chapter five . . .

AND WE RUN

Is anybody out there?
Can you lead me to the light?
Is anybody out there?
Tell me it'll all be alright

Carry You (Ruelle ft. Fleurie)

︵‿.•‧⋆·☪︎·⋆‧•.‿︵

Vasilisa regretted her decision. As soon as she landed in the freezing water, she knew she was doomed and needed a miracle to survive. The coldness stung her whole body. It numbed her. She had managed to take one last breath before jumping in but even that was pushed out of her lungs when the freezing river embraced her. She couldn't help but gasp from the shock. The Russian weather was nothing compared to what the girl was experiencing right now. Her heartbeat rapidly increased just like her blood pressure.

Her original plan was to keep herself under the water which would give Alex enough time to escape. She underestimated the strong flow of the river and it was tossing her around in the water as she kept fighting her way to the surface. But she had been unlucky because whenever she had the chance, she was met with strong ice.

Vasilisa wanted to continue fighting. But her strength was leaving her body. Her vision was too blurry for her to see anything. She started closing her eyes. The girl hoped that Alex was safe. That her sacrifice would be worth it. That he listened to her. That at least he would have the chance to get a new life in a new city where none of the people who stood between them now would be.

She let go.

⋆·☪︎·⋆

It took five minutes. Five everlasting minutes. That was how much time had passed when a policeman yelled after the others that he found the girl. It took another minute to pull her out of the river.

Vasilisa's body was freezing. Literally. Her lips were blue, no sign of the sweet red lips that she kissed Alex with. And her eyes were shut. The count instantly checked the girl and when he discovered that she was not breathing, he started resuscitating her. He commanded the others to give the aristocrat something to warm her body. They started rubbing both her hands, expecting Vasilisa to wake up.

But she was not waking up.

⋆·☪︎·⋆

Alex had successfully managed to get down from the ship and carefully landed on the ice. He looked into the distance and spotted the rest of the Ice Gang running for their lives. They didn't know what was happening.

The man skated forward to create a distance big enough between him and the police. But he made the mistake of glancing back. When he saw Vasilisa lying on the cold ground, surrounded by the men, the count hovering over her, he could swear that his heart skipped a beat.

He knew he was supposed to run. But he couldn't bring his legs to moving when he wasn't sure that Vasilisa lived.

Because if she died for them, he would never forgive himself for not saving her.

⋆·☪︎·⋆

A heartbeat. Then another. And lastly one gasp followed by a couple of coughs. Water was coming up, finding its way from the lungs. Suddenly, breathing seemed to be so much easier than before.

Vasilisa turned on her side, liquid pouring from her mouth. She kept coughing as she breathed in the cold fresh Russian air.

When she was finally able to breathe without any problems, she felt relief wash over her whole body. She laid back on her back, ignoring the men around her. They didn't matter. Nothing around her mattered.

Her gaze remained on the dark sky full of stars. They were looking down at her, maybe even laughing at her for how foolish she was. Could they really know her fate? Was her future truly written in the stars?

Her head slightly turned. And that's when she saw him. Thanks to a gap between two policemen, she had a great view of the place behind them. A figure was standing there still, watching the scene. Vasilisa didn't have to think long to know that it was Alex. A sob wanted to escape her but she had no energy left. Even breathing required a lot of it at the moment. But right now, looking at the man for whom she jumped into the terrifying unknown, she slightly opened her mouth and whispered so weakly that not even the men around her heard her. But the girl didn't care.

The words she let out were simple but meaningful.

I love you.

Vasilisa welcomed the darkness that overtook her.

⋆·☪︎·⋆

When Vasilisa's eyes opened again, she could feel that she was covered by a thick and warm blanket. The sleepiness was still creeping onto her so she had to wait a few seconds to fully concentrate on her surroundings.

The girl's body felt weak as she looked around the room. She didn't recognize the room but from the furniture and gold decorations, she assumed she was in her grandfather's palace. She didn't want to call it her home anymore. It stopped being her home when Nikolai Nikolaevich put his foot inside.

"Ah, you're awake," somebody spoke. It was a man dressed in white. Vasilisa immediately guessed it was a doctor.

The doctor checked her temperature, asked her some questions about how she felt and when he seemed to be satisfied with Vasilisa's answers, he left the room.

When she was left alone, she breathed out in relief, grateful for the moment of silence. But then memories were starting to come in. Memories of the burning ship. Of her friends. Of the police. Of Alex. She wondered where he was. Vasilisa only hoped that he and the others were already on the train somewhere far away.

