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Winter was Rishe’s least favorite season.
She was a Spring woman. The sun, the green grass, all the plants and flowers blossoming and painting a perfect canvas outside her window.
Spring defined her.
Spring made her happy.
Spring made her feel alive.
But when Winter would come, removing all the vibrance and life from the nature she holds so dearly, she couldn’t help but also feel a certain bleakness sitting in her bones.
She could not harvest her garden, she could not enjoy flowers alongside the roads, she could not bask in the warmth of the sun while listening to the birds sing merrily.
She was also sensitive to the cold weather. Her nose was always running, her fair cheeks were blushing red and she was constantly shivering, bundled in layers of clothings that did very little to protect her from the freezing blows of winds.
All in all, Rishe disliked Winter.
Except for one thing.
One little thing that, she admitted, could make Winter just bearable.
One morning, as she woke up and gazed outside her window, her eyes sparkled for the very time ever since Winter settled in the country. Yanking her covers away, she rushed to her balcony, a wide smile adorning her face, as she watched thousands and thousands of little snowflakes gathering on the ground and forming a beautiful layer of pure white in front of her eyes.
Yes, despite everything, Rishe absolutely loved snow.
She remembered fondly all the snow battles and snowmen she did with her friends when they were younger. Through her seven lives, she remembered playing in the snow with Milia or Raul flicking snow at her while being on a mission. She remembered Michel showing her the auroras while snow was piling on top of her head. She remembered Coyolles, the snowy kingdom where she stayed a long long time caring for Kyle.
Despite all her complaints about the winter season, the presence of snow undoubtedly lifted Rishe’s spirits.
It held a lot of fond memories for her, and she was determined to create more this year with the beloved people of her current life.
With a determined purpose, she dressed herself warmly and immediately went to look for the one person with whom she intended to share her love of snow.
Arnold Hein, her husband-to-be.
Rishe knew that, being an early riser, Arnold would most likely be found at his desk in his office, and indeed, that’s where she found him, hidden behind stacks of papers and reports.
When she made her presence known, she watched as Arnold peeked at her around his papers and the way his eyes softened.
Ever since their meeting, Rishe always felt amazed by how much her relationship with Arnold developed. The way he held her in high respect, how he valued her so much as if she was her most precious treasure, how his entire attitude would soften when she was around. But more than that, she was amazed by the amount of affection she held for him. Never in the seven lives she led so far had she hold this much love for one single person. Some days, it was almost overwhelming to wake up feeling so content and happy with her life thanks to this one person.
She has changed Arnold’s life.
But Arnold has changed all seven versions of herself.
Taking a breath to recollect herself from the vision of Arnold smiling at her, eyes looking at her curiously, she marched to him, a thick coat in her arms and held it in front of him.
“Your Highness! Good morning!” A bright smile on her face, she looked as his brows furrowed slightly in confusion, eyes darting back and forth between her face and the cloak she was holding.
“Good morning, Rishe.” His voice had this soft layer that he reserved only for Rishe. “What is with the cloak?”
Straight to the point, huh?
Rishe’s eyes sparkled as her smile widened. “Have you had a chance to look outside the window, Your Highness?”
“I did. It’s snowing.” Arnold knew that his fiancée was scheming something, but he waited patiently for her plans to work out, amusedly playing into her game.
“Yes!” Rishe almost let a shriek out. Almost. “It’s snowing! So here,” she circled his desk to stand right in front of him, pulling slightly at his sleeve to make him stand up before dropping the heavy coat in his arms. “I’m kidnapping you! We must enjoy it to its fullest!”
Arnold’s brows shot up slightly as he eyed the handful of fur in his arms and back at the glowing almost blinding face of Rishe, looking up at him with so much expectations and sparkles that he sighed slightly and said. “You want to play in the snow?”
He watched as Rishe’s smile changed into a pout. “Don’t make it sound like I’m a child, Your Highness! It’s perfectly reasonable for adults to want to enjoy snow too.”
Arnold quirked an eyebrow up. “Oh? And pray tell how exactly?”
“We could snow battle, make snowmen and ice castles, or ice-skate around a lake!” Rishe held her fingers up as she listed the activities, a grin on her face. “There’s so much to do, Your Highness, and we don’t know if the snow will hold until tomorrow!” She declared firmly with a tinge of pleading.
Arnold eyed her for a second, then flicked his eyes between the pile of reports waiting for him and the snow still falling outside his window, before looking back at his fiancée. He held her gaze a while longer, and finally nodded with a smirk. “You said that you’re kidnapping me. Do you have what it takes to keep me in your hold?”
