Stoick sat on his throne, admiring the crowd in his massive hall. The place had been scrubbed until it gleamed, letting the candlelight from the chandeliers overhead flicker off the stone and various metal fixtures, just as the fire from the hearth painted its surroundings in orange and red. A table to one side of the room groaned under the weight of so many finger foods that the guests didn't know what to choose first.

Many guests oohed at the impressive display of lavish wealth and taste, a surprising feast for their ruggedly inclined host. Of course, he'd probably had help in the planning from tonight's guests of honor, the three princes and their wives. Once the six royals processed into the room, the festivities could really begin.

Clarice waited just behind the huge double doors at the head of the procession. Straightening her satin clad back, she reminded herself how important tonight was in the process of proving herself a fit enough queen. She rested a hand on the silver pendant at her throat, confident in her supremacy as the wife of the heir. Besides, it was just a dance. No chance for sabotage in that.

Hamish pulled his arm away from Sophia as she attempted to pull him closer. "Calm yourself."

To his chagrin, she thrust her nose into the air. "I am calm. I only thought to comfort you, shaking as you are."

He growled. "That's a bold faced lie."

She sneered at him. "A lady never lies."

He glared at her and was about to open his mouth in a retort when Gawain, who'd run ahead to inform the party of Hiccup's arrival with Toothless tapped him on the shoulder. "Sire, a word please?" The second prince bit back his tongue and turned towards the other man. "Hiccup will arrive soon with Milady."

The prince smiled. "Shaking in his boots, probably."

Gawain raised his voice. "Even if he was, Milady would support him and help steady his nerves, no matter how much he might deny it." With that the knight turned and headed back in the direction of the youngest royal.

Hamish turned back to his bride, who still had her nose in the air. She raised a hand to check her earring and the prince noticed that it was shaking. He walked up and took her hand. "Don't worry, you look fine." He smiled inwardly as the trembling lessened and she put her hand back on his arm.

But she just had to ruin the moment. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

He flinched. "Let's just say I'm taking a bit of advice." She huffed at him and turned her face away, but Hamish just chuckled to himself. All the trembling was gone now. He could work on the attitude later, with perhaps a little more help from Gawain. The man might have more useful tidbits.

Footsteps sounded through the hall, a very distinctive mix of soft thuds and short scrapes. Sure enough, Hiccup halted just in time to avoid slamming into his older brother. "It's about t-" What on earth had his kid brother done to get a woman like that? And where was the little dragon?

"Who's she?" sneered Sophia. "Was Toothless so embarrassed that she sent a proxy? For shame."

"Indeed, that would be shameful, if that was what I'd done," replied the woman. "I'm just here for a dance with my husband."

Sophia laughed, drawing the attention of the pair at the front. "Toothless is a filthy little dragon who can't even cook properly without help from her runt of a husband. Tell me, what tricks did you use to make Hiccup believe your silly story?"

"Sophia," Hamish warned.

But Hubert had heard enough. "Hiccup, while Sophia has been most disrespectful to both you and Milady, she's partway right. You can't expect us to believe that your wife suddenly became human."

"Actually," rebutted Hiccup, "that's exactly what I'm asking. Show them, Toothless." The woman pulled her marriage chain out of her dress, complete with her ring and the pin Hiccup had made her. "You saw me make that pin, Hubert. It's one of a kind. And there's also the fact that I watched her transform, or close enough to it." Toothless tucked the chain back into her dress. "So the question is, do you trust me to know my own wife?"

Hubert breathed deeply. "You'll have to convince Dad that she's Toothless."

Hiccup nodded. "Won't be a problem. Now let's go in." The eldest prince nodded to his youngest brother and nodded to the servants by the door.

Inside the ball room, the herald trumpeted to get everyone's attention. "I present their royal highnesses, Crown Prince Hubert and Crown Princess Clarice." The first couple entered and the populace hummed with comments.

"Such regal bearing for a prince."

"I can't believe the flounces on that dress."

"You think his cape flares when he dances?"

The pair walked between the crowd and joined King Stoick at the front of the room. Bowing to the man, Hubert and his wife moved to one side of the great throne, his right hand side. The crowd and three royals then turned their attention back to the door and the Herald called out, "I present their royal highnesses, Prince Hamish and Princess Sophia." The second couple swept into the room, creating their own buzz.

"Look at the jewels in that necklace!"

"I don't think the prince looks very happy. Do you think they had a fight?"

"You can tell she's from Noble stock. Look at those features! Lovely woman, that is."

This pair also proceeded to the foot of the throne, bowing before the king and walking to stand on his left side. The herald waited for the populace to calm down for the third entry, but they seemed entirely focused on the couples already present in the room. He resorted to the trumpet.

