Adora has her first period and panics. Angella is there to help.

"Your majesty?" A maid flagged Angella down with a subtle wave. Angella excused herself from the conversation with a polite smile. She nodded to the maid. "How are you, Amanda?" They walked off to the side, away from the general crowd. Amanda nodded in greeting. "Forgive me for being so bold, but I fear something is wrong with Princess Adora," Angella narrowed her eyes. "How so? Is she injured?" Angella began to walk in the direction of the blonde soldier's bedroom. Amanda stumbled to her pace. "Not in the way of physical ailments,"

Angella stopped. She turned, confused. "I'm afraid I don't understand," Amanda shifted where she stood. "Um... myself and my team have noticed some... abnormalities... when cleaning her room in the last few days," Angella crossed her arms, not liking where the conversation was headed. "Such as?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. Amanda retreated into herself. "Well... uh... she's not had bedsheets... for the last two days," Angella blinked a few times. "I'm sorry? What does that have to do with something being wrong?" She asked. Amanda cleared her throat. "Well, we put the bedsheets and quilt cover on every single morning... but by the following, they're gone. Completely," Angella hummed in thought. "I shall ask her. Continue replacing the bedsheets as you have been,"

...

The following morning, Amanda approached Angella again. "Your Majesty, I have reason to believe Princess Adora is hiding an injury," She proclaimed. Angella straightened in her chair. "What reason is that?" She asked tersely. Amanda displayed the bedsheet. The otherwise pristine white sheet was marred with a dark stain, almost black. Angella's brain flew at a million miles a minute. "Is that blood?" She asked quietly. Amanda nodded. "Yes,"

Angella inhaled sharply. "Initially, I thought it was a simple cycle arrival. But this is not the colour it usually goes. Most cycle accidents turn brown. Not black," Angella threaded her fingers. "I shall ask her. I will be most unhappy if she is hiding an injury," Amanda nodded curtly. "Should we continue to replace the sheets?" Angella nodded. "Yes. Do as you have been. I will track down Adora,"

It didn't take her long, surprisingly. She checked the training room first. Adora had been in there, but in the early hours of the morning, according to the guard by the door. Angella checked the courtyard, then the library. Both were empty.

On a long shot, she checked Adora's bedroom.

Sure enough, beneath a pile of blankets, the blonde slumbered. Angella crept in, shutting the door softly behind her. She approached the lump and shook it gently. "Adora? Are you awake?" She called softly. The lump shifted with a grumble. "No,"

Angella chuckled softly, peeling back the layers. "Come on, I need you to wake up. I have to ask you something," As if a switch had been flicked, the remaining blankets tumbled to the ground as Adora revealed herself. Her hair was as dishevelled as her clothes; an immediate warning sign. Never mind her hunched-over form... Angella placed a hand on her shoulder. "Adora, to be frank, I need to know something," She said. Adora's jaw clenched as she shifted. "Are you hiding an injury?" She asked. Adora's face changed, though Angella couldn't quite place to what.

"Um... I don't think so," Came the response.

Angella raised her eyebrows. "Elaborate," She gestured. Adora's arms wound around her middle as she sat. "Um... since Monday... I uh... I've woken up in... um... blood... I think," The girl stuttered. Angella felt a weight lift off her shoulders as she took a seat. "Is that why my bedsheets have been dwindling slightly?" Adora flushed. "We were taught to burn unwashable things," Angella chuckled softly. "Adora, you're not injured,"

Adora's face visibly began to process what Angella was saying. "You are on your period, it's your cycle week," She explained. Adora narrowed her eyes slightly. "Do they not teach you about sex education and the female anatomy in the Horde?" Angella asked. Adora shook her head softly. "The only people allowed to know, understand and partake in sexual activities were those over eighteen," She explained robotically. Angella mewled softly in her throat, reaching to touch Adora's knee. "It is nothing to worry about. It's a good thing. It means your body is functioning as it should,"

Adora gestured to her stomach. "Then why does it hurt so much? And why do I bleed so much?"

Angella cleared her throat softly. "Let me explain..."

"So... if I want children..." Adora began. Her face was significantly paler than when the conversation began. "I have to have them out of my... area?" Angella nodded. "If you so choose to with your partner. A man can make a child with you easily. But if you were to marry a woman, you would need a spellcaster's help in fertilising the egg,"

Adora shivered. "And... it hurts?" Angella scoffed lightly. "Like no other pain on Etheria," She said. Adora paled. "But when you hold your newborn after it all, nothing else matters. Just you and your baby," She smiled softly, remembering the feel of Glimmer in her arms. "Everything else simply fades away,"

Adora shifted. "And... I bleed every month? For a week?" Angella waved her hand. "It's not always regular, but that's the general gist of it, yes. Some ladies bleed for five days, some bleed for the entire week, and others only bleed for three. It depends on the body,"

Adora nodded. "How... how do I stop the blood from ruining my clothes and bed again?" Angella gestured to the display of products on the bed. "The pads are simple and easy to use, though you have to change them every few hours. Ladies usually start with those until they're acquainted with their cycles enough to use tampons," She gestured to the other product. Adora picked it up and looked it over. "Seeing as this is your first cycle, I would suggest using the pads for now," Angella said. "They're easy. You simply put them in your undergarments and get on with your day,"

Adora nodded with a small smile, picking up the towel. "Have you done this... "talk" with Glimmer? Does she understand it?" Angella nodded. "Yes. Glimmer started her cycles when she was ten, so she could answer any questions you feel unsure about,"

Adora winced. "That must've sucked. The only thing we had to worry about at ten was beating our personal records in the simulation room," She said offhand. "Do they stop after you have kids?" She asked, flipping the pad over in her grasp. Angella cleared her throat softly. "Not entirely... you'll continue to have them until somewhen in your fifties,"

Adora gaped. "FIFTIES?!"

She flopped against the bed. "I thought being a woman was cool... it sucks,"

Angella chuckled.