Still reeling from shock, Sidrain opened his eyes wide and stared at Elena, waiting for an explanation.

“There’s been a little bit of a situation recently. Clarence brought up the Rosa first,” she told him.

When Elena had put The Queen in danger, she’d feared that she might have to get divorced. It was an unsettling idea, but if the King had banned her from entering the court, she would be expelled from society and then forced to get a divorce. She’d told Clarence that she was scared, and he then brought up the Rosa idea.

“If we do a Rosa, no one can divorce us. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time,” Clarence had said.  “We have a child to think of, a child!” Elena had replied.

“Rodrick’s already twenty-seven. He can live on his own. Now I want to be tied to you forever with a Rosa, and I don’t want you to be scared of divorce again,” Clarence had said, hoping to alleviate her stress.

Clarence was a year younger than Elena. They had met when they were young, and now they were in their fifties. The Rosa was such a heavy topic, and it wasn’t easy to decide on, even if you wanted to love your partner for eternity. If Elena got into a wagon accident, Clarence would die with her, and the family would lose both of them. There would be a great deal of confusion if an event like that occurred.

Clarence knew this, and yet he’d said that he wanted to get a Rosa. He’d chosen their love over the responsibility of the world. Elena had cried a lot that day as she’d sat listening to him, nodding her head over and over again.

“I need two witnesses to swear to God when I do the Rosa. Clarence is thinking of you, Your Highness.”

“I hate Rosa’s, Elena.”

“But you like Clarence.”

Sidrain clicked his tongue and frowned, shaking his head. He was unwilling to partake in the Rosa and flat out refused. “I’m so sorry,” he said, as gently as he could. Elena knew that he wouldn’t change his mind. When she bowed gracefully, Sidrain rested his chin on his hand and asked, “Are you suggesting that I do a Rosa too?”

It sounded funny when he said it, and Elena quickly shook her head, “No, Your Highness. I’m telling you this because how Clarence looked at me is very similar to how you look at The Queen. Your Highness, you will never see such a woman like her again.” Elena’s heart was in the right place, and she mumbled to herself mostly, “Please don’t miss the opportunity.”

Elena’s words exasperated Sidrain. It had been fourteen years. Iris was the woman he hadn’t forgotten in fourteen years and who seemed to get kinder and more lovely looking every day that he saw her! I know even if you don’t say it! I already know this. I don’t need to hear it from someone else!

“I know. I know! But she…” Sidrain lowered his voice. He didn’t want to be angry with Elena. “Keep talking. What about the Elehrosa? Do you think she’ll like that? Do you think she’ll be happy when she finds out that she can only bear my children?”

First of all, Iris, The Queen, dropped the cup of tea she was holding when she heard about the Elehrosa. The teacup landed on the floor with a loud clang and shattered into tiny pieces. Next, her body hardened, and she looked like she’d turned into a statue.

Elena soon became worried because her face had turned snow-white, and she tried to get her attention. “My Queen?”

“Sorry, yes. There’s that idea.” Iris’s bright blue eyes darted about nervously. Pregnancy!There is that to consider! Oh, my God. How could she keep forgetting the situation where she might have to bite that dirty thing of Sidrain’s!

Iris had never heard of Elehrosa before, but she thought she understood how it worked after Elena had explained it to her. It seemed to be a magic contract of sorts. Iris didn’t seem to have a hard time figuring out what it entailed, and then she remembered that there was a day, once a month, that she’d have to spend with Sidrain. I have to run before that day! She was more determined to do that now than ever before.

Elena watched as Iris nibbled on her bottom lip. She instinctively knew that Iris was thinking of running away, so she grabbed her hand and thought carefully about what to do as she pulled her through the broken glass at her feet.

Iris’s desire to escape was written all over her face. It was a much more serious matter than Elena had thought.