Night had fallen over DunBroch, but the kingdom was more alive than ever.

The courtyard had been transformed into a grand feast. Torches and bonfires lit up the sky as warriors, clansmen, and villagers celebrated the return of Queen Elinor and the three princes. Tables groaned under mountains of food and barrels of ale. Music filled the air, fiddles, drums, and bagpipes while people sang, danced, and laughed without restraint.

Lucian sat quietly on a wooden bench at the edge of the celebration, watching the joyful chaos with a small smile.

The sound of soft footsteps approached, and Merida appeared beside him. In her hands, she held two large tankards filled with frothy, golden beer. She extended one toward him, her expression soft and sincere.

"I thought you might want one," she said gently.

Lucian took the drink with a quiet nod of thanks. Merida sat down right next to him, close enough that their shoulders almost touched, and took a small sip of her own drink. For a moment, they simply sat there together, watching the vibrant, lively crowd before them.

Then, Merida turned her head, looking straight at Lucian. Her eyes, usually so fiery and determined, were now filled with nothing but gratitude and warmth. She studied his face, the calmness in his eyes, the strength in his features and a genuine, heartfelt smile slowly spread across her lips.

"Lucian..." she began, her voice softer than usual. "I never properly thanked you."

He looked at her. Merida met his gaze, her eyes shimmering with emotion.

"You saved my mother. You saved my brothers. You risked your life... even when you didn’t have to. I was so selfish and stupid, and because of me, everything almost ended in tragedy. But you... you stepped in when no one else could. You used your power even though it hurt you. You held me when I broke down."

She smiled gently, a grateful, heartfelt smile that reached her eyes.

"Thank you. Truly. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you, but... thank you for giving me back my family."

Lucian looked back at her, seeing the depth of sincerity in her gaze, and offered her a gentle, reassuring smile of his own. "You don’t need to thank me, Merida. Seeing you all whole and happy again... that is more than enough payment for me."

For a moment, the noise of the feast seemed to fade as the two sat together in comfortable silence.

But their quiet moment was suddenly interrupted when the rest of their group came bustling over.

"Hey! There you are," Astrid called out, walking over with Ariel beside her. Ariel was carrying a happy Simba in her arms. The rest of the gang, Hiccup, Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins followed close behind.

"You should get over there," Astrid said, smirking. "You’re one of the stars of the show tonight."

"She’s right Lucian!" Ariel chimed in, lifting Simba up slightly so their faces were level.

"Even little Simba here was wandering around looking for you earlier, weren’t you, sweetie?" She cooed playfully at the cub, who let out a tiny, happy chuff. "Aren’t you just the cutest little baby?"

Lucian chuckled softly and shook his head, raising his tankard slightly. "I’ll pass on being the center of attention. I prefer watching from the sidelines."

He then shifted his gaze to Hiccup and the others who had gathered around, his expression turning curious. "So... have you all finally made up your minds?"

Hiccup stepped forward, looking confident and excited. "We’re going," he announced firmly. "We’ve decided. We want to see what else is out there. We’re going to travel across the seas, explore new continents, and visit all the places we’ve only heard about in stories."

"Yeah, right," Astrid scoffed, crossing her arms. "Make no mistake, they aren’t just going for adventure. They mainly want to run away and escape before Gobber finds out what they’ve been up to."

Lucian raised an eyebrow, amused. "Escape? And what exactly are they escaping from?"

"It’s simple," Astrid explained "If Gobber ever catches wind about the treasures and valuable goods we got from the northern market, he will absolutely demand a huge share as payment. He claims it’s compensation for all the dragon scales they ’borrowed’ or... well, stole from his workshop."

Lucian looked at her, a teasing glint in his eye. "Aren’t you involved in all that too, Astrid?"

Astrid smirked and crossed her arms proudly. "Yeah. That’s why I’m coming with you."

Nearby, standing by a table piled high with food, the other Vikings were having their own very different conversation. Tuffnut leaned his elbow hard into Snotlout’s ribs, nodding his head toward where Lucian sat with the girls.

"Look at that face over there," Tuffnut said loudly, pointing. "That right there is the face you need to study and look up to, Snotty-face. That guy already has three girls constantly surrounding him and looking out for him, and you? You have absolutely none."

Snotlout swatted Tuffnut’s arm away, looking annoyed. "You’re one to talk! You don’t have anyone either, you know!"

"Oh, yeah?" Tuffnut’s eyes lit up with challenge. He suddenly turned, strode over to a nearby table where guests from another clan were sitting, and boldly grabbed the arm of a young woman sitting there, pulling her gently but confidently to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, grinning like a king. "Wrong! I have one right here, my friend!"

"W-What!? How!?" Snotlout sputtered.

"It’s all in the face, my friend!" Tuffnut declared, striking a dramatic pose and giving Snotlout a smoldering, exaggerated look. "It is all in the face."

____

Outcast Island

Far away across the rough seas, the atmosphere was drastically different. There was no music, no laughter, and no warm light. Deep beneath the jagged rocks and fortress of Outcast Island lay the dark, damp underground dungeons. The air here was cold, smelling of sea salt, rot, and iron.

Two large, heavily armed guards marched down the stone corridor, their footsteps echoing harshly. Between them, they roughly escorted a woman whose hands were bound tightly with heavy iron chains. She had wild, untamed blonde hair, and her face held an expression of pure, untamable ferocity. She wore distinctive hoop earrings, multiple necklaces, and intricate bracelets that clinked softly against the chains, a clear mark of her status.

They stopped in front of a heavy iron-barred cell. With rough hands, they shoved her forward. She stumbled but caught her balance instantly, turning to glare at them with eyes that burned like fire. The guards merely scoffed at her look, stepped back, and slammed the heavy door shut, locking it with a loud, final clang before walking away, leaving her in the dim light. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

She brushed herself off, scanning the small, dark space with disgust. Suddenly, a voice drifted out from the cell right next to hers, separated only by a thick wall of iron bars.

"Oh, would you look at that," the voice drawled, sounding amused and mocking. "Even the heir of the fierce Viking tribe, the Bog-Burglars, has ended up captured and locked away. I never thought I’d see the day."

"Who’s there!?" she snarled. "Show yourself!"

From the shadows of the neighboring cell, a figure slowly stepped forward. As he moved into the flickering light of the torch mounted on the wall, his features became clear, wild hair, a manic grin, and eyes that held a dangerous, chaotic spark. "That kinda hurts, Cami. Did you already forget about me?"

The woman named Camicazi narrowed her eyes, then recognition hit her.

"Dagur."