How To Train Your Princess

Runaway

When I sat down to breakfast, I could feel eyes boring into my back. I glance up, glaring at Ingrid and her friends from under my bangs. I'm able to make out a gray-ish-blue bruise on her jaw, and I have to fight the smile that is tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Where did you go last night?" Heather asks me, grabbing my attention.

"Huh?" I say, even though I heard her. So, I guess I didn't dream it after all. I really don't want to tell her I spent the night in a dark room, sobbing with the prince.

"Where did you go? I got up to use the outhouse and you were gone," she says, looking at me. She's become my new best friend since we arrived at the palace, so I feel obligated to tell her. And then there's Ruff-- who I've known my whole life-- staring at me expectantly. 

"Uh, I went for a walk. Couldn't sleep" I shrug. Ruff scrutinizes me, but doesn't press me any further. She knows I'm lying, but she can tell when I don't want to share something and she'll leave it at that. I guess that's something you learn over the years.

That morning we learned about our kingdom's history and the names of the kings and queens before our lifetime. It was a lot of reading, and some of the girls from the Lower Valley got stuck on the unfamiliar and long words. Jamie began to whimper, unable to read the passage. She is the youngest of the Lower Valley girls, only 16, so she doesn't understand hiding her emotions and getting by so the Upper Valleys and Phlegma don't notice. I'm almost done with my passage, so I get up and go over to her. 

"Jamie. What's wrong?" I ask, bending down beside her.

"I can't read the whole sentence," she says pointing at it, her short blond hair fanning out as she shakes her head.

"I'll read it to you," I offer. I'm halfway when Phlegma notices.

"What do you think you are doing Miss Hofferson?" she shouts, walking swiftly over to us.

"Jamie couldn't read a sentence, so I was helping her," I defend, seeing no harm in it.

"That's not your job. And, I did not give permission to leave your seat. Hands," she says.

"What?" I ask, confused, my head spinning. 

"Hands. Now, please. Hold them out." I begin to stretch them out, tentatively, but I guess I'm taking too long, because she grabs my wrists, yanking them toward her, and I stumble forward. She lifts her long stick, and I finally understand where this is going.

"Wait!" I say, jerking them back and against my chest. "I didn't do anything wrong," I protest.

"Talking back is another offense," she tells me calmly, pulling my hands back out. "That will result in three lashings on both hands. Say another word, and that will be your second strike." I nod, glumly. She pulls her arm back, holding the stick in the air. I stare at the ceiling, biting down on my lip, taking the pain of the lashes, the stick cracking against my palms. When she's done, I am aware of the metallic taste of my blood from biting down on my lip too hard, but it keeps me from crying.

HICCUP'S POV

I wake to someone shaking me roughly. I open my eyes, blinking rapidly to get used to the light in my room. Snotlout is leaned over me with a worried expression. "Have you seen Hookfang?" he asks, out of breath. 

"Well I was asleep three seconds ago," I tell him, rolling my eyes and sitting up. 

"I don't have time for your smart aleck comments," he retorts, throwing me some clean clothes. "Eret is checking around the barn. You saddle up Toothless, and help look."

"Alright. Alright," I say, pulling on my pants and shrugging into my shirt. I put on my boot and metal leg and follow him to the stables, still half asleep.