The small island stood solid and solitary, embedded in the sea stubbornly like a buckle fastened to a belt. Winged creatures from dreams of fantasy soared overhead, circling it and landing on the roofs of the citizens; the air was bitingly cold and a wind was whipping up from the east. Irritated mutters from the shivering inhabitants mainly spoke of one young boy of whom they believed to be entirely fictional. A white-haired, brown-cloaked boy who wielded a staff and walked barefoot.

"Bloody Jack Frost," a certain Viking grumbled as he woke up that morning, shoving on his horned helmet and pulling on his thick leather armour. He stretched, wandered downstairs and shivered at the sight of the cold ashes from last night's fire. "Can't he go somewhere other than Berk for once?" The young man's father looked up from where he sat at an elaborately carved oak table.

"Your mother used to say exactly the same thing," he smiled to himself. "You're certainly more like her than me, Hiccup." The young man didn't know quite how to reply. His father, the chief, had been much more kind to him in recent weeks, offering little things here and there. He wondered what was going on; it seemed he didn't have to wonder much more as the elder man said with his face grave, "Son, we need to talk."

"Yes Dad?" The young Viking sat down across from his father, confused. Could this be about the raids of the other villages they'd heard about? When he'd heard he'd shivered, the grisly details of how whole clans were wiped out spread from village to village until they hit Berk, warning them of the Scottish invaders. "What is it?"

"You heard about the raids by the Scots I trust?" Hiccup nodded. "Well we've decided this can't possibly go on any longer. We received word from their king yesterday; they were raiding because they needed food as their supplies were dwindling due to the dragon attacks. They wondered whether we could help."

"What have you told them I'm going to do?" Hiccup sighed. He was used to such missions now.

"They hoped that you, as the dragon conqueror, could bring the situation calm and stop the attacks. In return they would establish trade routes with us. It's a perfect offer, son."

"That's all?" Hiccup asked, stunned. "That's all I have to do? You haven't promised any other surprises from the oh so mighty Dragon Tamer?"

"No, not really." The young Viking wasn't fooled by that answer.

"Hold up a second. What d'you mean 'not really'?" When the elder didn't reply, Hiccup grew worried. "Dad..."

"Well. The princess over there, Merida, I think her name is; there's going to be games to compete for her hand. In marriage. And that'd be happening whilst you were, well, sorting out their dragon problem. The king has invited you to take part if you take well to the princess."

"- What?" Hiccup tripped over his own words. "First we've got a bit of dragon taming, that's fine, then throw in competition for marriage? Dad -"

"I made it certain that you'd only compete if you and the princess got along together," Stoick clarified, understanding his son's concern.

"Oh great!" The young man threw his hands in the air. "What am I supposed to do? Take a prissy princess off on a ride with Toothless? Show her how his tail fin works? Realistically Dad, how in hell is someone like me supposed to win a princess?"

"I know it hasn't been long since Astrid -" the chief started and Hiccup cut him off angrily.

"Exactly! Everyone's been so bloody annoying about it all, pretending to be sorry for me; 'don't worry about her Hiccup, plenty more fish in the sea Hiccup...'" He ran his fingers through his fringe, scrunching his eyes up. "It still hurts."

"I know," Stoick placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "You don't have to do it. I just thought it might distract you from life here for a bit. Even if you win the princess's hand you could turn it down if you hate her that much."

"What do we even know about this girl?" Hiccup asked, almost helplessly. His father shrugged.

"She's firstborn of Clan Dunbroch. People have described her hair as though it was on fire. Not bad in the looks department either apparently. And a skilled archer."

"Archery?" The young Viking was intrigued. "I didn't realise princesses liked that kind of thing."

"This one does. I heard a story that she could split an arrow from the tail to the tip from thirty paces." Hiccup blinked and raised his eyebrows.

"Impressive."

"Aye." Stoick nodded, taking out a piece of parchment. "Should I reply and say no then?"

Hiccup thought about it for a moment. To be honest, he wasn't going to get much more of an escape from Berk than this. He'd be taming wild dragons and testing his combat skills to win the hand of the princess, which he could always turn down. There couldn't really be a downside to this. Not a major one anyway.

"No. I'll go. It'll be good to get away from stuff."

The chief was momentarily taken aback, but he nodded. "I'm proud of you son." Hiccup shrugged.

"Just doing what's best for the tribe Dad. I've got to get married someday, haven't I?"

"Yes, but son -" Stoick looked him directly in the eye and clapped him on the back, "I will respect any decision you make, d'you understand? You can win her hand, you can lose her hand. You can marry her, you can turn her down; I don't mind. Alright?"

Hiccup nodded. "Alright."

"Well then," Stoick rubbed his hands together, "we leave at dawn tomorrow with our answer. We'll be staying in the castle for the games." Sensing what Hiccup was about to ask, his father cut in before he could speak. "The dragons will be kept outside. They'll have everything they need."

"Sure hope it's warmer in Scotland," Hiccup grumbled as he went to pack the essentials for their stay.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up," Stoick muttered to himself.

On the roof, a barefooted boy wielding a staff with a brown cloak draped about his shoulders chuckled quietly and cried to the wind to "take him home." By home, he meant a small kingdom in the heart of Germany. That kingdom's name?

Corona.

Notes: This story is going to stray from the normal storylines of the Big Four, just so I can keep it as historically accurate as possible. The events of Brave haven't happened (not as much tension exists between Merida and her mother), the events of HTTYD 1 and Tangled have happened2/4 years earlier (Gothel is dead and Rapunzel is with her true parents) and Jack is exactly the same apart from the fact that he died 300 years earlier. He is NOT a guardian, but a spirit.