Sorry it's been a while, I finished my exam week and took some much-needed time to rest and also spend Easter with my family. Here's the final chapter of this short story, I hope you've all enjoyed it, I really enjoyed writing this one. And for anyone who reads my other stories, I should be back to updating them semi-regularly again soon.

Thanks for reading!

Chapter 3: Wedding Bells

It was a picture-perfect day, the sun was up and bright as ever, a light breeze in the air rustled the trees and grass oh so gently. A perfect day for a perfect wedding. The hof house was simply glowing in the morning sunlight, decorated with gold ribbon and hundreds of white flowers. Neither family had spared any expense, and it showed.

Dagur paced back and forth across his dressing room floor, nervously tugging at his collar. His sister's hand reached out and stopped him, moving up and deftly fixing his cravat back into place. "Now stop touching it," she said, taking a step back to look him over. "You look simply dashing, you need not worry so much."

"Do I?" he asked, anxiously looking into the standing mirror. "Because I wanted to go with red, but Mala insisted that we stick with white and gold, but red really is my signature colour-"

"Heather's right," Astrid interjected. "You look very dashing, there's nothing to worry about."

"I suppose I do look rather handsome," he said looking over himself a second time. "I really should consider adding more variety into my wardrobe don't you think?"

Heather and Astrid exchanged smiles. "Yes, but for now let's worry about the wedding shall we?"

Dagur cleared his throat and straightened. "Yes, yes, of course."

"We should check on Mala, but if you need someone to stay with you, I can have Throck fetched," Heather offered, moving towards the door.

He shook his head, still looking at himself in the mirror. "No, I'm quite alright. You two make sure Mala is well taken care of, she is the bride after all."

They both nodded as they exited, shuffling down the hall and into the room Mala was dressing in. She looked absolutely lovely in her white gown, with lace, gold detailing and cotton tulle to puff it all up like a storybook princess. Ruffnut and Atali were also dressed in their bridesmaid gowns, their dresses were similar but simpler, white with gold.

Heather smiled. "You look positively splendid, Mala."

"Thank you, that's very of you kind to say." She looked over Astrid and Heather, noticing they were still in their day clothes. "You haven't gotten a chance to change?"

"No, we were checking up on my brother, but we will now." Mala nodded.

Astrid and Heather retrieved their dresses from the back closet, having kept them there since they purchased them. Mala had wanted to keep as much of a surprise as they could for the guests. In truth, Astrid had been more than happy to pack it away from home, she didn't like looking at it much. Bridesmaids dresses were not very different than wedding gowns, only a little less extravagant. Uncle Finn had told Astrid as a child that the reason was related to tricking evil spirits who wanted to kidnap the bride. Whatever the reason, she couldn't help but dislike the tradition. Looking at, and especially wearing anything that reminded her of weddings did nothing to please her.

"How do I look?" Heather asked, giving a spin in her dress. The white and gold matched Mala's gown but it wasn't as puffy or detailed.

Astrid smiled. "You look beautiful, that design was a good choice."

"I thought so, my mother always said narrow dresses suited me." Heather looked at Astrid. "You should've gone with off the shoulder like I suggested, puffed sleeves always look nice when they're off the shoulder."

"That would've been too showy, we don't want to upstage the bride now do we?" Astrid asked as she turned towards the mirror. It was a pretty dress to be certain, simple with a boatneck and short puffed sleeves. She looked like a bride, and that made her heart sink. "...Shall we go then?" Heather looked at her friend, put her hand on her back, and they walked to the door together.

The guests all filed into the hof house, family all in the first three rows, the rest behind them. Most of the faces were familiar, Astrid could see Finn sitting on the groom's side, chatting with the men around him. Tuffnut, Snotlout, and Fishlegs were also not far off, sitting together near the back. Closer to the front she noticed Stoick Haddock, though he wasn't especially close to either family, as mayor he was obliged to attend most notable events. Mala and Dagur represented two very powerful houses, their union was undoubtedly an important one.

Her eyes made another quick sweep of the room, looking for someone, someone she knew wouldn't be there. He never came to large social gatherings such as weddings. Despite being fully aware of this, she still felt disappointed when she couldn't find him.

