Unity

By Uniasus

4B in Fated

They said yes! Hiccup and Merida didn't know what exactly had transpired between their parents, there had to have been begging and giving and strong-arming and promises and maybe magic spells, but by the gods Celtic and Nordic they would be getting married!

"What's Berk like?" Merida asked as Toothless flapped lazily through a cloud.

Hiccup had already told her numerous times, but now it wasn't just some far off place Hiccup lived. It would be her home too.

"There's no wall around the village, and the island is a lot smaller that here. You could walk from one end to the other in a day if you go at a good pace. There are no castles, no waterfalls, and most people are rough around the edges. My dad's not even the worse of them. But, it's peaceful. The woods are full of animals, and the gully where Toothless was stranded for a while is gorgeous. There are lots, and lots of dragons."

"Will they like me?"

"Merida, of course they will! You're perfect. You have Nightmare fire hair, killer aim with a bow and have proved your courage more than once and that's really the only thing that matters to Vikings, that you can stand your ground."

"Is that why you like me, cuz I fought a bear?"

He turned in the saddle to give her a languid kiss. "I love you because you're smart, brave, and beautiful. Plus, you think I'm worth something."

"I'm sure someone on Berk thinks your worth something."

"That would be Toothless. Because I catch fish."

##########

Once the fabulous idea of Merida moving to Berk settled in his mind, and he witnessed the triplets catapulting sweets into their mouth, he did have a moment of fear for Caledonia's small kingdom. It was so new, Merida would have been only the second queen, and while Hiccup knew she would have made a fabulous one, he wasn't too sure any of her brothers would make a good king.

Then again, look at her Dad. He was much more fond of hunting than peace talks.

Oh well, maybe having one of them for a king wouldn't be so bad. Hiccup wondered if he could convince them to take on some of the dragons from Berk. It was hard feeding all of them.

That would be a great sign of peace between the two nations, in addition to the marriage. Hiccup made a note of finding a dragon to give to Fergus to take back to Caledonia after the wedding.

##########

Merida wanted to sail to Berk with the Horrible clan members, but her parents, and Hiccup, convinced her to wait until the wedding.

"You'll be on Berk soon enough. Enjoy your time here, Berk's not the easiest nor prettiest place to live."

"But you will be there."

"Yes, and you will too. But for now, enjoy home. Who knows how often we'll visit in the future."

##########

Hiccup had tried to time his return to Berk with the return of the other Vikings, but they had the favor of the wind and he arrived a day after.

Astird and Stormfly met him near the stone spires, on the ledge they often used as a starting block for trick runs.

"I heard you're getting married."

"Yeah."

"Is she as pretty as me?"

More, he wanted to say, but realized it would be the wrong words to voice. "No."

"Bet she can't ride a dragon either." Astrid crossed her arms, and Hiccup did nothing to correct her. She huffed at stared at the back of Stormfly's head, Hiccup staring at her without her noticing.

"I can't believe your dad just married you off!" She threw her hands in the air, and sensing her rider's aggravation Stormfly sent out a bunch of spikes into the air to fall harmlessly into the sea.

Hiccup blinked. Did she not know the marriage was his idea? What did Stoick tell the village?

Again, he felt the desire to lie, even if it was by emission. It would hurt less, so he kept quite and let her rant. In her mind, he was being forced to marry a stranger for the sake of village prosperity, something that was always a risk with a chief's son. There was no reason to change that.

##########

Preparations for the wedding began the next day, though really just Hiccup was involved in them. The house he and his father lived in was the home of the Chief and his family, but come the marriage to Merida Hiccup wouldn't feel right staying there still. His attic was okay for him and Toothless, but for two? And maybe more until he inherited the title of Chief?

No, they needed a separate house until then and finding the location and beginning on the construction took time. The wedding was scheduled to be during the harvest, he had two months. Maybe a temporary house would be better, so he could spend the time on a sturdy one.

