Aveline had discovered that morning that her monthly cycle had returned.
Again.
She stared at the evidence with a deep sense of betrayal.
Who had decided this was a reasonable thing for women to endure every month?
The inconvenience alone was irritating enough. The cramps were worse. The strange heaviness in her body made her want to curl into a blanket and refuse to acknowledge the existence of the outside world. If she ever met the person responsible for designing the female body, she had several complaints she wished to file.
Still, beneath all her grumbling, there was a quiet relief.
At least she was healthy.
After everything that had happened in recent months, it was a reassuring reminder that her body was functioning as it should.
That did not mean she had to like it.
She spent the entire day resting and did not fully wake until the sun had gone down. When she finally stirred, the room was dim and quiet, wrapped in the soft hush of evening.
