AN: Hello! It's been a long time since I've written a fic of any kind so this should be fun. Many of this story's plot elements will come from W.S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan's operetta Iolanthe, in which magic takes a political system (in that case the British peerage) and puts it on its head. This is essentially an Iolanthe AU. The subtitle for the operetta is The Peri and the Peer. I love both this franchise and this operetta very much so this combination should prove to be a fun one. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own neither How to Train Your Dragon nor Iolanthe.

Overture

The first bit of orange peeked out from behind the horizon and spilled its light into the freezing bedroom. Valka begged herself not to open her eyes and instead buried her head further into his forearm. It couldn't be sunrise just yet.

She sighed, hoping that if she ignored the sinking feeling slowly creeping its way from her stomach into the rest of her body, it would go away. Urging herself to live into the present, she focused all her energy on savoring their last few precious moments of their time together.

The images from the previous evening played on the back of her eyelids. His beaming face in the firelight as he, on his knees, serenaded her. His hand in hers as they made their way through the processional of torches to the bridal couch. The picturesque view of intimate details of his skin as he drove her crazy…

Luckily, in the short time they had left, she could still behold these delights once more. Against the will of her pouting id, she opened her eyes a smidge and let the sunlight flood them. The sight of him was worth it. Her lips brushed against his rough, freckled skin. Savoring every touch, her lips made their way up to his forearm, onto his massive shoulder, to the underside of his neck. He stirred beneath her.

"Val," he breathed.

She paid him no attention as her lips made their way to chin and cheeks, teasing him now that he had woken.

"Val," he sighed, a touch of irritation in his tone.

"Sh." She instructed. He would not spoil these last moments. She couldn't bear to think but these might very well be their last.

"Val-" She stopped his words with a kiss. He seemed surprised at first, but as she insisted more, he returned. She savored his affection as his hand drifted to her hip, his thumb gently caressing her side...

Teasing him a bit more, she pulled her lips away. Stoick scowled. "Good morning to you too," he said grumpily.

Giggling, she kissed him again. Bursting with a mixture of love, appreciation, and dread, it was all she could do to let his green eyes see into her own. They stared in silence for a few moments when the words finally spilled from her lips.

"I don't want you to go."

Valka felt herself turning red. The words sounded silly in retrospect. She immediately regretted them.

He reached a calloused hand to touch her face and echoed her thoughts which she knew were the bitter reality.

"I don't have a choice." He sighed.

Valka scowled. "It doesn't have to be you. There's Spitelout-"

"Val-"

"Gobber would be a better choice tha-"

"Val-" He warned.

Valka got straight to the point. "Why does Alvin get to stay?"

Stoick closed his eyes with a weary sigh. Valka knew it was too early for this but she wouldn't put it to rest until she had a better reason.

"Alvin needs to see that I trust him. I need to lead this mission." As he sat up, her secret defiance flared up inside her. He did not need to lead this mission. If he stayed behind, she could make him see… "We both need this. Without his trust, we'll be defenseless. We're powerless if we can't defend ourselves on both fronts."

Her need for him to stay burned within her. "And we won't be able to. If there's an attack, we won't even make it to the docks alive! Let him lead the mission instead," she said, sitting up too, "You're the best warrior we've got."

Stoick put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not a warrior anymore, Val. I'm a chief."

Valka scoffed. "Oh? And is this any way for the chief to behave? What was it your father used to say? 'A chief protects his own!'"

"Eradicating the source is the best way to protect my people!"

She couldn't take this any longer. "Not when you could be killed!"

How could he not understand that this quest was a fool's errand? The Vikings of Berk had attempted to locate the nest time and time again for centuries, heroically and dismally failing to find it. As smart and as her Stoick was he could not do the impossible. She would not lose him.

His hand reached for hers. She pulled away at first but he pulled back, drawing it up to his heart. She found it hard to look at him when she knew she was right, but his tender gaze compelled her to sink into his remarkable green eyes.

"I will return, my dear," he whispered, "I promise."

Dread, fear, and adrenaline coursing through her, she wrapped her arms around her Stoick. They held each other in silence.

Thor watch over him, she begged, as a silent tear ran down her cheek.

Fire rained down from the sky and the unmistakable growl of a Monstrous Nightmare pierced the air. Vikings and dragons alike sped through the square, rushing to defend or steal.

"Light your torches!"