The peace in the room didn't last long because soon the door opened again, revealing another person. But when Vasilisa saw his face, she froze. Her father was the last person she wanted to meet.

"Hello, Vasilisa," he greeted her. He slowly approached her bed with his arms behind his back. As he was standing beside the girl's bed, she felt shivers on her whole body. She feared him. She feared him because she had no idea what he would do. He had already expressed his plans for her. He had trapped her. "It was quite a show you performed out there."

Vasilisa remained quiet. She didn't dare to speak a word.

"You may have fooled the count with your little stunt. However, I'm not as stupid as you assume." The man then turned around as he went to look out through the window. He silently observed the falling snow and the people passing by his home. Nikolai was proud. Proud that he could stand there in the warmth of the palace while others had to step out into the freezing weather to earn money. "Your sister is nowhere to be found. I suppose you won't tell me more about it, will you?"

His sharp gaze returned to Vasilisa. She assumed he was merely letting her know that he knew. And he expected her to talk. A silent command from the man who was used to get anything he wanted. But Vasilisa wouldn't give in. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She loved her sister and she would never betray her. And if she was lucky, Alisa was now far away somewhere better.

Vasilisa remained silent and Nikolai's patience lastly wore off. "Very well. Although, due to these tragic circumstances, the count has now no bride while the reason for his stay here has been finding a good wife. And I have no desire to disappoint him in this matter."

She knew. Vasilisa had realized what he was implying. What his next words would be. And she was terrified.

"You shall marry Count Arkady Trubetskoy."

⋆·☪︎·⋆

It was the night before the New Year. A huge party was going to be thrown and Vasilisa was invited along with her father and his wife. Plus, much to her displeasure, it would be the night her engagement with Arkady was going to be announced and no one important would be missing.

Vasilisa was cast out of her old room which meant her father must have found the secret passage. Now, she was in a new one that seemed less personal to her. Every sense was screaming that she didn't belong here. But what could she do about it? She had no chance to run away anymore. Her father was aware of every little step she took, making it impossible for her to do anything without his knowledge.

But while the maids were dressing her up, Vasilisa's eyes were on her reflection in the mirror. Powder was covering her dark eyebags which were the result of her sleepless nights. She didn't count how many days had passed since she last saw Alex and the others. Because if she did, the eyebags would be joined by red puffs as well. She didn't want to give her father the satisfaction of seeing her broken because she was very much aware that that was his goal. To teach her that she had no room for happiness in her life. And who knew? Maybe he was right because Vasilisa had no idea. She had to say goodbye to the man she truly cared about. But at the same time she couldn't forget about her memories either. She knew that that was happiness. Alex was the one who made her happy. And when her father found out, he made sure that it would be ruined.

The maids were ready and the girl glanced at her dress. It was no surprise that it was sparkling thanks to the little filters on the whole clothing. And it could be very easily spotted in any part of the room in case she got out of her father's sight.

The maids then brought her a warm, white, and furry cape. A diamond necklace was put around her neck, extravagant earrings dangled beside her face and a similar bracelet lay on her wrist. Her whole look was perfect.

Vasilisa remembered the last time she dressed up like this. It was the day she met Alex. The girl went back to that night through her memories. She tried to remember what he was wearing, the way he caught her when he emptied her pocket. The playfulness she immediately spotted in his eyes.

Her heart rate sped up as the pictures flashed in her mind. She would give anything to travel back in time – to experience that moment again.

Vasilisa was escorted out of the castle with her father and his wife by his side and they all got into the car. The ride there was mostly quiet unless Severina decided to lean toward her husband and whisper a few things into his ear which he didn't mind at all. Vasilisa tried to tune them out as much as she could until they finally arrived at the entrance of the Gatchina Palace. She had to admit, this place was beautiful. Tonight, the whole building was wrapped in lights which made the place shine in the darkness and impossible not to notice. She couldn't help but think about what Alex would have to say. He'd definitely dream about all the goods that could be stolen here, especially after midnight when everyone would have drunk a lot, making it easier for pickpockets to do their job.

The family was led inside straight to their host, the grand duke himself. Vasilisa politely bowed as he greeted them. Then Nikolai Nikolaevich pulled out a box and when he opened it, a pocket watch could be seen. Vasilisa instantly remembered the jewelry. The last time she saw it, it was lying on the table in the ship which was now burned down. And the fact that the grand duke was now admiring it in his hands meant that the police went in after the others escaped. It made her feel uneasy. That ship was their sacred place.

