#ohohoho...

As always, he completely lost track of time as they kissed. Astrid’s soft gasps and her hands in his hair effectively distracted him from every thought that might have come up, be it about his conversation with Cami earlier or about the coming weeks of separation. As long as he was here, with her, nothing else mattered.

“So, did you ask her?” she eventually asked what easily could have been an hour later – an hour filled with nothing but soft kisses and caresses, of them basking in their closeness. She was wrapped tightly into his blanket against the cool air, her head resting on his bare chest by now, and her fingers were drawing random patterns onto his skin.

Hiccup’s heartbeat quickened at her question. It wasn’t that he’d forgotten about this plan, not exactly. But a part of him, the part that was still clinging to the rules he’d grown up with, had hoped that she had forgotten about it.

”I did,” he replied, and shifted until he could look at her. “And she said we could do it,” he went on truthfully. It would have been easy to tell her something else on this matter and play safe… but he would never lie to her.

Astrid's eyes widened a little, gleaming with excitement. But before she could do or say anything in response to his answer, he slightly shook his head. “But before… I want to ask you a question.”

“A question? What question?”

“It's… I need to know why you are so eager.”

There was a moment of awkward silence before Astrid sat up and gave him a strange look, half a frown and half a puzzled smile. “What?”

Sighing, Hiccup sat up too and watched her intently. “I mean, why is this so important to you all of a sudden? Is it because I'm leaving? Do you… do you just want to do it, to get it done before I go?”

Slowly, Astrid shook her head, still looking confused. “No,” she mumbled. “No, that's not it. I…” She made a pause, thinking. “No, it's not because you're leaving,” she finally clarified, more clearly now. “If I'd found out about this option, found that book two weeks or even a month ago, then I would have wanted to try it then already. I want to learn about all the ways we can be close together, because I feel like every bit I know makes it easier, lighter. But… I do want to try before you go. I-I’m also curious about how it feels to-to have y-you in-inside me… I…”

With a fierce blush, she trailed off, stammering, and Hiccup acted purely on instinct, pulling her into a comforting hug. She gave in without resistance, hiding her face against his chest, and Hiccup wanted to kick himself. With all her courage and eager curiosity, he'd forgotten just how strange and unknown sex really was to her. Soothingly, he rubbed her back, and it didn't take long before she'd caught herself again.

“You're right,” she sighed, leaning more comfortable against him. “I'm eager to try this before you leave. But not because you leave… if that makes sense?”

Hiccup nodded. “It does.”

“Okay. So, can you now answer a question for me?”

“Of course! Whatever you want to know.”

She pushed herself up to look at him again, a weirdly tense expression on her face. “Why did you ask that? You seem… reluctant. Is it because you don't want to do it? Please, I… I don't want to persuade you into doing something you don't want.”

For a short second, Hiccup just stared at her. Then he pulled her back into a hug, more tightly now than before, his whole body shaking with quiet laughter. “Oh, Milady, you are amazing. Have I ever told you that? Gods, I love you!”

Astrid, however, didn't seem to be quite as amused. “That's great and all, and I love you too. But it's not an answer to my question?”

Chuckling, he let go of her again, fighting to meet her eyes with the appropriate sincerity. “No, it wasn't, and I'm sorry,” he said, smiling ruefully. “You just surprised me, that's all. Okay, let's see. You wanted to know why I asked. Well, first because it was one of Cami's conditions. I had to make sure that you don't do something you’re not ready for just because of time pressure.”

Astrid snorted and rolled her eyes, and Hiccup had to admit that it had been a foolish thought right from the beginning. She was so strong, there was probably nothing that could make her do what she didn't want.

“Okay, but that's only half of an answer,” she shrugged that topic off. “You said ‘first’. So what’s the second reason for you to be so hesitant?”

Hiccup bit his lip, but then let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. “No, you're right; there's something else. But it's not…”

“It's not what?” she asked carefully as he trailed off.

