A/N: What's up guys! Man it feels good to start writing this story. I can't tell you how long I have had this idea floating around in my head. So after reading a few Arranged Marriage stories I decided to do my take on it and I hope you all like it. I will tell you all now that some of these chapters are influenced by The Choice by reens, I have their permission to proceed so please do keep the comments of how similar the stories to yourselves. I know how similar they are but they story goes in it's own direction trust me. I will go for an update at least once a week though I don't have a specific day as to when. So poke around read my other stories and leave a review I read all of them and they make my world. So let's dive head first on into this mess.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Mexican ;p
Hiccup's POV
My name is Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third. I'm 15 years old, I have wild Auburn hair, forest green eye, Five feet and eight inches tall, and probably the skinniest Viking in the history of Berk. I'm also an apprentice in the forge here on Berk but you'll see why that is important later.
Where to start. Well I would have to say that things in my life started to take a turn when my mother Valka Haddock died seven years ago when I was eight. She died when a Deadly Nadder's spike pierced her heart and since then my life has been utter hell. The chief of the island who just so happens to be my dad became very distant. He stopped talking to me, spending time with, and teaching me about anything, that now it seems the only time I can get two words out of him is when he is scolding me for when my latest invention didn't do what it was supposed to or when I trip and fall into somebody, or knock something over. It really is quite depressing.
Then there is the fact that all of my friends seemed to have stopped hanging around me. First it was my cousin Snotlout, who as soon as my mother passed away seemed to make it his personal mission to bully me. He would shove me around, call me useless, toothpick, an embarrassment, you get the idea.
Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston, the twin terrors as some of the village has taken to calling them. They are constantly pulling pranks that honestly do more damage to the village then I ever did. But I always somehow seem to be in the right place at the wrong time to be blamed for most of their pranks hence why my dad and the village look at with such disgust and disappointment.
Fishlegs Ingerman the literal embodiment of a gentle giant. He is by far the biggest of all of us teens but also the nicest. He has never said a bad word or done anything physical to me but he also left me once I became a target so that hurt all the same.
Then there is Astrid Hofferson. She is hands down the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on. Her long blond hair, and ocean blue eyes always leave me breathless. I remember playing with her when we were younger. I remember running around and laughing, even after my mom died she was there to try and comfort to reassure me that world hadn't ended even though it felt like it did.
I've had a crush on her for as long as I knew what a crush was. I secretly hope that I get to marry her but with the way things are now I would be happy for her to just say hi to me like she used, before the accident. See five years ago during a dragon raid her father was badly injured and it left him without the use of legs. That is when Astrid started to change. She stopped seeing me and stopped playing with and threw herself into combat training. It seemed like all day everyday she was in the forest killing trees, preparing herself for the moment when she gets to kill her first dragon.
Once that all started I didn't exist in her world anymore. I tried to comfort her after her father was injured like she did for me and my mother, but…she wouldn't talk to anyone she just locked herself in her room for a week before she came out with a completely different attitude. Killing dragons became the only thing that ever mattered to her. So I figured if I want to get my friend back I'm going to have to kill a dragon. Easier said than done.
All this started five years ago and while Astrid was great with an axe, I was not good with any kind of weapon, so I started to invent things to be my weapons. In the forge where I am an apprentice I tried making better catapults, net throwers, spear throwers, and my latest invention a bola launcher. See all the others expect the bola launcher always ended in failure. Either the calibration was off and if didn't fire right, the balance of the weapon was off so the projectiles would either miss the dragon or open up one of our storehouses for them to get to, which was always followed up by murderous glares and a very public ass chewing from my dad.
But last night it worked. It finally worked. The bola launcher had shot down a dragon, and not just any dragon but a Night Fury. The deadliest dragon we Vikings know about. But much like everything else in my life the good feeling didn't last very long. A Monstrous Nightmare landed behind me right after I had shot it down and started to chase me through the village. I had to hide behind a pillar that was supporting a building in order to not get burned alive. It worked but the building collapsed and my dad had to beat the dragon away.
When I tried to tell him why I was out of the forge, that I had hit a Night Fury everyone just scoffed and glared at me, even Astrid. So he just sent me back to the house with Gobber his lifelong friend and surrogate uncle to me, after yet another public ass chewing. After Gobber left however I knew I had hit the dragon and knew the general area where it had landed so I had grabbed a map, a pencil, and a dagger and set out on my hunt.
The hunt had taken all night long but finally in the early hours of the morning I found it tangled in my bola I was so happy. This single event would change my life forever…or so I thought. When I tried to kill the beast, the beast that would make me an instant legend and hero I heard a sad croon.