Finally, the family was let through and the party began. Vasilisa got rid of her cape and people around her admired her dress. She received compliments – and even a couple of jealous glances – but she barely paid any attention to them. Responding was something that she did automatically. Arkady asked her to dance and she gave in. Vasilisa wasn't listening to him though. Instead, she imagined Alex in front of her. She could already hear him commenting on the people around her. He would start explaining his theory again, show her his book and maybe, just maybe, lean closer to her, bringing his lips closer to her ears as he would whisper to her about their future that even though they knew they couldn't have, they would keep dreaming about it. And then his lips would move again, this time toward hers. Slowly they would near and then they'd finally meet. And it wouldn't be like the kiss on the bridge. This one would be slow as they both would take their time to explore the other person.

Vasilisa breathed out as she stopped the imagines. She looked up and it wasn't Alex who was standing before her. It was Arkady.

"I need a minute to rest," she spoke. Fortunately, the man agreed to go sit on the nearest couches. At first, he remained standing there until Vasilisa couldn't tolerate it anymore and asked for a drink. Being a gentleman, he left her alone to find her something.

Vasilisa raised her hand to touch her necklace with the dove. It was hidden beneath the one with the diamonds. Her eyes scanned the crowd before her. Everyone was happily dancing and waiting for the clock to strike midnight.

Suddenly, one of the servants with the fake beards covered her view. She shook her head, thinking he was offering her one of the champagne glasses he had on his tray.

"Vasilisa," he whispered, "it's me."

The girl inspected him until recognition showed itself on her face. "Matvey?"

"Come, quickly."

He started walking away and Vasilisa didn't even hesitate. She instinctively stood up and followed him out of the ballroom. They ended up in a much quieter place, earning them some privacy.

"Matvey, what are we–"

She didn't finish her sentence because at that moment, another man showed up in front of her and her mouth was left hanging open. She wondered if this was some kind of hallucination. But if it was, she didn't want to return to reality. Her legs acted before her mind could and in the next second her arms were wrapped around the man.

"Is this real?" she silently asked in disbelief.

"As real as the stars above us," Alex replied.

Vasilisa slowly pulled away but she hadn't let go of his hand yet. "I thought you guys were far away from here now."

"Don't think we were going to leave you here," Alex said as he took a hold of a loose strand in her hair and tucked it behind her ear.

"The train is leaving soon. We must hurry," Matvey said, surprising the girl even more.

"Where's your coat?" Alex asked her.

Vasilisa shook the shock off her shoulders and she quickly led the man to the room with the coats while Matvey said he'd wait by the entrance for them. Thankfully, there was no one right now which served their luck. It didn't take the girl long to find her cape and she swiftly put it around her shoulders as Alex helped her in the process.

The couple was ready to leave when the door suddenly opened.

"Vasilisa, may I ask what you are doing here?" her father's voice cut the silence. Next to him, Arkady was positioned as his eyes kept moving from the girl to the couple's intertwined hands.

"I–"

"That's the man who threatened Vasilisa's life at the ship," Arkady spoke.

"I'm calling the police," Nikolai said and left the room.

"Father, no!" Vasilisa tried to stop him but then Arkady pulled out something from his pocket. And to her shock, it was a gun which made the girl freeze. Alex instantly wrapped his arm around her chest to pull her back toward him.

"Vasilisa, will you please move away from that man?"

The girl didn't do anything but Alex pushed her away so that the weapon wasn't aimed at her anymore. But instead of her, the gun was pointed at Alex's chest which wasn't calming to the girl at all.

"Look at you two now," Arkady started but his gun remained raised, "you really thought you could run away, didn't you? But after that stunt you performed on the ship it shouldn't be surprising at all." The man carefully watched their expressions. "You thought you could fool me?"

"Does my father know about your knowledge?" Vasilisa asked. She didn't know what to do but she tried to distract the man as much as she could.

"You mean your father who's not your father at all? No, he doesn't.

Vasilisa took a deep, shaky breath.

"It was enough to look at you and him or even your sister."

The girl gulped. "Then why did you propose?"

Arkady shrugged. "The title mostly. Money. After all, those are the best ways to power. To reach the top."

"She will never be your wife," Alex said as he took a step forward.

"Careful, I'm the one with the gun here."

While Arkady was distracted, Vasilisa quickly looked around herself to find anything she could protect herself with. But the only thing that was close enough was a small chair next to her. But desperate situations called for desperate acts.