“It's nothing… nothing serious.” He gave her an apologetic smile. After a short pause, he made himself more comfortable, leaning against a straw bale, and held out his arms, inviting her to cuddle into them. He waited until she’d settled before he explained himself. “It’s… it’s not that I don’t want to. Believe me, physically, I’m just as eager to try as you are.”

“Oh, really?” she asked, and suggestively let her hand trail down his chest. But he caught it midway, entangling his fingers with hers, and playfully rolled his eyes at her.

“Really,” he emphasised, chuckling, but then became serious again. “It’s my mind that is torn. It’s just… the same thing as before, I guess. I’ve been raised to certain standards, certain rules. And even though I know by now that my understanding of those rules has been stricter than necessary, it’s still… weird to break them. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret anything that happened between us! Between just how right this–” he tightened his arm around her, “–feels and Cami’s reassurances, I’m not really worried anymore. But anal sex feels like a bigger step, something else, something more. And I’m still not entirely sure what to think, even though Cami didn’t really have any objections – beyond threatening to castrate me if she ever suspected that it had been my idea instead of yours, that is.” He’d added the last bit to lighten Astrid’s mood, and apparently, it had worked.

“She would do that, wouldn’t she?” she laughed, shaking her head in amusement.

“Without a doubt. Her exact words were that she wouldn’t deprive you of your wedding night but would cut off my dick afterwards and serve it to me, fried and with onions.”

“How very considerate of her,” Astrid giggled, then grimaced. “And Ouch!”

“Very much so,” Hiccup said, grimacing too.

In his arms, Astrid stirred, shifted until she could look at him. All of a sudden, her expression was serious again. “We don’t have to do this if it makes you uncomfortable,” she said quietly. “Yes, I’d love to try, but only if you want that too. We can always wait; we have time after all. And I’m sorry; if I’d known then I wouldn’t have brought it up at all.”

Once again, Hiccup’s chest felt as if it would burst, unable to contain all his feelings. Love, wonder, amazement, and the knowledge that he was just so lucky to have her. Without a word he cradled her face in his hand and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her passionately.

“You’re amazing,” he murmured when they parted, brushing his thumb over her cheek as if to make sure she was real. Even after all these months and with their bond thrumming so vibrantly in his chest, it was still hard to believe sometimes. For a few more seconds he gazed at her, at her tiny nose, the freckles, the deep blue eyes, her round face with the pointy chin, all framed by golden strands – and made a decision.

“Let’s try.”

. o O o .

Astrid would never admit it, but she was nervous. Not scared, not afraid, not uncomfortable or worried, but nervous. So she was actually grateful for Cami’s suggestion to divide their approach over the two nights they had left; to first get used to it tonight on the one hand, and to have something to look forward to for tomorrow.

And it also helped that Hiccup seemed to be just as nervous as she was. It was written all over his face as he returned with what looked like a bucket of water and a small ceramic pot, and made himself comfortable at her side, propped up on one arm. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but neither that nor her nervousness mattered anymore when he leaned over her to sweetly kiss her.

“Promise me that you’ll stop me right away if something doesn’t feel okay for you,” he murmured against her lips. He sounded earnest, and Astrid understood how important this was to him.

“I promise,” she whispered back, meaning it, but then leaned in to kiss him again. She didn’t want to talk right now. She only wanted to feel him.

And feeling him she did.

As he continued kissing her, his free hand slowly wandered on over her skin, her neck and shoulders, her arms and sides. Astrid didn’t hold back either, exploring his body in the same manner. As always, feeling his hot skin against her own without anything to separate them was overwhelming. That and his kisses alone was enough to let her forget everything else, and she felt as if they were floating in the moment, detached from the world outside.

She gasped when he became more active, his hand playing with her breasts. Caressing, kneading, pinching; it didn’t take long until he had her in that wonderful mindless state where all she craved was more. More of his touch, of the sensations he elicited, more of him. She wanted to protest when he suddenly retreated, but when she opened her eyes she saw that he’d only turned to the side and was reaching for the small pot he’d placed there earlier.

