A/N – I know how absurdly long it's been since my last update. I don't intend to abandon this story. I've just been absurdly busy these past few months. I'm in the process of transitioning into a new career, while still working my old job, so my stress level has been through the roof. But, I found a comfy moment to hammer out the next chapter. So, here we go!

X

Chapter 14

Astrid couldn't sleep. How could she? She could still feel the weightlessness of tumbling through the air on the back of that dragon, that Night Fury – Toothless. The books said the Night Fury was the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. But the dark-skinned beast she met didn't seem the type.

He had at first, but when Hiccup had been there… she didn't know what to think.

And Hiccup.

She knew exactly what she thought about Hiccup Haddock, but she didn't know what to do about it. Not when her father expected her to marry Duke Eret for the sake of the kingdom. How to explain it to him? To anyone? Her mother knew, or suspected, and Knight Commander Haddock, but was that enough?

Astrid rolled onto her other side. Her legs ached from her short ride, from holding tight onto the back of the dragon. She'd held just as tight onto Hiccup, but she had been so terrified that she hadn't been able to enjoy it.

She took a deep breath; she'd rather be outside with Hiccup and Toothless than lying in her bed alone.

She'd rather Hiccup be here – that thought sent a blush across her cheeks.

And even if she couldn't marry the man she wanted, she wouldn't be the first queen to take a consort. It wouldn't be well-received by the Shivering Shores, but from what she had gathered from Eret, he wouldn't decline a consort of his own.

But she doubted that Hiccup would lower himself from Knight Haddock to… whatever they called consorts; she'd heard all manner of names. None where kind.

She sighed. She could ask that Hiccup become her personal guard when he became a knight. She could keep him close that way. That was better than nothing. It was better than him being sent across the kingdom.

Astrid rolled onto her other side. Sleep didn't feel any closer here than it did there.

X

The curtains swished aside and too-bright, invasive sunlight flooded into the bed.

"Still sleeping?" Heather chimed.

Astrid inhaled the scent of her pillow – it had soaked in the tonics and soaps of her hair. She mumbled her response. She didn't feel as though she had slept at all. Of course, she didn't know how long she'd lain awake the night before. She might have only slept for a few hours.

"Helga's readying your bath," Heather said. She placed a hand over her chest. "And I have already picked out your dress for this day."

Astrid rolled onto her back as Heather pulled aside the curtains on the foot of the bed. "I hope it's something comfortable. I foresee a nap in my future."

Heather let out a small hum. She put her hands on her hips, and said, "Well, not yet." Her sly smile grew. "I heard a rumor from a very reliable source that someone requested a private breakfast with Princess Astrid."

Astrid groaned. "What?"

She was too tired to think.

Heather's frown faltered. "Duke Eret requested breakfast with you. Only you. Amber Lounge."

"Of course he did." Astrid rubbed the sleep from her eyes so that Heather wouldn't see her lack of eagerness. She could only imagine what Duke Eret wanted.

"Oh, don't give me that face." Heather set her hands on her hips. "I hear the only reason he accompanied the prince here was to see the unmarried princess. You're a hot commodity, you know."

Astrid chuckled. "Because I will inherit a kingdom. If not for that, these young men would not be lining up so, and my father wouldn't be so eager to plan my future."

Heather's frown softened. She sat down on the side of the bed. "I must admit, I don't fully understand the position you're in. Bering pushed toward a marriage with a man you've only just met. But, maybe the duke isn't all bad. A womanizer, surely, but he's also handsome, wealthy, and his kingdom loves him. A marriage with the Shivering Shores would give Berk a steady ally."

"Is that what marriage should be?" Astrid held her stare on the ceiling. "A way to connect two kingdoms, regardless of love or want or anything else? I understand, I do. Many great leaders have formed lasting bonds with others through marriage. But…" She sighed. A pair of green eyes floated into her mind.

Heather let out the smallest of sounds. "Your mother was right, wasn't she?"

Astrid turned her gaze to Heather.

"You're in love, but not with the duke."

She let her lack of an answer be her answer.

"Oh, Astrid." Heather stood. "You've gotten yourself into a situation, haven't you? Well, I'm in no position to tell you what you should or shouldn't do. And I'm not sure that there is anyone out there qualified to."

Helga appeared in the doorway of the bathroom, frowning as she did when she found Astrid still in bed.

"I'm coming," Astrid whined, throwing the blankets off her legs.

X

"Dragons are illusive, but ruthless when threatened," said Gobber the Belch, the Royal Scholar who knew more about dragons than anyone living. He stood at the head of the lecture hall, telling his stories of his encounters with dragons, and used his hook-hand to thump the desk of any dozing squire.

