Chapter 2

The Castle of Arendelle was a quiet place, void of the usual sounds that would normally inhabit the capitols of kingdoms. There was no chatter among maids, or the laughter of children running through the guest rooms. The gallant ballrooms and colorful halls no longer held the light and merriment that they once had before. It had been 8 years since Elsa's incident with her sister, and while the two of them were safe, the castle was stifling under the thick blanket of silence and sadness.

King Agdar of Arendelle seemed to be growing older, faster than anyone should. Not yet having reached the age of 45, he should have still been in his prime, and, to an outsider, he was. The stress and guilt bearing down on him over his daughters isolation however, made it just a little harder to wake up each day than it had been the day before.

It seemed odd now, that he woke up this morning without issue, immediately ready to start his day of walking through the town. He had always enjoyed roaming among his citizens in plain attire, relishing in the feeling of equality he got from his subjects as they treated him with the same amount of respect and kindness as they did towards every other citizen.

Sure, people knew he was the king, but no one would break the spell of happiness they could see on "his majesty's" face. They loved him for trying to go through his day like they did, even if it was only once a week.

Still, Agdar couldn't help but think something was going to be different today. He guessed that it could have to do with needing to go to the bakery today. He didn't usually frequent the shops, not wanting to intrude on people's business, but Anna's 13th birthday was approaching, and Helen the baker made the best baked-goods in the entire city. After all the isolation and sadness his youngest daughter had been through, Agdar would do anything to make his little girl happy again. If a double chocolate cake could bring that happiness out, who was he to deny his daughter?

The thought of his hyperactive little redhead brought a genuine smile that nowadays so rarely graced his face. The girl was a whirlwind of motion, who thought life should be lived openly and freely.

His grin fell when he reminded himself that that wasn't a possibility anymore and with a sorrow-filled sigh, he pushed his way out of the gates, and trudged into the city limits.

Life outside the castle was nothing short of a complete 180. If a pin in the castle dropped on the 3rd floor, it could be heard from downstairs, but the City was a constant stream of noise, energy, and life. People lived their entire lives outside, roaming the streets, knowing everybody who passed them, and greeting them accordingly, only to go home at the end of an honest day's work and have a meal with their family. It was something so simple, so taken for granted and Agdar envied them of their normalcy.

He didn't resent them though. These were kind people, who had nothing wrong to him. The helped him, in fact. Not only helping the kingdom simply by keeping civilization rolling, some of the townspeople had helped him specifically in the past. There was the blacksmith, Hadvar, who has lived through two different kings and was well into his 70's, who had taught the king how to fix a broken window not two years before, when Elsa had cracked hers under the intense cold.

Walking up to the door of the bakery, he couldn't help but smile as he thought of another kind citizen who has helped him more times than he cares to admit. The thought of made him smile as he opened the door.

Upon entering however, he could see Helen the Baker was in a bit of distress, though he couldn't figure out why. When she noticed him however, she smiled that warm smile that could only be described as "motherly".

"Well good afternoon, Agdar," Helen greeted, wiping her hands on the already hopelessly stained apron that had not changed for as long as he could remember. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hello Helen, just wanted to see how business was going," he said nonchalantly.

It was a game they played, between the two of them. Agdar had originally come into the shop when Elsa was about to turn 4, asking Helen if she could teach him how to bake a cake for his little girl. At the time she had been flattered, and slightly intimidated by the young king. What if she messed up? What would happen?

That all changed about forty minutes into the lesson when Agdar had put in flour instead of sugar, causing Helen to laugh uncontrollably and threatening him with treason for trying to "poison the princess". The event, had left him utterly embarrassed, and he had not reentered the shop until the day before his daughter's birthday, where he had shakily asked her how business was going, not wanting to let her know he still needed her help. Helen had simply smirked at him, and brought out the cake.

They'd been doing it ever since.

Now though, when the question was asked, it wasn't the signature smirk that graced her face, but one of glum and sadness.

"I'm sorry, Agdar, but my oven needs replacing. And I can't get a replacement for another few weeks," she replied, a slight tremble in her usually strong voice.

He barely registered the shop's door opening as he tried thinking of a quicker solution to the problem.

"Is there anything I can do? Can it be fixed at all?" he asked.

Helen sadly shook her head in the negative. "I'm afraid not, Agdar. The foundation has a crack in it, the oven can't stay warm with outside air blowing in. And a mortar won't work, it'll just crumble when it gets too hot," Helen replied with slumped shoulders and a defeated expression.

