Hiccup and Astrid were on a walk in the forest, hands intertwined and arms swinging and just enjoying some free time together.
Reluctantly Hiccup began to tell Astrid the sucky news. "Uh Astrid?"
"Hmm?"
"We've got a visitor coming to Berk tonight. I tried to divert them to another island but..."
"It.. it's fine Hiccup. I'll be fine. Not all visitors are Luke and Callon."
"Yea actually... crazy thing is... it's kinda sorta.. maybe a... Princess?"
Astrid ripped her hand away from Hiccup's and stopped dead in her tracks.
"WHAT?!"
"She wants to marry a chief and so she's visiting all the islands. But you know I'm in love with you Astrid. You and only you. She'll be gone before she can cause much trouble."
Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Astrid once again held Hiccup's hand.
"I'm not worried about it Hiccup. But if she lays a finger on you she's goin' down."
Hiccup chuckled. "I figured you'd say something like that."
***At the docks***
Hiccup and Astrid waited on the docks as a huge ship tied off. A woman with fiery red curly hair and a bow and arrow stepped off.
She stepped in front of Hiccup and Astrid.
"Welcome to Berk Merida." Hiccup greeted her.
"Thank you Chief Hiccup."
"Oh call me Hiccup please. If you need anything while you're here I'll be happy to help."
"You do realize I am visiting to find a husband; correct?"
"Yes I know that." Hiccup said, slightly irritated. "But you won't find one here."
"Is that so?" Merida smirked and walked her fingers up Hiccup's chest.
Astrid's blood boiled. "It is so." She snarled, taking hold of Hiccup's hand and kissing him on the cheek. "Hiccup and I have been betrothed since we were eighteen, and our wedding is in two weeks."
Merida scowled. "We'll see about that. Hiccup would you be so kind as to give me a tour of your glorious village?"
Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I'd looove to." Turning to Astrid he said, "I'll see you tonight milady." Hiccup pulled Astrid into him and kissed her deeply, trying to send a message to Merida that there was no way that he would leave Astrid.
Astrid giggled and hit Hiccup's shoulder playfully. "See you tonight babe."
Merida scowled. "I am waiting patiently for my tour."
Hiccup chuckled sarcastically, pulled away from Astrid, and started leading Merida toward the great hall. "Haha no you aren't princess. If you were you wouldn't have said anything. Let's get on with the tour shall we?"
Astrid held in her laughter so that she ended up snorting. Hiccup was truly the best.
***
About fifteen minutes into the tour Merida decided to be a snob.
"I plan to marry you Hiccup Haddock. You should know, I always get what I want." She said, placing her hands on his chest.
Hiccup took Merida's wrists and placed them back at her side.
"Look Merida. You're very pretty and I'm sure you'll find a lucky man who will want to marry you, but I'm not that man. I'm in love with Astrid. I have been since I was fifteen. So, you and me.. it's never gonna happen."
"Ugh. What's so special about that blonde?! She looks like an ugly, talentless, stupid, Viking Girl that will never amount to anything!"
Feeling his temper rise, Hiccup decided to send Merida on her way. "Let's speak kindly about other people please. Now get in your ship, and leave first thing in the morning. I don't ever want to see you in Berk again." He said calmly.
Merida scowled and left.
***
Merida was walking by a storage building when she saw Astrid slip inside.
"I'll get her and make her pay!" Merida said to herself, slipping into the storage building.
Astrid whipped around when the door closed. "Oh it's you." She went back to counting supplies. "You shouldn't be in here Merida."
Merida pounced, pinning Astrid to the wall with her hands above her head. "That's 'princess' to you!" She hissed. "And I'll do what I want!"
Astrid's blood boiled. Who does this girl think she is?! Astrid flipped forcefully and pinned Merida against the wall. "Alright little Scottish princess! Don't you ever-" Astrid pulled her away from the wall and slammed her back forcefully- "come into our village and tell us what we can and cannot do! This isn't Scotland, you aren't in charge! And stay away from Hiccup! Lay a finger on him ever again and I will not hesitate to beat you to a bloody curly haired pulp!"
Merida smirked. "How are you going to do that when I had a worker on my ship lace your food with a muscle weakening poison?"
Just as she said this, Astrid's knees buckled and she crumpled to the floor.
"Looks like I'll get to make you pay for taking Hiccup." Merida smirked evilly.
Holding a finger up in the air, Astrid said "Now that was just plain bitchy."
***
Hiccup sighed as he entered the great hall to finish up some chiefly duties. He just wanted to crawl into bed and cuddle with Astrid.
***
Astrid grunted as Merida tied her to a chair with the ropes so tight it cut off her circulation. She rummaged around in the supplies until she found a small container with a green liquid in it.
"Hmm I wonder what this could be?" She walked towards Astrid.
Astrid gasped. Changewing Acid. "It's it's nothing! Just some medicine for rashes!"
"Oh then a bit on you won't hurt at all!"
Merida tipped the bottle and let four drops of the acid fall onto Astrid's bare thigh, immediately burning and sizzling the skin.
Screaming and struggling against her restraints, Astrid attempted to make as much noise as possible to get someone's attention on the outside. But Merida stuffed a cloth in Astrid's mouth and continued to torture Astrid with the acid.
"Oh poor blonde!" Merida hissed in her Scottish accent. "Too bad dear Hiccup isn't here to save you!"
Merida then went back to the supplies and found a short, gronkle iron knife.
"Ooo fun!"
Astrid shook her head frantically and managed to kick Merida in the leg when she got close enough, but it didn't help.
Merida slid the knife across Astrid's left cheek, leaving a gash.
Tears shimmered in the corners of Astrid's eyes, but she refused to cry. Merida was not getting that satisfaction.
Suddenly Merida chuckled devilishly and pulled out one of her arrows.
She untied Astrid's right wrist and held it down tight on the arm of the chair. Holding the arrow like a pencil, Merida started cutting into Astrid's arm, writing the word 'Blonde' into her skin.
That's when Astrid could hide the tears back no more. They erupted out during her muffled screams and cries. She has never been in so much pain.
Suddenly Dagur and Snotlout burst into the storage building.
"I knew it!" Dagur screamed angrily, seizing Merida by the arm.
"Unhand me you peasant! I am a princess and I do as I please!"
"Snotlout get her out of here and get Hiccup! Quickly! Astrid's hurt!"
Snotlout did as told.
Dagur rushed over to Astrid, untied her, and took out the gag.
Due to the singed skin and burned flesh on her legs Astrid couldn't stand. The whole side of her face was now covered in blood, and her arm was swelling tremendously. Astrid could do nothing but cry.
"Astrid," Dagur said soothingly as he knelt down and wrapped his huge arms around her comfortingly. "You are gonna be alright. Hiccup will be here soon. Just hang in there."
Over the years Astrid had finally come to trust Dagur like the rest of the gang, and he now hugged everyone regularly, so it wasn't a big new thing.
Astrid gasped and harped for breath. There was a ringing in her ears, sounding as though her head was about to explode.
Astrid thought to herself "I would like to go a full year without getting cut and bruised up. Is that too much to ask?"
Part two coming soon!:)
