Chapter Text
Have you ever had a moment in your life where you knew you did the right thing in the moment, but you still regretted it by the end? That’s how I feel now as I’m staring at my reflection in the wash basin. My heart is trying to break free from my ribs. I can’t tell if the pounding in my chest is a last hurrah from the dragon root or the rush of adrenaline I’m still trying to shake off. As I stare into my own eyes, I realize it’s probably the latter. I dunk my face in the water. It’s a shock to my system, the cold instantly relieving the burning in my cheeks. After I resurface, a shiver takes hold of my shoulders. The chill makes me gasp. My bangs are soaked.
King? Trials? Betrothed? What all happened while I was out? I dry off with a towel, scrubbing away the dried-on sweat from my face and neck. What did I miss?
Let me back up. How did this all start? Oh, right. Dragon Hunters.
The Defenders of the Wing’s home island was under attack. The riders and I were there to help them get clear of enemy fire. Queen Mala—the Defender’s high ruler—was delegating orders to her guards to help clear the village. She was right in the middle of the fight with us. In the heart of the fire.
The General of the Guard, Throk, was attempting to lead her to safety in the gathering hall, but Mala refused. “If our people are in danger, then so shall I be,” she’d stated proudly.
Toothless and I soon discovered a sniper between the tents. One plasma blast rendered the fighter powerless. In my distraction, I almost missed the second Hunter beside us, his bow pointed straight at the Queen.
“Mala, look out!” I shouted. It all happened in a blink once I finally caught sight of the hidden shooter. I leapt off of Toothless’s back, sprinting toward Queen Mala. She glanced at me in surprise as I jumped out, covering her as the arrow soared after its target.
A sharp pain exploded in my thigh as I collapsed on top of her. Mala gasped in shock. “Ancients’ grace!” she’d exclaimed.
“Hiccup!” Astrid cried my name. I heard her bark an order to one of the other riders… Snotlout, I think. He had crowed out his trademark “Oi, oi, oi!” as the shooter shouted indignantly. There was a bright blaze of dragon fire.
My vision swam as I pushed myself off of Mala. A cough forced its way out of my lungs. I clutched my injured thigh as I crouched on my free hand and knees. A dragon-root-tipped arrow protruded from my leg—my good leg. Ohhh, this is bad. This is really bad. I felt sick. I needed to lie down. I collapsed on my back, heaving a shaky breath.
My mind was going hazy… It seemed like just a moment before, I had been on Toothless’s back. Then all of a sudden, I was lying on the ground with an arrow in my leg. My blood burned in my veins. My chest felt like it was about to cave in on itself. A massive shudder rattled through my body. What’s… happening… to me? My eyesight blurred. A blond-haired woman crouched above me. Mala…? No… Astrid? I couldn’t tell. The woman spoke, but I couldn’t make out what she was saying… Her voice sounded like I was hearing it from underwater…
I don’t remember much else from that moment… Just the cool touch of the woman’s hand against my cheek.
“La da da da da da da da da dum…”
A gentle voice hummed a simple tune. It belonged to a woman… I think. I… I had trouble making out the words.
“For I know soon my love will be here… da da da da dum… songbirds and cheer… I am most happy when my king is near.”
My eyes watered… I felt hot… no… cold. Nauseous. Definitely nauseous… Ringing… why are my ears ringing…?
“Shhh…” the gentle voice spoke as a strangled groan escaped my throat. Astrid…? No… Yes? Maybe…?
“Mmpff…” I moaned. My body felt like it was rotating on a spit… Then it was being dunked in frigid water… Then slowly roasted again. My skin was sticky with icy sweat. “What…” I gasped. My mouth was dry… really dry. “A-Astrid…?” My voice was barely a whisper.
“Miss Hofferson is with the others in the gathering hall, safe and sound. The Hunters have retreated. All is well for now.” Gathering hall? Then who…? Where…
“Where…” I swallowed hard, fighting off a wave of nausea. “Where am I…?”
“In the healer’s tent,” she explained. “Apparently, you are one of the unlucky few that dragon root makes violently ill. When you…” My ears started ringing again, drowning out her voice. “Knocked quite the wind out of you. Ancients above.” I missed a few words… What did she say about me? “I am in your debt. You have done well, my valiant king.”
