In perhaps a little less than an hour, Sven stopped in front of a curious cabin with a smoky chimney that seemed lost in the mountains.

"There it is."
"Isn't this reindeer too smart?"
"You think so? He seems a standard reindeer to me."
"Standard's not like this, I guess."

He didn't seem particularly mattered by my appraisement and got out of the wagon heading towards the store. I followed him wondering what kind of clientele there could be in a place as far away as that, and together, we went into what it said it was 'Wandering Oaken's trading post'.

"Yoo-hoo! Big summer blowout! Half of swimming suits, clogs, and a sun balm of my own invention, yah?"

The enthusiastic salesman didn't seem to have a lot of winter merchandise, but I trusted Kristoff to know what he was doing.

"We're looking for warm clothes for her. Have you something?"
"Yah! That would be in our winter department."

We looked where that Oaken man was pointing and we grimaced at the almost empty corner that he called "winter department." We searched on it without much hope and miraculously found a set of winter suits and boots that might do.

"Why're we here?" I whispered, taking advantage of the fact that the tradesman was distracted whistling a cheerful song.
"Would you rather go back to the town and risk yourself being recognized?"
"Okay, it'll have to do."

We went to the counter with the outfit and a bunch of carrots that Kristoff took (I don't want to imagine what a slimy exchange with Sven for) and Oaken served us with a big smile.

"That will be forty."

Kristoff scowled in outrage and a dribbling attempt began that ended with him being sent off badly by the surprisingly gigantic Oaken. Then, as if nothing had happened, he sat back in his presumably low seat and smiled at me again.

"Um, ah… Oaken. I really need these clothes right now. I don't have the money you ask for but… is there a possibility that you will change it for this ball gown? I bet its value is much higher."

Oaken carefully examined the dress that I still carried with me in Rapunzel's basket and hung it on a hanger behind him so that it would be well visible.

"You can also take the carrots for your friend."

I came out of there with what I needed and feeling relatively ripped off and found Kristoff explaining to Sven why he didn't have the reindeer's beloved carrots with him.

"Perhaps, are you talking about this?" I said playfully shaking the bunch of carrots.
"How did you get it?"
"Not calling him a crook."
"I've not been very well, it's true. But it was a scam! How much have you paid? I believed you had no money."
"I had my gown."
"Ha! Smart thinking!" "But I have no idea where to change my clothes. Despite his offer, the sauna with his whole family in it didn't seem like the best option."
"I think that the value of that dress is enough to pay for using his barn to that," he proposed winking at me.
"With what that dress is worth, I could buy his full barn..." I said progressively lowering the tone of my voice until it became almost a whisper in fear of sounding like a posh girl.

I searched his gaze, waiting for the reproach in it and I met Kristoff's knowing look at that possible vendetta against that merchant who hadn't particularly liked him. I bit back my laughter and sneaked into Oaken's barn, which was right in front of the store, like someone sneaking into the kitchen to steal chocolate and cookies. I don't want to say that I've ever done that, of course… Inside, I looked for a comfortable corner to lean on and I put on those clothes so warm that I wished we were really going to a very, very cold place On the way out, Kristoff had changed too, into what I assumed to be his work clothes. These seemed even hotter than mine.

"Where have you changed?"
"Don't ask. Are you ready?"
"I am…" I said looking around trying to guess how he would have managed.
"Fine. Then, get going."

We got back in the wagon and made our way up the mountain until the snow began to cover the road. Then, finally thanking the change of clothes, we replaced the wheels with a pair of sleds that he carried with him and we kept going getting higher and higher, along an increasingly colder path, all the way to where I could have sworn was the coldest place on the planet.

"How can it be so cold?!" I said almost frightened.
"I told you. Ice is not made by magic."
"But this is too much! How many hours do you spend here a day?!"
"Not too many. Except when I sleep here, sure, but that's what I have the fireplace for."
"Do you have a fireplace? Thank goodness! Let's go there!"

He laughed outright, probably at me, and led the sled to the door of a small wooden cabin poorly built. The hut was smaller than Oaken's barn even with the annex it had set up on the side.

"Oh, my…" I said, speechless at that sight.
"I know, not bad at all, huh?"

I looked at him expecting him to laugh and found him with his arms akimbo and a proud smile admiring his creation.