“It’s a scented oil,” he explained in a husky whisper at her questioning look. “For lubrication. It.. it’ll make things easier.”

He seemed to wait for some kind of response so Astrid nodded mutely. But the truth was that she only had a vague idea at best of what he meant. For a second she pondered asking him, but decided against it. Whatever questions she might have, she could ask those later. She trusted him, and for now, that was enough for her.

“Can you try to look at me?” he murmured after he’d lain down next to her again. “It helps me to better gauge how you feel, when to go slower or to stop.”.

Astrid complied, gazing up at him through bleary eyes. She hadn’t even noticed that her eyes had fallen close, had been too focused on his hand casually caressing her inner thighs. When she looked up at him, he rewarded her with a beautiful smile, so warm that it made her heart melt.

However, keeping her eyes open became increasingly difficult. His fingers on her clit felt wonderful as ever, but, of course, he didn’t linger there. Not tonight. Tonight, he moved on, down, his oily touch weirdly warm and slick. For a split second, she feared he would directly push in when his fingers found their goal, and she tensed.

“Relax,” he murmured, soothingly stroking her hair with his other hand as he made no attempt to push into her at all. Instead, he just lightly caressed her, massaging her with light pressure, and she easily relaxed again.

Once she’d gotten over the initial surprise, she even found that she rather liked him touching her there. It felt different, but still good. So good… A soft moan slipped from her lips as he increased the pressure a little bit, and her hand reflexively clutched at the blanket beneath them, searching for an anchor. On and on, it went like this, with Hiccup occasionally kissing her as a distraction or murmuring low praises. He hadn’t exaggerated when he’d said they would go slowly, and even though it frustrated her a little when all she wanted was more, she still enjoyed every second of it.

“Ready for a little more?”

Hiccup’s question barely registered in her mind, buzzing with all the sensations and feelings. She just shifted, struggled, tried to push against his hand. But apparently, he wouldn’t do more without an answer.

“Astrid?”

“Nng, yes. More,” she mumbled past biting her lip.

“All right,” he whispered, sounding tense. “Take a deep breath, then let it out again. But slowly.”

She did as he told her, trying to brace for what would come next. But she hadn’t been prepared. A high-pitched whine escaped her as Hiccup slowly pushed a finger into her. He didn’t go far, just to the first joint, but that already was enough. Never in her life had she anticipated how… how powerful anything could feel, not until that moment. The sensation of even such a small part of Hiccup being inside her was intense, so much more than she’d ever expected, and at first, she was entirely overcome.

“Astrid? Astrid, talk to me, please. Are you all right?”

It took a while before she realised that he was talking to her. She noticed that her eyes were closed again, and she forced them open, looking up into his clearly worried face.

“I’m fine,” she breathed, grinning, once she’d found control over her voice and features again. Then she frowned, wriggling, trying to feel… “Why did you stop?”

HIccup’s expression broke into one of relief, and he laughed weakly. “I… thought it was too much.”

Grinning again, she shook her head. “Was good. Can you do that again?”

This time, it was easier. Astrid knew better what to expect, and while the sensation still was intense, she also managed to keep looking at Hiccup now, to keep her eyes open and reassure him. Time lost all meaning then as he went on, slowly pushing in deeper, more. Every now and then he took a break, for her sake or to add more oil. By the time he had two whole fingers inside her, Astrid was covered in sweat, but grinning like an idiot.

“You okay?” Hiccup asked for the umpteenth time, but his voice was different now, not as anxious as in the beginning, but rough and heavy. When her eyes made contact with his again, she saw that he was certainly not unaffected by the last hour either. His eyes were dark and blown, his lips parted, and now that she thought about it she could also feel his trousers against her side where he had to be straining against the fabric from within.