Raised beacons of fire illuminated the chaos. Valka burst through her front door, shield in hand, and immediately caught sight of Alvin. The familiar sense of unease filled her. Alvin was a man who always made his opinions known, especially if they contradicted those in positions of authority. With Stoick gone on the mission to the nest and Alvin as acting chief, something told Valka that this raid would not end well.

Determined to keep an eye on him, she ran after his small ragtag group of auxiliary warriors.

"Alvin!" She called after him.

"Valka!" called a familiar voice form behind her. She turned around to see the face of a close friend. With his good arm, he pulled her aside. "What is he doing leading the auxiliary squad?" asked Gobber.

"I'd like to ask him the same question," said Valka sourly.

A Nadder spine sped through the air toward Gobber's good arm. Luckily, Valka threw her shield up at just the right moment.

"The docks are that way ya pathetic sissies!" He called after Alvin and his men, stumbling to his feet, "Where does he think he's going? We can't hold up with that lot!"

"I know. I've got to try to talk some sense into him," she said, looking determined, "We need to stick to the plan."

"Valka," Gobber warned, "be careful."

With a nod, she dashed away to Alvin and the auxiliary squad. Luckily, none of their homes had burned down just yet but there was just enough light from the blasts above and around to light her way.

"Alvin!" Valka used her shield to push through the auxiliary squad as she drew closer to the acting chief.

He glanced sideways at her as she caught up to him. "Valka, lead a group to the southeast inlet and-"

"Alvin, you're not following Stoick's orders! He specifically told you to evacuate the island if there was a raid! An attack with only half of us is suicide!"

Suddenly, a blast of Gronckle fire came down from above, about to land dangerously close to Valka's leg. Alvin's huge arms grabbed her and pulled her out of its path. Panting, she reached for her shield. Alvin pulled her behind the nearest house, all the while incoherently shouting at her over the roars, crackling fire, and sounds of steel. He grabbed her arm and pulled her in close.

"Who's in charge here?!" whispered Alvin through gritted teeth, "I am. You're lucky I saved your skin! Now, go and lead a group to the southeast inlet before you can cause any more trouble."

Stoick may have put Alvin in charge but Valka would not be spoken to in such a disrespectful way. Valka yanked her arm from his grasp. All the better to evade his foul breath. "As the chief's wife, I command you to do what I ask!"

Not a moment later was his axe at her throat. "And as a Viking with an axe at your throat, I command you to do what I ask."

Valka had had enough of him. She was not going to let this foolish excuse for a warrior destroy them all. She reached out to wrestle the axe from his grip but she knew he was stronger. He pinned her to the ground. A blast from a Deadly Nadder showed his gruesome, power-hungry expression.

Suddenly, huge claws ripped Valka from Alvin's clutches and carried her off the ground and into the air. Alvin's massive body became a speck in seconds as she ascended. She let out a surprised shriek as she looked up at the massive beast that had her in its clutches.

From the light of the fires below, she could make out the shades of brown and maroon that coated its hide. Its wingspan was larger than any she'd ever seen. She gasped thinking her eyes deceived her. Were those two sets of wings? Possibly sensing her wonder, the creature's head spun around one-hundred-and-eighty degrees. Its yellow eyes stared back at her as it let out a roar that sounded like a yawn.

Valka's heart raced as she searched for the best course of action. Most Vikings would hack at this beast until it dropped dead, but if she tried that approach it would most likely drop her. Looking down at the flaming village below her, she decided to do everything in her power to stay in the air for as long as possible.

The dragon circled above the brawls in the square as if surveying the damage. Valka watched it closely, holding her breath. The longer she stayed in its claws, the more its splendor became known to her. Those definitely were two sets of wings…

As badly as Valka wanted to convince Alvin to call off the raid and save the people of Berk, she figured that in this moment, staying above would do her more good than harm. She recalled how strange it was to be in the clutches of a creature that had slaughtered her ancestors and friends and yet feel a sense of safety.

As the four-winged dragon started its third lap above the village, Valka's brain whirled. She was its prey, despite her ironic feeling of safety. And if she were its next meal, she would have to think like bait. In all her years of hunting and fishing, how had she seen bait avoid its predators? Her first thought seemed easy enough to execute: play dead.

She fell limp in its claws. As she felt herself beginning to slip out, she immediately regretted the decision, awaiting her certain fall to the fires below. But the dragon's grip tightened. It stopped its circular flight pattern and instead put its four wings to work as it sped in the opposite direction of the fiery raid.

