The Strength of the Princess (HTTYD)

Unfortunate Love

Chapter 39: Unfortunate Love

Princess Ingrid knocked on her older brother's door. At his invitation, she opened it and stepped inside the magnificent room. Prince Haldor set his book on a table and stood from his chair. "Ingrid," he said in a sooth voice. "To what do I have this pleasure?"

"We need to talk about Eira," Ingrid responded.

"Oh? Didn't she leave to track down that woman?"

"Yes, but that's not what I wanted to talk about." She took a deep breath. "You have found a wife, and that means Mom and Dad will look to Eira next. She wrote to me in a letter about two men she may be interested in."

Haldor smiled. "This is good. She has options."

Ingrid nodded. "Yes, but I worry about her. You know how she is. I fear she is going to make the wrong decision."

Haldor chuckled lightly. "Are you sure you should intervene?"

"She wants me to intervene, Haldor. She's confused. If I can help set her straight..."

"I suppose you have a plan."

Ingrid grinned. "I have a great plan, but I will need your support to convince Mom and Dad to tell me go to Berk and -"

"Hold on. Are you sure this is not about you wanting to visit Berk?"

Ingrid frowned. "No, this is about Eira. And if I happen to have some fun along the way, what harm is there?"

Haldor lifted his eyebrows. "Right..."

"Just hear me out! My plan is foolproof."

***

Eira had some difficulty locating Viggo's former girlfriend due to the high population of Torvald. Eventually, she found the right village, and the chief directed her to the place where the woman was often found. Her heart beat irregularly as she walked slowly to the location. She had ample time to figure out what to say, but she was still nervous she would mess up.

Eira arrived at a field on the far side of town. She found a woman several years older than herself surrounded by children. The woman appeared to be talking animatedly while the children stared at her in awe. She had flowing blonde hair and vibrant blue eyes. Eira took a deep breath and strode forward. "Runa?" she said tentatively.

The woman looked at her with a smile. "I'm Runa." Then her eyes lit up in surprise. "Princess Eira?" she said.

The children gasped and cried out: "Princess!"

"That's me," Eira said. "May I speak with you in private?"

"Yes, of course," Runa said. "Just give me a minute." She managed to calm the children and send them on their way. Once their were alone, she offered Eira another smile. "What can I do for you, princess?"

"Please, call me Eira. I need to talk to you about someone you used to know."

The cheerful smile never left Runa's face. "Alright, Eira. Go ahead."

Eira smiled back at her. Something about her attitude put her at ease, and she appreciated that she was not fawning over her like many others. "You may know that I have spent the last two and a half years living with our allies of Berk. They've recently come to accept dragons as equals, and we're sharing information."

Runa nodded. "I heard something about that, yes."

"Much of our time was spent dealing with the dragon hunters in the area. They were led by a man named Viggo Grimborn."