“King…?” I croaked, rising up for a moment before a dizzy feeling overcame me. Someone held my shoulder back… They gently pushed against me. My eyes cracked open. There were glimmering spots in my hazy vision… The person holding me down… a beautiful, short-haired blonde.
“Rest, now, Hiccup Haddock,” the woman cooed in my ear. “Save your strength. Just a little more to go. The worst of it will soon be behind you. We will discuss everything when you are well again.”
What did she mean… “King?” My thoughts raced as I returned to fitful sleep. I swore, somewhere between dreaming and awake, I could hear her singing again… Something about… true love…
I woke up horribly drowsy. The arrow wound in my leg ached and I was extremely hungry, but otherwise I finally felt half-way human. Thor, I didn’t think dragon root could make me that sick… I knew I’d been exposed to it before, but I guess I’d never been shot with it. I sure hope Viggo and his goons never find that out about me.
Sitting up was a bit of a chore. I was still really woozy, but at least I was aware of my surroundings. I was lying on a cot in a roomy tent. The noonday sun cast a golden spray of light through the sailcloth fabric. Two gold-and-black banners hung beside the tent’s flap, each emblazoned with the Eruptodon crest—the symbol of the Defenders of the Wing.
My body dragged along, though my mind raced. I had the weirdest dream… I’d dreamt I was at a wedding. Mine, it seemed. I was dressed in white. So was the bride. She stood before me, but I couldn’t quite make out her face. It was so familiar… but I don’t think it belonged to Astrid.
I cursed the thought. That had to have been my feverish mind playing tricks on me. I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else. The idea was insane. Astrid was the only person I have ever loved, and ever could love. That was a fact I knew by heart—better than I knew my own name.
The tent flap was pushed aside and Queen Mala stepped through. Her elfish eyes were alight with relief. “Praise the Ancients, you’re awake.” she said with reverence. I stared at her as she entered the tent. The glow of sunlight surrounded her, fading as she approached the cot I was still sitting on. The strangest sense of deja vu came over me. I couldn’t explain why. “How do you feel?” Mala inquired.
My throat was dry. “Okay,” I croaked out. “I think.”
“I’m so glad.” Mala beamed. “I must admit, for a time, I–” She cleared her throat. It was a musical sound, like a cricket’s chirp. “We feared the worst.”
It was hard to swallow for a second. Did that mean I might have died?
“Don’t worry,” I tried to scoff the discomfort off. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
Mala laughed. It seemed a little forced. I’ll take it, though.
“Is everyone okay?” I asked, leaning forward. “The Hunters? Did they…?”
“Oh, there were a few scrapes, but otherwise all are safe and sound.” Mala’s hands were clasped behind her back. Regardless, I could tell her fingers were fidgeting. Mala? Fidgety? Somehow I found that so strange. Granted, I hadn’t really known her for all that long, but she seemed to have one of the coolest sets of nerves I’d ever seen in a person. Nervous energy just didn’t fit her brand, at least in my mind.
I released a sigh I hadn’t realized I was holding. “That’s a relief,” I mutter, sitting back against the tent’s wall. That was the moment I remembered it was a tent wall. I gave myself a jolt when I realized the fabric wasn’t going to support me. Mala raised a hand to her mouth, a gasp of shock barely escaping her lips. Embarrassment burned on my cheeks, but I still found myself laughing.
“Take care, Hiccup Haddock.” Mala started breathing again once I swung my legs over the side of the cot, preparing to stand up. I found it funny that she always seemed to insist on adding my surname whenever she addressed me. “I’d hate to see you go and break your neck before the ceremony.”
My laughter slowed. Confusion knitted my brows together. “Ceremony?” I asked. “What ceremony?”
“The announcement of our betrothal,” Mala said very normally. I nearly fell out of my seat.
“What?!” I slapped a hand over my mouth. I hadn’t meant to shout, but the word just exploded out of me.
“The announcement of our betrothal,” Mala repeated. Maybe she’d thought I hadn’t heard her the first time. “At the next full moon. Tomorrow night.”
