It may be a matter of interpretation, but in No. 26 she says only that she and the Great Council agreed on a "journey of penance"--nothing about an abdication. To me, it read like a temporary exile.
It was really left open-ended, wasn't it? In #27, she tells them to give the throne to whomever they please, but wonders if they'll actually do that. So, true, no clear abdication - which is a pretty convenient open door for any future writer.