First, she made sure that Alex and Arkady were still talking but she also noticed that the count's hand with the weapon was slightly twitching from the eagerness to pull the trigger.

In a blink of an eye, Vasilisa reached for the chair, picked it up and instantly threw it at the man who didn't expect the sudden blow and he managed to drop the gun and lose his balance too. Alex didn't waste any seconds as he grabbed Vasilisa's hand. The couple sprinted out of the room before Arkady could recover from the shock.

Alex and Vasilisa didn't stop. With her free hand the girl lifted up her skirt to make the running easier for her while the other one was clutching Alex's. Their legs carried them away from the room as they tried to create distance between them and the count.

At last, they ended up in the ballroom again with the party still going on, people dancing and cheering all around them. The midnight countdown was going to start soon and the servants were already giving out glasses of champagne for the toast. None of the excited guests paid attention to the couple as they pushed their way through them toward the exit.

Finally, the couple left the building through the back door. They were both hit by the cold air and Vasilisa snuggled into her cape even more to keep herself warm. Alex had his black coat on along his hat which protected him from the chilly air. The weather didn't stop the couple. Hand in hand they kept racing forward on the snow. The girl risked one look behind her and then she spotted Arkady hurrying toward them. From the shock she forgot to be careful with where she was stepping and she managed to land on one rock covered by ice. Her foot slipped and since she was holding Alex's hand – who wasn't expecting the sudden pull – Vasilisa dragged him down to the ground with her.

The girl landed on her butt while Alex ended up with half his body on hers.

"Are you all right?" the man asked, inspecting her from head to toe as he looked for any injuries.

But before Vasilisa could reply, there was a loud bang near them, making them both flinch in fear. Their eyes instantly moved to find the source of the noise and they realized that Arkady had almost reached them. His arm was stretched out, holding something small and dark. It wasn't hard to guess that it was the gun he had previously.

"Don't move or the next bullet will end up in one of you," Arkady called after them, "and I don't care who it'll be."

Vasilisa's eyes widened in panic as she watched the gun that was aimed at them. Alex reacted immediately though. He quickly crawled in front of her to cover her with his own body and waited. He didn't dare to stand up because the chance of the count missing was too low and he didn't want to risk Vasilisa getting hurt.

Alex's eyes followed every step Arkady took. At that moment, he may have looked like the prey but he didn't feel like it. He could even feel the outlines of the little gun under his coat and he was ready to pull it out because there was one thing he knew for sure. He would not let the man in front of him lay a finger on his queen. He would not let him make them his own prey.

They were not the foxes anymore. They had become the hunters.

As soon as Arkady was close enough, Alex readied himself. The count seemed to be proud of himself for catching them but little did he know that it was not over yet.

Being as fast as he could, Alex threw himself at the count. They both hit the ground, followed by Vasilisa's screams for Alex. Arkady didn't expect the weight of the other man on him. He held onto his weapon tightly and a loud bang sounded in the air as he accidentally pulled the trigger. Alex immediately pinned down his hands to restrict him from any other movements. The count wasn't giving up though and he raised his knee which hit Alex in his stomach. Alex let out a grunt of pain and his grip loosened which was instantly used by the other man. In the next second, Alex was the one below but he quickly reached for his hidden gun and revealed it, pointing at Arkady. The count gritted his teeth and with his hands he found his cane which he had dropped before and went to strike Alex with it. The gun fell out of his hands and his jaw was met with the count's fist since he seemed to have lost his own weapon during the fight as well.

And as the fight kept going, Vasilisa remained on the ground, unable to do anything. She watched the two men as they brawled, thinking about what she could do to help Alex. But she had no idea. Vasilisa didn't think she could overpower Arkady, even when his leg was injured. She even contemplated the idea of jumping on him but she didn't trust herself enough to be successful. And then her eyes landed on Alex's dropped gun. She glanced at the men who hadn't stopped fighting yet. But when she saw the punches Alex received, she wasted no more time as she carefully crawled over to the weapon. Her hand was already reaching for it. Only a few more inches and she would be holding it. Twenty inches. Ten inches.

Crash!

Alex's body met Vasilisa's right after he was kicked in the ribs by Arkady. And the girl didn't manage to grab the gun.

The couple rolled over. Alex ended up on top of Vasilisa. He was taking deep breaths as he waited for the pain to fade away.

