Betrothal (a merricup story)

Eighteen- the final challenge is about to begin.....

Rapunzel sat before her easel, busy painting to take her mind off things. Jack had been called to help with something, so she sat alone in the room, slowly painting. The door creaked open, and she barely had time to put her paints down before she got attacked in a hug.

"I'm so sorry for yelling at you, I'm a horrible best friend, I didn't mean it, please forgive me?" Merida babbled, hugging a stunned Rapunzel. "Please say you'll forgive me!"

"M-Merida?" Rapunzel stuttered. "Um, yeah, I forgive you? So, you made up with Hic?" She asked. Merida nodded and told her everything that had happened. "I see...so you got jealous." Rapunzel smirked. Merida huffed. "I'm not jealous..." Merida murmured.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Rapunzel asked. "The final challenge is tomorrow."

Merida looked at the ceiling. "I haven't got the slightest clue." She said. "All I can so is just cross my fingers and hope for the best..." She scowled. "I hate not being able to do anything."

Rapunzel gave her friend a hug. "It'll be fine." She said.

~~~

The next morning, Queen Elinor walked into Merida's room. "Rise and shine, Merida." She called. "Today is a very big day!"

Merida yawned, sitting up. "Merida, you don't want to keep them waiting all day, do you?" Elinor asked, picking out a dress from the wardrobe. "Come on, you have to get ready!"

Merida sighed and got up. She allowed her mother to help her get ready, putting on the turquoise dress lined with a dark blue spiral pattern. "Mom, what's the last challenge?" She asked finally as her mother pulled the brush through her tangled curls.

"You'll find out later." Elinor replied simply.

Afterwards, when everyone was gathered at the field for the final challenge, a scrawny Viking boy caught Merida's eye. Hiccup was standing next to his father, Astrid standing a farther way back. Seeing him brought back the memories of his sudden confession yesterday, and brought along a wave of different emotions, ranging from joy, worry, anger that he hadn't told her earlier....so on and so forth. She tore her gaze away from him as Elinor cleared her throat.

"The previous challenges were to test your strength, your power in battle, but it will be the final challenge that will be the one that decides the victor." Elinor said. "So any and all of the previous victories in the previous challenges do not count now." Merida brightened up. Hiccup had a chance now!

"The final challenge will be-"