"That was amazing."

"No. It was better than that."

"I'm exhausted."

"Good."

"Are you smug?"

"No."

Eleanor started to chuckle. "Yes, you are."

"Maybe a little. You can't blame me though. You've always been so in control, so elegant and so… regal. Is it so wrong of me to enjoy ruffling that?"

"Yes!" She was laughing out loud now. "It's very wrong." She flipped the pillow and pressed her flushed face to its cool side. "In fact, this whole affair is wrong."

"It is also very enjoyable", Cinderella said and ran her fingertips along Eleanor's hip.

"Mm, quite", Eleanor replied and gently pulled Cinderella close enough to kiss her. "I never thought I'd experience anything like this in my whole life."

"The pleasure is mine."

They kissed again.

"I think we have to cool off a little. What do you say we take a walk?"

"You don't think we'll catch our death outside today?" Cinderella teased.

"Nonsense. There is no wind, the sun is shining, and it's much warmer. Besides, I honestly believe it's more likely we'll melt the snow."

"Fair point. But there's something I need to do first."

"What?"

Cinderella pulled her closer, kissing her fervently, making the kiss last. When they finally withdrew, they were both panting for air.

"Oh. That." Eleanor wheezed.

"Yes. That."

She traced a finger along Eleanor's cheekbone and smiled.

"Now we can go."

The weather was indeed fair today, and they walked slowly in companionable silence, enjoying the fresh air and the sunshine. After a while, Cinderella broke the silence.

"So, fearless rider, huh?"

"Of all things, that's what stayed in your head?"

"Everything did, it's just that I have never seen you in the stable at all. I couldn't decide whether it was because it's inevitably filthy and smells, or because horses scared you."

"Neither." Eleanor stopped for a moment and looked down at the snow-covered ground. "It brings back memories. I'm not fond of remembering a time when I was happy, if I am not in the present."

"Are you now?"

She looked up again, straight into the big blue eyes that she had come to love so eagerly in such a short period of time.

"Yes. I think I am."

"Good. Then maybe we could go for a horseback ride some day," Cinderella beamed.

"Now wait just a moment dear, I haven't mounted a horse in almost forty years…"

"So it's about time that you do. If it made you happy, what's the harm? I bet we could even find my father's old hunting clothes for you to wear…" she said and eyed her lover closely.

"You are not suggesting I go riding in pants, are you?"

"Why not? You certainly have the legs to wear pants…"

"Well… perhaps… but it's not going to happen. What if anyone saw me? We can't risk people talking too much. If they do, they are bound to find out about this… about us."

"I suppose you're right."

They were almost back home and Cinderella hurried ahead, no doubt to go look for those hunting clothes anyway. Eleanor guessed she could at least try them on. She did have rather amazing legs if she may say so herself, and yes, she would lie if she said she didn't want to see Cinderella's reaction.

Ah, but first things first. And the snow was just… perfect.

"Cinderella?" she purred. "Hold it right there."

And the next moment, a loose but decidedly cold and wet snowball hit the younger woman in the back of her neck.

"Guh…!" Cinderella said as the melting snow ran down her back. She slowly turned around to find a most innocent-looking lady of the house.

"Whoops. It slipped right out of my hands." she said, her lips curling upwards in a smile so full of life and happiness it made her look thirty.

"Oh. Well. In that event…" Cinderella mumbled before scooping up a handful of snow herself. "… I suppose it will slip out of mine as well!" She threw the snow at Eleanor, who barely had time to jump aside with a surprised - and rather joyful - cry. She quickly grabbed more snow and threw, her aim deadly accurate, and Cinderella staggered a few steps to the side with a huge grin plastered over her face and snow all over her coat. She charged towards the older woman with another load of snow in her hands, and Eleanor began to run, slipped on a particularly icy patch and fell facedown into the snow. As Cinderella caught up with her, she had already gotten herself back up in a sitting position, and she was wiping snow from her face and hair while laughing heartily.

"You aren't hurt, are you?" Cinderella asked as she fell to her knees beside Eleanor.

"Not a bit."

And she couldn't help herself. She leaned forward and gave Cinderella a quick, soft kiss on the lips before she pulled back and began the hard work of getting back on her feet without falling back into the snow.

"Have we cooled down enough now?" Cinderella laughed and offered her hand.

"I believe we have. Let's go inside and have some tea."

They brushed themselves off and went inside, none of them thinking more of the quick, spontaneous kiss.

Little did they know that they had been watched.

A/N

I'm cliff-hanging you! ;)

Again, thank you so much for all your kind words and encouragement. It was a long time since I had this much fun writing any story at all, and I'm still surprised at how easy it was to get this most unlikely couple together. It's like they have waited for it a long time, haha! Okay, they might (I say might because I have several possible routes to take this) be in for some rough time, but I swear it will have a happy ending one way or the other. I strongly dislike sad endings because I love fairytales, and because life so rarely offer happy endings I think we need them in fiction at least.

Thank you for reading, reviewing and liking this. It means a lot to me as a writer. You guys are amazing!