Chapter 31

"Hey, guys.... Now that Hiccup's back, CAN SOMEONE GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!" The short guy stuck on the rafters yelled. Astrid frowned as she looked up and wondered how to even get him down but apparently Gobber had that issue covered as he pulled out a rickety wooden ladder from behind the front door. Astrid watched the whole process and idly wondered if Gobber was just prepared for anything or if this situation had happened before.

When the shorter guy was finally back on solid ground his swarmy gaze migrated towards Astrid and Atali who had still been observing the whole scene, too shocked to react much. "Well hello there," He said as he slicked back his disheveled black hair and approached.

"Uh...." Astrid honestly didn't know what to say but thankfully Gobber stepped in, smacking the guy on the back of the head.

"Snotlout behave! That's tha girl yer cousin is sweet on!" Gobber admonished.

Astrid blushed at the statement and also noted that this Snotlout fellow seemed to be somewhat cowed. "You don't want Hiccup to punch you again, do you?!" Gobber continued.

"Alright! Alright! I get it! I get it! No hitting on his lady friend!" Snotlout groaned, rolled his eyes, and tried to avoid eye contact with Astrid. She idly wondered how hard Hiccup had punched this guy for him to be cowed this much.

A crash from upstairs could be heard which caused Astrid to worry. "Why don't ya go on up lass," GObber told her. "I'm pretty sure you won't become a crispy lady,"

"Uhm...." Astrid wasn't sure what to say to that as the statement didn't feel as reassuring as it was probably supposed to be.

Even without Gobber's 'assurance' she had made her decision and slowly ascended the stairs. Before she got far, however, she had heard this Snotlout fellow say "Are you a troll?. 'Cause I want you to smash me." This sentence what followed by a resounding slap. Astrid didn't have to look back to know that Atali had slapped that man for his crass comment.

"Lad, please stop with the horrible pickup lines," Gobber could be heard saying with exasperation as she was finally out of earshot.

As Astrid got to the landing of the second floor she heard voices coming out of the room furthest back. The door had been left ajar and Astrid could make out Hiccup's voice shouting "-othless! No! Ew! No bud! You know that doesn't wash out! TOOOOOOTHLESSSSS!"

"Hiccup? Are you alright?" Astrid called out tentatively as she approached the doorway. The wooden door creaked as she pushed it open further only to be met with what looked like a rather pissed off dragon sitting on his haunches and holding Hiccup possessively.

The dragon growled at her and bared its teeth. "Toothless NO!" Hiccup shouted as she noted he was trying to loosen the dragon's grip on him. More growling ensued and Hiccup, with some exasperation in his voice uttered "We want her to like us bud!" The dragon who, even to Astrid, seemed very skeptical about that statement laid down on the floor, taking Hiccup with him and effectively squishing the man.

"TOOThlesssss..... Neeed... TO.... breathe!" Hiccup managed to convey as his arm flailed about. The black dragon had the decency to look a bit sheepish and finally when Hiccup, still pinned could breathe, he got a word in. "Astrid, this is Toothless, Toothless, this is Astrid,"

Astrid's eyes narrowed while Toothless just growled menacingly. "Toothless! NO! We need her to find your mate!" That caused the dragon to stop and 'arooooo' at Hiccup in a questioning tone.

"I know bud... I know but she's the best we have right now," Hiccup stated. "And... I kind of like her...." he added which caused Astrid's cheeks to heat up. The dragon looked from Hiccup to Astrid... back to Hiccup and then to Astrid again before he got off of Hiccup and just stared at the noblewoman.

"Hiccup are you alri-," Astrid asked as she took a step forward, only to be met with a growl from the black dragon. She took a step back and the dragon seemed calm once more.

"Toothless! We need her to like us!" Hiccup admonished again as he was finally able to extricate himself. The dragon just snorted in response.

"Sorry," Hiccup said as he turned to Astrid. "I think he noticed the injury to my arm and just assumed."

Astrid just nodded, still unsure of what to say or make of this whole situation. She had just seen a literal dragon, a creature of myth, use her boyfri-... no suitor... wait... no... paramor? Beua?, okay... so she wasn't entirely sure what to call Hiccup, but he'd just been used like a ragdoll. There was a knock on the door behind them and Astrid turned to see Gobber standing there.

"Now that yer all caught up lass there is someone I think you should meet," Gobber stated. "The twins brought back quite a doozy Hiccup and I think this whole thing just got a lot more complicated."

"Who?" Astrid asked as she and Hiccup followed along. Both curious about this mysterious guest.

"It's best if ya see for yerself," Gobber stated as he led them to another door on the landing. "I've had em stay in my room since I had limited space." He added and opened the door. There on the one-person bed near the open window in the room sat a rather emancipated man. Astrid could see his ribs as the nightgown was far too big causing the collar to droop down.

"The twins found him when they were escaping from the arena," Gobber elaborated as Hiccup frowned.

