When Stoick and Valka returned home from their walk, they found Gobber dozing off at the dining table with Hiccup in his crib by him. Valka let out a light chuckle making Gobber wake up. "How hard is it to look after a baby, Gobber?" she mocked at him.

"Okay I get it, having a baby isn't easy." Gobber said rubbing his face with a hand before getting up. "I just put the kid to sleep, so he should be good for the night."

"Thank you Gobber, now go home and get some rest." Valka said walking up to the crib finding her son sleeping in his furs. The Blacksmith said a few words to his friend before leaving the house. When the door shut Stoick hung up his helmet and cape.

"So, how long have you known about Ingrid and Asmund?" Valka froze and stood up straight tying to think of something to say. "Now don't lie to me Val, you didn't react seeing the baby."

The young woman let out a sigh and turned around to look at him. "I've known for seven months, and I delivered her. Ingrid told me her name last night; I didn't think I should have told you because I wanted to wait until she was ready."

"That's all I wanted to know…I'm going to bed, I need to wake up early tomorrow." he said walking past her to get in their bedroom. Valka picked up Hiccup and moved the crib to the bedroom. After she placed him back in, she undid her braid to get ready for bed. She rocked the crib in a nice slow motion before she started to change in her nightwear. She saw her husband in bed ready to go to sleep.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked her husband. She heard the bed moving behind her.

"What?"

"Are you mad at me for not telling you?" she asked again pulling her night gown over her head.

"Can we talk about this later? I'm tired and I have a busy day tomorrow." Stoick answered putting his head back on the pillow. Valka let out a sigh and got in bed feeling the fatigue take over her body.

~oOo~

A few days later, Valka and Unn were taking a stroll around the village with their sons in their arms. As they walked, they found Ingrid walking out of her house with her daughter. After they dedicated her to the village the other day, many of the women were whispering every time she took a step by them. Valka watched the teen walking to a cart full of apples, after the girl paid for her food, Valka saw the older woman shaking her head and glaring at Ingrid as she walked away.

"Don't Valka," she heard Unn mumble. It wasn't the first time Valka wanted to confront those women. She wanted to grab Ingrid and put her under her wing every time she saw someone pointing and gossiping about her. Valka took a deep breath and walked towards Ingrid. Unn followed her and saw many of the women around her glaring at them. When the two women caught up with Ingrid, they walked out of the village towards the edge of the woods.

"What was that about?" Ingrid asked looking up at Valka.

"I had to get you out of there; I was getting tired of those women glaring at you."

"I have to get used to it. People are going to judge me; I just don't want them judging my daughter. Besides, Asmund and I got this. If people are still shaming us when Astrid's in her teens, then we'll give her away to a man from another island. That way she can start her life over."

Valka's eyes went wide and she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Unn looking up at her. "You didn't tell her?" she said threw her teeth.

"Didn't tell me what?" Ingrid watched Valka turning back to her.

Valka bit her lip before answering her. "Um, on the day Astrid was born, Stoick changed the marriage law so that no Berkian could be in an arranged marriage." She explained in a quite tone.

"What? Why?"

"I thought it would be best-"

"Best for whom? It's not best for us! What man is going to want to marry my daughter?! If my daughter wants to make it in this life she needs to be a shieldmaiden! If she wants to get married, how am I going to tell her that she can't because no man would want her?"

"You don't know that-"

"Yes I do! It happened to my…" Ingrid couldn't finish her augment after feeling a lump growing in her throat. She swallowed and took a breath. "My mother was conceived out of wedlock. She had to be in an arranged marriage because the man she loved didn't want to marry her once he found out. I can't let that happen to Astrid."

"Ingrid please just listen-"

"No, I'm tired of listening. I should have stuck with our original plan to hide for two months, but I had to listen to you. I'm going to regret that. The only one in our family that loves my daughter beside Asmund and me is Finn. My own father wants nothing to do with us."

"Ingrid-"

"Leave me alone," she grumbled then walked away from Valka and Unn.

Valka let out a disappointing sigh and turned to look at Unn. "She was to find out sooner or later Valka. Don't be so hard on yourself."

~oOo~

Stoick went back home to get a few papers. He heard the door opening and shut behind him. He turned around and found his wife looking down at the ground rather than her son. "Val, are you okay?"

"Can you please just not say anything right now." She whispered through the growing lump in her throat.

"What happened?" he asked taking the child out of her arms to put him in his crib.

"I thought I was doing the right thing." She whimpered keeping her head down. She kept repeating it over and over again until she broke. She felt her husband wrapping his arms around her and she buried her face in his shoulder. She cried on his shoulder as she felt him stroking her braid. Stoick put his other hand on her shaking back trying to sooth her.

A/N: Okay guys, this story is about to come to a close. I was hoping to post the rest of it tonight, but I couldn't get to it. We got one more chapter left then an epilogue. I want to post them before the 2nd, so I'll see if I can write them and get them proofread before then.

If not, I might post them on June 5th.