'So he's serious…'

"G… go in there! I want to see the inside."

'Please, God, make it a portal to a real house in an alternate reality.'

"Get comfortable," he said so frankly that I felt a little pity.

The inside was… let's just say narrow, sparse, austere, and full of cracks that let in the icy forest air.

"Very cozy…"
"Yes, it is."

Now he was between cute and funny. He really liked his little hut. He patiently lit the fireplace and I sat on the bed waiting for it to warm up a bit before taking off my cloak.

"Well, the bed is not bad."
"The bed?" he asked without understanding what I meant.
"As it is the rest, of course! Everything's great."
"You don't need to pretend," he said laughing. "I can imagine what you think of this place. You were raised in a castle. That's not going to make me feel less comfortable with it." "Well, it could be a little bit, and just a little… claustrophobic."

He kept laughing and sat down next to me on the bed, which made me feel a who-knows-what-it-was up on my gut.

"You have food in that pantry. I go to work. When I'm done I'll go back to the town to sell the ice and come back, okay? Are you going to be fine?"
"Yeah, it's okay."
"I need you to promise me that you won't go out there in this area without me: the ice is more dangerous than it seems."
"Are you not going to eat anything?"
"It's not so long since I've eaten. I'll have something for dinner when I return."
"I get it!"
"What 'it'?"
"I'll make a super yummy supper!"
"You know how to do that?"
"I don't think so, but I do have a few hours to practice, right?"
"Uh… no need…"
"Come on, trust me!"
"Please don't waste all the food or burn the cabin…"
"I can't promise anything, but I'll try."

He sighed with resignation and got ready to get out of… that.

"Wait, Kristoff!"
"What's up?"
"Where am I going to sleep? I'd like to take a nap before turning it all upside down. The truth is, I didn't sleep much last night."
"In bed. Where do you sleep in the palaces?"
"And you?"
"Again, in bed."
"You think we're going to sleep together?" I asked completely flushed as he kept perfectly and annoyingly calm.
"Do you know that you still haven't removed your cloak?"
"Duh!" "This's not going to get so much hotter. I don't think you want the only other source of heat very far from you."

And unperturbed he closed the door with a smirk and left there leaving me frozen in place in more ways than one and, at the same time, surprised that he really believed that there was some place in there where he could be far from me. Poor baby…

The day passed calm and fast. Well, to be more exact, a nap of a few hours made time look different. As night fell, I rummaged through his pantry and was amazed at how well equipped it was. In the end, without much courage to stand up to him after turning his beloved hut to embers, I prepared some succulent sandwiches and I dedicated myself to inspecting every corner, appreciating every detail of the place.

At some point in the night, Kristoff and Sven came back visibly tired and pretty smelly.

"Welcome home."

He looked at me apparently surprised for a moment and then gave me a smile.

"I'm back."
"Did it go well?"
"Yes, everything has been sold pretty quickly." He began looking from side to side like he didn't quite believe something. "Ha... It seems that nothing has burned."
"Of course not! And yet I've prepared a delicious dinner."

I pointed to the small table where the sandwiches waited, covered with a cloth. He uncapped them curiously and laughed.

"I see… They look great. Thanks."

We had dinner together on that masterpiece of culinary art and he lay down on the bed ready to call it a day.

"Kristoff…"
"Hm?"
"You don't normally live here, do you?"
"No…" he answered without even opening his eyes.
"And where is your house? Do you live alone?"
"I live with my family, in an area of the forest a bit far from here."
"With your parents? Siblings? Wife and children?"
"More or less. With my adoptive family."
"You are adopted?"
"Uh-huh…"
"Will you introduce them to me one day?"
"Maybe…"

I thought about asking a thousand more questions about them: I was curious about the family that had raised such a peculiar man and about his biological family; but as soon as I decided to ask, he already seemed sound asleep.

'Now what? Am I supposed to lie there with him?'. I cautiously approached the bed and sat down next to him. He really emanated almost more heat than the fireplace itself. His serene face gave me immense peace and something told me that sharing a bed with him was not a mistake. I trusted my instincts and, a little nervous, I leaned down by his side and turned off the light of the only lamp that was illuminating us.

"Good night, Kristoff."
"G'night, Anna."

'So he wasn't sleeping. Vile traitor.'