Chapter 5

I'm a coward.

The thought had been circulating through the King of Arendelle's head for the past year, and damn if it wasn't true.

Gods, has it already been a year?

The thought had him pausing from the insistent pacing he had previously been doing, though the epiphany seemed to only strengthen the opinion of himself. An entire year of knowing Hiccup's entire life story, along with the greatest kept secret a child of the north could possibly carry. Yet when Agdar put himself in Hiccup's place, as he had been trying to find the courage to do since that sunny morning a year ago, he found he was unable to return in kind. He just couldn't find it in himself to tell Hiccup the truth about his life.

In the beginning, it had been simply been a form of precaution. He didn't know exactly why Hiccup had run away, and despite looking like a scrawny, defenseless child, Agdar knew from the beginning that the boy was more than he seemed. He only proved himself right every time he observed him doing something. Anything really. Yet after a few months, that reason had changed. Hiccup had finally told him about his life in Berk, and how he had been neglected and bullied, all while his father did nothing.

It scared Agdar to think Hiccup might be less inclined to talk to him if he knew he was also in a leadership position.

And neglecting his own children.

In the back of his mind, he knew the thought was ridiculous. Hiccup was nothing, if not accepting, but the seed of doubt had already been firmly planted. He wouldn't jeopardize the relationship he had come to treasure. He'd even gone so far as to tell the citizens of Arendelle, that knew of Hiccup's friendship with him, to keep his status a secret.

Agdar knew it was selfish, but he wanted to have a small part of life that wasn't attached to his title. Hiccup just made it so difficult. Everything the boy did only reminded Agdar of the Viking's origin. The son of a chief.

It baffled the king, really. How could the boy...no.. the man, not see his born talent for leadership? If it had been any other person, Agdar may have felt a bit panicked at how much sway Hiccup held over the people. But it was Hiccup. He hardly even noticed the lingering looks that the younger girls his age gave him, and his authority was only so strong because he never really used it. If he wanted something done, he either did it himself, or nervously asked someone to help him, repeatedly assuring them that it would be for their benefit as much as it was his.

It would have been amusing, if there wasn't that underlying fear of rejection that still haunted his green eyes. It was less frequent nowadays, but Agdar still noticed. You couldn't help but notice. Hiccup had the most expressive eyes he had ever seen. Quite frankly, they were beautiful, and Agdar was sure his unofficial fan-club knew it. Before Hiccup, Agdar had never seen the word "swoon" in action before. Now? It was a daily occurrence.

In the two years Hiccup had been here, he had not only grown a head taller, putting him just above six feet, but the steady flow of his improved diet had him filling out to be rather muscular, in a lithe, panther sort of way. To call him a fishbone now would be a bold faced lie. Not that Hiccup even noticed.

That got a chuckle out of the King. Even if he did notice, Agdar knew he'd only be thinking about how to apply his newfound strength to helping others.

That's what his current frustration boiled down to though. Hiccup was all those things. Courageous, gentle, generous to a fault, and intelligent way beyond his years. The kind of person Agdar wanted to succeed him. The kind of person he wanted to be.

But he wasn't.

Sure he was kind, and ruled the kingdom with a just fairness that was accepted by the people, but he lacked courage. His cowardice had led him to hiding his daughter away from the world, and it was what stopped him from opening up to Hiccup.

Agdar finally sighed in defeat, shoulders slumped as he held an empty stare out the window.

"Father?" said a small voice.

The king turned to see his eldest daughter Elsa staring at him with concern. It broke his heart, seeing the constant fear in her eyes. It reminded him how similar Elsa was to Hiccup, though for different reasons.

He wondered how they would interact with each other, if they ever met. Normally Agdar would be wary of who he allowed to see his daughters, but he would be lying if he said he never thought about Hiccup being part of the family. He'd come to see him as a son.

No father wants to give their daughter away, but with Hiccup? There was no doubt in his mind that Elsa would be cherished. He'd talk to Iduna about it later.

A quiet clearing of the throat brought him out of his musings, and he returned his full attention to his daughter.

