Outside, the world had transformed overnight. A thick blanket of snow covered the pasture, pristine and untouched. The rising sun painted the scene in soft pinks and golds, making the snow glitter like crushed diamonds. Phaedra's purple eyes widened as she took it all in, her pink and purple horn catching the light. She'd been waiting for this day all autumn. But Soliel was already gone, his side of the bed cold, his pillow barely indented. His hoofprints led away from the house, disappearing into the white expanse. He'd left early to sell their cooling charms in town. Phaedra smiled, picturing him haggling with Mrs. Harkin over the price of their enchanted cooling stones. That woman drove a hard bargain, but Soliel had charm enough for ten merchants. Lofiel's bedroom door creaked open under Phaedra's magic. Her daughter lay sprawled across her straw mattress, limbs akimbo, her golden horn poking out from beneath the faded baby blanket. Phaedra's chest tightened, had it really been so long since she'd stitched those clumsy stars into the fabric? Lofiel snorted in her sleep, her golden eyelashes fluttering against white, flushed cheeks. "Rise and shine, starlight," Phaedra murmured, nudging her daughter's shoulder. "I need water from the stream." Lofiel groaned, rolling onto her back. Her golden magic shimmered to life, wrapping around her eyes like a golden sparkly aura. "Can't Soliel do it?" she mumbled, cracking open her eyes. "Your father's already gone," Phaedra said, chuckling as Lofiel's ears twitched in surprise. "And don't call him Soliel, it's disrespectful." Lofiel stretched, her long legs kicking at the blanket. "He says he likes it." She yawned, her golden magic swirling around her as she floated a shawl and scarf from the peg by the door. "Makes him feel less ancient." Phaedra swatted with a wisp of purple magic playfully at her daughter's rump as she passed. "Cheeky filly." She returned to the kitchen, humming as she gathered flour and yeast, Lofiel trudging out into the cold. After a short while, she heard Lofiel's hooves crunching through the snow, the water bucket bobbing behind her in a cloud of gold. The cold air rushed in when the door opened, making Phaedra shiver, but it was a happy shiver. Winter was here at last. She was "fetlock" deep in dough when Lofiel burst back inside, her golden eyes wide with excitement. "Mother! You'll never guess who's at Petina's house!" The door slammed shut behind her, sending a gust of air through the kitchen. Embers spiraled up from the fireplace, and Phaedra barely caught the bucket before Lofiel's magic dropped it in her haste. "The milliner's son?" Phaedra guessed, brushing flour from her hooves. Lofiel shook her head vigorously, her golden magic sparking like fireworks. "No, the Traveler!" "He came early! He's staying with Petina's family, and we're all invited for dinner tonight!" Lofiel pranced in place, her hooves skittering across the stone floor. "He promised a new story, a *never-before-told* story!" Phaedra's heart leapt. The traveler's stories were legendary, but his early arrival worried her. She hid her concern behind a smile. "Well, we'd best finish breakfast quickly, then. Your father will be starving when he gets back." Lofiel nodded, her golden magic already swirling around the water bucket as she lifted it toward the cauldron. Outside, the snow continued to fall, soft and steady, painting the world in quiet wonder. Phaedra smiled at her daughter's excitement but couldn't shake the worry gnawing at her. The Traveler never arrived before the thaw. Had something happened? Had he grown too weary for the long roads between towns? She pushed the thought aside, focusing instead on the warmth of the fire and the scent of rising bread. "Did he say what the story would be about?" she asked, kneading the dough with practiced ease. Lofiel's golden eyes sparkled. "No, but Petina said he whispered something about 'the forgotten queen' when he thought no one was listening." She leaned in conspiratorially, her voice dropping to a whisper. "And he had a new puppet. A crow, but its wings were made of shadow. Real shadow, Mother. It moved on its own." A chill traced Phaedra's spine, unrelated to the winter air. Shadow puppets were rare and never a good omen. She forced a laugh. "Well, we'll have quite the tale to hear tonight, won't we?" The bread was nearly ready when Soliel returned, his ginger coat dusted with snow, his breath coming in quick puffs of frost. He shook the cold from his mane and wings, grinning as he set a small bundle on the table; a handful of dried apples, a twist of salt, and, surprisingly, a single golden ribbon. "From Mrs. Harkin," he said, pressing a kiss to Phaedra's temple. "She says it matches your eyes." Lofiel snorted. "She just wants a discount on next summer's charms." Soliel winked. "And she'll get one." His gaze flickered to Phaedra, a silent question in his ice-blue eyes. She hesitated, then nodded toward the bundle. "The Traveler's here. Early." Soliel's smile faltered. "Ah." He didn't need to say more. They both knew what early arrivals meant. Lofiel, oblivious, pranced around the table. "We're going to Petina's tonight! He's telling a new story!" Soliel ruffled her mane with his own frosty blue magic. "Then we'd best eat hearty. Who knows how long his tales will run?" His tone was light, but his eyes lingered on Phaedra, heavy with unspoken worry. Outside, the snow kept falling. And somewhere, beneath the weight of it all, something forgotten stirred. Phaedra's hooves clicked against the stone floor as she moved toward the hearth, the scent of rising bread thick in the air. Soliel lingered by the doorway, his wings twitching, a nervous habit he'd never outgrown. "An early traveler means one of two things," he murmured, too low for Lofiel to hear as she chattered excitedly by the fire. "Either the roads were safer than expected..." His ice-blue eyes met Phaedra's. "Or something chased him here." Phaedra shook her head, the bread hissed as she turned it, golden crust forming in the heat. "He's just an old storyteller, Sol. He's probably slowing down in his old age and desires to rest and spend the winter months here." "With shadow puppets." Soliel's voice was flat. "You know what they say about those. Who knows why he arrived early, all I know is it makes me feel uneasy." A gust rattled the shutters. Phaedra did know what they said. Shadow puppets weren't carved from wood or stitched from cloth. They were made from the in-between things, the silence after a scream, the hush before a storm. Dangerous magic, the shadow element had been one that Phaedra had always feared. But the traveler was kind and good, surely that meant something. That his element didn't make him into someone to fear. Lofiel's laughter rang bright as a bell. "He said the story's about the Forgotten Queen! Do you think it's true? About her castle under the ice?" Her golden magic spiraled as she levitated the ribbon from Mrs. Harkin, tying it around her horn like a crown. Soliel stiffened. Phaedra's breath caught. The Forgotten Queen wasn't just a fireside tale. She was a warning. The bread burned.