sun, through snow || vbs au (updates weekly!)

008 || painted faces

❃.✮:▹ pov: the hero ◃:✮.❃

I woke up after a well-deserved, content sleep to hear the chirps of the winter birds. This bedroom was massive, and the bed was probably made with the most expensive materials that you could find anywhere. It felt like sleeping on a cloud. Needless to say, that was the best sleep I'd ever had.

I kind of felt rude for not cleaning up the gold embroidered red sheets. They seemed to somewhat be waiting for me patiently. I didn't think they'd been used since the last occupant was there.

I had a bed with a large canopy with curtains dangling off it... for privacy, I'd think. The room was decked out with things that would have cost a lot, if we needed them and had enough room on our backs. The dark floorboards stood out from the red carpet that draped them.

A lot of things were in red, actually. The carpet, couch, even small details such as books on the bedside table. It was a rich red that seemed very... regal. I think I'd chosen to sleep in the king's room.

The pale light was shining through my (also red) curtain. I got up, although I didn't really want to, stretched my legs and went to look out at the royal view.

It seemed to look out on a courtyard. There was evidence of things like barriers and bricks, and even a few snow covered plants still remained in rows.

I looked away. It was kinda pitiful. I went to put on the clothes I had that I'd hung on a chair, changing into my usual ones that were beginning to be dampened and worn down by the constant walking me, Toya and Kohane were doing. Especially my shoes. I could see the bottoms peeling off.

I changed, and then went outside. Kohane had the food in her room, so I decided to go there since it was nearby. I knocked on the door. "Who is it...?" A tired voice that unmistakeably gave me tingles whenever I heard it said. "It's just me. Can I come in? I'm hungry." I asked.

"Yeah, sure. I'm still in my pijamas." Kohane said. I opened the door, and that was definitely obvious. Her short hair had been messed up by the sleep she'd had. I smiled when I saw her. "Enjoyed your rest?" I asked. She nodded.

"It was much needed. I was so tired, and really didn't want to sleep on stone again." Kohane states as she laid in bed, obviously just having woken up. I nod. "Sleeping was sooooo good!" I said. "Now, get up or I'll cuddle you to death~" I joked. Was this too out of her boundaries? I hoped it wasn't.

"Aha- but I'd still like you to give me a hug. I kinda missed your warmth." Kohane says. I go red, but then realised I was and hide my cheeks behind my arm. "If you want." I say, trying not to do something stupid.

She gets up out of the bed. As opposed to mine, her room was covered with ornate, beautiful paintings. Some of the canvases were slashed, but most were covered with the most vibrant, realistic sceneries that I'd ever seen.

Paintings of the summer. I stared at one. It seemed like a painting of a field of flowers. Sunflowers, I thought, because of their dark heads, tall stalks, sunlike shapes and yellow hue. It looked like there was a girl in that painting.

I approached it. "Woah, this is a painting of when there wasn't snow everywhere? That's pretty cool." I said. Kohane gets out of the bed (I can tell because of the sound of her footsteps) and comes over to me, wrapping her arms around me. "Yeah! It's really pretty. Come to think of it, that girl kind of looks like you. The hair and everything. Too bad her eyes are closed." Kohane says, her arms tight around me, and I try not to blush.

"You think so? Aha, you're too kind. She has a pretty outfit on." I say. It's true- her yellow dress seems to be billowing in the wind, her straw hat sitting nicely on her head.