This is the longest chapter I have written for this story, the reason being it would have been one of the shortest if I had cut it in the middle and I would have left you all hanging with a very evil cliffhanger haha! Not saying that there isn't one anyway ;)

Guest: Here is more! And I will try to keep the posts more frequent now until the story is finished!

Akashi: Ohh thank you, thank you so much for your review! It makes me so happy that you like the story and I feel so extremely glad you think it's the best one you've read! It really makes an authors day, trust me! Aslo I'm glad you think I have managed to stay true to the characters, I wanted them to develop but still be rooted in the movies. Now a new chapter that I hope you'll like it!

Guest 2 (chapter 1): Thank you for your review, it makes me so happy to hear you are enjoying the story! Yes, it is hard to say how she will react, especially when Hiccup himself thinks he killed his father. As for the dragon racing, that will most defiantly be a part of the festivities around the wedding and Hiccup has shown her the flight suit, but it's not in any of the chapters, that is just one of those moments that exists in the authors mind but didn't make it into the story. But I can tell you she both loved it and gave him quite a hard time when he showed it to her ;)

Laidyx: Haha I'm happy you enjoyed the last chap and I can understand your fear, but I promise that while this chapter holds anger I will not leave you hanging to much ;) And Toothless is adorable indeed, just like Valka is so much better reading her son than he knows haha!

Noctus Fury: Hiccup's past will be coming up soon and I can't reveal anything even if I want to! But I can say that Elsa is quite a lot in the dark, so he will have to tell her something! Haha no I think Elsa is starting to have an addiction, maybe I'll have to send her up into a mountain on rehab before this story is over hahaha ;)

Ahh Brigitte, but you know not everyone are attracted to the same type of people and I do think that's a reason Elsa indeed did pick her, even if she hardly has nay reason to worry just like you said. As when it comes to Brigitte and Eret, their story is still very much developing, we'll have to see where they want me to take them! When it comes to the rest of the couples, Heather will not be a part of this story and Fishlegs and Ruff both have their sights set on one person each though the characters just won't be part of this story. They haven't even met these two people yet, they have only done it in my head haha.

Yes, bodyguards! You are correct that a Chief did have guards but I have chosen to keep the story closer to the Viking society created in HTTYD where they aren't needed, at least not on Berk, but since Toothless and Hiccup are mostly together they do also protect each other.

Yes he is! A role that he is very proud of! ;)

18.

"So, did she like the tour?"

Hiccup looked up from his sketchbook to see his mother's curios expression. When he had come home after spending some more time with the wild dragons, he had just walked into his room without saying anything. Only a moment later though, he had appeared again with the sketchbook he hadn't touched willingly since his return from Arendelle.

"She said, but I think she enjoyed meeting the dragons more than anything." He replied with a smile, thinking about the challenging look she had sent him when she had leaned forward and again right before she had walked away.

"Good, so what are you working on?" Valka asked him, seeing how Hiccup first pushed the sketchbook away from her, but then he seemed to change his mind for he looked down at whatever he had been drawing with a hesitant expression.

"Just a sketch." He replied, before looking up at her. "You can look see it if you wish, I have to go and change anyway before the wedding." He said, rising from his seat as he left the book open on the table so that if she wished, she could see the picture he had been drawing.

The sight that would meet her was Elsa sitting on the frozen ground outside the cave in which the mothers lived, with a huge smile on her face and all the baby dragons running, or flying, around her hunting large snowflakes in the air.

When Hiccup had gone to reunite with her and seen the scene in real life, he had stopped to simply admire her since Elsa had looked like she never had belonged anywhere else. It was even clear that the wild dragons accepted her, for it was when they didn't care about someone you knew that person had been accepted.

He had watched her until the baby Gronckle had tumbled to the ground and Elsa had feared it had gotten hurt, which really was a very unnecessary worry since the little dragon was, well, a dragon.

But seeing Elsa's worried expression, Hiccup had known she would need more reassurance than just his words and, to be honest, he hadn't intended to get so close to her. But when he sat down next to her, he had seen an opportunity to test and see if he really did affect her like she affected him.

So when he had noticed how distracted she had become by his closeness, and how flushed she had been afterwards, he had felt a strange sense of satisfaction in knowing he caused something to shift in her as well. What he hadn't expected however, was the way she had turned the tables around. Her blush had died away and had been replaced with eyes that swirled with promise only for her to leave him in state similar to the one he had left her.

Hiccup had never thought of Elsa as a person who flirted with anyone, at least as anything but a joke, but then again she never did what he expected her to do and she never backed down from anything. Even when he thought he, for once, had the upper hand she had won it back and in that way they were equals in a game neither could win.

But he hoped that one day, they both would.

Putting a heavy coat over his shoulders Hiccup walked out of his room to see that his mother was waiting for him outside and when she smiled at him it was a deep happiness in her eyes he hadn't seen in a long time. Not since before his father's death actually.

"You are so handsome, I'm so proud of you." She said, giving him a hug that he, for the first time in a long time, returned fully. "She has a dragon's soul Hiccup, don't let her go." His mother whispered to him and, to his surprise, Hiccup immediately felt how true those words were.

"I know." He only replied, the two of them leaving to join the pre-feast at Ingrid's house, the sketchbook remaining on the table where it showed his emptions like the open book it was.

