A Winter's Ball

Chapter One: A Winter's Ball

The cold winter breeze in Avonlea was swarmed with hot gossip about an upcoming event. As per usual, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert was behind on the news. She had been down at the now frozen lake, lost in her world of fantasy once more. In the spirit of the season, she had decided to pretend as Lady Elizabeth-the kind but powerful snow queen who nobly ruled over her snow kingdom in hopes to protect it from the evil winter shadows lurking in the woods.
"I must prepare you, my precious subjects. A winter's war is imminently brewing and I cannot be in two places at once. You have to learn how to defend yourselves from the shadows." Anne said, her eyes ablaze as she collected frozen twigs from the ground, pretending they were steel weapons. She wore a crown of wilted wildflowers on her fiery red hair and held her chin up high as she looked over her imaginary crowd. She pursed her thin, chapped lips and balled her mitten-covered hand to a fist and raised it in the air. "We shall not let fear sway us! The shadows will not prevail, and I swear to you, as long as I live they cannot touch you!" She shouted, and nothing but the echo of her own voice answered.
She took a sharp breath and a small fog came out of her trembling mouth. She looked around at the empty, snow-covered scene and smiled. She observed the tall, thin trees surrounding the icy lake she's currently standing on and watched the snow fall on their naked, leafless branches. "Even in the winter, when everything starts to wilt and falter, the world still manages to astonish me with its beauty. Don't you agree?" She asked no one in particular.
"I think that's what being in love is like; loving someone not despite of their flaws or because of it, but loving them as a whole. No matter what. I think that's beautiful, don't you?"

"I agree." A familiar voice from behind suddenly rang, startling dear Anne. She turned around to see none other than Gilbert Blythe with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his thick coat, his head tilted down but his eyes looked straight at her-charming as ever she thought but quickly dismissed it. Anne's heart skipped a beat but still managed to roll her eyes at the boy in front of her. "Gilbert Blythe, I would be ever so grateful if you stop following me." And with that, she turned her heel and walked away but the fact that she was standing on a frozen lake had slipped her mind...which in turn made her slip. Literally.
"Are you alright?" Gilbert asked, quickly taking a step forward, but slowed down immediately when he realized how slippery it was. He carefully made his way to Anne and helped her up.
"The help was not necessary but thank you. I best be on my way. Marilla and Matthew must be worried." Anne said and started to walk away.

"Anne!"

She turned back to him and waited for him to continue.

He studied her for a while and for the millionth time, he was astonished at her charm. Anne wasn't the kind of girl that would immediately capture your eyes at the first glance; with her round eyes, scrawny frame, that fiery red hair she hated so much and freckles that matched her locks. But there was something about her, perhaps her persistence, or her scope for the imagination that makes Gilbert Blythe so hopelessly drawn to her.

And with the grey and blue tint from the sky that fell with the season, Gilbert thought Anne looked like the sun amongst the winter.

"L-let me walk you home."

Anne pursed her lips only to open it once more. But before she can even speak, Gilbert caught up to her. "I'm not taking no for an answer." He said and walked ahead of her, his lips twitching to a sly smile.

Anne caught up with a frown on her face as she folded her thin arms over her chest.
"You are a force to be reckoned with, you know that Gilbert Blythe?" She said in annoyance.

"I'm flattered you think so, Anne Shirley." He warmly smiled at her, a strong urge to touch the two, red braids that bounced on her back washing over him. Anne scoffed and rolled her eyes at his remark. Charming. He thought to himself.

The rest of the way home, they walked in silence. Anne was secretly thankful of Gilbert's presence since the sun had started to set halfway through the journey, though she would never admit that to him aloud.

When they reached Anne's house, the sky was almost completely dark. They stopped at the front door, the soft glow of the lamp in the porch lit their faces in the moonlight.
Gilbert thought that this warm light suited Anne, especially with the dim sky. He could look at her for hours.
And she could to him as well, but she would never admit it, not even to herself.
"Thank you for escorting me home, Mr. Blythe, though I could have been well on my own." Not. She thought.

"Pleasure was all mine. Your company is all that is precious in the world to me." He smirked. Anne's face flushed bright red much like her hair and prayed with all her might Gilbert doesn't notice. She nodded firmly at him and proceeded to go inside when Gilbert gently pulled her wrist.

"Anne, wait."

Anne looked at him confused. "Gilbert, you have to stop waiting till the last second to speak. So, what is it?"

"Um..." He muttered nervously as he took off his hat and shook the bits if snow out his curly, black hair. "I was wondering if you..." He trailed off, playing with his hat.

"Um."

"Well?"

"If you would want to go with me."

Anne's eyebrows knit in confusion. "Go with you where? It's awfully late, Marilla will not be pleased with me wandering around at this hour."

"N-not now, to the-" Gilbert's words were cut off when the front door opened.

"Anne, what are you doing outside, it's terribly freezing! Come now inside." Marilla said sternly and noticed Gilbert.
"Gilbert Blythe! Good evening."

Gilbert smiled. "Good evening Miss Cuthbert, I was just escorting Anne home."

Marilla's lips twitched into a sly, knowing smile which confused Anne, but heeded not to it. "Well, how kind of you! Would you care to come inside, we're having dinner in a minute."

"Uh, no thank you. I best be off, it's awfully late. Give my regards to Mr. Matthew for me."

"I will." Marilla smiled.

"See you tomorrow, Anne." And with that, Gilbert took off as Anne watched his figure disappear into the distance.

"Come now Anne. Diana Bary is waiting inside for you."

Anne's eyes widened. "Diana's here?" She said excitedly, but before Marilla could even answer, she bolted inside to greet her bosom friend.

"Diana!"

"Anne!"

The two girls squealed in excitement as if having not seen each other for years, when in fact, they saw each other yesterday.

"Oh, Diana what are you doing here at this hour?" Anne asked as they pulled away from the hug.

"I was waiting for you to come home so we could have afternoon tea but you were taking awfully long."

"Oh, I'm ever so sorry, dear Diana! Come, have dinner with us!"

"Gladly! Oh, and did you hear the news?"

Anne looked at her friend, confused.

"News?"

"The town's having a Winter's Ball!" Diana said excitedly.

Anne followed her to the dining room, Gilbert Blythe's unfinished question now slowly making sense.

She wondered if...

Gilbert Blythe was about to ask her to the ball.