Page 72 of Enchanted By a Pirate
"Thanks, Toni. Everything will be fine."
"Come, madam, there's no time to waste." Chris held out his hand and grinned boldly at her. She guessed why he was in ahurry. Laughing, she said goodbye to Anton and hurried off with the captain toward the Ice Palace, where they would hopefully find some answers.
27
As soon as they were far enough away from Anton, the captain pulled her against him rapturously. "Now the chaperone can no longer come between us."
Anna laughed and glanced back to where, not too far away, a gray-green hill now rested in the middle of the white-covered grassland. When the captain heard her laugh, he couldn't contain himself any longer. He put his hand on the back of her neck, ran his other hand through her snow-moistened hair, and kissed her. The kiss was more intense than any they'd shared before, perhaps because both had been yearning for it for so long.
Breathless, Anna broke away from him and pointed north. "As nice as this is, we don't have time for it since we don't want to spend the night out in the open."
"You wouldn't freeze by my side, if that's what you're worried about." He winked at her and took her hand before they walked on.
"Do you have a plan or are we going to improvise?"
"As I said before, we should make inquiries in the villages that face the palace and the capital. The residents probably don't know my face, unlike the people in King's Snow."
"King's Snow?"
"That is the capital of the Kingdom of Winter. Like any big city, many traders can be found there. One or two of them will have been in the port cities, maybe even sailed on a ship and seen me."
That was good to know. Then they definitely had to stay hidden, or at least he did — after all, no one knew her. "So, I'll be interviewing the people in King's Snow."
"Ani, no, you…"
"Why not? It's not like anyone knows me."
"That's what you think. Remember what happened in Linnenberg."
"As if I could forget those scoundrels. But that was in the Kingdom of Flowers. Toni said we always wanted to see the Kingdom of Winter but never did. Consequently, even as a fairy, I have never been there."
"As far as you know."
"We have to find answers to our questions and who would expect a fairy in the Kingdom of Winter?"
He shook his head vehemently. "Countless people are searching for you because of Blackbeard's bounty. It's far too dangerous."
He wasn't wrong, but still, they had to get information. How was it going to work if they both had to stay out of sight? At least, there was still time to think about it before they reached the capital. "First, we'll ask around in the villages, which we can do together."
The captain gave her a wry sideways glance. "I was actually hoping you'd stay hidden or at least remain in the background."
She laughed. "You don't know me very well."
He grinned. "Or too well."
They hurried to reach the first village before the sun set. The iced-over sign that stood at the entrance to the town read "Welcome to Frost Home." Frost Home. Anna shrugged. Nomen est omen — nothing more needed to be said.
Hardly anyone was on the street, which was hardly surprising given the sub-zero temperatures. At least it felt like it was below freezing. Individual houses were grouped haphazardly around a square with a wide fir tree growing in the middle. Lights burned in the windows along with a few cast-iron street lamps that illuminated the settlement. Thick clouds of smoke drifted into the cold sky out of every chimney, proving that at least no one had to freeze at home.
Anna pulled the fur coat tighter around her body as the tip of her nose grew red and her breath turned into steamy plumes that floated upward. "Where to now?"
"Let's find a tavern."
"A tavern? Do you think there is something like that here? The village has maybe twenty houses."
"Of course they have one. Every town does — especially where it is so cold. After all, people in Frost Home also want to celebrate weddings and festivals, which is hardly possible out in the open."
That was obvious. They headed for the village square and found a tavern next to it with a sign inviting people in for grog or mulled wine. The smell of cinnamon and a roaring fire drifted out to the street, calling out to them. They approached and tried to peek through the windows but the glass was frosty and fogged up on the inside, so they couldn't see anything.
