Time frame: around six months after the end of DotW

Baekhyun didn’t really understand women.

Living in the Sanctuary since small, surrounded by his brothers, the only females he’d known were only the Matrons. Of course, there were also the many castle’s maids and ladies and others that he’d met after he became a Guardian, but he had never gotten close to them.

In fact, he can honestly say that the first woman he’d ever got close to was Iola.

Baekhyun likes Iola. He loves her even; she was the sister he never has. She was smart and strong and kind-hearted, yet mischievous and playful enough to go along with any antics and pranks that he, Jongdae and Chanyeol might come up with.

In the months he had known her, Baekhyun thought he knew and understood Iola pretty well, and by extension, women in general.

Boy, was he wrong.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Baekhyun was calmly stirring his drink, enjoying the stillness of the morning, when the chair besides him was pulled roughly, scraping the stone floor with a screeching sound before somebody plopped down on it.

“I hate today,” Iola said with a frown.

Baekhyun blinked. It was unusual to see Iola in such a disgruntled mood; she had quite a sunny disposition that he was more accustomed to see a grin or a smile on her face.

“Why?”

“Just because today exist, and it !”

Baekhyun blinked again. Well, that was clarifying…….not. Added to that, Iola seemed to be glowering at him, though Baekhyun was sure he hasn’t done anything wrong in the less than ten seconds he’d met her.

Surreptitiously he looked around, trying to find anything that might be amiss and caused her this grievance.

The day looked like it would be a good one, clear blue sky with a cool breeze to ease up the heat. There hasn’t been anything major happening in Zolora or at any other kingdoms, so it wouldn’t be a political problem.

Jumping a bit at the feel of a warm weight nudging his right leg, Baekhyun peered down to see Remus, his long tongue lolling and spraying spit on his breeches. He saw Romulus standing beside Iola, seemingly concerned over its mistress yet afraid to come closer, but there was one presence missing and Baekhyun grinned, convinced that he knew what caused Iola’s bad mood.

“What?” Iola snapped. “What are you grinning about?”

“Uh, nothing.” Baekhyun swore Iola’s glare could match Wufan’s and quickly schooled his face to be more neutral. “Just…are you upset because Yixing is not here?”

Iola narrowed her eyes to slits. “Really? That’s what you thought?”

“Uh…..yes?”

“Oh, of course! Blame every misery any girl has because her boyfriend is not there! What, you think girls don’t have a problem that might, oh I don’t know, not relate to their significant others??”

“Uhm….”

“Well no, of course not, you’re not a woman! Therefore, you don’t know what kind of hell we have to go through!”

Baekhyun opened his mouth before closing it again. Iola was still looking murderous, so perhaps he should say something.

“Uhm….what?”

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say, because now Iola looked positively livid.

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” She threw her hands up in anger. “Oh, of course, how can a mighty man understand a simple girl’s pain and suffering she had to endure each month? Well, guess what, mister!”

Iola’s finger jabbed painfully at Baekhyun’s chest and he would’ve flinched, if he wasn’t afraid that it would offend her even more.

“You so called men, have no idea what we women have to go through! Apparently Mother Nature thinks that us going through labor is not enough, but nooooo…..she has to make us suffer through hell once a month!”

Baekhyun really didn’t understand what she was talking about. But he did catch that she was in some kind of suffering.

“…..I’m sorry?”

Iola’s nostril flared and Baekhyun swore he could see steam coming from it. “Sorry? You’re sorry?”

“….yes?”

“Oh, you’re sorry,” Iola mimicked in an airy, high-pitched voice and rolled her eyes. “You’re sorry that Mother Nature