"Alex," Vasilisa whispered as she looked into his eyes and saw the pain. She looked lower and saw his bleeding lips. The guilt immediately crept in. If he hadn't come for her, he wouldn't be enduring this torture. He'd be somewhere entirely else, starting a new life. It was because of her that tonight they were here, lying in the cold snow, their only witnesses being the stars on the night sky above them.

"Now," Arkady spoke exhausted as he stood up, catching his breath, "that was something."

Alex rolled down from Vasilisa as he sat up. The girl followed his actions. The count was on his feet again and Alex's gun in his hand. His must have gotten lost somewhere in the snow. But this time he wouldn't let anything surprise him. He kept a safe distance between him and the thief. His hair was messy and Vasilisa felt a little satisfaction when she noticed that his face was just as bruised as Alex's.

"I'll tell you what's going to happen now," Arkady said, "the thief here will take this gun with the intention of killing the girl. And unfortunately I won't be quick enough to stop him and I won't have any other choice but to kill him. Tragic."

Vasilisa pressed herself against Alex's body even more. Her head was lying on his chest, her ear pressed to his body. She was so close that she could hear his heart which was beating as rapidly as hers. His arms were wrapped tightly around her body without intentions of ever letting her go. Vasilisa knew that if they wanted to escape death, they'd need a miracle.

But she was tired. She was so tired. She had enough running.

Maybe this was the end.

Vasilisa thought of the things she experienced. Of all the happy memories she collected.

She skated under the night sky with the stars twinkling at her while snow was falling. She used to sneak out to the library at midnight to read in the dim light of the candle.

And she had fallen in love.

She didn't know when or how. It just happened. So smoothly that at first you didn't even notice anything. Until you were fully in it and there was no backing off. Just like when Vasilisa used to stay up all night because she got so lost in a book, that only when she was done did she realize it was already morning and sunlight was swallowing the whole library.

It was those little moments that mattered. Before him, Vasilisa loved skating. It had grown to be a part of her. But the night when she skated with him changed something in her. Even though there was nothing extraordinary in that night. Because nights were always the same. Stars never move. They remain in their original places, side by side, sworn to be there forever and witness something they could not have. That night was just as simple as the others except for Alex. Because Alex was the one who made it unforgettable. The one who made her feel alive.

Alex held onto Vasilisa like his life depended on it. He was losing hope. He kept replaying the images of his fight with Arkady. He almost had him. The count was already under him when he whispered what he would do with Vasilisa if she was to be his wife and that was when Alex lost his control and the other man overpowered him. Now they were both paying for that mistake that he had already regretted a thousand times.

In his thoughts, he went back to the night Vasilisa and him spent together. Alex reckoned the sound of her laugh, her dance moves or the way her hair kept flying around as she twirled in circles. But most of all, he remembered the feeling of her touch when they were on that frozen river. And right now, he would bring down every piece of star to return to that night. He would burn the sky until it was nothing but raging flames. He would sell his soul to the devil himself if it wasn't already his because somehow he couldn't imagine how he could be so damn lucky to get to know a girl like her.

The couple was expecting the last bang. They weren't ready but they didn't have a choice. However, it didn't come. Suddenly, Arkady cursed, making Vasilisa and Alex look at him. The count's face was covered by snow. In the next moment, another snowball was thrown at him. The couple had no idea what was happening but Alex was as quick as the light when he used the distraction and let go of Vasilisa then jumped on the man again. Alex pushed him to the ground and made him drop the gun. The thief started punching his face, letting out all the anger he had collected in himself.

Vasilisa didn't understand what was happening as she remained sitting in the snow in disbelief. She wasn't sure if she should be celebrating or not. Unexpectedly, she also heard footsteps behind her. When she turned to look at the incomers, she breathed out in relief. Matvey, Fly, Count and Chingiz had surrounded them. Fly and Chingiz immediately went to help Alex with Arkady while Matvey approached the girl.

"Are you all right?" the boy asked and Vasilisa nodded. Matvey helped her get on her feet. Her legs were shaking but she managed to stand on her own without falling. Then she glanced back at Alex who was being pulled away from the now unconscious count by his gang. He was trembling in fury and barely controllable. Vasilisa let go of Matvey and started moving toward Alex.

"Alex..." she whispered but when he didn't react, she repeated herself, this time louder. "Alex."

Alex stopped moving. The two boys hesitantly let go of him when they saw that he wasn't struggling anymore. The thief looked around and faced Vasilisa who was now so close to him. Not as close as previously but still close. But he couldn't bear that small distance and he took a big step toward her and he embraced her. He tightly wrapped his arms around her small body and the girl instantly returned the hug. Alex hid his face in the crook of her neck and he breathed in the smell of her hair.

