CHAPTER 11 – The Time Has Come
"Milady."
"Astrid."
"Hello."
"Wake up."
Astrid felt her shoulders being gently shaken. She inhaled sharply, and her eyes snapped open. Hiccup was leaning over her. She tried to ask what was wrong, but all she could get out was a strange guttural sound. "Hey," he said softly. She blinked, trying to clear the sleep from her eyes. She pushed herself into sitting position, pulling the covers around her. "I know it's early," he said quietly, sitting down across from her. "But we have to leave." Astrid groaned. Her two weeks were up. They had packed the day before. It was time for her to go to the University.
"I don't want to go," she sighed, slumping head-first into his lap. She could hear him exhaling heavily as he made circles on her back with his thumb. She turned her head to look up at him. "I don't want to let you," he breathed. Astrid closed her eyes. Her throat felt clogged, she could barely breathe, and her chest hurt. She was trying very hard not to sob. It was too early for these feelings. "Don't cry, Hiccup," she croaked, "it won't do either of us any good."
He smiled down at her sadly. "I know."
Toothless and Stormfly came bouncing past their window, playing. They thought they were going on an adventure, because Hiccup had saddled them up already. They did not know what was really going to take place.
Inside the house, Hiccup chuckled. "They're so happy," he remarked. Astrid's chest suddenly painfully released its tension. She chuckled. "Yeah," she said, sitting up, looking out the window. Hiccup glanced at her. He giggled. Astrid whipped around to stare at him. "Did you just…giggle?"
He laughed. "Your hair. I just noticed. It's—well, just go look."
She frowned. She slowly got up and went to the mirror. Her hair was sticking out in six different directions, plus it was very frizzy and very knotty. Astrid moaned. Behind her, Hiccup was trying to contain a smile. "Could you…?" she asked finally, turning around. Hiccup nodded. He went over, picked up the comb, and set to fixing her mess. Twenty minutes later, Astrid's golden locks were in a neat braid. "Okay, we really have to go now," Hiccup announced. "Right," Astrid said. She quickly slipped into the outfit she had set out the night before, while Hiccup made the bed. "You should be the wife, not me," Astrid commented, shoving her feet into her boots. Her husband rolled his eyes.
A few minutes later, after Astrid made a quick stop at her parents' house to say goodbye, they were ready to take off. Hiccup was cold (or so he said), so he suggested Astrid ride with him. He forgot about Stormfly. Obviously, Astrid had to ride on her Nadder, to keep her on course. "Oh well," he muttered, "it was worth a shot." Astrid laughed. They had a whole day's journey ahead; of course, she wanted to ride with Hiccup. However, she could not just leave Stormfly to trail behind the group. Anyway, Hiccup had a sweater on under his flight suit.
The two dragons were well laden with Astrid's luggage. Getting in the air was tough, but after that, it was smooth sailing. They watched the dawn; it was simply breathtaking. Besides periodic rest stops, the rest of the day was pretty boring. By noon, the couple had sung every song they had ever heard and had played sixteen rounds of two-truths-and-a-lie. A long lunch break was well received. For the next six hours, they tried to make petty conversation, but eventually called it quits. They ended up taking turns napping in their saddles, while the other kept watch. The sun soon began to set, so Hiccup lit two small lanterns he had attached to his saddle. He handed one to Astrid.
"So we can see each other in the dark. But stay close anyway."
By the time they were in range of the Kingdom of Corona, the sky was pitch black.
"I can see the city lights!" Astrid called out.
"Me too!" Hiccup responded.
Stormfly swooped down to fly directly next to Toothless. Astrid's lantern lit up her face. "I can't believe we're almost there," she said, looking at her husband. Hiccup turned his mask-less face to the light. "Yeah, I know, it took forever. This is kind of a bittersweet moment."
Astrid smiled sadly. They were all so exhausted. Reaching the castle would be such a relief. But it would also be painful. From this point forward, she would not see any of her family, or Hiccup, for a whole year, unless they visited. This was like the beginning of the end, for Astrid.
"Okay," Astrid whispered to herself, "get it together." Stormfly squawked softly. Astrid smirked in the darkness. "At least I'll have you, girl," she cooed, reaching down to scratch her Nadder under the chin. The creature's body shivered in delight. "You must be tuckered out," Astrid said, continuing to caress her dragon, "we've been flying for hours. I'm tired, and all I've been doing is sitting up here, riding you!" Stormfly cawed in agreement. "Poor thing," Astrid muttered.
"Don't worry, we're almost there. We're only ten minutes away," Hiccup butted in. The lights of Corona were growing larger and brighter. Astrid and Hiccup both sensed the feelings of imminent doom and wondrous relief battling in their consciousness.