The music started, signaling that the wedding was to begin. Gothi stood up at the front of the hof house in her finest white robes. Dagur and Mala stood across from each other, holding hands, smiles wide, and eyes locked. The bridesmaids stood in order behind the bride, Heather, Astrid, Atali, and lastly Ruffnut. As soon as Gothi finished wrapping the ceremonial cloth around Dagur and Mala's hands, they kissed and the guests stood from their seats to applaud. The cheering continued as they made their way down the aisle and out the hof house doors, as ladies stood outside throwing white flower petals over their heads.

The guests reconvened at the great hall for dancing and refreshment. Dagur and Mala began the festivities with a speech of appreciation to all who had come to celebrate their union. Astrid lifted her glass up with the others as Mala made a toast. "To love!" everyone cheered as they drank from their glasses.

The small orchestra started to play waltz music, and Astrid shuffled away from the centre to allow others to begin dancing. A few men dared to ask her for a dance, but she turned them all away. Normally she might accept a few, but tonight she was not in a dancing mood. Tonight all she wanted was for the festivities to end so she could go home and rip her damned bridesmaid dress right off. She looked down at it again and scowled, fingers tugging at the gold detailing. It was a beautiful dress, but Astrid hated the sight of it.

"May I have this dance m'lady?"

Her head whipped around faster than she knew it could, Astrid would recognize his voice anywhere, that nasal quality it had distinguished it from all the other clear, plummy voices surrounding her. "Hiccup?"

He smiled sheepishly, and extended an open hand out towards her. "May I?"

She slowly took his hand and nodded, still a little surprised by his presence. Hiccup was never the type to enjoy parties or balls, he always avoided going. It was one of the many quarrels he and his father had. The obligation Stoick had to attend all notable social events extended to his young son. Despite the expectation, Hiccup was almost never seen at balls or weddings or anything, especially not since leaving home.

"Dagur mentioned you were invited, but I never thought you to actually attend," Astrid said as they walked together to the dance floor.

"I almost didn't," he admitted, placing his other hand on her waist.

Astrid followed suit, putting hers on his shoulder. They began slowly dancing as the music gradually picked up in speed. "Is that so."

He nodded. "I confess I was a little apprehensive about coming tonight. I was pacing about my room wondering if I should or not."

"I don't blame you, this is the first event you've been to since leaving home. Did your father see you?" she asked looking around.

"It's not about my father," he said. "Something much more terrifying, really."

Astrid couldn't help but smile at his joking tone. "Terrifying is quite a dramatic word, sir."

"It is, m'lady."

"You must be a very brave man to have come."

"On the contrary, I'm quite the coward," Hiccup said, eyes drifting away from hers. "I've never been more scared to do anything in my life, and I've made all the excuses in the world not to do it. I nearly convinced myself not to come tonight too."

She stared at him. "What made you change your mind?"

"I…" he started, his eyes slowly moving to meet hers. Their faces were so close together, how long had it been since they were this close? She could see straight into him, see how nervous he was. "I wanted to see you."

Her eyes moved away and she scoffed. "That's laughable, with how much you've avoided me as of late. You've had plenty of chances to talk to me, yet this is the first I've heard you speak in weeks. I assumed you had developed a distaste for me."

"Of course not!" he said a little too loudly. A few eyes drifted towards them and he shrank, lowering his voice as they continued to dance. "I would never feel that way."

"If that's the case, why didn't you say anything in the forest? Why did you ignore me every time I came to the gunshop? Why did you stop sending me letters?"

"I'm sorry, I worried what people would think. You're an unmarried lady, to be seen with me like that would be-"

"Inappropriate?" Astrid finished his sentence. "Don't you think that's something I could've decided on my own? You never cared how other people saw you, why should you presume it's different for me?" She sighed, dropping her hands as the song ended. "I thought you knew me better than that."

"I did, I do! It's not that I thought you would, but I was going to...I...I had never planned to stay away for good. I only needed time," he tried to explain.

She stared at him, unsure how to feel. Astrid wanted so badly to be angry at him, but when she saw him there, fidgety and abashed, she couldn't help but want to forgive him immediately. "You needed time for what?"

"W-what? Oh, uh...I…" Hiccup looked like he was close to fainting how nervous and sweaty he was.

