Bliss - Chapter 1

"But I thought ye wanted me to choose a husband!" Merida shouted at her father angrily.

"Of course we do!" her father roared back. "But we thought ye'd choose one a the young lords, not some savage from the edge o' civilization!"

"HE IS NOT A SAVAGE!" Merida cried, rage making her voice shrill. "And I don't ever want to hear you call him that again!" Her eyes caught the light of the torches, blazing as brightly as her fiery hair. Her gaze was so intense that even Fergus shied away.

"Darling, we only want what's best for you," Elinor soothed. She stepped forward and smoothed her daughter's wild curls back from her face. "But honestly, this boy just isn't safe! I mean, his best friend is a dragon, for heaven's sake! It's not right!" Elinor wanted to let Merida make her own decisions, she really did, but the prospect of her only daughter marrying some wayward viking and moving away so he could rule his own kingdom frightened her beyond belief.

"I love him, Mum," Merida said quietly. Her eyes softened and a tear slipped down her cheek. She stepped back so she could see both of her parents. "Isn't that what matters most? Does that mean anything to you?" She looked from her mother to her father and back again.

Elinor turned back to her husband. Fergus sniffed and quickly wiped away his own tears. He rose from his great throne and walked towards his daughter. Elinor stepped aside so he could take Merida's hands in his own. "We understand, Merida. We just don't want to lose ya'," he said calmly, voicing the same concerns as his wife. "Marrying one of the lords would keep ya' close, marrying the viking will send ya' so far away."

Merida cracked a smile and reached up to swipe a stray tear from her father's face. The burly man sniffed, embarrassed that his daughter had seen him crying. Merida laughed and said, "It's not like I'll never come back, Dad. It's only a day's ride by dragon. He'd never let me get away with not visiting."

Fergus sighed in defeat. He knew there was no arguing with his daughter, especially when it came to her viking boyfriend. He looked to his wife and she silently agreed with him, a simple nod of her head was all that he needed for confirmation. They turned back to their daughter. Merida waited anxiously, her green eyes big and pleading and her hands clasped in front of her chest. Elinor couldn't help but grin, it was so unlike Merida to try to use the puppy-dog face to get her way, but it seemed as if she was out of options. "Very well, then, Merida," the queen said, "you can marry the viking."

Merida squealed and danced around in a circle before wrapping both of her parents in a hug. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" she giggled, so full of happiness that it was all bubbling out. "I can't wait to tell Hiccup!" she cried. She kissed each of her parents on the cheek and dashed up the stairs to her room.

Fergus and Elinor watched her go. When she had disappeared around the corner and they heard her door slam shut, the Bear King turned to his wife. "Did we do the right thing, Elinor?" he asked. "Should we really be lettin' 'er go?"

Elinor smiled and gave her husband's hand a comforting squeeze. "Of course we did, Fergus. Look how happy she is. Remember when we were that happy to be getting married?" she reassured him.

Fergus chuckled, his booming laugh echoing around the empty throne room. "Aye, you're right. She's blissfully in love. If we hadn't given her permission she would have gone and married him anyway. It's better this way."

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Up in her room, Merida ran around in circles, giggling like she'd lost her mind. She hadn't felt this emotionally overwhelmed since her mother had transformed back into a human. When her adrenaline had worn off and she realized that she was gasping to breath, she collapsed onto her bed. She lay still for a few minutes, her chest rising and falling as she caught her breath. She reached up and felt her throat for the cord of the necklace Hiccup had given her. She found it and pulled the charm out from under her dress. She held the intricate carving of a Nightfury up so she could see it. She smiled and pressed it to her lips, wishing that Hiccup was there with her. He'd carved the little charm himself, and the smile he had when he gave it to her had been so big she was afraid it would split his face. In comparison, the little bear charm she'd given him seemed dumb, since it was one that Merida had bought from the witch. Hiccup loved it just the same.

She was anxious to tell him what her parents had said, but she knew he had to deal with his own family. Stoick was probably going to be easier to deal with than Merida's parents had been, but it was still going to take some talking on Hiccup's part.

Merida sighed. She was so excited, she couldn't stand to wait for a wedding. 'Maybe we should just elope,' she thought. 'It would be so much easier.' She knew she couldn't though. Elinor had been planning Merida's wedding practically since the day the girl was born. It meant so much to the queen. And at least Merida got to marry someone she loved.

She sat up again and moved to get ready for bed. She wiggled out of her dress and into a nightgown. She pulled the blanket off her bed and dragged it over to the window seat. The night was so cold that the fire blazing in her bedroom hearth was barely slicing through the chill. She wrapped the blanket around herself and curled up against the wall. She rested her forehead against the cool glass and drifted off to sleep. Just before she was gone completely, she whispered, "I'll see you soon, Hiccup."