Aysel lowered herself to the floor with careful, practised movements, one hand supporting her enormous belly, the other bracing against the dining room wall. At seven and a half months pregnant, every motion required thought and planning, but she managed to settle beside Alyra with a quiet grace that spoke of inner strength.

She was beautiful, Alyra noticed through her tears. Even heavily pregnant, even with exhaustion written in the shadows under her eyes, there was something gentle and kind in Aysel's face that seemed completely at odds with the darkness of this place.