Astrid nodded with a frown. "I see," she said curtly, turning and leaving the dance floor with long angry strides. As she walked towards the end of the room where the banquet was being held, a hand tapped on her shoulder. "I have nothing more to say," she said sharply, expecting to find Hiccup behind her.

"May I have this dance, my lady?" It wasn't him. She recognized the man vaguely, someone she had rejected once, though his named escaped her. Hroar? Lars perhaps? There were two men she knew named Lars, she wasn't sure which he might be if that was indeed his name.

She sighed. "I do not wish for a dance at this time, sir."

"Oh, but you look so stunning when you dance, my lady."

He was trying to be playful, but she wasn't having it. "I believe I made myself perfectly clear when last I spoke."

"If you danced with him," he began, and Astrid's eyes narrowed, "surely a noble beauty such as yourself can grant one more dance for me?"

"Feel free to speak your mind, sir. No need to insinuate."

He looked at her, confused. "My lady?"

Astrid glared at him. "If you have any quandary with my choice of dancing partner, you can tell me candidly as a gentleman should."

"Oh of course I have no quandary," he said, trying to laugh it off. "It was a lovely gesture, you are as generous as you are beautiful. Truly the mark of an excellent wife-to-be."

"Generous, I see." Astrid crossed her arms. "I'm sorry to tell you sir, but I only dance with whom I want to dance. Generosity has nothing to do with it," she said. "And before you ask again, I do not wish to dance with you."

Astrid turned on her heel, but before she could take a step forward, she found Hiccup standing only a few yards away, a wooden box clutched in his hands. She stared at him for a moment, with him staring back, then she turned the other way, slipping quickly to the back of the ballroom and out the door.

"Astrid," she heard him call out as he followed after. She looked to him, but said nothing. "I'm used to the way people talk about me. You didn't have to defend me to him."

She frowned. "No I didn't, I suppose you'll say I'm generous now?"

Hiccup sighed and slowly approached her. "Alright, I deserved that." There was a pause, the wind blew through the grass and trees with a great whooshing sound. "I'm afraid you've misunderstand my intentions."

"You haven't exactly made it easy," she retorted, using her hands to smooth out her gold hair. It shone so bright in the sun that it seemed to almost blind him at times. "You think you have to do everything on your own, you hardly ever told me about your struggles, and then you stopped talking to me entirely."

Hiccup nodded. "You're right," he said. "I was a coward, I didn't have the confidence to come to you as I was. As I still am I suppose."

Astrid shook her head, she still didn't understand. "I never listened what they said, what anyone said. You knew that. You knew that better than anyone."

"I know," he agreed. "Even though I never cared what they said about me, it was different when I thought about what they might say about you. I didn't want you to lose friends, or worse even, your family the way I did."

"What was your brilliant plan then? To never speak to me again?" she asked, completely flabbergasted. "You're a smart man Hiccup, but sometimes you're the biggest fool I know."

"It wasn't…" he sighed. "It wasn't like that, those were only excuses, I know that now. I didn't...listen, just open this will you?" Hiccup held the box out for her to take.

She eyed it from afar. "What is it?"

Hiccup walked closer to her, putting the box directly into her hands. "This is what I was working on, I was making it for you. Well, I made it for you." It was a rather large box, thick and rectangular, made of dark brown wood. Astrid looked over the box suspiciously before carefully opening it, inside was a strange gun. It looked like a pistol, but it had a peculiar design that she had never seen before. She took it out, it was a little heavier than she expected, but the balance was good. "It's a new type of gun I'm working on, that's the first of its kind. See those bullets there?" he said directing her attention back to the box.

Astrid put the gun back in a took out one of the small pieces of metal. It didn't look like any type of bullet she'd ever seen, bullets looked like little balls, this was a small cylinder with a slightly pointed end. "This is a bullet?"

"It's a new type of bullet, the point is the projectile, the part at the back holds the gunpowder see?" he explained. "It's similar to a paper cartridge. This way all you have to do is insert the bullet in the back there, no need fussing around with loading anymore. It also doesn't jam as easily, I know you've been having trouble with that."

"Trouble with jamming?"

"Well, you have to get your gun fixed so often."

