Author's Note

Long time no see... well, thank you to all who read, followed, favorited, and reviewed... I hope you enjoy this chapter.

xxx

The rays of morning sunshine came through the small window and Astrid felt the familiar urge to get ready for her early morning training. But this was not a regular morning in the life of Astrid Hofferson; she was a Haddock now. The finality of it all was immediate upon her awakening. Her stiff neck, the uncomfortable wedding garments, and the unwelcoming blankets revealed it all. She had not even a moment to relish in the memories of her previous life.

The only thing familiar was the dull ache in her body. Two days ago, she had spent her last day as a free woman throwing her frustration into trees. She enjoyed the pain, relished in it even; it reminded her of who she truly was, what she could do and how much she could withstand.

Her eyes fluttered open to the brown ceiling of the hut. She hated it. Her room on Ruffian island had a light beige roof. Astrid glanced over at the window. She hated it. The view of the rest of the town; how dreary. Her house at home had a spectacular view of the sea. Godsdammit, she hated the house, hated the party, the dress, the mead, hated the people here, her father, her mother, and most of all, him-

Her husband.

She looked over at her side. He wasn't there.

The women at the bath had plenty of ideas for the next morning, which was a lot of the same as the night before. But they hadn't told her what to do if he was gone... not that she was complaining. Perhaps it was better he'd not be in her presence right now, just in case her fury led to her being charged for murder. Astrid sat up and stared at the foot of her bed, feeling the blanket's texture beneath her fingertips.

She made a quick resolution for herself- maybe it was time she make her peace. Her anger, pouting and whining would not change her situation, only make her out to be a petulant child unfit to fulfill her father's orders. It happened, and nothing she tried had stopped it, and nothing she would do from now on would end it. She would just have to make her peace with it, forget her old life, and create a better one here for herself.

She thought of Hiccup. To him, she could not be obedient; subservient, never; docile, over her dead body. But peaceful and cooperative, she could try.

She would have to thank him for what he did last night- refusing to bed her and then convincing the men into leaving so that they'd get so drunk they'd forget their responsibility... well, she was grateful. It was a small victory for her. It was one thing that she got to keep after everything had been ripped away.

Something shuffled in the other room, followed by some murmurs she couldn't comprehend.

Hiccup came through the doorway. There was a small pause before he said quietly, "I was just speaking with my father. He wants us at the Great Hall for the morning gift ceremony in less than ten minutes."

Astrid nodded and pulled the furs off, getting up. She stared at his green eyes. "Thank you for last night."

He nodded and averted his eyes in response.

"I'll be ready in five."

"I'll leave you to it." He left the room.

She took off her tunic and put her shirt, leggings, spiked skirt and shoulder pads on. Astrid smiled at the comfort of its normalcy in the midst of the turmoil her life had become. By law, she wasn't allowed to keep her hair down as a married woman, which she took no issue with because it got in the way. But while her finger expertly braided her long blonde locks, she grimaced at the empty feeling she felt. Her maiden band. She missed its familiar weight.

Forget your old life, Astrid. It's gone.

She clenched her jaw and took one last look at her new normal.

I'll never be a shield maiden.

Astrid kicked the door frame before leaving and following Hiccup to the Great Hall.

xxx

It had gone surprisingly well. Hiccup had been slightly nervous; the people of Berk loved to watch what kind of riches and valuables the bride would get. And of course, that's his handicraft sitting at the top of it all. It was a chest full of all kinds of things, that really, he wasn't aware of because his dad took care of it. Some land, some gold, blah, blah, and blah... and an axe made by her own dear husband.

He lost a lot of sleep over that axe. And he doesn't have much of ego, but admittedly it was one of his best. He made sure it was of the best quality, including the handle. But he was still nervous, as he always is about things. So when Astrid pulled it out and turned it over in her hands, he studied her face for a sign of what she was thinking. She looked over at him, unexpectedly and raised an eyebrow questioningly. He smiled lopsidedly and nodded, biting the inside of his mouth anxiously.

And then she smiled; it was a small one, but it came through her eyes. He didn't have a deep love for weapons and, thus, could not claim he understood it, but he assumed that her way with axes was like his way with drawing and forging. It was a sigh of relief.

