The Night Before
The winter came again.
Not slowly — all at once, as if the sky had been holding its breath for months and finally exhaled. The snow fell in thick, heavy sheets, burying the garden, burying the fields, burying the hope. The people huddled in their homes, their faces pale, their eyes hollow.
The Withering was at the gates.
Rhaena stood at the window of her father’s chambers, watching the snow fall. The crown was on her head. The weight was heavy. The cold was deep.
She could feel the Withering pressing against the walls, testing the stone, searching for a way in.
She held it back.
She held it back with hope.
She held it back with love.
She held it back with herself.
Corin entered.
“Your Grace, the soldiers are ready.”
“The soldiers?”
“The ones who volunteered. The ones who are not afraid. The ones who still hope.”
“How many?”
“Enough.”
“Enough for what?”
He was silent for a long moment.
“Enough to die.”
Theron entered.
His burned hands were wrapped in fur, his scarred face hidden beneath his hood, his good eye bright.
“Your Grace, the fire is fading.”
“The fire?”
“The torch. The hope. The light. It is dying.”
“Can it be saved?”
“I do not know. The first queen gave her life to light it. Perhaps another must give their life to keep it burning.”
Elara entered.
Her red hair was dull, her green eyes were dim, her hands were cold.
“The children are asking for you.”
“Again?”
“Again.”
“What do they want?”
“The same thing they always want. A story. A song. A promise.”
“Then give them a story. Give them a song. Give them a promise.”
“They want them from you.”
Rhaena walked to the great hall.
The children gathered at her feet.
Their faces were pale.
Their eyes were hollow.
Their hands were cold.
“Tell us a story,” they said.
“Tell us about the spring.”
“Tell us about the summer.”
“Tell us about the hope.”
She knelt.
She touched their faces.
“The winter is long,” she said. “The cold is deep. The hunger is cruel. But we will survive. We will survive because we hope. We will survive because we love. We will survive because we remember.”
“Remember what?”
She looked at the crown on her head.
“That we are not alone.”