"Bu'," Merida stuttered, "wha' abou' Astrid?"

"You have to move on in life. And in love. There's too much to miss. I figured that It wasn't illegal for me to fall in love, and ever since I met you something changed. I knew I wouldn't be the same unless I had you in my life. Now - I realise I love you."

"Ah," Merida's eyes widened and she smiled in disbelief, "Ah love yeh too. Ah though' tha' men were ridiculous. Fallin' in love. Ah didnae believe in that. Bu' yeh changed everythin'."

Hiccup looked into her eyes and she into his. He took her hand and pulled her back to Toothless.

"We have to go. They'll be worried about you."

Merida sighed, but went with him. Even though she didn't want to return to her mother and her lectures, she knew Hiccup was thinking only of her welfare. She nestled her head in his shoulder and wrapped her arms around all the way back to Dunbroch and smiling more than she ever knew she would or could.

They parted ways when they landed back at the stables, Merida to the castle and Hiccup to night duty on the city walls; he wasn't going to be posted to be Merida's guard for another day.

Merida's sleep was untroubled and peaceful as her mind replayed the day she'd had with Hiccup, lying and watching the stars appear into the night. The ride upon his dragon and the way the clouds skimmed through her fingers and touched her skin like velvet. The Northern Lights which lit up their eyes and the sky simultaneously. His kisses which were so soft yet the impact they had on her made her feel like a ton of bricks had been placed upon her chest, knocking out all breath and ordinary thought. In fact, she was so peaceful and happy that she didn't hear the heated discussion going on in the Great Hall.

Fergus and Stoik, Hiccup's father, were discussing the plea that the King of England had sent. The fighting in the Holy Land was becoming a losing battle if they didn't get reinforcements very soon. The request was another ten thousand troops in exchange for ten thousand gold coins. Fergus didn't want to give away any troops but there was no denying that money was desperately needed in the kingdom. It seemed there was no choice but to agree to his offer. Stoik wasn't happy about this decision either, but they both decided they were taking this for the good of their country. It wasn't like they had many other choices either.

Hiccup woke the next morning with a smile on his face remembering the previous day, but he saw that a new notice had been pinned up in the square. He waded through the crowds so he was able to read it more easily.

All Soldiers of the Kingdom of Dunbroch -

Required to sign up for fighting in the Holy Land in the English Army, as ordered by King Fergus. Refusal to join will result in imprisonment and will be considered treason. Sign up in the castle by the third of the month at the latest.

Hiccup shook his head in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. Not when he'd just found happiness. He couldn't go. But first, Merida had to know.

He ran to the castle as fast as he could but however quickly he ran he knew he wasn't fast enough. Merida might be leaving now, or now, or even now...

He ran through corridors and hallways until he reached her bedroom. He knocked gingerly before hearing a voice call through the door:

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

"Hiccup?"

She opened the door and beamed at him. Hiccup didn't return her smile, and this made her confused.

"Wha's wrong? Wha's happened?"

"Merida," Hiccup croaked, "they're, they're sending me away to war."

Merida froze. Her world crumbled around her, her insides turned to stone. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true, could it?

"Nae. Hic, nae. It's nae true. It can' be true."

"The notice in the square says otherwise."

"Yeh can' go. Nae now. Nae jus' before Ah hae ter choose a suitor!"

"I have to," Hiccup looked into her eyes desparingly, "I haven't got any choice. If I refuse it's counted as treason. They'll kill me."

"Mah father," Merida concluded, grabbing his hand and pulling him back the way he just came, "we'll speak ter mah father. Ah promise yeh, this is'nae goin' ter happen."

They arrived in the great hall to see Stoik and Fergus looking tired, but their eyes lit up at the sight of their children, hand in hand.

"Merida?"

"Hiccup?"

"How d'you two knae each other?"

"Why are you here son?"

"You have lessons ter get ter Merida!"

"Don' yeh have guar' duty?"

"Not anymore I don't," Hiccup spoke up, voice rising. "Not until I've been posted to go to fight for the Holy Land I don't."

"He can' go," Merida said firmly, imploringly, to her father. "Not now. We, uh, um..."

"You two?!" Stoik and Fergus looked at each other and spoke in unison. It was impossible! Hiccup being a soldier, Merida, a princess? How could they have met? How could they be together?

"Merida," Fergus said, trying to get his point across, "the English are low on troops. We will ge' ten thousan' coins for sendin' our men. We don' hae any money, we need this."

"But Ah can' marry any of the suitors now!" Merida threw her arms up in anguish. "Hiccup can' gae!"

"Why?"

"Because I love her," Hiccup spoke up. Stoik turned to look at his son disbelievingly.

"Son, you can't."

"Why?" Hiccup asked, voice rising, "Why can't I love her? Why can't we be together?"

"It's not custom. A commoner cannae marry a princess -"

"That means you're just as much of a commoner as I am!" Hiccup shouted. "Berk might have been destroyed in the raid, but our titles weren't! I'm still the heir to the tribe!"

"Son, it can't work like that. It's more complicated."

"How?" Hiccup was virtually tearing his hear out, "How is it complicated? Why do I have to go?"

"Because you're going to be the leader of these troops. You will be leading the army."