“W-wait…” I stammered. Suddenly. I wasn’t so sure standing up would be such a great idea, after all. “Back up. Back way up.” I glanced at her cautiously from the corner of my eye. “What betrothal? I– You– What–”
“You saved my life,” Mala said, matter-of-factly. Her eyes suddenly filled with understanding. “Forgive me. I should explain.” She sat next to me on the edge of the cot, resting her hands in her lap. My already-burning cheeks blazed hotter. I thought of a way I could scoot away without being obvious, but I realized quickly that doing so would be impossible. The creaking of the cot underneath me would instantly give me up. Mala looked skyward, as if asking the gods for guidance. Or Ancients, I remembered. “When I was a little girl, the Ancients sent a revelation to me in a dream. My life would one day be saved by a man from the sky, and that man was to be my husband.” Mala turned in her seat to face me head-on. “That man, Hiccup Haddock, is you.”
The temperature of my cheeks rose even further. My chest tightened and my pulse started racing. Am I coming down with another fever?
Mala had gone all misty-eyed before she bowed her head. “I should have known it would be you, all along. You came to us from the sky, didn’t you? On dragon-back. The answer was clear, but I was too blind to see it! Now I do.” I stared at the floor, trying to level my breathing. Mala placed her hand on my back. I nearly jumped at her touch. “Hiccup Haddock, you look disappointed. Whatever for?”
Whatever for? Get real! I stood up. Pain shot up my right leg. I nearly collapsed back onto the cot. A short wave of vertigo made me unsteady for a moment, but it quickly subsided. Mala had reached out for me, but I waved her away. “I’m fine,” I gasped, gathering the nerve to put weight on my injured leg again. It still hurt, but not as badly. “Mala, I don’t know where you got that idea, but count me out of it.”
Mala smiled, the expression a mix of amusement and confusion. She chuckled. It seemed a little dismissive. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
I sucked in a breath, choking down the groan of pain in my throat before I turned to face her fully. “Look.” I weighed my words. How do I break this to her gently? “I’m– I don’t–” Come on, Hiccup, why are you making it so hard? Just spit it out! I steeled myself. “Mala, I’m already betrothed,” I told her, “to Astrid.” I hoped I was able project a tone of finality. That’s it! End of story!
Mala’s expression only grew lighter. “That’s all right!” She shrugged. I’d never seen someone shrug their shoulders so regally and yet so casually before. I found it an odd juxtaposition. “Betrothals can be annulled,” Mala added, as if the notion would soothe any worries I had.
Those words had slapped me in the face. Did she even hear herself? Who does she think she is? As my eyes widened in horror, I studied her further. She sat on the edge of the cot as if it was a throne. There was strength and poise in her posture, even at rest. Her strength of presence didn’t seem practiced or carefully calculated. It was natural. Effortless. It reminded me of Dad.
Who did she think she was? The queen, that’s who, and I was in her kingdom. Mala expected me to respect her rule. That left me up the stream without a paddle. Still, I had to try, even if it meant I had to jump out of the boat and swim to the bank.
“No,” I said firmly. My hands trembled, so I balled them into fists. Maybe the shakiness came from nerves. Maybe pain. Maybe anger. Maybe even a mix of the three. I couldn’t tell. “No, they can’t.”
“Of course they can,” Mala pressed further. “All it would take would be for you to renounce it–”
“No, I’m not going to renounce it!” I snapped. My loudness startled Mala. That made me feel horrible, but I didn’t try to stop the fury in that still trickled through my words. I couldn’t stop it. “Renounce my betrothal to Astrid? Are you crazy? How could you say something like that? Did you even think once about what you would be asking me to do? About how I would feel about it?”
“Feel?” Mala’s voice grew an edge. “You speak of feelings?”
“Yes, feelings!” I ran my hands through my hair, taking a deep breath. Stop, Hiccup. Stop yourself now. I needed to step away. Count to ten before I said anything stupid. Mala, however, wouldn’t let me escape.
“Feelings do not negate fate, Hiccup Haddock. ” Mala continued twisting the knife. “The Ancients decided long ago what you and I were meant for. This is their way!” I think she meant to encourage me with those words, but that wasn’t exactly going according to her plan, was it? “Don’t you see? You have been chosen for this, as have I! The Ancients have willed it–”
I scoffed. “Well, maybe the Ancients were wrong!” I had barely gotten the words out of my mouth before I found Mala’s palm slapping me on the cheek. Hard. My mouth hang agape in shock as I clutched the right side of my face.
