The Gamble for Love (httyd Oneshot)

The Gamble for love

 AN: Hello everybody!!! Here is my fic for my oneshot challenge with RedLegodude. His fic 'Casino of Valkyries' should be up in a couple of hours on fanfiction.net so keep an eye out ;) My profile on fanfiction.net hosts a poll, so vote for your fav once you've read both XD Have fun ya'll!!  

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the How to train your dragon world, which is trademarked by DreamWorks Animation L.L.C. and originally written by Cressida Cowell, and I do not claim any ownership over them or make any money from them. This story is for entertainment only and is not part of the official storyline.  

Violent winds howled as thunder clapped in the night's sky above the Viking Kingdom of Berk. Heavy rainfall impeded the frantic messenger who made his way towards the castle. The weary messenger finally reached the castle panting. He knocked on the heavy wooden doors to get the guard's attention. "Open up!" He yelled as a gust of wind knocked his hood back. "Urgent message for the King!!"

So it was that night that King Xandre 'The Proud' was awoken to find out that the Berkian's ally, the Kingdom of Sedora, had fallen. The King called an urgent council meeting the following morning. At the meeting all the Lords and High-ranking members of the Kingdom gathered.

"Gentleman it is with sad news that I must impart onto you that the Kingdom of Sedora has fallen. Our long time ally has been made part of the Aevinia empire. I was told that the Empress herself was at the frontlines of the battle." King Xandre proclaimed in a somber voice and the news caused murmurs in the court. Most of those murmurs however were not because they had lost an ally, they were more surprised by who had done it.

"Your Highness, surely you jest." One of the older lords stated. "You are suggesting that a woman commanded an army to take a kingdom as powerful as Sedora."

These were the thoughts of many in the room because the Berkian kingdom did not believe women to be capable of battle, or strategic thinking, or much of anything except looking pretty and watching after the household. Thus they hadn't thought much of the Aevinia empire and its Empress when it was founded eight years ago as several kingdoms started banning together and expanding to the east. Bards brought stories back about a powerful empire ruled by a cold-hearted empress who commanded her armies from the back of a dragon. The Berkians did not believe that these beasts could be tamed and so merely dismissed such stories as fantasy.

Over the years more stories surfaced about the Aevinia empire. They said that the Empress possessed no emotions and ruled with an iron fist. That the dragon species roamed the empire freely and that her attendants were the craziest in the land. The stubborn Berkians dismissed all these stories as fantasy because they simply would not believe that the Empress was the actual ruler. They believed her to be a mere figurehead, a puppet.

"I do not wish to believe it myself but the messenger swears on the Gods that he saw the Empress and many of her soldiers on dragonback." King Xandre stated. "If Aevinia has taken Sedora then it will only be a matter of time before they set their sights on us. And if they truly do have dragons then the threat is credible even if it is a woman commanding them."

"You have a plan your Highness." An army General spoke up. "We should not let these demons over run us."

The King turned to the General in question and smiled. "That you are right General Stoick. I propose we invite the Empress to our Kingdom and broker an alliance."

This brought another round of murmurs to the crowd as many showed their discontent.

"You must be joking your Highness!!"

"You wish to make Aevinia an ally!"

"We should stand proud and show that Empress who she is dealing with!!"