"I'm sorry, dear. My mind was elsewhere. Is there something you'd like to talk about?"

Elsa at this point looked a little nervous and while that in itself isn't anything new, the fact that her face was a tinge red with embarrassment was.

"Ar...Are you sure you have to go?"

Right. The wedding.

Agdar let out a sigh, absentmindedly running a hand through his already mussed up hair.

The wedding of the Lost Princess of Corona had been the center of talk throughout the kingdoms for coming on half a year now. Attending the wedding was not only expected, but as a king, necessary. Something that frustrated the man to no end.

It wasn't that he disliked Corona, in fact his sister was Queen, and so there would be no lack of pleasant conversations. They had a lot of catching up to do, after all. However, there was the matter of his daughters, who would be staying behind.

He had absolute faith that they could survive the month long journey, but he knew that both would be miserable.

He hoped after the trip, things would get better. He had lied to Elsa and Anna, when telling them the trip should take about a month and the pang of guilt hit him harder than he thought it would.

The trip would only take a couple weeks, but Agdar wanted to stop by Berk on the way back. His curiosity about what kind of living conditions Hiccup had gone through was a growing flame without any sign of being snuffed out. Not to mention the other thing he needed to do with his wife regarding Elsa.

What would it take to drive a stubborn and determined kid like Hiccup away? Sure he knew the dragon was a part of his decision to leave, but Hiccup had given the impression, even if he wasn't aware, that the thought of leaving had crossed his mind before Toothless even entered the...

"Father?"

Agdar jumped. "I'm sorry Elsa, forgive me," he said, praying he didn't look weird as he tried to reassure his daughter.

"You'll be fine Elsa, and when we return, we're going to have a talk about your future, okay?" he said, hurriedly adding the last part before his mind could filter what his mouth should say.

The comment dissipated the fear, and he could see the beginnings of a piqued curiosity trying to break through her guarded features. The change in demeanor made him quite glad to have tactlessly told her part of his plan.

For a moment, he thought she might be reachable, and with a reassuring smile, he stepped forward to hug his daughter. She must have seen his intentions though, because the curiosity faded, and the ever present fear returned in full force, as she clasped her hand behind her back, and nodded to him, before returning to her room.

The king had to force himself not to let the tears fall, after she was gone. How he wished to just scoop up his little girl, and tell her everything was going to be okay. It killed him to see her so afraid of hurting the people she loves, that she refused to touch them.

He decided then and there that he would put his plan into effect after he returned. If anyone could find a way to deal to Elsa's growing powers, it was Hiccup.

I just hope he agrees to help after he learns the truth about me...

Toothless POV

As Agdar, unknowing to Hiccup, contemplated the future, the Viking boy was making groundbreaking discoveries.

"This is unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable!"

The black dragon sitting in the corner huffed in exasperation. He'd heard his human friend saying the same thing for a good hour at this point. What's worse, was that it wasn't involving the amazingness that is a night fury, but a lowly gronckle.

The boy was currently swinging a sword at other random metal pieces that were littered around the workshop. Swords and axes he had spent countless hours on, were now completely useless, as they had been cut through like warm butter by the weapon he currently held.

Toothless just rolled his eyes at his boy's antics. What was so special about gronckle throw-up anyway? So what if it was stronger than any metal? He was a dragon. He could beat any pointy stick.

"Toothless, isn't this great?! Think of all we could do with this new metal!"

The Night Fury turned to see Hiccup looking at him expectantly with a full, toothy smile and bright eyes that had been noticeably more common in the recent months. It made him happy, but still, couldn't his reason for being happy be because of him? He knew he was being childish, but he did what he had to do.

He rolled his eyes and looked away.

"Toothless...Bud? Are...are you pouting?" Hiccup asked incredulously.

The dragon snorted, turning to glare at the boy, who had the audacity to ask him such a question. So what if it was true? You don't ask a Night Fury that sort of thing.

"You are pouting! What's a matter big baby boo?" the Viking teased.

Toothless just grunted before turning so he was facing fully away from his rider.

"That's how it's gonna be huh, bud? A shame too, I was hoping to use this metal on your saddle."

