A/N: Got a little sidetracked last week, especially with the release of Destiny 2: Lightfall, and then I fell into a weird funk, mostly procrastination, it kept me from working on this chapter, and I apologize for that. But we're here with this next chapter, so let's get to it!
(Normal pov— Kiev)
Griselda the Grievous was no stranger to suffering, in fact, she was quite intimate with it. Even as a girl, she strived to become a great warrior especially after witnessing her family being slaughtered by Pechenegs, brutal, nomadic warriors who were excellent horsemen but were savages who would skin their victims alive and collect their skulls as drinking mugs. After narrowly escaping the clutches of the Pechenegs who butchered her family and her village as a girl, Griselda wandered the cold, icy forests of Rus for many weeks until she collapsed at the gates of Kiev, near dead. After recovering from exposure to the freezing temperatures of Rus and after she had replenished her body with food and drink, the man who saved her was Berivoj the Boisterous, the former ruler of Kievan Rus, who was the present ruler's father.
Berivoj took Griselda to join the Kievan army when she was of proper age, and the young girl took this opportunity to become the finest warrior Kiev had to offer. As the years passed, Griselda soared through the ranks and became a general, however, the desire to see her family avenged and she wanted to slaughter those who grieved her without pity or mercy. Despite the bloodlust threatening to consume her, Griselda tempered it with patience and trusted that in time, Berivoj, who was like a father to her, would give her his blessing to eradicate the Pecheneg threat that resided throughout Rus, for they would ambush trade ships going in or out of the various states, claim the precious cargo stocked within and slaughter everyone they deemed was of no use. Because of these acts of piracy and slaughter, the Rus leaders had demanded that something be done about the Pechenegs, and knowing that Griselda would be eager to eradicate the savages that were preventing trade and commerce to flow, Berivoj gave the woman he rescued his blessing to see to the destruction of the Pechenegs throughout Rus.
The following conflict was brutal in every sense of the word, however, in the end, the Rus and their vast armies crushed the Pechenegs, and those who survived scattered like roaches in the light. Griselda in particular earned her title of "Griselda the Grievous" for the severe brutality she and the warriors under her command inflicted on the Pechenges and their Khan, the very same leader who led the attack on her village and butchered her family. When the Pecheng leader was alone to face Griselda's wrath she inflicted a very cruel fate on him, one that only solidified her title. She had personally cut off all of his fingers and toes and fed them to her wolves so that they could have but a taste of the meal that was to come. After reliving him of his phalanges, Griselda took him to the water and had several of her ships form a straight line where she then performed Keelhauling on her enemy, the barnacles beneath the ships tore his flesh apart, but Griselda only had him dragged beneath the belly of her ships six times. Finally, she unleashed her pack of wolves on the bloodied Pecheng, watching with great pleasure as her enemy was eaten alive.
Upon returning to Kiev, however, Griselda was shocked to learn that Berivoj had died of an unknown illness, and with him now dead, his son was now the ruler of Kievan Rus. This son had always despised Griselda, because Berivoj, his father, favored her more than his flesh and blood, and that created a wide chasm between father and son. With the throne now his, the new Kievan ruler who not only was a Rus Viking but also a Christian banished Griselda and the warriors who followed her, claiming them to be bloodthirsty savages who are no better than the Pecheng plague they had helped the Rus be rid of.
Betrayed and left to wander the unknown, Griselda and her army of loyalists stumbled upon a mighty force of man and dragons that outnumbered them. However, the leader of this junta was someone who Griselda came to both fear and respect a great deal, that leader was Drago Bludvist. Impressed by the fortitude and strength of her army in the face of overwhelming force, the Dragon God invited Griselda and her army to join his Northern Alliance and conquer the world, an offer which she willingly accepted. Throughout the years serving Drago, the Slavic warlord thought she knew hardship and fear, she was well acquainted with both of these qualities as a girl who had survived Pecheng brutality, but Drago Bludvist was a different kind of monster, one who would kill his own with pity or mercy if they failed him. A terrifying prospect, especially since many of her former friends who were in high positions with the Northern Alliance were executed for their failure to its leader, because of this, she had grown cold and learned not to grow too attached to her allies, lest they be struck from the world at any given moment.