Holding his gaze and glad that his hand wasn’t moving for the moment, she brought her own hand down to where she could feel him. His eyes widened a little when he got her intention, but he didn’t interject, only groaned when he felt her touch. Slowly, almost reverently, she pushed the fabric down, always watching his reaction. This went far beyond what he usually allowed, but if tonight was meant to be preparation for tomorrow, wasn't it only sensible to loosen that rule as well? Hiccup panted, but didn't stop her, only whimpered when her hand closed around him, slowly stroking him as he’d shown her. It was daunting – everything, from feeling him hot and thick and pulsing in her hand to him now carefully moving his fingers in and out of her – and to distract them both she craned her neck, searching for his lips again. It was a desperate kiss, hungry, both seeking more of the other with every passing second. Between his groans and grunts muffled into her mouth, his hips jerking against her grip, and his fingers twitching inside her, it was difficult to concentrate on moving her hand along his shaft, and he didn’t make it easier when he brought his thumb to her clit, rubbing it with every thrust of his fingers.

Soon, it became all too much for her. The friction on those weirdly sensitive spots, feeling his movements at her side, frantic and searching, his noises – it all had her tumbling into the most intense orgasm she’d experienced so far. She screamed as her body shook with pleasure, and the fact that she could feel him even more intensely as her body clamped down on his fingers cramped up the sensations even more. She barely registered Hiccup’s cursing, how his body shook, or something warm landing on her belly, too overwhelmed by what her body was capable of feeling. It seemed as if there was still a lot for her to learn and discover.

It took her a while before awareness truly returned to her, but when it did she could feel Hiccup’s lips against her skin again. But now, all urgency from before was gone. Instead, he was trailing a line of soft pecks up her neck and along her jaw, making her hum and giggle.

“How are you feeling?” he eventually asked, murmuring quietly against her skin.

Astrid hummed. “Gooooood.”

She turned to look at him, a little apprehensive about how he would feel after he’d been so reluctant before. She really hadn’t wanted to push him, and even though he’d agreed – and, Freya, it had been worth it! – she was a little afraid now how he would react. But apparently, all her worries were unfounded. Hiccup looked entirely relaxed and at ease, warmly smiling down at her.

“And you?” she asked, reaching up to cup his face.

He chuckled, and turned his head to place a soft kiss onto her palm. “I’m good too. More than good, actually. I…” He trailed off, shaking his head, but still smiled. “It still feels weird to circumvent the rules like this, but… But I won’t deny that I very much enjoyed this. You’re amazing! And I never thought… Gods, Astrid, I love you so much!”

Laughing weakly, Astrid closed her eyes as he leaned his forehead against her own. “I love you too, Hiccup,” she whispered, and let her hand drop to his chest, to his heart. “More than words can say.” Then her lips twitched into a smirk. “And I can’t wait for tomorrow night!”

Hiccup groaned as he rolled to the side and sat up. “You’re unbelievable!” But there was no anger in his voice, only amusement and a hint of anticipation that told her he felt similarly.

Astrid couldn’t say that she liked the chill of the cool soapy water with which Hiccup quickly cleaned them both, but him cuddling up to her after he’d put his trousers back on, with his bare chest warm against her back, made more than up for any inconvenience. Humming, she huddled closer against his warmth when the distant drums of Odin’s clock towers echoed toward them.

“Midnight,” Hiccup noted, then let out a short laugh. He pulled her even closer, burying his face in her hair, and whispered, “Happy birthday.”

Astrid chuckled, but didn’t reply and only basked in how wonderful this moment was. Wrapped into Hiccup’s embrace and his blanket and still a little dazed from earlier, she couldn’t remember ever to have started her birthday with a similar sense of happiness. She would savour this moment, drawing upon its memory whenever she missed Hiccup during the coming weeks – even as she expected this day to end with even happier experiences.

. o O o .

Late morning on the next day, Astrid began to realise how much she would need the sweet reminder of that shared moment today. She had anticipated that her birthday would be a busy day, so she and Hiccup had gotten more sleep than on most other nights. However, it still stunned her when Ruff came whirling into her bedroom a good two hours earlier than usual, carrying one of her two new-made dresses for this day.

