One Plus One Equals One

Chapter 33 - Cohen's POV

Economy flights are terrible. Why anyone would choose to fly with them beats me. You can hardly move, the toilets are disgusting and you are surrounded by a sea of loud strangers. However, even if I wanted to sleep I doubt I would have been able to. Although it was a thirteen-hour flight, I could not relax because I was so nervous about Gwen. It is safe to say I am feeling ROUGH right now. What if she refuses to see me? Wants to give up on us? I have unintentionally hurt her badly, and knowing that she is in pain because of me rips me apart inside.

Anyway, it is too late to turn back now. I am officially in Losington, and it is flipping freezing. There is a reason why I never visit the family chalet in the French Alps, and it is not just because I suck at snow boarding. I pass a kiosk selling clothes and gimmicks on my way out of the airport, and I hurriedly buy a couple of long sleeved t-shirts and a jumper with 'I love Losington' written on them. The airport is quite busy although it is small in size, and I receive a few odd looks as I pull on the jumper. I stand out quite a lot as everyone around me is pale and mostly blonde, yet I am dark all over.

Checking my phone, I see that my mom has sent me a text stating that the palace is sending someone out to meet me and take me to Gwen. I just need to find someone holding a sign with my name on. It is a little weird and I feel quite lost as I do not speak any Losingese apart from 'hello', 'good bye' and 'I love you', so I am relived when I see a tall man with white gloves and dark shades entering into the building through the sliding doors, holding a plaque with my name on it. He looks cold and expressionless, and well over 6 foot, so for a moment I don't want to make myself known for fear that he might be a hitman and kill me, but I remind myself that I am here for Gwen and stride forward.

"Cohen?" He grunts as I arrive in front of him, nearly tripping over as a menacing child pushes in front of me with his mothing screaming after him.

"Yeah, hello how are you?" I ask, holding my hand out which he seems to glance at before ignoring.

"I am Sergei." He announces. "Come."

"Oh, ok." I murmur as he turns around and makes his way to the exit, parting the crowds like the red sea with his menacing aura. I have a feeling he does not speak much English.

I hurry after him, feeling chilled to the bone as I experience the full force of the artic temperatures outside. It is snowing slightly, and there are sheets of the icy stuff everywhere causing me to slip and slide in my trainers. The wind howls as it washes into the tunnel for the car park area, a great icy blast that seems to penetrate through my skin leaving me frozen. This temperature isn't healthy. I practically dive into the sleek black Mercedes Benz limo as soon as Sergei opens the door, and he raises his eyebrows at me as I furiously rub my arms to try to generate some warmth. He may be used to the frozen temperature, but I most certainly am not, nor do I wish to be acquainted with it.

"How long will it take to get to the palace?" I ask as we pull out of the airport terminal.

"I am Sergei." Sergei calls from the driver's seat before turning the music up making me roll my eyes.

He certainly isn't very talkative! My nerves bounce back at full force as I remember where I am heading, to secure my future. I really hope Gwen is in a listening and forgiving mood. I do not know what I will do if she says she wants nothing to do with me. I need her like the air I breathe.

The ride is pleasant (even though I feel like a group of reckless teens are having a party in my stomach), as Losington is a very beautiful place, although it is awfully cold. The landscape is rugged and untouched, the fields stretching on for miles, only broken up by vast trees or white-speckled hedges. Sweet villages appear in a cluster of stone houses and shops, as we make our way through the more rural part of Losington. It certainly has a lot of character and historical buildings. Eventually we come into a more populated area, and experience a few dilemmas, as the streets are incredibly narrow and slippery with a little snow, and everybody seems to be in a rush. Once we make our way through the bustling town, smoke rising from the numerous chimneys as if every house were on fire, the houses get bigger and more extravagant, until we arrive on the outside of a green moss moat. It is lined with imposing black pointed fences and guards every few steps, ringing around the grandest structure of all.