The flaws of being a Hiccup *in editing*

chapter 8: Princess Merida of Dunbroch

*edited* ~ 24 / 02 / 2015

Merida

Urgh! I hated my mum with a passion, she just never understood me. I didn't want to get married, what didn't she understand by that?

Of course I also blamed my dad for not backing her out of it! Argh, why, why, why? Couldn't she just do what I wanted for once in her life? She never thought to ask me, No! I didn't know why we couldn't stick with the original plan with the other suitors. At least I wouldn't have to get married right away, right? But no, I had to now! I mean I know that I had certain, obligations as a princess, but marriage at 18? I could have really shot someone with my bow and arrows right then!

My mum had made the guards literally drag me onto the ship and lock me in the main cabin in case I tried to jump off (as if I would have been stupid enough to do that). Not something that I would frequently look back upon as pleasant in the future. She couldn't do this!

We had been sailing for I didn't know how long before there was a knock at my door...

"Sweetie?" oh no it was the wee devil herself!

"Go away, I don' wanna talk righ' now..." I shouted stubbornly through the thick wood of the door in my thick Scottish accent.

"Merida jus' listen, ai had no choice! Ai had to do it for the kingdom!" She informed me, thinking that the guilt and sympathy trick would work on me. Yeah right!

"I don' care 'bout your lame excuses!"

"Merida-" She warned, setting on her part motherly and part Queen voice.

"jus' go away and leave ma in peace..." Eventually, she did.

Hiccup

Everyone waited at the docks, awaiting the arrival of my 'future wife'. Even after a whole night of thinking, I still couldn't believe my mum would do this to me, or find a way that I could possibly forgive, mum or not. Dad would never have agreed to this if he was here.

I hadn't slept at all last night, I couldn't stop thinking about it, then my mind switched to Astrid, Merida then back to Astrid again...

Oh Astrid, if only you could see how very, truly sorry I am...

I looked around the huge crowd of vikings, seeing everyone but Astrid. Snotlout was teasing and fighting Fishlegs, whilst Tuffnut was hitting and egging them on just for fun. Strangely Ruffnut wasn't fighting but just had her eyes fixed on me... glaring.

Feeling something heavy on my shoulder, I looked back to see my mums hand resting there as if reassuring me, stood up straight, her face pleasantly normal - but I could see beneath that mask. I resisted the urge to shrug her hand off, reminding myself that it would only upset her and being on good terms with her now may be best if I was to get out of this 'arranged marriage'.

"It's time Hiccup," she pronounced, patting my shoulder. Squinting, I could just about make out a ship off in the distance.

"It's time..." she repeated. I gulped.

Merida

I heard someone shout,

"Berk, straight ahead!" Before I heard a knock at the door and someone unlocking it.

"Come on now! Don' dawdle we're here! Now remember, what you have been told, smile, wave, make a good lasting impression!" I stepped out from my 'jail' cell into the misty light, dulled by the low fog surrounding us. I immediately wrapped my arms around my torso, trying to keep myself in the least bit insulated in the thin, baby blue coloured dress that my mother had forced me into, despite my constant protesting, it never seemed to get through.