He'd written something on the bottom of the handle in tiny writing. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her about it, or to let her discover it herself. It read: To our marriage, that it will be successful, (His dad suggested he write that. He couldn't possibly come up with something so... direct and sophisticated) because if it isn't, I assume you've just finished me off with this very axe.

Yeah. Basically a genuine well-wishing message with a bit of Hiccup flair and humor. He sort of envisioned her throwing it into trees after he did something to annoy her or something, and she's just about to yank it out, when she discovers writing on the handle. She gasps dramatically. She reads it and decides that's exactly the purpose she's going to use the axe to do, once she's finished throwing axes at his imaginary head.

Foolproof.

Well, at least he managed to accomplish something that made her happy. It made all the trouble worth it.

xxx

Stoick the Vast was a reasonable man. He couldn't panic when he noticed the decreasing population of Berk, but he couldn't ignore the truth: Berk's future was not secure.

Each generation decreased as the years passed. The dragon raids had only worsened over the years, leaving Berk with fewer resources than ever before. Winters got harsher, food became more scarce, and more warriors died at the claws of the beasts. A limited number of children actually survived their first year, which only discouraged people to have them.

But Stoick promised them that he would restore Berk's future. But there were so few young fighters, and the older ones were becoming too old to fight any longer. Who would protect Berk? Who would be Berk in the future if they were dying out?

When he went to Ruffian Island, he had explained his worries to his old friend, Biôrn, the chief of the Rogue Ruffian tribe, who was going through similar problems. They had discussed their treaty and how the dragon raids only got worse as the years passed. Stoick suggested to him that a marriage of their children would strengthen the two tribes, therefore giving each other a strong ally.

Biôrn had agreed and offered his daughter, whom Stoick greatly approved of. She was a great dragon fighter, with a well-respected reputation with her tribe. He hoped, prayed to Odin, that her marriage to Hiccup could somehow make him the same way, for his and the village's sake. The responsibility of being a husband would hopefully make him grow up and become a man and stop all that, well, Hiccupness. The Hofferson lass could be his rock, something for him to hold him down and to show him how to be a chief. With her by his side, he might have a good chance. Furthermore, if he was to be chief when he retires, Hiccup would need an heir.

So, in Stoick's eyes, marriage between his son and Biôrn's daughter was the perfect answer to everything. It just made sense.

He had hoped Hiccup would take the responsibility well, and realize what depended on it, but of course, he was difficult when he first told him. But he seemed to have accepted it, and the weeks simply flew by with all the preparations.

What he would do to have Valka here with him, watching their son get married. He truly missed her, and the wedding only brought up nostalgic memories of his own.

What was he going to do with that boy? The only thing he's learned about him over the years is that he doesn't change. Of course Stoick got angry at him countless times and would never understand what went through that mind of his, but he did love his son.

He just wished he could get him under control.

xxx

Astrid sat by the fire sharpening her new axe. It was wonderful, truly, better than all of the ones she'd ever owned. She had spent the day testing it out, out in Berk's large forests. It was made well, had the right amount of weight in all the right places.

Knock, knock.

Her husband was home.

She walked her way to the door and yanked it open. There he was, shivering despite the obviously-too-large fur cape draped over his shoulders. He came in quickly, muttering a quick 'thank you'. She shut the door behind him.

"It is not that cold," She smirked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at him immediately running to the fireplace.

"It feels that way when you've spent all day working inside an oven." He countered.

She sat down next to him. "You should get out more often."

He smiled. "I probably should."

There was a small pause.

"Thank you for the axe, I tried it out today. It's really well made." She gestured at it lying next to the rock she had been using to sharpen it with.

"I'm glad you like it." He said back.

Silence ensued once more.

Astrid stared at him stare at the fire.

He was strange.

But not in a bad way. He was nothing like what she had expected. When she was told she was to wed Stoick the Vast's son, all she could envision was a brute of man who would try to dominate her in every way imaginable. Rather, she got a man less than half of her vision's weight and double his character. So far he had proved to be nothing but decent in his actions towards her.

"I'm starving, and I'm sure you are too. Do you cook?" She questioned.

He glanced over at her and shook his head. "Do you?"

Astrid almost laughed. Cook? Sure, she could, but was it edible? Probably to a yak.

"My mother attempted to teach me, but it was futile," she replied, "Which was why, as my mother put it, I'm lucky you took me, considering I have no domestic skills." She rolled her eyes.

