The Ugly Prince

The Journey Through the Snow - Part Two

Chapter 12 part 2

The Journey through the Snow

He followed her out of the carriage as she picked up the basket along her arm, and wondered what way would be better to gather the Stardrops. Drake stood beside her and said “I know the best place where to gather Stardrops from, follow me.”

Feeling happy from her small compliment she had left him while they were on the path earlier, he held his hand out towards her with a warm smile on his face. His smile was warm and charming she could not take her eyes off of his extraordinary eyes. She gave him her hand as he pulled her closer letting her follow him down the path until she broke the silence. “Drake we’re going the way we came from.”

They both stopped and Drake looked at the trees on their left while their hands were still holding one another’s. “It’s right here” he looked at her and smiled “make sure you don’t let go of my hand and stay close to me, I don’t want you to get lost.”

She nodded and felt her cheeks warming his smile alone made her heart flutter, and holding his hand in hers made her feel safe and secure where she felt like she would never want to let go. He pushed some of the branches away making a small clearing for them to pass through, they both went through the small clearing and started walking past the trees as Drake pushed back branches that blocked their way. She stayed close to him at all times but he would all ways turn his head round to see whether she was alright, “were nearly there” he said.

“Where are we going exactly Drake?” questioned Juliana.

“You’ll see” replied Drake.

Just before she could say anything she lost her footing and tripped over a tree root and fell into Drake’s arm as he caught her, “Are you alright?” he asked as concern was shown in his eyes as he looked down at her.

“I’m fine I just wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking.”

She steadied herself on her feet as she left his comforting warm gentle arms, as they continued walking past the trees she kept looking at him instead of where she was walking. Her eyes refused to look anywhere else as they longed to look into his dazzling hypnotizing eyes that always seemed to captivate her, she felt her heart flutter as if her heart was willing him to turn and look at her. Until her thoughts were interrupted by his soothing voice as his hand left hers, “where almost there but I want you to close your eyes.”

“Why?” she asked with curiosity laced in her voice as she stared into his dazzling eyes when he had turned round to answering her.

“It’s a surprise.”

She smiled at him as she willed her eyes to close before him as she took a deep breath to relax herself, she felt his presents slowly move around her until he was behind her as he whispered in her ear. “Do you trust me?”

Having him so close to her and whispering into her ear made her heart bump wildly in her chest as she smiled uncontrollably with her eyes still closed as she felt in move around her again until she could feel him in front of her once more she nodded her head as well as saying yes to him. Then all of a sudden she felt her hands being touched and gently pulled in front of her, he held her small hands gently within his own as he walked backwards to guide her to place he wanted to show her. After a while Juliana began to feel the change of the earth beneath her feet, as it felt less bumpy as she could no longer hear the breaking of twigs or the roots of the trees. The ground felt even and balanced beneath her feet and as Drake let go of her hands and moved beside her as he wore a smile on his face as he stared at her beauty.

“Open your eyes,” he said to her.

Opening her eyes slowly she saw a magnificent sight before her as she gasped loudly as she placed her hands over her mouth, as she looked around her as she felt like she was in another world. Right in front of her was a frozen lake that resembled the moon that reflected the sparkle of the trees, in the middle of the frozen lake was a crystalized willow tree that shimmered and glowed in different colours. The lights it was illuminating reflected on the lakes surface that made the light spread and sparkle around them. The trees around them looked like a crystalized cage protecting and containing the beauty and purity this wonderful place. The trees were full of the crystalized fruit that hung like the decorations, and as she walked towards the trees and touched the crystalized fruit once more she swung round to Drake that never left his spot and said to him in excitement. “What is this place?”

He slowly began to walk towards her as she turned back to admire the fruit in front of her, as he placed his hands behind his back as he replied to her in a soft voice. “I don’t really know myself; I found this place many years ago when I first started traveling with Rosa. I don’t even think Rosa knows about this place.

“So this is your secret place?” said Juliana as she turned back to face him to find him right in front of her, when she saw him smile at her as he looked down at her with those dazzling eyes captivating hers.

“Yes, it is one of my secret places.”

As she listened to him she could not help but asked him “so there is another secret place? Is it like this one? And if it’s your secret place why are you sharing it with me?”

But before she could ask another question his finger touched her lips, stopping her from talking. He gave out a small laugh before answering her questions, “Yes, I have another place but not like this one, and the reason I am sharing it with you is because I knew you would like it. Now I think we better start collecting these fruits before Rosa wonders we have gone off to.”

She nodded her head and laid her basket to the ground as she started picking the fruit one by one putting them gently in the basket, while Drake went on the opposite side collecting handfuls of them.

After an hour of silently collecting the fruit until the basket was overwhelmingly full, they went back the way they came holding one another’s hands once more. Once they came back on to the path their hands left one another’s as they walked side by side heading back to the carriage. Juliana looked down at her unoccupied hand feeling empty and deprived from Drake’s warmth and comfort, she couldn’t help but feel that her hand belonged in Drakes. Thinking these thoughts made her feel silly as she quickly shook them off until they were out of her head, as they continued to walk silently down the path they heard Rosa’s loud clear voice calling out their names. Her voice got louder as they continued to walk towards her voice, and suddenly they saw Rosa walking down the path towards them with her arms warped around her within her cloak and the slight breeze blowing her wild grey hair. Her large green eyes caught sight of them as she stopped in front of them as they approached her, “there you both are. I was starting to get worried. Come dinners ready.”

Rosa then turned on her heel shifting the snow aside with the side of her feet and started to walk down the path to the carriage, as Juliana and Drake hastened their pace to keep up with her. Juliana could not help herself but to steal quick glances of Drake’s bright enchanting eyes, looking into his eyes not only captivated her but made her wonder what he looked like underneath the mask of fur and feathers. If only she could take it off and reveal his face to fill her torturing curiosity, but she felt that if she asked him about his mask she would only upset him so she returned her gaze to the path ahead of them and wondered if Rosa could answer the question that made her mind overwhelmingly full of unanswered questions and as her heart felt as if it was weighed down with anticipation and a foreign unknown feeling that makes her heart flutter.