Island Dream [a Damian Priest fantasy story]

26 Look at that

By now, the winter had the land firmly in its grip. The snow stuck to the ground for the first time in weeks. It was already over a foot high. Sanja was delighted. She stood in the middle of the courtyard and breathed in deeply as new snowflakes fell down on her.

It was so different from anything she had known in her old life. But it was something she already loved. The only thing she still had to get used to was the cold that came with winter.

Damian was a great help here. He felt it immediately whenever Sanja was cold and was quick to take her into his strong arms. The warmth he radiated was so pleasant that any feeling of chilliness quickly disappeared. 

Sanja's gaze wandered over everything that was covered in snow when she saw her fiancé come out of the stable. He was talking to Rhea, who was walking beside him. They were probably discussing what needed to be done in the next few days. Everyone was also tense because Chiquita would now be having her foal every day. Ever since Damian had promised her that she could choose the name, Sanja had been racking her brains for the perfect name for the new life. It wasn't that easy, she had to admit.

Damian was so engrossed that he hadn't noticed Sanja approaching him. So she decided to have a little fun. Quickly but quietly, she bent down and grabbed a handful of snow. She formed it into a ball before throwing it with full force in Damian's direction. And to her astonishment, she hit him right in the face.

Of course, she couldn't help but laugh at the sight of his surprised face. She doubled over with laughter when Rhea joined in.

"Oh, so you think that's funny, huh? Well, let's see how you like it," Damian threatened jokingly as he formed a snowball.

The wicked little grin on his face couldn't mean anything good for Sanja. So she tried to run away, but the deep snow made that almost impossible. And so the snowball hit her in the back before Damian swept her off her feet. He chuckled deeply while his beloved giggled and squealed.

"Gotcha." he laughed.

And then took another handful of snow with his free one. Sanja knew immediately what he was going to do with it. She wriggled like crazy to free herself from his grip, but she didn't succeed.

"Ah, don't... don't do that... I promise to be good." she squeaked, interrupted by giggles.

"Oh I don't know, my darling... I think you deserve it." Damian laughed before rubbing the snow into her face.

"Ewww... cold, cold, cold..." she shrieked as the water ran down her neck.

Now Sanja was determined to get a little revenge on him. But she couldn't do anything as long as he was holding her. And so it happened that her wriggling resulted in both of them landing in the snow. Their laughter echoed off the walls of the buildings as they rolled through the snow like little children. 

All too soon, however, Sanja began to shiver. The snow found its way into her clothes and melted. Damian then quickly took her inside so that they could both change into dry, warm clothes. After all, they still had a lot to do today.

A while later, they were standing in the forest with a few others looking for the perfect Christmas tree.

"What do you think of this one?" Damian asked as he stroked Sanja's back lovingly.

"It's gorgeous... Quite impressive. Isn't it too big?" she replied as she looked up.

"No, it will fit perfectly in the living room. And tomorrow we can all decorate it together. What do you think?" he explained.

"I've never done it before, but I'm really looking forward to it. What's that?" replied Sanja until suddenly something far away in the clearing caught her attention.

"Oh, that's an old, small chapel. It hasn't been used for years... not since they built a new one closer to the center of the village," Damian said.

"A chapel, you say? I would like to see it." she replied and stomped through the deep snow through the forest.

It was very difficult, but doable. Damian quickly followed her and grabbed her hand. While his men felled the tree, the two of them were able to make the most of the time.

Sanja reached out for the door handle and opened the heavy door. It squeaked loudly as she carefully stuck her head inside. She was immediately amazed by this space. It was no bigger than her cottage had been, but it was bright and friendly. The stained glass windows bathed everything in a soft light. The altar was still richly decorated and not too dirty despite the fact that no one had been here for a long time.

"Wow... Look at that..." she breathed.

"That gives me an idea..." Damian mused as he too let his eyes wander around the small room.

"That this would be perfect for our ceremony?" she asked softly, looking at him expectantly.

"Exactly." he replied as he pulled her close.

He gave her a long, loving kiss. It was indeed perfect. Even if it would still need a little work. But it would certainly be done quickly. After all, he had the best motivation.