The next few months were a whirlwind of planning, gathering, making, baking, and keeping Hiccup away from the wedding planning as much as possible. Astrid knew if he got his hands on it for even a second it would become this vastly complicated, dragon-laced extravaganza. Astrid had to pry him away from the plans with a stick just to make sure he didn't get too crazy. He got to pick the cake flavour. That was basically all he was allowed to 'help' with. He complained, but Astrid ignored him when he got pouty.
After what seemed like ages, the morning of the wedding finally arrived. Hiccup was still fast asleep when Astrid came to get him, still in her nightclothes with her hair in the style her pillow chose for her. She had no idea how he could sleep so soundly at a time like this. She walked to his bedside, held her arms out at her sides, and was about to flop down onto his stomach when she realized that was probably not the best thing to do, considering the circumstances. She lowered herself slowly and noiselessly onto her knees. She didn't try to wake him up. Instead, she watched him, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing. He looked so much less worried when he was asleep. She hadn't really taken time to notice it before. She softly brushed a lock of his hair from his forehead and smiled lovingly. He was a truly beautiful person, both inside and out, and she counted herself lucky for the ring on her finger. She rested her hand on his cheek. He was going to be hers. By that time the next day, he'd be hers and no one else's. She gave a quiet, breathy laugh and relished in that thought for a few more minutes. Hers. Hers. All hers. Not anyone else's, hers. No more uncertainty about each other's feelings, no more questionable looks from their friends. Just them. Together, happy, the way it should be. She shook her head at how sappy she sounded and placed a soft, lingering kiss on his forehead. Someone else could wake him up, she had unwanted primping to get to before her mother, Valka, and Ruffnut came looking for her. Once he heard the door creak shut, Hiccup slowly opened one eye, just to see if she really was gone. He'd woken up when the door had creaked open, but he'd stayed quiet, so he could stop her should she attempt to fall on him to wake him up. His fingertips brushed his forehead and he broke into a grin. He threw off his blanket and dashed to his desk, where the wedding bands were. He had forged them himself, just like a special wedding gift she'd receive later.
Astrid was on her way to the village's equivalent of a salon when she saw her mother, Valka and Ruffnut on their way to her house. She sighed and ran over to them. These three were pretty much the only girls in her life, save Stormfly and Heather (she and Heather had kept in touch since rescuing her from Alvin and the Outcasts), she was grateful to have them by her side today. She had only been nervous a few times before in her life, but this day was too nerve-wracking to not bring butterflies to her stomach, despite her usually fearless attitude towards everything.
"There she is!" exclaimed Ruffnut, her usual tone of annoyance present in her words. Astrid watched as the three women redirected their route in her direction. Her gaze flickered between their eyes; her mother's wet grey eyes, Valka's beaming green ones, and Ruffnut's unamused blue ones. "You realize you have a wedding today, right?"
"No, Ruff, I completely forgot all about my own wedding," said Astrid, her voice dripping with sarcasm but her expression friendly. "Thank you ever so much for reminding me. Where would I be without you?"
"Um, dead in a ditch?" said Ruffnut, crossing her arms and her voice taking on a matter-of-fact tone. "Remember, I saved your life that one time."
"Oh yes, that one time," said Astrid, pretending to know what Ruffnut was talking about. Valka suppressed a laugh and Astrid's mother cleared her throat. When she had Astrid's attention, she held up the sack with Astrid's wedding clothes and accessories inside. "Right, right. We all have a wedding to get ready for. No time for childish arguments."
"But childish arguments are my favourite part of being friends with you," grumbled Ruffnut, the group continuing on to the salon. "It's the only reason I spend time with you."
"It warms the cockles of my heart to hear that, Ruff," said Astrid, wrapping one arm around Ruffnut's shoulder and the other around Valka's. "It's always good to know why others like you, right Val?"
"Oh, absolutely," said Valka with her slightly Scottish-sounding lilt, wrapping one of her arms around Astrid's shoulder and reeling Ingrid, Astrid's mother, in with the other, her double braids swinging in time with her step. She smiled down at Astrid's gratified expression. "It's been ages since I've prepared for a wedding with the bride. Last time, let's see, who's wedding was it? Oh yes! Siri's wedding. That'd be your mum, Ruffnut."