“Come on, sleepyhead. Time to get up,” she called in means of waking her. “We have a strict timetable, can’t waste a second.”

Sighing tiredly, Astrid got up and let her maidservant put the elegant day-dress on her; an extravagant dress made of dark blue satin and with lace trimmings along her arms, her decolletage, and along the heavy skirt. Still, it was nothing to the dress she would wear tonight, made of a light fabric in uncountable shades of blue, and decorated with silken flowers and swan patterns everywhere.

“Why the hurry?” she asked, grunting when Ruff pulled the cords around her waist tight. “Isn’t it just the usual procedure? A reception, mingling, and then the official dinner after nightfall?” It was the same every year, after all. A long and boring day that would drag on an on, not much helped this year by her torn feelings. On the one hand, she wanted it to be over as quickly as was possible so she could return to Hiccup. But on the other hand, she didn’t want the day to be over. She didn’t want it to be tomorrow, didn’t want him to leave. If only there was a way he could stay, just a little bit longer…

Ruff, however, just snorted. “Yeah, that’s the plan, as far as I know. But you’ll need every bit of time you can get, believe me.”

Even though she was mystified by Ruff’s words, Astrid didn’t waste much time on thinking about their meaning and let her mind drift off to the previous night instead. No matter what she’d meant, it would still be the same as every other year. A reception for the well-wishers to greet her and present their gifts, an hour or so of polite chatting and mingling, and then later the formal dinner in the big dining hall. Nothing special.

But once Tuff escorted her to the throne room where the reception would be held, she quickly understood why Ruff had urged her on. The number of well-wishers was anything but ‘as usual’. In the previous years, there had only been the Grand Dukes, their and her father’s higher-ranked vassals, and some of the local nobility. This year though? There seemed to be ten times more; not only the usual dukes and barons and counts, but so many more she’d never even seen before and nearly all of them had also brought their sons, wives, and daughters. Astrid’s eyes grew wider and wider as more and more people filed into the throne room, and the table at the side of the room meant to hold her gifts quickly got expanded by a second and a third. And as if the sheer quantity of gifts wasn’t enough to baffle her, the quality of those gifts also was much higher than in previous years. Everyone seemed eager to point out the valuable jewellery or adornments they’d brought for her, and before long her head was spinning. What in great Odin’s name was happening here?

“The only explanation I can come up with is still the accolades,” Eret mumbled when she asked that question a little while later as the reception had gone over to the least-formal part of the day. “But even that doesn’t explain all this!” He gestured vaguely at the people around them and the gifts still on display.

Mutely, Astrid nodded, and neither Dagur nor Snot seemed to be able to come up with any other explanation either. They looked just as bewildered as she did. But at least she knew why Ruff had been so adamant about her needing all the time she could get; the reception had taken hours. By now, it was close to noon already, and with this many people ‘polite mingling’ was turning into a chore. ‘An hour or two’ just wasn’t enough to do all these people justice.

Sighing, she braced herself to talk to the next group of strangers. She couldn’t hide with her brothers forever, after all – that would only draw things out even more. But before she could leave their comfortable circle, Eret held her back.

“Hey, wait a moment,” he said with an encouraging smile. “I talked to Father last night, about the idea with Ester’s wedding, remember? To be honest, his reaction was a little weird, something about ‘We’ll have to see how the next weeks turn out,’ but he certainly seemed to like the idea of you being there. Now all you need to do is ask your father.”

This news, and the reminder of that visit, brightened Astrid’s mood immensely. There was light at the end of the tunnel. Even though Hiccup would leave tomorrow, it wouldn’t be too long until she saw him again. And no matter how long this day would drag out, at the end of it she would be in his arms again. Taking the next step…

With her mouth turning dry in anticipation, Astrid gave Eret a grateful smile. “I’ll ask Father as soon as I get the chance,” she announced, then left them to do her duties as hostess. They’d get the chance to talk more later anyway.