That got the dragon's attention. What was wrong with his saddle? It was comfortable, and well, it was his. It just screamed perfection!

Hiccup seemed to carry on without knowing the thoughts that filled the dragon's mind, feigning resignation and moving to leave the room.

"Yea, you're probably right. What was I thinking? You wouldn't want your saddle to be any lighter than it is already. And that new tailfin design? I mean, who wants to be able to move better? Could pull a muscle you haven't used a lot recently."

Toothless had his human pinned to the ground before he could make it out the door, eyes pleading and ears flattened against his head, cooing his apologies as hard as he could.

"No, no you're right Toothless. Don't fix what isn't broken, right?"

Noooooooooooooo!

Toothless gave one final groan of anguish before going limp above his friend.

"Oof! Okay! Okay! Toothless I'll do it you crazy beast, just...get off...can't breathe."

That had the dragon scrambling to find purchase on the smooth stone floor, and his frantic movements caused him to slip back onto Hiccup.

The boy laughed and hugged the Night Fury's head. "I thought you'd see it that way. No one can resist my brilliance...Ugh! Toothless! What the hel!"

Toothless just warbled out a laugh at the now saliva-covered boy, who was now fruitlessly trying to dry his features. Both stilled at the voice that came from the door.

"Hiccup, you there?"

Agdar POV

The king stood in the doorframe of Hiccup's main room, staring amusedly at the scene in front of him.

"We really have to stop meeting like this."

Hiccup just laughed, and pushed the eager dragon off to get up.

"It's not likely to happen. The damn lizard takes every opportunity make me uncomfortable," he said, waving his hand in an animated fashion towards Toothless.

Toothless seemed to agree, and to prove the point, smacked Hiccup over the back of the head before walking out of the house.

Agdar couldn't help but think about how different the boy acted when in his own home. Instead of the polite, yet guarded man that the people had come to love, he was just an average teenager that lived with his reptilian best friend.

Right, Agdar snorted. Normal.

"And what caused the damn lizard to show his affection this time?"

It must have been the right question, because his face brightened considerably, dragon slobber temporarily forgotten.

"Oh yea! Agdar you won't believe this!" Hiccup said, picking up the sword and handing it hilt first to the man.

Agdar was a little confused. The sword wasn't bad looking, but he couldn't see anything unnatural about it. It looked like a plain short sword.

"Go on, take it," Hiccup encouraged. "Swing it around!"

The king shrugged, and gripped the hilt.

His mind went blank after that. He had seen Hiccup's hand drop from the blade, and had prepared for the increased weight distribution, only to find it hadn't gotten any heavier. The sword was as light as a feather.

"Hiccup. Something is wrong with the sword," he said lamely. A battle tactician, he was not.

"It's too light right? Here, take a swipe at this, as hard as you can."

Hiccup held up another sword, noticeably heavier than the one he was carrying. Agdar was still dubious, but decided to entertain the Viking a little longer, and did as he asked.

Swinging as hard as he could, Hiccup doing the same, the blades met between the two, but that was as close to normal the scenario ever reached. Instead of the familiar clang of two blades meeting, there was a scraping sound and a resonating snap of the heavier blade snapping in two clean pieces.

Amusement changed to bewilderment as Agdar slowly took in the damage done by his previously thought to be useless weapon. He almost apologized to Hiccup for breaking the sword, until he saw the almost gleeful face the boy was wearing. Though his eyes weren't directed at Agdar, but at the sword in his hand.

Looking down, his bewilderment added incredulity. The blade didn't even have a scratch on it.

"Odin's Beard!" he breathed.

Hiccup snickered at the rare use of language by the man, but Agdar couldn't even find it in himself to look sheepish.

Looking with wide eyes, Agdar turned to face Hiccup.

"How did you make this? Hiccup this is unbelievable!"

Hiccup, bless him, looked simply bashful.

"It wasn't that hard really. You remember that gronckle that followed me back from my trip last year?"

Agdar nodded, thinking about the abhorrently lazy dragon that ate rocks as a source of nutrients. It had decided that Hiccup was its mother or something, because it followed him around constantly for the first day or so after he had returned.