"So when I was walking through Berk earlier today, with Kai as an escort of course, one of these Vikings had the decency to throw a comment at me, can you believe it? Sure it was a flattering one but I still find it very bad mannered and I made it very clear to Kai that I didn't approve! No, not at all, I found it too be very much out of line even!"

Smiling, Elsa listened in silence, hearing how Brigitte did her best to sound offended, but Elsa could hear the excitement in her voice and that her maid in reality was very flattered.

"It's a good thing you had Kai with you then." Elsa only answered, her lady's maid laughing nervously.

"It sure was, we met Eret at one point as well. A fine man, just a few years younger than me, though he is a gentleman and he haven't asked of course, and when we parted he kissed my hand. It was a long time since any man showed me that kind of respect I shall tell you, rude they mostly are." Brigitte said with a dazed look until Elsa quietly cleared her throat.

"Oh, sorry your majesty, just got lost in the deep thoughts." Brigitte answered, blushing slightly while Elsa held back a laugh, knowing very well that Brigitte probably had been thinking very enchanting thoughts indeed. "Now, that should be all, I must say that you are vision your majesty." Brigitte said with a smile, giving Elsa the handheld mirror they had brought with them from Arendelle. "Now I'll just go downstairs and make sure Kai is ready to leave." She added, leaving Elsa alone to look at her reflection.

Her hair was very similar to the way it had looked at her coronation and even though it was beautiful, Elsa felt it no longer fitted her as well as it once had. She was no longer that confined and scared person, she was free of the chains that had tied her down. Also, not a single person on Berk looked perfectly polished like she did now.

Reaching up, Elsa therefore let a few strands of hair fall down to frame her face before she waved her hand and made tiny ice-crystals from in her hair like tiny diamonds. She then took off her gloves and laid them on the bed. Creating a full length mirror of ice, she looked herself over. She knew she would stand out from the Vikings in her glittering ice-blue dress, but it didn't bother her much. She was proud of her culture, though she hadn't been sad to get rid of the corset.

Besides, it was not like the Vikings was going to judge her, if they really thought she was some kind of gift from their Gods they probably would have accepted her even if she wore a rag.

Feeling ready to go, she walked downstairs, Kai smiling at her when she came into view.

"You look lovey your majesty." He told her, offering her his arm which she took with a smile, Elsa not even bothering to put on a coat since she didn't need one.

"Trying to flatter me Kai?" She asked, her captain laughing in response.

"If I may be so bold my queen, I was simply stating the truth." He told her, looking at her with a fatherly expression that made her feel once again how lucky she was to have him in her life.

When they came outside and stirred their steps towards the Great Hall, huge snowflakes started to fall around them, Kai getting a sour expression on his face that caused Elsa to smile. Though he had never said it to her, she knew her captain hated the winter. A little ironic since he thought was the summer was too hot as well.

He was a strange man.

Entering the Great Hall, the warmth from all the people who had gathered and the burning torches hit them like a wall and, while Kai seemed happy to be out of the cold, Elsa almost immediately felt that she would have preferred not to enter at all since the warmth seemed to press around her.

"Queen Elsa!" A voice called out, and they could see Gobber making his way through the crowd towards them. When he got closer, Elsa noticed that he appeared to be much cleaner than he had been earlier in the day and, seeing his groomed state, Elsa wondered how Hiccup had forced the other man to take a bath, especially since Gobber had shared his hatred for water with her the night before.

"Queen Elsa, ye sure are a vision tonight." Gobber told her with a warm smile when he reached them.

"Thank you, Gobber. Everything looks lovely and cleaner." She told him, the older Viking laughing at her words.

"Don't remind me and ye're very kind. We know it's probably not like the parties in Arendelle, but it's good for us." He replied with a wink. "Now since Hiccup insisted on me being yer company for the evening till he arrive, let me show ye to yer seats." He told them, waving them along as he guided them through the crowd to one of the tables the back of the hall.

As it turned out, the job was suddenly very easy now when Elsa walked with him, all of the Vikings parting at the mere sight of her, whispering as she passed as they sent curios looks after her.

"I heard ye day was free from any accidents." Gobber said when they finally reached their table and he gave her a cup filled with mead.

"Shouldn't it have been?" Elsa asked him, wondering what had made him ask the question as he gave Kai a cup as well.

"It's always a risk visiting the dragon-nest, but then I suppose since the twins weren't with ye it was not much that could happen. They like to irritate the dragons as much as they can." Gobber explained to her, filling up his own cup.

"Why doesn't that surprise me at all?" Kai muttered drily, Elsa sending him an amused look while Gobber chuckled.

"I don't think it surprises anyone who've known them more than a few minutes, they kind of took over after Hiccup when he stooped causing accidents every other day. The twins thought the Village was getting too safe." Gobber answered, shaking his head with a smile.

"The Chief was a troublemaker?" Kai asked quickly, Elsa hiding her smile behind her cup at her captain's sudden interest. Of course he would try to find any way to put Hiccup in a less favorable light to her, after all the man wasn't blind and, even if he had never said anything to her, Elsa knew he had his suspicions.

However, Elsa had to admit herself that even if Hiccup had already told her about his troubled teenage years, she was curious to hear what kind of view his old mentor had.

