She Who Smiles Before the Frost

Ah… ah… No move is wasted… She never rushes, never shows, She plants the seed and lets it grow, A word today, a glance delayed, A promise kept… a debt repaid. No clash of steel, no banners torn, She wins the night before it’s born, While others fight for crown and cost, She counts the years… and pays the loss. You play for now, you play for gold— She plays for what the years will hold— She smiles before the frost takes hold, Soft as silk and sharp as cold— You make your move, you think it’s yours… She made that move ten years before. No sudden strike, no reckless boast, She wins you slow… then takes you most— You never saw the hidden cost… She smiled before the coming frost. The priest will preach, the trader deals, The warrior trusts the edge of steel, Each thinks the path beneath them true— She placed the road… and guided you. A favor here, a rival gone, A quiet shift you build upon, By the time the truth is crossed— You’ve crowned the hand that keeps you lost. No blade to blame, no war to name— You walk yourself into her game— She smiles before the frost takes hold, Soft as silk and sharp as cold— You raise your flags, secure your throne… She lets you win what she will own. No need to strike, no need to chase, She closes time, she seals the place— And when you see what it has cost… She smiled before the coming frost. Not in the battle… but before… Not in the strike… but at the door… She does not break… she rearranges… The world you knew… slowly changes… She smiles before the frost takes hold, The end was written long ago— You thought the crown was yours to claim… She only needed you to play. No final war, no victory call, Just quiet hands that take it all— And when your kingdom turns to loss… She smiled before the coming frost. Ah… ah… You played your part…