Wynter

"Oh, there is so much to do before the wedding!
The fittings
The dresses!
The food." Nick's mom explains excitedly. "I feel so much better that my Nicholas has brought home a beautiful and promising princess! Not one of those...pesky mortal human hybrids" she huffed wrinkling her nose with disgust.

I furrowed my brows hearing the sharpness of her words. Just before I opened my mouth, Nick pulled me into his arms, leading me away so he could talk some sense into me. We let some distance pass between the small entourage and his mother before he spoke.

"Ignore everything she says about humans okay?"

"Is this a North Pole theme? To bash humans 24/7?"

"No Wynter" he grumbled.

"I know some of us are so horrible but—"

"Wynter...just—-" he pushes a palm over his eyes before sighing, "can you please just ignore her? Please? For me?" He says, looking into my eyes.

"Fine..fine...I'll ignore it" I shrugged, crossing my elbows. I didn't know how long I could take the snarky comments about humans without saying a thing but I guess I would try for him...

"Nicholas!! Wynter!!" his mother's screams echoed through the glassy halls. We looked at each other carefully.

"Your mother-in-law calls" he teased before pushing his hands between mine; we continue walking hand in hand to meet her.

—-

"I am so overjoyed I could get both of you together for a cake tasting. With Nicholas being busy all the time, it gets difficult." His mother pouted, fidgeting with the sharp ends of the patterned table cloth.

"I'm sure you'll find some hobbies to pick up while Nicholas works Wynter. Being a queen at the castle can be rewarding!" she says, patting my hand affectionately. I knew that was her show for solidarity. She had probably picked up a few mindless ones with Nick's father.

"Oh. I'm not going to stay home. I will be fulfilling my duties...on earth—I mean...my land" I lied. I had no interest in being a stay at home wife? I had a makeup empire to run.

"Duties?" Nick's mother turned to face me, fascinated by my statement. "Princess Wynter...your duties cease once you take on the title of Mrs. Claus?" She said, perplexed by my bold declaration.

"Do they?" I smiled politely, challenging her statement.

"Yes, they DO! All your time will be spent in the North Pole and any duties you do have will be for the betterment of the North Pole and The Claus family. You must understand Wynter, you are marrying into a very prominent family. Our influence alone is what many women envy. I've had to scare away so many of Nick's suitors." She bragged every so pridefully.

"Hmm is that so? I was wondering why it took so long for Nick to find a suitable fiancé ?" I smiled sarcastically, taking my place at the long table filled with desserts. His mother's piercing blue eyes lingered on my features in annoyance before snapping for the decorators.

Nick sensed the atmosphere of tension between us both and grabbed my palm, gently pushing a hand between my fingers to silence me.

"Ouch!" I cursed, feeling the pressure of his warm palm. "What!"I whispered. He looked up to the cake in the middle of the table and pulled a napkin to his lap.

"Let's have cake, shall we Ms. Claus?" He smiled ever so charmingly, cutting a small piece to taste. "Mmm. This is good" he says, passing the fork over to me. I take a piece and tasted it too.

"Yuck!" I cursed, pushing it away. "Is that gingerbread?" I whispered to Nick. He nodded, taking another piece.

"This gingerbread cake has the finest grated ginger and hints of cinnamon." The chef explained. I smiled politely, looking over at Nick and his mother as they beamed. It wasn't really my favorite, but I guess that's what they liked up here.

"Princess Wynter? You are not fond of the cake?" the chef asks me.

"Sorry...no" I smile politely at the chef. He nodded and walked forward to cut another piece from a cake at the end of the table.

"Try this" he grinned, pushing it into my mat. It was a pretty cake, soft pink with white icing in between. I take a fork and cut through it, gently pushing it into my mouth. A burst of flavor tickled my buds as I chewed through the fluffy treat. 

"This is delicious!" I smiled excitedly.

"It is a holly infused vanilla cake with spiced buttercream frosting."

"Yum. I love this" I exclaimed, pushing another piece into my mouth.

"I think the gingerbread cake has a less busier palette for the guests don't you think Wynter?" his mother interjected.

"No way. The guests would love this Mrs. Clause. Nick! You have to taste it!" I smiled, taking a piece, and feeding him. He looked at the fork but pushed it between his lips and smiled.

"It tastes pretty good" he nodded, wiping his mouth clean.

"Better than gingerbread?" His mother fumed.

"Much better mother" he nodded. "We do gingerbread for everything...Gingerbread cookies, cakes, tea, cocoa. I'm tired. I think this is perfect" he said.

His mother fumed, blindsided by her own son's betrayal, and stood. "I guess you two lovebirds don't need me to decide"

"Come on mom..." he sighed, rolling his eyes.

"No Mrs. Claus, stay. We would love your opinion" I say, not fixed to follow after her. I had no interest in trying to appease her anger; she was hearing none of it.

"No...no. You two have fun" she smiled impolitely and turned away.

