"Is this supposed to be a joke?!" Stoick shouted, leaping to his feet and knocking his chair over. "I won't have this nonsense about dragons destroying towns!"
"Sire, I'm just repeating what the survivors have said."
"Survivors? Who are they? What did they say?" Tom asked.
"As you know…" the guard began slowly, gently, "Helgen has an Imperial Stronghold. Some soldiers were returning from patrol when they saw it happen. They went to the Western Watchtower in Whiterun and sent a courier to us. I'm sorry."
Marinette stood abruptly and ran from the room, without saying a word.
"What of my parents? Roland and Gina Dupain? Were they still in Whiterun?"
"The courier confirmed that they were still in Whiterun when the attack happened. They're okay."
Hiccup quietly stood and in a hush told the queen, "I'll let Marinette know."
With tears in her eyes, she nodded in gratitude.
As he left, he could hear Tom declaring he wanted to see what happened, and his father trying to calm him down and persuade him to stay in Solitude where it was safe.
Hiccup wandered the way Marinette had disappeared, a haze falling over his mind.
Helgen, destroyed. Not just sacked, but swallowed, by a dragon of all things. He'd have to talk to Toothless about this. Hadn't he mentioned there was going to be a war between men and dragons? He had hoped that would come later, and not a few days after discovering he was Dragonborn.
Would he have to face this town swallowing dragon? Who else could?
Hiccup followed the sounds of sobbing until he was outside a bedroom. He knocked on the door. "Marinette?"
She didn't answer, except for more crying.
Gently, he opened the door, letting her anguished cries wash over him. She was halfway draped over her bed, clutching the sheets with her fingers, and sobbing into the blankets.
He felt like he was intruding. He did want to assure her that her grandparents were at least safe, but this felt like a private moment.
"I'm sorry," she choked, barely containing her sorrow.
"You're sorry? Whatever for?"
"I-I-I'm supposed to be a Princess. I should be calm and graceful, but I've been nothing but a mess in front of you!"
He knelt beside her. "Marinette, please don't worry about that. You're allowed to mourn things. I only came here to let you know that they found your grandparents, safe and sound in Whiterun."
A fresh round of tears sprang up before she flung herself at him and wept on his shoulder. "Thank you! Thank the gods! Thank Talos!"
Hiccup was startled at first, never before dealing with a crying girl, but he eventually decided that hugging her back as long as she needed it was the best choice. He held her while she cried, whether from relief or more grief, he didn't know. She was basically a stranger still, but she was just a kid. A kid with not a friend in the world, without her home. The Blue Palace was where she lived for now, but it was no home.
Finally, after a long time, she pulled away. "I'm sorry…I just…"
"It's fine," he assured, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Think of it like we passed another stepping stone in our friendship."
"Friendship?"
"Yeah! I mean, unless you weren't expecting to be friends with me?"
"No! I mean yes! I mean—you're the Young Master…"
"And you're the High Princess, it's not that big of a stretch, is it? Besides, I have plenty of friends that are just…regular people!" He hated calling people 'commoners'.
Marinette was quiet a moment. "You sure? I don't really think I'm the type of person you'd want to be friends with."
"What? Because you're a girl?"
She laughed. "Yes, actually."
"Well I can handle being friends with a girl…as long as she's nice, and not like Chloe."
"And I can handle being friends with a boy as long as he doesn't pull my hair."
"Has that happened to you before?"
She groaned. "Yeah, this stupid boy back home always teased me and pulled my hair–" she suddenly stopped, her breath hitching in her throat. "He's dead now, though, isn't he?"
"Don't think of it like that. He, and everyone else, are in Sovngarde."
"You really think so?"
"That's where Nords go when they die in battle, or valiantly. What's more valiant than–well, maybe I should shut up."
She sniffed and wiped under her eye. "I appreciate it, all the same."
"Would you mind telling me what Helgen was like? I didn't get to go there much."
She leaned her head back against the bed. "Small, mostly. It was walled in, unlike most towns like Falkreath. It had an Imperial outpost there, in an old fort. Most of the soldiers were pretty nice, actually. They were happy to have my dad's bread, so they came in pretty regularly. Other than that, we had an apothecary who made healing potions, a tavern where most people would go at night to drink or tell stories. We had an orc blacksmith. I used to think he was really mean. One time I asked him if he had any metal shavings I could use as pins for my sewing. He told me not to bother him with such dumb requests. I ran home crying. The next day, he came to the bakery with a set of pins and sewing needles. I guess that was his way of telling me not to beg for scraps."