"Oh no, not a troublemaker exactly, more like extremely accident-prone. Managed to burn down quite a lot of houses in his youth and caused a few people to brake a leg or two when he interrupted them during a dragon attack, but nothing of a major scale." Gobber shrugged, acting like it was nothing at all.

"Nothing of a major scale?" Kai repeated with a shocked expression.

"Nahh, the dragons were the ones causing most the damage, he kind of just added to it, but considering everything he has done for us since then, it's all been forgotten. Though it can be good to know that he can still be a bit clumsy at times." Gobber answered, winking at Elsa with smile on his face when he finished while she did her best to act completely neutral to his obvious hint.

Seeing the exchange though, Kai got a slightly irritated expression on his face and he was just about to say something when the doors to the Great Hall, thankfully, flew open with a bang.

"Newly wedded couple coming through folks!" Snotlout screamed loudly as he carried a laughing Ingrid through the doors and the sight all of the Vikings started cheering loudly while banging their cups on the tables as the couple made their way through the Great Hall to take their places at the honorary table. Behind them followed their respective families who joined young couple, while the rest of group, consisting the council and the Chief, spread out to the different tables.

"Looks like young Snotlout have calmed his nerves with some alcohol during the afternoon." Gobber grinned when Hiccup, Astrid, Valka and Eret reached them, all four smiling back at him.

"Let's just say we're a little unsure how he'll preform later this evening." Valka replied, her words causing the surrounding Vikings to laugh.

"The day the sword fails the man is always a day of greatest sorrow!" A Viking close to them shouted as a response, the Vikings laughing once again while Elsa and Kai just shared an uncomfortable look with each other since neither of knew how to act.

"Just smile and say nothing, joking on the behalf of the wedding couple is tradition." Looking to her right, Eret had appeared next to her and Elsa sent him a grateful smile as she felt herself relax a little. His kind eyes and different accent reminded her of home and she relaxed even more when he pulled out her chair before sitting down himself.

Across the table she could see that Hiccup sent Eret a slightly irritated look, but when Astrid, who had dragged him with her so they could sit next to each other, spoke with him he turned to her.

"So how was the feasts?" Elsa asked Eret, looking away from Hiccup as they all started to pick up the different kind of foods that was on the table and put on their plates.

"Lavish, but then again it's Snotlout we are talking about. If it had been anything else, I would've left a formal complaint." Eret answered her with a smile, only putting a tiny amount of food on his plate since he, just like everyone who had just entered the Great Hall, had already eaten.

It was part of the Viking tradition that the bride and groom ate a huge meal along with some of the elders, their families and other important people in the tribe. The feast started in the bride's home only for the party to move over to the groom's, the journey between the two houses representing the journey the bride made from her old home into her new one.

"And I suppose Astrid is happy to finally be free?" Elsa asked with a smile, Eret laughing at her words, his laugh causing Hiccup to throw a look at them over the table that they both missed.

"I don't think I've seen anyone happier to be free from her duty to prepare the bride for her wedding in my entire life and, if I'm not wrong, she has called the tradition stupid more than thirty times already this evening." Eret answered with a grin that made her smile back at him.

Still, in a way, Elsa could understand Astrid's relief. After all, the other woman had spent the last twenty-four hours alone with only Ingrid and a few other women to prepare the bride for her new life as a married woman. It was another tradition the Vikings had and it could not be the most fun consider all nerves that existed before a wedding.

"So Brigitte choose not to join you this evening?" Eret asked her as Elsa looked at him curiously.

"No, I offered but she declined. She said she needed to catch up on some sleep." Elsa told him to which he laughed.

"I actually thought I had her convinced earlier today, but I'll just have to try harder it seems." Eret winked at her, Elsa wondering how serious he truly was behind his unfazed expression. It felt to personal to ask though, so instead she just wished him luck as they fell into easy conversation.

As the night kept on moving forward, Elsa found that she more and more Elsa liked the kind man next to her, for while could be quite cocky sometimes he always said it with a humor that told her he was only messing around.

She also couldn't help to wonder how much like outsiders Hiccup, Astrid and Fishlegs had felt at Anna's and Kristoff's wedding and during their first few weeks in Arendelle considering how stale her own kingdom was next to the feast in the Great Hall.

Here the drinks and the food flowed, people laughed loudly and ran between different tables to get another course of food or to simply talk with someone they saw through the crowd. It was a much and, in a way, much more joyous feast than the perfectly planned world she lived in. Also, the Vikings had no problem joking at each others expense causing the room to be constantly filled with shouts both from the one who was the center of a joke and the laughter of those who listened.

The hours seemed to fly by as Eret kept on keeping her company and help her to feel more and more at home with the burly Vikings. After some time, some of them stared to come up and talked to them, Eret having her back if one of them dropped a comment she didn't how to respond to.

Having him by her side also gave her the opportunity to stay in the background and take in the very different culture around her that, after she had gotten used to the strangeness of the situation, caused her to realize that she had never been more relaxed or laughed more in the presence of so many people since she there was no one who judged her every move as they did in Arendelle

As the hour stared to become late, many of the Vikings started to show signs of the huge amounts of alcohol many of them had consumed while Elsa herself had been very careful not to drink more than a few cups of mead so she wouldn't loose her head in a strange crowd.

