But her trap fell short. The princess Kagome let her spinning wheel fall silent in the weeks thereafter and she almost seemed to have disappeared from the court. The eldest almost began to hope that she had taken her words to heart and run away. It was a glancing hope, she knew, but her cold heart held on to the dream.
And as she began to fade into herself, her eyes almost vacant at the same time that ice seemed to grow within them, the younger bloomed.
She bloomed in privacy, not one to enjoy the crowds of the court. But as she and her newfound follower explored the hidden walkways of the castle and the silent glens of the nearby forest, her eyes grew luminous with laughter. Such joy at the height of her dance.
Behind her, ever following, the betrothed of her sister watched without comment, but with joy shining through his own eyes. No, he would not be tied to her sister for long.