The seasons quickly changed, the falling leaves giving way to a mass of frozen leaf matter at the bottom of bare and skeletal trees. Even the palace gardeners gave up on most of the plants, trimming them back and covering them for the winter, the days of a stroll to clear your brain far behind except for the most desperate. The nights were filled with white frost and the mornings were filled with breath that could be seen even when fires were not allowed to burn down. Everyone wore their heaviest clothes and most of the nobles spent their time under blankets and near charcoal braizers. The kitchens kept roasted root vegetables available in a warm clay pot, easily available for errand boys and maids, the cheapest option for warming hands and keeping everyone fed.
Metori spent much of her
