It was after the second month of winter had passed when Arishat noticed her womb had not bled on time. Nor did it bleed after the third month, when the snow that smothered the world outside had begun to melt at last. As if that did not give her enough of a sign, her belly had begun to swell by that point. It was a subtle rise at first, one that Isceradin had blamed on her growing appetite, but then how to account for the swelling of her breasts as well?

Yet another month went by. With the land warm...