Epilogue
In the middle of a great castle made of crystal and glass, there stood a clear coffin surrounded by Fae guards.
The coffin had been there for many, many years, housing a sleeping queen with white-blonde hair and gray skin, the delicate crown on her head drawing magic from the forest around them to keep her alive.
It was like an invisible tether kept her energy and concentration elsewhere, that she simply couldn't manage to move her body while focusing so much on her working.
And then, one day, the tether broke.
The Faerie guards could not feel the snap like she could. They could only see the lid of the coffin shift as it was pushed open from the inside, see her sit up slowly and stretch from her long sleep.
The curse had been broken, against all odds.
Apparently, if you wanted a job done right, you needed to be sure it was done yourself.
Queen Lily plastered an effortless, cruel smile on her face as she climbed out of the glass coffin placed in the innermost courtyard of the Fae palace. Startled, the guards on duty turned to her with wide eyes, bowing low.
"Good morning, Your Majesty."