Rishe blinked. She expected him to be harder to convince but it seemed that he was giving in. She smirked back. “How about a little wager? Let’s compete in each of these activities and whoever loses will own a favor to the other.”
Arnold chuckled. “Making a bet with your poor victim, what an interesting kidnapper you’re making.”
Rishe rolled her eyes. “You’re focusing too much on the kidnapping bit, Your Highness.”
Arnold smiled softly, reaching out to take a strand of Rishe’s hair and twirling it around his fingers. “It’s the first time that my kidnapper is so lovely, don’t blame me.” He said while landing a soft kiss on the hair he was holding.
Rishe couldn’t contain the blush spreading on her face. Arnold being so forward and blunt in his affection was something quite new and she was still getting used to it. She decided to ignore it, for the sake of her sanity, and insisted on her idea. “So do you agree, Your Highness? I’m sure it will only take two hours at most. And if you win, you could make me help you with your work!”
Arnold shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t waste a favor from you like that. Let’s go then.” He wrapped his coat around himself and held Ridge by her shoulders, leading her gently outside his office. “Get ready. I will meet you at the front.”
Rishe nodded, happy that she could enjoy a few hours with her fiancé.
She came back a few minutes later, bundled in a thick coat. Arnold was waiting for her down the stairs and immediately came to hold her hand to help her down the last few steps.
“Ready?”
Rishe grinned. “Of course. I don’t know about you but I’m determined to win, Your Highness. You are my rival today.”
Arnold smirked back. “I’m sorry in advance Rishe, but I also am determined to get my price.”
Rishe glared at him suspiciously. “Your Highness, you better be selfish this time. Don’t use this favor to spoil me again.” As much as she loved the ring he offered her, Rishe wanted Arnold to enjoy himself as well without caring about her.
“I won’t. You made it quite clear last time.” Arnold replied, lacing his fingers with hers and tracing the ring that she was still wearing.
“Good. So shall we start? I’ll let you choose our first match.”
Arnold considered her for a moment, before turning around and sending a look to Oliver who was standing in the shadows.
Oliver bowed. “Your Grace, we have found it.”
Rishe’s confusion returned. “Found what?”
“A frozen lake.” Arnold replied, tugging Rishe’s hand to make her follow him. “Let’s ice-skate.”
When Arnold said ‘let’s ice-skate’, Rishe expected gliding and swirling around a small lake….not this.
The lake was gigantic. The surface was sparkling due to the ice and it was surrounded by tall evergreen trees covered in white snow, making the scenery quite majestic and mystical.
“It’s beautiful! I was not aware that we had a lake so close to the villa!” Rishe’s eyes widened in awe, not leaving the lake for a second.
“You said you’d let me choose our first match, didn’t you?”
Rishe nodded. “That’s right.”
“Then let’s race. From one end to the other. The fastest wins.”
“Your Highness, you looked awfully prepared for this… Were you already familiar with this spot?”
“...”
“Your Highness?”
“...Theodore told me about it. He mentioned before that it was a good spot to enjoy some time with you… I wanted to bring you here.” The very tip of his ears were a light pink and his eyes were not meeting hers.
Rishe’s heart skipped a beat. Not only was Arnold’s shyness an extremely rare sight but he was planning a date in this location with her. Were they alone, Rishe could have yanked him down for a kiss.
“I-I see! W-well, I must thank His Highness Theodore then. I would very much like to enjoy our time here.” She slid a hand in his and tugged lightly. “But first, we have to compete!”
Arnold smiled and let her lead him. They put on their blades and got rid of their heavy coats. The distance they needed to cover was about two hundred meters and Oliver was their referee.
They stood shoulder to shoulder, and Rishe risked a glance at Arnold. His posture was good and he looked focused. She wondered if he was used to ice-skating before. He seemed to have little to no enjoyment or hobbies before, so Rishe was a little surprised to see him at ease on blades.
“On your marks!” Oliver announced.
Rishe focused back on her race. She wouldn't lose.
“Set….”
She used to beat everyone at the academy, she could do it.
“GO!”
She propelled herself forward and glided without looking back. She felt the freezing wind slapping her face and almost making her eyes sting but she couldn't be bothered. The race being actually very short was why she put all her energy into it. She arrived at the finish line and dropped to her knees, feeling short of breath and dizzy from the adrenaline rush.
She looked back to see where Arnold was and she saw him farther from her, skating idly and coming to a stop right behind her. Her eyes widened. “Did I win?”
Arnold nodded. “You did. I don’t have much experience racing on such blades but it seems that you do.” He raised an eyebrow up.
