"Your Majesty!"
Queen Nieve stood up. A snow faery messenger had arrived.
"What is it?" she said icily.
"It's your sister, ma'am!"
"What."
Nieve's tone sounded like an icicle falling and shattering on a sheet of cold ice.
"You know very well that I do not have time to deal with her. See to it that she knows her place!"
The faery shuddered.
"Do I make myself clear?" Nieve said softly, staring right into the faery's eyes.
"It's…just…" the faery squeaked.
"Just what?" Nieve demanded coldly.
"She…she says she foresees…something…" the faery said, trembling with fear.
"Take me to her."
Kalmia watched through the bars of ice as the faery and her sister approached.
"Hello, Nieve," she said.
"Hello, Kalmia," Nieve replied without any trace of her sister's warmth. "Now tell me….what did you see?"
Kalmia said nothing. She didn't want anything to happen to the two girls she had seen in her vision.
"Tell me now," said Nieve. "Or else…"
She gestured in the faery messenger's direction.
Kalmia gasped softly. She would have to say something if she didn't want that innocent faery to freeze.
"All right. I see that if you continue to rule this way, you will fall."
"Kalmia, I know you're hiding something," Nieve responded. "Tell me everything."
Her hand was still pointed at the faery.
Kalmia sighed.
"There are two young maidens of thirteen who, in three years' time, will together end your reign over this land."
"And what are their names?"
A tear fell from Kalmia's right eye. Did she have to say?
"I'm waiting!" Nieve declared.
Kalmia still said nothing.
"Very well," Nieve said. She turned toward the faery.
"No! Giselle!" screamed Kalmia.
Nieve turned. "What was that?"
"One of them is called Giselle," Kalmia said.
"And the other?"
"…Odette."
Without any words of gratitude, Nieve turned and left, followed by the faery.
The Wilis stood in reverence, gathered around Nieve's throne.
"Find Giselle and Odette," Nieve demanded of them. "Then report back to me and tell me all you can."