Although, he didn't have to do it more than twice – his stories kept most enthralled. He walked up and down the rows, telling of how he lost his arm and his leg in a single, bloody, near-death battle with a Monstrous Nightmare. When he returned to the wooden podium, he had every pair of eyes.

"And then, when I thought the beast had had enough of me," Gobber said lowly, each word stretched and quiet, "I held by bloodied stump of an arm like a babe and tried to crawl out of it's den." He paused, meeting the eyes of the front row squires, which Hiccup had thankfully avoided. "I was nearly there, then – CHOMP!" He slammed his hook on the desk, and half the squires jumped, including Hiccup. "It had my leg, too."

A few desks over, Snotlout let out a choice string of words. A few desks back, the Thorston twins chuckled.

He heard Tuffnut said lowly, "Are there any Monstrous Nightmares around here? I think we should push Snotlout into one."

"Definitely," added Ruffnut.

Snotlout let out another choice word, aimed at the twins. In unison, two small rocks collided with the back of Snotlout's head.

"You!" Snotlout growled, glare aimed at the twins.

"Snotlout," Gobber said, freezing Snotlout in his half-risen stance. "Since you're so eager to speak, where might I find a Monstrous Nightmare during the spring?"

Snotlout blanked. "Uh…" All eyes had turned toward him. "In its den?"

Gobber shrugged. "Close enough. Spring is mating season for Nightmares, and they're often in a frenzy trying to find a female Nightamre."

"Yeah, that's what I meant."

Gobber ignored him and moved on to the Hideous Zippleback, the dual headed dragon.

Hiccup listened as much as he could, but he'd learned much of this before. When he was younger, he'd spent a good portion of his free time reading in Gobber's library. His father didn't like him in there – he wanted his son to be out fighting and becoming a man. His mother hadn't minded so much; she had often asked him about anything he'd read, and she'd promised not to tell his father.

But, when his father became Knight Commander, he stopped traveling so much, and Hiccup's afternoons of reading had come to an end. The new battle began of why his arms were so scrawny, why his legs looked like sticks, why he couldn't lift a log, why he wasn't the son his father thought he'd be.

He kept his gaze on Gobber, but his mind wandered to the dragon in the woods. What was he going to do about that? He wouldn't be able to hid Toothless forever. He'd have to find him a new place to stay. If he became a knight, he'd be asked to travel, and he couldn't very well travel the country with Toothless.

And then… Astrid. The princess. The future queen he would one day serve. She'd kissed him. Dragons and princesses… he thought the legends of knights were just inflated child's stories, but apparently not. Another way Thor enjoyed tormenting him, he guessed.

He knew he wouldn't be able to keep them both. Not in a hundred years would he be able to pull something like that off.

Still, Astrid had met Toothless. She'd flown on Toothless. And, as of yet, no one had burst into the lecture hall demanding answers from him. She hadn't told anyone.

That night, after their flight, he'd barely slept. He waited for his father to grab him from his sleep and shake him for answers to the Night Fury – but it never came.

The lecture broke for lunch, and Hiccup joined the other squires on the trek back to the barracks. They flooded into the mess hall, where the castle staff had laden two tables with bread, meats, and fruits – his mouth began to water at the sight.

If he got out of this mess alive, he'd miss the food of the castle. Not that his mother's cooking was bad, but… well, yes it was terrible.

Hiccup sat at the far table; he'd reached it first today. Soon, Fishlegs would join him, and most likely the twins, too. Thor only knew who Snotlout would choose to torment that day. Hiccup hadn't thought to point out to him that if Snotlout hated him so much, why did he sit with them so often during meals?

Hiccup heard the footsteps approach the door behind him a heartbeat before he heard the voices.

"This could present a serous matter, Knight Commander. I highly suggest you do not take it lightly. These sights could mean something much worse than a few extra ruffians on the streets."

His father's harsh whisper responded, "The city and her possible ruffians are not my responsibility, Captain. It's yours, lest you've forgotten."

"I was bringing it to your attention," said the captain with no small amount of spite.

"Thank you for bringing your unsupported suspicious with me, Captain, it has been enlightening to know that the watch is busy chasing shadows through alleys."

The door to the mess hall opened, and Hiccup kept his face on his lunch. His father stomped past the table without a glance in his direction, and not a moment too soon, Fishlegs joined him.

"I can't wait for Gobber's next lecture," Fishlegs said, a giddiness edging his words. "I hear he once came face to face with a Quaken!"

"I hear he once locked a squire in a Whispering Death tunnel for asking stupid questions," said Tuffnut.

His sister chimed, "Then you should watch your mouth in his classes."

They started to eat and the chatter in the room steadily grew. Hiccup couldn't help but think of his father's conversation. He mentioned the watch, and he'd called the other man Captain. Had it been the Captain of the City Watch? Reporting something to the Knight Commander? Something that his father deemed unworthy of his time, unsupported suspicions.

