The Strength of the Princess (HTTYD)

Exposed

Hiccup frowned. "I know, but they still deserve the truth."

"I'll tell them eventually. Please, Hiccup. I need to do it right."

Hiccup shook his head. "I won't tell them, but... I'm disappointed in you. I thought you were better than this." How could she ask him to lie to his friends? Sure, it was not his secret to tell, but why burden only him with the truth?

Eira cast her gaze to the ground. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be too hard on her," Haldor said. "She wanted to start over on Berk as a new person... not a princess. It would have been hard to do that if everyone treated her special."

"I know," said Hiccup. "This is just a lot to take in."

"I hope you will be able to continue to treat her the same."

Hiccup looked at Eira, who could no longer meet his eye. "I hope so too." This certainly changed everything... and not necessarily for the better.

***

Eira regretted the way Hiccup found out about her. Now he seemed to almost avoid her. It was easier to deal with than when Snotlout ignored her, but she did not know what to do about it. Haldor assured her he simply needed time to adjust. She hoped he was right.

One day, she was taking a flight around Dragon's Edge when she noticed a fire at Hiccup's hut She immediately turned Swiftwings that way to help. However, when she got there, Ruff and Tuff already doused the fire. Eira landed and looked at the scene. Hiccup was shaking his head in dismay while Snotlout appeared oblivious to everything.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Snotlout set everything on fire by trying to light the forge!" Hiccup said.

"I was helping," Snotlout said. "Relax, Hiccup. Don't get your tunic in a bunch. Everything's fine."

"Oh yeah, it's fine? It's fine? Does this look 'fine' to you?" Hiccup motioned to the charred clubhouse.

"I guess I'm just an optimist, Hiccup. I'm what you'd call a 'hut half un-burned' kind of guy."

"Hiccup, calm down," Eira said.

Hiccup turned on her. "Don't tell me to calm down!"

Eira flinched. Normally he would listen to her, but she was not sure if he would now with everything that had happened. Still, she had to try. "It sounds like Snotlout was trying to help."

"By burning everything down?"

"That wasn't his intention. Look, you have a right to be angry about the results, but if you want things like this to happen less often, you should affirm his intentions."

"I don't need affirmation," Snotlout scoffed.

Eira held in a sigh. These two had gotten better since she arrived, but they definitely still needed to work on their communication. She did not have a chance to continue, for Stoick suddenly landed with Skullcrusher, demanding to speak to Snotlout about his father.

"Ever since he joined Astrid's auxiliary Dragon Riders, he's become intolerable on a whole different level," the chief explained. "The man suddenly has ideas on improving everything. Most of which are considerably above his place in the tribe or station in life. Most recently, he's been pushing a plan for a secret off-Berk cache of emergency food and supplies."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Hiccup said.

Stoick rounded on him. "You're taking his side now, are you?"