I know Hiccup will be a great father," Astrid whispered. "I've seen how he is with the young of the nest, human and dragon alike."
[You fear you will not make a great mother?] the Acid-fantail asked.
"I neglected him," Astrid said, staring at the dragon, wanting, needing someone to actually judge that.
She had been stupid. She had followed blindly along with the rest the tribe and hurt Hiccup badly.
[Sister, Alpha forgave you.]
[I'm sorry,] the Acid-fantail began, [I don't quite understand.]
Stormfly sighed. [Sister, may I tell him? May I explain?]
Astrid gritted her teeth again but nodded her head. Let the dragons know the real truth behind Hiccup and Toothless' tale. Let them know how badly she failed the one who never deserved her neglect.
Stormfly explained in the Old Tongue. Astrid stood there, ready for the dragons' reactions. For their anger. For their judgement. To her surprise the youngling shifted and rose to stand upon her hindlegs. Astrid blinked as that put the young dragon higher than her and made the princess curl her neck so she could stare in Astrid's eyes.
[You make mistake,] the youngling said. [You cor… cor… You make better. Friend Stormfly say Friend Alpha for…for… not be mad. Friend Stormfly say he love you. You love him?]
"Yes," Astrid said.
That was what made all of this so hard. She loved him. She had failed him but she loved him and her greatest fear was that he would one day realize just how cruel she had been to him. That he would declare her love unworthy and unwanted.
[You trust him?] the youngling continued.
"With my life."
[Friend queen,] the youngling said placing a gentle paw upon Astrid's chest. [Trust him here first.] The youngling then lifted her paw and placed it upon Astrid's head. [Then trust him here. The trust with life.]
The youngling then shifted back and lowered her forelegs back to the sand before nuzzling against Astrid once more.
[Friend queen,] the youngling said, [Friend Alpha. Both purr. Dada say purr happy sound. Be happy.]
[Come,] the Changewing queen said. [It is soon mid-day and my mate and I know you and the others will be needed back at your own nest. Thank you again, Acid-fantail.]
The dragon dropped his long and thin muzzle and spread his wings before the Changewing queen. [Anytime, my queen. I shall refresh my scales with water, but my queen, may I meet this young alpha before they all have to leave?]
[Of course. We'll be by the cave before they leave.]
The Acid-fantail straighten and waddled upon four short legs into the waves. The dragon slipped under a particularly high incoming wave and Astrid gasped as the dragons began to twirl before diving.
[He and his kind dance in the waters,] the older princess said walking over.
[Daughter,] the queen said, looking at the older princess. [I think we shall postpone her next lesson until a later time.]
Astrid jerked.
[Do not fret, young queen-to-be,] the Changewing queen said. [I think you and I need to just talk instead of you learning a lesson.] The queen looked to her youngest. [Dear, please go with your sister. It's time for you to go on a fishing lesson.]
[Friend queen not come?]
[Friend queen not know how we fish young one and not able to do as we do. Fly along now. Your sister will be your teacher today.]
[Yes, Mama. I sit with Friend Alpha and Friend queen at meal?]
[If they don't mind.]
The youngling lifted her head to look up at Astrid but did not move from where she had pressed into Astrid's frame.
[I sit with you and Friend Alpha at meal?]
Astrid frowned. "Meal?"
[Before you and the others who came with you leave,] the queen began, [we were going to share mid-day meal with you. If that is okay with you and your intended.]
Astrid tilted her head. "I don't see why he would find anything wrong with that. Just.. uh, humans eat our fish cooked."
The older princess snorted. [We have seen other humans eat before,] she said winking. [Don't understand why you all wish to remove all the good flavor by burning the fish though.]
"Our village elder said too much fish eaten straight from the sea can cause us illnesses."
The princess tilted her head. [Guess that makes sense,] she said. [Come, little sister, you and I must gather the food for our friends to eat.]
The youngling nuzzled against Astrid once more. [I catch biggest fish for friends.]
She then followed her older sister into the waves and soon both were gone as well. The Changewing queen looked at Astrid.
[Please let your sister carry you. We must fly to the place where we can talk and not be disturbed.]
Astrid climbed into Stormfly's saddle. The queen's wings flared and Stormfly followed her out over the waters.
Prince: Hehe, Astrid growls at many things. Mostly those who try to harm or dismiss Hiccup. And well, now you see why she froze.
Kirika: Interesting good? Or interesting bad? And well, some shame. It seem though Hiccup has forgiven her, she had not forgiven herself.