Now, as the Slavic warlord was rotting in a Kievan dungeon, she wondered whether or not she would be killed by the ruler she once saw as the brother she never had or if Drago would kill her himself for this failure. She was meant to sway the mind of Kiev's ruler and convince him to join the Northern Alliance, but Griselda knew that this would not be a simple task it would very well be impossible, especially now that she was in a cell in the belly of her adoptive brother's palace.
Suddenly, the doors to her cell opened, revealing two guards who then yanked her off of the ground and dragged her out of the underbelly of the palace and to its throne room, where the man she was meant to persuade awaited her. Once entering the throne room, the Slavic warlord winced as her eyes were adjusting to the bright room, especially since she was down in a dark, freezing cell. As Griselda was thrown to the floor, she groaned in disgust as she was thrown on top of a pool of blood where a man's lower jaw and tongue resides, telling the Slavic warlord that her adoptive brother had brutally murdered someone, most likely someone who disappointed him or otherwise.
"I apologize for the mess, my dear sister. I had just finished dealing with one of my nobles who advised me that I should... "negotiate" with your master. But we both know how that will go, won't we?"
Wiping the blood off of her hands, Griselda glared heated daggers at Adolb Ødholf, the Noble Wolf, ruler of Kievan Rus, who was taking in his appearance with a handheld mirror in one hand and a bloodied Viking axe with rune patterns embedded in the blade. "You think holding me captive makes a difference? Holding me hostage will not sway Drago from taking your kingdom and convincing your army to merge with the Northern Alliance," the ruler of Kiev lowered his mirror and looked over his shoulder as Griselda continued to speak through gritted teeth. "If you value your pathetic life, you will submit to Drago Bludvist and serve him—"
"I serve no one!" Adolb snarled and slammed the mirror down on the ground, the shattering glass echoing in the room. Descending the steps leading to his throne, the Rus ruler placed his bloodied axe at Griselda's chin, causing her to inhale sharply and hold her breath. As he looked into the female warlord's fearless eyes, Adolb murmured. "The prospect of having you quartered is very appealing right now, adoptive sister. I could have your head and limbs delivered to your master to show him I will never bow down to him nor partake in his madness."
Blowing a strand of her ebony hair out of her face, Griselda leaned in and smirked. "Then do it. Kill me, or don't, it doesn't matter. Drago will raze your state to the ground and slaughter everyone who opposes him," she then began to chuckle darkly, "trying to stop the Northern Alliance is equivalent to trying to outrun a tidal wave; you can only run from your end for so long until you're washed away and forgotten by history." She then repeated herself. "So go on, "Noble Wolf," kill me! Or have you not the balls?"
Adolb's face scrunched up in anger, he wanted to kill Drago's pawn, however, her words kept him from striking her down. Summoning one of his generals, the Rus ruler spoke lowly in their ear. "Ensure that all of Kiev is aware of the danger coming our way and ready the army, I want them ready and prepared for what is to come," the general bowed his head and left with haste. Turning back to Griselda, the Noble Wolf then smiled at her. "Whatever happens to Kiev and its people, I will ensure that the people are free and far from your master's wrath—"
"Your people won't escape Drago's grasp. No one can, and you're a fool for believing it to be possible," Griselda grinned. "Once your blood soaks the ground, the Kievan armies will have no choice but to swear fealty to Drago or suffer extermination along with the people within these walls. Fight or don't, either way, you lose."
Having enough of the Slavic warlord, Adolb looked at the two guards who had brought her to his throne room. "Take her back to her cell, deprive her of food and water," he then added with a smirk. "Weaken her further and beat her until she's at the very edge of life." The guards soon dragged the thrashing Slavic warlord out of their ruler's throne room who screamed crude expletives at Adolb, who drowned them out as he summoned a war council to formulate the best options to prepare for Drago Bludvist's arrival.
The supposed "Dragon God" and his junta have provoked the Noble Wolf, and soon, he would bear his fangs and sink them into his enemies.
Rapunzel was awestruck at the sight of the Rus capital from the outskirts, having never seen such grand architecture like this before. Whilst perched on Bluster's back, the blond beauty couldn't help but smile at the sight of so many people going in and out of the city, Hiccup told her that many merchants, traders, and those who sought to make a profit would conduct business here or any other of the Rus states, he also explained that many of the foreign people she saw selling their wares to the people would travel along a route called the Silk Road, which was a vast trade network connecting Eurasia and North Africa via land and sea routes.
