Chapter 44: Spreading the News

Eira nervously paced back and forth in the clubhouse. She waited alone for Dagur after instructing Ingrid to tell him where to find her. She wanted to get right down to the chase without any distractions. Part of her wanted to get this over with, but another part dreaded it. But she had made her decision, and she could not take it back now.

She jumped when the door slammed open. "Hello, Eira!" Dagur said with a bright smile. "You wanted to see me?"

Eira forced a smile in return as she met his gaze. "Dagur... we need to talk."

Dagur's own smile slowly faded. "What's wrong?"

How did he know something was wrong? Had she made it that obvious? Suddenly, she could not look at him any longer and averted her gaze. "I made my decision... about who I want to be with."

"It's not me, is it?" Dagur said in an unusually quiet tone.

"N-No." Eira lifted her head to look at him, and her heart clenched at the sadness on his face. For once, he appeared completely helpless. "I'm sorry."

"Do you mind telling me the reason?"

Eira bit her lip. She really didn't want to explain, but he deserved an answer. "I just..." It would have been easier if it were simply a matter of comparing feelings, but how could she explain the tangle of reasoning she went to in order to get to this point? "Snotlout and I... fit better. We have more in common."

Dagur stared at her long and hard as if dissecting her answer. "You seem to be as different from him as you are from me. We probably have more in common with each other than we do with you. You've adapted to us both."

In a way, she could see that, but that was not what she meant. "Yes, I know how to get along with people, but..." She hesitated. How did she say this without coming across as cruel? "He adapts better to me. I - I know you would try, but he is more naturally in tune with what my parents expect."

Dagur frowned. "You don't think your parents would approve of me?"

"That's not - I mean - It would be harder. It would require you to change too much, and I don't want you to change. I couldn't do that to you. Do you see? We're too incompatible."

Dagur furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Snotlout tries hard to impress people in authority. I can see how your parents might like that, but I thought you didn't like that about him."

Eira winced. She almost regretted sharing those worries with him. "I - I don't when he takes it overboard, but it can be useful in some circumstances. There's nothing wrong when wanting to please others."

"Just as long as they're your parents and not his."

Eira's eyes widened. "What? Dagur!"

"Eira, how do you feel about me?" Dagur suddenly moved in close to her, and her heart hammered as she felt his breath on her face. "Don't lie to make me feel better. I need to know the truth."

Eira found herself unable to look away from his serious gaze. She did want to lie, but even if she could get away with it, she knew he deserved better. "I-" Her throat grew dry, and she swallowed.

"Eira..." Dagur's expression softened as he lifted his hand and placed it against her cheek. "Tell me, please."

Eira's breath caught in her throat. With him so close to her, she suddenly knew how she felt. But that was the problem, wasn't it? Her feelings overrode her good sense. Tears pricked her eyes. "I love you." She spoke so softly she thought she might be inaudible, but the happiness that flickered in his eyes told her he had heard.

"Eira..."

"That's why I can't do this. We're not good for each other."

Pain spread across Dagur's face, and he moved away from her with a sigh. "You're wrong," he muttered. "No one has ever been as good for me as you are, so you're not doing this for me."

Eira hated seeing him like this. She wished there was a way she could make him understand. She reached her hand out to him, but he backed away. "Dagur..."

"Actually, you and Snotlout do have a lot in common." Anger and frustration laced his words, and he refused to look at her. "You are just like him, more worried about disappointing your family than how you actually feel."

"What? N-No!" The comparison stung, but it did strike a cord with her. It wasn't true... was it?

"I love you. Doesn't that matter?"

"O-Of course it does. It's just... it's not enough."

"I'm not enough."

Dagur's words stung, and Eira desperately wished she could do something to turn this around. "That's not it, Dagur. I just-" She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I have other things to consider. I'm a princess, and I have-"

"You have duties, right." He finally looked at her, his face a mixture of pain and sadness. "I wonder if Snotlout would think the same way if he were already royalty."

Eira flinched. "Stop comparing us. It's not the same!"

"It looks the same on my end. And here I thought you wanted to be seen as more than a princess."

Eira bit her lip. "There are some things I cannot change even if I wish I could." If she thought they could be together... No, she said she would not lie with any regrets.