Nah, might as well just start building on the study one, devote all his time to that. They could always spend their honeymoon in the gully. Neither of them would mind.

##########

Constructing the house was an on again off again project between what other tasks the village required of him. The progress that had been done he owed to his friends.

Except for Astrid. She never helped with it.

##########

Astrid pulled him aside one day, pressed him against a tree, and just kissed him.

"Astrid, I'm promised!"

"So? We should do what we can, while we can."

Hiccup pushed her away.

"It's not right, Astrid. I can't."

"Do you not like me Hiccup?" And man, she was better at puppy eyes than a viking her age should be.

"I do Astrid, I do, and you'll make someone else very happy. I'm sorry it's not me." Sorry, because he could tell she wanted it to be him and it wouldn't be. But let her think he wasn't looking forward to giving Merida keys.

##########

The day Hiccup spotted the three bear logo of clan DunBroth on sails he felt jittery and Toothless had to snap at him to get him to concentrate. He wanted to swoop down, land on the deck of the boat Merida was on, and sweep her into a kiss. That fact that he didn't know which of the four boats she was one didn't matter.

Merida. Merida was here. On Berk. And they would be married in days times.

Oh boy.

##########

When the DunBroths laid out the plank between their ship and the dock, Hiccup could tell Merida was just as anxious as he was to run to each other. But their parents were turning this into a formal greeting and welcoming, with all of Berk and the emissaries of Caledonia watching. It wouldn't be proper. But they knew each other well enough to communicate otherwise.

I can't believe you're really here. I missed you.

Neither can I, and you made it sound much worse that it is. Where's the hail? And I missed you too.

##########

Hiccup noticed that while all four ships showed the flags of their king, representatives of the other clans had come as well. It had been hard to tell in the marina, all the Celts had made the effort to show the unity of the kingdom, but Hiccup knew most of the faces, if not the names, of those who lived at Merida's castle and a third of those present were new to him. But as Stoick and Gobber got the guests settled in the Great Hall, he noticed them break off into four distinct groups, even if the borders touched.

"You wouldn't believe it," Merida said, sliding up to his side and pointing to a dreamy eyed blonde Celt, "But that's the only archer who's gotten close to my skill."

"Really?"

"Yes, but I think it was a fluke. Dad startled him pretty bad."

"Fergus does do that."

##########

If Fergus had arrived under other conditions, he would have been put up in Stoick's house, but it wasn't proper for Merida to share a roof with him quite yet. Instead, Merida, Fergus, and Elinor stayed with the Elder while the triplets somehow convinced Snotlout to let them stay with him. Hiccup suspected it had something to do with the fact he was easy pray.

After settling in his future family in, Astrid showed up at Goethe's house. "I figured your future wife could use a tour of Berk."

"That would be wonderful."

Hiccup suddenly was very nervous.

He expected to find Astrid sitting on Toothless's flat stone when he went up to bed, but instead found her leaning against the door frame when he got home.

"She's...okay I guess. Completely useless with an ax, but not bad with dragons."

Hiccup grinned and felt the knot in his chest that had been there all day untangle a little bit. He had hoped the two would be friends, of a sort. As much as his first kiss and his only love could be. "Did you ask her about shooting with a bow and arrow? She's the best in Caledonia."

##########

Viking weddings began with food. Lots and lots of food. And mead. And that was usually followed by really, really bad singing.

Surprisingly, Berk was the more organized of the two cultures. At the moon harvest, everyone in Caledonia had grabbed a plate and then sat and ate where they wanted. But here in Berk, everyone was sitting at a table while being served in the Great Hall. On the stage in the back, Hiccup sat besides Merida and their respective parents sat on either side. The rest of the guests were mixed among the vikings and Hiccup was pleased to see that they got along okay.

Merida's hand snuck into his lap and he grasped it in his with a smile before looking over at her. She was dressed in Caledonia's formal wear, her red hair covered with a white hooded under dress that also covered her chest that the square cut sapphire dress would have otherwise exposed. Such a shame, he loved her hair. And looking at the top of her breasts.

