Chapter Fifteen

Astrid kicked a few stones down the pathway. Anger propelled her forward, still miffed about her argument with Hiccup. She barely looked up. Barely glanced around. How could he bring that up after all this time? How could he slap that in her face? She was the one to bring Hiccup here. Tears stung her eyes. She was the one to start the negotiations. Pain squeezed her chest, making it hard to breath. She was the one to even find this place. Astrid walked quicker, almost a run.

She was the one to find Elsa.

The conversation tore through her mind, through her soul. You'll mess it up like last time. That's what Hiccup had said. Last time…last time! That certainly was the last time. For many things.

Her vision blurred. She stopped even paying attention to the path. Her boot caught on something, and she tripped. She threw out her hands to protect herself and landed in a heap. Pain sliced up through her palms, reverberating through her arms and shoulders.

The blow shocked her out of her thoughts. Blinking, she cleared the tears from her eyes and finally looked around her. Finally noticed things.

She had walked to the waterfront, where the ships docked. Thankfully no one was around here to see her fall. She glanced over her shoulder. It seemed everyone had gathered in the town square, far enough away to give Astrid some room to think but close enough to hear the laughter and gentle hum of conversation.

Astrid chuckled and got to her feet. It seemed the blow had knocked the anger out of her as well. She walked to the edge of the dock and sat down again. Sometimes it was nice to be away from people. Sometimes it was nice to be alone. She leaned back on her fists, mindful of her sore palms, and surveyed the water.

Breathing in the salty air reminded her of Berk. If only a little. The massive ships, with masts taller than anything she'd ever seen, would never come to Berk though. Usually only stocky ships came their way, short, stocky, hardy. Like their occupants. Astrid rolled her eyes.

Nothing like the tall smooth lines of Elsa and of Arendelle.

A chorus of laughter drifted her way, and Astrid sighed.

Like last time.

This wasn't the first time they had opened negotiations with a nearby kingdom. And it certainly wouldn't be the last, either. Berk was a great place to live. But it was also far away. From everything and everyone. It took a day's hard travel by flight or three days by water to get to the nearest kingdom.

And last time, while they did open trade negotiations, it could have gone better. Guilt prodded at her. She pushed it away. It wasn't the time to think negative thoughts, wasn't the time to think on the past. Astrid stood. She was here. In Arendelle. In a completely new kingdom and she had free rein to wander. She pushed the negative thoughts away. She might as well use that freedom to look around.

Elsa sat in the dining room. Her Council had wanted the negotiations to take place in the main throne room, but the chamber seemed so large and so formal, Elsa couldn't stand it. Perhaps it was a bit… unceremonious…but it seemed nicer to talk in the dining room to her. A scribe sat next to her, taking notes. Even with the warmth of the day, she ordered a fire to be made. It crackled merrily in the far wall. She also ordered two cups of tea and a plate of sandwiches. She sipped on her mint tea, but the sandwiches sat untouched between them. She eyed her guest.

Hiccup seemed…stoic. A muscle kept twitching in his forehead. She wondered if it was because of the fight from earlier. Surely he wouldn't let that hinder his ability to negotiate.

"Hiccup," she said, drawing his gaze. "Please don't stand on ceremony just because of me. You must be tired from your travels from Berk." She gently nudged the plate closer to him. "Please eat."

He picked up a sandwich and bit into it. "Thank you, Elsa."

Elsa, too, selected a sandwich and took a bite. The burst of sweet berries from the north and smooth cream cheese filled her senses. Calmed her a little, too. It was the same kind of lunch her mother would make when she was younger. Maybe it wasn't the correct thing to serve during a negotiation, but she had to try something.

She tucked a lock of her hair back and gave him her best smile.

All at once, his expression changed. Melted almost from the stoic expression to something…different, something warmer at the very least. He seemed to relax, too, settling back in his chair.