On the far side of the hall, his father sat with Gobber and a few of the older knights who'd been spending their time teaching the squires. They all started laughing, and his father's booming laugh echoed throughout the mess hall. A few people quieted, but the chatter resumed.

What could make the Captain come to the Knight Commander? Of course, he had heard his father talk about the Captain before. He'd called him suspicious, said he saw thieves everywhere he went, and his watchmen were no better than the average foundry worker.

Hiccup pushed aside those thoughts; he had enough to dwell on without adding his father's problems to them.

X

Dressed in a pale purple gown, Astrid walked toward the Amber Lounge. Heather walked a step behind. The Amber Lounge, as its name suggested, had walls of amber. When Astrid arrived, the sun shone through the leaded glass windows and lit the amber walls as if they themselves glowed. Duke Eret stood by the window, gazing out upon Berk with a pleasant, if not handsome expression.

"Good morning," Astrid said as way of greeting. Heather took up her dutiful place beside the door – as to not leave the princess alone in a room with a stranger.

"Good morning, Princess." Eret gave her a courteous bow, one hand behind him, the other folded in front of his waist – the movement of a soldier. "I do hope this didn't come as a sudden request."

"Not at all," she lied. "I'm nothing if not durable."

He gave a her a pleasant smile.

They sat across from one another in the yellow and mahogany furniture. A tea tray had been set on the low table with tea for two, sliced oranges, muffins, and small baked tarts with eggs and mutton – an easy and dainty meal to eat in front of someone.

Eret poured a cup of tea for Astrid, then asked, "How do you take your tea?"

"One sugar."

Eret gracefully plucked one sugar cube from the bowl and set it gently on the surface of the tea. It vanished underneath the surface.

"Thank you," she said, taking the cup from him. He made his own – three sugars.

"I must confess," he said, eyes on the tea. "I never thought I'd see Berk, let alone enjoy it as much as I have. I took a tour of the city yesterday, and I'm impressed. Your father has done amazing things to the city, and I've gotten several ideas to take back to our king."

She felt a bit of pride. "My father has been a good king."

"And he's raised you to be a great queen." He tipped his tea toward her. "He's bragged on you more than you realize. Despite your faults, he said."

She let out a short chuckle. "No doubt he's tried to make me sound better than I am."

"He might be, but that would be difficult to do. From what I've seen, Astrid, you're far better than most of the women in your position, some men, too."

She took a sip of the tea. "Flatterer."

He smiled, not denying it. His brown eyes shifted over her shoulder to where Heather stood by the door. He knew his words would be listened to, judged, and recorded – to be repeated later.

Heather, for all her good qualities, had an amazing memory for words. It had proven useless and irritating.

"Did you simply ask me to dine with you to offer me compliments?" Astrid asked, sliding an orange slice from the plate.

He nodded, and a small amount of guilt came over his face. "I suppose, yes and no. I wanted to meet with you without our guardians watching every exchange. My brother thinks it would be fitting for us to be friendly, as does your father, I take it. He's mentioned you each time he speaks with me."

She nodded. "What is your take on it?"

"Being friendly wouldn't hurt anyone, Princess."

A trap, but she fell right in: "And your thoughts on an engagement?"

He smiled a tad sheepishly. His eyes averted to the window, where Berk chimed with every day life. "I thought my brother mad when he proposed the idea, but everyone went out of their way to tell me how prosperous a union between the Shivering Shores and Berk would be, how good for everyone. I told my brother I would meet this princess. And, here I am."

She took in those words, all of them. For the first time since she had met him, he looked… normal. Like her. Forced into consideration of a marriage with a stranger, for the sake of his kingdom, for the greater good, not for himself.

She nodded. "I understand. My parents have taken to mentioning the same prosperity that would arise from a marriage." She hesitated – not doubt what she said would make it back to the Shivering Shores visitors. "Forgive my hesitance, Duke. My parents did not warn me what our visitors would be inquiring after my hand. It has been a sudden proposition."

He nodded. "No woman, especially a future queen, should take the notion of marriage lightly. My marriage, by comparison, doesn't matter. I agreed to accompany them to Berk to meet with this princess, not to marry, only to meet. And I would be honored, Your Majesty, if you would give me your consideration."

Flatterer, indeed.

"I will consider it, Duke." She wished she sat in a stiff backed chair rather than the dainty seat; she didn't think she would be able to hold herself up much longer.

"Please, call me Eret." He placed a hand over his heart.

"Eret," she corrected.

For her kingdom, for her people, for the future she wanted to bring to her people, she would consider it, even as the orange in her mouth turned sour.