Juliane paced by the window, the moon's gleam sending the world aglow with an ethereal halo from the snowbanks. More was falling by the moment, and she knew that if she prolonged her decision it was only going to become more painful, not to mention more dangerous.

The world looked so heartbreakingly beautiful, thick swathes of white covering over the gray, dull winter landscape. It hid the earth until it could once again bloom in spring, but it was still just a temporary fix... a condolence of sorts until the world awoke from it's dormant hibernation.

Her fingers itched for paintbrushes to capture the moment, yet she shook her head ruefully. The moment was going to be fresh on the palette of her mind -- and heart -- for some time.

The gigantic house seemed to slumber, all but empty save for the few employed to tend to it. The festive decorations for Yule had gone up and come back down without any notice. She had not paid them any mind, relegating them to rooms she was careful not to frequent. They had been put up with hopes that had been unmet. And she had been the solitary resident for far too long.

It was not in her to even be upset about it any longer. There were things that required his attention. A country, for one, that he loved and held responsibility to whether or not he still bore the title of King. A legacy of secrets and questions and searches. The haunts and specters that propelled him along on this latest frantic search.

All the while, she could see it in his eyes but could never hear it from his lips. He talked over and around things so as not to upset or burden her, keeping the issues at arm's length as if that would keep them from affecting their future.

Or what could have been their future. She felt herself drawing farther and farther within herself every moment she stayed in the house, every time a servant addressed her as Sol'meykara. It was more than her nerves could stand.

A glance over her shoulder at the parcels by the door finally served to move her from the window. It was time to go. The draperies had been left wide so that the room remained encased in moonlight. For a moment, it seemed as if the fire in the fireplace was awaiting a happy pair to share a cup of warmth by it's side, voices echoing in her memory.

A blink of lashes dispersed the imaginings. Her eyes were dry and red-rimmed, the blink feeling as if sandpaper grated across her corneas.

Juliane shrugged into her coat and absentmindedly wound the scarf about her neck. Outside the door, the horses stamped impatiently to be on their way, puffs of breath hanging amidst the snowflakes hurling to earth. Gloves held in one hand, only one final thing remained. The twist of fingertips freed it, while the indentation in her flesh remained.

Hurriedly, she gathered up the few things and closed the door behind her, calling out to the stable lad to hand over the reins. She would drive to town alone.

On the hall table, a neatly scripted note was tucked beneath the portrait of a songbird, a precious circle of emeralds and diamonds twinkling atop it in silence.