A Little Destiny, a Little Fate, and What's Written in the Stars

by Roseisarose123

Fate is a funny thing, it can be mysterious, it can be illusive, but it's always there. Some people spend their whole lives chasing it, while others try to avoid it. But sometimes we meet our fate on the very road that we take to avoid it. * FYI- made a small change to ch 10(11)due to sm. discrepancy in my timeline, making it 8 yrs after HTTYD1 rather than 5 yrs.*

26. Chapter 26

Hiccup's camp

Shortly after he and Hiccup's lengthy conversation, Eret sat quietly by the fire mulling over this unexpected turn of events. Finally, after years of being at odds, he and Hiccup had made peace with the past. For the first time in a long time, Eret truly felt like he had his brother back and he couldn't have been more grateful. He was suddenly distracted by the sight of a very emotional Fishlegs walking in his direction followed by Toothless and Meatlug. Eret furrowed his brow as the three approached.

"What's wrong with the three of you," Eret asked in slight amusement.

"Nothing," Fishlegs replied with a sniffle, "just happy for Hic is all." Eret shook his head as he smirked at Fishlegs.

"You are absolutely hopeless, you know that," Eret replied with a slight chuckle.

"I can't help it," Fish replied as he blew his nose into his handkerchief once again, "you should have heard what Hic said to her, it was beautiful ...a-and romantic, and It makes me miss my Ruffy wuffy." Eret rolled his eyes at Fish's answer and he chuckled in spite of himself.

"Seriously," Eret replied, "Ruffnut doesn't exactly strike me as the romantic type."

"That's because you don't know her like I do," Fish replied in slight defense. Eret snickered slightly at Fish's response.

"Thank the heavens," Eret mumbled under his breath as he rolled his eyes once again.

"What was that," Fish questioned.

"Nothing mate, nothing," Eret replied quickly, "just uh, I…I know how you feel is all...I miss Astrid too." Fish sighed as he flopped down onto the log across from Eret. Without thought Eret glanced over in Hiccup and Merida's direction to see the two of them once again in the midst of yet another semi-intimate moment. He sighed heavily as he turned back to Fish.

"Well, it looks like those two are going to be a bit more distracted from here on out, eh," Eret replied with a smirk. Fish nodded in agreement.

"What do you expect," Fishlegs replied with a shrug, "they only just admitted how they feel about each other today. Of course, they can't keep their hands off each other." Eret nodded in agreement.

"Yes well, let's hope this "honeymoon" phase doesn't last longer than a day or two," Eret replied, "we wouldn't want them to lose focus on why we're here to begin with." Fishlegs nodded as he glanced over at the new couple, he then turned back to Eret curiously.

"So, uh, what do you think of her," Fish asked. Eret paused at Fish's unexpected question. He once again unintentionally glanced in Hiccup and Merida's direction. His mind inadvertently flashed back to the strange and awkward moment between he and Merida during their earlier conversation.

The way she had looked at him when he offered her his hand in friendship was strange and it made him feel slightly uneasy. He couldn't help but to wonder what might have been running through her mind in that moment. He certainly couldn't explain nor deny the strange reminiscent feelings that flooded his own heart when he first saw her and he couldn't help but to wonder if her strange behavior was any indication that she might have felt something similar.

Eret had been curious about her from the start, and his accidental discovery that the royal seal was identical to the alleged family crest on his pendant only fueled his curiosity all the more. Even so, he still wondered if it might all just be a strange coincidence. Perhaps the symbols were so subtly different that they only seemed identical, or perhaps the pendent was a fake, or maybe it was even stolen. His father was a Viking after all, it wasn't exactly far-fetched to believe that he had obtained the pendant through dishonest means. But that notion did not, however, explain the story that his mother had told him.

But regardless of the true origin of his father's pendant, the quite unexplainable feelings Eret had upon he and Merida's meeting left him even more baffled than before. The idea that she may have felt something similar was intriguing.

However, despite his growing suspicions, Eret was still unsure about mentioning his discovery to anyone, especially Hiccup. After years of being at odds, he and Hiccup had finally put the past behind them and the last thing he wanted, was to jeopardize their renewed civility in any way. He feared that if he told Hiccup of his strange feelings regarding Merida, that Hiccup might misconstrue them in some way. After what happened with Astrid, how could Eret blame him.

Though this situation was far different than that of the one with Astrid, and though he and Hiccup had made a real effort to put it all behind them, Eret still feared that Hiccup might unwittingly harbor some residual feelings of distrust. He feared that if Hiccup misinterpreted anything that he told him regarding Merida, that he would overreact and Eret might inadvertently find himself once again at odds with Hiccup.

Eret sighed slightly as he tried to push these troublesome thoughts to the back of his mind. He then quickly turned back to Fishlegs.

"Uh…she's nice," Eret replied with a shrug, "she seems to really care about Hic. She's interesting…uh…I mean, not that I'm all that interested…obviously." Fish furrowed his brow as he gazed back at Eret curiously.

"What," Eret asked self-consciously.

"Nothing...nothing," Fish replied. He continued to gaze at Eret curiously. Eret seemed to be purposely vague and Fish couldn't help but to wonder why. Eret's deflection was especially perplexing to Fishlegs, considering the fact that Eret had previously subjected Hiccup to a barrage of questions regarding the princess ever since Hic had first mentioned her. Fish could not help but to wonder if his new-found "disinterest" could be in some way attributed to the earlier conversation that he had had with Merida.

"Hey...uh...if you don't mind my asking," Fish replied, "what did Merida talk to you about earlier?"

"Nothing," Eret replied much too quickly, "uh…I mean, she apologized is all…uh, for the argument earlier, and, uh she talked all about Hic mostly." Fishlegs continued to gaze at Eret questioningly as he pondered his answer.

"Are you sure there was nothing else she talked about," Fish questioned. Eret awkwardly laughed out loud.

"Of course," Eret replied amidst his nervous laughter, "for crying out loud Fish, I only just met the girl…she doesn't know me from a hole in the ground, what else could she possibly have to say to me?"

"I don't know," Fish replied with a shrug," you two were talking for a while, I was just curious."

"I told you," Eret replied as he crossed his arms over his chest, "she apologized for earlier, as did I. Then she talked about Hic and about why they are so anxious about the wisp that I scared off." Fishlegs nodded as he listened.

"Do they really think that the spirit you saw is supposed to lead them to another clue," Fish asked. Eret nodded.

"Apparently, according to Merida," Eret replied, "the wisps have been leading her and Hic all this time." Fish gazed back at Eret in intrigue.

"Ya know, Hiccup did say that he saw these strange blue lights in his dream," Fish recalled, "apparently, the lights he described led him to the stone circle wherehe first saw that Mairead woman. I wonder if they are the same as the one you saw today. What exactly did it look like? Eret gazed back at Fish with a befuddled look on his face.

"What do you mean? You saw it too… didn't you mate," Eret questioned, "did it resemble at all Hic's description of the lights in his dream?"

"Actually, I, uh…I didn't technically see it," Fish replied somewhat sheepishly, "so I'm not exactly sure. I…I mean it all happened so fast, I guess I was just at a bad angle or something."

"Okay, hold on, so, you're saying that you didn't see the wisp at all," Eret questioned. Fishlegs shook his head.

"No," Fish replied. Eret shook his head in confusion.

"How is that even possible," Eret asked, "you were standing right next to me?"

"All I saw was you running in Hic and Merida's direction," Fish replied, "they…they must have been standing in front of it so I couldn't see it." Eret furrowed his brow as he thought over Fish's explanation. He didn't understand how Fish could have missed the glowing blue orb. He supposed Fish had made a somewhat reasonable point, the incident had happened rather quickly. It was possible that Fish simply hadn't looked in time to see it before Eret had scared it off. But from the vantage point where he and Fish had been at the time, the orb had been clearly visible and, in his opinion, hard to miss.

"I don't understand how you could have missed it," Eret responded, "it…it was bright and clear as day."

"I don't know," Fish shrugged again, "What do ya want me to say? I missed it."

"I don't know," Eret replied, "it's just weird that you didn't see it is all."

"Well, Hic described the lights in his dream as some sort of a blue glowing orb type thing, that sort of looked like a flame," Fish continued, "is that what you saw?" Eret nodded his head in reply.

"It's actually exactly what I saw mate," Eret replied.

"That's amazing," Fish replied excitedly, "when Hiccup told me about them before, he just thought they were symbolic or something, but it's a real actual spirit, a spirit that appears in you dreams and in real life! Can you imagine? And to think, they have been leading Hic to this very place all this time! Do you know what this could mean?"

"What," Eret asked.

"It means that Valka might have been right all along," Fish continued, "maybe the dreams really have been leading Hic here to…to find his soul mate….to find Merida!" Eret glanced over in Hiccup and Merida's direction with a remorseful expression.

"Great," Eret replied, "so basically when I scared off the wisp, I may have inadvertently screwed up Hic's love life….again." Fish shook his head.

"I don't think that's true at all," Fish replied, "it seems like the two of them are perfectly fine to me."

"Right," Eret huffed, "except for the fact that I may have blown their one chance to find the truth about Berk."

"Well, yeah," Fish replied thoughtfully, "but that just means they'll have to find the truth another way."

"True," Eret replied, "but according to Merida, with everything stacked against them, time might not be in their favor." Fish furrowed his brow as he gazed back at Eret.

"What do you mean," Fish questioned.

"As it is right now," Eret explained, "the only thing Hic cares about is being with Merida. He is determined to prove to the king and queen that he is worthy of her."

