At my parent's wedding reception, a fairy prophesied that Father would have four daughters. Winter, Summer, Spring, and Autumn. For the most part, those aren't our actual names. It's simply what we are.

I, being the eldest, am Winter. I have powers that can control anything related to Winter. I can make a blizzard, but I just can't make it melt.

That's where my sisters come in. Summer was born next, so she can control anything related to Summer, like a fire, for example. She just can't put it out, like I can't put out my snow and blizzards and anything else.

After Summer, Spring was born. She's the one who can melt my snow and put out Summer's fire. She can also heal things and make things grow. It was extraordinary, seeing her use her powers after she was born. Before she was taken, all those years ago.

The youngest of my sisters is Autumn. She can also put out Summer's fires, but because the season of Autumn has lower temperatures than Spring or Summer, she obviously can't melt snow.

Autumn can make things wilt, though. It is pretty simple, really.

Our names are not actually the Seasons, like I've said before, it's what we are.

My name is actually Frostine. Frostine means snow, and I always rather liked my name.

Summer was named Kyra, which means sun. She really always did shine as bright as the sun.

As a child, I always wondered why our parents chose those names for us, but then Governess Florence taught me the meanings behind our names, and it all came into place.

After Summer came Spring. Ancient Mythology dictates that the first Spring was named Demeter. The other three names of the original Season Siblings have unfortunately been lost to history. She was named Demi, as a shortening, or a twist on Demeter.

The youngest of us all was named Autumn, which means born in the fall.

My sisters and I live in the village, and Father lives at the palace. Well, most of my sisters live in the village with me. Demi doesn't. I don't know where she is. None of us really do. Father's held extensive searches for her, but we haven't found her. Yet.

A day after she was born, she was taken. We don't know what she looks like anymore, but we do know her powers. When she was born, her hair lit up, and it healed Mother. Demi's birth was a hard one, and Mother almost died from it. Then Demi healed her.

Mother still ended up dying. She died a few years after Autumn's birth. Autumn was only 3. I was 12. I remember every detail. Spring would have been 6, and Summer was 9.

Now, I'm 18. Summer's 15, and Autumn's 9. Spring would be 12. I'm really the only one who actually keeps track of Spring's age. Everyone else is too focused with everything going on in their lives, but I think that it's important to keep track of her age.

I saw the witch take her, but we don't have registered witches or whatever. For the most part, we typically let them live in peace. They are still human. They just have magical properties like my sisters and me. I wouldn't want us to be hunted!

"Frostie! I have a letter from Father!" Autumn yells as she enters, Summer at her heels. We love getting letters from Father. They typically mean invitations to balls. We love balls. After all, we are princesses. Why wouldn't we love balls? They are practically our religion.

"That's great, Autumn. Read it aloud, would you, dear?" I tell her, excited. Autumn's face lights up,

"'My sweet, dear daughters, I am getting mar-'" Autumn's face froze, with her in a face that's almost crying. "Father's getting remarried."

"What?" I exclaim. Out of all of my sisters, I'm the one who still isn't over Mother's death, but none of us are actually ok with Father moving on. We still love our late Mother. She was the kindest of souls. She didn't deserve to die. Father should still be mourning her. He did love her. He decided as a young prince to only marry for love. True love, like he had for Mother. "He's getting remarried?" I spat at her. "Give that to me."

"Alright, alright! Here. You don't need to get so angry," she says as she hands me the letter.

"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. So Father really is getting remarried," I say as I read the letter. I wipe away my frozen tears from beneath my eyes. I'm almost surprised they're frozen. My tears aren't frozen very often. "Here. You guys can finish reading the letter. I'm going to go for a walk. I need to clear my mind."

"Bye, Frostie," Autumn and Summer each say as I walk past them. I give them a slight nod of acknowledgment. I can't trust my voice. Not now. Not when I'm just finding out Father's getting remarried! My own Father, who's never gotten over Mother. It's sad, really. No, disappointing is a better word.

Ever since Mother died, I've always wore black or dark blue. My sisters only took a year of mourning before they went back to wearing normal clothing. They never got why I persisted in wearing dark clothing.

No one could ever understand.

"Um, Hello. I'm lost, could you help me?" someone says, but it all sounds so fuzzy, I can't be sure it's not my imagination. "Excuse me?" the voice replies, now snapping me back to reality.

"Oh, of course! Where are you going?" I reply.

"I... um.. I don't really know... I'm running away, really. When I was little, I was... adopted, kind of. I don't know who my parents were. I'm trying to find them, actually."

"Really? Well, you can come live with me and my sisters for now, but I have to warn you. We're an interesting bunch."

"Really? Thank you! What's your name?"

"Frostie. What's yours?"

"My name?"

"Yes. What do I call you?"

"Well, you can call me Lizzie."

"Nice to meet you Lizzie." I led Lizzie to our house.

"Frostie, who's this?" Summer asks, cautious.

"I'm Lizzie. I'm on the run, and Frostie, right? said that I could stay here for a bit," Lizzie says. "If that's alright with you, of course."

"What do you mean, on the run?" Autumn asks. Being princesses, we abide by the law. Most of the time.

"I'm running away from a...well, I'm running away from home so that I could find my real family. Why?" Lizzie wonders. Autumn and Summer relax.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all! I'm Kyra, and this is Autumn. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Lizzie replies.

So Lizzie stayed with us.

And Father was getting married. In a month. How could he do this to me? To us?

Father is not being fair about this. He didn't even ask us for our opinion. We don't even know who he's marrying, or why.

He still loves Mother. He always wears light blue, Mother's favorite color. He does it in honor of her.

And now he's marrying someone else. Not fair.

Not fair to any of us.

Not fair to me who had to stand by, not able to do anything, while my Mother died. While he and Autumn and Summer were out waving to crowds. While they were having fun, I was at the Palace, watching my own dear Mother die.

And afterwards being blamed for not being able to do anything.

Not being able to freeze time.

Because I couldn't. I didn't have my Winter powers.

They were taken from me when we lost Spring. When we lost Demi.

It's hardly fair, isn't it? I was always there when bad things happened to my family. I was the one who was there when that wicked witch stole Demi.

I was the one who was there when my Mother died.

I was the one who had to stand by, powerless.

And they think they understand.

They can never really understand.

Never in a million years.

Not until they had to stand, not being able to do anything while your little newborn sister was being taken away. Not until they had to stand by, not being able to freeze time while your Mother was dying.

That's what I had to do. It still haunts me. I still get nightmares from those things.

And they think they understand.

They cannot understand.

They can never, never understand until they lived those things.

They just seriously can't.

And that's why I'm alone in this world full of people.I was the one who had to stand by, powerless.

That's what I had to do. It still haunts me. I still get nightmares from those things.

And they think they understand.

They cannot understand.

They can never, never understand until they lived those things.

They just seriously can't.

And that's why I'm alone in this world full of people.