As dawn broke in the dim sky, crusty white flakes began to fall from above, landing softly on the ground and covering everything beneath the heavens in a thick layer of snow. As always, Ma'am Ethelswilt had already gotten out of bed, carefully inspecting the castle maids as they bustled about, preparing breakfast for the Lycans who would soon awaken. A warm smile creased her face as she looked through the kitchen window, surveying the scene blanketed in white by the first snowfall of the winter season.

It was a habitual sight she had been used to for the past three hundred years. Surprisingly, the magic of the moment never...