Love in 1865

Chapter Sixteen

The day of Christmas came, and if it were up to me, I would've slept in, but the smell of spices from downstairs was alluring. I got up and put a robe on before going down to the kitchen. It was extremely cold and the door was open; as I moved to shut it, I saw the snow! Instantly I dove into the frozen fluff. I spent what seemed like hours rolling and playing like a child. I built snowmen, created snow angels, drew my name, and made an igloo. I was about to go inside when a ball of snow landed on my head. Cassian was holding a sphere of snow and some logs, behind me laughing. "I didn't do anything! What are you looking at me for?" I giggled and began to forge my own arsenal and clobbered Cassian with each snowball. The battle had only begun, but the hunger in my stomach and desire for heat grew. Armed with a giant snowball, I ran past my collapsing igloo, trampled my snowmen where Cassian was hiding, and threw it at him at close range. We both fell to the soft ground and weakly laughed through our cold breaths. I stood up and brushed the snow off Cassian, who was still laughing. "We fight pretty good, Gwyneira." I smiled and retorted, "But I fought better and won! Let's go inside and make some cocoa. I'd like to warm up now." We went inside, but Cassian made the cocoa while I went upstairs and got dressed in my Christmas gown. After I dressed, we drank our cocoa and ate the spice casserole Cassian made in the earlier hours. We then headed into the back room to the warmth of the fire, and there was a large tree decorated and lit, with some presents around it. I never knew that you could decorate a tree for this holiday, but it was marvelous nonetheless. I looked to Cassian and gawked. He had a warm complexion as he explained, "Izaak didn't know what to get me, so he got me a tree. Last night you went to bed really early and we decorated it for you. Also, he's waiting for you outside, go have fun." I gave him a quick hug and ran out the door. Sure enough, Izaak was outside the door with Beast and a bobsled. The child in me screeched with delight on the inside, but before I could physically react, Izaak swept me off my feet and spun me around to the ground beside him. "Merry Christmas! Are you ready to go on a Christmas journey?" Beast ran around me until I picked him up. "Beast is coming too? You must have a nice master." I sat inside the sled, then Izaak sat beside me and laid the thick blankets over top our laps. He slapped the reins and the horses began to trot through the snow. As we rode, I snuggled up tight to him as he placed his arm around my shoulder. "The tree was wonderful, how did you decorate it?" With a wink he joked, "I got on my tippy-toes."

The town of Ludovica was a whole new world under the snow that was rarely seen with pure eyes. I noticed we went a different route than ever before, and the terrain was less desired with the bumps and random hills. The trip was exhilarating, and it took my breath away to see such a plentiful blanket of snow. Then the sled slid to a halt and we got out. From under where Beast had been sleeping, Izaak acquired two pairs of skates. Anxiously I muttered, "Oh my! I haven't ice skated in years. I am no good this!" He strapped the skates on my boots first, then his own, before racing to the ice. At first, he made it look so easy, but as I inched to the ice's surface the building fear of falling and making a fool of myself was greater than my desire to try. But to my disadvantage, I couldn't escape, and continued to go nowhere. He took my hands and took lead as he showed me how to move. I kept slipping and trying to walk as if I were on land, and each time I fell, he caught me. But he calmly took my hand and tipped my face so we were eye to eye. "Skating is like Polonaise, let me teach you." He stood beside me and held my hand at an elevated angle and hummed a tune that he seemed to know very well. Left foot, right foot, straight ahead, then turn to the left, left foot, right foot again.  I soon got the pattern down and without realizing it, I was skating on my own. I started zooming in circles around the perimeter of the ice until I realized I didn't know how to stop and ran into a huge drift of snow. When I dug myself out, I heard a faint cry. Listening intently, I figured the wind was calling, but then they grew louder. In a flurry I took off my skates and ran in the direction of the cries. Izaak watched me take leave and called out, "Gwyneira! Don't go- it could be a dangerous animal making that noise!" But he too took off his skates and grabbed his bow to chase after me.