—15 November 2023—
He shook his head that felt as heavy as lead. It had been a long and tiring journey after all.
The road journey from Hammerfest of Troms og Finnmark—Northern Norway—to Oslo, extending for about 1,520 kilometres, was much more mentally draining than one would have thought.
Although being inside the house-like environment of the luxury RV, the continuous road travel had rendered the travellers with a sense of extreme torpor.
In the centre of rumbling clouds and the subtle sound of pop music playing in the background, the two teens remained seated, looking outside the window.
The rain formed a drapery on the windows, making the vision of the outside world blurry and indistinct, as if it were a watercolour painting left out in the rain.
The blinking lights of traffic lights and cars, the neon sign of McDonald's by the highway, and the glow of street lamps created a colourful mosaic against the backdrop of the approaching day.
Although the time being 1 pm, it was pitch black, if not for the numerous light sources.
"Arghhh—" A bored groan cut through the constant pitter-patter of the rain drumming tactfully on the roof of the luxury RV. "Arrrrthurrrrr! When are we going to reach Fjellborg??"
"In a while." Much in contrast, the voice that replied came out much more calm, although under the layer of composure was an equal—if not more—frustration, barely restrained as he kept one ear at the music playing in the background and the other towards his friend. "We should be there in about 10 minutes."
"You've been saying that for the last 5 hours!" The girl whined, extending her arms to the side and then letting her body freefall. Landing on the bed, her body submerged into the plush surface, making the boy sitting on it move up and down, subtly, in tandem.
"Patience, Astrid. Patience." The boy—Arthur—reassured once again.
Astrid's hand extended to the side and snatched the pillow to Arthur's side. Snuggling her face into it, she let out a long, contented sigh, the soft fabric enveloping her in a cocoon of warmth, but the expected comfort never came over her.
"Although I still don't understand why road travel was necessary. We could've flown to Oslo. Much easier to reach Fjellborg that way." Arthur spoke, his finger tracing along the double-paned windows. The tip of his finger got wet as he drew a straight line into it.
"Well," Astrid's voice was muffled, her face still dug into the pillow, "you are an Olvasen. Although it doesn't have much significance, it's a family tradition of yours." As she looked up, the corner of her lips twitched into a barely perceptible simper. "Weird tradition to have if you ask me."
"Hmm. A tradition tailored specifically for me." Arthur hummed. There was no visible change in expression still.
"Make me some coffee." He spoke as the straight line he was forming on the fog laden window twisted before forming a rather convoluted diagram, visibly making no coherent sense. "No sugar."
"Grrrr—" She growled into her pillow before pushing the side of the bed. Propelling upwards with a sudden drift, she looked at Arthur before slipping into her slippers.
The RV consisted of two small rooms with big enough beds to accommodate four people. Arthur was in the main bedroom, while the other one was adjacent to his own, with the door leading to Astrid's room. A room within the room. Other than this, there was a makeshift living room with an L-shaped couch and a small TV in front. Adjacent to the living area, a smart and compact kitchenette awaited, complete with multiple cabinets neatly arranged to store utensils and provisions. It offered a convenient space for preparing meals and snacks while on the road.
Walking over to the kitchenette, Astrid placed her hand on the handle of the cupboard as it opened with a subtle, whirring sound. Taking out a coffee grinder, she started beating the coffee beans.
Once it was reduced to a fine state, she measured the ground coffee and placed it into the portafilter of an espresso machine. As the espresso machine was turned on and hot water ran through it, a refreshing aroma wafted throughout the RV.
Taking out two cups, she filled them. Leaving one as it was, she grabbed the packed milk and poured it into one of the cups. The strong smell of the coffee was enough to make her grumpy mood go away. As a smile tugged at her lips, her body started to move in tandem with the song playing in the background.
She swayed her hips as she began to dance to the beat. Her platinum blonde hair was tied in a single pigtail, long enough to reach her waist. Her bangs rested neatly on her forehead and a black pin with a butterfly at the end of it cinched around the side-ponytail.