"Do you…still have those needles?"
"No. Most of them got lost over time. I had to leave my sewing kit behind and whatever pins I had are gone now. Not that I'm going to need them for anything. Apparently, I have no need for making my own clothes anymore." She scoffed. "I'm not inheriting the throne. What do they expect me to do for a living? Mooch off my estranged uncle?"
"Use me as an example! I will be taking the throne after my father, and I have taken up a trade!"
"What trade?"
"Blacksmithing."
She seemed surprised. "I…didn't take you for a smith…"
He flexed his arms. "Really? With all this, you think I couldn't be a smith?"
"I didn't say you couldn't be, I just didn't expect it."
"Uh huh, sure. Nice save."
They stayed like that for a while, sitting on her floor and talking. Every once in a while, Marinette would grow melancholy and think of her home. Hiccup allowed her to grieve, but kept her company in an effort to ease the pain.
Eventually, a servant knocked on the door. "Excuse me, Young Master? Your father is looking for you."
Hiccup stood up, stretching. "It is rather late, isn't it? I should probably go."
"Thank you for cheering me up. I appreciate it."
"No problem. Really, I enjoyed talking to you. You're a lot more entertaining than the adults."
She chuckled. "I know exactly what you mean. Goodnight Hiccup."
"Goodnight Marinette."
Back at their quarters, Stoick was already in his bed clothes. "There you are, lad! You keep scampering off."
"Yeah…I ended up finding Marinette and talking to her for a while. Seemed like the right thing to do."
"A good move. And not to be political, but it does reflect nicely upon us. She is a bit young for you now though…"
"Don't go there, dad. You know I'm against arranged marriages."
"I wasn't insinuating arranging anything! I'm just saying…"
"Marinette just became a princess. She needs a friend that understands the idiosyncrasies of high noblities. Besides, she's nice…but she's not really my type."
"Oh? And what is your type?"
Hiccup blushed, not really wanting to admit he fantasized about a woman that could bench press him. Instead, he said, "blonde."
Stoick laughed. "I'll keep my eye out!"
–
Hiccup knew he was asleep when that increasingly familiar black void consumed him. The fog was a comfort, and he was nestled against the flank of a huge beast. It breathed under his touch, and greeted him with a warm puff of air. "Hello, my Hiccup."
Maybe another person would have had more reverence. Maybe they would have bowed, or prostrated themselves in front of this god, the Dragon God, the Lord of the Nine Divines. The God of Lightning and Death itself.
But if there had been a time of reverence, it had passed. Hiccup simply reached over and petted the giant lizard on the head. In response, Toothless curled around him, resting his head in his lap. This felt truly natural and correct, a bond between two souls.
But while the moment was peaceful, tragedy lay boiling under the surface. "Helgen was attacked by a dragon," Hiccup said, his throat thick with emotion. "They say it was swallowed."
"As I feared," Toothless said calmly. "I had hoped you'd have more time to learn the Thu'ums."
"More time? You mean–"
"You are the one that will have to face this dragon…if it is indeed who I believe it is."
"There's more than one dragon to worry about? I thought they all died! You didn't have anything to do with this, did you?"
"Most of the dragons of the old ages are dead. But ascending to Dragonhood has been achieved. Sometimes as a blessing, and sometimes as a curse. I am not the only one to grant this power, and I have been asleep for a long time."
"So you have no idea?"
"Not a clue."
"Great…"
"I will know more once we investigate the remains of Helgen."
"Wait, you want me to go there?! What if the dragon is hanging around?!"
"Regardless of who the dragon is, devouring the town will have satiated it for the time being. It has likely gone somewhere to rest."
"So…it's full?"
"For now. You should have time to visit the Greybeards before another attack."
Hiccup shook his head. "I want to be the hero you're expecting me to be, but…are you sure I can't pass this circlet off to someone more qualified? Someone adept with a sword?"
"The Dovahkiin is not chosen by his merit and skills alone, but through blood. The same blood as Tiber Septim. You are young, my Hiccup. At an age and size where most things are overwhelming. But with age, you will learn to deal with it. Can't swing a sword? Practice your Thu'um, and hone it like a blade."