She was talking with Eret about the different tribes when an enormous man, who had been about to stumble past her, when he lost his balance and was forced to take a hold of her chair to steady himself as his eyes, that had a hard time to focus, landed on Hiccup and Astrid was talking to Fishlegs across the table. Staring at them, he then muttered something neither Eret or Elsa could hear.

"You have to speak clearer if you want us to hear you old man." Eret told him, putting his hand on the Vikings back with a smile.

"I said it's a shame!" The man repeated loudly, his eyes still fixed across the table. "They make a damn fine coul-couple those two, thought they woll-would be the first to tie the knot. I still remember when Stoick- Stoick told me that the man who had come to tame our fierce Astrid was no other than Hiccup the useless." The man slurred, chuckling at his own words while Elsa looked over at Hiccup and Astrid over the table.

She had, for a long time even, suspected that Hiccup and Astrid had some kind of history, though she had always felt it was to private to ask Hiccup about it and he had never said anything either. But when she looked at them now, she noticed how Astrid put her arm on Hiccup's arm at times and how she looked at him with glowing eyes. While she couldn't see that Hiccup returned the obvious show of interest, Elsa still felt how her heart turned cold at the sight.

Looking at them, she replied the words the Viking had said to her. From the way he had spoken it had sounded like they were still a couple, but Hiccup would have told her if they were? Wouldn't he? Or had he not told her about Astrid because he still had feelings for her? Did he love her?

Elsa didn't want to believe that Hiccup would've lied to her. Just the mere thought of it felt wrong for it was not who he was, she knew it wasn't, but he would also have to tell her the truth since it was so obvious now that Astrid still felt something for him. Elsa would never agree to a man having another woman at the side, even though she knew it was common both in her own culture and in the Vikings.

As she looked at him, Hiccup suddenly looked over at her and even though she tried to hide her troubled expression, she could see it was useless as a frown and a slightly worried look entered his eyes. It was almost a little scary that he now knew her so well, but she also loved the fact that he did.

Sending him a small smile, she could see that her poor attempt at showing that nothing was wrong didn't work, for he rose from his seat. Just as he did this though, Snotlout's father also rose from his seat and banged his hammer into the honorary table three times as the whole Great Hall filled with an excited silence.

"My son has finally found his wife!" Spitelout shouted loudly, the guests cheering in respone. "Ingrid is a fine young woman and we're more than happy to welcome her into our family BUT no matter how much I wish to call her my daughter I'll be unable to do so until the lovebirds have fulfilled their vows! So while I want the feast to continue in here we should still allow our newlyweds to fulfill them, it's not fair to keep them waiting!" Spitelout shouted, his words being met with new loud cheers from all of the guests.

Elsa however felt confused as she heard how the word "Bedding" stared being shouted by the guests while some of them even rose from their seats and went to carry the couple out of the Great Hall. Across the table, Hiccup only had the time to send her a helpless look before he was whisked away by the cheering crowd.

At the sudden commotion, Elsa felt her mind race since she no idea what was going. She had never heard about the bedding even though Astrid had filled her in on everything that would happen at the wedding. For she had done that, hadn't she?

Looking after her, Elsa noticed that Astrid had suddenly moved down the table out of hearing distance and that she felt even more lost at the fact that Astrid seemed complete unfazed at what was happening, for it meant she had indeed known.

Turning to Eret, Elsa knew she had to look as confused as she felt for he was staring at her with a hesitant expression.

"What is going on?" Elsa shouted to him over the cheering crowd, feeling even more worried when he stared at her with huge eyes.

"Wait, Astrid didn't tell you?!" He shouted back as he felt the dreed spread within when Queen Elsa only shook her head.

Shit and bugger, Astrid hadn't told her. Why she had kept it from the Queen was a mystery to Eret, but he knew it was extremely stupid of her to do so. After all, the bedding was a controversial part in their society. One that many, who didn't even come from cultures that was as restricted as the Queens, had a huge problem with and found very disturbing.

"What didn't she tell me?" Elsa finally asked him when he only stared at her and Eret swallowed nervously as he wondered how he should respond.

"It's the bedding ceremony." He answered, hoping that he would see some recognition in her face, but when it remained confused he swore within. "It means that the bride and groom are allowed to consummate the marriage the first day of the wedding." He added, hoping that it would be enough for her.

But just as he had suspected she would, Queen Elsa recognized an evasive answer when she heard one.

"But why announce it? "Why were they carried out? And why did Hiccup and the elders leave?" She asked him, Eret hearing that it was a demanding tone to her voice that told him she wanted the truth. Taking a mental breath, he told himself to just get it over with.

"To make sure the marriage is valid, the first night requires the presence of some high-ranking and trusted members of our society." He said, thinking he had managed to keep it quite vague and, at first, he thought he had managed to get away as she simply stared at him.

But after only a few seconds, he could see that Elsa had put the pieces together as her expression turned into a mix of disgust and disbelief. At her expression, he knew had to explain more but before he even had the change to open his mouth, Elsa had already risen Elsa from her seat and was making her way through the crowd. By the time he stood up, she had somehow already made it through the crowded Great Hall and all he could do was stare after her with a feeling of dreed at what would now happen.