"Uh, duh! I know my own mother's name," said Ruffnut. Despite how annoyed she sounded, she begrudgingly threw her arm over Astrid's shoulder, the barest hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Contrary to how she acted, she loved being with other girls in place of her brother. "Please tell me I don't have to wear make-up."
"Sadly, we all do," said Ingrid, finally joining in the conversation. She tried to keep the tears out of her voice, but she failed. She laughed it off. "Besides, it's only for an hour or so. You can scrub it off after the ceremony's done."
"Mrs. Hofferson, I know that this is somehow touching for you three, but could you not cry?" asked Ruffnut, not giving a single damn. The truth was, if anyone cried, she'd burst into tears herself, and her tough girl rep would be down the drain. "Seriously, I'll barf."
"Oh, come on now, Ruffnut," said Valka, leaning forward to look past Astrid at Ruffnut. "Where's your sense of romance?"
"It died when Fishlegs started hitting on me," said Ruffnut, a sour look coming to her face at the memory. He had followed her around for weeks, showering her with compliments and gifts. The only affections he got in return were the tender caresses of her fist in his gut. "I'm done with romance for a long time now."
"What about," said Astrid, raising her eyebrows suggestively, "Eret?"
"Shut up, Astrid, you know it's not like that," said Ruffnut. The blush that came to her face betrayed her in the end, and the other three laughed heartily as though it was the funniest thing in the world. "Oh, come on! You've all got someone, you wouldn't like me teasing you about it, would you?"
"Correction," said Ingrid. "I used to have someone."
"Still," said Ruffnut, her gaze falling to the ground beneath her feet. "It isn't funny."
The laughter continued, no matter how much Ruffnut complained. This was only to be expected. Arms around each other's shoulders still, they continued on to the salon. They were there in five minutes. Inside, the 'Beauty Bunch' as they were known throughout the village, set to work on all four women. Braids were unbraided, hair was combed, lashes were defined, complexions made even, and lips made fuller. The five teenage girls, the ones who made up the Beauty Bunch, were thoroughly upset by Ruffnut's hair. No matter how much they combed it, it wouldn't flatten down. The youngest parted it and shook her head in dissatisfaction. Valka, Astrid's and Ingrid's hair was obedient to their teasing and fussing, on the other hand. They pulled back Ingrid's greying blonde hair behind her ears and braided the strands together behind her head. The bottom part of her hair just puffed in a pretty way, so they left that be. Valka's hair curled a little at the bottom in a way the Beauty Bunch didn't want to ruin. They let two clumps of hair dangle on either side of her face, framing it beautifully. Astrid's hair was swept back, yanked to the right, and braided with a lilac ribbon lacing its way through. The general color scheme for the wedding was purple, all shades of it, with browns and off-whites of leather and fur mixed in. The clothing of those assembled would be no different.
Ruffnut's dress was compromised of two layers, a short-sleeved, deep lilac slip, and a long-sleeved plum colored cotton overcoat stitched with embroidered flowers. A thick leather belt was wrapped around the part of her torso just above her hipbones, and tied in the back. She flat out refused to wear jewellery or feminize herself further, wearing her muddy boots underneath the dress just to be difficult. Valka wore an eggplant purple dress with a sweeping hem. The sleeves only went to her elbows. It was made of a discoloured fabric, making it seem lighter in some places and darker in others. Ingrid had chosen a dark fuchsia dress with trailing sleeves and a lighter fuchsia bodice. It was embroidered with fleur-de-lis patterns. Astrid actually had no idea what her wedding dress was going to look like. The mother's had twisted her arm until she agreed to let them pick the design.
The oldest in the Beauty Bunch took Astrid aside while the others were fussing over the other women. She insisted that Astrid keep her eyes closed until the dress was on, and Astrid begrudgingly complied. Her dress was compromised of two layers like Ruffnut's, the first layer free of complicated stitching and made of cotton (she could feel this, she didn't peek), and the second layer made most likely of lace. She heard the metallic clinking of small metal object and felt tightness at her hips. The sudden cold of metal was felt. It was obvious to her that she now had a belt of some sort. She heard Valka, Ingrid, and Ruffnut come into the room and there were a few audible gasps. Astrid wanted to see so very desperately what she was wearing. When the Beauty Bunch told her to open her eyes, her lids flew open and her gaze fell on an unexpected sight in the mirror. It was plain, so very plain, but Astrid loved its simplicity. The bottom layer was a light eggplant purple with long sleeves and a high collar, while the top layer was lilac lace with a part in the middle, revealing the layer underneath. The lace layer had sleeves on the shoulders, but not beyond that, and revealed the collar of the eggplant layer. Around her waist was a gold belt, so intricately crafted that it appeared to have been woven. It was panelled, so that it folded comfortably around her waist. Her fingers grazed the belt, knowing that it could only have been Hiccup who'd made it for her.