Rishe chuckled nervously. She couldn’t possibly tell him that she had more than forty winters of practice behind her. “I’ve always ice-skated. Every winter. We also had a large lake near the royal palace of Hermity, so every year, I used to enjoy gliding there.”
“I see. I’m glad we have found this place for you then. I believe it is your turn to choose the next activity.”
“Right! Let’s snow-battle!”
Rishe had felt fired up after her first win and was determined to keep it this way.
But she underestimated Arnold’s own will to win, and she regretted feeling so confident.
Arnold beated her squarely, not leaving her even one round to win.
He utterly destroyed her in the snowball battle, despite her being aided by her two knights.
And then, his snowman and castle were bigger and more artistic than hers.
After two hours of intensive battle between the two future spouses, Rishe had to admit defeat in front of Arnold’s incommensurable power.
They ended up spreading a large and thick blanket upon the snow just by the lake and under the shade of the largest tree to rest. Rishe stretched her sore limbs, her head on Arnold’s lap, letting him massage her shoulders and arms.
“How are you feeling, Rishe?” A tinge of worry in Arnold’s voice could be heard as he felt guilty for the current state of his fiancée.
“Just sore everywhere…Don’t worry Your Highness.” Rishe chuckled, before pouting at him. “I did not expect you to go full strength at me.”
Arnold smiled, poking her bloated cheeks. “This was not my full strength yet.”
Rishe rolled her eyes. “Yes yes, how mighty of you, Your Highness. But then,” she started, locking her eyes in his. “Why did you let me win the ice-skating one?”
Arnold stilled. Despite her giddiness in winning, Rishe couldn’t help but notice how her first win was unrealistic considering Arnold’s abilities. He was faster and stronger than her, so how come she won? She remembered how he had looked on the blade, gliding idly as if he hadn’t even tried to win.
Arnold dropped his hands and stared back at her intently. “I didn’t let you win.”
“But-” Rishe started to argue, brows furrowed, but Arnold put a finger on her lips, shushing her for a second before leaning closer to her face.
“I won anyway, Rishe.” He said, whispering in her ear. “Remember our agreement?” Of course. The favour.
Rishe’s breath was stuck inside her throat. She could only stare at the beautiful eyes of her fiancé locked on her. Gulping, she nodded and said in a breath. “Yes?”
“Teach me how to race.”
“...eh?” Rishe’s body shot up, almost knocking heads with Arnold, and she opened her mouth in disbelief. “What do you mean?”
Arnold sighed, averting his eyes. “I understand the principle behind it and I can glide. But I can’t race… I never had anyone to race against before.”
Realization dawned upon Rishe.
Of course. Arnold didn’t grow up like her. Where she had friends to play with, he only had tutors and a palace full of enemies. Where she had games and activities, he only had training and studies.
She reached out and took his hand in hers, interlacing their fingers together. She rubbed her thumb across his large hand, both of them finding comfort in the other warmth.
Then with a soft voice, she asked. “So did you plan for that? Losing first then beating me squarely in everything else to have this?”
“If I recall, you were the one telling me to be selfish.” Rishe could almost see smugness adorning her fiance’s features.
“That’s right.” She replied with a sigh. “Then I shall take on your request, Your Highness. I’ll teach you, but then let’s do a proper race with another bet. It doesn’t sit well with me to have earned this particular victory if we didn’t compete fairly.”
Arnold chuckled. “Very well. Same terms?”
“Of course.”
Rishe could see in his eyes that Arnold was already planning his next favor from her. She pouted internally. She would show him what years of practice could do against natural talent. She wouldn’t lose to him.
And she would collect that favor gleefully.
As they both stood upon the lake, Rishe explained the theory and physics behind ice-skate racing. She contemplated how it was the first time that she was actually teaching something to Arnold. And she found him to be quite an eager and serious student.
He listened to her and asked questions when relevant, then he applied her explanations to practice…with success.
Rishe sighed in front of his natural talent. In less than an hour, he was racing like he was born to do it, but Rishe noticed how his stops were not exactly precise. He glided way too far while slowing down, and she tried to help him correct that. At some point, Arnold felt ready to race against her again.
Positioning themselves as earlier, Rishe propelled herself with even more strength. Arnold was perhaps stronger than her but she was lighter, she wouldn’t lose to him.
And she didn’t.
She arrived first at the end of the lake, stopping smoothly before turning back to look at Arnold.
However, all she could see was him failing to stop his race and falling head first into a small snow hump at the edge of the lake.
Rishe felt her panic rising as she witnessed this and flew to his side in an instant.
“Your Highness! Are you alright?”
He was lying down upon the snow, face facing the tall evergreens above him, before looking at Rishe. “I’m cold.” He said before suddenly grabbing her arm and dragging her down right next to him. He enveloped her in her strong arms and buried his nose deep in her neck.