Elsa on the other had didn't send a second thought to the Viking that had kept her company all night, her only goal being to get outside of the warm Great Hall that had suddenly began to suffocate her. The moment she was out through the heavy doors, Elsa drew in a deep breath as the cold air filled her lungs and seemed to wash away the filthy heat while she fought the disgust that threatened to force her to throw up.

They had all cheered like mad men for the fact that a young girl on her weddingnight…

Feeling the nausea hit her again Elsa felt that she needed to put even more distance between herself and the Vikings, the mere sounds from the Great Hall like sending chills through her as it reminded her of the suffocating warmth.

So, walking quickly, Elsa headed in the direction of the ocean since it lay farthest away from the Great Hall. The snow was still falling around he while the one that had already fallen creaked underneath her feet for each step step she took. In the solitude she thought she would be able to think, but her mind only kept racing.

She simply couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that Ingrid's first night with her husband wouldn't be just between the two of them. It wouldn't only consist of the huge fear and pressure every woman felt for her wedding night, but it would be accompanied with the horrifying knowledge that they would be watched by some perverted old men and women who didn't have any right to even be there at all.

For while the secrecy among her own people was a bit extreme in it's own way, it was nothing like this! This took extreme to another level, this was beyond any point of dignity, respect and acceptance that had ever existed! It was barbaric even for the private life between a man and a woman was something sacred! In a world where every single step a person took was watched and judged by someone else, what went on behind closed doors was a free haven. It was matter that only concerned the husband and the wife.

And knowing if a marriage had been consummated or not wasn't hard to figure out! If the it had been consummated, a baby would follow soon after the wedding. That anyone was allowed to exposed and violated in this way by an old council and the Chief was…

Elsa stopped walking as her sudden realization washed over her like ice cold water.

Eret had told her that high officials attended the wedding night and Hiccup had been dragged away just as the announcement had been made. Unlike Astrid he had actually left the Great Hall, not simply been moved to another spot, which could only mean…

Snotlout was his own cousin!

Suddenly feeling how the world started to close in around her, Elsa felt like she couldn't breath as she was fighting not to fall down into the black hole that wanted to drag her down. What kind of world had she come to? Why hadn't Hiccup told her? Why hadn't he told her about Astrid?

Why?

Why?!

Unable to stop the sob that escaped her, Elsa, for once, couldn't calm herself so she could think rationally. Instead Elsa felt how her emotions take over, emotions that was a raging storm of insecurity, disgust, fear, hurt and that damned warmth she felt each time she thought about the man who had thawed her heart. As they fell over her like a tidal wave, Elsa did the one thing she always did when her emotions threatened to overthrow her.

Allowing her feet to take her wherever they wanted, she started running as fast as she could, not even stopping as her feet started flying over the pitch black ocean, turning it into ice for each step she took so she wouldn't fall down into the deep.

She wanted nothing more than to get away from Berk, away from the people she could no longer understand and away from the man she now refused to admit that she loved.

Hiccup had never in his entire life more violated, or disgusted, as he did when he was walking back to the Great Hall along with the rest of the elders. Thankfully the walk back to the Great Hall was offering him an opportunity to breathe a little, the cold air easing his headache as the snow kept falling slowly to the ground that was already completely white.

But while he enjoyed the moment of peace, he also couldn't wait to get back to the Great Hall. Ever since he had left, his mind had been returning to Elsa's troubled and confused expression that he had seen right before he had been forced to leave. He didn't know what had caused it, but from the way she had looked at him he couldn't help to feel it had something to do with him.

Then just as the Great Hall came into view beating wings was suddenly heard above them as a black shadow fell down from it's roof and landed in front of him and the elders. With a small jump Toothless came up to Hiccup's side, his eyes clearly telling him that whatever his friend wanted, it was something of importance.

"You go ahead, if it was something that required more than just the two of us Toothless wouldn't have come alone." Hiccup told the elders who watched them. At his words, they nodded to him before they continued walking hastily towards the Greath Hall, probably happy they would soon escape the cold and rejoin the feast.

"Now what is it bud?" Hiccup asked Toothless, turning back to his dragon who pushed Hiccup in the direction of his back, gesturing with his head that he wanted Hiccup to jump on.

"Toothless, are you sure this can't wait until tomorrow?" Hiccup asked, thinking about the fact that Elsa was left alone with his unruly tribe and, to his biggest annoyance, Eret. But mostly, he wanted to find out she was okay.

But as a Toothless growled at him and hit Hiccup with his tail. Sighing at his friends overly dramatic tendencies, Hiccup still had to admit Toothless never was this persistent if it really wasn't a pressing matter.

So without any more arguments Hiccup jumped up on Toothless back, barely having the time to sit down before Toothless was already in the air and steering towards the ocean.

At the strange direction, Hiccup felt himself become a little wary. He had simply assumed that something at happened at the nest, but apparently Toothless had discovered something else entirely. Hiccup just hoped it wasn't a ghost from the past, but then again Toothless wouldn't have come alone if it was.

"Where are you taking me bud?" Hiccup quietly asked him, voicing his thoughts more than anything, as Toothless simply shook his head to tell Hiccup that he would see soon enough. In silence they glided over the black eerie water, the night dark since the moon was hidden behind the thick clouds that covered the sky and therefore couldn't offer it's light.

