The snow had always answered her. It had wrapped around her ankles like a loyal pet, soothed her rage with blizzards, and softened her sorrow with falling flakes. But today… it was still.
She stood on the balcony of the Winter Court, the wind brushing gently against her skin, but it did not bite with its usual frost. Her breath misted, faint and weak, not the usual blooming puff of power. For the first time in her life, she felt warm.
Caroline pressed her palm against the icy marble railing, expecting it to frost over. It didn't. Instead, her skin tingled like it once had before she ever bore magic. The frost was gone from her veins. The ancient power of her bloodline was gone.
She gripped the stone and stared at the snow-covered pines. "So… it ends....."
A soft flutter of fear stirred in her chest and then a quiet relief. She would grow old. She would see her daughter become queen. She would no longer carry the burden of winter in her bones.
