The snow blew in flurries around her as she stood on the balcony of the newly finished palace.

The tan lioness twisted her lush blue hair with her gentle paw before she looked out into the soft landscape. The capital's construction was going nicely, stopping only for the animals of Zeola to follow the natural flow of the winter in its frozen glory. They were not going to push through nature's plea for peace and calm as the world resets itself, as those who reigned before and perished had.

The tan lioness gripped her small vest, which covered her lightly striped shoulders before stopping about her waist, giving way to the navy, velvet dress underneath. Her ears twitched as she heard the glorious sounds of a songbird's choir raise their chirping voice to the snowing sky and fly into the divine evening, faultless colors of white, grey and blues contributing to the scene which laid before the elegant lady. Although the wind was light, and only twirled the falling snowflakes even at its strongest breeze, the lioness felt herself lose breath in admiration, listening to the carrying voices of the young, female songbirds soaring through the glorious snow.

"It would be like you've never seen snow before, isn't that so, Mariah?" a whispering voice was heard from within the palace.

The lioness, the one named Mariah, turned to the voice. She smiled as the voice stepped out into the snow-filled world with her. "Your majesty..."

"Mariah, I insist, call me Hallelujah."

"As you wish."

Hallelujah, the gracious majesty of the world, looked around herself, reaching her right paw out slowly to allow majestic snowflakes to fall onto its furry surface. Her pink-and-orange tail, a pleasing contrast to the rest of her light blue fur, flicked with her wonder. "It is the elegance of nature that renders me a child still..." She smiled, giggling a tiny bit at the snow in her paw, before going to the balcony's edge to gaze out at the landscape with Mariah. "Look at those birds..." She began, jaw almost dropping. "how they use nature's gifts to glorify beauty beyond understanding."

Mariah nodded gently but felt no need to speak further. She gazed out once more, ears transfixed by the calls of songbirds in their natural, magical element. A melody of soft, yet having surgent power, formed in her mind. She believed that this melody was forming in her queen's mind too, as she could see right in the corner of her vision, the queen mouthing the words that came along with her melody. Moved by the world in renewed splendor, as well as this inner tune, she reshuffled herself unconsciously to add her commentary to the scene.

The instant she parted her lips to deliver melodical praise to nature's newest masterpiece and delivered her song, she heard the queen in sync with her, singing the exact message...

"Oh, night divine."