They remained quite for a few moments, but Hiccup stared at her so intently, it almost made her feel uncomfortable. Might as well dive right into the negotiations.

She cleared her throat. "Arendelle is more than welcome to share our supplies with Berk."

"And Berk is more than welcome to share our supplies with Arendelle," Hiccup said, almost a bit too fast. A bit too high. Though, perhaps his voice was always pitched at a higher register.

She tiled her head. They were off to a good start, at least. "That is wonderful news." She pulled out a roll of paper from the folds of her dress and slid it across the table. "My Council put together a list of items Arendelle can part with over an extended period."

Elsa bit her lip. A nervous habit. Admittedly, the list wasn't long. Horses. Metalwork. Fabric. Some foods, mostly homegrown herbs. Some medicine. Arendelle, though Elsa never would admit it outloud, was going through a dry spell at the moment. The waters this summer had been choppy, too choppy for their usual partners to get through. Elsa glanced at the sunlight streaming through the window. How calm the light looked against the white tablecloth.

The waters may be choppy…but dragons didn't need to travel through the waters. Dragons flew over it.

Hiccup stared at the paper far longer than Elsa thought was necessary. The list was short, after all, what else could he be considering. Her stomach tightened. Maybe…reconsidering?

She couldn't take the silence any longer. "I hope you find our supplies satisfactory. By next summer we should have a wider selection."

Hiccup glanced up. "No need to wait until next summer." Were his cheeks redder than before? She couldn't tell. He coughed a little. "These are great."

Elsa nodded. Thank the gods.

"As for Berk," Hiccup continued, ticking off the items on his fingers. "We have meats, weaponry, furs, stone, and…" Hiccup paused, a gleam brightening his eyes. "Dragons."

Shock rippled through her. Dragons? They would trade… dragons? "You would trade dragons?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No, but we can teach you and your people how to ride them."

"I would love to learn," Elsa said, her voice lifting with her excitement. Memory of Astrid barreling down on her on top of Stormfly bubbled up in her mind. Of how strong Astrid looked. Of how striking. Astrid would be a wonderful tutor.

Hiccup leaned forward and his voice dipped lower, "I would love to teach you."

It was only because of her years of solitude and schooling did she keep the disappointment off her face. "That would be…" She searched for the correct word, the word Hiccup would want to hear during a negotiation. A word that would make her parents proud. And, even though her heart wasn't in it, she said, "Lovely."

Hiccup grinned.

Yes, there definitely was a blush spreading across his cheeks now. For the second time that day Elsa's stomach tightened. It seemed the Berk Chief liked her…and perhaps as more than a negotiation partner.

Strolling around Arendelle had to be Astrid's best idea yet. The kingdom awed her. Everywhere she looked something new caught her eye, a storefront selling unique flowers that would never grow on Berk, a shop with herbs and spices she'd never heard of, a food cart selling freshly baked breads infused with oils and berries. She craned her neck just to glimpse everything. Her stomach growled but she ignored it. People, so many people, milled around. Enough people to cram on Berk twelve times over. And Arendelle was huge in size, too. The builders were taller than she'd ever seen. At first, the hum of conversation invigorated her. She caught snippets of everyday life here. Of how happy everyone was.

But then, when she lingered too long at a bright blue bolt of fabric, her thoughts lingered back to Elsa. And the fact that Elsa and Hiccup were negotiating without her.

Her happiness ebbed away.

She bought some bread, cheese, and a mug of cider, found a somewhat secluded space away from the main bustle of people, and sat down to eat. The bread was delicious, spicy and sweet all at once, but after the first few bites the bread dried in her mouth. The chewiness annoyed her. The cheese was too soft and the cider, too strong.

She frowned. Last time.

A thump startled her. Someone—a brown haired woman who looked vaguely familiar—sat next to Astrid. A man with striking blond hair slid into the seat across from them.

The woman held out her hand. "Hello Astrid. My name is Anna. We haven't been formally introduced yet."

