Iris

Welcome, one and all.
How about I tell you another of my favorite stories tonight? For sure it'll distract you from everything you're a-frettin' over.
It's a story from the distant, distant past, from a time when people's wishes still came true.

Far, far off in the distant North, there was a country of beautiful winters. Now of course the spring and autumn were lovely too, but it was the winter time above all, when the entire country was shrouded with snow, that warmed the hearts of the people.

On one such beautiful, sparkling winter morning, the Queen who ruled over the country was doing her needlework, while gazing out at the snow from one of the palace windows. So fascinated was the Queen with the beauty of the fluttering snow that she accidentally pricked her finger on her needle.

Drip... drip... drip...

The blood that fell from the Queen's finger dyed the pure white snow a vivid red. As she looked at it, the Queen thought to herself,
"Is it not beautiful? If I were but to have a child as white as this snow, as red as this blood, and as black as the windowsill upon which I sit, surely the King would be overwhelmed with happiness."

Very soon after that, the Queen gave birth to a daughter. The Princess was so incredibly beautiful that rumors of her spread as far as the spring country, and of course the autumn and summer countries too.
Because, you see, she was as white as snow, as red as blood, and with hair as black as the windowsill.

The King gave the Princess the special name of 'Iris', and lavished her with attention. Oh yes he did, even more than the Queen that had born this precious daughter for him...

Continued in Johanna's story...