"Yeah," Fish replied questioningly.

"But there is a lot more at stake then him just proving himself worthy," Eret went on. Fish nodded as he thought over Eret's statement.

"Like what," Fish questioned.

"Mainly…the throne," Eret replied in a serious tone.

"The throne," Fish questioned. Eret nodded.

"Remember, Hic said that Merida is next in line and she is expected to marry in order to take the throne," Eret replied.

"Yeah, so," Fishlegs replied as he struggled to see Eret's point.

"So... wouldn't that mean that if the two of them stay together and make things official," Eret explained "that Hiccup would then become the King of Dunbroch?" Fish gazed back at Eret in sudden realization.

"That's right," Fish replied, "hey….if Hiccup becomes king of Dunbroch…can he still be chief of Berk?"

"I'm not exactly sure about all of that," Eret answered, " but that's beside the point."

"Wait," Fish questioned, "do you think that this will make it more difficult for Hic to prove himself?"

"It's definitely a possibility," Eret replied, "think about it; Hic's only concern at the moment is getting the king and queen to accept him. He is certain that everything else will just fall into place if he succeeds. That's all well and good, but from whatMerida said, this whole thing may be a far bigger fight than Hiccup realizes."

"How so," Fish questioned.

"We'll, not only does he have to prove himself worthy of Merida, but also that he is worthy of the throne." Fishlegs gazed back at Eret with a concerned expression on his face as he thought over Eret's words. However, despite his growing concern, Fish remained confident that Hiccup would succeed.

"Yeah, but, proving himself shouldn't be too difficult," Fish replied confidently, "Hic's already an exceptional chief. He has a lot to offer as a leader, I'm sure the people of Dunbroch will see that."

"That may be true," Eret replied, "but even if the people of Dunbroch do accept him, he'd still have the Lords to deal with."

"The Lords," Fish questioned.

"The Lords of Dunbroch are vying for one of their sons to be the next king by marrying Merida," Eret explained, "just like how Merida's great great grandfather did when he married Mairead. And to top it all off they are set to arrive in Dunbroch in a week's time to court Merida. So, somehow, she and Hic need to find the truth before then." Fish continued to think heavily on Eret's words as he spoke.

"But if the king and queen accept Hiccup," Fish questioned, "can't they just… end the courtship with the other suitors a-and declare Hic Merida's betrothed?

"Do you really think these suitors, who have been preparing to be King one day, are just going to back down and accept a Viking as their king," Eret questioned. Fish gazed back at Eret with a very worried expression on his face.

"Merida's grandfather was willing to lie about Berk to have them banished," Eret continued, "and he falsely claimed that Berk was destroyed, and maybe even threatened Mairead, all to stop Hiccup the first from getting in his path to the throne. Who's to say these Lords aren't just as capable of doing something similar to Hic, if not something worse?"

"But you said it yourself," Fish replied, "Hic just wants to be with Merida, he doesn't really care about the throne at all."

"I don't really think that will matter to the Lords," Eret replied, "I'm fairly certain they may do everything in their power to stop Hic from pursuing Merida."

"What do you think they'll do," Fish gulped. Eret shrugged.

"I don't know," Eret replied.

"W-what do you think we should do," Fish questioned.

"We need to come up with a plan," Eret replied, "and we definitely need to talk more about this with Hic."

"Talk more about what with me," Hiccup's voice distracted both Eret and Fish from their conversation. Both men simultaneously looked up to see Hiccup and Merida standing before them hand in hand.

"Hey Hic," Eret replied with a smirk, "nice of you two to come up for air finally." Hiccup rolled his eyes at Eret's comment, while Merida blushed slightly.

"Give me a break Eret," Hiccup huffed. Eret chuckled at Hiccup's response..

"Hey, I don't blame you for not being able to keep your hands to yourself mate," Eret replied smugly, "but if this budding romance of yours is to continue then we need to start coming up with some sort of a plan, don't ya think?" Hiccup smirked at Eret's comment.

"Why do you think we came over here to begin with," Hiccup replied flatly. Eret chuckled slightly at Hiccup's statement.

"If I had it my way, I'd still be over there, getting some much-needed practice in," Hiccup continued as he glanced slyly at Merida from the corner of his eye, "but I know the plan takes precedence...for now anyway." Merida smirked at Hiccup as a slight blush formed on her cheeks once more. Eret furrowed his brow as he looked back and forth between the two of them in amusement.

"Right," Eret replied sarcastically as he crossed his arms over his chest, "that's not conspicuous at all." Both Hiccup and Merida chuckled slightly at Eret's words.

"Alright, alright...let's get to work already," Hiccup replied, "I sort of have a plan in mind but, maybe we should start with whatever it is you guys wanted to talk to me about."

---

Dunbroch castle

After speaking with his mother, Hamish quickly headed in the direction of the sallee to meet up with his brothers for fencing practice. But upon entering the sallee he found himself face to face with Hubert. He paused at the intimidating sight of his brother in full practice armor and with a wooden sword in hand. Hubert stood gazing expectantly in Hamish's direction. Hamish gulped slightly in nervousness as he gazed back at his brother. Without a word, Harris stepped up behind Hubert. He crossed his arms over his chest as he glared at Hamish. Hamish dropped his eyes from both his brothers and attempted to pass, but Hubert blocked him with his sword.

"What gives," Hamish asked impatiently. Hubert lifted his fencing mask as he continued to gaze expectantly at Hamish.

"What took ye so long Hamish," Hubert questioned. Hamish's eyes darted back and forth between his brothers nervously but he remained silent.

"Aye Hamish," Harris joined in, "what were ye up to?"

"Nothin," Hamish replied defensively, "I…I was j-just talkin' to mum."

"Ye told her about Merida's friend didn't ye," Hubert accused. Hamish shook his head instantly in denial.

"No, I didnae," Hamish replied indignantly, "I swear I didnae tell her anything."

"What were ye talkin' aboot then Hamish," Harris asked pointedly.

"I-I was just askin' mum aboot the suitors," Hamish replied, "I asked her if Merida was only allowed to marry a Scotsman, or if it could be someone not of Dunbroch.

"Great, Hamish," Hubert growled, "now mum is sure to find out!"

"No, she willnae," Hamish replied defensively.

"Are ye kiddin' Hamish," Harris replied, "ye know mum...she's bound to be suspicious of Merida now, and us for keepin' her secret!" Hubert remained quiet for a long moment as he continued to ponder Hamish's answer.

"What exactly did ye ask mum," Hubert inquired suddenly. Hamish turned to Hubert and gazed at him curiously.

"I-I asked her if Merida still had her freedom to choose for herself," Hamish replied, "I asked mum if Merida could still choose whoever she wants to." Hubert remained quiet for a long moment as he thought over Hamish's answer.

"And what did mum say," Hubert asked curiously.

"She...she said that Merida can still choose for herself," Hamish replied, "a-and she said it didn't matter if who she chooses hails from Dunbroch or not, so long as he is a good person and a good leader and treats Merida well." Hubert nodded as he thought over Hamish's words. He had been worried that his brother had once again opened his mouth when he should have kept quiet, but overall, the situation didn't seem as bad as he thought it would be.

Thinking back to the conversation between their parents in the dining hall and now what their mother had said to them and separately to Hamish, it seemed that their mother was not truly against Merida after all. Above all else, it seemed that she only wanted Merida to be happy. If what Hamish had said was true, there was a real chance that Merida could be with the boy she cared for, whether or not he was from Dunbroch. Still, it was a rather significant secret that Merida had been keeping from their mother and Hubert worried that the longer she kept it the higher the chance it could blow up in her face.

"Okay," Hubert said, "that doesn't sound too bad...we can still figure this out before mum does."

"How," Harris asked.

"We need to talk to Merida as soon as she comes home," Hubert replied, "we need to convince her to tell mum about this."

"Merida will not like that idea at all," Hamish replied.

"I know," Hubert replied, "but if Merida really does like this boy... I don't see what other choice she has; he's going to have to meet mum and dad eventually and it would probably be better now than after the Lords come with their glaikit sons."

"But what about what Merida said," Harris questioned, "she said her friend is not supposed to be in Dunbroch...and that if anyone found out he was here it would be bad."

"Aye, but she can't possibly keep him hidden any longer," Hubert replied, "ye heard mum...she already suspects that Merida's met someone. Mum is going to find out, whether Merida tells her o' not. Wouldn't it be better if it came from Merida herself?" Both Harris and Hamish nodded in agreement to Hubert's logic.

"O' maybe we should go find out who this guy is ourselves," Harris replied. Hubert shook his head in disagreement.

"No," Hubert replied, "knowing mum, she probably already suspects that we know more. She probably already has Maudie watchin' us like a hawk. If Maudie were to get wind of this she'd go straight to mum." The other two boys nodded in agreement.

"It's best we just wait for Merida...maybe we could even help her come up with some sort of a plan," Hubert went on, "until then we all need to keep our mouths shut. Got it?"

"Aye," Harris replied. The two boys turned to Hamish.

"I mean it Hamish," Hubert said firmly, "I don't care what mum says to ye, ye keep yer mouth shut until we at least talk to Merida." Hamish nodded fervently.

"I promise," Hamish replied.

---

Hiccup's camp

So let me get this straight," Eret replied, "you, a Viking, want to go to the castle of Dunbroch, alone, under the cover of darkness, sneak past the guards and then attempt to talk to the Viking hating king and queen directly."

