Charmy, Grey, Magna, Luck, and Yami flew high in the sky above the outskirts of the Clover Kingdom. Though it was only the end of summer, the wind that whipped past was cold and crispy as they crossed into the northern forsaken realm.

Due to the strong magic region, the ice-tipped mountain peaks that towered in the distance like menacing demons kept a chill in the air all year long. This mission was a far cry from their care-free trip to the beach.

Yami wished he could've at least had Charlotte on his broom, since spacial travel was out of the question this time. Finral hadn't been to Almeir before, and besides, he had some errands to take care of— Yami often forgot his personal taxi actually had a personal life. So, the two squads agreed to meet up at the lodge.

He sighed, eavesdropping on Luck and Magna's predictable banter and Charmy and Grey's one-sided conversation. He hoped bringing Grey would be able to help find the girls who, he assumed, normally bended in. The others would be more than capable to handle a battle in the frozen no-man's-land.

Though he was pleased to be with Charlotte, and grateful for Julius's consideration in pairing their squads, he questioned his own role in this whole thing. He wasn't the best at dealing with women— save Charlotte, it seemed, and even then he often wound up on her thorny side— but teenage girls? He was tempted to stay in the hotel to avoid screwing everything up.

At last the roofs of several mid-sized buildings with curling smoke plumes appeared, one much longer and newer than the rest. The lodge. For some reason, he wasn't nearly as excited to see the glow of what must've been a warm fire, compared the way his heart jumped at the woman in the blue dress who stood wantonly at the window sill.

"We're here!!" Magna hollered.

"Race you to the entrance!" Luck quipped back, already mid-descent in a bolt of lightning.

"Ohhhh I bet they have snacks waiting for me!!!"... And there went Charmy and Grey.

Yami watched as a handful of Blue Rose Knights greeted them and then touched his feet on the ground once more. His butt was sore. Knees buckling at having to support his weight again, he cursed at slowly becoming an old man. He'd have to work out to stretch his body before he went to bed.

The aches and pains of their long travel were soon forgotten as Charlotte came out, wrapped in a furry, white coat. A second later, she was wrapped in his hairy, bone-cold arms. Yet he didn't feel cold anymore at all.

"How was your trip? We went during the mid-day so the sun would be brightest," Charlotte asked.

His first response was to cover her lips with his in a delightful kiss. After a breathtaking moment, he cast his eyes to the sky. The wind whipped up snow that swirled around a gloomy sky. What was with this place? It resembled nothing of the flowers and vibrancy the rest of the kingdom enjoyed.

"Cold. I missed you," he murmured.

"Come inside, then."

Charlotte led him into the rather large lodge, her hand a welcome grip compared to the hard handle of the broom. He mindlessly rubbed his thumb into her silky skin, wishing he could wisk her away and do so much more.

The exterior of the lodge was made of impressive round logs and the inside was just as cozy. An expansive, open-concept common room boasted what he assumed were hand-woven rugs and well-varnished furniture. Paintings of local animals and landscapes decorated the walls, and an earthen glow came from several chandeliers made from various types of horns.

The center of the room was dominated by a fire pit and chimney, ablaze with hot, blue flames. The perfect union of contemporary and rustic country. Off the side, several doors lead to single-occupant bedrooms. To the back was a big kitchen, fully equipt with modern appliances.

Charmy already had her sheep busy chopping, grilling, and steaming, attracting the attention of most of the other knights. His stomach growled at the potent smell filling the now enclosed space.

"If you brought any belongings, our bedroom is upstairs," Charlotte informed him, voice slightly wavering at the word "our".

He raised his eyebrows at her, enjoying her flustered state despite having shared quite a few nights together. She was too sweet. In many ways.

"It's the master suite, I figured we could just share, you know..."

"I like that arrangement," he said. "Shall we eat?"

Charlotte smiled, becoming her usual well-composed self again. "Indeed."

A/n: How are we on the 🔞 scenes? Should I write one for the next chapter, or assume we know what's gonna go down?