"Who is he?" Hiccup asked. He looked at the man but he couldn't place the face. The man looked no better than the beggars from the slums. It was however Lady Astrid's crude exclamation of "OH SHIT!" That drew everyone's attention.

"I greet his Majesty the King, Sun of the Kingdom." Astrid curtsied elegantly. Her words took Hiccup by surprise. Gobber however seemed to have already known and added, clapping Hiccup on the shoulders, "Yep, the twins found a king down there. Ya go looking for dragons ya end up bringing back a king. I tell ya, the world is one crazy place,"

"Gobber..."

"Yes Hiccup,"

"Do we have anything stronger than mead in the smitty?"

"I got that bottle of whiskey I bought off of Johann before I came here," Gobber muttered.

"I have a feeling we'll be needing it Gobber,"

"Aye lad, we probably will...."

Later that night on the grounds of the Imperial palace, Lady Griselda made haste through the dark corridors of her manor. She carried no lantern but instead a small suitcase. The moon's illumination was the only thing that guided her through the hallways to a familiar destination. She entered Krogan's room and hastily shut the door before locking it. She wasn't done yet though. Krogan groggily woke up to see the woman he'd fallen for move the backrest of a wooden chair under the doorknob.

"Wha-" Krogan started to ask but Griselda threw a black bundle at him.

"Wear this quick. We need to go," She ordered and Krogan sat up to inspect the bundle. It appeared to be a traveling cloak. Now that he looked at Lady Griselda she too seemed dressed for travel though not in her usual attire. Gone were the ruffles and lace one would expect a Noble lady of her stature to don. Instead, she wore a traveling dress that seemed to be fashionable amongst the common folk.

"Go? Go where?" Krogan asked with concern. This certainly wasn't like the lady he knew. She was normally cool and collected.

"You wanted to run away with me didn't you?" Griselda asked. This startled Krogan because he did. He wanted this amazing woman for himself though never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined her agreeing to his proposal.

"Maybe we should wait until my wounds heal?" He suggested while laying a hand on his bandaged abdomen.

"Then we will most likely be dead," Griselda deadpanned. Krogan noted that she didn't seem to be lying, or at least she believed that to be the truth.

"Tell me what you know," Krogan said as he tightened the cloak around him after carefully slipping out of his bed. The wounds still hurt but he could manage... for now.

"There was an explosion at the Colosseum some days ago," Griselda explained. "Ever since then Prince Grimmel has been weird. He seemed more on edge the last time we spoke... and yesterday...."

"What happened yesterday?" Krogan asked though he already had a suspicion as to what was going on.

"I found the remains of burnt letters in one of the fireplaces," Griselda told him as she opened up the glass doors to the balcony. "They looked like the letters I would normally receive for tea parties."

"He ordered the maids to burn them?" Krogan frowned.

"For the same reason he has guards stationed at the Dowager Queen's and Queen's Consort's palaces," Griselda stated. "It looks to me like he lost something valuable in that explosion...." She looked and Krogan, really looked at his troubled face, and then uttered "You know what was there don't you,"

"I do...," Krogan uttered. "But not here, the walls have ears and I've already said too much to you,"

"Fine, but once out of the palace, we will be having a long talk. A very long talk," Griselda stated.

"If the Prince has really increased security then it will be near impossible to leave," Krogan uttered though he did join Griselda on the balcony. The pair slowly climbed over the railing as Griselda told him "Ye of little faith,"

"Wait, let me go first. I can catch you," Krogan said before he expertly jumped down the one-storey. He ended up in a roll on the grass. Once on the ground he held his arms open and motioned for Griselda to jump. She did so with little hesitation.

"Did I ever tell you how amazing you are?" Krogan whispered as he caught her with an 'oof'.

"Now is not the time for flattery," Griselda huffed, "But thank you," She added, her cheeks rosy in the moonlight.

"So where to now?" Krogan asked as he watched Griselda pick up her small suitcase. It was no bigger than a hatbox really and he wondered what she had packed. Certainly not clothing. Those would have never fit.

"This way. I've made arrangements," Griselda stated while pointing to the stables in the distance.

Krogan thought that the lady wanted them to steal some horses but how wrong he was. The couple met three men, dressed as stablehands, near the building.

"Lady Arkas?" One of the men questioned. Krogan couldn't make out much on facial features in the darkness.

"We are here. Is everything ready?" Griselda asked.

"We were told to tell you that it might be a tight fit," The mysterious man uttered as the two others rolled two objects towards them.

"Wine casks?" Krogan's brows shot up. They were rather big too so if the idea was to smuggle them out that way he wondered what the man had meant by it being a tight fit. As if reading his mind the mysterious man answered that they would be hiding under a fake top that had to be filled with a certain amount of wine to fool the guards.

Krogan had no need to ask Lady Griselda where or who this crazy idea came from because in the pale moonlight he could still make out the telltale brand on the casks as belonging to the Bog Merchant Company.

"Come on, in we go," Griselda told him as one of the men helped her into a barrel.

"What a woman," Krogan whispered before he too walked to the other cask.