His bride gave him a saucy wink, reading his mind, and Hiccup blushed.

Suddenly, Stoick stood up and began talking. Welcoming Merida and her family, as well as her clansmen. Hiccup was slightly proud to see Fergus's look of jealously, Stoick was a much better public speaker. But Elinor knew her husband just as well as Hiccup knew Merida and soothed him with a hand on his forearm.

And then, it was time for the bride gift, the first step to the ceremony of the wedding.

Hiccup looked around for the triplets and then beckoned them forward. They scuttled towards Fishlegs, and together the four of them (though only one needed too) brought to the stage the gift Hiccup had made for Merida. It was set before her and curious, she lifted the woven cloth to reveal the gift to the hall.

It was a clockwork dragon of unknown species, polished so that it reflected the fire in the center of the hall and in the flame light one could almost be convinced it was moving. Merida, as well as half the hall, breathed in a gasp of awe.

"Hiccup, it's beautiful!"

"Watch." He twisted the tip of the tail a few times and when he let go the wings began to flap and the dragon opened it's metal mouth. Instead of flame or acid however, it released song. Elinor's voice came from the dragon, tinnier than normal, but still recognizable. The queen was singing a lullaby.

"Oh," there were tears in Merida's eyes. She looked first to her mother, who smiled despite the sadness in her eyes and then threw her arms around Hiccup to kiss him.

Stoick broke them apart with a laugh. "You're not married yet you know!"

But it was really only a matter of time. The bride gift was a symbol of Hiccup's dedication to Merida, all that was left was to make a sacrifice to Var, have her hear the varar, and have the gods bless the union before the next round of feasting.

##########

The wedding ended with Hiccup and Merida being shoved into their new house, more mead sitting on the table within. She giggled as the door closed behind them, and then launched herself at Hiccup who instantly kissed her. His hands pulled down her hood, freeing her hair.

"Can you believe this is real?" she whispered. In response, he pinched her and he got a smack for his action, but she kissed it better.

"Not quite," he admitted. "I felt for sure that our parents wouldn't come to an agreement."

"Me too." She slid her hands under his shirt.

"Maybe we should, I don't know, move to the bed."

"Why? We never used one before. Plus, Toothless seems to have claimed it."

Hiccup looked towards the corner, and lo and behold there was the Night Fury grinning at them. Hiccup hadn't even noticed. "I had the attic outfitted just for him."

She laughed into his neck. "He loves you too much. Plus, not like he hasn't watched before."

"Floor or table then?" He asked as he pulled off his shirt.

"Hmm, table's new but it's occupied. What do you think sex in a dragon's roost would be like?"

##########

They spent three whole days in the house.

##########

When they finally ventured out, Hiccup expected catcalls and the general nuisance the vikings of Berg could cause. But the town was strangely empty.

"Where is everyone?" Merida asked, pulling her hair up into a twist. She was wearing a local dress, and while Hiccup enjoyed seeing her in Berk garb he preferred her usual dresses.

Toothless bounded out of the door past them and stood on his rear legs, head twitching before picking up sounds. He flicked his head, and taking the cue the pair of them hopped upon his back and he bounded towards the arena.

Apparently the village was watching Fergus try to bond with a dragon. Toothless walked up to Elinor standing royally erect, but Merida whispered to Hiccup she was actually nervous. Hiccup didn't blame her, in the arena was Stoick, Fergus, and the purple Thunderdrum that was Thordano's friend. It hadn't found a rider it liked in the past eighteen months. Fergus seemed to share Stoick's idea of bonding – wrestling the dragon and then joining it in combat.

Strangely, it worked. Hiccup didn't know if it was the fact that Thunderdrums reacted best to that type of behavior, or if big beefy men who saw strength as the order of the world had no other idea of how to form a bond and the dragons just understood the motive behind the face full of stone. Dragons did seem to have a sixth sense about who was good for them and who wasn't.

