I Was Enchanted to Meet You: Part Thirteen

Hiccup sighed sadly, feeling tears prick at the corners of his eyes.



" Are you alright?" Astrid asked, brushing the auburn hair away from his eyes.


" Oh yes, I'm fine." The brunette choked out.



" I'll get Toothless." The blonde said, leaving the room.



Hiccup turned around, watching Jack dance with Merida.


The Andalasian had never felt this before. This painful, wrenching feeling in his heart. He put one hand to his chest, every heartbeat like a knife.



" True love is never as good as they say, is it?"



Hiccup whipped around, facing the Red Death- in his haggard, witch form.



" Y-you! You! You pushed me! You sent me here!" Hiccup cried, stumbling away.


" No, no, i've come to help! It hurts you, doesn't it? You were all ready to run off and get married and be a princess, and then this...this thief comes in and walks away with your heart, holding another woman! True love doesn't exist, sweetheart. There is love, but never true love, because those who find what they think is true love suffer the consequences. You've been living a lie."


" I don't want the truth." Hiccup whimpered, hot tears threatening to spill down his cheeks.


" Nobody does. But you know what everyone does want?"


" What?"



" To forget."



The Red Death held up an apple, bright and red.



" One bite. That's all it takes, my dear. One bite and you'll forget everything that happened."


He laid the apple gently inside Hiccup's hands.



The Andalasian looked back at Jack. The tears came.




When Jack kissed Merida's cheek, Hiccup winced, plunging his teeth into the apple.





....





Jack looked down as something bumped against his shoe.



A bitten apple.



Hiccup laid at the top of the grand staircase, body pale and eyes closed.



" HICCUP!"