Hiccup knelt there. He still couldn't believe what he saw on the table in front of him. He wanted to cry, to scream, to have any reaction at all. But he was speechless, his mouth empty of the words that wanted so badly to escape.

Queen Elinor was weeping, kneeling beside the marble table for hours. King Fergus and the triplets were by her side, heads bowed as silent tears rolled down their reddened faces.

Hiccup did the same and closed his eyes.

They had all been there for hours. The clans were gathered for the treaty between Berk and Scottland, to finally end the war between the two islands that began when Hiccup's father was still chief.

Only a year ago--after his father died, and soon after Astrid--Hiccup had travelled to Scottland to forge an alliance. On his journey he met the fiery-haired princess. It took a five months for her to warm up to him but soon she fell for him, just as he had her.

He remembered the day she said she loved him. Her hair was wet from their fall into the river earlier on in that spring day. Hiccup built a fire that they were snuggled by under the stars. It was silent, but for the chirping crickets and the cracking of the fire, when she said it. Those three simple words made his heart leap. Her voice was so quite, almost timid, in that moment; so unlike herself.

Only a month later Hiccup asked permission of the King to marry her. He had preached on and on for so long about how much he loved her, that Fergus finally had to order him to stop talking. The King agreed to Hiccup's idea but warned him not to be disappointed, as the girl's heart was not easily won.

Hiccup remembered the joy on her face when he dropped to his knees and asked her the question that would determine his entire life. She nodded her head quickly, tears starting to fall down her smiling cheeks. She pulled his face up to her's and kissed him for the longest time.

There it is!

The memories of her forced him to choke up and for a single tear to slip from his eyes.

It wasn't that he didn't want to morn...he just couldn't find the courage to admit she was gone. She would want him to be brave, like she had always been. But his strength was gone because so much of it had been drawn from her.

At last the people in the room started leaving. Hiccup's friends slowly walked over and greeted him.

Queen Elsa, of Arendelle, was the first to hug him, "As much as she wanted to, Anna couldn't make it, she and Kristoff had some special buisness to attend to in the Southern Isles. But she wanted me to let you know that she really wanted to be here." She paused as if trying to find the right words to say. "I'm so sorry, Hiccup."

"Thank you." Though all the pain he smiled. "Please tell Anna I understand."

Elsa nodded, "Of course."

Her husband, and one of Hiccup's closest friends, Jack, hugged him as well. "I know how much you loved her. You know it would've hurt her even more if it was you."

"I doubt that, but thanks Jack."

"Hiccup!" Princess Rapunzel, of Corona, cried as she tightly wrapped her tiny arms around him. Trailing behind her was her husband, Eugene. As Rapunzel pulled away she gently took Hiccup's face in her hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks, "I am sorry, Hiccup. No one deserves a happy ending more than you do."

"I appreciate that...everyone deserves their happy ending. Mine just won't come."

"Don't say that." Elsa scolded.

"She's right." Eugene agreed. "It will take you a long time to reach it, but you will get your happy ending."

The five conversed for a while. Every time someone told a story about her, Hiccup's face both brightened and dimmed. He was happy about the way she would be remembered: stubborn, brave and strong, sometimes even selfless. But he was depressed because after today he would never see her again.

Rapunzel put her hand on Hiccup's shoulder, "Do you need some time alone?"

He nodded, "If you wouldn't mind?"

"We'll talk with Elinor and Fergus." Elsa offered. The four shuffled over to the remains of the royal family, and ushered them outside.

Hiccup scanned around the empty room. The only thing even worth looking at was her. Slowly, with tears now falling from him eyes like at fire falls, he made his way to the table.

He gently took a hold of her stone-cold hand.

She was more pale then ever. Her vibrant, curly, red hair was splayed around her messily, as it always was. He desperately wished to see her bright blue eyes again.

Only now, did Hiccup notice the dress she was wearing. It was pure white and was fitted so tight that she would never been able to breath in it, had she been alive.

He recalled her saying, "Da dress is so tight! I'll be 'appy when ya finally peel me outta it when dis weddin' is dun and o'er with."

It was her wedding dress.

"Why, Merida?" He asked, "Why did you have to jump in front of that arrow? Why couldn't you have let it kill me instead? My own people were trying trying to kill me...and you jumped right in front of it! It should be me laying here right now, not you!" Hiccup slowly let his anger drain out of him. Crying, he whispered, "You didn't deserve this, Merida...you deserved to live a happy life."

Still holding her hand, he knelt by her side, and sobbed.

He heard the large doors creak open, but didn't care to look and see who was there. The person's soft footsteps padded over to where he knelt, a small hand landed on his head stroking his hair.

"Thank yoou fer lovin' 'er as much as she loved yoou." Elinor said. "Aye know it will be as hard fer ya as it is me. Aye only wish aye coulda given 'er more." Still kneeling, Hiccup looked up at the queen. Her face was no longer red and sad, but determined. She smiled at him, "Cum, aye 'ave something fer ya."

He stood up and followed the queen out of the room and up the stairs to her room--not the Queen's room--her room. "What are we doing here?" Everywhere he looked in the room caused him pain. He closed his eyes, trying to block all thoughts of her out.

But it was no use, so he opened his eyes again.

"We're 'ere because of dis." The queen lifted her black veil and grabbed a tapestry of the fiery-haired princess, holding it out to him. "I want ya ta 'ave it."

Taking the tapestry in his hands he looked down at it, gently touching the course fabric that made up her face. "Why?" He looked back up at her.

"Hiccup...aye no yer gonna want ta ferget her. But don't. She'll remind ya of all da things ya love. She was a brave lass dat brought out da best in people, da best in yoou. So aye want us ta 'ave dis ta remind yerself dat it will get better...ya just need ta try." She smiled, holding his cheek.

"Thank you."

She nodded, "Aye'll leave us alone fer a moment."

"Again, thank you."

Queen Elinor left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Hiccup looked around. He looked at the bedposts, remembering a time when the princess was angry and started hacking at them with a sword, forevermore leaving the chips in the wood that he now rubbed his fingers over.

Oh how he missed her.

He sat on her bed, holding the tapestry to his chest. He allowed the tears to fall.

__________________________________________________________

This story is a two-parter; the next part will be posted after this one, not quite sure when though because I have finals to study for. It might be a week or two.  Comment below for what you want me to write next (captinswan, cindai, eugunzel, everlark, fourtris, hiccelsa, jarida, jelsa, kristanna, merricup, thress, wolflet, wincin... You can tell me others and I will do them if I know who they are). I have an OUAT, Wolflet, Jarida, Lunar Chronicles, Mericcup, Wincin, Hiccelsa, and Eugunzel in that order coming up next. I can't promise quick updates on this book since I have other stories to write too.

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PrinsessSelene04