“I will not listen to blasphemy, Hiccup Haddock.” Mala’s tone held the same kind of volatile severity as the time not long after we had first met, when she’d accused me of being a Dragon Hunter. She’d been holding me at sword-point then, the tip of her long, curved blade coming dangerously close to slitting my throat. I was glad she’d been unarmed this time.
“I-I’m sorry,” I said quickly, still rubbing at my sore cheek. It stung from where she’d hit me. Anger still burned in my throat. I nearly choked on it as I tried to gulp it down. “Mala,” I began, unsure of how to use my words. “Look, I like you, okay?” I gave her an awkward, half-hearted smile. “I-I do; you’re a nice person…” Well, overall, anyway. “I– I-it’s just–”
“Yes?” The queen’s gaze softened. She looked at me, expectantly.
“It’s just…” I sighed. “I don’t love you. I love Astrid—I’m going to marry Astrid.” Mala’s eyes dropped to her lap. Now who looks disappointed?
“Love has no place in this, Hiccup Haddock.” Mala’s words were cold, but her voice still quavered. “Our fated marriage was not to be made for love. I had…” she faltered. “I had hoped some sort of… fondness could be a part of it, but this betrothal shall come to pass, regardless. Duty is the reason the Ancients have brought us together. It is tradition that the queen must have a king, and it is, again, tradition that the king must win her hand.” Mala rose to her feet, coming over to meet me. We stood face to face. Her eyes were full of longing. Her fingers hovered over my browline and cheek, but never touched as she trailed her hand down my face. I flinched, uncomfortable, but let her do it. “The King’s Trials shall take place one week after the betrothal. You will have this time to train, gather your affairs, and…” Mala hesitated. “And say your goodbyes.”
I blinked. “T-trials? What trials? I-if we’re already supposed to be getting betrothed beforehand, then what are the trials for?”
“The King’s Trials are to prove your worth,” Mala said without emotion. “To test your mettle before the people you are soon to rule. You have already proven yourself to me. It is your future subjects you must now face. There are three stages of the trials: a test of strength, a test of wits, and a test of courage.”
The gears in my head were grinding out an idea. “And if I fail the tests?”
Mala relaxed her stance, her forced smile returning. “As the Ancients have already willed, I have every confidence that you will succeed,” she told me. “But if you do not, then you will not be made king.”
Exactly what I want to hear. “And if I refuse?”
“You cannot refuse,” Mala stated plainly.
“Why not?”
“I have found you thus far to be an honorable man.” Mala’s eyes grew cold again. “Your honor is at stake, Hiccup Haddock. Are you willing to betray it… or mine?”
So we're going for the throat, are we?
Mala turned to leave. “I shall see you tomorrow night at the ceremony,” she said as she pushed aside the tent flap. “As for the trials, you will compete for my hand, if honor means anything to you. You will either enter under your own free will, or by force. The choice is yours.” She sauntered out of the healer’s tent.
Are you caught up, now? Where was I? Oh, yeah. Panic mode.
I’m still standing at the wash basin. The now-damp towel is draped over the table beside the bowl. My face is still cold from the water I’d dunked it in. My hair is still wet. The cheek Mala had slapped still smarts. My thoughts are racing faster than a herd of Speed Stingers. I’m favoring my injured right leg, which is causing my left to protest against the extra weight on my prosthetic. I’m tired. I’m anxious. I’m in pain. None of those things are helping me process the conversation I’d just had with Mala.
What am I going to do? I have until tomorrow to come up with a way to get out of the betrothal. But how? Maybe I’ll play sick? Yeah! The dragon root isn’t done messing with me, after all. I’ll just tell her I’m not feeling well. I can’t make it. Maybe if I convince her I’m light-headed… I could pretend to faint in front of her. That could work! But… then she’ll just reschedule after I “feel better”. That’s a stupid plan, anyway! Ohhh, this is ridiculous! What am I going to do?
Well, I figure I’m not going to do anything by standing, sitting, or lying around in here. Time to get out of this tent. I need to find the rest of the Riders. I need to catch them up to speed. Top priority, however, is telling everything to Astrid.
Oh, no… My heart drops into my stomach. But how am I going to tell Astrid?