Let it Snow!

❄Thirty-Two❄

Nora and Martin walked along the corridor, descended the spiral staircase, crossed the snow-buried courtyard and the castle's empty Entry Hall in perfect silence only disturbed by the whispers and moans of the wind rushing along and through the tall walls of the ancient building.

It wasn't before they reached the stables, huddled close together to protect each other from the crazy snowfall and the freezing wind, that Nora couldn't resist asking him the questions filling her mind and burning her tongue any longer.

She needed to hear, in his own words, how things were between him and Victoria. However, before she could open her mouth, Martin spoke, distracting her.

"Oh, they left the lights on again..." he muttered, looking through the wrought iron gate into the stables. "I'll have to stop by on my way back."

"Are the torches dangerous?" Nora asked, following his look towards the faint lights, reduced to mere trembling flickers by the heavy snowfall. "You can switch them off now, I'll wait."

"No, don't worry. They are safe, solar powered, flame shaped led bulbs, they would go out even on their own the moment they finished the power. But there's no point leaving them on unnecessarily." He shrugged.

"Well, at least they remembered to close Snow White properly tonight," Nora said, turning back to the sloping path and noticing the absence of the reindeer who usually waited for Martin on the meadow.

He chuckled. "I think that Snow White's escapades have nothing to do with Alan's or any other Ranger's forgetfulness."

"So you know who lets them out? Tell me, please!" she begged, riveted by the small mystery. Surely someone was doing it on purpose, knowing it would be Martin who would have to go out in the most inconvenient moments in pursuit of the animals.

Seeing her wide-eyed excitement, Martin laughed. "I'll tell you when I'm entirely sure." He stopped and she took her eyes off his face, shadowed by the night and the falling snow, to see why he stopped, only to realise that they had already reached the stairs leading to the porch of her cottage.

She groaned inwardly; she had meant to use this time to talk to him...

He put his fingers under her chin and lifted her face up, his eyes boring into hers through the darkness for a few seconds before his lips found hers, asking, claiming, scattering her thoughts.

Feeling shocked by her response to him-- Just why is he so unresistable?!-- Nora removed her arms from around his neck, not remembering how they got there, when he pulled away for breath, resting his forehead against hers.

"We need to talk..." he muttered, echoing her thoughts.

Nodding, she took a step away from him, up the steps. "Not now. You need to go; I don't like the idea of Daniel being alone. It makes me feel... anxious. We'll talk another time."

She climbed another step even as he said, "Friday night then. Dinner. I'll get someone to babysit, and we'll go out."

"All right," Nora agreed, suddenly happy that the serious talk was postponed for a few days. "But not too late, please, I'm supposed to help Clelia in the market at the weekends."

"Deal." He smiled, and she could hear the smile in his voice rather than see it spread over his lips as she stood on the porch, looking down at him.

"Good night, Martin."

"Good night, Nora. I... I'm glad that you returned," he said, striding down the meadow quickly, leaving Nora with the impression that he had meant to say something else, then changed his mind at the last moment.

She shook her head and turned towards the door, switched on the porch light, then fished her keys from her bag.

Only once she was inside did she recall that she had the interview in the castle on Friday afternoon as well. Hopefully, that would be over before the dinner with Martin, but she would definitely have to talk to Clelia and adjust her hours with her godmother. This little town was keeping her more busy than she had expected, she mused, as she made her way upstairs, shivering. She needed to lay the fires, take a shower, and make herself something to eat...

The fire crackled on the hearth merrily when Nora carried her dinner to the sofa by the window overlooking the castle. She peeked through the gap between the curtains at the well-lit soaring towers, wondering what were Martin and Daniel doing at the moment, as she settled under the blanket and brought a forkful of her chicken and mushroom pie to her lips, nearly dropping it as her phone, lying on the coffee table, vibrated with a message.

She put her plate away, smiling, certain that the text was from Martin even before she reached for the phone.

'Sorry, Nora, I entirely forgot to tell you that I won't be around in the morning, I have to attend a meeting. Daniel will wait for you on the bridge alone. If all goes well, I'll be back on time for the fencing lesson in the afternoon, and you are welcome to join us. Daniel says to tell you please, so you won't refuse.'

Nora laughed as she typed back, noncommittaly, 'I'll see you both tomorrow. Have a good night.'

Just as he had said, Martin wasn't around the following morning, but the path leading towards the castle was clear, and he turned up on time for the fencing lesson in the afternoon.

Certain that he had skipped lunch so he wouldn't come late, Nora placed a plate of sausages and mashed potatoes she had saved for him into the microwave. It warmed up while he got changed, coming back down from his room dressed in what looked like an off-white kimono, at the same instant when Daniel walked in from his room dress in the same manner.

Nora couldn't help herself, she giggled when she saw them.

"Sorry, you two actually look impressive. Like ninjas or something."

Martin didn't say anything, with one grateful look her way he sat at the table and made the food vanish in record time, but she didn't miss the way Daniel rolled his eyes at her as he walked past her to tidy up his toys at Martin's bidding. Once he was done, he slipped on a pair of white shoes by the door, then exited the flat, leaving them behind, alone.

"Where did he go?" Nora asked Martin as he carried his empty plate to the sink.

"He'll wait in the Armoury, with his friends," Martin informed her as he ran up the wooden stairs into his room again, while she walked towards the door, looking around to make sure that she left everything in order.

Nora had promised Daniel that she would come to his fencing lesson, but she wouldn't stay the whole time, nor come back here with them after. She planned to sneak out at some point and use her free afternoon to go shopping, and start looking for Christmas presents-- she would have little time tomorrow and even less on Friday...

Martin's arm snaked around her waist from behind suddenly, pulling her towards him, then turning her around. His gorgeous eyes bored into hers for a long moment, scattering her thoughts, before he kissed her, gently, slowly, burying his hands into her lose hair with reverence, making her feel unsteady on her legs.

"I missed you," he said once they pulled away.

She could not help herself, she was feeling exactly the same way. "I missed you too," she admitted, her voice just a notch above a whisper, even as she wondered how this man whom she barely knew could stir such strong feelings within her. Nora had never met anyone like him, not since... she had loved Eric.

Feeling ashamed for thinking about Eric in such a special moment, she cast her eyes on her boots as she put them on, then, hoping that her face gave nothing away, smiled at Martin as he helped her in her coat.

"Ready to see my little musketeers, my lady?" Martin asked, opening the door for her.

"Lead the way, my lord." She smiled at him, then sighed contentedly as he took her hand in his.