Rapidly formulating a plan B, she watched as the village grew further and further away as they approached the island's southeast inlet. They descended more rapidly than she had expected. She felt as if her stomach were leading the way.

The four-winged dragon gently dropped her from its claws as she rolled onto the green. Crawling onto all fours, she did her best to make out her surroundings. Behind her, the edge of a cliff. Before her, this enormous beast, eyes as big as her head, sniffed her like a piece of meat. She nearly fell backward, but righted herself in time.

On second thought, realizing that up close, she could not identify this dragon, and that the beach and water below were the lesser of two evils, she made the leap of faith. As she fell for a moment, a plan came to mind: she would swim to the docks, sail for Stoick and the others, tell him what happened, make Alvin pay…

Just as she was about to hit the hard rocky shore, the beast dove from the cliff, swooped beneath her, and caught her. Valka lay spread-eagled across its back. She dared not move. This thing seemed intent on having her…

They flew back up the ledge to the inlet. Upon landing, she slid off its back onto the green. Its head rotated once more. She struggled to get onto all fours and it advanced towards her.

This is it, she thought grimly, this is how it ends.

The four-winged dragon approached her slowly, trying not to scare its prey. Unable to move, she lay there, vulnerable on the ground, staring up at it. Now overtop of her, it lowered its head, bringing its yellow owl-like eyes inches from her own. She dared not move. But the dragon didn't either.

They merely stared at each other. Valka examined the depth of its eyes. Why hadn't it finished her off? She felt it searching her eyes too, maybe wondering why she hadn't done the same. Then she realized that he had saved her life.

She looked deeper into his eyes. It cocked his head, possibly mirroring her. Valka had suspected that dragons were smarter than Vikings wanted to admit but this proved it. This dragon had saved her life. Twice! Once from Alvin and then again from the fall.

She saw her own eyes reflected in his gaze and had to smile. He was so beautiful! The dragon's eyes softened and he opened his wide jaw in something resembling a smile. She laughed and hesitantly reached out to feel his scaly face but an axe whizzed between them.

The dragon reared up in fear. Valka leapt to her feet and saw Alvin running to fetch his axe.

"That'll teach you, you filthy lizard!" He cried.

The four-winged dragon roared as he spread his two sets of wings, the left ones shielding Valka from harm. She heard the clang of metal, footsteps, and deep voices coming towards them. Peeking out from behind the wings, she saw the auxiliary squad assemble behind Alvin as he moved in for the kill. Alvin hurled his axe at the dragon's exposed chest.

In a split-second, Valka darted out from beneath the dragon's wings and caught the axe midair.

"Stand aside, Valka!" Alvin demanded.

"No! I won't let you do this!" Valka begged. Her fingernails dug into the handle. "He saved my life!"

The crowd of warriors gasped but Alvin seemed unfazed.

"Traitor! These creatures are monsters!"

"If he wanted to kill me, I would already be dead by now! Don't do this!"

Alvin advanced toward her. In her own opinion, Valka rather thought she was more afraid of him than of the dragon. "I'll do what I please," he growled dangerously, "Hand me my axe."

Valka stood firm. "No."

"Hand me the axe!"
"No!"

Alvin wrestled the axe from her grip. In that same moment, the four-winged dragon leapt into the air and let out a huge breath of fire like a warning to Alvin and the auxiliary squad. Spitelout hurled a mace at the dragon's belly.

"Look out!" Valka cried, in case the magnificent dragon hadn't seen it.

Upon hearing her cry, he dodged the weapon and bared his teeth.

"Traitor!" Alvin roared over the dragon's fury.

"Traitor?" The word sounded ridiculous. "You're the one who disobeyed Stoick's orders! You could have taken us South to the Isle of Hopeless! But instead, you put our people in danger!"

This seemed to have struck Alvin harder than her first blow. The fire in the sky reflected in his eyes. "Valka, as acting chief, I hereby banish you from the tribe and from the island of Berk!"

The four-winged dragon roared and shot a blast of his fire at Alvin. The dragon picked up Valka in his claws and took to the skies, leaving Alvin and her home behind.

"What? No!" Valka cried, "Take me back! Take me back!"

This could not be her future. Would it end here?

As they soared north over unknown waters, her adrenaline had subsided. Worry flooded her. Banished? How would she raise their child?