"Not alone," Hiccup scoffed, "with Merida." Eret gazed at Hiccup as if he had lost his mind completely.

"Right," Eret replied, "I forgot...you'll also be keeping their only daughter past her curfew as well...I'm sure that will go over nicely." Hiccup rolled his eyes at Eret's sarcasm.

"It's not that big a deal," Hiccup replied.

"Didn't you just say yesterday that you wouldn't break their rules again after what happened last time," Eret reminded him. Hiccup sighed heavily at Eret's words.

"Yeah, I know what I said," Hiccup replied, "but just hear me out." Eret crossed his arms over his chest and gazed at Hiccup incredulously.

"I know it's a risk," Hiccup went on, "but as it is right now, this is our best option. I can't very well just walk in the front gates of Dunbroch, in broad daylight, with Toothless. These people have a bad history with Vikings and they haven't seen a dragon in over three hundred years. Not to mention that the last time that either a Viking or a dragon set foot in Dunbroch, the people either fought them off or annihilated them completely. So, I really don't think a Viking arriving by dragon will go over so well, do you?"

Eret sighed as he gripped the bridge of his nose in slight frustration. It was clear that Hiccup's mind was made up and there was absolutely nothing he could say that would change it. Although Hiccup was unique among his fellow Vikings, he was still just as stubborn as the lot of them. Once his mind was made up, there was literally no talking him out of doing what he set out to do.

"That's all well and good," Eret replied, "but how exactly is sneaking into the castle in the middle of the night, after needlessly worrying her parents going to improve your standing with them? I mean, what happened to biding your time a-and handling this tactfully?"

"I know it seems completely counterproductive," Hiccup replied, "but at least this way Merida can introduce me to them herself and I can talk to them directly without having to go through the guards and risk being arrested first. If I come forward alone, they won't see me as a threat, a-and then maybe they will actually listen!" Eret turned his attention to Merida. She had remained quiet as Hiccup went over the general plan, but Eret could tell she was slightly uneasy with it.

"And what have you to say of Hic's genius plan," Eret questioned, "they're your parents after all...you know them best." Merida gazed up at Eret in slight apprehension as she pondered how to answer his question.

"Well, I…I can't say for sure how they'll react," Merida replied, "honestly I'm a little reluctant about it myself…but I trust Hiccup and...and my parents trust my judgement for the most part. I know they'll at least hear me out a-and give Hiccup a chance to speak for himself. What happens after that remains to be seen." She glanced in Hiccup's direction with a determined expression. Hiccup smiled back at her reassuringly. Eret sighed as he thought over Merida's somewhat grim answer. He turned back to Hiccup.

"At least let one of us go with you," Eret replied, "that way you'll have some back up if things go south." Hiccup shook his head.

"Not happening," Hiccup replied firmly, "I'm willing to risk myself... but I'm not putting either you or Fish in any unnecessary danger."

"And if this whole thing should blow up in your face, then what," Eret questioned, "what do Fish and I do then?"

"Then you and Fish will go back to Berk with the dragons, and let me handle it," Hiccup replied firmly.

"How exactly do you expect to handle it on your own from a prison cell or worse," Eret questioned flatly.

"I'll figure it out," Hiccup replied.

"Hic," Eret protested.

"No," Hiccup replied firmly, "I can handle it on my own. I know what I'm doing. It will all work out the way it's supposed to." Eret smirked slightly at Hiccup's answer but his worry over the whole situation still remained.

"Ya know, you've done a lot of stupid things in the past Hic," Eret replied, "but this...this might be among your stupidest." Hiccup rolled his eyes and groaned at Eret's statement.

"Maybe," Hiccup replied, "but like I said, given the circumstances, it's the best option." Eret sighed heavily as he resigned himself to the fact that Hiccup was set on his plan regardless of his or anyone else's opinion of it and regardless of the risks it posed.

"I don't believe that Merida's parents are just a-a couple of….Viking hating tyrants," Hiccup replied defensively, "I mean, Merida's mother might be wary of us, but for good reason; and her father already believes that Berk was wrongfully banished."

"He does," Eret questioned skeptically.

"Aye," Merida interceded, "My great, great nana told him as much when he was just a wee lad. My father has spent years looking for proof of it." Eret nodded his head as he thought over Merida's words.

"If that's so than why didn't he just lift the banishment himself," Eret questioned, "he is the king after all."

"Probably because he thinks all of Berk is dead," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "what would be the point?" Eret shrugged at Hiccup's answer.

"Okay so, you're thinking that the king might be the one to give you the benefit of a doubt then," Eret questioned.

"Maybe," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "and maybe, even if we don't find the proof of Berk's innocence, I can still prove to Merida's father that Berk deserves a second chance. We were allies once, after all, we can be allies again."

"Do you really think he will be willing to form a new alliance," Eret replied questioningly, "even after our questionable past with Dunbroch?"

"I don't see why he wouldn't," Hiccup replied, "this decree of banishment is over three hundred years old, we are not the same people anymore and neither is Dunbroch.

"You are putting an awful lot of faith in this shoddy plan of yours," Eret replied. Hiccup sighed as he turned his eyes back to Merida. She smiled up at him, but he could see in her eyes lingered a slight twinge of worry. He smiled warmly in return as he took her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Yeah well, I'm willing to take that leap of faith," Hiccup replied in determination, "if it means I can be with Merida." Merida blushed slightly with his words.

"Well then," Eret replied, "what exactly do you plan to do once you're in."

"Well, I haven't exactly figured that out completely yet," Hiccup replied, "I figured Merida would go ahead and tell them everything and convince them to meet with me. Then I will plead my case."

"And just like that, you think they will just accept that you're in love with their daughter and you'll just be one big happy family," Eret replied.

"I know it won't be easy," Hiccup replied, "but what other choice do I have. The suitors will be here in a week, at least this way her parents will get to know me before the suitors come a-and hopefully they'll accept me despite the fact that I'm a Viking. I'd rather come clean now about everything so that they know that I'm being honest and that my intentions are good."

"I understand that Hic," Eret replied, "I really do...but you know there is far more at stake here."

"I know, I know," Hic replied dismissively, "the whole king thing. I'm not exactly all that worried about it. I have no interest in the throne of Dunbroch. I just want to be with Merida." Hiccup turned to Merida with a look of pure determination on his face. Merida gazed up at him lovingly. He smiled warmly back at her for a moment before turning his eyes back to Eret.

"Yeah, but by doing so, you will be standing directly in the path of all the other suitors that do want the throne," Eret replied, "and you and I both know how far men will go for power."

"And what should I do otherwise," Hiccup replied in frustration, "just…give up…call it a loss?"

"That's not what I'm saying Hic," Eret replied.

"I get your argument Eret," Hiccup replied, "but every risk is worth it to me. I love Merida, there is nothing I want more than to be with her. I don't care about some stupid squabble over the throne of Dunbroch. I just want to be with Merida. I won't let anyone or anything come between us and I will never stop fighting to be with her."

"Look Hic, I have no doubts about your good intentions," Eret replied, "but there is no guarantee that these people will believe a word that comes out of your mouth. Without any shred of proof, why would they? What's to stop them from just throwing you in the dungeon the moment you come forward, or…or condemning you just for approaching Merida at all? The fact that the throne is on the line might make them even more wary of your intentions, despite your argument otherwise." Hiccup sighed heavily in frustration as he thought over Eret's words. He couldn't deny Eret's legitimate concerns, especially given what Merida had told him earlier regarding her mother's past history with the Vikings that had taken her sister. This unfortunate detail was certainly an added complication that could very well affect the queen's opinion of him and could also ultimately determine her acceptance of his intentions to be with Merida.

Hiccup glanced in Merida's direction once again, only to see the renewed expression of worry on her face. He sighed slightly in frustration. After he had finally convinced her that meeting her parents as soon as possible was their best option, Eret's questioning seemed to cause her to doubt their decision once again. Hiccup sighed heavily as he turned back to Eret.

"I guess there really isn't anything to stop them from that," Hiccup replied, "I know I have no control over how they will react...or what they will think of me, but that's the chance I'm willing to take." Eret turned his attention back to Merida who had thus far remained quiet as the two friends debated the situation. The expression on her face was one of apprehension, and this made Eret worry all the more.

Merida's worry continued to grow with every argument Eret presented and she could not help but to question her and Hiccup's decision. She honestly didn't know what to expect from her parents upon meeting Hiccup. Though her father seemed the most likely to give Hiccup a real chance to prove himself, she knew her mother would be far more difficult to convince. The fact that whoever she chose would be the next king, only made the situation that much more complicated.

It was quite possible that her parents might assume the worst of Hiccup. She feared that they would think that he was only using her to attain the crown, just as her mother believed that Hiccup the first had used Mairead. And in doing so, they would reject Hiccup's request to court her completely.

To top it all off, the Lords would surely be against them no matter what their argument. With the throne in question, there was simply no telling what the Lords would do. After all, men in pursuit of power were the most dangerous to cross. She didn't know what the Lords were capable of or to what lengths they would go to put one of their sons on the throne. The absolute last thing Merida wanted was to put Hiccup or anyone else from Berk in danger.

Hiccup gazed at Merida in concern. He could see the worried expression plain as day on her face and he was almost reluctant to question her about it. He feared that despite all his efforts to persuade her, that she would change her mind completely.

"What are you thinking," Hiccup asked cautiously as he gazed at her tentatively. Merida shook her head as she thought over his question. She turned her eyes to him and gazed up at him apprehensively as she tried desperately to put her thoughts into words. Seeing her struggle to answer caused Hiccup's heart to drop and he once again squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"Talk to me Merida," Hiccup insisted.