Parp! Now he had their attention. "I present their royal highnesses, Prince Hiccup and Princess Milady Toothless." The door opened and the people roared to life.

"I thought Toothless was a dragon!"

"She is. The prince must have substituted someone else."

"That's not proper, although he did chose quite a beauty. Look at that hair!"

"Who is she?"

"Don't look at me, this is the first time I've seen her."

"He's playing us for fools."

Dissent rumbled around them as they walked to the front of the room and faced the king head on. Stoick was not pleased. "Son, you will go get Toothless and leave this girl out of it."

"But-"

"No arguments, son."

"Father," Hubert mediated, "I think you should let Hiccup explain."

"No. The boy brought a different girl to his own anniversary ball. It's a disgrace!"

"I'm sorry, Father, but you are incorrect," said a voice with a warble and a chirp somewhere inside it. "I am Hiccup's wife, and I can prove it."

Stoick sat back in his throne for a moment and examined the girl who dared speak to him. She did have Toothless' green eyes, and Hiccup was not an easy lad to fool, especially about the things he knew well. You couldn't sell Hiccup faulty steel, so an imposter bride would have to get past him first. And this girl obviously had. "Alright, prove you're Milady Toothless."

"Hiccup, could you ask the musicians to play our song?" He grinned at her idea and motioned to the conductor to approach.

He whispered in the man's ear and the musician smiled. "Of course, Your Highness." Hiccup and the woman walked to the center of the floor and motioned to the musicians to ready themselves. Then the prince began to whistle.

Stoick recognized the tune immediately. It was the song passed through the generations of their family, a love song meant only for them and their spouses. If this woman could sing her part and complete the complicated dance that accompanied it, she would indeed prove her identity as Hiccup's wife. As Hiccup began to sing the opening lines, he genuflected with Toothless standing in front of him, turned away. "I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with nary a fear of drowning, and gladly ride the waves of life if you will marry me." At the last two words, Toothless took a step back so that her left foot was right in front of his son's right, hands at her sides.

"No scorching sun, nor freezing cold," he grabbed her left hand with his right and pulled her to face him as she pivoted on the foot she'd stepped back with. "Will stop me on my journey," He raised the hand and placed it on his shoulder as he stood, moving his now free hand to her waist. "If you will promise me your heart," he grabbed her other hand in his free one and took a step forward with the prosthetic, moving it right in front of her other foot. "And love me for eternity," He stepped forward with his left, then right, with the mismatched limbs meeting between each step and Toothless following.

"My dearest one, my darling dear," She stepped forward with her left, let her feet meet, and did the same with her right. Hiccup mimicked her movements with his hand at her waist. "Your mighty words astound me." She pushed off his shoulder and raised her right hand so she spun under their connected arms. "But I've no need of mighty deeds," she spun away from him and took his other hand. "When I feel your arms around me." She spun into his arms until her back rested against his chest with both his arms crossed over her.

"But I would bring you rings of gold, I'd even sing you poetry." He let go of her hands and she spun again, with his left hand on her waist. After a full circle, he caught her right hand and stretched out their arms. "And I would keep you from all harm," She spun into their joined hands until she was entirely circled by them, pulled tight against his body. He placed the other arm protectively around her, glaring playfully at the rest of the crowd. They laughed, enjoying the dance. "If you would stay beside me." He spun her out again, still holding onto her left hand with his right.

"I have no use for rings of gold, I care not for your poetry." He genuflected and she circled him, not breaking their hand hold. "I only want your hand to hold." Toothless ended the circle and sat on his bent knee as he grabbed her free hand. "I only want you near me." They rose into their previous position, hand on shoulder and waist with the other two still held firmly.

They sang the next part together, stepping to the side in time with the increasing tempo. Using their feet as the pen, they drew two interlocking circles on the floor. The guests began to clap to the music as they finished the second circle and started on the last lines.

They grabbed each other's hands and placed their left feet together, spinning on their shared axis by pushing off with their right feet. "I'll swim and sail on savage seas, with nary a fear of drowning, and gladly ride the waves of life if you will marry me." They held out the last note for as long as they could, leaning back against the other's pull, and when they finished, the whole room roared to life. There was little doubt now that Toothless had pulled off the transformation of the century.

She leaned on Hiccup, still a bit dizzy from the spin at the end. "I think I like the dance better this way."

"Yeah," answered the man with a chuckle.

I tried to write the dance in such a way that you could try it yourselves if you wanted to. I went over it about five ties with my littlest sisters to make sure I got it right. What did you guys think?

By the way, If you like HTTYD, I highly recommend Justin and the Knights of Valor. The main character could be Hiccup's older brother, and it has some very funny flying.

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