“It has felt like ages, I wonder if the outside world is as bad as this...?" The chattering voice of a mare asked the long vacant halls of the crystal palace. The sound clinking pertaining to polished metal, for the endlessly long time that had gone by, touched upon the crystal surface below. From around a half frozen corner, a hoof gilded in soft gleaming crystalline metals followed by the long, slender leg of the pink Alicorn rounded the corner. Her faded crystal blue eyes looked upon the silent halls of the castle. All was silent aside from the howling of the cold winds of the north, which whipped and whirled against the outside of the castle. The walls which had held against the gusts and the gales of centuries of storms and weathered them all.
Princess Flurry Heart, ruler of the Crystal Empire stood in this cold and empty hallway... Like a thousand times before she wandered these halls... almost like a ghost. It was truly silent, save for the blustering of the wind from outside. She shivered a little as she held her wings more tightly against her sides and even wrapped them partly against her chest and barrel. She was wearing a long wool gown which covered from her chin to tail and yet she remained still cold. But even as old and as patchy, it still did its job.
Walking the hallways she would look into the now long abandoned rooms, doors left open frozen where they had been left, possessions sat where their owners had left them, so long ago. Passing a window, the lonely mare stared out, managing a glimpse beyond the curtain of snowflakes. To see the snowdrifts had moved and some were revealing what were a few houses which had remained standing. Crystal structures some of which had collapsed under the ice and snow, some remained standing and looked mostly intact. Even after these long centuries. Sighing, a sad sound as she let the air from her lungs mist before her forming a small cloud in front of her face. Closing the blinds of that window, preserving what heat was left. She would make her way towards the castle's throne room, her throne room. Once she had pushed the massive double doors open, stepping a hoof inside she would look up and around at all the massive crystal and stained glass windows of all the wondrous things which had taken place, so long ago.
Stepping up towards the throne, she looked upon it, her eyes looking upon the seat which her mother had claimed and freed from the clutches of King Sombra. A dour expression on her eternally youthful if a bit pale and cold face. She would look at the seat which was since her mother, Princess Cadance had stepped down. Had indeed become her own. She looked around before shaking her head.
"If only you could see me now... I wish you were here Mom, Dad." She whispered to herself, as if hoping there was some other to hear it. But no pony ever did. There had not been another soul in the castle much less the empire in a very long time. Still forever dutiful , she climbed the steps of the dais and took her seat, making sure her gown was between her flank and the cold seat and just... sat, staring at her throne room before closing her eyes. And so she waited, the Princess of the Crystal Empire. Indeed, the ruler of the Crystal Empire, or what little was left of it...