"I... I don't know," Merida replied nervously, "I know that yer right...the longer we wait the worse the outcome could be if they find out on their own...b-but maybe Eret's right too. Maybe we should be bidin' our time." Hiccup sighed heavily in dismay at her answer.

"What are you saying exactly Merida," Hiccup replied, "do you still think meeting them now is a mistake?"

"No," Merida replied firmly, "we should definitely come forward as soon as possible...b-but maybe we should…wait to tell them about us. I…I mean, maybe we should just wait until they get to know ye better before we tell them that we have feelings for each other." Hiccup furrowed his brow as he thought over her reply.

"Okay, hold on," Hiccup replied questioningly, "so…you don't think we should tell them that we are together at all?" Merida shrugged in uncertainty as she gazed back at Hiccup.

"My parents don't know ye from a hole in the ground Hiccup," Merida replied firmly, "and with the throne in question there's no tellin' what they'll think o' ye comin' around."

"Are you serious Merida," Hiccup replied in slight dismay, "doesn't that seem...just a tad dishonest? Do you really think that my starting off with your parents with a lie is wise?"

"It's not lyin'," Merida replied defensively, "it…it's just... holdin' off on tellin' them everything until the time is right." Hiccup shook his head in disagreement.

"I...I don't know how I feel about that Merida," Hiccup replied, "I just want to be open and honest with your parents from the start. The last thing I want is for them to have any reason to doubt me or...or question my feelings for you."

"They may very well question yer feelings regardless," Merida replied. Hiccup shook his head in disbelief.

"If that's true then does it really matter whether or not we tell them the whole truth now or later," Hiccup replied, "either way I have my work cut out for me. But if we come forward honestly then at least they can't question my integrity."

"I'm not suggestin' that we keep it from them forever," Merida replied, "just until they get to know ye better, as I said. Once they accept ye and see past that yer a Viking, we will tell them everything, I promise." Hiccup sighed heavily in slight frustration. He honestly wasn't sure if keeping their feelings a secret was just as bad, if not worse, as not coming forward at all.

He dropped his eyes from hers as he silently pondered her suggestion. It seemed Merida's fears were still deep rooted, and there was little he could say to quell them.

"Alright," Hiccup sighed in disappointment, "I mean, i-if you think that's best... we'll wait to tell them." Merida gazed back up at Hiccup remorsefully. She squeezed his hand gently in reassurance.

"It's…it's just temporary," Merida insisted, "until we know for certain that they accept ye." Hiccup smiled back at her half-heartedly.

"Fine," Hiccup replied, "we'll do this your way…for now…but if this blows up in our faces…."

"It won't," Merida insisted. Hiccup nodded in response though he still remained somewhat skeptical of Merida's suggestion.

"So, when exactly do you intend to carry out this plan of yours Hic," Eret interrupted. Hiccup turned back to Eret instantly.

"Well, I want to to come forward before the suitors arrive," Hiccup replied, "there's just a few more details to hammer out first but I'm thinking it will definitely be in the next couple days."

---

Berk

Astrid carefully rolled up the scroll she had just finished writing and carefully tied a strand of twine around it. She then turned to the small carrier dragon that sat upon a perch beside her writing desk. She slipped the scroll into the capsule attached to its leg.

"Alright Hermoor," Astrid replied as she gently stroked the dragon under the chin, "take this message straight to Eret." The tiny dragon seemed to nod in understanding and then flew out the window across the way. Astrid paused for a moment at the window as she watched the dragon fly away. She sighed as she unwittingly rested her hand upon her belly.

"We're gonna try our best to help your father find the truth little one," Astrid whispered softly. The door to her hut flung open suddenly causing her to turn around instantly. Ruffnut quickly entered with a smirk on her face, followed by her brother and Snotlout.

"A little jumpy are we Astrid," Ruff replied. Astrid sighed heavily as she gazed back at Ruffnut.

"You just caught me off guard is all," Astrid replied. Snotlout quickly stepped in between Ruffnut and Astrid and grinned slyly.

"So, what's the plan Astrid," Snotlout questioned.

"Yeah," Tuffnut chimed in as he punched his opposite palm with his fist, "whose heads are we gonna bust this time?" Astrid rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"There will be no busting of anyone's head Tuff," Astrid huffed, "this is strictly a reconnaissance mission."

"Awe...but I wanted to break in my new shield," Tuffnut whined.

"Sorry to disappoint you Tuffnut," Astrid replied as she crossed her arms over her chest, "but we are only looking for information...not any kind of a fight."

"Where are we going," Ruffnut questioned.

"To Eret's old childhood village," Astrid replied, "just off the coast of Greenland. He and I stopped there during our honeymoon because Eret wanted to reconnect with his people...but I want to look more into his past than he was willing to at the time."

"Why," Ruffnut asked, "do you think he's hiding something?"

"See Astrid," Snotlout interrupted smugly, "I told you he was the wrong choice...but that's okay, I'll still give you another chance to pick the better man." Snotlout shot her a smoldering grin and puffed out his chest. Astrid groaned and rolled her eyes.

"No Eret is not hiding anything," Astrid replied defensively, "but I have a feeling that his mother was...and I want to know what."

"Whoa," Tuffnut replied, "questionable and mysterious back story, I like it. And here I thought he was just a Drago minion before he joined Berk...a Draginion if you will. Who knew there was more to Eret than meets the eye? Am I right?" He smirked as he elbowed his sister. Astrid rolled her eyes once again.

"A Draginion," Snotlout repeated flatly.

"Yeah, that's what I'm calling Drago's old followers," Tuff replied, "It's way easier to say five times fast, than Drago's minions."

"Drago minion, Drago minion, Drago minin, drabo mistin, drabo," Ruffnut paused, "whoa...that is hard to say five times fast."

"Right," Tuffnut replied in agreement. Snotlout sighed heavily in impatience.

"Why on earth do you care about how hard it is to say Drago's minions five times fast," Snotlout questioned in annoyance. Tuffnut opened his mouth to reply but Snotlout quickly held his hand up to stop him.

"Nope," Snotlout interrupted quickly, "you know what...I don't actually care."

"Alright already," Astrid replied in annoyance, "let's just go already. I'll fill you guys in on the way." With that the four of them quickly headed out the door.

---

Dunbroch woods

A few hours later:

Hiccup and Merida headed in the direction of the meeting place on foot as Hiccup walked her home. The two walked side by side as Merida led Angus by the reigns and Toothless merely followed behind them. Hiccup remained quiet for a good amount of the journey as he thought heavily about their plans for the coming days. Merida glanced up at him occasionally feeling slightly uncertain about his unusual quietness.

After their conversation hours earlier she couldn't help but to wonder what exactly was weighing on his mind and she could not help but to wonder if it might have something to do with her earlier suggestion, that they continue to keep their relationship a secret. Hiccup certainly hadn't been quiet about his opinion of it earlier. His lack of words now, only made her worry that he might just be slightly upset with her regarding her suggestion.

She sighed slightly as she turned her eyes and tried to focus on the trail ahead of her. But, try as she might, she couldn't stop the worry that pervaded her mind as they continued on in silence. Merida paused abruptly and reached for Hiccup's hand. Hiccup stopped walking and looked back at her curiously.

"Are ye upset with me," Merida questioned. Hiccup furrowed his brow at her unexpected question. He instantly shook his head in denial.

"What….no," Hiccup replied, "why would I be?" Merida shrugged as she gazed up at him in concern.

"I don't know," Merida sighed as she pulled her hand from his and began to pace, "ye've been quiet near the whole way….a-and after our conversation...I-I just thought…." Hiccup quickly reached for her hand once more as he gazed at her reassuringly. He smiled warmly at her.

"I'm not upset," Hiccup replied firmly, "I just have a lot on my mind…ya know. We're kind of taking a pretty big step soon when we come forward to your parents. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a little bit worried about it."

"So, you're nae at all upset about my suggestion," Merida questioned. Hiccup sighed as he gazed back at her. His smile faded slightly as he thought over her query.

"I...uh," Hiccup paused a moment as he tried to think of a tactful answer to her question. He dropped his eyes from hers. He certainly didn't want to worry her any more than she already was, but he also didn't want to hide his feelings from her either. If there was anything he had learned from his failed relationship with Astrid, it was that being open and honest with each other was essential. He turned his eyes back to her and sighed heavily before answering.

"Honestly," Hiccup replied, "I...I am a little disappointed." He let go of her hand and turned from her slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. Merida felt her heart drop with his words.

"I knew it," Merida lamented as she threw her hands up in slight exasperation. She turned back to the path and started to walk past him, but Hiccup quickly turned back to her. He reached for her hand once again to stop her from walking away.

"Hey…Merida," Hiccup replied gently, "wait." Merida turned back to him but kept her eyes averted from his. Hiccup reached up and gently lifted her chin with his fingers. Merida turned her eyes and gazed up at him somewhat reluctantly. Hiccup smiled softly in reassurance.

"Okay look, I am slightly disappointed," Hiccup reiterated, "I'm not going to lie and say that I'm not. But it's only because...all that I want is for your parents to know what you mean to me, a-and I want them to know exactly where I stand. But they are your parents; like Eret said, you know them best. So... if you think that waiting to tell them about us is the right thing, then that's what we'll do, okay." Merida nodded as she smiled up at him weakly.

