Remme is standing on the other side of the ice castle as I walk out. Astonished might be an understatement.
I am so tired, but I need to dismantle my emotions displayed in ice before it floods his house. I slowly work on sending it, piece by piece, through the open balcony doors. Remme does not question anything, he walks into the kitchen without saying a word. I must be a strange houseguest.
After every fragment of ice is outside, swept into the howling winds of the mountain tops, I go find Remme. He's easy to find from the smells coming from the kitchen. Sausage and spaetzle, his favorite meal I've come to learn.
“I stopped in town and got you some clothes.” He looks pretty proud of himself as he gestures to a package at the end of the table.
“You look in one piece, I take it things went ok?”
“Your friends were harder to subdue than the Alps.” A sinking feeling hits me as I realize the humans were Gabe and Oliver, trying to find me. Not happy with whatever reason and response the local police gave.
“Are they ok?”
“They are not convinced that you are dead due to a wolf attack, as the police have written your disappearance on. I can't tell them anything, of course. It would compromise our community, as well as other magical spaces.” He is rubbing his eyes in with the palms of his hand. “They really care about you, especially the guy with brown hair. He seems to know about the council.”
Gabe. Probably read every fairy tale about Krampus before taking on this mission.
“Of course, now they have no memory of the event except that I found them lost in the woods. Though the one with brown hair recognized me; I could tell he did not trust the coincidence of me being the one to help them.”
“He’s into history, especially anything around the concept of truth written into fairy tales. He’s probably convinced himself you are a real Krampus, but has nothing more than that to go on.”
“Either way, once the council finds out humans came into our lands, I'm pretty sure they will close the borders. Everything is becoming too risky.”
I don't see the issue with that.
“Which will leave the next few days until solstice very dangerous for you, being the only human accessible to the Alps. They can't get close to my place, due to old magic, but they will try. They will be waiting for the moment you leave this place.”
Add another to the list of things I'm unable to do anything about besides feeling hopeless.
I find myself with ample time to knit, exercise, and practice forming ice, as Remme is called away to patrol the borders and attend another council meeting. They don't sound pleasant.
I try to enjoy the long hours alone but instead I am restless. I know all too soon there will be a council meeting I'll be attending, where I'll be sent home.
Remme's not sure that, despite what I can do, it will be proof enough to claim Krampus heritage. I also have not decided if I really want to stay here. Or leave. Either way, I am not going to the academy.
“If we get married, they can't contest any of this. It's in the articles.” I scoffed at the proposition as he held me tightly in his arms, the night before he left. He had read through the Council's complete book of rules, trying to find a loophole for me.
While Remme's affection, our relationship, is more tantalizing than any I've ever experienced before, iIt's something I would love more time to explore. I've hardly known him but for a few weeks. Under drastic circumstances at that. Who knows what this turns into during the long days of winter. Additionally, I don't like the idea of completely leaving my world behind, which Remme insists I will be asked to do by the council if I stay.
“Vitus seemed to imply that option never worked out.”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“Most partners freak out the first time they see our claws or horns. You, on the other hand, seem to be turned on by it.”
He gently dragged a claw along my neck to my collarbone. He's not wrong.
But now, away from his embrace, I feel like there is so much more for me to lose. My life, which despite being repetitive, is a rhythm I miss.
“After the Alps hibernate, we can travel. To magical lands that dreams are made of. Even spend time in our capital city, if you desire.” He described countries and creatures not fathomable to me, never described by a single fairy tale I’ve read.
“You could become the most powerful storm welder in Krampus history.”
While now I seemed to have a better grasp on this ice, I was not sure if I wanted to live with it defining me.
“To what end, just fight with the Alps? I don't have as much of a fascination with blood and death as you do. I didn't want to just make deadly things, but also beautiful things.” I turned to face him expecting a suggestion but only admiration was in that face.
“You are a beautiful thing.”
Feeling desperate, he explained to me something that still lingers on me today. What made me restless.
“If you leave, you will never be able to come back.”
“Why?”
“The council will remove any memories you have of here.” And that's when I realized why he was pleading. He didn't want me to forget us. “You are very precious to me, stormy, and I'm not sure I want to let you go yet. To lose who you have become in these short few weeks.”
All this would only remain a dream that would seem unreal, he explained. He could never come to find me. Aside from not having a passport or legal documentation of him being human, all secretly erased once part of the council of krampus, it was also against council laws for him to bring me into their lands.
So, today I was restless. Hoping for a sign, or someone to tell me what path to take.
I’d lost track of what day it was and made up a semi-routine that alternated between knitting-reading and increasingly difficult physical activity challenges.
I am struggling with the current task I gave myself- upside down sit ups off the tester of my bed. Sweat collecting in between my breasts and running down my face. While Remme brought back clothing well-suited for the alpine environment he lived in, everything made me too hot while exercising. So I was in my underwear. Underwear, it seems, Remme probably enjoyed picking out.
I was struggling horribly but wouldn't give up this ridiculous task I was forcing myself to complete. I pause to rest and open my eyes to see Remme watching me, leaning against the door frame.
My legs lose their grip off the crossbar. “Ouch” as I crumpled down on myself. I pulled a sheet down from the bed on me. Even though he must have seen me naked before, when he cleaned my unconscious body after the rescue from the Alps lair, I was suddenly self-conscious. Or conscious of how he was eyeing my body with longing.
“You are going to make it really hard for me to say goodbye to you.”
“You like having someone to keep the house warm while you are gone?”
“I’d rather have you keeping my bed warm.”
I wrap the bedsheet around me like a long gown and take long, slow steps until I am right under his chin. “In case you forget, I’m the queen of ice.”
“So cold, you make me burn.” The warmth of a new snowfall wraps around me. His black eyes tell me he is not just a fallen demon, he’s fallen and willing to worship me. “I know no words can convince you to stay here with me. Please, let me try another way.”
I raise my eyebrow, his words intrigue me.
He takes me up in his arms and, almost sprinting, brings me to a spiral staircase at the far end of the hallway. He carries me up three flights of the spiral stairs until we come to an open alcove, built into the peak of the mountain. Built so it is completely protected from the wild winds that whip around the peaks. Through the blowing snow, I can see further than any other view in his manor. Almost to the little alpine lake, which the sunset reflects off, and the town beyond.
“Everything you see here, including me, is yours if you want it. I will do whatever it takes for it to be yours.” He sets me down gently on my bare feet next to him, a light kiss on my forehead. “And I mean anything, even if it comes in conflict of rules of the council, my storm queen.”
I try to tell myself he only intends this as a promise within reason, but I can’t shake that dark cold of that first night I met him. He leads me to a chair covered with fur, centered in the alcove, and gestures to me to sit.
He kneels down in front of me. “I know words can sound empty, so please let me show you.” As he slowly puts his hands on my knees, waiting for me. Waiting for my legs to relax for him, which I do. The improvised gown flutters in the swirls of wind, falling on either side the chair, as his hands slowly move along my inner thighs.
“I never got to taste all of you that other night, my beautiful thing” he softly murmurs, his breath warm on my thighs as he moves his head closer to me. I’m already wet, which I can tell he can smell.
“Remme,” I moan as I lie my head back into the fur chair and let him profess his adoration, as a blizzard howls around us.
And that was the most beautiful sunset I had ever felt.