Rishe was completely bewildered. One time, Arnold was falling into the snow, the second time she was snuggled in his arms. She felt his face coming into contact with hers and their limbs tangling together.
It was not the first time that she was in close proximity with him, but it still flustered her. She felt her body heating up and her face flushing as she stammered. “W-What- Your Highness! What are you doing?”
She felt him chuckling. “I understand why you love the snow so much.”
Rishe couldn’t understand what he meant but decided to let it go. She focused on the state of her prince. “Are you truly alright? You had quite a bit of speed and it was a nasty fall.”
Arnold combed his fingers through Rishe’s hair, soothing her. “I’m alright. So you won again. What would you like?”
Still in the snow and in Arnold’s arms, Rishe considered him for a moment. She snuggled a bit closer to him. “I’d like to come here again with you and practice ice-skating. You’re terrible at it.”
Arnold chuckled. “Weren’t you the one to tell me to be selfish?”
Rishe lifted her chin. “It is selfish since I’m taking you away from your obligations.”
“Ah yes. Your attempt at kidnapping.”
“Is it an attempt if I succeeded?”
“Is it a success if I willingly came?”
Rishe laughed once. “I would call it one. So, would you willingly be kidnapped again to ice-skate with me, Your Highness?”
Arnold smiled. “Only if you call it the proper way. A winter date.”
Rishe smiled back and lifted her chin a bit more while Arnold lowered his face. They stayed in his position, a few millimeters from each other, their foggy breaths mingling together and their eyes locked in each other. But as Rishe was about to close the distance, she suddenly turned her face the other way and-
ACHOO
-sneezed.
Arnold immediately shot up, putting a hand on Rishe’s forehead, he winced. “You are warm. Sorry Rishe.”
Rishe sniffled and shook her head. “Don’t worry about me, Your Highness. Let’s just head to my room. I wouldn’t want you to catch a co- ACHOO.” She sneezed again.
She tried to stand up, but wobbled on her blades and fell back in Arnold’s arms who managed to steady her. “It’s fine.” Rishe said, trying to reassure Arnold more than herself. “I’ll just have my regular boots and walk back to- EH-”
Arnold cut off Rishe by lifting her in his arms and gliding through the lake. “I will carry you to your room. And do not argue.” He shot her a look that made all resistance die on Rishe’s tongue.
“Very well.” She relented with a sigh, knowing when to fight her battles. “Sorry, Your Highness. It was supposed to be a fun day for us.”
“It was. Now I need you to rest and not worsen your state.”
“Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“What did you mean earlier?”
“Earlier?”
“When you said that you understood why I loved snow.”
“...” Arnold was silent for a time. They had both exited the lake and changed in regular shoes, but still he carried her as he made his way through snow and towards their royal residence. Eventually, he answered. “I have always found snow to be burdensome. For soldiers and armies, cold weather and snow are elements impacting our operations and can be a dangerous threat. Numerous times I found myself having to change my plans, or even cancel them due to it. It is not a major issue of course but still very troublesome… And then you arrive and make me see and consider snow in a way I never imagined.”
He smiled down at her, letting his words be processed in her mind. “The coldness, the dampness, the slippiness, you erased all those annoying aspects of snow and winter and made them look beautiful. You reminded me once again that my vision is still too narrow-minded next to yours. You reminded me of your promise to show me the beauty of the world, and you did once again.”
Rishe held back tears as she listened to Arnold. She didn’t intend to change his mind so much. She just wanted to have fun. But she was glad if this experience had a positive impact on him. She was seeing him grow and improve by the day, and she felt proud.
Tightening her hold of him as he carried her through the villa and up to her room, she replied. “I’m glad to hear it. We should have another winter date soon. Next to the lake and under the evergreens!”
Arnold nodded. “I do owe you a favor.”
Rishe looked at the smiling face of the man carrying her. Months ago she could have never hoped to spend such a day with him. She saw his strength, his weakness, his playfulness, his love. He showed her aspects of himself that no one else in the entire kingdom but her had ever seen.
He trusted her with those aspects and it warmed Rishe’s heart even more than any fire.
I will always continue to show you these beautiful aspects, Your Highness. She promised deep inside her heart.
FIN
Bonus
“Y-Your Highness, I’m fine! Truly!”
“Rishe, under cold weather, the best way to warm up is body contact. Come here.
“Hngh…! A-alright…Ah!” His Highness’ chest is so smooth!
“Shhh. Just close your eyes and rest. I’m here. I will not let you go.”
“Hngh!” It’s very kind of him but I can’t rest in this position! HELP!