"That's intriguing." Elsa said, responding to Hiccup's telling of one of his Viking wedding traditions.
"In Arendelle, we just have the choir sing as the bride walks down the isle." She finished.
"That sounds nice as well." Hiccup replied, playing with her hand. "However, I think live music fits the occasion so much better."
"Then I guess we'll have to compromise." Elsa said, smiling. "We'll have the choir."
"I'm not sure that's how compromising works." Hiccup said chuckling.
"It's my compromise to your tradition." Elsa teased. "I like the choir."
"I'm getting married too you know." Hiccup said, still smiling. "I don't know how many more things I'll 'compromise' for you." He used his fingers as air quotes on the word compromise.
"Well tell me another one of your traditions." Elsa said, returning his smile. "Maybe I'll let you win this time."
"You're bound to like this one." Hiccup said.
Before he could continue, Toothless made a sound, telling his rider he was tired. Seeing as though they were above an island, Hiccup decided to land there and set up camp for the night.
When they landed, they dismounted Toothless and began to set up camp.
"I'm glad we brought a tent this time." Hiccup said. "Yet another luxury we didn't have on our last adventure."
Elsa responded with a laugh.
They set up the tent and got a small fire going. When everything was in order, they sat in front of the fire.
Elsa rested her head on Hiccup's shoulder as the two stared into the flames.
"So, what's the tradition you said I would like?" She asked.
"The bride and groom create their own wedding bands by hand." He started. "All by hand, no machines, no vendors, no magic." He said, grinning at her as he said the word magic.
"No magic?" Elsa asked loudly, lifting her head off Hiccup's shoulder and looking into his eyes. "You're right, I do like that tradition, but how do you expect me, a woman who was locked away for years and gained no skills, to create something so detailed without using my magic?"
"I don't get to use my magic." Hiccup stated.
"That's because you don't have magic." Elsa replied.
"Oh, that's right!" Hiccup said, pointing his finger up. "Doesn't that just seem so unfair?"
Elsa playfully hit Hiccup's shoulder, causing him to laugh.
"But I guess it's something we can actually compromise on." He finished.
"Really?" Elsa asked, trying to hide her excitement.
Hiccup shrugged his shoulders.
"I'll allow it." He said. "Plus, I would be honored to wear something that you created with one of the many things that make you unique."
Elsa blushed again.
"Oh Queen Elsa, you have got to stop blushing." Hiccup teased again.
Elsa looked away from him.
"I told you I don't blush." She said. "It's just cold out here."
"The cold doesn't bother you." Hiccup replied, smiling. "But if you're cold, I know just the thing that could warm you up."
(Mature warning: it's just an elongated intimate kiss, but these sometimes make me uncomfortable so I thought I'd give a warning)
Hiccup was dumbfounded by his own words. He had never said anything like that outloud, but something about this moment made him do so.
He had never had this amount of confidence before. He would never say that to someone, let alone a beautiful woman.
He didn't change his confident demeanor, despite all of the alarms going off in his head wondering why he felt a sense of assertiveness.
He sat up straighter and reached towards Elsa's chin. He put his fingers on it and turned her head towards him.
Elsa took notice of his sudden assertiveness, causing her eyes to widen when they met his.
Hiccup didn't halt his confidence, he just slowly brought her face closer to his and their lips touched.
He placed his hand on her cheek, Elsa responded by placing hers on the back of his head. She began running her hand through his hair and placed her other hand on his chest.
Hiccup responded with placing his other hand on her back, then slowly brought it down to the bottom of it. He used that hand to pull her closer to him so their chests were touching.
Elsa took the hand that was on his chest and put it on his back, their lips still together. She ran her hand up and down his back, the other still messing with his hair.
That's when Hiccup got more confident. He separated their lips, but moved them down to her jawline until they eventually landed on her neck.
He continued, and Elsa tilted her head back, giving him more access to her neck. A sound escaped her lips, causing Hiccup to become more passionate. He leaned in closer until he was over her. He put one hand on the ground, the other still on her back and began lowering her to the ground slowly, his lips still planted on her neck.
He placed her on the ground, taking the hand that was on her back and lifting up her dress a little and began running his hand up and down her somewhat exposed leg.
Elsa responded with reaching down his back and lifting up his shirt, placing her hands on his skin.
Hiccup made his way down to her collarbone, then to her shoulder.
He decided in that moment that even though he wanted to go further, he thought it was still too soon to do so. If Elsa wasn't ready, he would understand.
