Linked (Big Four Fanfiction) Chapter 1

 Being a princess blows.

I'm serious, it's awful. There are so many rules and expectations that it's hard to breathe. It's all I can do every once in a while to ride Angus, my beloved horse and only companion, through the woods just outside the castle walls. My mother doesn't understand why I do it. She doesn't know why I act like I do, so unproper and unbefitting of a lady.

The truth is, she never even asked.

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"That was a good ride, Angus boy." I said to Angus as I cooled him down and put him up in his stall for the night. "I'll see you tomorrow!" I called over my shoulder as I rushed into the castle, bow in one hand, my dinner that I had swiped from the kitchen in the other. Shuffling into the dining room, I throw my bow onto the table and flop into my chair. My mother, Queen Elinor, looked up from her letters bearing the seal of the four other clans of the kingdom; MacIntosh, Dingwall, MacGuffin, and Berk. Berk was a rather far away clan of Vikings that only recently allied itself with us, the Dunbrochs. My mother opened her mouth to chastise me but I cut her off.

"No weapons on the table," I said mimicking my mother's voice, making my little brothers giggle and my father had to cough to cover his own chuckle. Mother tutted in disapproval then sighed and continued her reading. All of a sudden she gasped in delight and beamed at my father.

"Fergus, they excepted! They're all coming, all four!" My mother couldn't contain her excitement.

"All four? Mum, what are you talking about? Dad?" I asked hopefully, turning to my father who just opened and closed his mouth like a fish gasping for air.

"I invited the four clans to bring their eldest sons to compete for your hand in marriage." Mum started, as I gasped in horror. I was barely sixteen! There was so much that I wanted to do before I was married! There was one thing in particular that I held dear to my heart.

"You did what?!" I exclaimed, "You didn't even ask me!"

"And they accepted!" She continued on as if I hadn't even spoken, completely disregarding me.

"But Mum, I don't want to be married!" I told her, hoping that for once she would just listen to me! But of course, that was a false hope.

"Nonsense, of course you do. I'm sure the clan leaders have perfect sons. Oh, it'll be just perfect!" She sighed in content while I huffed in irritation. "And you've already met Hiccup." Oh yes, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, or just Hiccup was just a scrawny teen when I last saw him five years ago. He was thirteen when Berk allied with the rest of the clans, and I, only eleven, went with my father to consolidate the treaty between our clans, much to my mother's dismay. Hiccup must be eighteen now, I think, and he's a distinguished dragon trainer on Berk. He and his dragon, Toothless, have been inseperable since they first met, shortly before I visited them five years ago.

"Mum, you aren't listening to me!" I protested, but of course she couldn't even listen to that.

"There is nothing to listen to Merida, I am your mother and queen and you will do what I said!" My mother said with a note of dreadful finality in her voice.

"Ugh!" I hurumphed before storming off. "Would it kill you to actually listen to me for once?" I ran out of the castle, hearing own feet slap against the cobblestones as I pushed my way towards Angus' stall. I angrily mucked his stall, shifting the soiled and clean hay with a pitchfork until my arms and throat burned from labor and tears.