"I swear it willnae be long," Merida replied, "just a few days as I said." Hiccup smiled back at her reassuringly. Without a word he leaned forward and kissed her gently upon the forehead. He pulled back slowly as he gazed back into her sky-blue eyes.

"I trust you," Hiccup replied with a reassuring smile. He then reached for her hand once more, "now come on, let's get you home." They turned back to the trail before them and continued on hand in hand.

"Aye," Merida groaned, "if I could put it off any longer I would." Hiccup chuckled slightly at her response.

"Still worried about seeing your mom," Hiccup questioned knowingly. Merida sighed in response.

"Aye," she replied, "it was a terrible argument between us this morn. Perhaps I even overreacted a bit in the moment, but I coudnae help it! I was just so angry! I just feel like she doesn't trust me to make my own decision. It's like she thinks I'm just… some…naïve wee lassie that doesn't know any better. Why can't she just accept that I'm not a child anymore. I dinnae need her o' anyone else to decide my life for me! Hiccup gazed at her in sympathy as she spoke. Merida sighed as she glanced back at him.

"I'm just afraid that when I get home, she'll want to talk about it," Merida went on, "a-and I'm afraid that she'll confront me about what I said." Hiccup furrowed his brow in curiosity at her comment.

"What exactly did you say," Hiccup questioned. Merida turned to him briefly.

"Nothing really," she paused a moment as she debated telling him more. Hiccup continued to gaze at her expectantly. Merida sighed slightly before answering.

"I told ye most o' it already," Merida replied, "it's just... I…I may have sort o'... indirectly told her a wee bit about ye," Merida replied as she turned her eyes back to the trail ahead. Hiccup couldn't help but to grin at her.

"What do you mean," he questioned with a chuckle.

"Well, sort o'," she reiterated with a slight smile on her face, "but not really."

"Oh, come on," Hiccup replied with a smirk, "I think I'm gonna need a few more details than that." Merida blushed slightly as she turned back to Hiccup.

"As I said," Merida explained, "Mum insisted that I give the suitors a fair shot. She said that I could learn to love whoever I choose if I just put my pride aside and give them a chance. I still can't believe that she actually thinks that I'm purposely holdin' back oot o' pride." Merida groaned as she rolled her eyes.

"She just doesn't understand," Merida continued, "the Lords and their sons dinnae care aboot me at all, they only care aboot the throne! I'm nothin' more to them than a...a means to an end!" Hiccup huffed in frustration as Merida spoke. Her comment caused him to feel immediately defensive of her. It angered him to know that the Lord's and their sons only saw Merida as nothing more than a one-way ticket to the throne of Dunbroch. To him, Merida was worth far more than that. She was special and unique and she deserved much more then to be treated as just some prize in a lottery.

Hiccup turned to Merida and gazed at her for a long moment. As they continued on through the woods, she kept her eyes on the trail ahead but he took note of the somber expression on her face. As he gazed at her he was overwhelmed by the need to tell her how he felt. He paused suddenly, bringing Merida to a halt. She turned to him curiously. He gazed back at her intensely for a long moment causing a flurry of butterflies in her stomach. Without a word he leaned toward her and kissed her softly upon her freckled cheek. As he pulled away, he paused by her ear.

"It doesn't matter what they think or how they see you," Hiccup whispered softly, "I see the real you and you are worth everything to me." Merida shivered slightly at the feeling of his warm breath on her neck as he spoke and his loving words caused her heart to flutter. He pulled back from her further and gazed lovingly into her sky-blue eyes with the same intense gaze that had drawn her to him from the start. Merida smiled up at him slightly as a blush once again arose upon her pale freckled cheeks. Even though Hiccup had already confessed his feelings and she knew without doubt that he loved her just as much as she loved him, his words of devotion still astounded her. Never in her life had someone ever cared for her as genuinely as Hiccup seemed to, and no suitor had ever so reverently sought her hand. She thought back to their earlier discovery regarding their dreams.

…

"My heart is yours Merida," Hiccup whispered, "and always will be." He gently caressed her face as he gazed deeply into her eyes, "I will wait forever if you'd be mine." As Merida gazed back into his intense green eyes, his words struck her suddenly. Her mind instantly flashed back to the Viking from her dream. The exact words that the dream Viking had uttered then, were the same words that Hiccup had professed to her now. She gazed up at Hiccup in sudden realization.

"It's ye," she said in disbelief. Hiccup looked at her in confusion.

"It's ye," Merida repeated in amazement and surprise, "in my dream...the Viking in my dream. I..I thought it was yer great great grandfather calling to my great great nana, but somehow...it's ye!" Hiccup continued to gaze at her in surprise and confusion.

"Don't ye see," Merida exclaimed, "Yer green eyes, the way ye look at me, the words ye just said...it…it's all the same!" She laid her hand gently upon his face and gazed deep into his eyes. "Hiccup...it's ye," she said softly, "It's always been ye! It's been ye all this time! How did I not see it before?" As Hiccup pondered her revelation, he was stuck by the realization that the very words aforementioned by Mairead in his own dream, were repeated practically verbatim now by Merida herself. The very words, whose meaning alluded him in his dream, suddenly had become crystal clear.

"That's what she meant," he said in surprise, "she…she said what you said." They gazed at each other for a long moment in shock and amazement.

"How is this possible," Hiccup questioned.

…

Merida smiled warmly up at him as the memory crossed her mind. Knowing what she knew now, she simply could not deny that everything up to this point seemed to have led them to find each other. It was clear in Merida's heart; the fates had most certainly aligned to bring them together and she knew, without doubt, that Hiccup was meant for her and she for him. But even though it was clear to her, the question still remained, how well would their relationship be received? How far would those who didn't accept them go to keep them apart? It might very well be near impossible to convince anyone else that she and Hiccup were meant to be, or that fate itself seemed to have set them on this path together for a reason.

That being said, her fear of losing him still remained. The knowledge that their grandparents had been forced to part, despite being soulmates, still haunted her mind and caused her to approach she and Hiccup's new relationship cautiously. Fate, it seemed, was not enough to save their grandparents from their heartbreaking end. The obstacles that Mairead and Hiccup the first had faced were ultimately insurmountable. Merida feared that, despite all their best efforts, she and Hiccup might suffer a similar end, regardless of their true fate.

That in mind, she wanted only to protect him and their relationship. The only way she could think of to do so was to keep their feelings a secret, at least until Hiccup could plead his case to her parents. If they could just get her parents to accept them then they would at least have a fighting chance when the time came to confront the Lords. Merida sighed heavily as these things ran through her mind. She closed her eyes for a long moment as she tried to once again push her conflicting thoughts to the back of her mind and just focus on this moment with Hiccup by her side. Her eyes fluttered open and she gazed up at him longingly. She could see so clearly the life she longed for in his deep green eyes. No longer could she deny her feelings for him, nor did she want to. He was her true love she was sure of it now. Even with all that was stacked against them, she knew without question that by his side was where she was always meant to be.

"Ye mean everything to me as well Hiccup," Merida replied softly as she gazed back at him lovingly, "it is by fate that I found ye, but by choice that I give ye my heart."

Hiccup could feel his heart flutter with her words. Gently he drew her to him and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Merida allowed herself to take comfort in his arms. She lay her head upon his chest and closed her eyes once more as she was lulled by the sound of his beating heart. But, although Hiccup had the unique ability to bring calmness to her mind, her fears and frustrations still remained. She tried her best to push her troubled thoughts aside and just focus on the here and now. She tried to cling to every moment with Hiccup, no matter how fleeting. Each and every tender moment they spent together only strengthened the love in her heart. But, try as she might, her worries still lingered in the back of her mind. Merida sighed slightly as she lifted her head and looked up at him once again. Hiccup leaned forward gently taking her face in his hands as he rested his forehead against hers. He smiled warmly as he gazed back at her.

"Well, fate has left me no choice," Hiccup replied with a grin, "my heart was yours for the taking from the very start." With that Hiccup leaned forward, capturing her lips in a tender, yet chaste kiss, causing Merida to nearly melt in his arms. He pulled away slowly as he gazed back at her longingly. Though she smiled in return, he could still see a hint of trepidation in her eyes and it caused his heart to falter slightly. He sighed as he gazed at her in concern.

"Are you okay," Hiccup asked in genuine concern. Merida dropped her eyes from his as she pondered his question. She pulled away from him slightly and sighed heavily before answering him.

"Aye, I'm fine. It's just, my mother. I just dinnae understand why she'd say such a thing," Merida huffed, "why she'd think such a thing?" Hiccup nodded in understanding.

"What, that you'd let your pride dictate your actions," Hiccup replied flatly, "no, that would never happen." He raised an eyebrow at her and smirked slightly.

"Hiccup," Merida groaned. She quickly smacked him playfully on the arm causing Hiccup to laugh as he ducked to avoid her.

"Ouch, hey, come on," Hiccup chuckled, "ya know, we really need to do something about this violent streak of yours!"

"Ye deserve no less," Merida groaned, "I'm bein' serious and all yer doin' is slaggin' me!" Hiccup chuckled at her reply.

"Alright, alright," Hiccup laughed, "I was just kidding! I'm sorry...okay!" Merida crossed her arms over her chest and huffed as she turned away from him. Hiccup smirked as he took hold of her arm and gently pulled her back to him.

"Honestly though," Hiccup replied, "is it really that far a stretch for your mom to assume that your pride is to blame for your reluctance?"

"Aye, and just what exactly is that supposed to mean," Merida questioned indignantly as she glared up at him.

