Winternight Thoughts
by Weiila

I guess the patrolling will be changed into making the roads safe and clean tomorrow. The ice is more dangerous than the monsters in a way.

But, I don't care much about that right now, lying on my back and watching the heavy snowflakes fall past outside the window. I can't see very far out in the darkness, but the candlelight makes the closest ones visible. The light paints them in a slightly orange gold.

"Could you blow out the candle?"

"Soon," I reply and turn my head to smile a bit.

She smiles back, sleepily.

"Not too long from now," I softly assure her.

"It's fine," she mumbles, grunting a bit as she tries to shift not too clumsily.

She might not be very graceful these days, but I don't mind that. In fact, I don't believe she's ever been more beautiful than this, even if she finds it rather frustrating at times.

The candlelight paints her face and hair where the forest-alike shadows of my wild mane doesn’t reach for her.

As I draw the line between my shadow and how it’s crawling towards Lise I carefully bury my fingers in her hair, stroking her cheek with the thumb. She’s pretty used to my common signs of affection and just smiles sleepily with her eyes half closed, placing her palm on the back of my hand.

It’s not the first time I’m protective of her, but even with my standards I guess I might be a little overreacting. But in this case I can probably blame all the genes that created this peculiar half blood.

Her hand slides down my lower arm and softly thumps against the mattress. She’s tired.

I gently smile and sit up a bit, moving my hand to the other side of the small flame to make sure no tiny embers or hot wax will end up on the bed table. The flame dances for a second, then disappears with a soft, poofing sound. It takes the light away to whatever place it went.

The snow clouds outside are rather thick, so the moons offer no light either.

I carefully lie back, vary of where her hand went not to accidentally land on it. Safely back where I started I turn over on my side and reach into the darkness.

Lise softly mumbles something as my arms gently envelope her heavy body. She’s half asleep now.

It’s not only affection that makes me embrace her during the cold winter nights. The castle walls become rather chilly as the temperatures moves further down.

And there’s no way I’ll let her freeze, especially not now.

Even in the complete blackness I’m familiar enough with how she’s lying and feel exactly where she is. I bend forwards and kiss her forehead. Her hand, which has slipped over my side more or less by own will, lightly rubs its fingertips against my back in return.

My love, my sad happiness gently flows through my entire body in simple, peaceful moments like this.

I know she needs those little reassurances, because she’s worried again. It’s fully understandable. I worry too. The whole kingdom does.

But then again, would Wisp have allowed this if he had thought that it would bring Lise in danger? No.

It’ll be fine.

I’ll be awake for a while longer, just listening to Lise’s breath and letting her soft smell fill my senses.

And the snow quietly falls outside while the new Mana tree grows in heaven. The castle is silent. We’re waiting. We’ll be waiting for our new goddess, even if it’s a millennia until she’ll appear.

Generation upon generation will wait.

But for now, Rolante is waiting for something less divine, but just as much a miracle.

The snow quietly falls outside, and the sleeping spirits watches all three of us as I close my eyes and carefully hug Lise and the child within her closer.