Astrid laughed. "You really are a fool, Hiccup. I only went to see you. Of course, you always hid in the back anyway."

"...Oh."

She put the bullet back into the box and brushed a hand over the gun, feeling the cold metal against her fingertips. "It's wonderful, thank you," Astrid said.

"That's what I was working on all this time, I know you must have wondered," Hiccup explained, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I was...when you saw me in the forest that morning...I was testing it, seeing how it fired. I wanted to talk to you...really, but everyone was there, all your friends." He sighed. "I didn't want to embarass you."

"You don't embarrass me."

Hiccup smiled weakly. "But they don't know, do they?"

"No...they don't…" she murmured, looking down at the gun. Suddenly she regretted begin so angry.

"You were hunting right? I saw you had your rifle with you."

Astrid nodded. "I was."

"I know you don't always use pistols, I haven't worked out how to make rifles yet...I wish I had more time to work on it."

She shook her head. "Hiccup, it's perfect."

Hiccup looked over at her sheepishly. "Of...of course someday I'll make you a rifle if you want one. Once I've sorted it all out I could make you as many rifles you'd like, make you anything you wanted me to, really. If...if you…" his eyes wandered the floor below. "If you'd...do me the honour of…" Hiccup cleared his throat and tugged at his neck scarf. "Of...being my wife…?"

Astrid's eyes darted to meet his, she almost didn't believe her ears. "...Your wife?"

"I wanted to come to you as a better man, I know I'm not much as I am now. I don't have very much money, and I don't have a house or a estate yet, but my trap launcher patent was accepted very recently and I plan to start selling as soon as I can. Gobber thinks I could make a good fortune with that, and maybe even the gun design if I manage to get a patent for that too. I believe I will have my things in order promptly, I'm certain I'll be able secure a good future for you and-"

"Hiccup," she interrupted him.

He had a expression of utter terror, and he swallowed hard, eyes never leaving her. "Yes?"

"My parents recently lowered my dowry to three shillings. I hope that won't be a problem."

Hiccup stared at her, he seemed saddened by this. "You don't have to protect my feelings m'lady, if you do not wish to marry me I hope you can tell me honestly like you have all the others." His foot moved to leave, his head slowly dipping downward.

Astrid touched his arm and he stopped, eyes flashing to meet hers. "Three shillings is my dowry," she repeated, staring into his eyes. "Tell me if that's a problem or not."

He furrowed his brows, slightly confused. "Of course not, I'd take two shillings, I'd take nothing at all. The only thing I want is you."

She paused. "Because I'm beautiful?"

Hiccup chuckled. "There's no doubting that, but...I want to marry you because...well, because you're Astrid." His eyes drew to the floor, and she could see the slight blush on his face. "You're the strongest, bravest, wisest, most reliable person I know. I don't think I'd ever meet someone who could compare to you if I waited a thousand years."

Her heart fluttered and she wanted nothing more than to kiss him right then and right there, but she restrained herself. "Yes," she finally said breathlessly.

"P-pardon me?"

"I say yes," she repeated.

Hiccup blinked. "To my proposal…?"

Astrid couldn't help but laugh. "Hiccup Haddock, you are the most stubborn, foolhardy, utterly confounding man I have ever met. But you are also compassionate, brave, intelligent, and absolutely brilliant...and I will gladly marry you."

"Astrid, Astrid I...I lov-" before he could finish, she had moved forward to kiss him. It was quick and discreet, with his face cupped in her hands. They pulled away from one another, looking around anxiously to make sure nobody had seen them. Fortunately everyone was still inside enjoying the festivities. It was a short kiss, but it left them both breathless. "I love you, Astrid Hofferson."

"I love you, Hiccup Haddock." Then she gave him a swift whack on his arm. He yelped and began rubbing the sore spot with his hand. "That was for ignoring me for so long, I expect you won't treat your fiance that way?" He nodded, and she gently took his hand and pulled him away behind a cluster of trees. There, she kissed him again, but it wasn't a peck this time. It was an intense, fervent kiss. Her hands held the back of his head, and his felt naturally to her waist. When the two finally pulled away, they were both panting, still in each others arms.

Hiccup smiled that adorable lopsided smile he always had. "And what was that for?"

"Everything else."