"Co-could I take a look at it?" a small voice asked from behind him.

Agdar turned around to find that the person who had entered the store was a small teenage boy. Initially noticing the mop of auburn hair and the furs and rag-like clothes, Agdar knew straight away that the boy was from the northern islands. It was when he looked into the boy's eyes that he was mentally taken aback.

The boy's eyes were the clearest shade of green he had ever seen but that wasn't what had shocked him. It was the seriousness in those forest-green depths that made him shiver. They spoke of hardship and neglect, yet overflowed with a sincerity and kindness that the king knew would draw anyone's attention.

What bothered Agdar was that he couldn't read the boy. He saw individual emotions through his eyes, but he couldn't even begin to understand what he was thinking. It irked him, if he was being honest with himself. He'd regularly pride himself in his ability to read what people's true thoughts were, having several years of experience in court dealing with ambassadors and foreign nations. Yet this teenager stumped him completely.

Looking back at Helen to see what her response would be, he saw that she too was silently evaluating the boy. Knowing the baker for as long as he'd been a father, he knew she was seeing the fatigue and supposed fragility that described the boy's physique. The boy, however, was starting to become uncomfortable, and the kindness that seemed to shine brightly from his eyes dimmed a bit, as he mumbled an apology before turning to leave.

"I don't see what you could do, but if you know of a way for me to keep my families oven, I'd be forever grateful to you, child," Helen finally said, freezing the retreating figure in place.

The teen turned around to look at Helen, as if trying to make sure what she said was real. The hopeful glint in his eyes made Agdar's heart tighten. What was it about this northerner that made him want to give him a hug?

Giving a slight nod to Helen, the boy walked over to where the oven was located and started studying the crack. Agdar watched with a small amount of fascination as the boy traced his finger along the line, slowly wiping his thumb and pointer finger together, rubbing some of the orange stone dust together.

"So traveler, what's your name?" Agdar asked, not wanting the silence so familiar at home to spread here as well.

Without even looking up from his study, the boy replied. "Hiccup Haddock."

Agdar's eyes widened with shock, but neither Hiccup nor Helen noticed, as they were both looking at the oven.

This is Vast's boy?

The king had heard of Berk from his talk with surrounding kingdoms. Those closer to the north knew of the Viking village that was located in the archipelago that never attacked other villages and kept peaceful relations with the fishing towns on the coast of the mainland. They were still Vikings though, and their people were typically, well, Viking-like.

Hiccup looked nothing like a Viking. He was thin, malnourished and small. The complete opposite of a Viking. It didn't fully explain why he was here, and not up north, but Agdar kept the thoughts to himself as he continued the conversation.

"Hiccup," he said, testing the name out with an amused tone. "An interesting name, to be sure. Though I've been told a northerners name is always a tale, in and of itself."

Hiccup got up and looked at Agdar smiling. It was a lopsided smile that seemed to fit his face much better than the guarded, hesitant look he had had upon entering the shop. Agdar didn't know why, but it warmed him to be the cause of it.

He was brought out of his reverie by Hiccup, who had since moved to his back, rummaging around looking for something. With his back still turned, Hiccup replied.

"Believe me, my name might be embarrassing, but it's not nearly as bad as some other names in my village."

Seeing an opening to find out why the boy was here, Agdar spoke.

"And the name of that village would be?"

To his credit, Hiccup never paused in his search for whatever he was looking for, but the rigidness radiating from his stiff shoulders could be seen from across the room. Pulling out a small vial, Hiccup turned around and looked directly at him.

"Names and titles often lead to the suspicion of secondary intentions. I have no need or want for them to follow me."

The answer surprised him. He'd never met a kid who could so politely tell him to mind his own business. He may have pressed further, but the subtle fear he saw in the boy's eyes had him mulling over what he had just said.

Was it titles that he didn't want following him? Or Berk?

Hiccup paid him no mind, returning to the oven with the as of yet unidentified substance filled vial. Both Agdar and Helen watched with interest as he unscrewed the cap, and poured out a slimy, clear substance, and began pasting it over the crack. When Hiccup seemed satisfied that the crack was filled, he began rubbing the orange dust that he had been creating over the crack, making it appear as if the crack had never been there.

Helen gasped in astonishment.

"How on earth did you do that?!" she exclaimed. "It looks like it was never broken to begin with!"

Hiccup smiled sheepishly, but Agdar could see the pride radiating from his eyes. Pride in his work. Pride in his ability to help another person.