"Have you been here before?" Rapunzel's curiosity got the best of her after she had ogled over the city for a long while.
Turning to his blond companion, Hiccup nodded. "I've taken bounties from the Noble Wolf before, but I've been to Novgorod, Rus, more times than I can count. It's considered the second main city after Kiev, it's a very rich and powerful city because it's the main port in Rus where international trade is conducted. Also, one of the main routes for Europe lead through Novgorod, and it was on the way from Northern Europe to the Roman Empire and Constantinople," shrugging, Hiccup then smiled. "Would you care to see Constantinople after this job is over? It truly is a city unlike any other in the world."
Her beaming smile was something Hiccup never tired of, it always filled him with a pleasant warmth that pooled in his belly. "I would love to!" She then looked to Pascal who was burrowing himself in her fur cloak. "Doesn't that sound fun, Pascal?" The Chameleon nodded furiously while desperately trying to keep warm. Seeing this, Rapunzel cooed at her small pet and placed him in one of her coat pockets. Pursing her lips, the blond beauty contemplated whether or not she should ask the question that was lingering in her mind or if it was better to mind her own business.
"Whatever's on your mind, speak," Hiccup said with a playful tone. "I'd hate to see your head burst because of your hesitation."
Giggling at his tone, Rapunzel took a deep breath and spoke carefully. "Before arriving here, I noticed some... tension between you and Heather, were you two close?"
His countenance fell and Hiccup sighed heavily. "We were very close, not only that, but we were in love. I had met her in the year after I was banished from Berk and Scandinavia. She was set to drift as a babe, but instead of drowning at sea, she was reclaimed by Viking sea traders who had no child of their own and raised her as their daughter. Unfortunately, when she was fifteen winters old, her adoptive family and their trade vessels were set upon by pirates that killed the men, took the men as sex slaves, and plundered anything of value, including Heather who knew about her adoptive family's trade contacts who possessed items of great value. Toothless and I descended on the pirates who killed Heather's family and friends, we dealt with them, freed their slaves, and took Heather to a place where she could begin anew. However, when she claimed that she had nowhere to go, I offered her the chance to be by my side and learn how to ride a dragon and explore the world, an offer that she happily accepted. As the years went by, we became lovers and were inseparable, that is until she had taken certain bounties that required her to be gone for long periods which ultimately caused a chasm that was too wide to gap, that and there were... other complications that led to us going our separate ways and the love we shared evaporated, becoming nothing more than a distant memory," shaking his head, Hiccup fought to hold back the tears that threatened to stream down his eyes before scoffing lightly. "So yeah, Heather and I were close, but now our relationship is strictly professional, nothing more."
Rapunzel winced and scolded herself for asking such a sensitive question, she was quick to apologize. "Sorry, clearly I reopened old wounds, I didn't mean to—"
"No, you're fine!" Hiccup quickly reassured her, and he then shrugged. "You were curious and I want to be honest with you, because you're naive and most of your knowledge comes from Fairy Tale books and fantasy stories, and I want to arm you with the knowledge of how real relationships work." His words made Rapunzel blush in embarrassment, but she knew he wasn't judging or belittling her because of her unfortunate upbringing by Gothel. She was also grateful that it was Hiccup who was offering to show her the world and teach her how the real world usually is.
She couldn't wait to expand her horizons and knowledge, after all, she's a fast learner who takes everything people say into account. And if she wanted to be by Hiccup's side, she would need to pay attention and learn all that she can from him.
Time passed, and the duo entered the city, Hiccup wanted to show Rapunzel what this place had to offer, however, they were on a mission by Drago, they were to look for weaknesses in Kiev's defenses, how many sentries are standing watch at key points, and find out where the Noble Wolf was keeping Griselda the Grievous. They had arrived in Rus last night and the weeks at sea gave the Dragon Rider time to teach Rapunzel not only how to bond deeper with her Singetail, but also he had been teaching her how to fight and defend herself. Hiccup hoped that the time he spent training Rapunzel would bear fruit because he had an inkling that things would get ugly sooner rather than later. Whilst staying on task, Rapunzel was finding it very hard to concentrate, especially with everything going on around her, Hiccup couldn't blame her, she was finally experiencing life outside of the tower she was being kept in and she wanted to savor everything.
