Love is blind

Chapter 7

"Kristoff! Why are you here?! Weren't you at work?"

"There's no point. This morning there's been a terrible snowstorm."

"What...? In the middle of summer?"

"I know, it's crazy. I've gone with Sven to see the scope that it's had and we've seen from the summits that Arendelle is totally covered in snow."

"Arendelle?"

"No one is going to need ice today. So, unless you want to sculpt it, it doesn't make sense for us to go to work."

Anna lowered her head and bit her lip.

"Everything okay? Are you worried about something?"

She opened her mouth as if feeling exposed. Obviously, there was something bothering her.

"Not at all," she said shaking her head. "And, what are you gonna do?"

"Well, I'll wait for the snow to go away. What else can I do?"

"So... will you stay out of work until it melts?"

"I'm afraid so, yeah."

She clenched her fists as her face turned grim and I assumed she was worried about our livelihood.

"Hey, don't worry. It's summer. This will be a one-time thing. And we have provisions anyway, okay?"

She didn't even raise her head.

"Meanwhile... do you want us to seize the day off?"

"What?"

'There is that light.'

"I have warm clothes up here. How about we go out for a walk in the snow?"

"Are you challenging me to a battle?"

"It wasn't the case, actually."

"Challenge accepted!"

"You on your own way..."

"Wrap up yourself warm, errr..."

"What?"

"Your surname. I don't know it."

"Bjorgman. What do you want it for?"

"Wrap up yourself warm, Bjorgman. When I'm done with you you'll have snow even in the underpants!"

I laughed at her warning. Who was going to tell me that she would keep her word? I ended that war covered in snow from head to toe, lying face down on the ground, and with her straddling me making sure no corner of my body escaped of the snow. Still, I kept laughing. God, I really loved to see her enjoy it.

When we got home, we put on dry clothes and threw ourselves on the bed exhausted. Since when did we have so much familiarity? It didn't matter. We needed to rest and, honestly, we felt good together. It went without saying; it could be felt in the air.

"Why are you doing all this?" she asked once she had caught her breath.

"What this?" I said rubbing the crown of my head on the sheet like a dog for sheer pleasure.

"You know, taking care of me, being so attentive, hiding me, showing me the world... You know you have no obligation to me, don't you?"

"I do it cause I want to."

I was surprised at how easily those words came from my lips.

"Well, I don't want you to dedicate your life to taking care of me for pity. Enough with a ruined life, I don't want my life to weigh on yours."

Did she really believe that?

"I don't feel pity for you. I feel angry at what they've done to you. And I feel... I feel like I want to change your world. You're not putting weight on my life; I like having you here. And, as long as it is okay with you, I want to keep doing it."

A deep silence took hold of the moment. I didn't recognize myself speaking to her so clearly about my feelings. It wasn't that I had said anything compromising, but not the opposite either. I wondered if I would have scared her, if she would have felt uncomfortable, if she would have felt okay... Then, without breaking the silence, her hand slid down the sheet until her cold fingers brushed mine.

I wanted to take her hand and never let go. I wanted to embrace her body and her soul and make her happy. I wished it hadn't been so easy to fall in love with her.

Suddenly, my guts roared for some energy supply with which to cover everything I had burned and Anna jumped to her feet.

"I wanna cook!"

"What?"

"You're hungry because of me."

"I'm hungry because I haven't eaten for a long while. And you don't owe me anything, you know?"

"Still, I want to cook. Will you help me?"

"A hot soup for an icy summer day?"

"Sounds perfect to me!"

"Okay," I said getting up too. "I'm going to get some firewood for the stove."

I left the cabin and walked only a few steps before hearing the voices of two men who seemed to be approaching me.

"He lives in the mountains. If the princess has been here, he surely will know."

'Crap.'