Winter Swan

Kail's storage building on the school grounds became their little meeting place.

Bach's Goldberg variations was playing beautifully. Kail and Silje were sitting together on the comfortable sofa. He would kiss her passionately for one minute, then turn to his canvas in the next.

Silje watched him as his fingers moved fast.

On the white canvas was Silje goddess-like figure. The painting looked confident and seductive as it stared back at Kail.

She looked elegant, dreamy, and sad all at the same time.

Momento mori.

His lettering tattoo was now familiar to her. Studying the tattoo for the 100th time, Silje couldn't stop admiring Kail.

Was he painting this to remember that night forever?

Listening to Bach, she watched him expertly paint. She smiled slowly.

"You are like a real artist. Is there anything you can't do, Kail?" She joked adorably, "You're like the Da Vinci of Norway. What a great artist you are."

"Exactly. I can also play the violin. I bet I can make it into any band right now. Of course, I won't because I don't want to."

Kail picked up his violin and started to play Bruckner's romantic symphony. When he played it beautifully with a boyish grin, Silje giggled. He walked towards her and kissed her deeply.

Kail whispered, "Your lips taste like summer. Like the hot summer sun and the green forest before the winter comes. I find your scent and taste so exotic."

"… Summer forest? Kail?"

When Silje leaned against him and asked, Kail smiled and replied, "Yeah. Lovely summer forest… I still remember the time in my summer home. The birds singing in the forest… The greenness of it all. The sound of the fresh waterfall and the scent of wildflowers."

Kail kissed her again and continued, "When summer comes, let's go to my hytte. We will wake up to the birds singing. I want to go there with you."

"And will you play me Bruckner there too, Kail?"

Sleepily, Silje asked and Kail whispered, "If you want me to, I am always willing. I will play you a sweet lullaby."

"Alright, I admit that it sounds wonderful. Whenever I suffer from insomnia, I will call for you, Kail."

"Sure thing. And I will always dream of you, Silje."

Kail gave her a goodnight kiss, and Silje realized how close they had become.

She drowsily imagined what it would be like to spend the summer with Kail at his summer home.

Perhaps it was a wooden cottage on the lake with a sauna. Under the warm sun, they would talk and laugh all day. They would stay in the hot sauna as long as possible before running out and jumping into the lake to cool off.

When night came, the sun would still burn high above and they would feel each other's skin. They would seep into each other and become one.

"Let's go to my house. I want to take you there, Silje."

A quiet but firm tone.

He said it smoothly and seductively.

"We can't spend all our time in this storage building forever. Don't you agree? Let's go to my house. I will introduce you to everyone as my woman. I have no intention of hiding our relationship. I never did."

Kail was asking her to come into his personal territory. He was asking Silje to officially be acknowledged as his.

There would be no going back.

Silje thought deeply.

To go to Kail's home with him…

She knew this was bound to happen someday, but it was still a surprise. Silje couldn't help but fear the unknown; to her, it felt like she was on a roller coaster going up.

Her instinct warned her she had to stop right here.

Dating Kail and going to his house were two very different things. The first was her choice, but the latter could turn into an uncontrollable situation. It would be like getting into a runaway train. She would lose all of her control over the situation.

Kail may laugh at her for feeling this way, but this was very important to her. She needed to retain as much control as possible, and therefore, it was no wonder she hesitated to visit the Bruntland mansion.

After all, it was the Bruntland's. Everyone in Norway knew this family.

Silje glanced at Kail who was like the mystical aurora in the night sky. He had such power over her that it sometimes scared her.

She looked at him quietly. Silje knew there were times in life when she would have to make doubtful decisions, and perhaps this was one of those times.

She sighed, but looking at him, she didn't regret it. No matter how hard she tried to push him away, it was so hard to deny his beautiful green eyes.

Silje thought to herself.

'I guess I lose… The problem is that despite it all, I am still very much attracted to him. I have made my decision, so I should learn to live with it. No regrets.'

Silje finally looked up.

"Alright, let's go to your home, Kail. I always knew that I had to do this someday. I have no intention of running away from it."

"So you'll face it straight on?"

When Kail asked her with a smile, Silje looked into his eyes firmly.

"Don't be so smug. I just don't like running away or avoiding things, that's all."

"Of course. So welcome to my space."

"Your space?"

"Yes, my personal territory. The mansion I live in is a cursed place. An evil witch lives there with me as well. Even then, will you still come to my castle?"

Kail took her hand and caressed it gently. Silje asked, "Evil witch? Cursed?"

Kail grinned confidently.

"Yes. Once I become the official heir to the corporation, I will get rid of my evil stepmother as soon as possible. I have been waiting for that day for a very long time. The day I become the master of Bruntland mansion."

"But why? You should be able to do that right now if you wanted to."

At her logical assessment, Kail smiled coldly.

"It's true, but I am being patient. I don't want to make her disappear secretly. That is how she does things, but not me. I don't want to take over the family business like that. I want to do it officially and in the open. Revenge for myself and my mother will occur for everyone to see. I want the whole world to witness her going down."

"Kail, when I hear about your life, it reminds me of a story."

Silje remembered a childhood story she heard a long time ago. It was about a prince in the cruel cold after losing his throne. The prince waited patiently for a very long time and plotted his revenge against the evil witch and the dragon.

After hearing the story, Kail replied to her, "But unlike that prince, who was alone, I have you."

Kail offered his hand to her.

"The fact that I will always be with you will never change, Silje. So take my hand and let's go to our house."

"Our house?"

"Yes. Ours. Yours, mine, and our children's."