He made his way back up her neck until their lips eventually touched again. That's when he noticed she was breathing fast. He would normally get worried for her well-being, but in this circumstance, it was a good sign.
His lips still planted on hers, he smiled. He slowly let his arm travel from her leg up to her waist.
At that moment, their lips separated and they slowly opened their eyes.
Hiccup was now on top of her, the only thing keeping him from lying on her was his arm that was planted on the ground next to her.
"Gods." He breathed.
Elsa placed one hand on his chest. His heart was beating rapidly.
"Have you done this before?" She breathed.
"Not at all." Hiccup replied. "Why? Was it bad?"
"No." Elsa replied instantly. "No, not at all."
Hiccup was catching his breath.
His mind was flooded with innapropriate thoughts. He had never done this before, so he was hoping he was doing something right. The sounds Elsa made told him that he was, so he felt a sense of pride.
He looked her up and down. His skin started to get hot and his cheeks were now flushed, despite his teasing of Elsa's previous blushing.
"You are breathtaking." He muttered, looking into her eyes, the assertiveness still there.
Elsa was taken back by his actions. She never saw him in this way, all she saw was a kind, gentle man. However, what he had done led her to wanting more.
Elsa gave him a smile.
"Care to elaborate?" She said, giving him a look.
Hiccup, receiving the message she was giving him from the look and her desire for his elaboration, decided he could go further.
"Absolutely." He said, grinning.
He leaned in to her cheek and started kissing her again. Elsa didn't back out, letting Hiccup know he made the right decision and that he understood the look she had given him correctly.
He made his way back to her neck and began lifting her up into his lap. Elsa, now sitting on the upper part of his legs, placed her hands on his back and wrapped her legs around his waist.
He kept his lips glued to her neck and reached his hands down to the bottom of her dress and began lifting it up. When it reached to her waist, his lips left her skin and he pulled it over her head.
Elsa looked down at him as he stared at her now partially exposed body. The only thing she was wearing underneath was an undershirt and undergarments.
Hiccup was still shocked with himself. He couldn't believe what he was doing. He admired her frame, noticing she had put on some weight, making her no longer skin and bones. She was beautiful before, but she had filled out some, making her even more beautiful to him.
He looked up at her and met her eyes. He gave her a look as if asking her if what he wanted to do was okay with her. She responded with a look that would tell him yes.
No words were exchanged, but Hiccup understood once again and placed his lips back on her neck. He placed her back on down, her feet now planted on the ground as Hiccup's body was placed between them. His hand made its way from her leg to her waist, then eventually went up to her chest. Elsa lifted her chest closer to him and began reaching down his back to take his shirt off.
Hiccup took his hand off of her and separated himself from her. Now sitting up straight, he took off his own shirt and threw it to the side. This was one time we was glad he didn't have his armor on.
How awkward would that have been?
It was cold outside. Elsa didn't mind it, but she thought he might be cold. But the longer she looked at him, he almost looked like he was sweating.
Maybe it was just the adrenaline rush that she also had.
Elsa looked at him. He might look like a scrawny young man, but underneath that baggy clothing, there was nothing scrawny about it.
Hiccup placed his lips back on her collarbone, Elsa responded with running her hands up and down his back slowly.
Hiccup went further down and the rest is a mystery.
"So you know Hiccup?" Anna asked, still sitting on the bed next to Gobber.
"Ah of course I know him!" He replied. "I only helped raise the kid. Not to mention he's one of the best Chiefs Berk has ever had!"
His demeanor changed.
"Well, he was the best Chief Berk had ever had." He continued. "I still can't believe what happened to it. Odin, I don't even know how it happened. It makes no sense, eh?"
"You're right, it doesn't." Anna replied. She knew what happened, but she wasn't going to tell him that. This man just woke up from being unconscious. If she told him it was her sister, surly he'd be back in a coma.
"But that's what he and my sister are out trying to find out as we speak." Anna said.
"Hiccup's here?" Gobber asked, looking at the Princess.
Anna nodded.
"Well, not at the moment, but he'll be back." She said. "You're welcome to stay here and wait for when he gets back."
"Ah, thank ya Princess." Gobber said. "It's not like I have anywhere else to go at the moment." He let out a laugh.
Anna thought it was weird how nonchalant he was about losing his entire home. Maybe it was just a Viking thing.
"Let's go get you settled." Anna said. "We have rooms open in the castle. You can stay there."
Gobber stood up and followed Anna to the castle, but not before giving his thanks to Landon and Gwen for nursing him back to health.
