The whole Thornecroft Estate was in uproar, every soul swarming around the newborn heir, none noticing what had passed in the quiet courtyard.
No one saw Ismerie press the blade to her chest, biting back the tearing agony as she cut the Star-Bond Curse from her heart.
No one saw her slip away alone into the snow.
Perhaps, from the very start, no one had truly cared whether she lived or died.
With every step she took through the drifts, a fresh print of crimson marked her path.
It mirrored the day Leontis had knelt before the High Cathedral, begging for her hand through rain and wind.
One journey given, one journey taken away. Finally, every tie was severed. No debt remained. No love lingered.
Drawing on the last spark of her strength, she aligned the stars to keep her mind clear, st