For the next few hours, Astrid was constantly surrounded by her guests. Sometimes, she would converse with only one person, which made it harder to get away, and other times, she got involved into small groups, all trying to talk to her at once. It gave her a headache, but she knew that retreating to her rooms wasn’t an option today, no matter the reason. So she just put her mask of a smile on and vehemently fought down the uneasiness of so many strangers around her.

She didn’t believe any of the men around her would harm her. Not really and certainly not here in this crowded room, with servants and guards everywhere. But it still took the constant reminder of Hiccup – of his encouraging smile and his soothing embrace – for her to bear it all. Especially when one particular person from her honoured guests approached.

“Milady Astrid! How lucky to get you alone for once. Allow me to again congratulate you on your birthday. And may I say that you look even more stunning than usual?”

With tensed shoulders, Astrid slowly turned toward the tall man in his elegant outfit. “Duke Thuggory,” she greeted him coolly. “Thank you for the compliment, your Grace.”

Thuggory chuckled darkly. “Still so stiff, Milady? Ah, but I'm sure in a few months, you’ll be addressing me... differently.”

“Differently how?” she replied, narrowing her eyes.

He smiled wolfishly. “As ‘my lord husband’, of course,” he purred. “I can’t wait to hear it from your pretty lips.”

She choked and managed to get out in a strangled voice, “You’re insane if you think I’d ever marry you, let alone in a few months!”

His lips curled in a satisfied sneer. “What is insanity if not a man who sees the world in a different way? I see it very differently. But unlike a madman ranting on the street, I can bring what I see into reality. And I will.”

She felt nauseous, and replied, “You’ll excuse me if I think you should see Freya’s healers for treating your diseased mind.”

His smile deepened. “Diseased... or prescient, Princess? Only time and the Norns will tell.”

She bit her lip, fighting the urge to reply that, of the two of them, only she had received a vision of the gods as to her future husband, and it wasn’t him.

Thuggory was watching her face with clear enjoyment, and leaned in. Too close for her taste. “We'll see, Princess. We'll see,” he murmured, his breath tangible on her cheek, and she fought down the bile rising in her throat. The mere idea…

But before she could say anymore, he’d backed away, his smirk still present.. “I expect we’ll see more of each other soon, dearest Princess. Until then, I hope you enjoy your birthday.” Before she could reply and give articulation to her disgust – or her confusion – he turned and walked away.

Let him talk, she tried to calm herself. That’s all he can do anyway. Taking a deep breath, she placed her hand to her chest, to where she could feel Hiccup’s soul, his warmth, his love. One day she would be his wife, she reminded herself. The Gods wanted them married, and no pompous lordling would be able to work against this.

With shaking legs but a slightly truer smile, she turned to talk to the next group of guests. She was looking forward to the formal dinner later when she at least didn’t need to interact with so many people anymore.

. o O o .

‘Later’ turned into much later than she’d expected though. Ruff definitely hadn’t exaggerated about the strict timetable; she’d barely had an hour between the social mingling and the formal dinner. Ruff actually had a minor meltdown at how little time was left for her to arrange Astrid’s hair in the required extravagant style after putting the evening-dress on, and indeed Astrid arrived late to the dinner, everyone else already being seated.

Her father gave her a stern look as she took her seat next to him which turned more accepting when he took in her appearance. Sighing inwardly at how her appearance seemed to make up for everything, Astrid let her eyes wander around the room, once more baffled by just how many people there were. The room was packed to the last free space with tables and chairs, with barely enough space to walk between them, much less wander around and mingle. That was something, at least. But it also meant that another impromptu dance with her brothers was impossible.