When they arrived at the entrance, Anna turned to Gobber.
"I'll have to tell my husband you're here." She said. "Before he gets mad at me for bringing yet another stranger into the Kingdom."
"Ah I understand." Gobber replied. "I'll wait here."
Anna turned and walked inside the castle. She made her way to the study where Kristoff should be.
She opened the door and there he was, sitting in the office chair.
"Kristoff you're not going to believe this." She began.
Kristoff jumped at her sudden arrival, but sighed and told her to continue.
"There was a man found in the shore of Arendelle. His name is Gobber and he was nursed back to health by the Elders." She continued. "He's a Viking."
"Is that all?" Kristoff asked, shooting her a look.
"That's not the best part." Anna said, leaning over the desk.
"What is?" Kristoff asked.
"He's from Berk." She said.
Kristoff's eyes widened at his wife's words.
"As in Hiccup's Berk?" He asked. Anna nodded in response.
"Where is he?" He asked.
"I brought him here. I told him he could stay in the castle until Hiccup comes back." She replied.
"Let's talk to him." Kristoff said. With that, the two made their way to where Anna left Gobber.
With Elsa and Hiccup, the sun had now risen in the sky. Elsa was sound asleep in the tent and Hiccup was outside spending some time with Toothless before him and Elsa continued their adventure.
"Bud, she is amazing." He said to his dragon. "I've never felt this way about another person."
Toothless nudged him playfully, knocking him to the ground.
"Ow Toothless!" Hiccup said. "I'm getting too old for that!"
Toothless grunted and began pawing at his face. Hiccup dodging most of them.
"Keep it down bud." Hiccup said, still moving out of the way of Toothless' pawing. "We don't want to wake up Elsa."
"No need for that." A voice said.
Hiccup, who was still lying on the ground, turned his head.
About twenty feet away from him stood Elsa. She was wearing a dark blue dress that fit her form and went down to her ankles. It was simple, but elegant.
Hiccup stared at her in awe, the events of last night still playing in his head. He wanted to do it all over again, possibly going even further this time, but despite his mind yelling at him to do so, he set it aside and turned his attention to the main focus of their adventure.
He was Elsa's, and Elsa was his. There would be plenty more of that in the future.
"Goodmorning." Hiccup said, scrambling to his feet. "I hope he didn't wake you up. I told him to be quiet."
Toothless spit a small rock at Hiccup's head, casing him to turn to his dragon and give him a look.
"He didn't." Elsa replied. "I was exhausted enough to actually sleep through the night, so I got more sleep than I have ever had."
Hiccup walked over to her, a smile planted on his face.
"Exhausted you say?" He asked.
"Very much." Elsa replied, giving him a smile back.
"Well, if you ever need more rest, be sure to let me know." He said playfully.
Elsa let out a small laugh and playfully hit Hiccup's shoulder.
"Oh no she's too strong!" Hiccup said, placing his hand on the shoulder Elsa had hit. "How could I ever win over her?"
Elsa laughed more.
"You'll never win against me." She said crossing her arms.
"That's not what you said last night." Hiccup said teasingly.
Hoping to get a reaction from her, he turned away and began walking towards the tent. However, the reaction he got was not one he thought he would get.
His short walk was interrupted by a sudden feeling of coldness on his back. He looked at the ground and saw the culprit.
It was a snowball that had now broken apart and melted into the ground.
"That's so unfair." He said, turning back to her.
She gave him a smile and made her way over to him. He reached out his hand and she took it, then they walked back to the tent and began taking it down.
"You said this was a few days journey?" Elsa asked, folding the fabric to the tent.
"Yes." Hiccup replied, tying a string around the sticks for the tent. "We flew a little longer yesterday, so it should only be about a day and a half now."
"What exactly is it we're looking for?" Elsa asked.
"I'm not sure." Hiccup said standing up. "My mother's note just said it was a Kingdom. Maybe we should just keep a lookout for anything that looks like one."
"That's a terrible plan." Elsa stated.
"I told you I don't plan, I just go with the flow." Hiccup said.
Once they finished packing everything, they took one last look around the plain.
"We should get going." Hiccup said. "We don't want to waste any time."
Elsa nodded.
The pair mounted Toothless and they began their ascent to the sky.
Elsa wrapped her arms around Hiccup's waist and rested her head on his shoulders
Hiccup continued to look below them in case anything caught his eye.
He had an unseasy feeling. He didn't want to express it to Elsa. She seemed so happy and free right now and he didn't want to ruin it for her.
