Flipping through page after worn page, Cinder sighed amongst the towers of open books spread at her feet. Tucked under her arm was a rolled scroll displaying a well-drawn, though unfortunately aged, map of mysterious lands whispered about in legends and lore. All afternoon she spent translating myth into reality, finding real places to match those of fantasy.

One minor town near the map's edge, however, refused to have a name no matter how many stories she searched in. The map gave it the name of the City of Wealth, which Cinder could not locate in any book their vast library held. It must have been a newer addition; the paint had yet to fade off of the stained parchment.

Convinced she would have to look elsewhere for the mystery town's true identity, Cinder satisfied herself knowing she knew where her journey would start. The 'end of the world' appeared to be just beyond the great sea that connected Iceland to the arctic – a sea that was mostly frozen now.

"Your Highness?"

Cinder jumped at the voice, not expecting anyone to find her behind the library's walls. She should have known Iko would have found her; she never could hide from the good-hearted nanny. Subtly, she shoved the rolled map into the waistband of her skirt where it rubbed against her bare side.

She crept through the doors looking worn and miserable. Cinder knew Iko adored her parents as all their people did, perhaps even more that she was able to serve them day in and day out. Her loss of the King and Queen most likely matched that of Cinder's own.

"Iko," Cinder greeted, her tone much calmer than her words with the woman before.

Iko's eyes fell across the jumbled mess of books surrounding Cinder, some even piled over the hem of her skirt. Cinder knew she must have something to say after teaching Cinder how to act lady-like since she could walk. Instead, Iko cleared her throat and ignored the scattered piles with a more pressing matter weighing on her mind.

"Pardon the interruption, Your Highness. But Princess Winter had locked herself in your parents' bedchamber and refuses to come out."

Cinder's heart fell, ashamed she had forgotten all about her younger sister. The poor girl was probably beside herself with grief and Cinder had left her to fend for herself. Suppressing the coldness that sank deeper in her chest, she felt as if she would start sobbing all over again.

"I'll go to her." Immediately.

Fiddling with her frayed apron, Iko could not meet her crown princess's eyes. "There's something more, Your Highness."

Standing, Cinder awaited the news her previous governess seemed so hesitant to relay. Her face, twisted with a look of unease, as well as her lead tongue that refused to free a word made Cinder just as tentative to hear the news. From previous experiences – one of which was earlier that day – Cinder knew such a grave look never meant anything good.

"Your fiancé will be arriving to give his condolences."

Before she could stop herself, Cinder cringed at the mention of the far off prince she had been engaged to since her third birthday. They had met only a few times, each leaving Cinder with an even greater dread to the one day they would marry. If not for the fact that his larger realm had stronger military forces to support Iceland, she wouldn't even consider the arrangement.

Hiding her displeasure at the news of seeing the arrogant prince, she brushed it off saying, "Alright. No doubt he'd like to adjust our agreement now that . . ."

She had to swallow a lump in her throat before continuing. "I am to be crowned sooner than expected."

Allowing Cinder a brief moment of silence to compose herself after saying the grave words, Iko assured her that she would take care of the mess left on the library's floor. Thanking Iko with all her heart, Cinder hurried to find her mourning sister while dread to see the place where her parents would never sleep again ate at her mind.

Slipping past the gazes of the servants now mulling about with purpose, Cinder made her way down the dreary hall. In preparation for her beloved fiancé's arrival, they were forced to tidy up the rooms they would rather not journey down for respect of the departed. Cinder wished she too was not strutting down the west wing, but her feelings of concern for her sister outgrew those.

A darker wood framed the lofty doors without design or carving. Instead, the wood was smooth to the touch – at least in was in Cinder's memory. She couldn't bare to touch it now; her hand hovered in a loose fist at her eye level, waiting to alert her sister to her arrival. With great force, she managed a meek knock that sounded as hollow as she felt.

"Winter," she tried when there was no answer.

"Go away!"

Thick with tears and hysteria that wretched at Cinder's heart, her words stung in a way Cinder never thought possible. This was her punishment, she guessed, for forgetting about her sweet younger sister.

"It's me, Cinder," she clarified, just in case there was any doubt.

There was a movement from behind the door, shuffling around before the next voice was louder, closer.

"Are you alone?"

Cinder took a deep breath through her nose. "Yes."

A short pause followed, then the muffled clicking of locks turning in the heart of the wood. Cinder stood back a pace as a crack only big enough to allow Winter's eye a view creaked open. Only the whipping curls of her black hair and one of her milky brown eyes could be caught in the sliver of an opening.

Once she was sure it was only Cinder as she had said, Winter flew past the door left swinging and into the open arms of her sister. Her tears flooded freely down her sister's bodice where Winter's head just reached. With arms locked around Cinder's thin waist, she crumpled onto the carpeted floor, strung about her and her sister's skirts.

Cinder let her tears fall just as hard onto Winter's hair while hugging her small form close to their hearts. All the sorrow that filled the two of them had finally boiled over, pouring out in hysteric sobs until neither could spare another tear. Stroking the hair of her barely calm younger sister, Cinder laid on the soft carpeting concentrating on her deep intakes of breath.

Winter shifted in their huddle, causing something to dig uncomfortably into Cinder's hip. Of course, she didn't dare speak a word of her discomfort. "We're all alone," she whispered in a hollow tone.

"That isn't true," she assured, almost believing the words herself. "We have Iko and Torin and the servants . . ."

A small smile found its way onto Winter's lips. "And your fiancé."

Rolling her eyes, Cinder tickled her sister in their embrace and was rewarded with a warm giggle she feared might have been lost.

"And we have each other."

Winter took the opportunity to fully face Cinder, wrapping her in a genuine hug. "You won't ever leave me, will you Cinder?"

A twang spread through Cinder's cold heart and she was grateful the girl in her arms could not see her face. With a falsely applied smile, she rubbed her sister's back for comfort and realized the object digging into her side was the map leading far away from the Iceland's palace. Regrettably Cinder spoke her next words, knowing them to be a lie.

"I promise I will never leave you, Winter."

I hope you are all enjoying the story!

Guest mih: Thank you so much! I take that as the highest complement so thank you! And I was happy to see Kai as well.

I can't thank you reviewers enough, so please keep it up and I will try!