Nick

It was only Wynter and I left in the elegant room after the cooks and decorators packed up.

"She hates me" she sighed, dropping into the seat.

"She doesn't Wynter..she's just...still trying to balance everything with the wedding and banquet." I knew that was a bold-face lie but I didn't want her to feel unwelcome.

"No, she hates me. I made you pick the other cake instead of gingerbread and insulted her livelihood as a queen. I basically made you "pick" between her or me" she shrugged. I let out a lazy chuckle hearing her sentiments and sat in the chair beside her.

"My mom is always like that. I was her firstborn child and you know...she still sees me as toothless little Nicholas. She's just trying to figure out the dynamics of a new fiancé and letting me go"

Wynter nodded and looked into the distance of the room. "She said that she scared off many of your suitors. How many did she scare?" Wynter asks, staring into my eyes.

"That's not important" I shrugged, leaning forward to take another piece of the light pink cake.

"It's not?" She smiled, tilting her head curiously. "But I am itching to know. Playboy Santa here must be busy. From the mistletoe in his office and the many, many, suitors your own mother had to pry away" she teased.

I remain silent, feeling the heat rushing to my cheeks. There were too many suitors and entanglements to count but I didn't care to let Wynter know. That information was above her.

"Fine. I get it. Silence." She said, standing up from her seat. She begins to leave the room but not before turning around and standing within my space. She scooped a piece of frosting from the outside of the cake and pushed it onto my nose, leaving a heavy trail of cream down the tip.

"There, you look just like Jingles" she smiles, backing away, "I miss him. I think I'm gonna go give him a visit" she bragged before pacing out the room to find his stable.

—-

Wynter

I stirred awake and sat up from my bedding, only to hear the distant clatters of noise from my downstairs kitchen. I looked around my distinctively furnished room and realized my location. I was home in San Fransico? 

Had Nick transported me back?

"And then I said, No way!!"

I squinted my eyes as I heard the voice. It was familiar in nature; it was a voice that I had heard before but couldn't quite place. I hear the melodic laughter of a woman following the deep bellows of a man. Pulling the sheets off my body, I tiptoe to the other side of the room, pressing an ear to the door. 

No way. It couldn't be!

I ran down the stairs and peeked into my kitchen. I couldn't help the tears flowing down my cheeks as I saw the image before me. 

"Mom...dad?" I whispered, loud enough to signal them of my presence. They turned around from the stove and smiled at me.

"Wynter! Stop staring at us and fill your belly!" My mom smiles, pulling out a chair so I could sit. My dad flips another pancake into the air before pushing it onto a plate. 

"Eat up kiddo! We're going somewhere special today"

"Where?" I asked, pulling a fork from the center but immediately halted my words. My heart stopped and my eyes turned hazy as I looked around the kitchen. The familiar sounds replayed in my mind: the sound of bacon crisping, the sharp pop of the toaster.

All that was left was....

I push my chair out and see a wrinkled Mickey Mouse hat in the corner of the room.

"Mom! Dad! No!! I yelled, running to hold their shoulders. But just as I ran to meet them, the room lengthened and the ground shook. There was a boundless stretch across the length of the floor,  creating a bottomless cliff beneath my feet.

"Come on Wynter! Let's go!" My dad smiled, signaling me to follow him. I wanted to jump over the dark cliff but I couldn't muster up the courage. Why did they seem so far away?

"Come on Wynter! Disney won't be open forever!" my mother smiles, before entering into our dark blue Ford.

"No!!!! Don't go!!!" I warned them. I tried my best to sprint to gain some air and leapt across the bottomless pit but I barely could get to where they were, falling instead into the blackened abyss beneath me.

"No! No!"

"AHHHHHHH!!!" I shot up from my nightmare in sweat, panting breathlessly as I caught a look around the room. Two arms were around my shoulders as I panted again. 

"Wynter? Wynter! Wake up!" I see Nick's features as my eyes adjust in the darkness. He finally sees my eyes open and sighs a breath of relief. " I heard you screaming from my room?" he whispered, looking into my eyes with concern. 

So I was still in the North Pole? It was just another bad dream?

"My parents...Nick...they were--I fell and ---" but before I could finish my sentence I looked into his eyes and began to sob uncontrollably.  It was strange how quiet yet caring he was. He allowed me to cry, pulling me into his warmth as I sobbed against his chest.

"Hey... hey...it was a dream, Wynter. A stupid nightmare" he whispered, wiping my tears away. He could tell I was still shaken by the nightmare as I shivered uncontrollably. He grabbed my jaw, forcing me to stare into his eyes. His warm fingers trailed against my cheeks as he wiped them off one by one. 

"I don't think I can sleep after a dream like that?" I smile lazily, looking into his warm eyes. 

"Come on. I have the perfect thing" he announces, leading me out of my bed. I grab my black robe and tie it around me before following him out of my room.

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