"Well, you did defy her rules, attempt to break tradition by taking matters into your own hands, basically offended the Lords in the process, ran away to avoid your betrothal, and then had your mom turned into a bear," Hiccup replied, "you can't tell me that pride wasn't even just a small factor in all of that." Merida raised an eyebrow as she gazed up at him in annoyance.

"Aye, ye made yer point," Merida replied, "But I'm certainly not actin' outta pride now! In fact, far from it!" Hiccup nodded at her answer.

"I know that," Hiccup replied assuredly, "but how would your mom know that? I'm sure she's just assuming that based on what she does know."

"My mum and I have come a long way since then," Merida huffed, "If anything, the bear incident humbled me! Ye'd think my mother would know that!

"True," Hiccup replied, "but you're not exactly talking to her about all of this. If she's worried and you don't talk to her about it then of course she'd assume the worst." Merida sighed heavily as she thought over Hiccup's statement.

"I guess ye make a good point," Merida replied thoughtfully. She dropped her eyes from Hiccup as she thought over his suggestion. She silently recalled the argument with her mother; she could not help but to feel the same frustration boiling to the surface once again.

"I was just so angry when my mum said what she said about my pride holdin' me back," Merida vented, "I... I just coudnae hold my tongue! I told her that I didn't want to just settle for someone a-and learn to love them." Merida continued to feel her frustration building as she recalled the argument. She paused a moment as she tried to push her fraught emotions over the incident aside.

"I told her that all I want is real, true love," Merida continued, "I want to choose someone because they truly love me for me and no other reason. I want someone who will see me as an equal and nae just as some prize tae be won." Merida glanced up at him and smiled subtly as a blush formed across her cheeks once more.

"Though I didn't say it in so many words," Merida said softly, "I practically confessed that I only want to be with ye." Hiccup felt his heart flutter with her words and he couldn't help but to smile lovingly in her direction. He paused for only a moment as he gazed longingly into her beautiful sky blue eyes. Slowly he brought his hand up to her face and gently brushed her loose curls aside causing Merida to shiver slightly. Merida's heart fluttered and she could feel her blush deepen under the weight of his loving gaze.

"You said all that," Hiccup questioned with a crooked grin.

"Aye," Merida replied with a smile, "give o' take a few minor details." Hiccup chuckled as he gently pulled her into his arms and smiled down on her mischievously. Merida's heart fluttered as she gazed up at him in return.

"Minor details huh," Hiccup replied playfully. Merida nodded as she continued to gaze up at him with a warm smile.

"In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if she hasn't put two and two together by now," Merida replied. Hiccup raised an eyebrow at her comment.

"You think she already suspects me," Hiccup questioned. Merida shrugged.

"Maybe," she replied.

"So what exactly were these…other minor details," Hiccup questioned in amusement. Merida opened her mouth to respond but Hiccup quickly interrupted.

"No wait, let me guess," Hiccup continued, "you told her that you wanted someone smart and funny, with a sarcastic sense of humor and a terrible name. You want an adorable, well-mannered Viking, who is obsessed with dragons...and, apparently, has a thing for redheads." Merida chuckled at his response.

"No," Merida replied in amusement, "I'm afraid I wasn't quite as specific as all o' that."

"Oh," Hiccup smirked as he leaned closer to her, "well then, I don't see how she could possibly know that you were talking about me specifically."

"Aye, that may be so," Merida replied as she pulled away from him slightly, "but my mother is a fairly intuitive woman, especially when it comes to her children. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she suspects that I've met someone just from what I said. It's entirely possible she's already lookin' into it as we speak."

Hiccup gazed back at Merida for a long moment as he pondered her comment. Though he understood Merida's worry about her mother's possible suspicions, he couldn't help but to hope that it just might work out in their favor. Perhaps the queen might even be more accepting of him if she knew that Merida had feelings for him. After all, he was not fully convinced that Merida's mother was truly trying to act against her daughter. Despite Merida's concerns, Hiccup couldn't help but to wonder if there was more to the queen's actions in regards to the suitors.

Perhaps, by agreeing to the courtship of the suitors, the king and queen were simply trying their best to keep the Lords at bay until Merida could make her own decision. Perhaps Merida had only overreacted to her mother's news because of her already deep-rooted fear of having her life decided for her. Maybe, the queen would even be relieved that Merida had already made her own choice. He turned back to Merida with a hopeful expression on his face.

"Honestly Merida," Hiccup replied with a sigh, "would it be so terrible if she did suspect?" Merida gazed back at Hiccup in uncertainty. She remained silent as she pondered his question. He gazed back at her empathetically.

"Look, I know how upset you are about this whole suitor thing," Hiccup continued, "but maybe it's not as bad as you're making it out to be. I mean, did it ever occur to you that, maybe, your mom is just trying to act in your best interest?" Merida furrowed her brow skeptically at Hiccup's comment. She could feel her frustration boiling to the surface once again as she pondered his suggestion.

"Aye, explain to me exactly how tryin' to marry me off to someone I dinnae even love is actin' in my best interest," Merida questioned in frustration. Hiccup shrugged.

"I…I don't know," Hiccup sighed, "I… I'm just going by what I do know, okay…what you've told me yourself. You already admitted that the Lords have been growing impatient with your indecision."

"Aye, so," Merida snapped impatiently as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"So, maybe by agreeing to the courtship," Hiccup replied, "your parents are just…trying to keep the Lord's from taking matters into their own hands." Merida turned her eyes back to the trail ahead as she thought over Hiccup's reply.

"Then why wouldn't she just say so," Merida huffed, "instead o' goin' on and on aboot how I should think about the position of the Lords a-and how I should put my pride aside and decide on a suitor whether I want to o' not?"

"Maybe she tried," Hiccup replied calmly, "I mean, you did just say that you may have overreacted during your argument. Do you think it's possible that in your frustration you just…misunderstood her? Or…or maybe you were so upset that y-you just didn't give her the chance to fully explain."

Merida huffed in frustration as she turned her eyes back to the trail ahead. She supposed that Hiccup did have a legitimate point. After all, she did have a tendency to overreact when she was angry or frustrated about something. Perhaps her mother had tried to explain but she was far too angry to listen.

"Maybe yer right," Merida groaned. Hiccup paused once more as he took her hand and brought her to a halt. He smiled sympathetically as he gazed at her.

"Hey, I know that you are frustrated, and angry with her right now, but…she's still your mom, ya know," Hiccup replied, "by the way you talk about her…it's clear to me that she cares about you and she just wants you to be happy. Maybe she should be going about all of this some other way, but I really think she's only doing what she thinks is best. Even though it's not a choice you agree with, I'm sure her intentions are good." Merida averted her eyes from his and sighed as she contemplated his suggestion.

"You even said, just this morning, that your mother would stand by your decision, whatever it is," Hiccup went on, "maybe that's true whether your choice is one of the suitors or someone else or…or maybe even to rule on your own."

"I don't know," Merida replied as she turned back to the trail before them, "the most important thing to my mum, besides family, is tradition. No queen has ever ruled alone, and far be it from my mum to change the way things are done." Hiccup nodded in understanding as she spoke.

As he thought over her response he couldn't help but to be reminded of his own father and their years of misunderstandings, most of which were attributed to their lack of communication. He couldn't help but to see the similarities between he and Merida in regards to their somewhat dysfunctional parental relationships.

Judging by his own experience with Stoick, and by Merida's own accounts of her mom, Hiccup concluded that most of the tension between Merida and her mother stemmed from their apparent miscommunication. But he surmised that, like his father, her mother's actions came from a place of love and concern. The queen wasn't trying to intentionally hurt Merida or to take away her choice. She was only doing what she thought was best. Hiccup sighed slightly as he continued to gaze at Merida in sympathy.

"Yeah, but like you said, tradition is still second to family," Hiccup replied assuredly, "and she already broke tradition for you once; is it really so hard to believe that she'd choose your happiness over tradition again?"

"I don't know," Merida huffed in frustration as she glanced up at Hiccup briefly. She turned back to the trail before them as she crossed her arms over her chest and started to walk a little ahead of him. Hiccup sighed heavily as he followed after her.

"I do understand how you feel Merida," Hiccup replied, "believe me, nobody was more stubborn than my dad. You think your mom's a stickler for tradition…my dad might just have given her a run for her money."

"Is that so," Merida replied as she glanced up at him once more. Hiccup smirked back at her.

"My dad fought dragons all his life," Hiccup went on, "and his father fought dragons and every generation of Berk before him fought dragons. As far as my dad was concerned, there was no other way. Dragons were the enemy and nothing would ever change that. They killed us and we killed them, and that was that." Merida gazed up at him in interest as he spoke.

"I never thought in all my life that my dad would ever change his mind about dragons," Hiccup explained, "I even tried to tell him about Toothless in the beginning, but he wouldn't listen. He just had it in his head that it was high time that I learned to fight dragons like all good Vikings should. So he did the only thing he could think of, he signed me up for dragon training."

"Dragon training," Merida questioned.

"Yeah…it was where we learned all manor of ways to kill dragons, and to defend Berk from their attacks," Hiccup replied. Merida gazed at him in intrigue.

"Just imagine that," Hiccup continued as he glanced briefly in her direction, "I had just found out that I couldn't kill a dragon, and I had begun to realize that dragons weren't at all what we thought they were. Now I was going to be thrown into the ring with them and expected to learn how to kill them."