Next to her on the King’s High Table sat Eret, Dagur, and Snot, the Grand Dukes in the same manner next to her father, with Grand Duke Oswald fortunately having recovered from his illness. The men were arranged around the heads of the table to make chatting easier – among themselves at least. Astrid herself was singled out without a partner directly across from her, so that she could more easily watch over the whole room – or, more likely, be seen by the whole room. It was only thanks to her practice that her mask didn’t turn into a scowl, and she was grateful that not much later the first course, creamy soup with vegetables, was served to everyone. The sooner all this nonsense was over the better.

The evening promised to drag out though. Astrid was uncomfortably aware of how many eyes rested on her from all across the room, and her brothers’ bantering next to her only helped so much to distract her. Oh, it certainly was fun to listen to Dagur teasing Snot about all the mishaps he’d had with Chomp over the day and Eret giving him tips on what to heed in the future. She contemplated saving some of Snot’s dignity by mentioning that Daniel had gotten thrown off, too. But participating in their conversation was difficult from where she sat, and she soon gave up. She’d had enough talking today anyway. Instead, her mind drifted off to the stables, to Hiccup. How comfortable she would feel in his arms once she got back to him, the look of happiness in his eyes, and–

“You look happy, child. I hope the party is to your liking then?”

Her father’s voice tore her out of her daydream, and she hastily recomposed her face, afraid of what exactly it might have shown. She turned toward her father, giving him a smile that was half-genuine and half-mask.

“Thank you, Father. I see and appreciate how much effort went into all this,” she said, unwilling to outright lie and say that she enjoyed herself.

The King nodded, smiling, then they both looked up as the next course was announced. And from one second to the other, Astrid’s stomach dropped, all happiness from thinking about Hiccup gone in an instant, and she felt sick.

The castle was proud to serve a special dish on this special day: swan roast from the castle’s own ground.

So that was why her swans hadn’t been at their lake...

When the dish was served to her, Astrid had to press a shaking hand over her mouth to hide her reaction. With a horrified expression in her wide eyes, she stared at the meat, surely tender and delicious, but knew that she wouldn’t be able to eat even one bite. Why? Why had her father ordered this? Why hadn’t he asked her at least once what she actually wanted?

Tears rose to her eyes, and she fought hard to keep them back. Why had this had to happen? Why, oh, why had her swans needed to get slaughtered for this? She wasn’t naive, knew perfectly well that most animals were kept around as livestock, and she accepted their death as a necessary part of life. But this? This hadn’t been necessary. Not her swans! This shouldn’t have happened, this shouldn’t have happened, this shouldn’t have happened…

A small sound escaped her, something between a sob and a wail, but luckily the noises around them drowned it out. Only Eret had noticed, his hand soothingly rubbing her back. I’m sorry!, he mouthed, looking just as stricken as she felt. Behind him, Dagur and Snot were giving her similar looks of sympathy, and Astrid wanted nothing more than to burrow into their comforting hugs right now.  

But she couldn’t. Appearances had to be kept at every time, and especially now, with so many eyes on her, she couldn’t afford to show any weakness. Slowly, with her hands still shaking, she reached for her cutlery. She didn’t fool herself, knew that she wouldn’t be able to stomach the swan roast. But she at least forced herself to eat from the vegetables and dumplings, slowly to make sure she wouldn’t run out of those before the next course was served.

She was desperate for any form of distraction, but thinking about Hiccup right now only brought back memories of her nightmare from all those weeks ago. Another unnecessary death, and even though it hadn’t been real, she couldn’t shake it off her mind. The image of Hiccup dangling from the tree, feet kicking in that hopeless fight for air, and–

No! No, she couldn’t think about this, not now. She needed something else, something to focus on or she’d go insane. Her brothers were equally low-spirited though, not talking at all right now, and Astrid’s hands tightened around her knife and fork. She needed something else to occupy her mind with, anything, just–

“Ah, it’s so great to have us all together again,” sounded Grand Duke Oswald’s booming voice toward her, and she eagerly focused on him and the men’s conversation. Everything would be better than her own thoughts right now. “And good that I’m back up on my feet; would have been a shame if old Spite comes down from his mountains for once and I miss it;” he laughed. “It’s been too long, old friend.”

