The Cause {A Mericcup Novel}

Chapter 8

When the two entered the dinning hall, they were greeted by a maid and escorted to their designated seating- chairs facing straight across the table from one another. After being seated, Merida took the opportunity to study her parent's emotions to find any form of answer to the confusing situation at hand. She knew that they had been worried and afraid at the announcement of the viking's arrival, which turned to discouragement and mourning of the lost viking chief, but now she couldn't quite translate their actions and feelings.

Her mother sat at her usual end of the long, wooden table, organizing a set of scrolls. The Queen's face was as hard as stone set in a look of concentration. While her father, sitting next to the the large viking, seemed to be telling the story of Mor'du taking his leg through a mouth full of roasted pork. Merida couldn't tell how to behave based on her parent's actions, so she resorted to taking a hand full of fresh green beans and snacking on them one at a time.

On played the abnormally normal scene. As she munched on the third to last green bean, listening to the story of the large viking's experience in his forge, she noticed how her arms had already started to heal over as fresh, clean scabs. What had the young chief used to make such an ailment? It was clear and felt slightly thinker than saliva. Maybe it was water based?

"Your lunchen, Princess," said the maid who had seated her as she placed a plate of roasted pork and potatoes in front of her.

"Thank you, Fiona," Merida replied and began to eat her belated meal with much eagerness. She noticed that Haddock had been served as well and was examining the food on his plate like her brothers handle foreign relics, suspiciously and uncomfortably. Then he grimaced at a piece of burnt fat on the pork.

Merida giggled.

"How do ya know you won't like it if ya don't try it?" She asked with a smirk.

Hiccup, upon realizing that he'd been caught, quickly set his food down and cleared his throat.

"No, no. I'm sorry. I really do enjoy pork. This just reminded me of a bad food experience that still haunts me to this day," he responded as he looked down at his plate, again with the same grimace. He seemed as if he was going to vomit.

To Merida, his reaction seemed almost humorous, but then she remembered one of the stories she learned through her princess training. It was the morning after her triplet brothers were born, and her mother had insisted that the event would not cancel her daily lessons. Thus, Merida was given a substitute teacher- a maid, named Fiona. Fiona was a middle aged woman with a thick, messy braid. Merida was supposed to continue with her table manner training, but since Fiona knew nothing of a princess's table posture, she told her a story of her viking ancestors.

Fiona told the story with hand motions and facial expressions to illustrate the tale. Merida's interest was quickly caught as the story unfolded.

"My great grandmother was married to the viking Bourk the Boat Master. He crafted the biggest and bestest ships that ever did sail the northern seas. To this day, vikings are known to copy his designs. They were so sturdy, in fact, that the Vikings were able to sail to the main lands. Accidently, however. You see, my great grandmother and her husband were traveling to their southern brother tribe, a journey made only once every other generation. But when Bourk found the strange Scots living there, he assumed that they had destroyed the brother tribe. He saw them as enemies."

Merida's eyes were wide as Fiona continued to describe the viking's misconception of the Scot's clan by impersonating a stabbing spear, swinging sword, and shooting arrow. In the end, the viking's had maliciously killed all but four of the family's.

"And as was customary, Bourk and his men set up stones in memory of their brother tribe. The circle of stones still stand in far off woods. They are said to only be found when you aren't looking for them, and to guide you on the the right path to correct the viking's misdirection."

Curious, Merida asked, "But what happened after that? How did your blood-line become Scotish?"

"Bourk had a son who settled the people's land with other volunteered vikings. Soon later though, four Scottish Clans forced them to return the land and surrender or be sacrificed. Naturally, they refused to surrender. All but one. The son of Bourk. He wished to carry on the viking blood-line in honor of his father and the presumed vanquished brethren. The men were sacrificed to the dreadful catholic church. And the son of Bourk was sold as a slave to the clan King of Dunbroch," Fiona answered with careful description.

"Fiona...are vikings bad?" Merida sheepishly questioned.

"What would be your judgement, Princess?" The maid responded.

Merida sighed, "Well, the vikings did kill all the Scotsman, but the Clans responded the same way."

Fiona smiled, stating, "I think that will be a question for you to answer over time. But for now, come! Let us go visit your mother and wee baby brothers."

~End of story~

On remembering the old story, Merida became perplexed at how to act toward an actual viking. She had not yet answered the question for her own self if vikings were, indeed, bad. But rather let others speak through her that they were evil, mercilious savages. However, now sitting in the presence of a chieftain, gentle and kind and human, she knew not what to think of them.

In reponse to Hiccup's statement about the pork, Merida simply shrugged her shoulders and continued eating.

"Gentlemen, when you are ready, we can relocate into the library and sort out the account at hand," the Queen announced, "I'll have a Script prepared for the occasion." And at that, she waved over a maid and began giving her instructions.

Merida noticed how vague her mother's words were and hated being left in the dark on such an important matter; and after Elinor had spoken, the room had become oddly silent. The King and his new friend had stopped speaking and Hiccup wouldn't look Merida in the eyes. Everyone held a face of shame as if they were trying to hide something from her.

Thus, for the remainder of the meal, everyone ate in silence.