I looked down at the dragon and looked into its acid green eyes and saw something so frighteningly similar that I just couldn't do it. Fear. This…the deadliest dragon that we know about was terrified. It had closed its eyes and begged for its life. I knew the feeling all too. Well to be that scared, to feel that helpless when someone else decides your fate. So I did the one thing that no other Viking would ever do…I cut him loose. And it went about as well as one would expect. He pounced up on me stared in my eyes and just when I thought he was going to kill me all he did was roar in my face and fly off. I passed out for what must have been hours as when I woke up the sun had set and it was night time and that's where we are now with me heading back home.
Normal POV
Hiccup was walking back through the forest away from Raven's point still trying to figure out what just happened. The dragon hadn't killed him and he was still alive. It chewed and gnawed on his mind the entire trip back home. When he neared his house he noticed the firelight that was glowing inside the windows which meant that his dad was still up.
"Damnit." Hiccup cursed to himself.
He was hoping that his dad would either be gone or asleep still and he wouldn't have to have another awkward conversation with him where his dad tries to inspire him but all he does is end up putting his son down more. Taking a breath Hiccup pushed the door open quietly and tried to sneak his way upstairs to his room.
"Hiccup." Stoick said without turning his back.
'Damn' Hiccup thought to himself as he stood halfway up the stairs.
"Yes dad." He answered back.
"Come on down here there are a few things I need to tell you." Stoick said in a toneless voice that had Hiccup worried.
Hiccup walked back down the stairs and was standing on the landing looking up at his mountain of a father who had turned around to face him.
"So to start off we are going on another nest hunt at the end of the week and will be gone for a few months before the ice sets in but before that you get a couple of things." Stoick trailed off.
"Okay what are they?" Hiccup asked.
"Well for one you get your wish Dragon Training. You will start in the morning with all the others and I will not be hearing any protests. Understand." Stoick stated firmly.
"Nothing fucking new there." Hiccup muttered.
"What was that?" Stoick asked with a snarl.
"Can't freaking wait dad." Hiccup replied sarcastically.
"Now what was the other thing you mentioned?" Hiccup asked.
Stoick scrunched his forehead with his fingers before taking in a deep breath and looking back at his son with a bright smile on his face.
"This Frigg's Day you will be getting married." Stoick beamed.
The room grew uncomfortably quiet as Hiccup tried to comprehend what his dad had just told him.
"What?!" Hiccup screamed.
"Why I'm only 15!" Hiccup screamed
"So I was your age when I married your mother." Stoick said with a shrug.
"Liar you were 17 and had months to prepare not four days." Hiccup argued back.
"You are my son you know that this how marriage works besides I already have everything set up." Stoick said ignoring his sons comment.
Hiccup had to sit down on the stairs to keep himself from falling over. He felt dizzy and prayed to Odin that the ground would open up and swallow him. But alas no such luck so looking back at his father Hiccup figured he should know who he is about to spend the rest of his life with.
"Who is it?" He asked not wanting to know.
"Astrid Hofferson." His dad said proudly.
All the color instantly drained from Hiccup's face. Sure that was his dream, but in the past years he was pretty sure she had grown to resent him and now being forced into this marriage would completely ruin any chances of getting his friend back.
"She is a fine girl." Stoick said in response to his son's unusual reaction.
"Is there something you have against her?" He asked.
"I mean yes…no… gah I don't know but there is no way she or her family will accept the offer." Hiccup said staring at the ground.
"Well if you remember I already said everything was already set up so yes they did accept the contract." Stoick stated matter-of-factly.
"Contract? Oh come on dad this is Astrid we are talking about here. I'm pretty sure she hates my guts and now you have just put that nail in the coffin." Hiccup groaned out.
"It will be your duty to make sure it works." Stoick replied.
"And what if she fights me at every junction dad, did you ever think about that hmmm? Oh never mind just tell me how the hell you managed to get this to work." Hiccup groaned again.
"Offered to supply all three parts of the wedding gift." Stoick replied not commenting on his son's other question.
If Hiccup's mouth could it would have gone right through the floor. So not only was his dad supply the bride price and morning gift but also the dowry.
"Nice dad, real nice." Hiccup forced out.
"There is nothing I wouldn't do for your future and safety. Gods know with that girl by your side not only will Berk prosper but nothing will ever hurt you." Stoick snarled out.
"We are leaving at the end of the week after the wedding this is to secure the future in case I don't come back Hiccup." Stoick sighed out.
"But you will be back." Hiccup said as his head shot up at hearing this. He didn't want to think that his dad would die.
"Probably. But if I'm not this will give you the best chance out there. I hope you understand son. Now off to bed you have a busy day tomorrow. Stoick said as he shooed Hiccup up the stairs to his room.