Elsa's sister. Astrid shook Anna's hand and eyed the man. This must be Kristoff. Elsa had told them about their engagement. The one she interrupted. Her neck heated. "Yes, I remember seeing you around the castle. Looking at Stormfly. And you must be Kristoff." She extended her hand and Kristoff took it, grinning. His gaze didn't linger on her for long though, sliding back to Anna almost immediately after they finished shaking hands.

"Your dragon is amazing!" Anna leaned forward, her eyes sparkling.

Astrid gave her a small smile, though her heart wasn't in it. "Thank you." Because Anna seemed so keen to talk, Astrid added, "Icicle is pretty amazing, too."

Kristoff slid his arm around Anna and Anna giggled, actually giggled. "Yeah. He is!"

Astrid nodded and stared at her food, pushing some cheese around with her finger. She really didn't feel like talking. And Anna's effervescent mood wasn't rubbing off on her at the least. Memories of the last negotiation lingered in her mind. Her throat tightened.

"Kristoff," Anna said. Astrid looked up. Anna's mood changed it seemed, too. Her smile hadn't faltered, but her eyes grew serious. "Can you get me a drink and refill Astrid's?"

Kristoff glanced between the two women and said, "Sure. You had cider?"

Astrid, realizing the question was for her, cleared her throat and said, "Yes. Cider. Thanks."

Grabbing Astrid's now-empty mug, Kristoff lumbered off. Anna, twirling her ring, watched him leave then turned to her.

Uh oh. Anna seemed really serious now. Her smile dimmed slightly. "Astrid, I heard about the fight you and Hiccup had. Did you want to talk about it?"

How did she know? "Um…" It wasn't the best way to start this conversation, but Astrid couldn't think of anything else to say. Astrid shifted uncomfortably. She didn't want to talk about it. But she really didn't want to talk about it with Elsa's sister.

"Elsa told me about Hiccup, that's how I know about him. But you seemed like his right hand woman or something." Anna snuck her hand across the table and laid it on Astrid's. The pressure comforted her. Anna titled her head down to meet Astrid's lowered gaze. "And I know you're far away from your friends and family and everyone you know …and…and I thought maybe you'd want to talk to someone about it. You looked so sad before, and I'd like to help you if you'll let me."

Anna looked at her with such a kind and open expression, Astrid surprised herself and started talking, "We negotiate with a lot of people. Berk is just so far away from anything. We're good by ourselves, of course, but having relations…" Astrid paused, images of Elsa floated in her mind. "Relations" wasn't the best choice of words. She pushed on, "Negotiating with other kingdoms is a good idea."

"Of course." Anna nodded. "I take it one of the negotiations went sour?"

Astrid shifted her gaze, stared at the people milling about instead of Anna. It would be easier to talk about what happened without looking at Elsa's sister. "Very. We were negotiating with the kingdom of Corona, the Queen there is…well, she's a unique woman. She drove a hard bargain, wanted a few dragons to keep, said it would be good for her people and for her land. Said it would be unique."

"It certainly would be," Anna whispered.

"Hiccup figured it would be okay. Figured we could give them a few baby dragons, hatchlings, and show them how to take care of them." Astrid's stomach coiled. Memories of the tiny dragons pushed their way to the front of Astrid's mind. Of how delicate they looked. And how dangerous they could become if treated unfairly.

Anna squeezed her hand. "You disagreed?"

"I didn't think the kingdom could handle the dragons. They had never seen the dragons before, never even heard about them. At least here in Arendelle you had Icicle before you met our dragons. Dragons, while they are wonderful creatures can get dangerous. Deadly, even. I couldn't just let them have babies if they didn't know how to take care of them. But Hiccup was so excited about the negotiations he agreed right away, said he'd give them three dragons in exchange for a whole hoard of our supplies." She took a deep breath and barreled on, desperate to say her piece before her courage ran out. Astrid looked up. "I didn't want anyone at Corona to get hurt so when Hiccup returned to Berk, I snuck away and pleaded for the Queen to reconsider."

