The Favorite Princess [Completed]

41- It's cold!

"Jump! I will catch you!" Mason yells up to me.

I look down the side of the wall and fear fills me. "M-mase, it's a little too high for me."

"Don't be scared. I'm here." He yells up.

"I-i can't do it, Mase. I'm not as brave as you!" I back away from the edge, pulling my cloak around me tighter.

Winter has showed up and gave us a nice layer of snow. Snow that increases my slipping and clumsiness.

"Please, Belle?! I want to show you this place and this is my only day I am open until we leave for the trip!"

"The trip is in two days!"

"Belle, please?"

I walk toward the egde of the wall and look down. Fear quickly fills me again.

Mason looks up at me and smiles. "Come on, I will catch you. I always will."

I take a deep breath and jump off the wall. The air makes my cape fly up after me and all that crossed my mind is that I'm glad I decided to wear trousers instead of a dress.

Mason catches me and I hold onto him tightly.

"I told you I would catch you, love." Mason whispers in my ear. "Thankfully you trusted me."

"I always will." I state as my feet land on the floor.

I release Mason and take a step back. I take a deep breath and look up the wall.

"I've fallen from a higher distance before." I mutter.

"Yes, my princess, you have and I never want to see you like that again."

Mason's green eyes meet my blue ones and I see many emotions in them. The obvious emotion is love and happiness. He suddenly blinks and looks towards the forest. He whistles a familiar tune and a brown horse walks into view.

I smile. "Where are we going, duke?"

The horse stops in front of us. "You will see. It is a surprise."

Mason climbs on the horse before offering me a hand. I set my small hand in his large one and he pulls me up effortlessly. I sit behind him and wrap my arms around his waist.

"Is your cloak on? Are you cold? Is there anything you need?" Mason blurts all of a sudden.

I giggle. "I'm covered in fur from head to toe and this cloak is my warmest one. I think I will survive some snow and the cold."

He sighs and flashes me a smile. "That's all I wanted to hear."

I cuddle against his back and savor his warmth. I rest my cheek against his upper back and feel his muscles move when he makes the horse move.

"I love the snow." I suddenly say.

"Doesn't it make you even clumsier?" Mason asks and I feel his body move to the words.

"Yes," I say and watch my breath cloud up in front of me. "But I have you to escort me everywhere now, right? I mean, you are my best friend and I hope you don't mind. If you do mind then I could always find a guard to walk me around or I could always try to walk not so clumsily but that doesn't work well. I also have shoes for snow that help me slip less. Maybe Alar-"

The shaking of Mason's body makes me stop mid-word. I pull my head back and look at him.

"Mase?"

"I'm okay, but your rambling is adorable!" He gasps out.

"You are laughing at me!" I pout and bury my face against his back.

"Belle, love, you know that I mean no harm!" Mason defends himself.

"I know." I mumble.

We ride in silence for a little while. I watch the animals move about the forest and listen to the noises of animals as the clouds of my breath cover my face.

"I heard you fought off wolves."

"Yes, I had to protect Alaric!"

"Maybe you don't need a personal guardian then."

"Oh, speaking of personal guardian, do you know where Peter is?"

"Your father sent him to the Fighters. Halmand's Kingdom if that helps any. He told Peter that he couldn't come back until he had a letter from Halmand himself saying he is worthy of guarding you."

"Are you happy about that?"

"If it means better protection for you, then yes. You will be queen someday, weither I'm beside you or not, and I want nothing but the best care for you."

A smile makes its way onto my face. He will always be by my side.

I rest my cheek against his back and watch the forest as we ride in silence.

A comfortable silence.

°•°•

"For the last time, love, I'm not going to feed you to the wolves, no matter how angry you make me." Mason promises.

I smile as I pull my cloak tighter around me.

"So where are we?" I ask, looking around a clearing in the forest that is covered in snow. Icicles hang from the branches making this place seem like a winter wonderland.

Something hits my back and I stumble forward. I look over my shoulder and see Mason whistling as if nothing happened.

I narrow my eyes and grab snow to make a ball.

I tighten it and point off in the distance. "Mase! Look! A deer!" I exclaim, faking excitement.

Mason turns around to look, only to recieve a snowball to the back of his hooded head. As the snowball hits his head, he slips and falls face first into the snow making me erupt into uncontrollable giggles.

"You are a naughty little girl!" Mason growls as he stands up, brushing snow off his his pants and cloak.

I quickly make another snowball. "You missed a spot!"

He looks up at me only to recieve a snowball on the chest. I giggle and he stomps towards me slowly.

I try to walk away, because running is dangerous in snow, and end up in a patch of snow up to my waist.

"Oh! It's cold!" I cry out, trying to push myself out of the patch of snow.

Warm hands wrap under my arms and pull me out of the snow. "There you go, princess. Out of the cold."

I wrap my arms around his torso and bury my face into his chest.

"You're warm!" I yell into his chest and have it sound like, "yore wam!"

His body shakes with laughter before it does down quickly.

"I have a question for you. A very important question." Mason suddenly blurts.