While Elinor was doing her best to not cry out, Merida was screaming along with the vikings. "You get 'em Dad!" She threw a punch above her head, watching Fergus dodge roll away from a bear that the village had found somewhere. Hiccup just shook his head and went to stand beside his mother-in-law.

"Fergus will be okay. Dad did the same thing to bond with Thornado."

"Did you have to fight Toothless?" Elinor turned and looked over his body with a new understanding. Hiccup hid his arms behind his back.

"Of a sort. It was more about getting him to listen to me though than pinning him down."

"And what about them?" She waved her hand across the arena to where the twins and Snotlout were watching, their dragons behind them.

"Actually, I think they had the easiest time of it. They just had to put down their weapons and prove they had no intention of killing the dragons."

"Merida's dragon bonding will be similar, I hope?"

"Well, she won't be riding a Thunderdrum. I don't know of any others. So it should be a lot calmer, yes."

"I'm not entirely sure I want to watch it."

Hiccup looked over towards Merida. She was pressed against the chains. "Honestly, I think facing Mor'du was more dangerous than her bonding with a dragon would be. She would want you watch. And I know Fergus would want to witness it. It's am important part of joining the community here."

Elinor sighed. "You are right. You would have mad a fine king Hiccup, understanding people the way you do. You'll make a just as fine chief."

"Thank you Elinor."

A loud cheering directed their attention to the arena. Fergus was riding the dragon around the arena, and directed it to release an air blast at his family. Them, and the other five vikings in the center of the blast were forced to the ground. The first thing in Hiccup's ears after the ringing disappeared was Merida's laughter.

"Hiccup, when will I get my dragon?"

##########

Merida's selection of a mount was a lot more peaceful, for which Elinor and Hiccup were very thankful of. It pretty much involved interacting with a variety of dragons, similar to Hiccup's relationship with them all, and her selecting a favorite. Well, the dragon had something to do with it too. It had taken to sleeping next to the house.

"A Zippleback, really Merida?" Hiccup asked when she officially declared the green and yellow two headed dragon, whose heads she named Belinus and Brennius, as hers.

"Are you insulting my choice?"

"No, just that...the only other Zippleback owners are Ruffnut and Tuffnut and a married couple. They're steered by pulling on the horns of the head in which direction you want to go, they need two riders. I'd share a dragon with you, if I didn't already have Toothless, ow!"

She tugged gently on his hair. "There, you see, I can't imagine having someone steer by your horns could be pleasant. We'll just have to devise a one-person method of steering a Zippleback. Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't figured that one out."

"Well, there were other problems that needed my attention." He kissed her mouth.

"I remember. I have to say, I do like the flowered roofs. Maybe Caledonia should try it."

Merida named her dragon (dragons? I mean, it's got two heads, is a Zippleback refereed to in the single or plural?) after the British legend of twin brothers who fought for the local throne but then agreed to share power. It's not a story her people tell, but I figure she still would have heard of it before.

I have no idea how Norse/Vikings weddings go, based it off a myth where Thor pretends to be a bride to get his hammer back. Yes, Loki is involved. Someone, please write that Avengers fic.

Thornado and Thunderdrums and other references to the show Riders of Berk haven't appeared before now because, well, I just watched the show yesterday. All of season one. In a single afternoon. Kinda odd to slip details of it in universe B and nothing before that (Stone Circle Ties, A Fact of Eternity, Proposing an Alliance, Making Do) but oh well that's how the writing calender goes and it doesn't really make that much of a difference. The main plot elements for it probably won't be showing up in any of the fics. And as I mentioned earlier in the Fated universe, there have been no baby dragons yet. The show kinda confuses me at times anyway, chronologically. Did the bonus episodes come before, after, or during the show?

Thank you for reading the first option in the B universe of Fated! I'm planning on expanding the option (A-C) that's most popular, so favs/comments/hits all count. And the poll on my profile. I'm also taking options for plot ideas. No guarantee that I'll use them, but I'll read em.