"So, what's it like seeing the world for yourself and not just picturing it in your mind's eyes?" Hiccup asked while numbering the soldiers manning the walls in a notepad he kept in one of his forearm gauntlets.
Turning to her Viking companion, Rapunzel beamed. "It exceeds my wildest imagination!" She shrieked happily. Her smile was infectious, causing Hiccup to return her smile as she continued to take in her surroundings. Seeing her eyes gleaming with wonder, the flush on her cheeks from the cold, the dim sunlight shining down on her, and the happiness etched on her face made Hiccup breathless.
Gods, she was so beautiful.
Looking at him, Rapunzel's smile seemed to brighten, and Hiccup felt his heart in his throat, every time she would smile he felt as though he was the same awkward, clumsy screw-up back on Berk; he feared he would say or do something stupid that would cause her to go her own path and leave him. A blush of confusion and embarrassment graced Hiccup's cheeks, he didn't know why he was having these thoughts, but in the short time he's gotten to know Rapunzel, he's grown fond of her.
How could he not?
Not only was she breathtakingly beautiful, but he noted that the two of them had much in common: they were both open-minded, creative, intelligent, and curious about the world they would just talk about everything and share their ideas and plan on going on adventures and be reckless together for fun. Not only did they share those things in common, but in all of his life, Hiccup had never met anyone like Rapunzel, especially since he was surrounded by Vikings who are stern and aggressive people who don't tolerate failure or weakness, and despite his efforts to impress his father and earn the respect of his people, they still cast him aside and considered him as nothing more than an afterthought.
But not Rapunzel.
Like him, she has come to the conclusion that they fascinate each other. And they appreciate and befriend each other in a way that no one else has entirely done for them in their lives. And in his line of work and what he does, Hiccup fears that Rapunzel cannot stomach him or what he has to do and will leave him. Though the feeling of forming a bond with someone who's genuinely eager to know him more as a person is amazing, Hiccup also knows that eventually those he's formed bonds with in the past have either left him or were killed by rival bounty hunters or otherwise.
"Hiccup? Are you alright?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked into Rapunzel's gorgeous green eyes that mirrored his own, he swore there were times he felt as though he was drowning in her shimmering irises. Instead of lying to her, Hiccup decided to speak his mind. "When we first met, Rapunzel, the only one I truly trusted and still do trust more than anyone in this world is Toothless," he caressed his dragon's head while he looked up at his rider with a smile. Hiccup shrugged before continuing. "Meeting you and getting to know you have been... the sweetest moments of my life. I've already shared so much with you during the weeks at sea, and I don't want to be the cause of destroying the beautiful friendship we have."
Touched by his words, Rapunzel was then struck with confusion. "Why is it that you think that you'll be the cause of destroying our friendship?"
"I'm a bounty hunter and mercenary, which means I have to do... questionable and horrible things at times to get paid. There are times when I'm struck with shame and regret for taking human lives, once you kill another human being, you lose a piece of yourself slowly but surely. When I look at you, I see the purest flower in the world, untouched by the shame and guilt of taking a life. And when I look at you, I see a woman who can go wherever she wants and can do whatever she pleases with the person she chooses to share her life with," chuckling lightly, Hiccup shrugged as he continued. "I don't know why I feel afraid to lose you when you aren't even mine, but... I don't want to lose you, Rapunzel."
Steering Bluster to walk alongside Toothless, the blond beauty reached out and grabbed Hiccup's left hand and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Hey, I'm not going anywhere," her smile made his heart beat faster and the feeling of her hand squeezing his felt amazing. "You're not alone, I don't want to lose you either, Hiccup."
Before he could contemplate whether or not his next actions would overstep her boundaries, he leaned in and kissed her cheek, causing her to gasp in surprise. The affectionate gesture caused warmth to spread throughout Rapunzel's body, a pleasant yet momentary feeling to keep the Rus cold at bay. Hiccup noticed her fierce blush and he too felt his cheeks warming before stammering out. "S-Sorry! I overstepped—"
"No, no you're fine!" Rapunzel cut him off while chuckling. She then gave a toothy smile. "You just surprised me, that's all."
