Meet Me At the Halfway Point

The Unexpected Dinner

Year three End of Spring. Day 3

A gentle breeze blew through a forest of trees, and the sun sat over the mountains casting off a soft orange and yellow glow, Merida was walking up the dirt path that headed towards the horse stables behind her castle. Since today's lesson on close hand combat ran a little too long, she pulled on Angus rails to pick up the pace if she was going to make it back in time for dinner. Yet while trying to hurry home Merida couldn't help but think back about the new information she had learned from Hiccup not too long ago. Merida didn't know why it bothered her so much to learn that Heather had returned to the edge, and how this time the team convinced her to stay. The princess mumbled comments under her breath while almost reaching the stone pillars of the stables.

"As if she has what it takes to be a dragon rider! Think about it Angus, she comes 'n' goes whenever she wants- travels alone and NOW she chooses to stay? Just don't sit right with me, what do ya think, Angus?"

The horse paid no attention, only shaking his head to shoo away a fly, but with a firm attitude she spoke on.

"Her lifestyle is so different from Hiccup's...she's too reckless, she'll just bring more trouble. I just know it."

The closer the two of them got, Merida could hear the sound of chickens clucking and farming tools still at work. It would be smart to stop speaking of the subject yet Merida couldn't bring herself to stop. "Aye, she may have a dragon- but can she shoot a bullseye five times in a row? Swing a sword 'n' balance a shield? Read a map o' study the land? Tell me, Angus, why did Hiccup let her become a dragon rider?!"

Merida was so lost in her loud rambling her she didn't notice arriving into the barn. She looked behind and spotted working men on the other side of the courtyard too busy shoveling hay to have heard her. Placing her palm to her forehead, calming herself down by one big breath, she closed her eyes for just a moment, then opened them back up and began to undo Angus's saddle. "Silly to be jealous ah know Angus... - just had this silly idea that th' next dragon rider...would be me." Placing the saddle down onto its stool, Merida clapped her hands to remove dust from her hands, then dropped to rest against the side of the wooden stable just feeling more upset. "You should hear how he talks about them Angus...Heather 'n' Astrid- they sound fearless 'n' amazing....he told one dragon rider about me, I wonder if- if he describes me like tha-'' Merida stopped talking, annoyed with herself and straightened up. "Enough talk of this nonsense, I don't have time for this type of foolishness, I'm probably just hungry-right! time to eat." Patting goodnight to Angus, she traveled across the back courtyard and walked up the stone steps entering through the back door of the castle's kitchen.

Merida found herself in the midst of a cooking chaos, pots were boiling on the stove, cooks were busy chopping and cutting the meats and vegetables. And the house maids running and shouting at each other to get everything in place and ready that no one seemed to notice their princess had entered the kitchen. She did her best to walk and not to get in anyone's way, but found it odd that all this fuss and grand preparation for her small family. Merida walked over to the fruit basket just to grab herself an apple, but when she was about to take a bite, a maid approached her.

"Princess? Shouldn't ya be getting ready?" she spoke with an apologetic soft tone.

Merida replied with a small smile, "Why would I be getting ready? It's just dinner."

"N-no..princess- tonight is th' night the lords are visiting, we've been preparing all day, and th' lords should be here soon. Your mother said ya left for the day but remember to return on time and be ready with th' new dress she left out for you," the maid looked up and down horrified at the princess dirty dress yet still spoke sweetly, "but... perhaps you haven't gone to your chambers yet?" she smiled nervously.