After a few minutes of flying though, Hiccup stared to notice that something was strange with the water beneath them. Trying to figure out what it was, Hiccup finally managed to see the it was small platforms of ice that was floating around in the water. Strange, Hiccup thought, for he had never seen water freeze that way.

Looking ahead to see if he could see find out if there was something in the horizon, he felt his eyes widen in disbelief.

"Wise Odin, what is that?" Hiccup whispered as he took in the golden round platform that floated like a torch in the black sea and as they got closer Hiccup could see that the platform was lit up from within, but a dark silhouette also started to take shape against the golden light.

A silhouette that could only be one person.

Elsa.

But what in the name of the Gods was she doing out here? What had caused her to leave, not only the party, but Berk as well? As his mind started to conjure up countless of different scenarios, Hiccup felt the fear rise within when he remembered the last time she had wanted this kind of solitude.

It had been when Mr. Beltham attacked her and at the mere thought that something similar might have happened now made his stomach turn into a painful knot as he prayed that was not the case.

But if it was, Hiccup would personally hunt down the person who had touched her.

Carefully, since the ice was slippery, Toothless landed on the platform behind Elsa who didn't acknowledge them in any way. Her behavior only made him even more worried about her, but when he took a step towards her he finally got a reaction.

"I thought it was obvious that I want to be alone." She said, her voice icy-cold without any trace of warmth anywhere, not even when she had spoken to him in her upset state after Mr. Beltham's attack had she sounded like this for at least then it had been emotion in her voice.

"Toothless brought me, I didn't even know you." Hiccup told her carefully but he got no reaction. "I'm worried about you too." He added, in fact he was more worried about her now than ever before and at his words he finally did get a reaction from her, though not one had expected.

Turning around so that her dress flew around her, Elsa glared at them with eyes that held nothing but anger, hurt and disgust. Seeing her look at him like that made him even more confused about what was going on, but it hurt him as well.

"Of course you didn't notice, you have been far to busy with the wedding couple and Astrid all night." She told him, her voice like a whip as Hiccup could see the storm that was raging behind her cool demeanor. It was the Snow Queen who stood before him and he knew that out here, he was at her mercy.

Yet he still found her extremely beautiful as she stood tall before him, but it was not what his mind lingered on for her words made it dawn on him what she had made her so upset.

"Astrid didn't tell you did she?" He asked her with disbelief, feeling how he tried to comprehend the fact that Astrid not only lied to him, but she had also betrayed his trust. He had trusted her. Despite being aware of Astrid's problem with his feelings for Elsa, he had still trusted her when she had offered to share everything about their traditions.

He had thought that, despite everything, she would still be able to see the bigger picture and put her feelings aside. But she hadn't, and while her betrayal cut deeply he couldn't linger on that now. He had to focus on the woman in front of him who was staring at him with stormy eyes.

"What didn't she tell me exactly?!" Elsa spat his question. "That you are all perverted wildings? Or maybe the fact that she has feelings for you? For she kind of left both of those parts out!" She shouted, Hiccup seeing the hurt behind the anger and he hated himself. Elsa had become a victim because he had been a coward and not told Astrid that they were over so the bedding had become the tool Astrid had decided to use to tear him and Elsa apart.

After all, Astrid had also spent a little more than a month in Arendelle and knew about their extremely prude culture. She had understood, just like Hiccup, why Elsa would have such a huge issue with it.

"I know it's not right." Hiccup said, walking over to her slowly to see if she would try to push him away, but thankfully Elsa allowed him to approach her. At each step he took though, the ice around them glowed a deeper and deeper until Elsa finally exploded.

"Not right?! Not right?! Hiccup it's sick!" She shouted at him, her eyes blazing. "Now I can accept that you are all more open about intimacy here, I might not be comfortable with it but I can accept it! But to watch… do you understand how wrong that is?! It's disgusting, violating, perverted and wrong! It… it's just… wrong." She finally trailed off, the air leaving her a little as the gold toned down again.

"Feel better?" Hiccup asked her softly, knowing that she had every right to be upset and how it was better to let the anger out then to keep it in.

"A little yeah." Elsa answered, feeling how her outlet of emotions had actually managed to calm her down slightly. "But why? Why do your people do this?" Elsa asked, needing him to tell her since she couldn't understand how things like this even existed.

"Tradition says that for the wedding to be valid it must be consummated. This is a way of making sure that it really happens and that the marriage truly is vailed." Hiccup told her, Elsa shaking her head.

"That's barbaric!" She exclaimed, not able buy that argument. People didn't have to watch the wedding night in Arendelle to know a relationship was consummated, people were trusted that it was.

"I said it isn't a tradition that is right, or do you claim that your people doesn't have any views or traditions that you find to be outdated? That looks insane to us?" Hiccup replied with a slight edge to his voice as he gave her a pointed look for, even if Elsa had the right to be upset, he was not going to allow her to throw his whole culture in the dirt because of one very questionable tradition.

Sure they had some more traditions that were different, but so did the Ardellians, and Elsa had no right to judge all of their culture without even trying to understand their point of view.