"That's Hiccup's wedding present for you, but you probably guessed that by now," said Ingrid, her voice choked with sobs she was fighting to control. Astrid smiled wide, reaching for her mother's hands. "He isn't the only one who has a gift for you today. We all do."
From a pocket Astrid hadn't realized Ingrid had she pulled a glinting gold necklace. Astrid let go of her hands and Ingrid went behind her, locking the necklace into place. Astrid reached up for the pendant and slowly began to recognize it. In runes on the front was her family name, engraved by hand. She knew that this particular necklace had been one her mother had worn often until her father left. It had belonged to her paternal grandmother and great-grandmother and great-great grandmother. Astrid couldn't count how many generations of Hofferson women had worn it.
"I know this is a bad time to give this to you, seeing as how you'll only be a Hofferson legally for a few more hours," said Ingrid, turning her daughter to face her. The tears Ingrid had struggled with since that morning came pouring down her cheeks upon seeing exactly how much her little baby had grown up and she jerked her daughter into her arms for a hug. Astrid held back her tears, because she knew she couldn't show up at the ceremony with red eyes and a blotchy face. She hugged her mother back firmly. "But I needed you to know that even though you're going to grow old a Haddock, I never want you to forget your old Mum. I never want you to forget where you came from, or what your beginnings were. You're a Hofferson, through and through. Never ever forget that."
"No, I won't," said Astrid, letting go of her mother and dabbing her eyes furiously. "I promise."
"Here, just… Just take them," said Ruffnut, cursing herself for letting her voice crack. She held out her favourite pair of gold earrings, the hoop ones that weren't too big or too small, but rather the perfect size. "I stole them right out of a pirate's ears, so just… don't lose them or break them or whatever you silly simpering cry-babies do with jewellery."
"Ruffnut, are you sure?" asked Astrid, gently picking up the hoops from her hand. "These are your favourite."
"That's why I want you to have them, you idiot," said Ruffnut, punching Astrid's shoulder. "You're my best friend, it's your wedding day, so just take the earrings and don't cry again."
"Thanks, Ruff," said Astrid, putting in the earrings with hardly a wince. She looked at her reflection again. She looked more sophisticated with the added jewellery. She felt older, too. She turned to Valka, unable to identify exactly what emotion was painted on her face. Sadness? Happiness? Nostalgia? Hope? "I suppose you probably have a bracelet or ring or something like that for me, don't you?"
"Oh no, nothing quite like that," said Valka with a laugh. From behind her back she produced a small purple rose with a short, de-thorned stem. Valka slipped it into Astrid's hair just above her right ear. Her hands placed themselves on Astrid's shoulders before sliding down her arms and taking Astrid's own. "What I wanted to give you was reassurance. Hiccup has told me how much you worried about all the expectations placed on you upon getting married. I just wanted to tell you that you don't have to worry about them at all. You don't need to be quiet and stay inside and never speak your mind. You don't need to worry about having sons and keeping the lineage going. The only thing you have to do is be you. Be the amazing wonderful Astrid Hofferson that my son fell in love with, and everything else will work itself out. Trust me. I married Stoick the Vast and I can make him regret marrying me with a single look. I know what I'm talking about."
Astrid smiled in relief and gave Valka a quick hug. She was glad to have a woman like Valka as a mother-in-law, even though she brought up her producing heirs worry in front of Ruffnut and the Beauty Bunch. She had the sort of fire in her that Astrid admired more than anything. She could understand where Hiccup got his sarcasm and fascination of dragons and intuitiveness so much clearer now that Valka was back in the village. After the Beauty Bunch cleaned up Ingrid's make-up, the four women proceeded to the town hall, where Hiccup was waiting anxiously with the other guests.