Prince Meets Peasant (Hiccstrid) (On hold)

Chapter 1

Astrid's P.O.V.

Stormfly slides to a stop outside my mothers saddle shop and I dismount her before walking in. "Mother! Mother?" I called as I walked through the rows of saddles that she had yet to unload on customers. I found her in her back study, muttering to herself as she fixed the stitching on Father's old saddle. "Did it come undone again?" I ask as I walk to her side.

"Nothing I can't fix," she sighs before tying the thread and cutting it. She's been trying to keep his saddle alive but it was looking a little on the worse side. And she was the best saddle blacksmith in the kingdom.

"Mother, why don't you just put it in the cellar? No one will touch it there," I say, rubbing her back.

"Because. You know how much he loved this saddle. He would want everyone who walked through this shop to see it and ask for a replica," she says as she starts to polish it.

"Mother, he loved it because it was made by his love. He wouldn't care if no one saw it. It was one of his most prized possessions and I'm sure that as long as it didn't fall apart, he wouldn't mind if anyone saw it," I tell her and she sighs.

"But I want to see it everyday. You know how little I go into the cellar," she says, putting her hand on top of mine as I placed it on her shoulder.

"Any new customers?" I ask, changing the subject.

"No. Just the same. People coming by for conversation. No one's wanted to buy anything for years. If it wasn't for the produce we provide, we'd be..." she didn't finish her sentence before she let out a soft sob. She didn't have to. I knew what she meant. Suddenly, I heard the bell at the front of the shop ring, signalling the arrival of a villager.

"I'll deal with them," I tell my mother before kissing her cheek and going to the front, freezing in my tracks as I saw who was poking their nose around the rows of tack. "May I help you Prince Hayden?" I sighed and he looked at me before smiling.

"Hey, fancy seein' you here, m'lady. I thought that horse out front looked familiar," he says and I roll my eyes.

"Are you looking for a saddle, Prince Hayden?" I ask, trying to keep my posture.

"I told you to call me Hiccup," he says and I cross my arms.

"And I told you to leave me alone," I say.

"When?" he questions.

"It's called body language," I tell him.

"Do you want my business or not?" he asks.

"Don't you have a privet saddle maker in that tower you call a home?" I counter.

"Nope. Had to let him go. My parents thought it'd be better for me to do some interaction with the peasants before I become king," he says and I punch the desk where the book of orders layed. Why did he have to use that word?! It just brought shame upon my heart when I come from a very noble, shameless family.

"What can I help you with?" I ask as I face him again. His eyebrows were slightly tensed but other than that he seemed unphased by my outburst.

"Do you polish saddles?" he asks, plopping a black cow-skin saddle on the desk. I looked at it, recognizing it as one my mother made a few years back. As I examined it, I noticed that the stirrups were about to fall off. It was scratched and smudged with mud.

"Amazing how little respect a fine piece of work can receive," I mutter under my breath before adding more clearly, "It'll be finished in an hour, your highness."

"Hiccup," he chuckles tensely before slowly walking out. I notice him glance at me over his shoulder before I put the saddle on one of our stands and go to get my tools.

One hour later

I sent my mother home some time ago. She needed a break and I had nothing else to do today. I was furrowing my eyebrows in concentration as I restitched the stirrups on Hayden's saddle. I jump as the bell rings at the front of the shop. I look up to see Prince Hayden leaning against the desk, examining his nails. I sigh before rushing to finish. I have five minutes left and I was only halfway done with the second stirrup. Suddenly, my grandfather's Grandfather Clock goes off and I jump, pricking my thumb with the needle. I hiss in pain as I put the dot of blood to my lips to suck it away. Mother sure keeps her needles sharp.

"M'lady, how's it coming?" Hayden asks from the front.

"Just a second," I call as I try to secure the thread while avoiding the hole in my thumb. I then carry it out and put it on the desk in front of the prince. "Is this to your satisfaction?" I ask as he examines it. While I waited, I wrapped my thumb in a cloth to keep the blood under control. I really dug it in there...

"Is your thumb alright?" I'm shocked to hear Hayden ask me that.

"Uh, yes, your highness," I replied. He looks at me skeptically before looking at his saddle again.

"Very nice craftsmanship. Fix it up yourself?" he asks.

"My mother made it," I tell him.

"That's not what I asked," he says, looking at me again.

"Yes, sire, I fixed it up myself," I say, putting my hands behind my back.

"Okay, how much do I owe you?" he asks, taking out his money pouch.

"It'll be 20 shillings," I say as I make a note in the book of orders. He puts the money on the counter before picking the piece of tack up in his arms. I put the money in my own pouch before a familiar whinny sounds from outside. I sent her home with my mother. I run outside and see Stormfly being corralled by a bunch of soldiers. "Stormfly!" I shout as I run to stop them. They had lasso's wrapped around her neck and legs, trying their hardest to restrain her. "No, stop it!" I shout, grabbing one of the men's arms. He pushed me to the ground before pointing a sword at me.

"Stay out of this, rat," I recognized the voice immediately. Heather's father.

"Not until you release my horse!" I snap as I stood up.

"Not your horse anymore," he says gruffly.

"What?!" I shout.

"The king has ordered us to go through the kingdom and receive as many horses as possible," he explains.

"Well, she's not for sale!"

"Your mother sold her to us, Astrid. I'm sorry," he says, his voice softening. He was much nicer than Heather at times but he still wasn't my favorite person. Tears well in my eyes and I run forward to...I don't even know what. The guards stop me and hold me back as they dragged her away. When she disappeared into the walls of the castle, I ran back to the shop and put up the closed sign before running to the forest. I was sobbing by the time I reached the trees. They already took my father from me, and now my horse! Now my only friend, besides Aaron, was Benny. He was rarely home, and she shared few of my interests. I ran from the trees and went straight to the barn before collapsing in her stall.