Page 70 of Enchanted By a Pirate
"Don't worry, Anemone, you'll be safe from him in my presence." Without further ado, he grabbed the captain and put him in his other hand, which he kept on the other side of his body so that she and Chris could only talk while shouting. They were separated by several yards.
Anna laughed while the captain glared at Anton.
"Hey, giant, what's this nonsense?"
"Hey, it's your own fault if you can't behave."
"I didn't…" Cursing, Chris stood on the giant's hand without Anton's thumb for support. "Let me go back to her or else!"
"Certainly not, Anemone…"
"…can certainly speak for herself." Anna knelt — she would never stand. There was no way she could remain serious while seeing how angry the captain looked and how calm Anton, who started whistling happily, was. Laughing, she looked at Chris, who was growing increasingly angry. "Return him to me, Toni."
"But I promised to take care of you."
It wasn't easy, but she held back her laughter, because if she didn't, then Anton wouldn't believe she was serious. "It is kind of you, Toni, but can we agree that I'll let you know when I need your help?"
Anton didn't reply at first, then he glanced at her and then at Chris. "And you're sure he's the one? Couldn't it be that a true knight or even a prince is waiting for you somewhere? Like we used to imagine for you?"
Apparently, she'd had similar conversations with Anton as she had with Nele. She shrugged, grinning. "I've already found my prince."
Anton grumbled. It almost sounded like thunder. Anna briefly checked to see if a thunderstorm was brewing somewhere, but all she could see was an azure blue sky and the bright sun.
Finally, Anton moved his right hand back to his left and set the pirate down next to Anna. "Behave, pirate!"
"I had no other plans," Chris growled, but when he heard Anna laugh, he couldn't help but smile. His eyes glowed as if he wanted to kiss her right then and there. "Where were we, madam?"
Laughing, Anna ran her fingers through her reddish-blonde strands, which made the captain's eyes widen. She noticed and grinned. "Whatever you're planning, it's better to postpone it until later, or else we'll be separated again." Laughing, she held her stomach and pointed up at Anton, who kept giving them skeptical looks.
"Aye, as I've said, there has never been a worse chaperone. I eagerly await our arrival — and our freedom." He looked to the north. "If we keep going at this rate, we'll be near the first villages that surround the Ice Palace before sunset."
Curious, Anna leaned against Toni's thumb and peered down. The ground was mostly rocky, but she spotted more and more tufts of grass growing between the stones. The rocky landscape was turning into a steppe. As far as Anna could see, the land was softening. Rolling hills, similar to those in the Kingdom of Flowers, rose to the sides and the further they walked, the colder it grew. She more frequently spotted ice crystals glittering on the blades of grass.
Shivering, Anna rubbed her arms. "My dress is definitely not appropriate for the Kingdom of Winter."
Grinning, Chris pulled her close and glanced up at Anton. "I have to warm her up, giant. You can see that, right?"
"Don't worry, you don't need to. I have furs in my bag that you can throw over yourselves." With his right hand, Anton rummaged through the bag that he carried over his shoulder and that barely stood out from his gray-green clothing. He pulled out a few skins and placed them in his hands. "I prepared a coat for each of you and a blanket for you, Anemone, so that you don't freeze at night."
"How chivalrous, giant. You even thought of me?"
"Only so that your shabby clothing doesn't blow your cover the first time you meet the inhabitants of the kingdom."
"Shabby? My coat is made of the finest leather and my shirts are well cared for. I'll refrain from commenting on your fur clothes."
Anna ignored the latest round of bickering between the two and grabbed the coat gratefully. Happy, she slipped it over her bare arms and relaxed. No other garment that she had ever worn was so warm. Even though she had nothing on her legs and thedress was short-sleeved, the coat was enough to keep her cozy — it was unbelievable how quickly the temperature had dropped. There were no buttons, but the cut was loose so she could wrap the sides around her, and it even had a hood.
"While the giant takes us to the villages, we must try to reawaken your powers."
"That's a fantastic idea." Anton beamed down at them. "I look forward to seeing your glittering wings and hearing your laughter as you fly through the air."
"Aye, finally, something we agree on, giant."
Awaken her powers? How was that going to work? "If I am actually the one blocking it, how am I supposed to remove the blockage? After all, I can't remember what happened back then."
The captain took her by the hand. "Listen to yourself. You saw it in my eyes. Picture what your wings looked like. Try to imagine they are a part of you again. I'm sure you can transform."
Anna shook her head. "Even if I wanted to, it won't work. When Margerite showed me how to assume our fairy form, she explained that we needed fairy dust. And, unfortunately, we don't have any with us."