After all, her parents had sprung on the offer because Astrid was not wife material in any way possible, and would've been the only offer they would get. She knew she was pretty; plenty of boys back home had tried to win her affections, however to no avail. But there was more to being a wife than just being pretty, and Stoick would've been the only one to overlook that.

But she never wanted to be married in the first place! Her stomach boiled and she felt the rush of hot anger flood her bloodstream as it had so many times before. Every time she thought she had come to terms with her plight, the anger and bitter emotions slithered down her spine, right at home. They never really left.

She closed her eyes and breathed out air.

"I see I have a very charming mother-in-law." He commented, amused.

She had to resist these thoughts; all they did was cause her to yearn for her old life even more. Calm down, Astrid. Forget it.

Quietly, she glanced over at him. "All my life I've trained myself to be a shield maiden, and then suddenly I'm sold into a marriage I don't want. My older brother Jonsí isn't married and he's the next chief. It's unfair."

The fire cackled in their silence.

Hiccup pulled his furs off, and leaned against the wall of their hut, crossing his arms over his knees. "I understand. I really do. I begged my father to not go through with this, but he was set on it. I do love him, he is my father after all, and the only real family I have left. But he thinks he knows what I need, but he just doesn't. And you know, maybe I don't know what I really want yet, but I know a marriage isn't it. But for him, it's whatever is for the good of the tribe."

Astrid nodded, "I know. They put their tribes over their own children's happiness. It might make them a good chief, but what about being a good father?"

She looked up at him, his face illuminated by the light of the fire, his green eyes piercing her blue ones. "Astrid, I really do mean it when I say that I have no intention of dominating this arrangement. Which I know you'd never allow, but," He paused as they both smiled, "But I know that's what they want you to accept because that's what they told me to be. But I was never a traditional Viking man, and you're not a traditional Viking woman. And we can make that work."

He stood up and reached out his hand to her. "Let's go to the Mead Hall for dinner, shall we?"

xxx

Astrid has been in Berk for about a month now. Ever since she stepped foot here, it had always been stares. Wherever she went. People just stared at her, trying to determine who the 'unlucky lass' was, as she once overheard one conversation. But now she was one of them, no longer a foreigner. But still, they didn't keep to their own business.

People's eyes followed her as she lead the way past the great doors of the Mead Hall, alongside Hiccup. "Why is everyone staring?" He whispered to her as they walked towards the table with food.

"They're your people, don't ask me." She hissed back.

He didn't respond, and they got their food silently. (Mead Hall food is tough and tasteless, he had told her on the way before he added, just like the people here.)

The stares and whispers persisted. She tried to reign in her discontent. Let it go, Astrid. Don't act stupid.

"Where do you usually sit?" She asked, her eyes wandering across the many long tables of the Great Hall.

"Alone," He sighed sheepishly.

Astrid rolled her eyes and whispered back, "These bastards are having the goddamn feast because of us anyway. They should have more respect." She set her eyes on a table of people that looked about their age, and marched in their direction.

"Hey, uh, where you going?" He called out as he tried to catch up with her, "They hate me." He hissed in her ear as the people turned to face them.

Astrid ignored him and sat down. "Good evening. I'm sitting here."

One boy with long blonde hair smirked as he leaned over the table. "Would you look at that," He drawled lazily, "It's Useless and his new wife."

Hiccup's eyes pierced her intensely as he sat down slowly across from her.

A girl with ratty blonde hair piped up. "Hey, Mrs. Haddock! I'm Ruffnut, and he's Tuffnut and we're twins." Her brother had similarly long blonde hair, and probably the same annoying voice.

"So. What is hell like? I am so curious." She propped her head up with her hands on the table as her cronies laughed noisily around her.

Eugh. These people were classless.

"Can't be worse than yours," She bit back, "And my name is Astrid."

The boy who spoke first pounded his fist at the table. "Wait! You're not planning on killing yourself? What did you do to her, Haddock?" He shot a look towards Hiccup, who just rolled his eyes. "I'm Snotlout, son of Spitelout. The next chief of this tribe." He puffed out his chest proudly.

What an arrogant bastard. If he was to be chief one day, she wouldn't be here. Astrid bit into a piece of bread. Not terrible, but home definitely had better.

"Feel free to divorce him anytime if you want some of this." He flexed his arm, and she shot him a look of disgust. They were giving here such a terrible impression of Berk. Gods forbid they were all like this, she might actually take him up on his suggestion of suicide.

