The Strength of the Princess (HTTYD)

Ignorance

Chapter 28: Ignorance

Snotlout woke up feeling great. The previous day had certainly been an adventure, and for once, it was not only Hiccup who benefited. Queen Mala had designated Snotlout worthy enough to be king. Sure, he may have been scared off by the trials, but it was still a pretty big deal.

Snotlout exited his hut to find Astrid standing there waiting for him, her arms crossed and a frown on her face. "We need to talk," she said.

"Are you here to confess your love for me?" Snotlout said. "I'm sorry, Astrid, but I'm already spoken for."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "You mean Mala? That's not love. She was obviously injured when she fought the dragon hunters. And I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about Eira."

Snotlout blinked. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

Astrid placed her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Do you have any idea what you put Eira through yesterday?"

This caught Snotlout off guard. If it had been anyone but Astrid making accusations, he may have given it more serious thought. As it was, he did not have the patience for her nonsense. "I didn't do anything to her. She did seem to be in a bad mood, but everyone has those days. If she had a problem with me, she would tell me."

Astrid shook her head. "You really are hopeless. She didn't tell you anything's wrong because she keeps her problems to herself so she doesn't bother anyone. But if you weren't so oblivious, you would have noticed she was upset you basically ditched her for Mala."

Now it was Snotlout's turn to be angry. "Hey, I did no such thing! I was given the opportunity of a lifetime. She should be happy for me."

"Maybe she would be if you made the decision after careful thought, but you automatically chose to leave everything here behind, including her."

Snotlout frowned. He honestly had not thought that far in advance. "I'm sure Mala would allow her to stay with us."

"That's not the point! For reasons I cannot fathom, she likes you. She's a real person who knows you and likes you. Isn't that worth more than a proposal by someone you just met?"

Snotlout opened his mouth to respond but then stopped. It was not a simple yes or no response. Of course he appreciated Eira and everything she had done for him, but... Images of his father filled his head. He knew what he would say about the situation if he asked him. He had to make something of himself, and this was his big chance. "You just don't understand, Astrid. But if Eira is really my friend, she will."

Astrid sighed and shook her head. "For her sake, I hope you're right. Don't take her for granted. If you're not careful, you may end up pushing her away. Even she can only take so much."

Snotlout glared at her retreating back. "Yeah, well, your attitude is going to scare Hiccup off one day!"

Astrid did not respond, leaving Snotlout to mutter to himself. She was wrong, wasn't she? He and Eira were just fine. And it was not like there was an actual choice to be made. He was smart and resourceful. He could have it all if he really worked for it! Astrid was just being negative again. Snotlout had everything perfectly under control.

***

"Your flying has improved magnificently," Asmund complimented Eira. The two of them were currently their dragons around Berk. Eira and the dragon riders had returned and were sticking around for Berk's 400th year celebration.

Eira beamed at him. "Thank you! I've been able to practice in multiple different situations. So, how are you holding up at Berk?"

Asmund smiled. "Now that I am used to the local customs, I am enjoying myself immensely. Chief Stoick has asked me to share the history of Torvald and piece together information about Berk. There is a lot to be uncovered!"