There was low chuckling from all men, Oswald and Spitelout exchanging a couple of playful punches, before Spitelout turned serious again. “Aye. But there’s still someone missing. Where is the old warhorse? I thought he’d at least show up to this event, if nothing else.”

From one second to the other, the men were dead silent, and even though Astrid had only listened to distract herself, this reaction drew her honest attention. She chanced a glance up at the men’s faces, and was surprised to see pain and sorrow there. It wasn’t often that these men showed their emotions so clearly, especially not in public.

It was Oswald who finally spoke again. “You don’t know?” he asked, voice hollow.

“Know what?” Spitelout shot back, a little irritatedly. “Does he think himself too good to be among us now?”

Another moment of heavy silence, and Astrid sifted through her memories, wondering who they were talking about. Was there someone missing from the group? But it had always been just these four.

This time, it was her father who broke the silence. “Stoick is dead,” he said quietly. There was pain in his voice, something Astrid rarely ever had heard, except when he’d talked about their mother when she and Daniel had been younger. Who was this Stoick that mentioning him had such an effect on him – on all of them, really? But that wasn’t a question for now, and she quickly stowed it away into the back of her mind as the men kept on talking.

“He… what?” hissed Spitelout incredulously. “You’re joking, right? I would have–”

“It’s true,” the older Eret on the table interrupted him, speaking in a low but firm voice. ”He’s dead, as is the entire family.”

“Well, not the en–” Oswald threw in, but got cut off with a quick gesture by her father.

“Not here,” Osmond said in a low voice. He sounded stern now, and Astrid risked another glance up at their faces. There was determination mixed with sorrow and, in Spitelout’s case, utter confusion. Astrid really felt with him there.

“I don’t understand,” he said, turning to Oswald, but again her father cut off any further comments.

“We can talk about this later,” he said sternly. “Now, there’s something else to do.” He stood up, and within seconds, the entire hall had fallen silent.

Astrid watched in puzzlement; she hadn’t expected a speech from her father, not now. This day was full of surprises, and so far she couldn’t say that she’d enjoyed many of them.

“My dear guests,” the King called in his far-reaching voice. “I'm honoured to welcome you all here, honoured that so many of you followed my invitation.”

Astrid frowned. Her father had invited all these people? But why? Mystified, she listened just like everyone else in the room.

“Yes, we're here to celebrate the birthday of our Princess, my beloved daughter, but I know that rumours were spreading already. As most of you already guessed, there also was another reason behind those invitations. This year, my father, King Ragnvald the Blessed, the glorious founder of our beautiful Kingdom, would have turned eighty-one years. And in honour of his nine-times-nine and to celebrate our latest victories over the Malarians, I've decided to host eighty-one days of festivals; funded out of the Royal Purse for all of the folk of the realm to participate in and enjoy.”

There was tentative cheering in the room, and Astrid threw a puzzled look at her brothers. While this explained why there were so many people here, it still astonished her that she hadn’t heard about this plan before. But as it seemed, Eret, Dagur, and Snotlout were just as surprised as she was.

Next to her, her father’s voice rose in volume to carry over the babbling of the crowd. “The festivities will start tomorrow, and there will be a wide variety of events, suited for everybody. There will be tournaments and hunts, balls and feasts. And to crest this grand occasion with a worthy highlight, we will celebrate another joyous event during these days of happiness.” He made a pause, waiting until he had everyone’s undivided attention again, then continued. “Honoured guests, I am proud to announce that, in two months from today, we will celebrate the wedding of our fair Princess Astrid.”

. o O o .

Right... before I hide under rocks again (aka in our secret writers' bar), I want to say that I'm immensely curious for the reactions to this chapter! The ending, yes, it doesn't really come as a surprise to many, but still.

But there's so much more! Thuggory, the swans, the Grand Dukes' conversation, and, of course, the steamy beginning. And the ending! I'm really looking forward to hearing your thought to all this.