Winter and Nathaniel

Chapter 17. The Trade

A few weeks had passed since the snowball fight, and Christmas was upon Dirland.

Knolls had a few ideas of how to brighten the lady servant's day.

Marie had a few ideas of how to get back at Jenson for getting completely lost in Dirland for this long.

And Nathaniel sat bored in his tent, listening to the happy sounds of camp getting ready for Christmas, which was the next day.

Winter had never spent a Christmas away from her family, and was quite sad about it.
Robert tried to cheer her up, but the only one that could get even a small smile from her, was Nathaniel when she went to visit him.

"It's Christmas Eve already! Don't you think I should send for him?!" rampaged The King, sitting in one of his rooms in the castle.

Knolls nodded his head affirming that The King should.

"Then I shall get to it." The King declared, heading to his writing desk.

It was Christmas, and who should show up but another messenger to Robert's camp.

He was set upon and brought back to camp blindfolded. A letter from The King had been found on his person.

"Here is my promise." it wrote, " A trade will be made on the borders of the forest. I'll give you my gold, and I get my son." It was simple, straight to the point, and conceited. Unlike The Kings first letter that was full of flattery in trying to convince Nathaniel to return.

Robert looked over the letter, pleased with it's contents.

"The best Christmas present I have had in a long time." he remarked to Winter. Who frowned in indignance, she had worked hard to knit a hat and some gloves, so much for trying to please him.
He didn't even notice her sour mood, and went on with planning the trade.

Mad at Robert, Winter headed to Nathaniel's tent with his Christmas present from her, and the news of The King's letter.

Nathaniel heard her enter, and looked up from is self boredom to see her in an angry mood.

"What did I do this time." he thought, hoping it wasn't anything too bad.

He was surprised to find out, that it wasn't him she was mad at, but Robert!

"And he just disregarded my present like it's something to be expected!" she continued raging.

Nathaniel couldn't explain how immensely pleased he was that Winter was mad at Robert. There was no reason he could imagine for it, but he enjoyed Robert getting the treatment he deserved, not just from him, but Winter too.

"You aren't even listening to me!" raged Winter, finding another thing to be mad at as she noticed the far off smile he had on his face.

"On the contrary," corrected Nathaniel, "I am simply enjoying what you are saying. And in order to do that, I would have to be listening."

She scowled at him for a while, testing the truth in his words, then questioned, "Why would you find Robert's faults enjoyable?"
It only took her a moment to realize how silly of a question it was, "You just like it because you hate Robert!" she accused,
"Funny, that you would hate your own cousin."

"Cousin?" asked Nathaniel incredulous,"And where did you come by this nonsense?" his eyebrow raised for intimidation.

"Robert." she answered, her voice tiny.

"And Robert, just came out and said he was my cousin?" pressed Nathaniel.

"More or less. Yes, he did." Winter continued, more bold with every word as she realized his raised eyebrow was nothing more than show.