"That's terrible," Merida muttered under her breath. She glanced back at Toothless as he followed behind them with a remorseful expression on her face. As she turned back to the trail her mind drifted to Meatlug and Skullcrusher. The three dragons she had met were among the gentlest creatures she had ever come across, she simply couldn't imagine training to kill those beautiful beasts. She turned back to Hiccup.

"But I know now that my dad just wanted to prepare me," Hiccup continued, "he wanted me to follow in his footsteps in order to survive. See, in his mind, dragons were our mortal enemies, and thinking any differently wasn't only stupid, it was dangerous."

"So what did ye do," Merida questioned in intrigue.

"I kept my mouth shut about Toothless," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "and I did dragon training just like everyone else." Merida gazed back at Hiccup wide-eyed.

"Ye mean, ye kept yer friendship with Toothless a secret," Merida questioned, "and ye set oot tae learn how tae kill his kind?" Hiccup nodded in response.

"It's not something I'm proud of," Hiccup replied, "but yeah, I did. I was afraid of what my dad would do if he ever found out about Toothless. There was no question that he would think Toothless was dangerous, and I knew he'd never let me tell him otherwise. So, I just went along with his plan for me, if anything to protect them both. I knew that if my dad did find out, he would try to hurt Toothless, and Toothless would most likely hurt my dad trying to defend himself. I was afraid I'd lose my dad and my best friend all because of some stupid, pointless feud."

Merida continued to listen intently as Hiccup explained. She could not help but to see the parallel between his story and hers. He feared coming forward about Toothless, just as she feared coming forward about him. Once again she felt overwhelmingly torn over their situation. She began to question the course of action they had decided upon.

"So, I did what my dad wanted, I trained to fight dragons," Hiccup continued, "but, all the while, I was learning more and more about Toothless every day, and I started to use what I learned about him in dragon training. That was what really cemented my belief that dragons were not truly our enemies. They were just misunderstood. People always tend to fear what they don't understand, and they fear going against what they know, even if what they know ends up being completely wrong." Merida nodded as she listened.

"In my dad's defense," Hiccup went on, "the dragons did kill hundreds of us, but we also killed thousands of them. The whole thing was just a …a losing battle, for both sides. I mean, for three hundred years we killed each other; it was like a…a never-ending cycle of war and death and fighting. I have no doubt that if Berk and the dragons had continued on that path, we surely would have wiped each other out eventually." Merida continued to listen intently.

"Toothless showed me that dragons were not just mindless savage beasts like everyone thought they were," Hiccup continued, "I realized that things could be different if I could just get my dad and the rest of Berk to hear me out. I knew that I had to at least try to make everyone see the truth, that Berk and the dragons didn't have to be enemies, even if that meant going against my dad. I…I had to do what I thought was right, whether he agreed or not."

"So ye told him then about Toothless," Merida asked. Hiccup smirked slightly at Merida, but she could still see a twinge of sadness in his eyes.

"Well, I decided to," Hiccup explained, "but unfortunately, he found out before I had the chance. I still tried to explain it to him. I tried to tell him that Toothless was different, and that we were all wrong about the dragons."

"Did he listen to ye this time," Merida asked. Hiccup sighed heavily before continuing.

"He listened, alright," Hiccup replied flatly, "and then he completely lost his mind. He basically accused me of siding with the enemy. He said I wasn't a Viking, and that I wasn't his son. He thought that I had betrayed not only his trust, but also all of Berk." Merida gazed up at Hiccup wide eyed as he spoke.

"In that moment I was nothing more to him than a traitor of Berk," Hiccup continued, "and then, just when I thought things couldn't possibly get any worse, my dad decided to use Toothless to find the dragon nest so that he and the others could wipe out the entire population of dragons once and for all. He basically decided to go on a suicide mission, rather than listen to his own son." Merida felt her heart drop with his words. She slipped her hand in his once more and squeezed it gently as she gazed up at him in sympathy. Hiccup smiled slightly at her show of compassion.

"I thought that keeping Toothless a secret was for the best at the time," Hiccup explained, "but in hindsight, hiding the truth only made everything worse. The whole thing blew up in my face and worst of all I ended up putting my entire clan in danger because of it. If my dad and the others had gotten themselves killed on that mission, it would've been on me." Merida nodded in understanding. She could see the intention of Hiccup's story was to give her cause to re-evaluate her decision to keep their relationship a secret.

"Are ye tryin' tae say that this instance with my mother is a lot like the instance with Toothless and yer father," Merida questioned. Hiccup nodded his head slightly as he glanced over at her. She turned her eyes once again to the trail before them as she pondered his answer.

"You have to admit it is somewhat similar," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "I mean, you are choosing to keep your questionable new friend a secret because you're afraid that your parents will disapprove and because your people and mine are still technically enemies. Merida sighed heavily as she turned to Hiccup once again.

"Aye, but I'm nae meanin' tae keep ye a secret," Merida huffed, "I'm just…nae goin' tae tell them everything about us right away."

"Yeah, but…don't you think that keeping even just a small part of it a secret is still dishonest," Hiccup questioned in slight frustration, "or that not telling them everything might possibly affect the outcome of all of this?" Merida sighed heavily as she dropped her eyes from his. She remained silent as she thought over Hiccup's words.

Hiccup sighed softly as he continued to gaze at her. He could see that she seemed somewhat troubled by his words. Though he didn't mean to worry her, Hiccup could only hope that her worry might cause her to at least take his words into consideration.

"Look, I get it," Hiccup went on, "your afraid of their reaction when they find out about us, especially given the fact that I'm a viking. I don't blame you for being afraid, but at some point we're going to have to tell them."

"Aye, and I will, as I promised," Merida huffed, "when the time is right." Hiccup nodded at her answer. He could see that she was flustered by his advice and he couldn't help but to feel slightly guilty for causing her to fret over their situation even more.

"Listen Merida, I'm not trying to pressure you into changing your mind or anything," Hiccup replied, "I already agreed to do this your way and I won't go back on my word. I'm only trying to give you some perspective, ya know, from my own personal experience. I just…I want you to take everything into consideration, okay."

"I understand what yer sayin' Hiccup," Merida replied, "but whose to say that my mum's reaction to ye will nae be just as bad as yer father's reaction to Toothless, if nae worse?" Hiccup nodded in reply.

"Okay, maybe you're right," Hiccup replied, "I won't sugarcoat it either…there is a very good possibility that this could all turn out just as bad as you expect, especially given your mom's past experience with Vikings." Merida could feel her heart drop with his ominous words. Hiccup reached for her hand and held it tenderly in reassurance.

"But… it also might not," Hiccup continued, "we'll never know if we don't take the chance." Merida remained silent as she thought heavily on Hiccup's words. She could clearly see the point that he was trying to make, but her ingrained fears still remained.

"Even though my dad basically disowned me," Hiccup continued, "and I thought things couldn't possibly get any worse, it still worked out in the end. Eventually my dad accepted the dragons. At the time, my father's reaction did hurt, and he may have handled the situation pretty harshly, but I know now why he did what he did."

"Why is that," Merida questioned as she glanced up at Hiccup once more.

"He was just trying to protect me, the only way he knew how," Hiccup replied simply, "all my dad knew then was that dragons were dangerous, and he was just afraid. I can only speculate that your mom feels the same about you in regards to Vikings. She doesn't want to lose you, like she lost her sister. Just like my dad was afraid that he'd lose me like he lost my mom." Hiccup paused a moment as he gazed in her direction. Merida seemed to be carefully weighing his suggestion. He could only hope that she would take his words into consideration at least, and think about being completely open with her parents from the very start.

As she thought over everything, it suddenly dawned on Merida what Hiccup had said about his mom. Merida gazed up at him with a slightly confused look on her face as his words sunk into her brain.

"Wait, what do ye mean… like ye lost yer mum," Merida questioned.

"Right," Hiccup replied sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I, uh, I guess I never really mentioned that before, huh?" Merida shook her head in response as she continued to gaze up at him curiously. Hiccup sighed slightly as he pondered his explanation.

"See, uh, my mom, she, uh, she wasn't really around when I was a kid," Hiccup replied, "in fact, my dad and I, uh…we sorta…thought she was dead for most of my life." Merida gazed at Hiccup in shocked surprise.

"Hauld yer horses," Merida replied questioningly, "ye thought yer mum was…dead?" Hiccup nodded as he glanced in her direction.

"Yeah well, it's sort of a long story," Hiccup replied, "I don't really want to go into too much detail right now…but basically she was taken by a dragon when I was just a baby."

"Taken," Merida replied in disbelief, "by a dragon?" Hiccup nodded in response.

"I thought ye said that dragons dinnae go around kidnapping lasses," Merida replied flatly.

"They don't," Hiccup chuckled slightly, "he didn't kidnap her…it…it's a little more complicated than that." Merida furrowed her brow at his response.

"It was during a dragon raid," Hiccup explained, "from what mom said, a-a dragon got into our house where I was sleeping. When she came in to fend it off…she saw the dragon was actually trying to play with me ...not hurt me. Somehow she and this dragon connected, kinda like how I did with Toothless. Like me, she also saw the truth about the dragons; that they didn't have to be our enemies."

"If that's so," Merida questioned, "then what happened? Why did the dragon take her?"

"Well, according to her, the dragon accidentally scratched me and I started crying," Hiccup recalled, "that's where I got this." He motioned to the old faded scar on his chin. Merida gazed up at him curiously.

"So, my dad, thinking we were in danger, burst in to rescue us," Hiccup continued, "and, rightfully so, the dragon saw him as a threat."

"Are ye sayin' the dragon took yer mum…to protect her," Merida questioned. Hiccup nodded at her conclusion.

