For Milady

FOUR: Betrothed

FOUR: Betrothed

"Betrothed? How can I be betrothed?" Hiccup asked, completely stunned. "I mean, I can't think I proposed to someone and just forgot! Unless you've already spoken to Ingvar Hofferson and arranged a Contract with Astrid already and..."

"Son," Stoick said in a very stern voice, his heavy brows dipped in a scowl, "you are betrothed-and not to Astrid Hofferson." Hiccup froze and stared at his father, a million things whirling wildly round in his brain.

"No," he said finally. "I am not betrothed to anyone. I have asked Astrid to marry me and she has said yes. So you have to make it happen, Dad. I am not marrying anyone else!" Stoick rose to his feet, all seven foot of him towering above his much slighter son-but Hiccup wasn't backing down, refusing to be intimidated.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, you are betrothed through a legally agreed and witnessed contract and you cannot get out of this arrangement," he announced sternly. "You cannot marry Astrid because you are already betrothed." Hiccup shook his head.

"So when did this happen, Dad?" he asked angrily, his emerald eyes flashing and fists clenched. "When did you decide to totally screw up my life?" Stoick glared at his son, trying to remain calm because he could understand that this was a shock to the boy.

"When you were about ten" he admitted gruffly. "You were small and when the others were growing, you weren't. It was becoming obvious that you were clumsy and the other children really didn't get on with you. I had complaints from the village that you were causing all manner of chaos with your messing around at the forge. It was obvious no one of Berk would ever offer a contract for you-and I knew you would have to have a wife, because I wouldn't be around to look after you. And it was becoming evident that you weren't Chief material. Snotlout was developing into a fine specimen and I knew one day, I would adopt him as my heir. So I needed to secure your future..."

Hiccup gaped, his mind whirling. The words hit him almost like a physical blow, winding him and as he stared at his father, he felt almost faint with shock.

"Wow," he managed sarcastically. "Just...wow. Thanks, Dad. That really makes me feel great. I mean, where do I start?"

"Son-this was all a long time ago...before Toothless and..." Hiccup snapped his hands up, the gesture silencing his father.

"Yeah," he said abruptly. "Yeah, I get that. But...this really shows what you thought of me. You believed, because I was small and a bit clumsy when I was ten, that I would never get a girlfriend, that I would never have any friends and you were already plotting to make Snotlout your heir instead of me. Even then?" Stoick scowled.

"Son-I was worried for your future," he said heavily. "The raids were getting worse and any of us could be killed at any time. If I had died, you would have been orphaned and alone. Spitelout would have assumed the Chiefdom and you would never have been Chief anyway. This was the only thing I could think of to secure your safety for the future..."

"No," Hiccup said firmly. "The only thing that could secure my safety-all our safeties-was what I did. I ended the War and befriended a dragon. That made us safe! All you did was dispose of a disappointing failure of a son!"

"I am the Chief," Stoick retorted, his face flushing with anger. He was starting to feel guilty but also annoyed that Hiccup was making the conversation so difficult. "It is my duty to act in the best interests of the Tribe-which includes arranging marriage contracts for my son. And organising these for the best advantage of the Hooligan Tribe." Hiccup gaped at him.

"So it was all a lie," he said bitterly, his tone sarcastic. "Everything you said after you got me back from Ryker after the bounty hunter delivered me to him. That there could be no secrets between us any more. And now I find you have been hiding this ENORMOUS secret that completely ruins my life, Dad. Wow-way to lie to me!"