"Anyway, there is a common rock up in the mountains that our dear friend Rockpie likes to munch on. It doesn't digest well though, so he ends up spitting it out after an hour or so. But by then, it's malleable."

It took a few moments to process what Hiccup had just told him, but it clicked and he burst out laughing.

"Ah-ha ha, This is made by gronckle vomit?! I can't believe it!"

A loud groan accompanied that statement, and they heard an irritated thump of a dragon from the floor above. Hiccup smirked at it, but didn't act on it, so Agdar concluded that he knew what the reason was, and wasn't worried.

"I know right? I thought about talking to Hadvar about getting a commission from the King to re-arm his guards. Arendelle doesn't really have an army, at least not that I've seen, but we could prepare the city guards for any possible threat the future could bring."

Agdar could only stare at him. Hiccup had just made the single most impressive blade from here to the northern side of the archipelago, and he was just willing to give it to others? Was there anything this boy would be selfish about?

His silence must have discouraged the boy though, because he started to shrug a little less heartfelt, trying to talk himself out of doing something so "stupid".

"Wait, no Hiccup, sorry. That's a great idea, really, I'm just surprised you would want to," he said, trying to find words to show how he felt.

It was Hiccup's turn to look puzzled and bewildered. "Why wouldn't I want to help strengthen Arendelle? It's my home."

To get rid of the suspicious itchiness around his eyes, Agdar shook his head, giving an emotion-filled huff as he was assaulted with that warm feeling that he had come to associate with the antics of Hiccup Haddock.

"You are an extraordinary man, Hiccup. It...It's inspiring, quite frankly."

Hiccup turned bright red, and he lowered his gaze to try and cover his embarrassment behind his bangs, but Agdar knew underneath all that, Hiccup was proud of what he'd done.

"Thanks Agdar, that means a lot to me. I just need to figure out how to gain an audience with the King..."

He froze.

This is your chance, Agdar.

The confession was on the tip of his tongue, all he needed to do was say the words. Yet as he looked into Hiccup's expressive green eyes, he could all too clearly envision the hurt and betrayal that his words may bring. If he was going to do this, he needed to be here while Hiccup processed the information, not off drinking a cocktail with the duke of Wesleton.

So, swallowing the cold lump in his throat, he decided to go half way.

"I'm going away for a few weeks, but when I return, we'll see what we can do about having your idea brought to royal family, okay?"

It was all he could do not to sag in relief when Hiccup mumbled his consent before turning to clean up the mess on the floor. It gave him a month to prepare for not only Hiccup's learning of the truth, but to figure out how to ask him for help with Elsa if he hadn't already run away at that point.

The mere thought of that happening had his chest constricting and he was struck with a realization.

"I love you as a son, you know."

He wasn't even aware the words had been spoken out loud until Hiccup turned around to face him, just as surprised at his words as he was himself.

What was it with kids that rendered his filter useless?

"I, erm. I don't know what to say," Hiccup stated quietly, before turning to face the bench, fingers subconsciously picking at a blemish in the woodwork as he thought about what to respond with. Failing to do that, his breathing started to become ragged and irregular, as his hands turned bone white from gripping the bench, trying to maintain the control he had held for so long.

Agdar could see the breakdown coming, and throwing caution to the wind, gathered the boy in his arms just as the tears started flowing.

As the body of Hiccup shuddered from the release of emotions that had been unknowingly bottled up for close to half a decade, the king held him patiently, without making a noise. This was what he had hoped to do with Elsa earlier that very same day, and despite initially doing it for the sake of Hiccup, Agdar couldn't help but feel satisfied with the outcome as well.

After a few more moments, Hiccup pulled back and wiped his eyes, sniffling in a way that reminded Agdar just how young Hiccup really was.

It only lasted a second though, as his back straightened and, in Agdar thought was his way of getting past the previous moments vulnerability, offered his hand out in a very business-like manner.

"Until you return then?" he asked, only hints of the thick voice that he had used earlier.

Agdar took the offered hand and as they shook, he smiled.

"Until I return."