<blockquote>There is a tale the young maidens of the kingdom tell, gathered together at the river’s edge, washing clothes against the rocks. It goes this way – once there was a woman who had something taken from her by a foolish, deceitful man. The loss grew within her until it was a thorn in her side, silver and sharp, stealing her breath as fast as she could gasp it. There was only one girl in the entire kingdom with hands small enough to slip between her ribs and pull it free.</blockquote>