Hiccup, across from her, had a very dry, bored look as he ate quietly. He must be used to it.

Tuffnut slammed his fist on the table, his eyes shining. What was with these manchildren and slamming things when they had to make a point? Thor above.

"I know why she won't kill herself! It's because you're planning on killing him instead!" He grinned while pointing his fork at her, "Well played, Mrs. Haddock."

The rest of the table threw their heads back laughing. Hiccup made eye contact with her, raising his eyebrows as to say I told you so.

"Right now," Astrid replied delicately, "the only death I'm planning is yours."

"Ooo," Ruffnut grinned, "She's a feisty one. I like her."

Astrid glared at her in response.

More giggles went around the table, but they did not reach Hiccup or her. Muttonheads.

They begin talking about something else, and so Astrid quickly tuned out. She was halfway through her meal, anyway, and that was the only thing she came for.

After some time, Snotlout turned his attention towards her again. "So, Astrid," he commented offhandedly, "How's my pathetic excuse for a cousin in bed?" The twins giggled mischievously.

Immature idiots. "None of your business," Astrid replied evenly, continuing to eat her food.

Ruffnut cackled, "I bet he was horrible." She didn't respond. Her bet was as good as hers, after all.

Snotlout grinned too, but then he sighed. "It's not fair. How does Hiccup get it before us, Tuff? It just doesn't make sense. Plus, he got a pretty girl."

He leaned closer to her, as she edged away from him with a fierce glare, "I think I like you."

"Man. You're flirting with your cousin's wife," Tuffnut pointed out with an amused smile.

Snotlout shrugged. "Whatever's his, I always get anyway," He grinned proudly, "For example, the chiefdom."

Hiccup sat up suddenly. "I'm going home, Astrid," He said quietly.

She looked up at him. "Okay," She replied, her eyes following him out the door.

"Looks like we pushed him over the edge." Tuffnut muttered, still smiling, giving a high five to Snotlout.

"You really are all bastards," Astrid muttered. "I was under the impression that the people of Berk held themselves with some degree of respect. What's wrong with you?"

"The real question is what's wrong with him." Snotlout replied easily. These people thought they were just so much better than everyone else, didn't they?

Astrid rolled her eyes, stood up and walked towards the Mead Hall doors without looking back. What a waste of time and breath.

The cold chill met her as she pushed open the great doors, causing her to shiver. What insufferable idiots. She finally understood Hiccup's alienation from his peers.

Once she finally arrived at the house, Astrid pushed open the door and expected to see Hiccup there, but he wasn't.

So he was upstairs.

"Hiccup?" She called out as she climbed the stairs slowly, "Hiccup, where are you?"

She found him sitting on the bed.

Astrid felt a rush of uncertainty. Maybe he wanted to be alone, or maybe she should go talk to him. But what would she say?

"Hiccup..." She walked over and sat next to him, looking at him. "I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I shouldn't have made us sit there."

"It's all right, Astrid, really, I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't listen to what other people say, Hiccup. Especially idiots like them."

"No, no, it's not that. Really, it doesn't get to me, like it used to." His voice was quiet, but thoughtful. "Snotlout may be an idiot, but he's not entirely wrong. I'm not fit to be a chief. And I don't care for it, really, but I know nobody here respects me," He paused, leaning back against the headboard, "And I know my father wishes he had someone else as a son."

"Forget what you think he wants," She responded, "You're what he has. And he has full intentions of making you chief."

He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "How would you know?"

Astrid kicked off her boots and leaned against the footboard to the bed so that she was facing him. "I listened in when your father and mine made their treaty. I heard my name, and so I ease-dropped. There are multiple reasons why they made the arrangement, but one of them is so I make you chief material. He just wants you to shape up."

"He wants a miracle."

"He just wants you to be more like him," She said bluntly, "But I don't think he's that stupid to give it to Snotlout."

"Fair point. It's just that I've been trying to prove myself to him my whole life. And I always end up a failure." He sighed.

"You're not a failure, you just... haven't succeeded yet. And no husband of Astrid Ho-" Astrid cut herself off and sighed at her slip up. "Astrid Haddock is a failure. Completely unacceptable." She added with a sly grin.