Throwing four cubes of sugar in the other cup, she mixed it hastily before picking the tray up and started to prance back to Arthur's room.
'What's even the point of this pretend peace…' A thought crossed Arthur's mind as Astrid noticed the disturbing jumble of words carved into the misty window by Arthur's unsuspecting fingers, his mind somewhere else.
Astrid placed the tray down beside his bed and coiled her finger around the handle of one of the cups. Picking it up, she walked to the edge of the bed and plopped on it. Throwing one foot over the other, she brought the cup up to her lips and blew into it.
The steam rose, kissing her face and forming a moist layer over the tip of her nose. Arthur peeled his eyes away from the window and picked his own cup of coffee. The still surface of the coffee rippled as the RV took a sharp turn, distorting the image of Arthur's extremely light grey eyes. His eyes flicked to the side. "We are almost there."
"Mmm~" Disregarding the statement, she took another sip. The sudden turn made her tilt to the side, and the light grip on the handle weakened for only a small, fleeting moment. A few drops of coffee spilled, staining the white sheets underneath her. "Yikes!" She exclaimed, haphazardly looking around for something to clean or wipe it.
"Told you we are almost there." Arthur spoke, blowing the smoke away before taking a single sip and standing up from his place. Looking at Astrid who was currently violently sweeping her handkerchief with both her hands, her single ponytail swaying back and forth, as she tried to wipe the sheet that was tainted by the cream coloured blotch. Arthur opened his mouth again. "Don't worry about it too much."
"UGHH!" Astrid groaned, baring her teeth. "You could've been a bit clear about it! How was I supposed to remember there was such a sharp turn…?!"
Arthur raised his shoulders, shrugging them meekly. "Sucks to suck, I guess." He remarked, making Astrid's face grow red in annoyance.
"Ok, now you're just being mean." She huffed, placing the cup down on the table present to the side.
"Mean?" Arthur inquired in a confused way. "Did it feel that way?"
"Sure did."
"I see." As he said that, his hands travelled to his chest, his buttons quickly being undone. In the blink of an eye, his casual shirt came off, falling on the floor silently.
Astrid sighed, before rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Don't just suddenly undress in front of me." She reprimanded him, before kneeling and grabbing the departed garment. "You might fill this bashful young maiden's head full of misunderstandings." She inexpressibly commented, her dull tone betraying her words.
Arthur tilted his head. "I am the one being undressed here. It shouldn't matter." He said, "Besides, it's just a shirt. You are overreacting." His facial expression did not seem to change, although, under the layer of serious demeanour, a rather lighthearted emotion bubbled in his chest.
Effectively throwing the previous shirt in a nearby laundry basket, Astrid turned her head away from Arthur, retrieving some fresh apparel from the local closet. "Yes yes, it's all my fault, for not adhering to your non-existent social norms." She playfully retorted.
Slewing the clean new buttoned shirt over his shoulder. "Your lack of tact is applaudable at this point." She stepped back and paused briefly looking into his amused eyes, before walking off. "You can change yourself."
Her voice was sharp as she talked, reprimanding. From the corner of his eye, Arthur looked back, taking in the sight of Astrid hastening outside, carrying the laundry basket. Satisfied, his focus returned to his unequipped clothes, oblivious to the fact that if he had kept watching, his efforts would have been rewarded with the sight of her face a subtle fleeting shade redder.
A mischievous expression appeared on Arthur's face as he heard her enter her own room. Despite the fact she was obviously mad at him, he found the banter between him and her oddly endearing.
However, the brief look of respite vanished from his face as he crouched down and looked outside the window. At the end of the long, ascending road, at the verge of a grand cliff, the sight of Fjellborg Castle finally came into view. The overcast clouds seemed to form a swirling vortex right above the longest tower.
In the middle of the cloud, yellow sparks seemed to play hide-and-seek. Blankly staring at it, only one phrase came to his mind. The one he had been hearing for all this time. And it was fitting for the current moment. Ironically so.
"In the Bleak Midwinter....***"
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