Book III, Chapter 25
Empress Valka Zephyr Haddock II (November 3, AD 1042-December 30, AD 1131): First titled Empress elected to the Imperial Council of the unified North Sea Empire. Firstborn child of Hiccup and Astrid Haddock. Much like the rest of her extended family, the actual details of her life, while well-documented, have been embellished over the centuries to the point of near-absurdity. This is not helped by the fact that her actual accomplishments, much like those of her parents, offer a starting point already suitable for high drama and adventure. For one extremely well-known example, while she was indeed the undisputed leader of her cohort of children, including her future husband Emperor Olaf III, and while it is also true that the Haddock siblings, their cousins and their friends were the first Norse to see the famous Niagagarega Waterfalls of the Vestrilands, the famous and nigh-ubiquitous story of the dragon race down the length of the Ongtupqa Canyon is completely false…
—Dragons of the North: Profiles Of The Viking Lords, Waterford University Press, 1733
Tropes That Appear In This Chapter:
- Artistic License – Religion: Discussed in terms of whether Ruffnut's forced baptism is valid or not; Gothi eventually finds a possible solution where Ruffnut can rededicate herself to Loki at Odin's blot (as Loki doesn't have a blot himself), but it depends on the idea that Ruffnut didn't ask for the baptism in the first place.
- Babies Ever After: Hiccup and Astrid's first child is born.
- Control Freak: Hiccup needs to be talked down from his attempt to micromanage dragon training, as his attempt to ensure that nobody untrustworthy gets the chance to train dragons gives the impression that he doesn't trust others to make that decision.
- Dead Guy Junior: Hiccup and Astrid name their daughter after Hiccup's mother Valka (although it is still unknown whether or not Valka is actually dead).
- Dragons Are Divine: Drago mentions that dragons are venerated as messengers of the gods in Çin (China).
- Loophole Abuse: As part of an attempt to create loopholes in the current laws about who is able to train dragons, Hiccup arranges for Merida to receive her own dragon after her marriage to Cami as a means of setting a precedent for others being given permission to train dragons.
- Mistaken for Gay: Sophia assumes that Inga is flirting with her when Inga asks her what she thinks of same sex couples, Inga assures her that she wasn't and that she's straight.
- Mythology Gag: Valka's middle name, Zephyr, is taken from the name of Hiccup and Astrid's daughter from the Babies Ever After end of How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.
- Precedent Excuse: Invoked. The Haddock family allows Merida to adopt a dragon after she marries Cami with the intention of setting a precedent that the right for dragon adoptions can be given as a gift.
- Screaming Birth: Astrid lets out several screams when giving birth.
- Stay in the Kitchen: Sophia mentions that there would be a scandal if anyone in Constantinople knew about the Bog Burglars who go against every idea they have about how women should act.Sophia: You know, most people around here think that you're just Dogsbreath's wife, pretty and empty-headed. They don't realize that you're the brains of the two of you.Inga: I know. And I've been doing my best to keep them thinking that.Sophia: Good idea. There would be such a scandal if more about the Bog Burglars came out, a tribe of women warriors—and only women warriors? No, we can't have that! Nevermind that our own tales tell of such a tribe! But it would offend the Church—even though we still tell the stories about Zeus and Hades and Poseidon!
- Wham Episode:
- Astrid gives birth and Zephyr is born!
- Drago is planning on acquiring new dragons from the Çin mountains. In other words, China.
