Strongly Believe in Your Fateful Dreams

Chapter 11: The Bethrotal

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"Woah, woah, woah, wait a minute," said Hiccup, "H-how is that possible?" he asks. "One of the castle maids appears to have spotted the princess meeting up with a commoner. A boy, to be exact. That is why the queen thought that the bethrotal should be moved tomorrow before the princess could even think of marrying that peasant," Stoick explained.

"Wow," he said. "Is... is that why you went home ahead of time?" Hiccup asks. "Yes. Now, I must prepare you for tomorrow," said Stoick, "Move back in our house back at Berk this night. I'll send Gobber to pick you up," Stoick makes his way out.

Hiccup stares at the letter. He has no idea about what to do in this bethrotal thing. Another fact: the bethrotal is all he knows. The other lords? No. The other firstborns of the other clans? No. The kingdom itself? No. He doesn't even know about what kingdom holds this crest.

But why is it so familiar to him? Oh well.

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Afternoon came & Hiccup packed his stuff. Well, by "pack" we mean... well, just taking a small bag of his things. There was not much to take home. Most of them were his blue prints.

He waited until evening when Gobber came. This Jolly Viking runs to him, waving his hand. "Oy! Hiccup!" Gobber yells. "Hey, Gobber," said Hiccup. "Let's go now, then," said Gobber, leading the way to the boat he rode to get there.

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Once they reached Berk, Hiccup immediately went to his home. The whole village was being repaired & his house was one of the very few structures that were still standing tall. Hiccup knocks on the door & he opens it. He finds his dad by the fire.

Hiccup tries to sneak up to his bedrrom in the secod floor. "Hiccup," his father says. Hiccup stops climbing. "Uh... dad? What is it?" he goes down a few steps. "Remember to wake up early tomorrow. We still have to prepare the ship & gather some of our men," Stoick said, walking to a table. "Sure thing, dad," said Hiccup.

"Before you go, son," Stoick said, coming back with a helmet in his hands. Hiccup notices it. "I-is that..." he points at it. "Yes," Stoick hands it Hiccup, "Your very own helmet," Hiccup takes it. "Wow. Thanks," he says. "Ah, your mother would've wanted you to have it," Hiccup looks at it admiringly.

"It's half of her breast plate," said Stoick as Hiccup changed his expression. "Oh," he murmurs. "Matching piece," said Stoick, tapping his own helmet, "Keeps her close," he says.

Hiccup never knew his mother. His father told him that she was killed by a dragon when he was still a baby in the cradle.

Hiccup fakes a yawn. "I should really get going. A very big day tomorrow & all," he stetches. "Ah, yes. Uh, good talk," Stoick says. "Yeah, yeah & thanks for the uhm... *ahem* breast-hat..." said Hiccup, climbing upstairs to his room. It's the only room on the second floor, anyway.

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The blue color of the sky reflects on the sea. Three other ships pass by Berk. "Those are the other lords' ships," said Stoick to himself, about to board his ship. "Where's Hiccup?" he asked one of the ship's crew. "Hiccup is over there, sir," they replied. Stoick turns to a struggling Hiccup, who is having trouble carrying his axe. It was given to him by his ather earlier today.

Stoick releases a frustrated sigh & runs to his son's aid. Hiccup spots him. "D-dad! Wait, no, stop. I can handle this," he says, obviously struggling. "Give it to me, son. You'll only hurt yourself," Stoick said, taking the axe & walking with his son back to the ship. "Sorry, Dad," said Hiccup, fixing his new helmet. "It's alright, son," said Stoick, boarding the ship along with Hiccup. And they set sail.

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Ahead Stoick's Ship, or Clan Haddock's ship, are the three other ships Stoick saw from Berk's port. They were filled with men dressed accordingly. "CLAN DINGWALL!!" a short man with with hair, looking like a troll, yells with his men from the ship on the left. "CLAN MACINGALL!!" a rather stout, blond bearded man yelled from his ship along with his men on the right. "CLAN MACINTOSH!!" a thin man with long black hair painted with blue tattoos shouts louder than the two clans from the middle.

"I wonder if we should yell like they do," said Hiccup to himself. However, Stoick hears him. "Alright, lads! You heard Hiccup! Let's yell like they do," he says. "H-hey! I never said that! I just thought that maybe, you know, it's a tradition around in this kingdom to like yell your clan's name in pride or whatever to make other clans acknowledge your presence," says Hiccup rather sheepishly.

"I'm pretty sure they're just showing off for each other," said Stoick with a quiet chuckle. "Oh," Hiccup shrugs in realization.

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Inside the castle, Elinor dresses Merida in a horribly uncomfortable & tight formal dress. "You look absolutely beautiful," she says in adoration. "I... I can't breathe!" Merida says frustratedly. "Give us a twirl," says Elinor, doing a twirl gesture with her index finger. Merida stiffly turns. "I can't move! It's too tight!" Merida says in frustration yet again. "It's prefect," says Elinor. She looks at the princess with compassion, "Merida," she says. "Mum?" Merida responds. "Just..." Elinor searches for her words but, "... remember to smile," was all she could say. And so she turns & walks away.

After the queen leaves, Merida manages to walk near the window where she keeps on hearing wild cheers all over. She looks over & sees the three familiar clans... then the newly recruited one. Wait. Is that... is that who she thought it was. A small lanky boy dressed in green & brown with auburn hair & forest green eyes. The only new one was the helmet. Where did that come from? He looked around. He looked left & right, admiring the kingdom. He looks up to see her window & Merida immediately hides. Definitely. That was definitely Hiccup.

What is he doing here? He has no business running around with the clans like that. Unless! Oh no. Unless of course... he's one of the suitors...?

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