"It's dragon saliva actually. The stuff never washes out, so I thought it might come in handy at some point to have some. Guess I was right. It shouldn't break either, since dragon saliva has to withstand constant hot temperatures," he replied.

At the mention of dragons, Agdar and Helen's mouths both fell open.

"Dragon Saliva?!" Agdar exclaimed. "How did you manage to get that?"

That seemed to catch Hiccup off guard a bit, though Agdar couldn't tell why.

"Uhh, ahem, well I um. You know, grew up in a village that suffers from dragon raids. The stuff is all over the place. Though I was the one who figured out its usefulness," Hiccup stammered.

The boy was suddenly enveloped in a hug by Helen, who seemed to be brimming with happiness.

"Oh child, I don't even care how you did it, if there is anything I can do to repay you, I...," she seemed to lose herself for a moment before gathering her thoughts. "That oven has been used by my family for five generations, Hiccup. Thank you for fixing it."

Hiccup's smile only grew wider, the satisfaction of knowing he did a good job seeming to lift his spirits higher than they probably had been in a long time. Chuckling to himself, he placed a few loafs of fresh bread on the counter along with the necessary amount of money needed as payment.

Helen shook her head. "No, keep the money. You've done enough to pay for a few loafs."

"I don't expect a reward for simply doing the right thing ma'am," Hiccup replied, before bidding them a good day, and walking towards the door.

They watched as he took a bite of one of the loaves and stopped abruptly. Turning around faster than either thought possible, Hiccup spoke again.

"On second thought, if you could make an extra loaf or three of for me every day? That would be more than enough for me, Odin help me this bread is delicious!"

Agdar and Helen shared a look, before continuing to stare amusedly at the boy walking away who was getting such pleasure from eating a simple loaf of bread. Hiccup Haddock was something else. There wasn't any doubt about it.

Agdar planned on finding out more.

Hiccup's POV

As Hiccup walked down the street, he couldn't help but replay the memory of him actually helping someone over and over in his mind. It felt amazing. He felt amazing. It was a feeling he wanted to experience again soon, and for the rest of his life. It made him feel...useful.

As he continued down the street, Hiccup was brought out of his musings when he heard the man from the bakery call out to him. Turning around, he saw the source of the shout run up to him, gasping for breath. Hiccup waited patiently, if not warily, for him to gather his thoughts. After a moment, the man spoke with a voice that was surprisingly soft and warm, but what he said made Hiccup's blood freeze.

"I don't know what Berk's heir is doing all the way out here, but you've been here for a day and have already helped one of the most beloved citizens in this city."

At the mention of his previous home, Hiccups heart began to beat fast, and paralyzed with fear at what the man could do with the knowledge he somehow possessed, he was rooted to the ground, eyes as wide as saucers.

The man seemed to understand his feeling as he smiled warmly before holding up his hand in mock surrender.

"I have no intention of causing you trouble Hiccup. This is a peaceful kingdom. We do not throw wandering travelers into the dungeon simply for being from a more violent place. You're clearly not a bloodthirsty murderer. You actually seem unnaturally kind and intelligent for one your age. Tell me, do you plan to stay in Arendelle?"

Hiccup thought about what he should tell the man. He felt the urge to trust him, but he wasn't going to spill the beans on his travel companion to someone he met a mere hour ago. So he told him the truth, but only what was necessary.

"I just bought the deed to a farm on the edge of the woods outside the city. The land isn't much, but I've been told the foundation is strong and with a little time and effort, I may get a decent forge going."

The man's face lit up with interest at that, and quickly responded.

"There's no need to build your own forge Hiccup," he said with a chuckle. "You can talk to Hadvar at the city forge for a job there, if that's what you're set on doing."

Hiccup simply smiled and sheepishly replied "I already planned on talking to him about an apprenticeship. The forge at my own residency would be for my own use. I'm an inventor, and sometimes my inventions, don't always work the way their supposed to. I'd rather not be weighed down with paranoia at the thought of hurting someone due to my miscalculations."

The man gave him a hearty laugh before holding out his hand. Hiccup took the hand and shook firmly.

"It's been a pleasure meeting you Hiccup Haddock. I hope to see what you have to offer the city in the future."

"Thank you sir, but I never did catch your name?"

"Agdar, call me Agdar."

"Well thanks Agdar, I'll be heading to the smithy now. I'll be seeing you."

And with that, he walked into the building down the street, thinking that maybe, just maybe, he could make a good life here.

Onto the next chapter!