A/N: Hey guys, sorry if this chapter isn't very interesting. Luckily the story is going to build back up again very soon, maybe in chapter 31.
I've been stressed out while I've been writing this chapter because I'm going to a college orientation tomorrow night, and for whatever reason they want me to take a test, (and I have test anxiety). So I'm not too thrilled about that :/
Anyway, enough about me. Back to our story.
Months have passed and Valka was turning 19. Stoick was still planting the yellow and red roses and his mother-in-law helped him tend to the flowers when he couldn't. While Mrs. Jorgenson was helping Stoick plan his gift for his wife, Valka kept thinking about having children again. The fact that Unn kept talking about how she and Spitelout were planning on having children didn't help.
Valka knew Unn wasn't trying to make her feel bad, but she couldn't help feel a little bit jealous. She should have had a child before Unn did, but the gods had other plans. Every time Stoick and Valka tried to have a talk about children, something always had to get in the way. If it was chiefly duties, dragons, or anything else getting in their way, Stoick and Valka never had a full discussion about trying for a kid again. It was already frustrating trying to be with each other without distractions, let alone have a complete conversation. Sometimes Stoick wished he could lock his door at night just to rest all night, but that's what happens when you're chief.
On the morning of Valka's birthday, Stoick woke up at the crack of dawn and got ready for the day. After he got dressed and made his breakfast, he noticed Valka's roses were withering and drying out. After he put his plate up, he pulled the roses out of the pot and placed it back on the windowsill. Seeing the empty pot gave him an idea for Valka's birthday gift.
He grabbed his fur cape and walked out of the house to start the day. He saw Gobber in The Forge and asked him if he could make a piece of armor for her.
"Just one piece of armor, Stoick?"
"Yeah, I think she deserves it. She faced some battles of her own and deserves to have something."
Gobber shrugged and grabbed a large piece of metal. "What do you want me to make for her? An arm brace? Some shoulder pads? A helmet?"
"Just make something that normal woman would want." Stoick saw Gobber smirking when he picked up the metal.
"Alright Stoick, you asked for it."
~oOo~
When Mrs. Jorgenson was getting out of bed, she heard a knock on the door. The woman walked in the front room and cracked the door open only to find her son-in-law. Mrs. Jorgenson hid her body behind the door so he wouldn't see her in her nightgown.
"What's going on Stoick? I thought we were going to get Valka's gift later in the day."
"I'm sorry, but I have a change in plans. Do you happen to have a flower vase?" he asked her. Mrs. Jorgenson pressed her lips together trying to remember what all she had.
"I think I might have one, just give me a moment to look." Mrs. Jorgenson shut the door and searched her cabinets. Stoick waited for a few minutes before she was able to find a vase. She opened the door and handed him the clay vase. It wasn't fancy, or painted, or shaped beautifully. It was just a plan old vase, but it would do.
~oOo~
Valka slept in longer than she planned. She saw the bright blue mid-morning sky and knew she had to get ready for the day. She rushed to get dressed and just put her long hair in one simple braid rather than three braids. She tried to put on her boots as she tried to walk out of the bedroom. She stomped on one foot to put her boot on the other one. Once she had her boots on, she lifted her head up; she saw a bouquet of flowers in a vase on the dining table. She walked closer to the table and noticed that the flowers were red and yellow roses.
Some of the flowers were in buds and others were in full bloom. She smiled at the vase full of flowers and saw a note lying by the vase. Valka picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it.
Happy 19th birthday darling. Sorry we couldn't be together this morning, but I hope we can celebrate if I finish my duties early enough.
~ Stoick
Valka smiled and placed the note back on the table. After she ate, she walked out of the house to only find people doing their daily chores. She was able to find her husband in the crowd talking to Bucket and Mulch. She walked towards the men and her husband noticed her. He smiled and when she was close enough, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.
"Did you see the flowers?"
Valka gave him a nod, "yes I did. Have you been planting those roses this entire time?"
Before Stoick could even open his mouth to answer, Bucket snorted at her question. "Stoick the Vast planting roses? That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard."
The Chief gave the farmer a death glare making him stop smiling. Mulch banged his hook hand on Bucket's head. "You don't say anything like that about The Chief, especially if he's standing in front of you."
Valka sighed and rolled her eyes at the farmers. She looked back up at her husband when he cleared his throat to get her attention. "Anyway, yes I did plant those roses. Your mother has been helping me to keep them alive."
Then they heard Gobber yelling at them from The Forge telling the couple to come here. Stoick walked over to The Forge with his wife knowing that the gift must be finished.
"Hey there lass, I have a present for ya. Now before I give it to you, remember that it was your husband's idea." Valka raised a brow in concern. Normally Gobber takes pride in his craftsmanship, but this time he didn't want to take full responsibility for it. Gobber walked into the back and came back with a box in his hand. Valka had her hands open to receive the gift and took off the lid. Seeing what was in the box made her face flush and smile nervously. She pulled out the gift and revealed it to be a breast plate.
Stoick's eyes widened and he frowned at Gobber. "I said a piece of armor!"
"That is armor! And you said 'what woman normally want' a breast plate is what a lot of woman ask for."
Valka couldn't hold it in any longer and let out a laugh. The two men weren't so sure why she was laughing. Once Valka caught her breath she started to explain the humor of it. "You guys are the best. Even though a breast plate isn't what Stoick expected, I do love the gift. Let me tell you, even though this gift is a bit hilarious, mainly because of your reactions. It was worth it, so thank you guys."
Stoick and Gobber were a bit surprised by her response to the gift, but they smiled at her.
"Well, thank you Valka. At least someone around here appreciates my work!" Gobber said eyeing his friend.
"Hey, I do appreciate your work. The breast plate was just something I didn't expect."
"I'm Gobber, you don't know what to expect from me!" Valka just kept smiling at her men and put on the piece of armor. She was surprised how well it fit, even though it was a bit loose. This was the first piece of armor she received and she wore that breast plate every day after.
A/N: I almost forgot about the breast plate. I had to add that somewhere in this story, I thought I may as well make it a humorous scene. Anyway, unless anything changes I'll update next week.