Lèse-majesté

Part 52

EPILOGUE

One Year Later

"Stormfly NO!" Astrid shouted as she tried to get the dragon off of Eret. For some reason, the Nadder took great pleasure in using Eret as a hatchling or a pillow. The boat rocked due to the waves which caused Eret to let out a groan as he was squished further.

"GAH! Help meeee!!!" Eret managed to groan as he was tucked in further under the dragon.

"Oddly enough that is kind of cute," Atali observed while her Ladyship tried to scold the dragon.

"Atali don't tease Sir Eret so much." Astrid reprimanded. "I doubt you want a pancake for a suitor." At this Atali blushed. It wasn't supposed to be known by many but after Eret became a full-fledged knight of House Hofferson he started to try and woo Atali. The story about the knight, the maid, and the jealous dragon was still being giggled about.

"Speaking of suitors," Dagur, Captain of the ship they had boarded, approached them. "Lady Hofferson, your bundle of love is throwing up over the quarter-deck again. Dragon rider he may be but he has no sealegs."

"Thank you for telling me Lord Deranged." Astrid looked conflicted between a chirping Nadder and crushed Eret and the deck at the back of the ship.

"Go," Atali stated primly. "I will get this persistent creature off of Eret." Stormfly just warbled innocently.

Astrid left Atali and Lord Deranged to deal with the situation while she walked towards the back of the ship. She picked up the front of her blue skirt while going up a pair of steps. The first thing she noticed was Hiccup half bent over the side of the ship puking his breakfast out. The rather temperamental waves crashing into the ship did not make the situation better nor did the storm clouds hovering overhead.

"Are you alright Sir Hiccup? Perhaps you may need to lie down." Astrid uttered as she stood near him while the boat rocked.

"No no, I am fine," Hiccup managed to mutter. "I just feel like a flock of Terrors is playing tag in my stomach." More retching followed and Astrid slowly stroked his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, m'lady. This happens every time I sail."

"I thought Vikings were made for the sea. Lady Ruffnut had been boasting about that before she and Sir Tuffnut departed."

"Not this twig of a Viking apparently," Hiccup joked as he moved away from the edge to lean against the set of steps that lead up to the poop deck.

"Hardly a twig," Astrid said more under her breath as she looked Hiccup up and down, noting his lightly muscled physique. This caused Hiccup to blush and scratch the back of his head nervously.

"Perhaps we should get you to bed." She then uttered. Upon seeing Hiccup blush she added with a huff and a roll of her eyes "Alone,".

"I just wonder what is so important that Snotlout had to send a Terrormail requesting my immediate return." Hiccup grumbled. "He knows very well how rough the waters between the Kingdom and Berk get at the start of winter. Not to mention the weather."

"Well this is Snotlout we are talking about," Astrid replied as she and Hiccup walked towards his quarters. "You did leave him and the twins in charge of Berk while you helped us with the damage the former Crown Prince caused. In Gobber's words... what's the worst that could happen?"

"Did I ever tell you about the time the twins tried to shoot me out of a catapult?" Hiccup stated with a raised brow.

"You all were eight!" Astrid shrugged it off.

"This is the same twins that set fire to the palace gardens, caused an incident in the royal court involving foxes, tried to feed one of your suitors to a cow..."