Chapter 97
The palace felt different in a way no one could fully explain. It was not quieter, not louder, but lighter, as if something heavy had been lifted without anyone noticing when it happened. The air carried a strange balance of anticipation and calm, a softness layered over the usual tension that lived within the palace walls. Final preparations were underway, and every corridor, every courtyard, every carefully placed decoration made one thing clear—the wedding was no longer just a plan. It was real, and it was happening tomorrow.
In the courtyard, movement flowed in quiet coordination. Staff adjusted arrangements, guards rotated with precision, and the entire space slowly transformed into something worthy of celebration. Hiccup stood at the center of it all, watching with a mix of disbelief and excitement, his usual energy restrained only slightly by the weight of what was coming.
Hiccup said, "So this is real."
Lisa, standing beside him, adjusted one of the floral pieces before stepping back to examine it.
Lisa said, "It has always been real."
Hiccup shook his head lightly.
Hiccup said, "No, I mean this part. The part where it actually happens."
Lisa glanced at him, her expression calm but softer than usual.
Lisa said, "You are nervous."
Hiccup immediately straightened.
Hiccup said, "I am not nervous."
Lisa said, "You are talking too much."
Hiccup paused, then exhaled.
Hiccup said, "Alright, maybe a little."
Lisa allowed the smallest hint of a smile.
Lisa said, "That is normal."
Hiccup nodded, more to himself than to her.
Hiccup said, "Good, because if you said it was not, I would start worrying."
Not far from them, Zack stood near the outer archway, watching everything unfold just as he always did. His posture remained straight, his attention sharp, his awareness spread across every detail of the courtyard. But something about him had changed. The constant tension that usually defined him had eased. It had not disappeared, but it had loosened enough to be noticed.
Ray noticed it immediately.
He approached quietly, stopping beside Zack without drawing attention. For a moment, they stood in silence, both observing the same scene but thinking very different thoughts.
Ray said, "You are different."
Zack did not look at him.
Zack said, "No."
Ray said, "Yes."
A brief silence followed.
Zack said, "Define different."
Ray's gaze remained forward.
Ray said, "Less rigid. Less guarded."
Zack finally turned his head slightly.
Zack said, "That is not a weakness."
Ray said, "I did not say it was."
Zack said, "You implied it."
Ray shook his head once.
Ray said, "I am observing it."
There was a pause before he continued.
Ray said, "And I am asking if it is controlled."
Zack did not answer immediately. His eyes shifted across the courtyard, scanning the movement, the positioning, the rhythm of everything around him, until they landed on her without intention.
Alvira.
She stood a short distance away, speaking with Lisa, her presence calm in a way that drew attention without demanding it. The light rested on her softly, and for a moment, everything else seemed quieter.
Zack looked away.
Zack said, "It is intentional."
Ray followed his gaze, understanding instantly.
Ray said, "Why."
Zack's voice remained steady.
Zack said, "Because it is necessary."
Ray's tone lowered slightly.
Ray said, "For the mission."
Zack did not respond.
Ray added, "Or for her."
That question did not leave space for avoidance. Zack's jaw tightened just slightly.
Zack said, "They are not separate."
Ray studied him for a moment, then nodded once.
Ray said, "Then make sure you remember that."
Across the courtyard, Alvira had already noticed the change long before Ray approached him. At first, she thought it was her imagination, a small shift she could not fully place. But now it was clear. Zack was trying. The problem was not the change itself. The problem was why.
Lisa noticed the way Alvira's attention drifted.
Lisa said, "You have been distracted all morning."
Alvira blinked, pulling herself back.
Alvira said, "Have I."
Lisa said, "Yes."
There was a small pause before Lisa added,
Lisa said, "It is him."
Alvira did not pretend not to understand.
Alvira said, "He is acting differently."
Lisa said, "That bothers you."
Alvira hesitated.
Alvira said, "It confuses me."
Lisa tilted her head slightly.
Lisa said, "Because."
Alvira exhaled softly.
Alvira said, "Because it does not feel like him."
Lisa glanced toward Zack.
Lisa said, "People change."
Alvira shook her head faintly.
Alvira said, "Not like that. Not suddenly."
Lisa said, "It is not sudden. You just did not notice when it started."
That made Alvira pause, because she knew Lisa was right. It had not started today. It had been building slowly, quietly, over time. She just had not realized how much had already changed.
Later, when the courtyard began to settle and the work slowed, the space between them closed again without effort. Zack approached her this time, and that alone was enough to shift her attention fully toward him.
Zack said, "Everything is set."
Alvira studied him carefully.
Alvira said, "You seem calmer."
Zack said, "I am."
Alvira said, "Why."
Zack held her gaze.
Zack said, "Because it makes things easier."
Alvira said, "For who."
There was a brief pause.
Zack said, "For everyone."
She did not look convinced.
Alvira said, "That sounds like something you would say, not something you would do."
Zack exhaled quietly.
Zack said, "I am adjusting."
Alvira said, "That is not the same as being honest."
The words landed, but Zack did not step away from them.
Zack said, "It is enough."
Alvira shook her head.
Alvira said, "No. It is not."
Silence followed, not tense, but filled with something unspoken.
Alvira said, "You do not have to pretend to be something else."
Zack said, "I am not pretending."
Alvira said, "Then what is this."
Zack did not answer immediately, because he already knew the truth behind it.
Alvira's voice softened slightly.
Alvira said, "You do not have to change just because you think I want you to."
That stopped him completely.
Zack said, "That is not—"
He paused, then corrected himself.
Zack said, "That is not the only reason."
Alvira held his gaze.
Alvira said, "But it is part of it."
He did not deny it, and that silence said more than words ever could.
Alvira looked away first.
Alvira said, "I liked you better when you were honest."
Zack said, "I am being honest."
Alvira said, "No. You are being careful."
Another pause settled between them.
Alvira said, "There is a difference."
The words lingered, quiet but firm.
From a distance, Ray watched again, not interfering, not stepping in, just observing. Because now it was clearer than ever that this was no longer just about strategy or protection. Something deeper had taken hold, something neither Zack nor Alvira fully understood yet.
As the sun began to set, the final preparations came to an end and the palace shifted once more, moving from preparation to anticipation. Tomorrow, the wedding would take place. Every detail had been accounted for, every position assigned, every plan carefully set into place exactly as it should be.
And yet, as night settled over the palace and the quiet grew heavier, one truth remained beneath it all, unspoken but undeniable. Not everything could be controlled. Not feelings, not timing, not the things already beginning to unfold between them.
And by this time tomorrow, they would all be forced to face just how much of that was true.