Astrid could feel Hiccup staring at her through the darkness. She glanced over at the light of his lantern, holding her own to her face. He lifted his and gave her a long silent look. It seemed like one of those final moments in life. Those moments when something is about to drastically change and this is the last time anything would ever be the same. The newlyweds inhaled and exhaled in unison. Then Astrid nodded. Hiccup returned the gesture, and they both dove their dragons through the clouds.
The harbor of Corona was well lit with tall torches. They lined the docks, creating areas similar to landing strips for the two dragon riders. Toothless and Stormfly made the gentlest landing they could, attempting not to break the wood with their weight.
"Who are you both, and what is your purpose in Corona?" said a firm but kind voice behind them. Hiccup slid off Toothless, and turned to speak to their confronter. It was a guard. "Hi," Hiccup said, extending his hand, "I'm Hiccup, the chief of Berk. I've come to drop off my wife, Astrid, at the University." The guard, an elderly man, shook his hand calmly, and nodded. "My name is Timothy Boötes" he said, "The Kingdom of Corona's University for Young Women of High Stature, I am presuming you mean. They've been expecting you."
Hiccup smiled politely. Behind him, Astrid hopped off Stormfly, and came to stand beside him. "Perhaps you could be so considerate to direct us in the correct direction?" Hiccup asked the guard, "We've never been here, and we were told we'd have a room waiting for us. I intend to leave in the morning." The gray-haired man smiled. "Absolutely. I will lead you to the castle. It's the end of my shift anyway." Hiccup thanked him, and they followed him up the steps leading away from the docks. Toothless and Stormfly slunk quietly behind the group, trying their best not to cause any ruckus.
Astrid figured they would be led through the city, and go up to the front door of the castle, but the guard, Mr. Boötes, explained it would take too long. "There are under-ground tunnels all over this land. There are even tunnels that lead under the castle. It is much quicker, especially for guards like me. Our quarters are in the basement of the castle. I know a tunnel that leads right there from the docks. For me, it's faster than walking all the way up the island, then going down all those stairs to the basement." The dragon riders nodded in agreement. "So once we go down that tunnel, are we going to come out in the guard quarters?" Astrid asked. Mr. Boötes said no. "We'll arrive in the kitchens. From there, we'll have to take you up the servants' stairs to get to the entrance foyer," he continued.
Hiccup shrugged. "Fine with us," he said. The guard glanced at him. "You two are some strange royals," he noted in the politest way possible. The dragon riders gave him an inquiring look. "You arrived on dragons. You are dressed in practical every day clothing, not fine materials. You speak to me as an equal, not your servant. And you do not mind journeying into a dark tunnel with a man you just met; a tunnel which leads to somewhere no noble would dare venture." Astrid laughed, joking, "So I guess you're saying we're mysterious, brave individuals." Mr. Boötes chuckled. "I suppose so," he said. "Well, I can assure you, we're no different than anybody else," Hiccup remarked, smiling.
They reached a wooden door in the solid stone border around the island. It was the entrance of the tunnel. The under-ground tunnel was not as dark as the guard led them to believe. In fact, torches were ablaze every ten feet along either side of the dirt walls, which made it easy enough to see. "So the king and queen know about this tunnel," Hiccup commented. "Yes," Mr. Boötes replied, "they know about most of the tunnels in this area. And whenever someone discovers a new one, they are required to inform the palace guard. For the safety of the kingdom."
Hiccup turned to Astrid and whispered in her ear, "How much do you wanna bet that this place was infested with Whispering Deaths a couple centuries ago? It would explain the tunnels."
They continued down the tunnel. It was cool and damp and smelled a bit like fish. At every noise, such as the sound of a rat scuttling across the floor, Toothless jumped like a scared cat. Once, Stormfly shot spines from her tail out of fright, which almost took off Mr. Boötes head. Astrid hurriedly calmed her down, and from then on, both riders kept a firm handle on their dragons. Finally, the tunnel seemed to slope uphill, and they climbed until they saw light ahead.
"I think that's the kitchens!" Hiccup announced. "Beware of Mrs. Percy and her rolling pin; I do not believe she has ever seen a dragon before," the guard added. At the end of the tunnel, they came to an archway and turned a corner. Immediately, they were enveloped by the hustle and bustle of the kitchen staff. No one seemed to notice them at first, until a woman screamed. "Oh my lord! What the hell are those creatures! And what are they doing in my kitchen?!" A plump, red-haired, pink-faced lady was standing, shaking, on top of a spindly wooden chair. Sure enough, there was long rolling pin in her hands.
"Mrs. Percy, please come down from there," Mr. Boötes said patiently. She gave him a bemused glare.