Thankfully Elsa immediately picked up on his new tone, just as he had known she would, and he could see how a slight blush spread over her cheeks as she looked away from him. From her behavior he knew she was aware of the fact that she was being unreasonable and, when she turned back to him, he could see that while she was still upset there was a calm within showing that she was ready to listen.

And she really was, for Elsa knew that Hiccup was right. When the Vikings first arrived to Arendelle they had been unable to understand the general view on women that existed in her country, the one that said all women were week and fragile creatures. It was something the Vikings had forced themselves to accept during their stay, but they had always been very clear on how upsetting and strange they had found the treatment of other sex.

She had even spoken to Hiccup about it on many occasions and each time Elsa had told him how much she loathed the fact that men generally assumed she was stupid simply because she was a woman, but also how much she wanted to change that view on all women in her kingdom. But it wasn't something that could happen over night, it took time.

The bedding, she realized, was in a way the same. While she couldn't understand or accept it, it was a part of this culture and she had no right judge before she had at least tried to understand.

"You said it takes place to make sure the wedding is valid, but there are other ways to prove that, so why this?" Elsa therefore asked him, happy to see that Hiccup was still looking at her with understanding eyes despite her outburst.

"Not all marriages are blessed with children and what really goes on behind closed doors is impossible to prove. There are ways to hide the fact that a wedding night didn't occur and since both men and women can seek divorce here, the bedding became a way to ensure that marriages from political alliances were truly valid. With time it grew, like most traditions does, and now it's the same for everyone." He told her calmly.

Hearing him explain it to her, Elsa couldn't deny that what Hiccup told her was true. Not all marriages were blessed with children and there were ways to stage a wedding night, in her upset state she had forgotten about that.

"I suppose, in a way, I can see why it's a tradition that has lived on." She finally said, feeling that even if she was still upset she could understand why the bedding was considered necessary.

"I'm happy you can see our side and I want you know I've been trying to change it, but so much has happened over the last few years that the elders are holding onto every bit of tradition they can." Hiccup told her, Elsa nodding at his words as she felt herself become embarrassed over her next question, but she needed to know.

"Are you… are you fine with it? With… you know… watching." She managed to get out, but she was not able to stop a small blush from spreading over her cheeks. She knew it was a silly question, but it was important for her and when she saw Hiccup's genuinely disgusted expression she felt the relief flood through her since it told her he genuinely found it to be as wrong as she did.

"Not in any way, it's extremely violating for me as well you know, and I would do a lot to forget all of it. Thankfully we never stay through the whole act, only long enough to be certain it'll happen." Hiccup answered her, Elsa feeling how her whole face covered with a very fierce blush as the embarrassment flooded through her at his words.

Seeing her reaction, Hiccup's eyes widened as he seemed to realize what he had just said. "Uhm… I didn't… I just…" He managed to get out, drawing his hand through his hair as he laughed embarrassedly, him blushing as well for once.

"No it's… I mean I asked and… it's good to know it's just… I mean it-it makes it a little better." Elsa managed to stammer out, her blush deepening even more when he looked at her and she had to look away from him since she suddenly became extremely aware of the fact that they were standing close to each other.

The tension between them was almost painful as an awkward silence stretched out between them, neither one of them really knew what to say or what to do to break it.

Seeing the pair standing red in their faces next to each other like two younglings, Toothless rolled his eyes tiredly as he finally got enough off both of them. Walking up behind Hiccup, he pushed his head lightly into Hiccup's back to push them closer together. However, his rider was not ready for the sudden force, even if it was small, and he lost his balance on slippery ice when his metal leg disappeared under him.

"Toothless!" He exclaimed angrily from his knew position on the ground while Toothless only sent him a look that clearly told him it was his own fault he had fallen down.

And while his plan had not worked the way he hoped, Toothless had at least succeeded with breaking the tension between the pair as the ice-woman laughed at them both before offering her hand to Hiccup who accepted it without second thought.

"Looks like Toothless wants to go home." The ice-woman chuckled, Toothless mentally sighing at her intentional misinterpretation while he sent his rider pointed look that he had to stop being so modest. It was clear the Ice-woman liked him and that he liked her, despite their angry emotions earlier, what was the big deal?

And to his relief his rider, for once, seemed to come to his senses and take his advice, for when the ice-woman was about to let go of his partner's hand, his rider actually held on to her despite the hesitant expression she sent him.

"Elsa, I just want you to know that I told Astrid to tell you, it was never my intention to try and hide this from you." Hiccup told her, and while the mention of Astrid made a heavy gloom appear around them, Elsa knew he was telling the truth. In fact, she had never truly believed that Hiccup had wanted to hide the bedding from her.

Allowing her emotions to continue guiding her, Elsa let go off his hand and put her arms around him. His response to her embrace was immediate as his warm arms closed around her as well, pulling her closer to him.

Drawing a deep breath, Elsa felt herself fully relax for the first time that night. It felt so extremely right to be back in his arms, to breath in his scent and allow his warmth to cradle her. She never wanted him to let go, she wanted to be lost in the happiness of simply being with him and feeling his presence. But she couldn't deny the fact that they still had something to talk about, something they needed to clear up.

"You and Astrid..." She began slowly, feeling how Hiccup turned his head so he could smell her hair as he hummed in response when she trailed off. The sound created a small rumble in his chest that made her smile despite the heavy feelings that poisoned the moment. "Are you still in love with her?" She asked, Hiccup's warm breath disappearing when he drew back so he could look down at her.