A few seconds passed and Hiccup's fear came true.
Flying below him, he saw a blue dragon, one he wasn't familiar with.
"Elsa, hold on to me." He said, still looking at the dragon.
"I am." Elsa said. "What's wrong?"
"I mean hold on tighter." Hiccup corrected himself. "And don't say a word."
Elsa listened, keeping her mouth shut and tightening her grasp on Hiccup's waist.
She was confused about why he was asking her to do those things. That's when she followed the direction of his gaze.
She saw the blue dragon flying below them. She squinted her eyes to get a better look. That's when she saw that there was someone riding it.
Because Hiccup didn't react well to its appearance, she figured it was someone he wasn't familiar with.
He was right. There would be danger on this trip.
Hiccup leaned closer to Toothless' ear and whispered.
"Try to keep us hidden from him." He said. "Does he seem familiar to you?"
Toothless shook his head in response, then locked his eyes on the dragon again.
Suddenly, the dragon dissapeared into the clouds. Hiccup began to frantically look around, searching the sky for the dragon and it's rider.
When they reached the edge of the clouds and we're now flying in the clear sky, that's when Hiccup and Elsa caught sight of something before them.
It was a dark cloud. At least, what looked to be a cloud. It looked more like black sand, but it was moving in circles.
Standing on top of the strange phenomenon, stood a man.
His skin was grey, he was very tall and slim. His eyes were glowing yellow and his hands were placed behind his back.
"Who is that?" Elsa asked Hiccup with a worried tone.
"I'm not sure." Hiccup replied. "And I don't want to find out."
Before any other words could be exchanged, the cloud of black sand shot a blast of something towards the three of them.
This caused Toothless to jerk his entire body to the side, barely dodging whatever it was that came bolting towards them.
"What the hell?" Hiccup shouted.
He turned back to see if Elsa was okay, but his heart stopped when he saw that she wasn't there.
He quickly glanced down and saw Elsa falling from the sky. If she continued to fall, she would hit the water and fall to her death.
Hiccup motioned Toothless to fly down there and catch her before she hit the water, but the black sand kept shooting at them which only made it more difficult for Toothless to gain momentum.
"Just a little further bud!" Hiccup yelled, keeping his eyes on Elsa.
Toothless had caught up with her enough for Hiccup to reach his hand out and grab Elsa's outstretched one.
Seconds before she hit the water, Hiccup pulled her into his arm, keeping his other one wrapped around the reins.
Toothless changed directions to go back to the sky and flew away from the sand cloud that still lingered in the sky.
He flew as fast as he could, still dodging every blast that was shot his direction.
A few long and terrorizing seconds passed and they had gotten out of view of the cloud and landed on a nearby island.
As soon as they landed, Hiccup, who still held Elsa in his arm, jumped off of Toothless and sat down on the ground.
"Elsa, are you okay?" He asked, scanning her body.
Her eyes were wide with fear and her breathing was rapid. She took a deep breath and nodded her head.
"No you're not." Hiccup shook his head. "You're not okay. Odin, I almost killed you."
"No, no you didn't." Elsa said, still catching her breath. "I'm okay, I'm here."
"I'm so sorry Elsa." Hiccup said. "I said I would protect you and I failed like I always do. I'm so sorry. Oh gods."
Elsa removed herself from his arm and put her hands on his cheeks, forcing his gaze on hers.
"Hiccup I'm okay." She repeated. "You didn't fail, you caught me. It's okay, I forgive you."
Hiccup continued to shake his head, but didn't reply verbally.
Elsa put her hands in his and just sat in front of him.
She couldn't change his mind, all she could do was wait for him to do that himself.
She knew it was an accident. He didn't let her go, she just wasn't holding on to him tight enough.
She let go of his waist for a second to get closer to him, but just as she did, Toothless jolted go the side and she started to fall.
She knew if she told Hiccup that, it wouldn't change his mind, so she kept it to herself for now.
She continued to sit in front of him, holding his hands and watching him struggle with his inner monologue.
"How many times am I going to have to fail to finally do something right?" Hiccup muttered, his gaze on the ground.
"Failure is a part of life." Elsa replied.
"I know it is, but name one person who has failed more than me." Hiccup said, looking up at her.
"How am I supposed to be the King of Dragons?" He said. "Even more so, how am I supposed to be a King?"
Elsa seemed taken back.
"Are you worried about becoming King of Arendelle?" She asked.
Hiccup didn't reply, he just looked back at the ground.
"Hiccup, please answer me." Elsa pleaded.