"And I take it Hiccup wasn't terribly happy about that." Anna smiled sadly.

"No. He…well, when he got back to Corona and found out I talked to the Queen, he blew up at me. Said I was always undermining him. Said I should've talked to him first, which I agree would've been better. We were going out at the time and that was the last straw for him."

Anna's smile melted into a frown. She withdrew her hand. "But you did it out of concern for the safety of Corona and the Queen."

"Yes! Exactly." Astrid pounded the table. She wondered, briefly, why Anna had removed her hand, but just the fact that Anna understood propelled her to say more. "The Queen didn't like being yanked around and—I told you she drove a hard bargain—and said if we were to remain partners asked for double what she originally asked. It wasn't fair for us, really, but I believe it was better for them in the long run. Hiccup didn't see it like that and we had a pretty hard winter after that."

Anna rested her chin on one of her hands. "We had a pretty hard winter a few years back. It seems the concern for the safety of others just…does that sometimes."

Astrid glanced down. Elsa had mentioned a hard winter, when she had lost control. But only briefly. Astrid was just about to ask about it when Anna asked, "You and Hiccup were an item?"

Shocked, Astrid could only nod.

Elsa ignored it. She really did. But that wouldn't solve the problem. Over the next few hours it became clear that Hiccup liked her. His easy banter and teasing solidified it. But what could she do? Maybe negotiating at the dinner table wasn't the best idea. Elsa longed to be in her throne room, seated in her chair with adequate distance between her and Hiccup. Hiccup had even closed the distance further by coming around to sit next to her. Flabbergasted to the point of numbness, Elsa allowed it. Stupidly allowed it. Even her scribe cocked an eyebrow at that. Elsa imperceptivity shook her head. How could she fix this?

Hiccup polished off the last sandwich. "So what did you and Astrid really talk about while she were here?"

Elsa numbed further. Of all the things to talk about, Astrid was never one she wanted to discuss with the chief of Berk. Especially after that fight from earlier. But Arendelle needed this partnership. She set her hands in her lap and smoothed her dress. "What do you mean?"

"Did she promise anything when she was here?" Hiccup said.

"No." The looks she gave, the clever turn of phrases, the shared moments together. Those were promises all their own, but not ones he needed to hear. Despite herself, she smiled ever so slightly from those memories. "Astrid didn't negotiate anything, just said that she would bring you back here."

"Good. She doesn't have that authority," Hiccup replied. He seemed to straighten a little while saying that, as if his height also gave him authority. He shifted closer.

"Yes, I realized that. That's why I waited to start the negotiations with you." Elsa subtly shifted away, masking the movement by reaching for her teacup. "Speaking of which, we've been talking for a few hours now—"

Hiccup interrupted her. "Really, it seems like it's only been minutes."

Elsa went on as if she hadn't heard him or the softness of his voice. "And I think it's high time we take a break. My scribe certainly could use one." She looked meaningfully at her scribe, who took the hint and nodded enthusiastically. Elsa stood. "Why doesn't she lead you to your guest quarters so you can rest. I have some paperwork I need to go over anyway."

Hiccup stood too. Before Elsa could stop him, he grabbed her hand, holding it tightly within his own. The warmth from his was similar to Astrid's but at the same time vastly different. She wanted to hold Astrid's hand instead. Hiccup grinned. "Thank you for such a great afternoon. I look forward to continuing this conversation tonight."

Elsa bowed slightly, slipping her hand from his as she did so, and motioned to the doorway. "Tomorrow would probably be better. As I said, I do have quite a lot of paperwork."

Hiccup's smile fell a little, disappointment clear on his face. "Tomorrow, then."