"He wanted to kill you... he almost did... I-I'm so sorry..." he kept muttering mostly for himself but Vasilisa still heard him.

"It's all right. I'm right here. Alive. We're alive."

They were alive.

Vasilisa was in his arms and she couldn't imagine a safer place to be at. She reckoned their first hug which served only as a distraction for the count. It was nothing personal. But this... this was something more. A thousand times more. A million times better. Something she thought she could only dream of.

"Uhm... guys?" Matvey spoke, breaking the moment.

Vasilisa and Alex pulled away from each other, realizing where they were. The girl nervously fixed her messy hair.

"We should go before anyone else finds us here," Matvey explained.

"Wait," Vasilisa said as she realized something, "where's my sister?"

"She's at the station waiting for us."

"And what are you doing here?" Alex asked the group. The boys looked at each other as if they were all expecting the other one to speak.

"Well," Fly started, "family sticks together."

"And we are family," Chingiz added.

There was a moment of silence until Alex spoke up. "Thank you." Then he turned to Vasilisa and reached for her hand. "Are you ready for a new life?"

The girl looked up at the man. Her eyes were met with his pleasantly familiar eyes.

With you anywhere.

Instead of saying those words she only nodded.

⋆·☪︎·⋆

The group hurried to the train station. Luckily, Alisa was waiting for them there and they caught the train just in time before it headed off.

Vasilisa, Alex, Matvey, Alisa, Chingiz, Fly and Count. These seven people were on their way to a whole new life.

The group was sitting in one compartment. Matvey next to Alisa with Chingiz and Count. On the other side of the small room was Alex and Vasilisa with Fly by her side. Alex was staring out through the window as they passed by trees covered with snow. Outside, it had already started snowing. However, inside it was comfortable and warm so everyone had taken off their coats.

Vasilisa looked at the others. Most of them were sleeping. Her sister's head was lying on Matvey's shoulder while the boy was hugging her with his arm. Then she glanced at the man beside her. Alex's eyes were glued to the window but she knew that he was thinking about something. So was she.

"Alex?" she broke the silence and the man finally turned his gaze away to look at her. Now, his icy eyes landed on her and she couldn't keep the words inside her anymore. She deeply inhaled and exhaled. "What does falling in love feel like?"

For a few seconds, they remained in silence, Alex still staring at her and Vasilisa got scared that she said something wrong. But then Alex opened his mouth to speak. "Falling in love is when your whole world turns upside down. You live your life, believing in one thing until another person comes and shows you a whole new world. You think they're special, extraordinary, a true diamond in this world. And every second, every minute you spend with them is worth it. They prove to you that the world is not as cruel and black as you thought it to be. Your doubts fade away, your sight clears, your heart speeds up every time they walk past you, their smile makes you smile even wider. They are the light in your darkness." Alex cleared his throat. "That is what I imagine falling in love feels like."

"Alex?"

"Hm?"

Vasilisa looked straight into his eyes, barely blinking, as she prepared to say the words she had on the tip of her tongue. If she said them out loud, there would be no stepping back. "I think I'm in love with you."

Their bodies then slowly started moving toward each other like two opposite sides of magnets. Suddenly, there were only inches between them. Their mouths kept getting closer until Vasilisa could feel his breath on her face.

"Me too," Alex whispered and his breath tickled the girl a little.

And finally their lips made contact. It wasn't like the kiss they shared on the burning ship. That one was quick and full of passion, desperation and fear. This kiss was gentle, careful and slow, filled with gentle love. Alex raised his hand and softly caressed Vasilisa's cheek. His gloves were gone. It was only his bare skin touching hers and he loved it. So did Vasilisa. The girl automatically followed his actions as she raised her hands and took his face between her hands, their lips never breaking apart.

At last, the kiss stopped but they didn't let go of each other. Their foreheads touched as they leaned against each other.

"I knew you were my knight," Vasilisa suddenly whispered, remembering how he once denied that fact. As a response she received a soft chuckle from Alex.

This is it, Vasilisa thought. This was her happy ending. For both of them. They had made sacrifices and experienced pain but it was all worth it. Whatever was to come at them in the future, Vasilisa didn't feel fear because she was sure that with Alex by her side, she would face it.

Now it was their time to build the life they dreamed of.

⋆·☪︎·⋆