Before Hiccup could reply, he noticed his quarry and a handful of his generals by his side as they exited the Kievan palace. Turning to Rapunzel, he silently told her to dismount Bluster and follow his lead, and try not to make any noise. As she dismounted, Hiccup slid off of Toothless as well, he then murmured against his dragon's ear. "You and Bluster follow us on the rooftops, bud," nodding, Toothless warbled at Bluster, urging her to follow him as they flew to the nearest building and watched their dragons stalk the Kievan ruler and his generals on foot. Hiccup and Rapunzel blended into the crowds while holding hands, the two of them were attempting to eavesdrop on Adolb's conversation with his generals.
"...Drago Bludvist and his army may very well be on the march, our scouts have reported that the Northern Alliance arrived here last night."
Adolb turned to his head general, Bajko Karadordevic, the Kievan ruler then grunted. "It pains me to say it, but we must ensure those who passed through the gates are spies under Bludvist's fealty; limit the number of foreign merchants, traders, and travelers from entering the city, and those that do enter, search them before allowing them to proceed,"
"It will be done," Bajko bowed his head before inquiring. "What of Griselda, shall we kill her?"
"Nothing would please me more, unfortunately, I need her alive for the time being. Keep her contained in the palace dungeon, for the time being, and see her weakened, but not killed. And see to it that she remains under heavy guard, her master may have undoubtedly enlisted the aid of bounty hunters who specialize in infiltration. Send some men to her cell and give her food and drink," General Bajko nodded before silently commanding two men to follow him. Adolb then turned to the rest of his generals. "Send word to our scouts and make sure they keep vigilant, when Drago Bludvist comes for what he wants, he'll take it with overwhelming force. I want Kiev to be on high alert and prepare for the Northern Alliance to attack."
"Understood, Grand Prince Adolb," the generals bowed their heads in understanding.
Hearing all that needed to hear for the time being, Hiccup turned to Rapunzel and urged her to follow him while also summoning Toothless. Following his example, the blond called Bluster and mounted the Singetail once she was on the ground. "Adolb is leaving nothing to chance, he's more than ready for Drago and his army to attack," Hiccup said while mounting his dragon. "We'll need to return to The Conqueror and inform Drago what we learned here."
Pursing her lips, Rapunzel then tilted her head in curiosity. "What if Drago doesn't regard your words?"
"If he wants to hurtle his forces at Adolb's city, it's not my problem, the more men and resources Drago loses, the longer it'll take for him to achieve his ultimate ambition of conquering the world. My only priority is releasing Griselda from the dungeon, I'm well acquainted with Adolb's dungeon, in the past, I did a job for him and needed to interrogate a prisoner that led to one of Adolb's competitors here in Rus," he then continued, "I just want to get this job over with, the sooner we get back to Drago's ship and formulate a strong, sound plan to get Griselda out of her cell, the better." Rapunzel didn't bother objecting, she merely nodded and urged Bluster to tread alongside Toothless as they departed the walls of Kiev and back into the wild to regroup with the Northern Alliance.
Hiccup took in the peaceful, serine scene of Adolb's people going about with their own business, living their lives while trying to provide for those they loved with a heavy heart. Because he knew when he would return to this city, Drago would unleash the might of his army upon the Kievan people. All the death, suffering, and loss that would transpire would be because of Adolb and his defiance, he wanted to blame the Noble Wolf for provoking Drago, but he also blamed himself for accepting this job in the first place; regardless, once this was over, this would be the last job he would ever take from Drago Bludvist and the Northern Alliance.
Upon returning to Drago's flagship, Hiccup told the madman what they had learned, and heard, and where Griselda was being held prisoner. After taking in the Viking's words, Drago summoned Heather and Ripper along with his two other warlords and high-ranking commanders. "We attack as soon as possible and create a distraction at the front gate, while Adolb's men are occupied with keeping us at bay, the bounty hunters will retrieve Griselda and capture Adolb himself," Drago looked at the bounty hunters before speaking in an emphasizing tone. "Bring them both to me alive." The bounty hunters nodded in understanding, they would follow Drago's orders to the letter.
Turning to his two warlords, Chagatai Khan and Ragnar the Rock, he grunted at the two men. "Marshal your armies, and you war machines," he then turned to his high-ranking commanders. "Ready the dragon army and rally the men," he finally turned to Krogan. "Prepare the Dragon Flyers, you'll lead them and attack Kiev, draw as many of the Noble Wolf's men out of the city. Once Kiev's ruler lays dead at my feet, his army will either follow me or join their master in death."
Hiccup sighed heavily, unsurprised by the madman's eagerness to put Adolb in his place. This was going to get very ugly for the Kievan Rus.