Dagur let out a heavy sigh. "This is it then? It's over?" His shoulders sagged as he looked at her in defeat.

"I - I guess so. But we can still be friends, can't we?" She saw the answer that already came to her reflected in his own eyes. How could they go back to anything normal after this?

"We're still allies, of course, but..." Firm resolution overtook Dagur's face. "I'm not going to let you get away with this, Eira. You may believe you're trying to make everyone happy, but it'll come undone in the end. You're not doing what's best for me or you. When you realize that, maybe we can be friends." Then he turned and left without another word.

Dazed, Eira fell back into a chair. That had definitely not gone as planned.

Eira put off talking to Snotlout until she had thoroughly recovered from her conversation with Dagur. Thankfully, Ingrid was very understanding and gave the others an excuse while the two of them locked themselves up in their hut. She was grateful her sister did not pry, instead prattling on about random topics until she was comfortable enough to venture back outside.

She found Snotlout at the dome training with Hookfang. At first she simply watched him, enjoying the way he interacted with his dragon. Then he noticed her, and a bright smile lit his face. "Hey, Eira," he said as he jogged over to her. "Are you done with that business with your sister?"

Eira gave him a slight smile. "Yes. Can we talk?"

"Well, we're talking now."

Eira shifted nervously. "I meant... alone."

"Oh." Snotlout looked back at his dragon. "Sorry, Hooky. You're out."

Hookfang snorted and almost seemed to roll his eyes before trudging out of the arena.

"Thanks," Eira said.

Snotlout beamed at her. "No problem. If anyone else comes in here, I'll make sure they regret it."

His serious expression had Eira laughing. "I'm sure you will."

"So, what did you want to talk about?" He looked at her curiously, clearly oblivious to her intentions.

"I, uh..." She was suddenly nervous again but for entirely different reasons.

"Hey, why was Dagur here earlier? Is that what you want to talk about?"

Eira latched onto the lifeline. "Yes! I told him what I need to tell you. That I... I know who I want to choose."

"Oh." Snotlout frowned and scuffed the ground with his boot. "Did you choose him?"

Eira stared at him. Why would he think she chose Dagur is the Berserker chief left so quickly? "No, Snotlout. It's you. I choose you."

Snotlout appeared stunned at first. Then a large grin spread across his face. "Really? You choose me?"

Eira smiled and nodded. "Yes." She enjoyed seeing him happy. She wanted to make it last.

"Oh Thor!" He ran to her and embraced her. "Thank you. You won't regret this, I promise!" He pulled back and smiled at her - a gesture which she returned. His arms still around her, he slowly leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He ran to the door before she could process what happened.

"Wh-where are you going?" she said.

Snotlout looked back at her with a grin. "I have to rub it in to everyone else!"

Eira couldn't help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. As much as she didn't want everyone's attention on her, she could not deny him this. Her emotions finally calmed as she followed him outside. She felt focused. She had decided on her goal, and now she was going to make it work. There would be no regrets.

"Are you sure I'll be fine?" Snotlout said nervously as he stood outside the stables with Ingrid and their dragons. The dragon riders were headed to Berk for a mini celebration officially announcing Eira and Ingrid's royal status and the alliance between the two islands. Ingrid suggested this would be the perfect time for Snotout to speak to Asmund about Eira.

Ingrid flashed him a smile. "You'll be great! Just do everything I told you to do."

"And you're sure this is necessary?" Snotlout knew Asmund wasn't Eira's father, but this was still nerve-wracking.

"It's not necessary, but it will make you look very good. You want that, don't you?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Then let's go!"

Snotlout hesitated and looked over at Shadowwhisper. "Fine, but can your dragon, er, use his powers again?"

Ingrid chuckled. "It's not magic, Snotlout. And you're going to have to learn to manage without him one day."

Snotlout pushed down his anxiety with a smile. "I - I can! It's not like I need him or anything, I just..."

Ingrid chuckled lightly. "Go ahead, Shadowwhipser."

The Hobblegrunt snorted before lowering his snout to Snotlout's level. The young Viking immediately felt relaxed, and he smiled as he rubbed the dragon's head. "Thank you Shadowwhisper... and Ingrid. Now I'm ready."

Ingrid grinned. "Great! I'm sure the others are waiting for us."