"I've been a leader before," Hiccup began. "But never of a Kingdom, let alone one as big as Arendelle. I couldn't even protect Berk, a small village. Look where that got me. It all burned down, it's completely gone."
Elsa felt guilty. She was the one who destroyed his village after all.
It wasn't on purpose. She would never do that, but Berk still fell at the wave of her hand. There was nothing she could do to go back and change that.
She wanted to walk away from him, but she didn't want to be selfish. She just had no idea what to say to the Viking to get him to calm down.
She just continued to sit there in front of him.
"I didn't mean it like that." Hiccup said, taking notice of her sudden guilt. "I know there was nothing I could do to stop you from doing what you did, but Berk had been through many hardships and I never seemed to be there to protect it."
He sighed.
"I keep running away from my problems." He said. "I'm tired of running. I don't want to run anymore."
In Arendelle, Anna, Kristoff and Gobber were sitting at the table, taking about things and enjoying their meal.
"So you mean to tell me Hiccup is engaged to this woman?" Gobber asked, putting a piece of ham in his mouth. "To the Queen I mean?"
Anna nodded.
"He proposed a couple of nights ago." Anna said. "After that was when they left."
"I've got to say, you sure know how to clean a plate." Kristoff said, motioning to Gobber's almost empty plate.
The plates were set on the table less than five minutes ago.
"Oh you bet I do lad." Gobber said. "You know us Vikings. We're hungry creatures."
"Tell that to Hiccup." Kristoff said jokingly. "He never finished his plate."
"Hiccup's an odd one." Gobber said, setting his fork down, his plate now empty.
"He's not like the rest of us. He's different. Very different." He began. "His mother was taken by dragons a few days after he was born, so I helped raise him alongside his father, Stoick. He never fit in with the other Viking kids, he just did his own thing."
"But he seems so nice." Anna said. "How come he didn't have any friends?"
"Like I said, he was different." Gobber replied. "He kept to himself. It wasn't until he was around fourteen or fifteen when he decided he wanted to find his place in the village. Oh you should've seen him."
"That sounds so sad." Anna said, setting her fork down. "We don't know much about him aside from what he's told us."
"Hasn't he been here for a while?" Gobber asked, shooting her a questionable look.
"He has, but we haven't really talked to him that much." Anna said. "He keeps his thoughts to himself mostly, we choose not to ask."
"We don't question is silence." Kristoff said. "He just lost his entire village in one night, we understood why he wasn't exactly in the mood to talk."
"Lad's probably beating himself up for it." Gobber said. "Hiccup might be a strong man, but deep inside, he's still begging to be heard, to be seen."
Anna and Kristoff shot him a confused look.
"Like I said earlier, he was an outcast. He always had to prove himself." He began. "Even after he did, he still felt like he had something else to prove. I tried to get him to stop and realize that, but he was too stubborn."
"Then we have to make sure he doesn't feel like that when he's King of Arendelle." Anna said. "We have to let him know that he doesn't have to prove himself. If my sister believes in him, so do I."
"I know the most about him. I'll help." Gobber said. "Quick question though. Is there a chance I could get seconds?"
With Hiccup and Elsa, they had finished their conversation and made their way back into the sky.
Elsa was calm, but Hiccup was still on edge, constantly scanning the sky for any more danger.
"Who do you think that was?" Elsa asked, breaking the silence.
"I don't know." Hiccup replied. "But I'm fairly certain that won't be the last time we see him. Keep your eyes peeled."
Elsa didn't reply.
Now was her time to be selfish.
She wanted the other Hiccup back. After her mistake earlier, he had been closed off. He was barely speaking to her and would only talk when she would ask a question.
She understood, but she didn't care what happened to her. As long as he was okay.
She didn't tell him, but she still felt like a part of her was missing, even after she got her answers. It didn't make sense to her. She thought all of her negative feelings would've gone away once she found out who she really was, but the dark parts of her still lingered within her heart.
Another hour passed and they had decided to land again. Tomorrow, they should reach or at least be close to their destination.
Hiccup set up the tent and Elsa sat next to Toothless. She created little snow flurries and watched as the dragon played with them.
Hiccup turned away from the tent to look at them.
A faint smile formed across his lips. Toothless had become very fond of Elsa and he was thankful for that. Toothless doesn't like many people, but he was glad he liked this one.
Though his thoughts were flooded with what he was doing and what had happened earlier, he had one question going through his head that stuck out from the rest.
When Elsa fell off of Toothless, why didn't she scream?