"I'm so sorry I don't reach your standards, despite the fact that's my last name you're using there." He rolled his eyes. She punched him the shoulder.

She was put here to make him more, well, 'chief material' after all. That's why Stoick overlooked her lack of domestic skills. She wasn't here to work for him. She was here to make him work. And being the true Viking she is, she intended to fulfill that.

"Look, hard work beats talent any day." Astrid glanced over at him. "I could help you. Train, I mean. If you want to get better."

"Thank you, Astrid."

He stared quietly at her for a moment and Astrid realized then just how deep his eyes were. With the rush the last month had been, she never had really studied him. But even now she could barely make out his face, seeing that the hearth was their only source of light at night, creating a glow of light around him.

"You're the closest anyone's gotten to being my friend. So thank you, Astrid."

"You're welcome." She replied softly.

xxx

"Hiccup."

Somebody was calling his name. But who cares? Hiccup groaned and flopped himself on the other side. Man, the hard wooden bed felt so good.

"Hiccup. Get up."

The voice was angry now. But his body refused to move He hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in ages, gods, he was tired...

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup moaned and turned on the other side, burying his face in the furs. "Go away, Astrid. I'm tired." He murmured.

Suddenly, his whole body became very cold as the warm furs were pulled off him and he felt a sharp blow to his arm. Stupid wife.

"Get up, Hiccup! Now! I'm serious!"

Hiccup cracked one eye open to see darkness. "It's not even dawn yet, Astrid," He yawned and pulled the furs back on, "What could you possibly want..."

"HICCUP! I'm getting my axe!"

Okay, that got him up. "What?!" He glared at her through the darkness. He could barely see her but he saw enough to know that she was awake and in a no-nonsense attitude.

"How are you sleeping through this? Do you not see the dragons destroying your village!?" She wrung her hands out exasperatedly while gesturing wildly at the window.

"Oh. Dragon raid." He rolled his eyes. "Joy."

"What do you do during raids if you don't fight?" She asked in a business-like tone while putting her shoulder pads on, quickly.

Hiccup shrugged. "I do go out sometimes... I just don't fight them. I make inventions that do it for me," He ignored her as she raised her eyebrow, "But I know I'm most useful in the forge, sharpening weapons. But if I can fit it into my busy schedule, I'll go out at the end of the night. Depends on how my luck is."

Astrid grabbed her axe and snapped at him. "Go then and don't cause trouble. Now." She pointed her weapon at him. "I'm going to fight."

With that, she left, slamming the door. "Okay, Mom." Hiccup rolled his eyes, and pulled on his brown boots. Once he left the house, he studied at the sky as he made his way to the forge. Damn, there were a lot of monstrous nightmares circling overhead. He felt it. This was going to be a bad night.

Once he reached his destination, he tried not to groan as dozens of weapons were laid in the window, already waiting to be sharpened.

"Good mornin', Hiccup!"

"Yeah, you too, Gobber. Such a beautiful morning," He grabbed an axe and held it to the grinder, "I can just feel the sun this bright morning."

Gobber glanced at him up and down. "I see that yeh just woke up."

Hiccup nodded, handing the axe to someone in the crowd of Vikings waiting and picking up a spear. "I know. It's that new wife my dad got me, it's perfect for waking you up in the morning. Better than dozens of dragons burning your village."

"Aye," He commented, "One of the reasons why I never married."

Hiccup watched yet another house catch fire as he handed someone their sharpened spear.

"Hiccup, just stay in the forge today. Ye can prove your Vikingness some other day." Gobber watched through the window warily, "It gon' be a bad night, an' we don't need more trouble than we've got."

Hiccup grabbed a random mace and sighed. "Sure, Gobber. Wasn't intending to, anyway."

"Good."

xxx

Author's Note

Big apologies for 3 year-ish gap update. Life is busy, shit happens, not really an excuse but it's all I got for ya.

Believe it or not, I've had this chapter forever but never got around to posting it. But I came on recently and changed it up a lot. Surprisingly your writing changes and improves over the years! So I fixed a lot, but still left a lot of my old writing/plot. That would be why some parts may be juxtaposing bad writing with decent writing.

So... to be honest, I'm not sure how far this story will go. Still love HTTYD, however, I don't have the time I used to, to be 100% dedicated to it. But man, they need to release the third movie, it's been decades.

Thanks for still reading. But see you next year probably.