The two of them mounted their dragons and returned to the main part of camp. Once the riders were all together, they took off for Berk. Snotlout's confidence grew as he neared their destination. He flew beside Eira, and the two of them chatted amiably.

The celebration turned out very nice. Chief Stoick made the announcement with Eira and Ingrid by his side. Everyone was surprised at the news, but the girls were warmly welcomed. Snotlout was proud of Eira for taking everything in stride. He returned to her as soon as she was free, and the two of them enjoyed the amiable atmosphere.

Finally, Eira pulled Snotlout away from the crowd and presented him to Asmund. "Hello, Asmund," she said.

"Good day, Miss Eira," Asmund said, giving a slight bow. "I am pleased you have decided to share everything with these wonderful Vikings. This is an excellent party."

Eira smiled slightly. "Yes, it is. You've met Snotlout, right?" She motioned to the boy beside her.

Asmund looked Snotlout up and down, making him nervous. "Yes, he is one of your dragon rider friends." He paused as his gaze flickered back to the girl. "Is he by chance your date this evening?"

"D-Date?" Snotlout stuttered. He supposed it was true, but he had not thought about it that way.

Eira blushed. "Actually, yes. I wanted to let you know that we are together now."

Asmund returned his steely gaze to Snotlout. "Is that so?" he said.

Snotlout swallowed hard. What was it Ingrid told him to say or do? That's right... "I am pleased to meet you, sir." He bowed his head as he continued. "Eira is correct but only if it is alright with you. I wish to ask for your blessing." He lifted his head and gave the man an anxious look. Why did he have to be so hard to read?

Asmund continue to stare at him. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, a tiny smile formed on his face. "It would be my honor to give you my blessing, Snotlout. The two of you seem like an adorable couple."

Snotlout grinned in relief. "Thank you sir."

"Thanks, Asmund," Eira said with a bright smile. "Ingrid is going to teach him everything he needs to know."

Snotlout was glad that was over. They spent a few more minutes chatting politely, and then he and Eira went off on their own. As much as he wanted to revel in his victory and enjoy the celebration, he could tell Eira was tired of being around so many people for so long. He managed to find a secluded spot on the edge of the island where they could sit and watch the sunset.

"This is nice," Eira said with a contented sigh.

Snotlout froze when she rested her head on his shoulder, and his heart began beating rapidly. What was he supposed to do now? He willed himself to be brave. She was his girlfriend, after all. He had no reason to be afraid. "Y-Yes. The sunset is beautiful." He slowly lifted his arm and draped it across her shoulders. He relaxed when she did not pull away.

"I'm glad everything went well today. I was worried people would start treating me differently now that they know the truth, but they all seem pretty nice about it."

"They were always nice to you because you're a great person. That hasn't changed."

"I suppose you're right."

A comfortable silence passed between them. Snotlout was proud of how long he could keep his cool being this close to her. He would never admit it to anyone, but he had never been the best around girls. None had ever liked him like this before, and he didn't want to mess it up. "Eira, what happens now? I - I mean, between us."

Eira lifted her head from his should to look at him. "Whatever you want to happen."

That did not help. "But what are you comfortable with?"

Eira's expression turned thoughtful. "I like spending time with you. We can start with that."

Snotlout nodded. "Alright."

"As for everything else... we can let it develop naturally. You don't need to feel pressured to do anything. We can take this as slow as you want. There's no rush."

Snotlout smiled in relief. "Good. And you don't need to feel pressured either. I'm fine with taking it slow."

Eira smiled back at him. "Thanks."

Snotlout was glad they found themselves on the same page. Now, he just had one more question. "So, what exactly is Ingrid going to do with me and is it going to hurt?"

Eira laughed. "Don't worry, Ingrid is harmless. She just wants to teach you some of our customs and traditions. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Oh, okay." He was still not sure about it, but he decided to worry about that later. Eira let her head fall back on his shoulder, and they resumed looking out at the ocean. Snotlout felt more at ease with her now, and he finally acknowledged how lucky he was. "Eira?"

"Yes?" She sounded tired.

"Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for giving me a chance. I promise I won't let you down."

"I know you won't, Snotlout."

Even so, he vowed he would do everything he could to make sure she would not regret it.