(Isle of Berk)
Stoick sat upon his throne in the Great Hall while everyone was feasting. Not only were the Hairy Hooligans feasting, but they were sharing food and drink with the Vikings of the Shivering Isles, their queen, Una, and a detachment of her fleet had sent word to Berk, informing Stoick that they would pay a visit and discuss if the Hairy Hooligans had made any progress in training dragons. Holding nothing back from the orchestrator of the impending Viking raid, Stoick had told Queen Una that his heir, Astrid Hofferson, and those bold enough to follow her lead have trained dragons and are training on how to apply combat while on the backs of their reptilian mounds.
The Riders of Berk sat at a table together, partaking in drinking games, arm wrestling, or just having a good time. However, not all of the young Vikings seemed to be in the mind for feasting and celebrating, Stoick could see that Astrid was in her own world, deep in thought and tuning everything else out. She was most likely contemplating about the man she was fated to be with, which apparently was his son, Hiccup. Whether or not Astrid and Hiccup would be together was yet to be seen, Stoick knew his son harbored great affection for her as a boy, however, five years could change a person and who they hold affection for.
Who knows what kind of person Hiccup is now.
"Odin's beard, Stoick, Vikings on the backs of dragons, what would our fathers say if they bore witness to this?" Una snorted while turning to Stoick.
"They'd think we've lost our minds," was his response, causing both respective Viking leaders to laugh.
Queen Una then sighed softly. "As difficult as it will be to set aside three centuries of bad blood with the dragons, your son has shown us that if we must adapt; by training the Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself, your son has soared to heights of fame and fortune that no Viking has ever achieved in our lifetime."
Snorting in both disbelief and pride that Hiccup, his son, had become a famous bounty hunter, mercenary, and rider of the last known Night Fury in Midgard. As each year passed and tales of Hiccup's exploits and fame reached Scandinavia, the aging Stoick was struck with regret that he didn't regard his son back when was "Hiccup the Useless," not only did he regret disregarding his own son on many occasions, but he was ashamed of being a poor father. As Berk's leader, however, he had a responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of the people that lived here.
Hiccup's safety and well-being should've been his priority, but he failed in this charge spectacularly, and Stoick knew it.
"Yes," he said softly before chuckling dryly. "We were too hasty and eager to brand him as skogarmaor, he was already in the people's disfavor, and although they clamored for his blood, making him a skogarmaor saved his life. I thought that he wouldn't survive, especially since his property and the coin he had accumulated in his time working at Gobber's smithy was confiscated. But I was wrong, my son survived, and now he's more powerful than I could've ever imagined. It just comes to show that I underestimated him and that I don't know him."
Drinking from a drinking horn, Queen Una shrugged. "Perhaps the gods have something in store for the two of you, a chance to make amends—"
"To what end? Hiccup is his own man now, he probably wants nothing to do with me and all of us. Even if he did forgive us, he's still branded as a skogarmaor, he could never be my heir or rule Berk," he then pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled heavily. "His mother and my late wife, Valka, she would be furious at me for showing little to no care for our son. I should've been a better father to him, and... the prospect of facing my full grown son terrifies me."
Placing her drinking down on the table she was seated at with Stoick, the Shivering Isle's leader remarked softly. "At some point in our lives, we all must come to terms with our past and regrets so that we can move on," her words caused to Stoick to look her in the eyes. "I'm certain the time will come when you cross paths with your son again, you will need determine whether or not you can make amends or if you must kill him to seize your glory."
This was a prospect that had hatched in Stoick's mind many times over the years as more tales of Hiccup's exploits reached Berk. The very idea of killing his only son made Stoick question whether or not seeking his own glory and fame was worth it. What would Valka say if she were still alive? She rip Stoick to pieces for even considering it, of that, he had no doubt about it.
"We'll see what the gods have in store, hmm?" Was Stoick's response as he took a large gulp of ale.
Una smiled and gave a nod. "Aye, we'll see," she then lifted her drinking horn. "Skål."
Lifting his own drinking horn, Stoick tapped his against Una's and murmured softly. "Skål, Queen Una," both rulers drank simultaneously before returning to the feast.
A/N: Again, I apologize for not updating last week, I got distracted and ended up in a funk of procrastination. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, regardless, and I'll see you in the next update!