This was a thought that never occurred to Hiccup. After all, He threw that bandit off that cliff with a shout. They were obviously powerful.
"I…have to run away from home, don't I?"
"That is a decision I cannot make for you. You already know how I feel." Toothless wriggled his head, pressing Hiccup further into his side. "Rest for now. Today has been difficult. You had great wisdom in your words of comfort to Marinette."
"Really? I felt like I stuck my foot in my mouth."
"She was able to laugh, and cried when needed. You are more wise than you think."
"I'll try not to let it go to my head." He scoffed.
—
In the morning, Hiccup collected his belongings, not that he unpacked much at all, and brought his bag out to the lobby. It was early, but it was time to leave.
"Thank you very much for your hospitality," Stoick told King Tom with a hardy handshake. "It was very pleasing to meet you and your family. If not for the emergency, I would have liked to stay longer."
"We understand, Jarl Stoick. Perhaps one day, when things calm down again, you and your son could visit again."
"I would like that."
"Hiccup!" Marinette's panicked voice came from upstairs. She nearly lunged over the railing to see him, and then rushed down the stairs, her hair a mess and still in her bedclothes. She ran at him and tackled him into a hug, nearly knocking him off his feet.
"Marinette?!"
She curled her fingers into his shirt and sniffled. He realized she was sobbing. "You can't be leaving already. I need you. I lost all my friends, my home…I can't lose you too."
"Aw lass, you aren't losing him." Stoick petted her hair in a very paternal way. "He'll be back."
Marinette pulled away, embarrassed about her outburst, but reluctant to let him go just yet. "I'm sorry…"
"You can write to me whenever," he promised. "And when it's safe, I can come see you in Solitude, or you can come visit Whiterun. I'm sorry I can't stay longer and be here for you."
She shook her head, reason flowing back into her. "It's okay. Whiterun needs you. This is bigger than me…bigger than all of us." Finally, she let Hiccup go completely. "I'll be alright."
He smiled at her. "You're tougher than you think."
Tom rested a warm hand on his daughter's shoulder, and told Stoick, "We'll take care of your driver and send him back when he's well."
"Thank you. We appreciate it." Stoick nodded.
"You'll be safe on the way back, yes?" Queen Sabine asked.
"No promises." Stoick rubbed Hiccup's head. "He's driving."
"What?! Me?!"
"You don't expect your Jarl to drive his own cart, do you?"
"I mean, you got me there, but if we crash, it's your fault."
The new High King of Skyrim and his family waved off their friends from Whiterun before the doors to the Blue Palace closed.
Marinette sighed, despite her best efforts.
"You grew very fond of that boy," noted Sabine.
"Can you blame me?" Marinette tugged at her hair. "Ever since this whole thing started, I've felt so lost and overwhelmed. You and dad have been so busy trying to fit into your roles that I've had no one to turn to! He's the first person to sit me down, answer my questions, and just be genuinely nice to me! It felt like I could breathe for a minute!"
"Well," Sabine smiled. "You are the High Princess now. You are definitely in his class if you are interested in him."
"What? Oh!" She blushed. "No no! That's not—! I mean, he's nice and all but he's sooo not my type."
"Then what is your type?" Tom asked, a glint in his eye.
"Uh…" Marinette didn't really know how to describe her type. A tender guy? Gentle with a good sense of humor? Hiccup was funny, but he was a little too sarcastic. And…she didn't really think he was cute. "Blond?" She finally answered.
Tom and Sabine just shared knowing glances.
—
Marinette dressed in her formal attire. She and her family were paying their respects to their fallen friends and family in a ceremony at the Temple of the Divines. It would be a grueling process, as a candle would be lit for each person lost in the attack, since there were no bodies to inter; and praying to the Gods for their arrival into Sovngarde.
Who better to know the residents of the town than the ex-baker and his wife?
The Temple was a tall building, with vaulted ceilings and lit sconces. Two rows of pews led up to the apse where all the shrines were located in little alcoves.
Helgen didn't have a church or graveyard, as most traveled south to Falkreath to bury their dead in the large graveyard there. That being said, Marinette was slightly familiar with the divines, as most Nords were at least a little religious. She reviewed them as she looked over their shrines as the priests began reciting the funeral rites.
