WINTER WONDERLAND "I have a surprise for you," he whispered in her ear, leaning over from behind her. "What is it?" she asked excitedly, her long auburn hair lashing around her face, her emerald eyes flashing with interest. "Uh-uh," he said smiling, pulling back away from her warm body. "It is a surprise. I can only show you; I can not tell you." She turned to watch him as he walked away, curious-ness mixed with suspicion. "Is it far?" she asked. "Away from the palace?" "It is outside the palace, but not very far," he answered with a warm, inviting smile cast over his shoulder. She bit her lip, clearly at an indecision. "I do not think I should leave the princess," she said finally. He stiffened and turned back to look at her. "You think there will be an attack?" he asked. "While she is in the company of my prince?" "It's not like that," she said, immediately on the defensive. "She is our princess. It is our duty to protect-" "As it is *our* duty to protect Endymion," he replied, pulling his thick brown hair back and binding it behind him. She sighed. "You are right. It is silly of me to worry so much." He smiled and hugged her. "You are a good warrior," he said taking her hands in his. He lifted one hand to his lips a pressed a gentle kiss into her open palm. "And a beautiful woman," he added, kissing her other palm. "And that is why I love you so much." She smiled teasingly, brushing closer to him. "Is *that* why you love me so much?" she asked with mock innocence. He growled, pulling her more fully against him, his arms wrapping around to lock at the small of her back. "You must be a witch who has cast some sort of enchantment over me for surely I am in your spell," he mumbled against the tender flesh of her throat. She laughed, pushing him away from her half-heartedly. "Oh no, my dear General. You have promised me a surprise and I intend to receive it," she said gaily. "And what if I tell you I am your surprise?" he asked, trailing kisses up her neck and over her cheek. "Then I shall tell you your surprises need work for you are no surprise at all!" They both laughed at that, but finally he did pull away from her warm, inviting body and began to walk away from the palace, her hand in his. "Will I like your surprise?" she asked when they had traveled only twenty feet past the palace entrance. "I should hope so," he answered, laughing. "Hmm.. is it a person, place, or a thing?" she asked, spinning around so she was walking backwards and facing him. "Yes," he answered with a smile. "'Yes!'" she cried out. "What kind of answer is 'yes'?" "The only kind you shall get," he replied pulling her arm so she wouldn't walk into a sapling. She pouted then, twirling around to walk face forward again. The silence lasted for all of forty-five seconds. "Is it food?" she asked, casting a side look towards him. "Nope," he answered, shaking his head as an added negative. "Puh-lease tell me what it is?" she asked in a sugar sweet voice. "I don't have to," he replied smiling when she began to protest. "We are already there." She choked on what ever she was about to say and looked at where he had brought her. It was a large clearing and filling its space was an enormous lake, covered in ice. It was silver blue in color, surrounded by a sea of white snow. On the far side of the lake she could make out a large bonfire and some children playing, though she could not tell exactly what they were playing. "Would you care to dance?" he whispered in her ear, his hands moving to her waist and he pressed into her back. "On the ice," he added. "I haven't any shoes," she said, sounding disappointed. She looked our over the ice with a look of longing. "A matter easily remedied," he said, pulling away and walking over to a fallen tree stump. When he returned he was holding two pair of ice-skates. She beamed at him, enveloping him in a horrendous bear hug. "Oh you are so wonderful!" she said, pulling back with her pair of skates in hand. "I know," he replied before struggling into his own pair of skates. Five minutes later the couple were dancing on ice. ***** The children playing stopped and stared at the couple, silence by awe. "They look like a prince and princess," a little girl said, her eyes filled with fantasy. "They look like angels," another girl added. "Aw, sissy stuff!" cried a little boy, throwing a snowball at one of his friends. And with that, the moment passed and the children resumed their snow ball fight. ***** "You've skated before," he whispered in her ear, his words almost torn away by the rushing wind and they whirled over the ice. She smiled and nodded, her eyes remained shut as the wind snapped at her face. "When I was a little girl I would go skating all the time," she said softly, caught in a memory. "That was before..." "Before you journeyed to the Moon," he finished for her. She looked up at him and smiled. "Yes," she answered with a sad smile. A moment passed filled with charged energy. "C'mon," he said, breaking the moment. He smiled and lead the way to the far side of the lake. ***** The children were held fast in their snowball fight and none noticed the man until a fat snowball hit him square in the face. Silence. And then laughter as the beautiful woman who had skated with him on the ice walk up behind him. "You think this is funny?" he asked, eyeing her with a raised brow. "Yes, terribly." She was nearly doubled over with laughter. She looked up at him but got smacked in the face with a clump of slush. Children's giggles filled the glen. "Oh, is that how it's to be?" she asked wiping the freezing slush from her face. He smiled at her. She smiled at him. They moved in sync, diving for the snow and coming up hurling missiles of slush. And the snowball fight continued with two new members. ***** They walked together, hand in hand, down the bank of the lake, smiling, laughing, sharing memories. And then, there was this one year that... No! You didn't! I bet she wasn't happy about that! You really shouldn't gang up against him like that! We've never really gotten along. "Would you like some chestnuts?" he asked as they approached another bonfire. "Chestnuts? What are they?" she asked smiling up at him. "What! You've never had a roasted chestnut before?" His smile widened and he yanked her after him. "I would like to share some of your chestnuts, please," he said to a young boy by the fire. "Yea? It'll cost ya," the boy replied eyeing their fine clothes. "Melvic! Did I hear you right?" A girl, taller then the boy, came flying up to them. "Don't you know who this is?" She threw some slush at the boy before turning to them flashing them a wide smile. "You must forgive my brother, General Nephrite," she said. Behind her the boy hissed. "What can I help you with, sir?" He smiled at her. "We were just wondering if we could share some of you roasted chestnuts," he told the girl, smiling kindly. "Oh, gladly! Anything for you, General Nephrite!" The red- haired girl reached for a couple of the roasting nuts and snatched them away from the fire. With a wide smile and a rosy blush she handed them to him. "Thank you," he told her before handing one of the nuts to his companion. Together the two continued on their way. "He is so handsome," the girl sighed after them. "Molls got a crush on the general!" the boy began to sing-chant. "Oh, shut up Melvic," she snapped, slapping him along side the head. "You wouldn't understand!" ***** "I think she has a crush on you," she whispered as they walked away. "She's just a child!" he protested. "She's not that much younger than myself. Are you calling me a child?" she asked, stopping to give him a 'look'. His smile could be called wolfish as he snuggled up to her. "You are anything but a child," he told her before kissing her. "Did you like your surprise?" he asked, pulling away, just barely. "Mmm," she smiled, wrapping her arms around his back and resting her head on his shoulder. "It was wonderful. Thank you for bringing me here." "It was my pleasure, my princess." "No," she corrected, her hand reaching up to pull his face closer to hers. "The pleasure was all mine," she whispered, replacing her words with his lips.