The Imposter

Chapter 25

A/N: Details of wounds

"Your son...is a problem."

The words echoed quietly through the Throne Room and Astrid's head snapped round, her feeling of optimism fleeing and a heavy weight like a stone settling in her stomach. Stoick just stared.

"What? Why?" he demanded, adding "Sire," as a reluctant afterthought. The King swung his cold gaze round to inspect the tall auburn-haired shape of Hiccup, flanked by his guards and looking forward with a resigned expression.

"Because no matter your status, Sir Stoick, your son has broken my laws and rules," Harild announced sternly. "There are issues regarding his conduct, allegations of his involvement in the plot itself and of course, the fact he stole the identity of one of my squires for his own gain!"

"Sire, that is a lie!"

Every eye turned onto the shape of Hiccup, his eyes blazing with anger and fists clenched. The King turned his cool gaze on the scruffy shape and raised a very blonde eyebrow.

"Yet there are a number of voices who all support the tale," he explained coldly.

"And that's a conspiracy if ever I heard one," the brash and completely undiplomatic voice of Gobber piped up from the back of the Hall. He limped forward with the familiar shapes of Gustav, Ella, Synnoeve and Nils in tow. Stoick's eyes widened at the sight of the children-especially when Nils broke away and ran towards the young man. And even more when his son unashamedly dropped to a knee and hugged the young boy, soothing the anxious child.

"You okay, little bud?" he asked softly. Nils nodded.

"Are you coming home soon?" he asked in a small voice. Hiccup sighed and shook his head.

"I don't think the King will let me, Nils," he said, trying to keep the defeat from his voice. "But Gustav and the others...and Gobber...will look after you." He gently pushed the lad back to the others, seeing Ella take the little boy's hand and offering a nod of thanks to the older girl.

"On what basis do you make these allegations, Hiccup Haddock?" the King asked sternly inspecting the young man and trying to ignore the seething presence of his leading knight.

"Because Thuggory Tete de Carne summoned me to his room on the morning of the Hunt from the stables, where I was preparing the horses," Hiccup explained. "He asked me to take his place because he claimed he was drunk and hung over and that if he missed any more hunts he would be prevented from taking the Tests." He paused. "He promised to sponsor me in taking them when the others did..." Harild leaned forward and looked at the young man.

"Surely you know that only a full knight or a ruling Lord can sponsor a squire or candidate?" he asked pointedly. "Squire Thuggory could never sponsor you to take the tests." Hiccup stared and took a slow, shuddering breath, the hot pain of betrayal burning in his chest. "Neither as a knight nor as ruler of his honour because his father still holds Meathead for his King." Hiccup looked up, his fists tightening so his knuckles whitened and he took another deep breath. He blinked once.

"I see," he said quietly.

"Captain Spitelout changed the regulations as soon as he became leader of the knights to ensure that only proper squires could claim the title of knight." Harild told him and he paled.

"Of course," he said. "So I am a fool and a desperate one at that. I never knew he had changed the laws to restrict opportunities to challenge his lazy useless son. I only knew the old regulations as laid out in the three hundred year old Chivalric Code! But Thuggory asked me to take his place and I only did it under duress because of that promise! That worthless promise."