"They are personal guests of the king and queen," he explained, "They are not from around here, so please make them feel comfortable. And 'those creatures' are dragons. They will not harm you." The woman stared at the odd group for a few minutes. Then she slowly crouched down, and put one foot at a time on the tiled floor. Standing up straight, she approached them, with the rolling pin still in her hands. "Welcome to Corona," she said, casting furtive glances at the two dragons. "Thank you for having us," Astrid said gently, discreetly gesturing for her Nadder to sit. Hiccup did the same with his Nightfury.
Mr. Boötes reached out and removed the rolling pin from Mrs. Percy's hands. He placed it on the counter to his right. She opened her mouth as if to protest, but did not say a word. The old guard smiled kindly at her. "We'll be going now," he said, "I must show them to the entrance foyer." Mrs. Percy seemed to wake from a spell. "Timothy!" she declared, "I can't let them meet the king and queen hungry! I have the dinner stew ready, they shall have some." Astrid shook her head, but Hiccup nodded reverently. Mr. Boötes shrugged. "Very well," he said, "if they're hungry." Astrid sighed as her husband followed the fat cook. She led them to a quieter area of the kitchen, then left to fetch the bowls of soup.
"Eat up," Mrs. Percy said, setting down the two bowls and spoons. Immediately, Hiccup began shoveling the hot mixture into his mouth. Astrid watched him for a moment, eyebrows raised. Eventually she tasted the stew, and discovered it was incredibly good. A few minutes later, both bowls were being licked clean by the two dragons. "Thank you, Mrs. Percy," Hiccup said, smiling. Astrid echoed her gratitude. The woman smiled back, curtsying slightly. "Now we really must be going," Mr. Boötes announced from his stance in the corner of the room.
The couple rose, and the group set off for some back stairs that led to the entrance foyer. At the top of the steps, they encountered a heavy oak door. Mr. Boötes unhooked a loop of keys from his belt, and promptly unlocked it. They were led into a huge hallway. It had tiled floors and a massive mural ceiling. At one end of the passage was two massive steel doors, and the other end had another perpendicular corridor. "Whoa," the newlyweds breathed in harmony.
There was piercing squeak, then a thud. They spun around. Toothless had slipped on the smooth tiling, and now lay sprawled with all four legs sticking out. Mr. Boötes snorted with laughter. "Come on," Astrid whispered. Her and Hiccup crept down the hallway towards the other corridor. "No need," the old guard boomed, loud enough to wake the whole city. "The royal family are in the throne room with the other arrivals. I'll take you there."
They followed him to a small door in the wall on their left. They entered a crowded room, filled with young woman. Standing on a raised platform facing the throng, were the king and queen. They were talking to each other. "Your majesties," Mr. Boötes called over the girls' heads.
King Thomas glanced up. "Ah, Mr. Boötes! What's the matter?"
The old guard weaved through the crowd, pulling the dragon trainers behind him. The mob parted abruptly when the dragons trailed behind. "May I announce Chief Hiccup and his wife, Astrid, of Berk," he said when they stood in front of the stage. Astrid and Hiccup bowed their heads respectfully. The royal couple stepped down from the platform, and King Thomas extended his hand. Hiccup took it and shook it firmly. "Welcome," the king said to the young chief. "My lady," the king said, turning to Astrid. He held out his hand again, palm up. Astrid hesitantly placed her hand in his. He bowed low and kissed it softly.
"It's so wonderful to see you again," Queen Primrose continued warmly.
As the group of four exchanged pleasantries, Stormfly and Toothless settled down and took a nap in the middle of the throne room. All around them, young women gawped open-mouthed.
"Excuse me, excuse me!" Rapunzel pushed through the throng. She gave a muffled shriek. The princess stared at the dragons. "Astrid?" she cried, seeing the backs of a familiar-looking couple talking to her parents. Hiccup's wife looked over her shoulder. "Princess Rapunzel," she acknowledged, smiling. Rapunzel grinned. "It's great to see you!" she said, running up and hugging Astrid. The blonde beauty accepted the embrace in minor shock. "You too," she replied breathlessly, as Rapunzel pulled away. "This must be the lucky man," the princess resumed, smiling at Hiccup. The young chief had been watching the exchange with mild amusement. "Hi," he said.
Astrid flushed. "This is my husband, Hiccup," she said quietly. Rapunzel giggled. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Hiccup," she said, reaching out and shaking his hand. "Now," the princess continued eagerly, "I have some people to introduce you to, Astrid!"
Queen Primrose butt into the conversation. "You should probably let a maid take them to a room first. I am sure they are tired after their long journey. You can have Astrid meet her schoolmates tomorrow."
Rapunzel sighed. "Alright," she said. "Tomorrow."
The princess smiled after the couple as they were led away by a young servant named Lucy.