((a mix of play off of Snowstorm Hannibal and Forgetting Fate))

She laid back amongst the gratuitous amounts of silken pillows this morning. It wasn't that she was tired. She was never tired, or, exhausted physically. Ones like her never required sleep, never needed food. She was past that. Food and Sleep were luxury, indulgence, something subject to whim. Today, it was the whim of simply being lazy.

The falling outside her heavily and fine draped window had her attention. She loved coming to Rhydin in the winter. The seasons changed here. Many things changed here. But this would be a particularly wicked snow fall from what she was hearing. Many homes and facilities would be opening their doors to the public, ensuring the welfare of the local populace. Unlike ShinKa. Its doors and walls would remain shut. It wasn't like she didn't care about the majority of the stragglers or less fortunate, though she didn't care. It was that she didn't like strangers wandering around in her home, and this particular timing was bad...

A knock on her door could only mean one thing. Ami and tea.

Ami had been in earlier to tend to the fireplace and silently go about her duties. As Ami slipped through the door Mylly could smell the smells of breakfast mixing with the scent of fresh soap and linens. Most of all the scent of orange and berry drifting up from the tea serving that was gently put aside.

"Morning Mistress" Ami stood holding the heavy silk dressing robe ready for her to slip easily into.

"Good Morning Ami" Mylly rose from the bed as she corrected her maid. Ami smiled and agreed. "Good Morning Mistress."

Long ago Myllyanna stated that only the Mistress or Master of the house would determine what kind of day it would be. Today would be a good one. A busy one but a good one.

"JunBao?" Myllyanna asked as she slipped her arms into the robe and turned to pick up her own cup of tea instead of wait.

"Awake and has eaten Mistress. He is down stairs in the living room." Ami moved away and parted the drapes further to let more of the winter light in. She already knew the next question.

"Has he begun to mope yet?" "At first light Mistress. He laments AmberMists" "He'll be fine in no time." Myllyanna waved her hand dismissively as she moved over to the vanity and took a seat with a long and last sip of her breakfast flavored tea. Ami, taking the cup, put it down to pick up the brush and began running its mink bristles through the loose strands of ebony.

"Mr Jax?" Myllanna asked as she ran her fingers over many obnoxiously beautiful and antique hair clips and combs. She'd asked Garret to stay in the warmth of the Keep during the storm, but he was free to come and go. Enough time had passed after the events of the Raven. Yet there was much unfinished, and new, business. She had questions, some of them she already knew the answers too, but there was more to it than that. Sometimes, hearing the answer you knew come from someone elses lips opened new questions. And there was much now that she was curious about. Very much curious and concerned. There were possibilities and uncertainties.

Myllyanna only dealt in certainties. She hated uncertainties. Within her fingers SNAPPED the hair pin causing Ami to jump and Myllyanna was even shocked at her sudden....whatever it was. She unfurled her fingers to see the remains of a clearly broken long gold and pearl hair pin.

Ami deftly took the bits from Mylly's hand in a hurry "Mistress," as she looked turned her hand delicately over. " I am sorry. Are you hurt Mistress?"

Ami's concern was genuine as Myllyanna realized she'd just been staring at her own hand and the broken pin. Mylly dusted her hands absently and let the sound of annoyance slip from her lips.

"Of course I'm not hurt silly girl." She motioned to an opal and platinum set arranged in a snow flake. "I think that one will do better today."

In silence Ami attended to her Mistresses every need which seems dramatically more than her older clothing. Robes upon robes upon robes and bindings were one things. But since living in AmberMist, Mylly had taken a passionate liking to neoVictorian corsets and buttons and flaunting her already soft and curvy figure. Have you ever had to be the one to tighten a corset on someone that could kill you without a single word"

As Myllyanna admired herself in the ornate long dressing room mirror, Ami smiled and went to throw the broken pearl pin away.

"No." Ami froze and backed away, the shining bits still in her hand. "Take it into town after the snow has melted."

Ami didn't know what to think of such. It wasn't like they could not be replaced, and the Mistress never kept anything that was broken. This had been one of Ami's favorites to...

"Once it is mended, you may have it." Myllyanna pretended to be looking at herself but watched Ami out of the corner of her eye.

" one of Ami's favorites to use in her Mistress's hair. She'd never imagined she'd be able to use it. Ami was not allowed the fancy and flamboyant dress and accessories. She had received only the simplest jewelry on birthdays and holidays. She looked up from the hairpin to say thank you but her Mistress had already glided out of the room.

Ami looked back down at her hands. Even broken it was still beautiful. She knew her Mistress knew it was one of her favorites of all time.

But why she wondered?

She slid it into her little apron pocket with much care.