If Hiccup were falling from the sky, that would be the first thing he did.
It worried him.
Elsa seemed okay now, but there just wasn't something right about the situation.
He walked over to the pair and sat down next to his fiancé.
"How are you?" He asked, his voice filled with concern.
"Let's not make this about me." Elsa replied.
She was hoping Hiccup hadn't thought about what happened when she fell off of Toothless, but he was a smart and observant man. He was bound to know.
She didn't care if she lived or died still. That's why she didn't scream.
"No, let's make it about you." Hiccup said.
Elsa turned and looked at Toothless who seemed to have taken notice of the change in atmosphere.
"Why didn't you scream?" Hiccup asked.
Elsa sighed, then turned to him.
"I knew you'd notice." She lied.
Hiccup gave her a look.
"Don't lie." He said.
"I'm not lying." Elsa lied again. "I trust you. I knew you would notice my absence."
"I don't believe you." He said, frustration sounding from his voice.
"And that's fine." Elsa said. "I believe me and that is all that matters."
"It's just that if I were falling, I'd scream. I'd yell. I'd do something to let someone know I was falling to my death."
Elsa didn't reply. She sensed rising anger in him and she didn't know what to say.
"I don't get it Elsa." Hiccup said. "I thought you were better. I thought things were okay. You got your answers and we got rid of Grimmel. I just don't understand why you didn't-"
"I let go." Elsa interrupted.
Hiccup froze.
"You... you let go?" He asked, his angry expression turning to worry.
"Not on purpose." Elsa said. "I was trying to get closer so I could get a better hold, but I chose the wrong time to loosen my grasp."
Hiccup stared at her.
"Toothless jerked and I slipped off." She finished. "It was an accident. It was my fault."
"It's my fault for not noticing." Hiccup said, turning away. "I should've been more careful with you."
"Stop doing that." Elsa said, letting some of her frustration escape her lips.
Hiccup turned back to her.
"Doing what?" He asked, giving her a puzzled look.
"Stop saying that everything is your fault." She began. "You're starting to sound like me. You're being rather hypocritical right now. You always told me exactly what I'm telling you now, and you're going against your own words."
Hiccup didn't reply. He just continued to look at her.
He knew she was right, but he couldn't get over himself.
"I don't mean to be harsh." Elsa said, calming down a little. "I just want you to see yourself the way I see you."
Hiccup let his eyes travel to the ground.
"You're right." He muttered. "I am being hypocritical."
He took Elsa's hand.
"I just feel like nothing I've done since I met you has been worth it." He began. "I've spent the last moments with you, trying to help you, to save you, and you're still missing. I am in no way blaming you, I just can't help but feel disgusted with myself for not noticing you're still not complete yet."
Elsa rubbed her thumb across his hand that was holding hers.
"I think it's just a part of me." She said softly. "I might be like this for the rest of my life, and that's okay."
She placed a hand under his cheek.
"As long as I have you, I'll be able to get through whatever this life throws at me." She continued. "I'm not as full of sorrow as I used to be, and that is all because of you."
Hiccup looked into her eyes. Her's were filled with sincerity and his were filled with tears.
"I am who I am today because of you." Elsa said.
Hiccup's shoulders became less tense. He was finally understanding his fiancé's words.
He knew she was still hurting, but he's done everything in his power to help her, even if it was only a little. If he were to leave her, he would leave knowing he left a good part of him behind, but he wasn't going to leave.
Elsa was his home.
He leaned his head into her hand and let a tear fall down his cheek.
He pulled her closer to him and pulled her into a hug.
"I'm who I am today because of you too." He said, his neck burried in her shoulder. "You're my everything."
"And you are mine." Elsa responded.
A few minutes passed and the two were now lying on the ground, their gazes towards the setting sun above.
"Well, there's the end to today's challenges." Elsa said softly, her hand placed on Hiccup's chest.
"Thank the gods for that." Hiccup replied, his hand placed on top of hers.
Elsa put her head on his shoulder and placed her body closer to his. She nuzzled her head into his chest and closed her eyes.
"Thank you for saving me." She whispered.
Hiccup smiled.
"I'll always save you my Queen." He replied. He turned his head downward and gently kissed her forehead. "No matter the cost."
Moments passed. The sun was now set and Elsa was sound asleep.
Hiccup was still awake. He didn't want to go to sleep. He was still feeling unnerved from the encounter with that man earlier.
Who was he? He was sure they would come across him again, or that he would come across them first. Either way, they were bound to see him again.
