The next morning, as I was walking out of the bedroom, I come across a girl with shiny dark brown hair in perfect little ringlets.
"Are you Astrid?" She says to me.

"Why yes I am. And who might you be?"

"This is my cousin Bella." Hiccup chimes in. "She's been staying with me ever since her parents passed away."

"Would you like to come and see my room?"

"Yes please" I look at Hiccup and he grins at me.
"Ok but don't be long. We have a tree to decorate!"

"Oh yes! Come on let's go!"

Bella's room is in the corner of the second floor. She leads me across the landing to a door with a pink flower stuck to it.

Bella's bedroom is possibly the greatest kids bedroom I have ever seen. The main wall is covered with a mural of famous fairy tale characters from Snow White and her dwarfs, to dumbo the elephant and little red riding hood.
"Hiccup painted that for me a year ago. I really like it. Oh and this is my bed." Bella says, turning and pointing at a set of bunk beds next to the opposite wall. The bottom bunk has a curtain going all the way round it.

"Cool bed." I say, really meaning it. "I love the curtain."

"Me too." Bella says. "Sometimes I pretend it's a tent."

"Hurry up guys! The tree won't decorate itself!" Hiccup's voice travels across the house.
***
The Christmas tree is as tall as the living room and almost as wide as the bay window it's stood in. It's needles are think and glossy and fill the room with a delicious piney scent.

The three start decorating the tree, grabbing baubles from a battered old trunk full of the most beautiful ornaments ever.

Turns out each ornament has its own story. As they hang them on the tree, Bella entertains the other two and recounts each and every tale.

Finally, all the baubles were on the tree.
"Let's not forget these." Hiccup says, handing Bella a box.

"Candy canes!" Bella exclaims.

The box is full of green, red and white striped canes that are shiny and bright and smell of peppermint. Carefully, they start hooking them over the branches of the tree.

"Yummy!" Says Bella, popping one in her mouth. "I couldn't help it! It just fell in my mouth!"

They all start to laugh and hiccup offers Astrid a candy cane.
"Is it time for the angel?" Bella tugs on hiccups shirt.

"Sure is!" Hiccup takes a parcel wrapped in red tissue paper out of the trunk. Very carefully, he unwraps it to reveal a beautiful angel with wavy blonde hair and a long ivory silk dress. Two wings made from golden gossamer fan out from her back. Hiccup climbs up onto a chair and gently placed the angel on top of the tree. Bella starts clapping her hands in excitement.
"Can I turn the lights on, please?" Bella pleads.

"Of course you can." Hiccup smiles at her.

They wait as Bella scrambles round the back of the tree.
"Merry Christmas!" She cries, and the tree suddenly comes alive with twinkly golden lights. It's so beautiful Astrid can't find the right words to speak.

"Merry Christmas." Hiccup whispers in Astrid's ear, putting his arm around her waist.

She snuggles into him, glowing with the thought that this was going to be the best Christmas ever.
♪───Ｏ（≧∇≦）Ｏ────♪
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