“Doesn’t anyone knock at your house?” I mumble, just wanting to cuddle deeper in Remme’s arms, but he’s already up. I snuggle in his bed but eventually curiosity gets the best of me and I head downstairs.

Remme, Aoysius, and a third Krampus with dark wavy hair seem tense as I walk down the stairs, their conversation lulls as they all turn their heads towards me. They do not look surprised to see me, I’m sure in addition to my scent all over this house, it is well known Remme has a human guest to the council.

“Good morning, schatzi,” Sweetheart. Remme’s voice is so syrupy, as he comes over and gently kisses me on the forehead. A civilized way of claiming me in front of them, which I only let slide based on the presence of Aloysius.

He places his hand softly on my back as he introduces me to Otto, the man I have never met before, and Aloysius. The slight gape in Aloysius's mouth and wideness of his eyes tells me even if it is known I am here, they don’t know my relationship with Remme. They all probably expected me to cower in a corner for over two weeks. Otto’s face is overall emotionless, showing a slight smile when meeting me, but otherwise unmoved. Though I worry about the slight gleam I see in his eye as he turns to Remme

“Reinmar, do you mind if we go to your office?”

As they head down the hall, Aloysius comes up to me.

“Aloysius, are you coming?” demands Otto.

“I just need to … apologize for how I acted the first time I met Isa.” Otto only snorts as a response. I take it that he is not surprised Aloysius was rude the first time he met a female but also that I am not worth an apology.

Once Otto disappears down the hall, Aloysius whispers, “I know you don’t trust me, but you have to - you have to let Remme know the council is going to find a way to hurt him, strip him of his power within the council. They think he is a threat, and if they know what you mean to Remme… They will use you against him knowing he will be irrational.” I can see he has no good solution. “I’ll try to downplay Remme’s little show just now to Otto, tell him how I acted the first time we met and that Remme is just trying to protect you from me. But you and Remme better keep this just physical because… if he actually cares for you, it will be the end of him.”

He must read my eyes that it is way more than that.

“Vitus knows. He could tell.”

“If Vitus knows, if he saw you… and the way Remme has been acting…” He pinches his nose and takes a deep breath. “If you care about him at all, you need to break it off now. Break his heart but otherwise you will be the end of him.” He hisses at me.

As soon as the meeting started, it was over.

“What was that about?”

“Otto just wanted to check up on me, and hear about the alp activity in the area.”

“No, they didn’t. It’s a cover.” Remme looks at me like I’ve gone mad. “What is Otto's position on the council?”

“He works with Vitus, on the border committee.”

“They were checking on us for Vitus. Remme, Aloysius said that the council is going to try to hurt you. That they would use me against you. That I .. I need…” I need to what? I couldn’t even admit to myself what Remme means to me. It had been so fast but yet so slow. “That show of possessiveness did not help anything. That is what Otto wanted to see.”

Remme looks broken.

“They don't know you have magic.”

“So? They now know what I mean to you and will use you against me. Magic or none, they will use me to hurt you.”

“I will not let them touch you,” he growls.

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“That's exactly what they want.”

A few minutes pass in silence as both of us work scenarios out in our minds.

I can’t look at Remme as I speak. “We are not meant to be. Our world does not want us together. You can’t live in the human world, the council made sure to erase that option you said. I’m also not sure you would be happy with it either. And I'm not wanted here.”

“We could try another magical realm. We can find a place for you to make beautiful things.” We both know it’s a desperate plea.

“I will give the next few days to you, that's all I can offer. Once we walk through the doors of the council, you are only doing your duty to return me safely to humans again.”

“I want to say I’ll take anything you give me and that’s enough, but that would be a lie. Let them hurt me.”

“I don’t see how this will work out in our favor.”

Remme doesn’t hear me, lost in his anger and thoughts. The broody krampus I met at the bar.

Cooking, of all things, helps me think. Cooking and knitting. The thoughtless steps my body follows let my mind wander. It is late for breakfast at this hour, but I find myself making pancakes as I try to put together the little information I know about this world and how I can turn it to my favor.

“Smells of my father” Remme comments after he walks in to the kitchen where pancakes are sizzling on a skillet. “He would make them occasionally, on holidays.”

“Same. They remind me of family, the good things about family.” About sharing a meal, and not just eating to survive as I do now.

“Do Krampus celebrate any holidays? Or do you get together with your human family?”

“I guess we unofficially celebrate the day the alps hibernate. Depending on the year, celebrations can last for days.” A smile breaks across his face, at memories of parties past. “I used to see my family more frequently. They all have families of their own now, and my parents passed, so I don’t do much but stop by after I drop off my last load of trees to the market on Christmas Eve.”

I imagine how magical it must be to bring a load of Christmas trees to the markets on Christmas Eve.

“The holidays are pretty hard around my family too. Aside from my family, I have no one else to celebrate with so I often don't do much.” I don’t mention my secret tradition of howling at the moon on solstice, just to remind myself I am wild and wonderful, no matter how lonely the holidays feel.

“Let’s have a little celebration together. On solstice eve. The night before we have to go to the council.”

After pancakes, Remme gets up to do the dishes and I pick up my knitting. I am almost done with the last sleeve, surprising myself how quickly I have completed it. I ended up creating a pattern of trees with snowflakes and, not surprisingly, it’s sized for a krampus.

I’m finishing the cuff on the sleeve as Remme comes thundering down the stairs, crossing the room in a stoic hurry, jangling with all sorts of weapons strapped across his back.

“I am going to meet with the alp kings, just across the vale.”

“Let me join you,” I say as I run after him. “I am sure this is about me.”

He halts and turns to me with a cold stare.

“I thought my duty was to keep you safe until you returned to the humans. Therefore, no, you are not coming.”

I find tears stinging my eyes but don’t fight. His words hurt because I know, no matter what I decide on how I should act at the council, he will do everything to protect me. Every irrational thing.

I rush to the balcony, hoping he could still hear me if I call out, but he is gone.

I look out into the distance, trying to discern in what direction he went. Across the valley, near the base of another mountain peak, I can see a small group has gathered. A dark spot contracting with the white of snow.

Remme’s sleigh comes into view and he stops a bit away from the group. They meet in the middle. A compromise on both of their ends, but I can not see this going well for Remme. There appears to be six alp-figures.

I watch for a while but nothing dramatic happens. I’m glad they're talking through their issues, better men than humans. I let my eyes drift to the surrounding mountains. Everything is so quiet and pristine today, the snow golden in the midday sun.

Despite the beauty and solitude of the moment, I feel like something is not right. The small group in the distance is still calm, almost too calm.

I scan the mountains. There is no movement along the mountain cliffs. No visible waiting attackers. I trace the shadows of the rock faces with my eyes and see nothing either. The frozen stream and willows surrounding in the center of the valley hides no darkness.

I then look beyond the first set of mountains, beyond where I can see really. The only possible entrance to this valley is through the pass which I can not see well from this view. I race back into the manor and up the back spiral stairs to the exposed alcove.

This high up wind whips my hair in my face despite the general protection of this space. There must be an income storm. Looking towards the north I can see darker clouds gathering but much further out. Once my eyes stop stinging from the wind, I wipe out my tears and look beyond the mountain pass. The southwest pass seems very shadowed for being midday, as if there is an unnatural darkness there.

My eyes focused intently on this shadow. This moving shadow.

At this moment, the wind stills enough for me to see that there is a swarm of black dots, moving slowly through the pass. This is not an amicable meeting, no this is an ambush.