Her scribe led him out of the room, throwing a significant look over her shoulder when he wasn't looking in the process. Once they left, Elsa sank into the chair and put her head in her hands. Arendelle needed these negotiations to go well, so she didn't want to lead the man on, but she didn't want to hurt him either. She was attracted to Astrid. What was she going to do?

Astrid gulped. It seemed like all of Anna's joy had dissipated in a matter of moments. Seconds even. It had grown colder ever since Astrid mentioned being with Hiccup.

"You broke up with Hiccup, though?" Anna asked.

"Yes." Astrid's voice came out soft so she repeated herself. "Yes, we broke up."

Anna narrowed her eyes. "And did you love him?"

"At one time, yes. But I don't anymore."

The frown on Anna's lips deepened. She took a breath and whooshed it out before asking her next question. "And yet you're still attracted to my sister?"

Even though it wasn't that hot out, sweat immediately started to trickle down Astrid's back. Had they been that obvious about it? She hadn't thought so. Maybe Elsa spent a little too much time interrogating her, but that didn't directly relate to being attracted to someone. Should she lie about it? A horrible thought entered her mind. Maybe Anna didn't approve of that kind of attraction? And Astrid certainly didn't want to cause any trouble between the sisters.

Belatedly she realized she hadn't answered Anna's question. She decided she'd take the consequences of being truthful and blurted out, "Yes, I am."

Anna was quiet for a little while, simply staring at Astrid. Astrid tried not to shift under the piercing gaze. She tapped her foot under the table instead and prayed Anna wouldn't notice. To the gods with it all, maybe Anna disapproved that she loved Hiccup and then...shifted flight plans to Elsa.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, Anna whispered, "She's my only sister you know."

"I know," Astrid replied.

Anna dropped her hand and drew herself up to her full height. "Then you also should know I'll do anything to protect her. She's had a rough year, being the queen and all. It's a lot of responsibility, and she's stressed about it. And, even though she hides it well, I know it shakes her that Kristoff and I are getting married." Her gaze darted past Astrid.

Astrid turned. Kristoff stood a few yards away, lumbering back with two large mugs. He grinned at the pair, but Anna leaned across the table, drawing Astrid's gaze.

"If you love her, that's wonderful news. Treat her right, and I'll support your union whole heartedly." That shocked Astrid, that she supported a love like theirs. People in Berk might've taken more time to digest the news of her bisexuality. Might reacted differently. Anna's voice lowered. "But if this is just a fling, just something you're trying out before you go back to Berk or something to get out of your system…if you hurt her, I'll personally see that you regret it."

Astrid slowly nodded. She had to make Anna believe this wasn't just a one-night stand. The feelings she had for Elsa weren't the temporary kind. "I understand. This isn't something I need to get out of my system. I'm truly attracted to her. And I don't know where it will go or how long it will last, but I swear I'll never hurt her."

"Good." Anna leaned back and gave her a small smile. "That's very good."

Kristoff appeared next to their table, thumped three mugs down, and slid in next to his betrothed.

Astrid thanked him, a bubble of hope rising in her chest. If she wasn't mistaken, she had just received Anna's blessing. Maybe there was a chance for her and Elsa yet.

SQ: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks so much for the responses to my previous questions. I'm quite excited that you guys chose Anna as the one to talk to Astrid. I was toying with the idea for a while but couldn't make up my mind. Thanks for helping me! Thank you, also, to all my new favorites and followers!

Answering Chemistry God's question of how many more chapters there will be: Depending on how I break it up, I have four more chapters until the end.

Questions for the next chapter:

1) I'm having them go on a small trip next, do you want them to travel by foot or by dragon?
2) Do you want to see more negotiations between Elsa and Hiccup?
3) What do you think would be a viable party option - a ball celebrating their successful negotiations or a ball celebrating Anna's engagement?

*Note: It did say "Astrid" in question 3 before, that was a typo. .

Until next time!
Warm regards,
SerenityQuill