Anya, an orphaned girl with striking red hair and blue eyes, endures harsh guardianship under a cruel stepmother and stepsister. Exploited for labor and subjected to emotional abuse, her difficult life is evident in early scenes showing her gathering firewood in a winter forest, visibly distressed. She wears simple peasant clothing suited to the cold.

Her circumstances shift dramatically when the Queen demands galanthus flowers (snowdrops) in winter, offering gold. Forced by her stepmother into a blizzard on this impossible task, Anya nearly freezes to death. Her plight is witnessed by the Twelve Months, spirits personifying each month, who save her life. They grant her temporary seasonal change to gather the flowers and entrust her with a magical ring for future contact, imposing strict secrecy about their existence. Anya demonstrates integrity by honoring this promise despite intense pressure from the Queen, her stepmother, and stepsister.

Her resilience is tested again when her stepsister steals the magic ring, enabling the antagonists to locate the Twelve Months' gathering. The spirits intervene, transforming the stepmother and stepsister into dogs as punishment for their cruelty and deceit, specifying the curse lasts until they demonstrate genuine moral improvement.

Anya's interactions with the Queen highlight thematic contrasts between their orphaned backgrounds. While the Queen displays brattish behavior fueled by unchecked privilege, Anya's compassion and loyalty gradually influence the monarch toward self-reflection and reform. Their relationship evolves into mutual understanding by the story's conclusion. Anya's inner emotional state and perseverance are often conveyed through her musical expression, particularly her opening theme song reflecting determination amidst hardship.