First Encounter

Chapter 3

The chilled wind blew by, brushing at his exposed neck and face. In response, Ambrose hunkered down farther into his long trench coat, cursing his needed research.

The Sun Seeder was almost complete now. All that was left was the code input and the angles of the sun to the fields. And the Palace, just so happenly was surrounded by trees.

So here he was, a mile from the warm palace, in the snow, trying to angle the sun, on a cloudy say. Not his best idea.

"A-a-ambrose." came an almost unheard whisper.

He turned and gasped.

DG stood there, shin deep in snow, with a dress and jacket on. Her knees were wet from haven fallen and she was shivering non-stop. Without a thought, Ambrose threw his trench coat off and wrapped her tightly head to foot in it, leaving only her eyes and nose visible.

Scooping her up in his long, lightly covered arms he asked, "DG! Whatever are you doing out here? You'll get sick!"

She blinked her eyes, the only movement she was capable of. "I was going to give you a birthday present, but you left before I could find you."

Now he blinked. His birthday? He must of forgotten all about it. Come to think of it; how did she know about it?

"I was coming back," he started the long trek back, carrying DG, "You just had to wait. Now you might get sick."

DG looked up at him with those innocent eyes and saw him shivering, "What about you? Aren't you cold?"

He forced himself to stop shaking and lied, "No, I'm fine." to himself: Don't let my teeth chatter, don't let my teeth chatter….."I like the cold."

"But-"

"You should rest, young lady," the advisor said with a mock stern look on his face, "It's a while back to home."

She giggled and quieted down. In a few more minutes, she was fast asleep, breathing regularly against his chest.

By now, Ambrose felt numb with cold but he kept moving. Placing one unfelt foot in front of the other. Over and over.

………………………………...

The Queen with the lavender eyes had noticed her youngest child missing about ten minutes ago. She had flitted from one person to the next, asking. The most recent sighting, one maid said, was an hour ago. She wrung her hands as everyone looked for the small princess.

A servant came skidding in, " Your Majesty," he breathed, "DG is coming in the doors."

The Queen rushed to the front doors, and sure enough there was her DG, safe in her advisor's arms wrapped up in a coat. Relived, she came over and took the sleeping child into a loving embrace. "Oh, my angel," she breathed with a sigh. Oh, Thank goodness, he had brought her in.

"Thank You Ambr-" she looked up in time to see his eyes roll back in his head, and his body collapse to the tile floor. She worriedly checked for a pulse, it was there, but he was freezing to the touch and was a slight shade of blue.

"Adol, Corey!" she called and they ran up to her. "Please, hurry and take Ambrose to the infirmary. He needs immediate attention."

A while later she spoke with the head doctor. He was going to be fine, must be kept warm, but fine.

She smiled as he said, "Oh, when that boy wakes up, I'm gonna give an earful he'll never forget."

………………………………...

Ambrose awoke in a medical bed, his body burning, one of the after effects for being so cold.

"I -I can't wait till summer." he hoarsely stated to himself.

Something glittery caught his eye. It was a small, wrapped box on the stand by his bed. He slowly reached over and took it from it's precarious position on the edge. The tag said, in surprisingly neat writing:

Happy Birthday Ambrose

From: DG

This was the reason why she had followed him. With tired fingers he gently tore it open and lifted out it's contents.

It was two dolls made out of straw and cloth, bound together by a string. Dressed up to look like him and DG holding hands.