"Pretty much," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "he flew off with her and we never saw her again. Naturally, my dad just assumed the worst. But mom, well, she spent the next twenty years living with dragons. That is, until me and Toothless stumbled upon her a few years ago."

"So that means….yer just now getting' to know yer mum," Merida questioned. Hiccup nodded in response. Merida furrowed her brow as she thought over all that Hiccup had revealed. She looked up at him questioningly once again.

"But, why did she ne'er return all those years," Merida questioned, "why did she just let ye both go on believin' that she was dead?"

"Basically, for the same reason I kept my mouth shut about Toothless," Hiccup replied.

"She was afraid of how yer dad would take it," Merida replied absentmindedly. Hiccup nodded.

"Like I said, my dad was set in his ways," Hiccup explained, "my mom was afraid that he wouldn't understand. She thought it didn't matter if she tried to explain because he was far too stubborn to listen. She felt like there was nothing she could say or do to make him see the truth. But, more importantly, she thought her inability to kill a dragon could put dad and I in danger. So, she stayed away to keep us safe."

"Safe," Merida questioned in slight indignation, "how exactly was leavin' ye alone when ye were nothin more than a wee bairn meant to keep ye safe?" Hiccup sighed once more as he pondered how to answer her question.

"She just…did what she thought was best at the time," Hiccup replied, "admittedly, it probably wasn't the best way to go about it… but, at the time, she thought it was the right thing to do."

"Aye, but…but she's yer mum," Merida replied, "a mother is meant to…to stay and always protect her children." Hiccup sighed once more as he thought over what Merida had said.

"I know it seems backward," Hiccup replied, "and I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't sort of hurt by it initially, but I know now that she only did what she thought was best. I can't blame her for that. She feels guilty enough as it is." Merida continued to gaze up at him in sympathy as she pondered his words. She found herself moved by the compassion that he showed for his mother despite her abandonment. She couldn't help but to feel guilty for her comment.

"I'm sorry," Merida replied softly, "I dinnae mean to sound like I was judgin' yer mum. I…I just feel bad that she left ye alone when ye were just a wee bairn. It…it breaks my heart to think o' ye as a wee lad without yer mum." Hiccup smiled slightly. He was once again touched by her limitless compassion. He reached up slowly to brush the unruly curls from her face as he continued to gaze at her lovingly. Merida shivered slightly as his fingertips gently grazed her skin.

"You're amazing, ya know that," Hiccup replied with a warm smile. Merida blushed slightly at his comment. Hiccup continued to gaze at her lovingly.

"I literally just insulted yer mum," Merida replied flatly, "how exactly does that make me amazin'?" Hiccup snickered at her comment as he dropped his hand from her face.

"You weren't trying to insult her," Hiccup replied in amusement, "you were just standing up for poor defenseless little kid me. It's actually kind of sweet."

"It is," Merida questioned flatly.

"Of course," Hiccup replied. Merida continued to gaze up at him skeptically.

"Remember, I didn't exactly have very many people in my corner back then," Hiccup replied, "and by not many, I mean none. Well, maybe just my dad, but because of how he was back then, it really felt like none. It's kinda nice having someone around that always has my back."

"I'm fairly certain yer fellow dragon riders have yer back, just as I do Hiccup," Merida replied dismissively as she raised an eyebrow at him, "at least the ones I've met anyway. So how exactly does that make me any different than them?"

"Sure… they have my back now," Hiccup chuckled, "but it took me nearly a lifetime to prove myself to my clan. You on the other hand, you pretty much accepted me immediately. It sorta felt like you knew me already, almost like we were...old friends." Merida raised an eyebrow at him as she smiled at his comment.

"Oh, have ye forgotten already that I tried to kill ye the moment we met," Merida smirked. Hiccup chuckled at her comment.

"Yeah, but you didn't," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "you gave me a chance. I mean, think about it, despite all your mother's warnings and everything you thought you knew about Vikings, you still gave me a chance." He leaned slightly closer to her as he spoke, "you have to admit...that's pretty amazing." Merida smiled warmly up at him.

"Ye surrendered," Merida replied with a smirk, "I was only followin' th' basic rules o' engagement." Hiccup furrowed his brow at her answer. He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked back at her.

"Really," Hiccup replied sarcastically. Merida raised an eyebrow at him.

"Aye," she replied matter -of-factly, "ye dinnae kill an enemy if he surrenders. Everyone knows that." Hiccup nodded his head as he thought over her response. He smiled in slight amusement.

"You can try to minimize it all you want," Hiccup chuckled, "I still think you are amazing." Merida's heart fluttered with his words.

"And that's not the only thing that makes you amazing either," Hiccup continued.

"Really," Merida smirked. Hiccup nodded as he grinned at her.

"It's pretty much everything about you," Hiccup replied, "but mostly it's your heart." He gently touched his finger to the center of her chest as he spoke. Merida smiled as she rolled her eyes.

"Aye, are ye entirely certain that yer opinion isn't slightly biased," Merida replied with a smirk, "considering yer recent admission?" Hiccup chuckled at her response.

"Oh, it's completely biased," Hiccup replied with a smirk. He leaned forward and kissed her gently upon the cheek once again causing her heart to flutter. He smiled at her warmly as he pulled away. "But only because it's based on fact."

"Is that so," Merida replied haughtily.

"Considering that your heart is what drew me to you most of all," Hiccup replied with a smirk, "and probably the main reason that I fell for you in the first place, yes, I would say that is so." Merida smiled up at him warmly as a faint blush arose on her freckled cheeks.

Aye, I am nae used tae such flattery," Merida replied in amusement.

Hiccup chuckled at her reply as he pulled her gently into his arms.

"We'll I suggest you get used to it princess," Hiccup replied with a grin. He gazed down on her for a moment with a look of pure love and desire emanating from his deep green eyes. His intense gaze caused Merida to shiver slightly and she could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest. He leaned forward resting his forehead against hers as he continued to gaze into her pale blue eyes. The feelings that reverberated through his heart and soul as he gazed at her were nearly overwhelming. He grinned lovingly at her.

He brought both his hands up to the sides of her face as he gazed deep into her beautiful blue eyes. Without a word, Hiccup leaned forward capturing her lips in a tender yet passionate kiss, causing Merida to nearly melt in his arms. He pulled away slowly and smiled at her longingly.

"You know you should really learn how to take a compliment," Hiccup replied smugly. Merida chuckled slightly at his comment.

"Aye, it isnae often I'm complimented," she replied, "not without ulterior motives anyway." Hiccup furrowed his brow as he pondered her words. He could only imagine what ambiguous flattery the other suitors subjected her to with nothing more than the crown in mind. The way they saw Merida and how they seemed to treat her frustrated Hiccup to no end. He continued to gaze at her with a determined look in his eye.

"I could never be so disingenuous when it comes to you," Hiccup affirmed, "you can rest assured knowing that I mean every word." Merida blushed as she smiled warmly up at him.

"Is that so," she questioned. Hiccup nodded his head as he grinned back at her.

"Believe me," Hiccup chuckled, "your love is my only motivation." Merida reached up and gently lay her hand upon his stubbles cheek as she gazed into his eyes.

"As your love is mine," she replied softly. But as she gazed at him her smile slowly faded and he could see the worry that still filled her eyes. As he gazed at her in sympathy, he gently took both her hands in his interlocking their fingers. He could see she was still thinking heavily on everything they had discussed. He leaned forward and kissed her gently upon the forehead.

"Do ye really think that this whole thing that my mum agreed to," Merida questioned somewhat skeptically, "this courtship of the Lord's sons is somehow meant to protect me from the Lord's or whatever they might do?"

"Maybe," Hiccup replied, "and if she also overreacts to a Viking taking an interest in her only daughter, I have no doubt that it's also because she wants to protect you." Merida nodded as she thought over his words.

Hey, listen, all that I'm trying to say is that sometimes people do the wrong things for the right reasons, ya know, to protect the ones they love," Hiccup went on, "my dad overreacted about Toothless, and my mom left but they only did those things to protect me. And I kept Toothless a secret to protect him and my dad. So I wouldn't be surprised if your mom only did all this to protect you too."

"So," Merida sighed as she pulled away from Hiccup, "what exactly do ye suggest I do then?"

Sensing her anxiety, Angus affectionately nuzzled Merida's shoulder. She smiled slightly as she turned her attention to the massive horse, gently patting him upon the nose. Hiccup sighed heavily as he pondered her question. He took a few steps toward her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He gently rested his chin upon her shoulder as he held her tightly against him. She sighed slightly and smiled despite her worries.

"Maybe you should just try to give yer mom the benefit of a doubt," Hiccup suggested, "attempt to see her point of view in the matter, and give her the chance to explain. If the two of you sit down and actually talk instead of just butting heads, you could figure all of this out. Maybe you could even ask her more about what happened to her sister. I mean, if we could find out more about why she feels so strongly about Vikings, we could figure out how to get through to her."

"I don't know," Merida replied doubtfully as she turned to face him, "mum feels the way she feels and I can't see that ever changin'." Hiccup nodded as he thought over her reply.

"Well…if there is anything I learned from my dad," Hiccup went on, "it's that people can change, even when you think they never will. You say your mom is set in her ways, that she'll never change how things are done. But you haven't exactly given her the opportunity to prove you wrong either." Merida sighed as she contemplated Hiccup's statement. Hiccup smiled back at her in reassurance.

"Just think about it okay," Hiccup said softly, "that's all I ask.