"This is amaaziiiiiing!"
"What good is it that you carefully wrap yourself in an old blanket so that your clothes don't attract attention if you then start yelling like crazy?"
"Don't be a worrywart, we've already left town! And this is mind-blowing! I feel the speed on my skin! The air is dry and cool up here! It smells like pine! And I feel freeeeee!"

Anna spread her arms wide and leaned over the dashboard of the wagon clearly enjoying all those new sensations for her. The idea of partially kidnapping the princess made me quite tense, but it was worth it to see the huge smile that crossed her face from end to end as she continued to yell and breathe deeply against the wind.

"Okay, okay, I get it; but don't get too close to the edge: I don't want to drive over you."

"Faster Sven!"

"Hey! Stop putting pressure on the reindeer! He's had enough for today."

Anna sat down again calming me back somewhat and wrinkled her nose into a kind of reflective pout that made her so adorable that I felt like I had to look away.

"You're right, I've screwed up your rest. Where did you plan to go now?"
"Exactly to the place we are heading at," I said with a smile that I didn't bother to hold back since, unfortunately, she couldn't see it.
"And, where it is?"

"Home."

"You are taking me to your house?"
"Were you planning to spend the night in the stable?"

"I thought you were going to show me the world."

"For that, I need to sleep first."
"Oh…"

I could feel the disappointment and impatience in the cadence of her voice. But I wasn't going to let that feeling last much longer.

"But before that… Sven, can you stop here for a moment, buddy?"

Sven pulled up gently to the side of the road and I released his restraints so he could rest comfortably for a while while I served my purpose.

"Why have we stopped? Where are we?"
"You'll find out soon."
"Okay, now is when you show me that my instincts are a mess and you murder me, right?"

I laughed heartily as I approached her to help her get out of the wagon as well.

"I still think you shouldn't trust anyone so fast, but you were lucky this time. I told you I wouldn't eat you."

'I begin to think that it wouldn't be so grave, though.'

"Will you take my hand?" I asked as soon as I got to her side.

Anna offered me her hand without hesitation with a tiny smile that twisted my guts without explanation and jumped out of the wagon. Since the terrain was somewhat uneven, I placed my hand carefully on her waist to guide her more safely and began to walk calmly until I saw how, despite keeping up with me perfectly, her cheeks showed a deep red.

"Are you okay? Am I going too fast?"
"I've… never been better." "But you look very red. Are you hot?"
"Not exactly…"

I looked at her questioningly and I suppose she could feel it somehow, because she was soon speaking again.

"It's just… I'm not used to anyone but my maids touching me beyond, you know, my hands."

I then noticed the location of my hands, one on her right forearm and the other still resting on her waist, and I lost the gift of speech.

"I'm sorry! I didn't… I… Uh… I just wanted to… Sorry."

I released her quickly and moved a few inches away from her body as I considered what would be the proper way to guide her without going out of line.

As I tried to clear my mind, Anna was left alone in the middle of the forest with no contact of any kind to guide herself through and I was afraid she would feel scared and unprotected; but that was certainly not her style. Leaving me completely disconcerted, she laughed with all her might until she shed the occasional tear and, once again calm, she approached me with astonishing assurance, took my hand again, and placed it on her waist.

"It's okay. I feel safe like this."

I swallowed hard, feeling suddenly aware of our contact, and breathed out relieved by her reaction, causing a new giggle in her that awakened my sense of ridicule and, at the same time, tempered my heart.

"Okay, let's move on before you keep laughing at me."

Of course, that made her laugh even more, but her laughter soon stopped when, a few meters from the edge of a cliff, I stopped and she began to feel nature completely wrapping her.

"I feel the Sun."
"It is setting."
"And I hear birds! What are they?"
"They are swifts. They're doing some amazing flips in the air right in front of us."
"I also hear water."
"A stream takes its way about fifteen meters from here, but it is an area of difficult access."
"What a pity, I'd have liked to taste its water."
"Wait here and don't move, you could fall off."

She nodded without saying a word and I ran to put some fresh water in my canteen.

"Here. I think I've stepped on a quagmire, but it's worth it, give it a try."
"Are you serious? You didn't have to!"
"I know, but I promised to show you the world. How was I going to let you go without tasting the fresh water from the mountains?"
"Thank you, Kristoff."

Anna gladly drank from my canteen and I couldn't help but lose myself in her image. A trickle of water fall down her chin and ran down her neck until it was lost in her dress. Her hair glowed like fire in the dusk light, and the rosy hue of her cheeks camouflaged the overwhelmingly beautiful layer of freckles that ran through them.

Then, out of nowhere amid all her euphoria, a tear ventured to run down that cheek that had me dazed.

"Hey, everything okay? Was it very cold?"

She shook her head slowly and smiled at me still crying softly.

"I'm very happy. This is being the most exciting day of my life."

I smiled in relief and wiped her tear away with my hand.

"I bet you change your mind as soon as we get home," I said laughing out of sheer not-knowing-what-to-do.
"I don't think so."

Anna slowly raised her hands and stopped them when they were about to brush the skin of my cheeks.

"May I?"
"Oh… sure."

She dubiously brought her skin close to mine and a chill ran through my head. Her soft and fresh hands began to travel my face paying attention to each of its details. She gently caressed my cheeks, my eyelids, my forehead…

"Long bangs, huh?"
"I don't usually spend a lot of time keeping it at bay, actually."

She smiled and continued exploring.

"Wow! You got a generous nose!"
"Thanks. Very tactful."

She laughed, caressed my huge nose a little longer, and moved to my jaw. She drew it with her fingers, leaving a pleasant tingling on my skin, and reached my chin.

"You don't seem to put much effort into shaving either."
"I've spent four days working almost without rest; I didn't have time for that."
"I like it."

Okay, I wasn't expecting that.

I was wondering what words were in this world to answer that unimportant statement that had caused my heart to turn over when she freed me from the task by covering my lips with her thumbs. She outlined them, caressed them, opened them slightly… I was about to hold my breath. My personal space was being completely invaded and it didn't bother me in the least. I just wanted to keep seeing her face of concentration as she delighted me with her touch. But that couldn't last forever.

"Thanks. Now I think I can visualize you better."
"You're imagining me as a huge nose with bangs. Am I wrong?"
"You are tall, and your jaw is broad. I don't think a big nose will hurt you."

Too much to deal with in a single day.

"Time to get going. It's getting dark."
"It's still far?"
"Not too much. But we still have to prepare your bed."
"Will you show me more things tomorrow?"
"The day after tomorrow we have to go back to work, but tomorrow I can show you the area if you want. You will also have time to settle at home. I don't think it takes long for you to memorize it, there isn't much to memorize anyway."
"This is so exciting! I can't wait to get there!"
"Enough with the stop, then. Sven, buddy, let's go home."