"I'm not." He told her, his green eyes honest as they reflected the light of the ice that now glowed a deep blue underneath them.

"But you were once? You two were a couple?" Elsa asked, feeling her heart drop when she saw the slightly troubled look in his eyes.

"There was a time when I was in love with her and we were a couple, but for more than two years we have been nothing but friends. There was also a time when we thought we would get back together, but the Gods wanted differently and has stirred us on different paths. I know I'll never love Astrid like that again and I know we'll never get back together. Astrid just haven't reached that point yet; I don't think she wants to let go." He told her.

"Why?"

"I think she is afraid that things will change." Hiccup told her and it felt like his eyes was seeing right through her when he looked at her.

"But how do you know? That you no longer love her I mean, and that you won't get back togehter again? She asked, still fearing that a part of him still loved Astrid and that it would take him away from her. Taking her hand in his, Hiccup placed them over his chest where she could feel his heart beat powerfully in his chest.

"I know because I've met you." He told her simply and when she looked up his eyes were full of raw emotion, hiding none of his feelings from her view. The honesty and affection was almost so powerful that it scared her, but at the same time it made her heart soar at seeing how much he cared for her and her fear died away as she smiled up at him.

Lost in the moment, Elsa felt how the world fell away when he suddenly reached up and pulled out the pins from her hair so it fell down into the thick braid Brigitte had put up earlier. He then carefully pushed back the hair that had fallen down in her face behind her ear.

"It fits you much better." He told her, stroking her cheek before he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead softly, drawing back to leave her completely breathless while her body burned. And while she could see the clear conflict in his eyes when he ended the moment, and she wanted nothing more than for him to kiss her, she was also happy he had drawn back.

It was after all the right thing to do, he and Astrid needed closure and she didn't want to move further before they had it.

"I think we need to head back; they'll start looking for us otherwise." Hiccup told her, still clearly as affected by the moment as she was.

"You're right." She answered, gathering her thoughts as she composed her emotions once more. "Uhm... I might need some help to get back." She added, realizing she had no idea where she was.

"Well you're lucky, for this humble Viking Chief is ready to offer you a ride back." Hiccup laughed, bowing to her as the tension finally broke between them.

"How could I possibly say no to such an offer?" Elsa smiled, curtsying before she allowed Hiccup to lift her up on Toothless, the three of them soon flying through the air on their way back to Berk. Holding onto Hiccup, Elsa leaned her head against his back and closed her eyes with a smile when he placed his hands over hers.

When they landed on Berk, Elsa felt that the journey back had been far too short and when Hiccup help her down from Toothless, she took a hold of his hand when he was about to draw away.

"Thank you for coming after me and for understanding." She told him softly.

"Never thank me for what we both do." He told her, lifting her hand up and kissing it, his eyes never leaving hers. Unlike when Eret had done the same and she had felt nothing, she now felt her stomach clench a little as she looked up at him, feeling how much she hated that they could be so close and still so far away.

"I think I'll head back now, I left to abruptly before that I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable." She said, Hiccup not letting go of her hand as he sent her a skeptical look.

"I can assure you no one will care about that and even if they did, they'll to intoxicated by now to care anyway. You can't go back now." He told her.

"Really? And who is going to stop me?" She asked, screaming in surprise when Hiccup used his hold on her hand to pull her to him and lift her up like she weighed nothing at all. Then he started walking towards the Great Hall.

"Put me down! Hiccup, you put me down right now!" She shouted, Hiccup seemingly completely unfazed at her attempts to make him loose his balance so she could break free since he just kept on walking. "Fine! I'll go!" She finally shouted and, to her relief, she was back on the ground again while she was doing best to glare at her kidnapper. "But I'll only stay for a little while."

"We'll see about that, but at least you've came to your senses." He answered her with a happy smile as he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close while she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"My senses? If I was sensible I would be on my way home now. No, I simply avoided being kidnapped by the Viking Chief just now." She replied, sneaking her arm around him as well.

"You're never going to stop with the kidnapping are you?" Hiccup sighed as he looked down at her with affectionate eyes.

"Not for as long as it works." Elsa replied with a smile, their voices disappearing as they entered the Great Hall again and disappeared from Toothless' view where he had been left behind. Not that he complained the slightest, instead he was feeling very happy with the night's progress.

"And here I thought I would have to worry about his mother pushing them together." The voice of the man who always followed the Ice-woman around suddenly said next to him, the man looking at him with accusing eyes. The man had been watching them from the shadow and while his two human companions had been oblivious to him, Toothless had known he was there all along.

Turning his head to the-man-who-feared-dragons, Toothless simply sent him a degrading look before he lifted into the air and flew towards his rider's wooden nest to finally get some sleep, wondering how his humans would have ever understood anything without him.

Toothless thinks of Elsa as his human! That dragon is too wonderful for us mere mortals, and also the most meddling I think haha! And don't kill me for the fact that they didn't kiss, they are both to noble and while I think it's good, they do annoy me as well!

So what will happen now? How will Astrid react to this and, of course, how will Elsa react to Hiccup's past? Tell me, tell me!

Until next time my dear readers and a lovely day to you all!
/Lysistrate