White As Snow

Ch 14: Horrible and Painful to Watch

Felix POV:

Her pillowy lips parted in a pant, sweat slicking back her hair and running through her cleavage, "Felix.."

I closed my eyes for a moment, swallowing back the thoughts running rampant in my brain, "you sound..." breathless, needy, innocently seductive? "...restless Winter, whats wrong."

She stabbed her sword into the earth with more force than the Winter from two months prior would even dream of, "It has been months since I obtained my sword and I am still so useless."

I watched her stretch, back arching.

It had taken a while to convince her that wearing trousers are okay for her to wear as as she trained but it still irked me that Medicus and Stulta had convinced her to do so.

Sure it was more practical for Winter, but also wildly inappropriate for a woman of her standing.

She's young, naive, hasn't noticed that the rest of us literally avoid looking at her when she is dressed in such a way because there is so much to look at.

I often find myself failing in avoiding looking at the normally reserved girl. "You are progressing well Winter."

And it was true, her progress shows physically.

While always beautiful she was a princess, before she started rigorous training she was soft in several place where now fine lines of muscle peeked through.

The girl I was just beginning to know once more was changing before my eyes. It was bittersweet.

The last time I saw Winter she was 12, when I saw her again two months ago three years had passed.

She changed so much in that time, at least in a physical sense.

Nothing felt the same and yet, it was exactly that.

As if sensing my thoughts she smiled over at me, "you are being too kind Felix, you always were."

"No." I started, "you truly are improving, swordsmanship takes time Winter."

She stared down at her sword, "we don't have time Felix, its hardly been two months and my mother...." she trailed off voice breaking.

Her mother was laying siege to every town Winter may have been spotted in. People are starving, taxes have risen Ariaá is slowly falling apart.

Everything wrong with this kingdom that Winter wishes to fix is growing worse.

"We are improving Winter. While conditions may be worsening we are growing stronger."

She sighed, approaching and wrapping her arms around me as she did when we were children and she was upset, "You are a true miracle Felix. We would be nothing without you."

"No, we would be nothing without you Winter White."

She gave a short, sad, laugh, "I am nothing but a symbol in this. You are the true leader."