Winter Wish

9

"The Man of My Dreams"

"I'm 24 years old," Luna began.

The sorceress raised one eyebrow and looked her over.

"If you've lived in this town long enough, you know that very well. I'm well past what people around here call the marriageable age, and even my family may think there's no hope for me."

"You don't know that," the sorceress interjected.

"It is true."

"It is."

"But sometimes one can feel helpless and at those times, unfortunately, I don't think positively."

"I know this problem of yours," the sorceress smiled at her and nodded. It was clear she had been waiting for her to continue.

Luna now thought that she really was a soft hearted woman. She listened to even her silly troubles with such seriousness and interest that it was impossible not to marvel at it.

She was a great sorceress who ruled the forest, she was their guardian angel, even though she kept as far away from humans as possible, and now she was standing there listening to Luna's troubles in love.

How was such a thing possible?

"I... I've wanted to fall in love since I was a child, I've been dreaming about it."

"Love..." the sorceress whispered, nodding her head up and down.

"Yes. I want to marry the man of my dreams."

Stella chuckled lightly. "And who is he?

"Someone who can understand me... A man who can go on an adventure with me... Someone who can embrace even the aspects of me that seem strange to others, someone who can reassure me..."

"Hmm..."

"Sometimes I'm afraid I'll never find him, Stella."

She said this with such sincere sadness that the sorceress was too moved by her pain to laugh at her tearfulness. Luna was really a very loving, happy, peaceful person. Her heart was as happy as a child's and her behavior was sincere. She had an honest and open heart. Underneath all these qualities, of course, even her dreams affected her more than they would affect most people. She could read her like an open book and see the desperation in her heart through her eyes.

"So are you looking for that man?"

"Of course!"

"How do you do it?"

"I follow all the single men in town, even from a distance."

"That's not nice."

"Yes, I know! That's what my brother Felix says, but I can't help it."

"Has anyone ever wanted to marry you before?"

The sorceress frowned slightly. Luna was unusually beautiful, but that didn't change the fact that she was beautiful. With her aqua green eyes, smooth fair skin, heart-shaped face and long hair, she resembled a princess. She had never seen anyone like her around here. Was it possible that not even one person had noticed her beauty?

"Yes, they did... Five people..."

"But?"

"I... I couldn't warm up to them. They weren't bad people, but I couldn't feel the excitement in my heart. It was like if I met the love of my life, something would draw me to him and I wouldn't be able to free myself from his spell."

Stella couldn't help smiling wryly at this. "You really are a little crazy, Luna."

"I know!"

The girl pouted in rebellion and resumed her chopping. The sorceress had finished shaping the dough into little balls.

"When I meet that person, he'll never think I'm crazy!"

"So you say...."

"Yes! I can feel it in my heart. He is such a person... He is such a person, Stella..."

"Yes?"

"My soul mate!"

The sorceress's eyes sparkled with a sparkle and her voice took on a mysterious tone. "Your soul mate..."

"Yes! Laugh at me if you want! That's what everyone does. But I believe it. I believe with all my heart that I have a soul mate and that one day I will find him."

"That's true," the sorceress laughed.

Luna hesitated for a moment, thinking she had misheard her. She waited for the woman to speak again and tell her something, but the sorceress was busy cracking eggs.

"What did you just say?" she asked, unable to resist.

"I said, 'It's true.' "

"What does that mean?"

Luna dropped her knife on the counter but did not notice. With a few quick steps she reached the sorceress and reached out her hands to touch the woman in excitement. As her arms hung in the air, the sorceress tilted her head to her right shoulder and looked at her.

"I wasn't trying to attack you!" Luna said in frustration and sadness.

"I know, but I can't let you touch me."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you that."

"Well, okay, can you please let go of my arms now?"

The sorceress closed and opened her eyes so Luna was free. She took two steps back in embarrassment, realizing that she had invaded her private space.

"I'm sorry Stella, I was just so excited."

"I know, if you had any intention of hurting me, I would have had your heart ripped out with your own hands."

Luna gasped at those words. Her heart skipped a beat, and she recoiled a little more.

"Really?"

Stella shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe..."

"Can you do that?"

"If I want to," the sorceress said solemnly. "I've never needed anything like this before."

"So you can make me do whatever you want?"

"Probably..."

"Then-"

Stella frowned and took a deep breath. Clearly her insistence had angered the sorceress. Just as Luna opened her mouth to step back and apologize, the sorceress closed her eyes and the girl suddenly found herself in her room.

She groaned as her body thudded noisily against the rug on the floor, realizing that she had indeed angered the sorceress, and lifted herself off the floor with difficulty. Stella had always sent her to bed before, but now she threw her on the floor.

Luna had managed to sit on the floor and lean her back against the bed when the door swung open and Felix entered the room, shouting, "What's going on?"

Felix looked around the room and then at the floor in amazement, as if he had just noticed her. "Why are you sitting there, are you okay? I just heard a noise."

Luna couldn't tell him the whole truth, but with a grunt she couldn't help saying. "I fell out of bed."

"What?"

Felix looked at her blankly, then burst out laughing. He laughed so hard that his body toppled onto her bed and Albin entered the room.

"I think it's selfish to make too much noise," she said solemnly, looking at them both.

Luna almost cried with love as she looked at her lovely face. Was there anyone in the world sweeter than her sister?

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Felix said as he sat up and took her in his arms and kissed her cheek.

"You have the right idea," Luna said as she got up from the floor and joined her siblings.

"Felix, please don't kiss me without permission. It's very uncomfortable..."

"But I'm your brother!"

"Maybe, but I'd still prefer you to ask permission. My mother always says I should speak up about things that bother me."

Luna and Felix exchanged a suggestive look at her explanation. Then Felix lowered her to the floor and gently put his hand to her head.

"May I stroke your hair, my lady?"

Albin chuckled and nodded. "Yes."

Felix stroked her curls and then stepped back. He had almost forgotten that Luna had fallen down as they all walked out of her room, but on the last step of the stairs his laughter returned and he managed to irritate Luna.

Luna punched her brother in the back, but this time Albin decided to ignore them and returned to her cat.

Luna also went out into the garden, sighing as her anger at Felix subsided. The best thing was to go to Bella. Maybe she couldn't tell her what had happened to her in the last days, but it might do her good to see her friend.

As she walked carefully through the snow with calm steps, she couldn't help thinking once more about what had happened.

She had angered the sorceress somehow and Stella had sent Luna back home.

She really couldn't believe it. The sorceress had officially kicked her out!

Was she so angry with her that she would never let Luna reach her again?

Why was she so angry?

Was it because Luna was going to ask her for something?

She had heard that she could make someone do anything she wanted and she had wanted to try it, but maybe she had made a mistake. Or maybe she hadn't made a mistake, but the sorceress didn't care?

She didn't know what to say, but it was best to leave her alone for a while.

Maybe tomorrow she would try to go to her again. Maybe she would wait a few days and take her chances. But even in the worst case scenario, she had a solution: If the sorceress refused to see her, she could go into the forest.

In the days she had spent with Stella she had realized that there was really no reason to be afraid of the forest.

The forest was peaceful and calm, but most of all it was safe. How could it not be safe with Stella living in it?

Of course, her parents would never allow it, so she had to plan everything in detail before doing something crazy like this.

Still, she hoped Stella wouldn't be so angry that she would never want to see her again. She would gladly take that over the alternative.