The Winter Bride and the Fallen King

Whisper of Snow Outside

Chapter 5

She leaned against a massive tree, frantically patting the pockets of her sweater for her phone.

“Where the hell did it go?!” Snarling in frustration, she shrugged off her coat despite the biting cold and shook it hard.

Something clattered to the ground; she dropped to her knees, sweeping her hands over the frost-covered dirt until her fingers closed around the device. She fumbled it awake, and its faint glow cut through the darkness. That tiny beam of light was her only hope. She pushed herself up, ignoring the throbbing in her feet, and slipped the coat back on. Stumbling forward, she scanned the thick woods for any sign of a path. Now she cursed herself for leaving the cabin at all while chasing that stupid urge to write, even with night fallen deep and the air sharp enough to slice skin.

She kept walking, glancing over her shoulder as she picked her way through unfamiliar terrain. Snow seeped into her boots, cold enough to burn, but Ariel didn’t care. All she wanted was to get back. She wiped grime from her jacket, hugged her arms tight, and tugged her bonnet low over her ears. Every breath is billowing white in the frigid air. Then finally she spotted it, a flicker of light, not far off. Relief jolted through her. She quickened her pace, sure a house lay ahead. She broke into a run, gasping as exhaustion and the cold dragged at her limbs. It was winter, and here she was—wandering nowhere in particular, forcing courage she didn’t feel just to satisfy her editor, Marcus.

The thought made her sigh, and she stopped short. She switched off her flashlight as she reached the cabin. Peering around, she saw no one nearby, so she knocked hard on the door. No answer. She banged again, louder this time, hammering her fist against the wood, but then again, silence met her. The cold was seeping into her bones now, so she twisted the doorknob. It swung open easily; it wasn’t locked. She peered inside before stepping in carefully, pulling the door shut behind her. A low fire crackled in the hearth, its warm glow faint but enough to chase away the worst of the chill. She moved closer, holding her numb palms over the flames.

After a moment, she straightened up and looked around the quiet room.

“Hello?” She called out, her voice sharp in the stillness. “Is anybody home?”

No reply. No sign of life at all. She walked toward the front of the house and peered into an open doorway.

“Hello?” She tried again.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned her back. Standing in the doorway was a tall man, a bundle of dry firewood slung over his shoulder. Her gaze shot into his face and she froze.

“N-Nikolai?” Ariel said, can't believe her eyes were locked into Nikolai's image.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice low. He stepped past her, carried the wood to the hearth, and tossed another log onto the fire.

Ariel glanced around, then turned her gaze back to the man’s handsome face. This time, she studied him closely.

“Is this your house?” she asked, but her voice seemed of hesitation.

“Yeah.”

He settled into his seat, then moved to the table before heading to the kitchen. A few minutes passed before he returned, holding a mug of hot chocolate in his hand. Ariel took it automatically and sat down across from him. She couldn't even look at his face and, for the first time in her life, she felt captivated by the man's beauty.

“Y-you know, I lost my way earlier. I’m sorry to disturb you in the middle of the night,” she began, hoping to ease the awkward tension that had settled between them. Nikolai's expression didn't change at all.

“Sure is. My place is far from town. How did you even get here?”

Ariel swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure if she should tell him everything that had happened. When their eyes locked, her heart skipped a beat. She licked her lips, averted her gaze, and took a sip of the hot chocolate he’d given her, and it brought a small measure of comfort and took away her nervousness.

“I was just walking around earlier, and then I got lost. I couldn’t find my way back to my cabin, so I came straight here even though no one was around,” she explained.

Nikolai said nothing. He stood up and adjusted the logs in the fire.

“The town’s still a long way off. If you want, you can rest here on the couch.”

Ariel smiled at him, then looked around the room.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll take you back tomorrow.”

She nodded and glanced out the window.

“Do you live here alone?”

At that, Nikolai looked at her. He stood up, but didn’t move closer, staying right where he was. He didn’t answer and just stared at her, his eyes dark and fixed on hers. Ariel’s hand flew to the back of her neck as she set her mug down, her fingers trembling ever so slightly. She tore her gaze away, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw him move: slow, steady steps bringing him closer.

The scent of him hit first, pine and wood smoke, cutting clean through the warm, cocoa-rich air. The draft he carried brushed across her cheek, cool enough to send a shiver down her spine even with the fire crackling at her back.

Before she could draw a single breath to react, Nikolai reached out and tilted her chin up. Their eyes locked, and a current snapped between them, pulling her in with a force she couldn’t resist. Without thinking, Ariel lifted her hand to cup his face, his skin cooled under her fingertips as she leaned into him. Then she closed her eyes, and felt his lips press against hers: soft at first, then deepening as the world around them faded to nothing but the whisper of snow outside and the thud of their hearts beating as one.