Violet: A Mournful Wind

24 October, 1348. Hellesfarn County, Western Islia

Ilse sat as still and mute as a marble statue, staring out the carriage window. Violet thought she occasionally saw her sister's frame shake with suppressed sobs, but Ilse didn't utter a single word.

To Violet, it felt like she was like stuck on a journey that seemed to have no end. The rocking, bumping motion of the carriage was making her queasy. The wind whistled outside and pushed in icy blasts through the gaps in the rickety carriage.

Violet had never felt so alone. Alone and unprotected. She bit her lip anxiously while watching the barren landscape pass by in a blur through the gap between the curtains. It seemed decades - not a mere seven months - since they'd made the journey in reverse. Twin sisters, as close as they could be, excitedly holding hands as their carriage drew them ever closer to the glittering royal court.