He couldn't have just been a random man, he had to be the enemy his mother wrote about in her note.
Toothless nudged Hiccup gently, not wanting to wake Elsa.
"Who do you think that was?" Hiccup asked his dragon softly. "Have you ever seen anything like that before? A man riding a dragon that could turn into a cloud of black sand? It doesn't make any sense."
Toothless cooed in agreement.
"Hopefully we'll arrive at that Kingdom tomorrow." Hiccup said. "I just want to marry Elsa and have a happy life. I can't wait anymore, but this has to be done first."
He sighed and turned his head back to the sky.
Tomorrow, he would get his answers, then the prophecy will be fulfilled.
Back in Arendelle, Anna and Gobber were walking through the hall.
"This room right here can be yours for the meantime." Anna said, opening a door. "If you decide to stay, we can find you a place of your own."
"Thanks." Gobber said.
He walked into the room and took a look around.
"Well this room is about the size of my old house back in Berk!" He said loudly. "I appreciate you and your kindness Princess Anna."
"Please, call me Anna." She replied. "Hiccup is practically family. I have a feeling we're going to be around each other a lot. There's no need for formality."
"Alright Anna." Gobber said. "Thanks again."
Anna nodded.
The two said their good nights, then Anna left the room, closing the door behind her.
Her eyes met with Kristoff's who was standing at the end of the short hallway.
"I feel so bad for Hiccup." Anna said, walking towards her husband. "I had no idea he went through all of that. He just seemed so happy to be alive."
"He was doing it for Elsa." Kristoff replied, taking Anna's arm. "But I'd be lying if I said I noticed."
"And he's so great for that." Anna said, holding onto Kristoff's arm as they walked towards their room. "But I don't think Elsa is herself again, at least not entirely."
"That I did notice." Kristoff said. "She still seemed a bit on edge when they got back. She was definetly a little happier though."
They walked into their room.
"I hope Hiccup hasn't noticed." Anna said. "I can only imagine that it would make him feel even worse. I don't want that for him."
"Neither do I." Kristoff responded, lying down in the bed. "But I'm certain he's noticed. He probably knows Elsa more than we do at this point."
Anna pursed her lips.
She was a little jealous of the relationship her sister and the Viking had. Because she spent so many years away from her sister, they never really got to tell each other everything that went on during those times.
Hiccup said he knew everything about her. Anna didn't understand why Elsa trusted a stranger with things she wouldn't even tell her own sister.
She still liked the guy, but it just didn't seem fair to her.
"I'm sensing jealously." Kristoff said.
Anna couldn't hide her facial expressions to save her life. She was too theatrical for that.
"I am not jealous." She said, lying in bed next to her husband. "I just want to know Elsa too, she's my sister after all."
"She's my sister-in-law." Kristoff responded. "I'd like to know everything too, but it's not my choice."
Anna stayed silent, she just stared at the ceiling, trying to calm her thoughts.
"Did Gobber tell you anything when you were in the room?" Kristoff asked.
"No, he just said thank you." She said. "Even though he slept for a while, he was still tired, so I thought it'd be best if I let him sleep. I'll ask him more questions tomorrow."
"Why don't you wait for Hiccup to tell you?" He said, turning on his side and closing his eyes.
"It's his story after all." He continued. "It's not Gobber's place to tell."
Anna sighed. He was right. She just needed to talk to Hiccup more.
Back at the island, Hiccup and Elsa were mounting Toothless for what they hoped was their last day of traveling.
"I hope this is the last day." Elsa said, wrapping her arms around Hiccup. "I'm getting rather sore."
"Believe it or not, so am I." Hiccup replied, settling himself on the saddle. "I might be a seasoned dragon rider, but I am not as young as I used to be."
Elsa giggled.
The Hiccup she knew was back and she felt happier. She still felt bad for lashing out on him yesterday, but she had no other way of getting what she wanted to say to his head.
She admired how no matter what they went through, they would always talk about and and they would be able to get through it. She hoped that it was a possibility for every trouble they went through.
They made their ascent to the sky.
"How long do you think this one should be?" She asked, loosening her grasp on his waist, but still making sure she was holding on enough.
"Hopefully just a few hours." Hiccup replied. "We probably could have made it yesterday, but someone was being a big baby."
Toothless snorted, showing how little he appreciated his rider's words.
Hiccup and Elsa let out a laugh.
"Don't worry bud." Hiccup said, patting his dragon's neck. "I was tired too."
Elsa leaned her head back to face the sky and closed her eyes.
Hiccup, noticing her silence, turned his head back to look at her.
