So March 21st 3 years ago was the day I met my soul sister Princess Emberess of Underland on fanfiction. I wouldn't be who I am today if it weren't for her so I made her a little gift. The flashback in this story was inspired by a scene in a little known Helena movie called Women Talking DIrty that Ember and I like to watch on facetime, as well as the birth story about one of the dancers on Dance Moms who did a dance called "Red Queen." Happy friendiversary, sis. You're the Ellen to my Cora, the Elphaba to my Glinda, the Zelda to my Hilda and I love you! -Ros

"Ember?"

"Yes, Rozzie?"

"Are we ever gonna end up like Mummy and Aunt Mirana?"

Ember closed the book she was reading at the question her little sister had just asked. It had been less than a year since their mother and aunt had allegedly made up for the "tart incident" and decided to co-rule Underland as two different kingdoms, but the two queens were back at each other's throats again, and threats of war were being made, but it was unlikely that either sister would make good on her threat without her respective champion in the picture.

The question was absurd of course. Just because Ember was a redhead and Rosalind was a blonde and the two princesses were almost three years apart like Iracebeth and Mirana didn't mean anything. Rosalind was a naturally anxious person who tended to perseverate on the strangest of notions once they entered her mind.

"Sis, you know that's never going to happen."

"What about if we end up like the Aunties?" Rosalind persisted, referring to their three godmothers, the Sanderson Sisters. "Auntie Winnie always says she only likes Auntie Mary and Auntie Sarah because they're sisters and she has to like them."

"Are you serious!? No I don't only like you because you're my sister! You've been my best friend since you were old enough to speak!"

"Really?" Rosalind asked.

"Yeah. I remember the day you were born. I mean I wasn't even three yet, but I'll never forget."

"You were there?" Rosalind asked.

"Well I was there when Mum's water broke and she forced me to stay in the room to support her even though I was only a toddler. It was kind of a big deal. She threw your father out of the room. Not that he cared. He went out to pick a bar fight in town after she started screaming at him."

Ros "What happened then?"

Ember sat up on her bench in the rose garden to tell her sister the story "Well, it was a dark and stormy night in September. Mum was almost three weeks late when her water finally broke. I'm pretty sure the whole kingdom could hear her scream…"

Iracebeth gritted her teeth against the pain as she attempted to sit up in bed. Her contractions started almost four days ago and she was finally fully dilated. This time was nothing like what she remembered of Emberess's birth. This child wasn't planned, but from the moment she knew of its existence, she was hell bent on protecting it, even going so far as to kill her husband to keep him from finding out she had cheated on him a second time.

Emberess on the other hand was only a toddler and was seated on the bed next to her mother, watching bewildered as Iracebeth writhed in agony. She insisted her daughter, the only person she considered family at this point, be present to support her in Stayne's absence. The little girl absently wiped her mother's flushed face with wet rags. The only other sounds in the castle besides the queen's blood-curdling screams was the pounding of rain against the windows. In utter frustration, she ripped one of the heart shaped throw pillows on the bed in two and threw it at one of the midwives, who knew better than to answer back. A younger, less experienced midwife had made the mistake of telling Iracebeth to breathe and received a slap across the face that left a red handprint on her cheek.

"Don't you fucking dare tell me what to do! I'm the fucking queen, not you!" she roared. Iracebeth was normally too well bred to swear, but at this point, all bets were off and if she wanted to talk like a tavern whore, that was her right.

"Fuck!" Ember repeated innocently. Her mother was too distracted to reprimand her two year old for parroting her choice word, and instead chose to lash out at the army of midwives at her disposal.

"You're inept! You're all inept!" she shouted. "Especially Stayne, the bloody stupid fucking bastard deadbeat cunt…what the devil is going on down there!?"

"You're about ready to push, your Majesty." one of the women spoke up.

"I'll push you in a minute, you ignorant bunter!" Iracebeth snapped as a flash of lightning struck outside the castle, digging her nails into the sides of her heart shaped bed. Suddenly she felt a sharp lurch in her womb as she pushed for the first time.

"What the bloody hell was that?" she demanded. "I just felt something!"

"It's crowning…" the midwife positioned between Iracebeth's thighs assured, then frowned. "This can't be right, I see a foot. I think your baby did a flip in the womb."

"Oh that's just bloody fantastic!" Iracebeth snapped sarcastically. She used all the rage and frustration at these idiots placed in charge of the well being of herself and her child, not to mention her irritation at the child's absent father who was probably off trying to pick a bar fight at the moment, to push the baby out to its hips, all the while screaming bloody murder.

"It's a girl" the midwife shouted.

"Thank fuck!" shouted Iracebeth. She didn't even want to think about having a miniature Stayne running around the castle. She finally managed to expel the baby, but unlike Ember when she was born, the new princess was silent.

"What's wrong with my daughter!?" she shouted, falling back against the pillows as the wench she slapped cut the cord, which was wrapped around the baby's neck. The baby took in a sharp breath of air and shrieked. "She's got a set of lungs on her. " remarked the midwife, handing her off to her mother. "And a lovely head of hair as well. A pretty little blonde."

Iracebeth lay back against the pillows, exhausted, holding the new baby. The nurses were right, she had little wisps of hair like pure gold thread slicked against her scalp. Iracebeth couldn't help but think of her mother at that moment. She undid her nightgown and let her daughter suck. Ember watched with rapt attention.
"Emberess, meet your little sister, Rosalind." Iracebeth chose the name because it meant "beautiful rose" in Latin. For a moment, she feared the two princesses wouldn't get along. Ember seemed indifferent to the news of getting a sibling as she was about Mirana and she didn't want a repeat of what happened between them. Neither daughter was planned, but both would be well loved.

"Mummy? May I hold her?" Ember asked her mother, and all of Iracebeth's fears of sibling rivalry between her two beautiful bastard girls vanished.

"Yes, darling, of course. But be gentle, she's very delicate." Emberess crossed her arms, mimicking her mother and held her sister. "Hi little Rozzie," she cooed. "I'm your big sister and I love you." baby Rosalind giggled and reached for her sister's finger.

"Wow…" was all Rosalind could manage after Ember's story.

"Yeah, that's why I'm never having children." Ember laughed.

"I don't know, sis. What happens when you become queen, though? I'll probably be married off to some stranger."

"I thought of that, sissy." Ember said, smiling warmly. "I asked Mum that when I take the throne, you and I can co rule. And it'll obviously work better than the current situation because we get along. She liked the idea too."

"You did that for me?" Rosalind asked.

"I'm not losing my best friend to some idiot from another kingdom." she said,

"I love you sissy." Rosalind wrapped Ember into a tight hug, then looked her in the eye with a deadly serious expression. "But can I ask you one more favor?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I stay in the castle with you and not live in Marmoreal?" Ember laughed.

"Of course."