Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon or any of its characters in any way, shape, or form.

Chapter 4

Hiccup awkwardly stood across from his father with some guards. Off to the side, Hiccup watched as his father angrily spoke.

"What were you guards doing? You should have kept better watch outside! We can't let petty thieves come and go whenever they like, or threaten the royal family!" Stoick bellowed, frustrated.

Right… Something you probably need to know, is that Hiccup's father is the King of this country, and that makes Hiccup, well, the prince. Part of the reason why his father always seems so disappointed in him all the time is because he's the heir to the throne, and isn't exactly "textbook" prince material. He hid it from everyone whilst at his booth, since he didn't want to be caught or treated differently just because he lived in a castle.

After yelling at the guards some more, his father turned to Hiccup.

"And you! What were you doing out there? You could've gotten killed, or taken hostage! Oh, of all the stupid things…" He trailed off, slightly shaking his head. Not getting a chance to speak, Stoick said, annoyed,

"Go on now. Off to your room." Hiccup scurried off, passing through the dining hall to grab some dinner then up to his chambers. Sitting at his desk and eating, Hiccup thought about what was now going to happen with the security. There will most likely be more guards everywhere, and probably at the back where he used to sneak out of. That left him with a difficult situation. How was he now going to sneak out easily? Also, if the thieves were still out there, what if they saw him and found out his secret identity? After thinking for a while, Hiccup didn't have many ideas on how to keep leaving the castle. He decided that, for a few days, he wouldn't go to his stall. Maybe in a bit, the guards won't be as careful about everything they do, and Hiccup will be able to leave easier.

Starting to get curious about who the men wearing red were, Hiccup did a bit of research on them. Searching 'Berk group red thieves', Hiccup scrolled through a few results until he found something that piqued his interest. Clicking on the link, Hiccup was then led to a blog about the thieves. They had supposedly been around Berk for a few months hanging around the big city and causing havoc every once in a while. This robbery had been the biggest one yet, with the palace being the largest and most wealthy building in the country. It was an anonymous blog, so he couldn't find out who was writing these. The group didn't have a name yet, or it hadn't yet been found out.

He tried to look more into them, but there was no more information to be found. They had covered their tracks very well, and none of their identities were known. Sighing, he looked out of his window, only to see guards around where he usually escaped.

Putting on his headphones, Hiccup grabbed his dark brown guitar and strummed along to a song that he was listening to. Nobody knew, but he was quite good at it, and often hummed along to the tune. Hiccup usually kept a guitar in his room and at his workshop, for when he got bored.

After playing for about an hour, Hiccup put down his guitar and stared out of the window. He watched as young children played around in the square with their parents and friends. All of them looked so happy and carefree, and he envied them more than they could imagine. Nobody knew about the lonely prince, whose father never bothered to look or have a real conversation with him. Everyone always thought that being royalty would be great, and they would be able to do and have whatever they want. Little did they know, was that Hiccup would trade places with one of them in an instant, even if only for a day. He wanted to know what it was like to have friends, and for people to love him. But that wouldn't happen, and Hiccup was doomed to a life of hiding in his room, with nobody ever wondering where he went every day for hours on end.

A week passed, and Hiccup was still stuck inside. The security had started to lessen, though, and Hiccup guessed that he would be able to leave soon. He felt kind of bad for leaving the stall for so long, and hoped that nobody came with something that was urgent. Sighing, he lay on his bed with Toothless curled up next to him. He hadn't done much during the past week, and mostly just spent his time on the computer or drawing.

After a few more days, Hiccup determined that it was safe enough to leave the palace. Taking his usual route out, he successfully made it out of the back exit managing to evade the guard who was at post there, although he would have to practice his stealth skill sometime soon.

Almost at his booth, Hiccup hurried to open the door. But during his rush, he hadn't paid much attention to his surroundings, and clumsily walked into a post, his metal foot emitting a loud clang as metal hit metal. Surprised, Hiccup fell over, in a daze. Hearing a light laughing behind him, he rubbed his head while turning his head. Looking up, he saw Astrid slightly laughing at him, while she stuck out her hand for him to grab. Taking her hand and pulling himself up, hoping she didn't notice the sound his foot made. Hiccup stuttered, trying to think of something to say.

"Um… Ah… thanks…" He awkwardly said, letting go of her hand. "I wasn't looking where I was going…"

Astrid laughed, "That's okay," she said, "but why were you away for so long? I haven't seen you here in over a week."

Thinking of a reason, Hiccup paused for a second then said, "Oh, family… um… problems?" He said, sounding uncertain of himself. "Yeah. I had some family issues." He said again, more sure of himself that time.

"Oh, okay. Well, I'm not really doing anything right now. Can I come into your shop?" She asked, slightly suspicious, and Hiccup nodded. Leading both of them into the booth, Hiccup pulled out an extra chair for her to sit in. Before sitting down, Astrid walked around and looked at his tools and projects.

"Wow… You're really good at this stuff, aren't you?" She asked, while running her fingers over his various assortment of tools, looking at his blueprints for future projects. Scratching the back of his head and shrugging, Hiccup said,

"I guess so. I have a lot of free time, so I can come here a lot."

After looking around for a few more minutes, she sat down in the chair, watching as people walked past outside. They didn't talk much, and if they did, it was just small talk. Sitting in a comfortable silence for about 30 minutes, Astrid stood up and left, saying she had to go. Hiccup watched as she left, then started working on a few projects. After a few hours, he decided to close the booth and head home.

Hiccup easily got back into the palace, and back in his room. After going on the computer for an hour or so, he heard a knock on his door. Telling whoever was out there to come in, he was greeted by a servant who was carrying a letter.

"For you, your highness." The servant graciously said.

Hiccup nodded, excusing him. Looking at the letter in his hand, he read it.

You're invited

Masquerade Ball

at the palace on May 10, at 7pm

Hiccup looked at the invitation with disgust. His own father couldn't even see him for a minute to give this to him? Tossing the letter onto his desk, Hiccup lay down on his bed. This ball was an annual thing, but he never did anything at them. Mostly, he would just sit at the front of the room, blankly watching everyone as they laughed and danced. The invitation was always sent out to the wealthier parts of the city for the public, and to other countries and their royalties.

Turning off the lights so he could sleep, Hiccup thought about what the ball would be like this year. There was a week until it happened, so it gave him plenty of time for a seamstress to come in and fit him for a new suit. He had never previously worn a mask to these events before, but maybe this time he would. He would try to have more fun, and not just stand in his father's shadow the whole time, never being noticed.

Happier now, Hiccup fell asleep, awaiting the next few days.

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