Winter is normally associated with death. But today, midwinter, a new life came into the world. Breathing heavily and very weak, Clytia lay back on her raggedy bed and closed her eyes, as her sister Eunice began cleaning up her newborn baby. Eunice had seen many births, but this little girl was her niece, and that somehow made the child all the more miraculous.

But something was pressing down on their joy: the fact that this baby was illegitimate. Clytia had slept with a man named Quintillius, not knowing that he was married and didn't really care for her. That one-night-stand had been at the back of Clytia's mind until her Vestal Virgin sister Eunice had noticed her rounded stomach and urged her to see a doctor. That was when Clytia had found out that she was pregnant. Devastated, Clytia had decided to keep this between herself, Eunice, and the doctor who had given her the news. She believed that she would be fine with only her sister to help her in her birth; after all, Eunice was a trained midwife. And she had been right.

"What is it?" Clytia murmured.

"A girl," Eunice replied softly. "A healthy baby girl. Congratulations, Clytia."

"No," her sister groaned. "This isn't good."

"What?" Eunice frowned at her sister. "Why?"

"If it was a boy, I could have given him to Quintillius to raise. Surely he would not have denied the opportunity to have another soldier in the family. But nobody wants a girl."

"Clytia!" gasped Eunice, shocked. "The circumstances surrounding the girl's conceiving are irrelevant! It only matters that this little life has been born and it needs its mother to look after it."

"I will not," Clytia said, her voice weak but her tone firm.

Eunice had never been more shocked at her sister. The child, sensing her distress, began crying loudly and waving her little fists in the air. Clytia weakly rolled over and pressed her hands against her ears. This, to Eunice, was one of the worst things she could have done to her poor baby. Clytia hadn't even asked to hold her newborn, the baby that she had spent nine months carrying and nearly fourteen hours delivering.

Eunice began to rock the newborn gently. Their older brother had often asked her to babysit his five children, so she knew how to handle babies. "At least give her a name," she said disgustedly. "That's the least you can do, as her biological mother."

"If I give her a name or ask to hold her, I will get too attached. What is the use of giving her a name, anyway? She will be dead soon enough."

Eunice had thought that she couldn't be more shocked at her sister. She was wrong. At Clytia's words, she turned and gaped at her sister, almost speechless. "You…?!" She swallowed. "You plan to kill the child?!"

"Nobody will look after her," Clytia said despondently. "Not me. Not Quintillius."

"I will," Eunice snarled. "I will look after baby-." She hesitated for just a second, the perfect name coming to her head just as she spoke. "I will look after Emilia, myself."

Clytia didn't react to the name. She only said, "You have duties as a Vestal Virgin. How will you carry them out AND look after a baby?"

"The others will help," Eunice said firmly.

But even as she was talking, she knew that she would have to tell Quintillius about baby Emilia. If the mother could or would not raise the child, the duty fell to the father. But if HE would not, then Eunice would have to take the matter to the general. But there was still a high chance that Emilia would be entrusted to the Vestal Virgins anyway; that was where many illegitimate girls were sent. Eunice herself was not illegitimate, but she knew at least three others in the group who were.

"Clytia." Eunice drew herself up. "Are you refusing point-blank to raise your daughter?"

"Yes," Clytia replied softly. "I want nothing to do with her. I cannot have anyone knowing that I bore an illegitimate child."

Eunice felt an overwhelming wave of disgust towards her sister, but she forced the unpleasant emotion out of her voice and said, "Very well. You may stay here as long as you need to recover. I will be taking the child to Quintillius."

Eunice fully expected Clytia to argue against that, but she didn't say a word. So Eunice, with a heavy heart, wrapped the baby up in a blanket and left the house.

It was a very chilly night. Even though Emilia was covered in a thick blanket, Eunice still couldn't help keeping the child close to her chest for warmth. Her own robes were insulated fairly well.

Quintillius's house was not far away from the general's, considering the former was the latter's uncle. Eunice remembered that Quintillius had two sons of his own: the younger of which would be about seven by now.

She approached the house cautiously and knocked on the door. It only took a few seconds before a young boy came to the door. He looked to be about ten or eleven, too old to be the youngest. His face held a questioning look, the kind that Eunice had never seen on a kid before.

"Hello, is this the residence of Quintillius?" Eunice asked.

Instead of answering, the child asked a question of his own: "Are you a Vestal Virgin?"

Caught off guard, Eunice took a few seconds to nod. "I…yes, I am. My name is Eunice."

"I am Icarus," the boy said. "Is that a baby you have there?"

"Yes, and I really need to talk to Quintillius."

"Father is busy."

"Please tell him it is urgent," Eunice said. "It cannot wait."

Icarus gave an indifferent shrug and disappeared into the house, closing the door. Eunice waited outside in the cold for approximately five minutes, before a very annoyed-looking man came to the door. "What do you want?" he demanded.

Before Eunice could reply, the man's expression changed. "You…really are one of them Vestal Virgins?"

"I am," Eunice replied. "My name is Eunice. Am I to believe that you once had sexual relations with a woman named Clytia?"

"Clytia…" Quintillius thought for a while. It made Eunice angry that this man could barely even remember the name of the woman he slept with. Soon, recognition dawned on his face. "Oh…her… Who wants to know?"

"Her sister," Eunice replied simply. "Me."

Quintillius sighed and stepped outside the door, closing it behind him. "Look," he said quietly. "I don't want my wife to know, but…I did sleep with Clytia. But it was one time and I haven't seen her since."

"Well…" Eunice moved her robes and brought the baby into view. "How long was it since you were with her?"

"About eight or nine months," replied Quintillius, who was staring down at the baby.

That was when his face drained of colour and he took a step back. "Oh, no…no…"