Or was that just all… house?
The whole thing was covered in sparkling snow, making it feel even more majestic.
It looked like someone decided to put a house in the middle of a copse of trees but didn’t want to cut any down, so they built around them… incorporated them into the structure. The walls were glistening, and I couldn’t tell if they were actually made out of packed snow and ice or wood and plaster or something.
I had a feeling it was all ice, shaped and held strong from Lanche’s magic.
The glass windows were about the only things I could tell were definitely man-made, and those were partially hidden because of the icicles hanging off the top ledges.
It was so cold here that everything had icicles.
This house was like something out of an ice princess fairytale story.
I squinted at the very top of the house before my eyes widened. It wasn’t a house at all. It was a damn castle. Maybe on the smaller side as far as castles went, but definitely still a castle.
In the center of the house—castle—there was a large tower sticking up high above the trees—what was that called? A keep? Or something like that? There were two smaller towers on either side, really bringing home the castle feel. And all of them were glistening and blending in so well with their surroundings that I’d nearly missed them altogether.
It was honestly one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. The blend of nature and… his obvious ice and snow magic was… magnificent. Stunning.
I must’ve been standing there, gaping at the castle for much longer than I realized because Lanche came out of his home, wearing a sheepish smile on his handsome face and carrying a large duffel bag over his shoulder. He was dressed in a long pea coat, buttoned up tight with a rainbow-colored scarf wrapped around his neck with the ends under the front of his coat. His jeans were tucked into his snow boots, and the beanie on top of his head covered his white hair. He looked utterly adorable. And super huggable. Not that I was about to greet him with a hug or anything, no matter how much I wanted to.
And I definitely wouldn’t be admitting that out loud anytime soon.
Lanche gave me a small wave as he stepped closer, saying, “Hey, Dain. Thanks for picking me up.”
I blurted, “Your house is fucking amazing.”
His cheeks turned pink, and it definitely wasn’t from the cold. “Thank you.”
“You made it yourself, didn’t you?”
He nodded. “The trees helped, but yes. I used my magic.”
I wasn’t sure why he sounded so shy about it, but it only made him more adorable. But also, how did the trees help him? I’d have to ask for more details on that later. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Thank you.” He smiled shyly, and I had to turn away to stop myself from tasting that smile on my lips.
“Come on, then. Where are we going?”
He followed me into the car, setting his bag on the back seat, and even though I’d turned it off when I’d gotten out, the heat was still warm, thank goodness. It was freaking freezing out.
“You wore layers, right?” he asked as he buckled his seatbelt.
“I did, yeah.”
“Good. I’m taking you ice skating. There’s a lake nearby that’s one of my favorite places in Sedoba. I thought I could show you.”
Being isolated at some random lake in the woods didn’t sound like a good idea to me, but… Lanche was just so… innocent. I couldn’t help but trust him enough to give it a shot. So I gathered up my nerves, nodded, and let him give me directions.
It wasn’t far from his house, and it wasn’t over the border, so I deemed it acceptable as I parked.
“Are you alright?” Lanche asked me before I could get out.
I turned to look him in the eye. For a moment, I thought about lying and saying the typicalI’m fineresponse I usually gave everyone, but he was so earnest that I found myself speaking the truth before I really meant to. “I didn’t know we’d be so secluded.”
His brow furrowed, and he glanced out the window for a moment, taking his lake in, before he faced me again. “We can go somewhere else. There’s a popular ice skating rink near the Tower, if you want to go there? Or we can skip the ice skating altogether and just go to dinner.”
Ugh. Why was he so gosh darn sweet? “Nah, I’m good.”