In the middle was the shrine of the Dragon, the god of Lightning and Death. On his right side, a tragically empty slot where Talos was supposed to be, the guardian of Protection and Adventure. Then came the less important Divines, though they had their role. There was the Bee, Goddess of Beauty; The Rabbit, God of Time; The Goat, God of Commerce; The Snake, God of Luck; The Mouse, Goddess of Love; The Songbird, Goddess of Earth, Wind, and Sea; and The Phoenix, God of Wisdom and Logic. As long as she knew this much, she could fake her way through all of this.
She lit a candle for each of her friends, a girl and two boys. She lit a candle for the blacksmith. She lit a candle for the trader. She even lit a candle for the boy that pulled her hair. And when all the well wishes of these strangers around her became too much, and her tears had thoroughly soaked her face, she excused herself to the basement of the temple for a moment of silence.
The grief of losing everything, even if her parents were still here, even if she had a new home now, even if she was in a more fortunate position than most, her past was erased. There was no safe comfort for her to return to.
She entered the basement, seeing a small storage area, and then a room behind a gate. Surely no one would mind if she went into the gated area to sit down?
The gate wasn't locked, so she proceeded inside, among the dusty and cobwebbed furniture. As she rounded the corner, she stopped. Part of the wall had been broken through.
"What…?" She whispered to herself as she moved closer.
"Of course it would be barred off. Why wouldn't it be?" A disgruntled voice came from the other side of the hole in the wall.
Marinette panicked, as she got the distinct feeling she wasn't supposed to be here.
She rushed back into the room, and ducked behind a shelf that was pulled away from the wall. There, she watched the Thalmor Ambassador Lila Rossi emerge from the cave, her face contorted in rage. "All that work to get stationed here, and I can't even get into the tomb! I'll have to come back with a hammer or something…" She grumbled as she stormed out.
Marinette heard her leave through the gate, and then, to her horror, lock it behind her.
"No…" Marinette whispered to herself.
"Ah! Ambassador Rossi, I didn't know you were down here," a priestess said.
"Yes, I just…needed a moment. This tragedy with Helgen…it's a lot. I came to pray to the Dragon for mercy from his kin, and then the funeral rites began. So much sadness and grief. I needed a moment."
"Of course. Very understandable. But may I recommend you rest upstairs, this place…it isn't good for the soul."
"What? What do you mean?"
Marinette wondered what Lila's face looked like, because her tone sounded almost condescending.
"Well," the priestess began. "Beyond those gates are the catacombs of Potema, the Wolf Queen."
"Potema?"
"Potema Septim, the mother of Pelagius the Mad. She ruled Solitude in the early 3rd era. She even led a rebellion against the empire!"
"Oh wow," said Lila, with false reverence.
"But of course, the thing that she's most renowned for, is her necromancy. She was very powerful in the dark arts, leading her army of living soldiers, and then raising them to fight again."
"My, she must have been looked upon most favorably for that."
"Oh, not at all! She was cruel and evil! She'd sacrifice the lives of hundreds for her own comfort. When she died, she wasn't interred with the rest of the royal family, but down here, in her own area, where the lingering evil on her remains would not infest the dead."
"My! How dark! I had no idea that Solitude held such a secret."
"The Wolf Queen is our history. As much as we don't like it, we have to acknowledge it, lest we repeat our history."
"Oh certainly! Then let's not chat here. Shall I tell you of the King of the Maormer?"
Marinette listened as they talked up the stairs, and then silence.
"I probably should have said something while they were still there." She lamented. She went over and tried the gate, only to find it truly was locked.
She debated screaming for help, but worried about the likelihood of getting in trouble.
Maybe there was another way out?
There was only one way to find out. She stared down the broken wall, before delving into Potema's tomb.
The room inside had a similar layout to the Blue Palace, but heavily covered in cobwebs and in disarray. Most of the wall was made of stone, and the doorways in arcs. It was eerily quiet, as not even the chants from the temple penetrated the thick stone.
She made her way down a flight of steps, and then her path came to an end.
"Oh, that's what she meant."
The rest of the way was barred, with literal iron bars stretched from floor to ceiling. She glanced around, looking for a lever or a button to activate the bars, but no luck. She touched the bars and sighed.
"Guess I'm going back and screaming to get out."
Suddenly, without seemingly any prompting, the bars slid away and the path was clear.
Marinette hesitated for a moment, before heading in. As she carefully walked across the stone floor, she swallowed a lungful of dusty air.
This place felt wrong.