She was astonishing. She looked so free and whole, even though he knew that wasn't the case.
He was still upset about the fact that she still felt depressed, but he now knew he had done everything he could thanks to her kind words.
That's the thing about depression. When you think it's gone, it always finds its way back to your heart, making you feel like you are back to where you started.
He wouldn't let that happen to Elsa, though. Not in a million years, not ever.
As he continued to stare at his soon to be wife, he noticed her neck.
It was covered in little bruises that trailed down to her collarbone.
It would've been a cause for worry, but he knew where they came from.
"You might want to cover those up." He said, turning back to the front.
"Cover what up?" Elsa asked, turning her head back down.
"Those things on your neck." Hiccup replied. "I'm not sure how they got there, but they sure are obvious."
"On my neck?" Elsa asked. She tried her best to see her neck, but it wasn't humanly possible. She looked at her collarbone and chest instead and saw what he was talking about.
"Oh gods." She muttered.
Hiccup let out a chuckle.
"You're unbelievable." She said playfully with a hint of embarrassment.
With a wave of her hand, she changed her dress into a more baggy one that covered her neck in the most descreste way possible.
Hiccup looked over his shoulder again.
"I liked the other dress better." He said with a playful smirk.
"That's because there was barley a dress." Elsa said, smiling back playfully.
"Exactly." Hiccup responded, turning back to the front, the smirk still planted on his face.
That's when he felt a gentle slap on his back.
Thought it was gentle, it hurt a little, causing him to wince.
Elsa leaned in to his ear.
"You might want to continue to cover those up." She said softly, mocking his earlier words.
Hiccup raised an eyebrow, then turned back to her.
"What is that?" He asked, confused.
"Those scratches." Elsa replied, crossing her arms. "They could get infected." She joked.
"Scratches?" Hiccup asked, he lifted the back of his shirt and looked towards the bottom of his back, the only place he could see without breaking his neck.
"Future Elsa Haddock, what did you do to me?" He asked, looking at her. "That's wildly innapropriate."
Elsa laughed in response.
Hiccup pulled his shirt back down and turned around on the saddle so he was facing Elsa.
She was still laughing as he pulled her closer.
"Someone's a little too confident."
He said, his face inches from hers.
"Is it confidence?" Elsa asked, smiling at him.
"Let me rephrase that." Hiccup said. "I think tempting is the right word."
He planted a kiss on her lips and she returned the favor. He started to make his way down to her neck, but she put her hand on his cheek and lifted it up to where their eyes met.
"No way I'm allowing that." She said playfully. "If I'm not mistaken, someone just told me to cover those up."
Hiccup playfully scoffed, then put his hands on his chest, showing his fake hurt.
"That's unfair." He said.
Elsa laughed at him and his self pity.
"Gods I am so in love with you." Hiccup said, placing his hands on her legs.
Elsa smiled in response.
A few hours passed. They continued to talk about whatever they could think of to pass the time, but their conversation was interrupted when Toothless made a sound.
Hiccup turned back around on the saddle and looked forward.
Before them, there was a Kingdom that was slightly larger than Arendelle. It was surrounded by a lake with only a bridge to reach it.
"This must be the Kingdom." Hiccup said. He began to fill with worry, but he set the feeling aside. He needed to do this.
"We should land in the outskirts." He said. "I'm not sure what condition this Kingdom is in. There could be something evil residing in it."
When they got closer, Hiccup motioned for Toothless to land on one of the docks on the outside of the Kingdom.
Luckily, no one was in sight. A blessing, but also something that stricked worry in the Viking's mind.
It was the middle of the day, the docks should be busy right now, not empty.
When they landed, they dismounted Toothless and began walking towards the town that surrounded the castle.
They stayed silent. Hiccup held onto Elsa's hand the whole time, the other planted on the handle of his sword.
Their silence was interrupted when they heard a voice coming from a nearby house.
"Psst!" It sounded.
Hiccup and Elsa jerked their heads in the direction of the sound.
There they saw a man wearing a blue tunic with a white long sleeved shirt underneath and brown pants.
"Over here!" He whispered loudly.
Hiccup brought Elsa closer to him and they carefully got closer to the man.
When they were close enough to him, he spoke.
"Are you from Arendelle?" He asked quietly.
Hiccup looked at Elsa as if asking her if it was okay with him saying yes. She gave him a look back that said yes.
"We are." He said. "Who are you and where are we?"
"I'm Flynn." The man replied. "And this is the Kingdom of Corona."