Several months later, the halls of the Winter estate carried a soft, cheerful air.
Snow still drifted lazily outside the windows, but inside warmth filled every corner.
The servants whispered with excitement, the guards stood straighter than usual, and the maids moved quickly but with smiles tugging at their lips.
Something important had happened today, something worth celebrating.
Effie darted through those very hallways, her small boots tapping against polished stone.
Her crimson eyes shone like lanterns, her cheeks flushed pink from the cold air outside.
She clutched a steaming stick of roasted fish tightly in one hand and balanced a paper-wrapped pack in the other.
Her little face carried a grin too wide to contain.
She couldn't help it — today was special.
Her brother's first wife, Lady Edna, had finally given birth.
Effie's heart fluttered at the thought.
She was about to meet her new niece.
