(Curtain rises to reveal an empty stage. In the middle with spotlight shining stands the Queen of Sykotica, BLM, mother of HERO, the blue-eyed prince. To escape from her son’s ill fate, she leaves her country to come to this place of emptiness. As isolated as it is, she is not alone. Her back is turned to the audience. TIARA, a girl wearing sneakers, steps into the spotlight from the right.)

TIARA
BLM dear, why are you here? You shouldn’t have left… (TIARA reaches out a hand to BLM in an attempt to comfort her.)

BLM 
I will not watch him fall. My heart would surely break.

TIARA
The BLM I knew is stronger than this. Besides… he isn’t even your- (BLM shrinks away from TIARA’s touch.)

BLM
He defied me. Now, (Pause.) he has grown too fond of her. Their fates are tied in an unbreakable bond. He will have no other choice then to share her pain over and over again.

TIARA
Perhaps it's all meant to be. (Pause.) Perhaps he is the one to break Cyndi’s tragic cycle. (TIARA observes BLM attentively.)

BLM
Oh, you are too optimistic. It is easier said than done. (BLM takes out from her cloak a glass shard she secretly keeps and slips it to TIARA.) Look for yourself.

TIARA
You’re rather contradicting, my dear. You will not watch over him and yet here you have a piece of the looking glass with you.

BLM
I have only looked at it once. I dare not look at it twice.

TIARA
You know… I’ve always dreamt of Hero being paired with Cyndi. (Pause.) A sad story is better than no story.

BLM
(Furious.) How dare you joke about this?!

TIARA
Ho ho ho… no joke. They were meant to be.

BLM
Absurd. Can you not see there will be no happy ending for them?

TIARA
I have faith in them. (Silence.) Take your time. Brood here as much as you desire. You need a hiatus from Sykotica anyway… such a gloomy place… (TIARA trails off.)

BLM
I do not think I will ever return. (BLM looked into the distance.)

TIARA
Just trust them, okay? (Silence.) Good bye, BLM dear.

(TIARA walks off with the shard and exits on the left leaving the Queen of Sykotica alone with her thoughts. BLM turns around to the audience and reveals her face. She gazes beyond the audience for a while before speaking.)

BLM
I knew he was taking those shards from me.
And yet, I stood on the side and did nothing.
Why am I brooding?
Why am I regretting?

It was I who had help mold this future from the very beginning.
It was I who had taken the thing most precious to Cyndi so that they may meet.
Why am I afraid?
Why is my heart breaking?

To see them together is like a dream.
But now, I cannot even look upon them.
Is it worth it to be together?
Is it worth all the agony and sorrow?

No fixing what has come to pass.
Time will never return again.
Here, I shall brood to my heart’s content.
Brood until there is nothing else to brood about.

Have strength, my lovelies.
You shall both need it.

(The lights dim and the curtain falls.)

ACT I – scene ii: the hospital

(Curtain rises to reveal a dark stage. A spotlight shines on TIARA who is standing to the extreme right. She cradles the glass shard in her hands.)

TIARA
Shall I watch you, little Hero, as your story with Cyndi unfold?
Shall I cry in you moments of happiness and weep in your moments of pain?
Please do no misunderstand, my darlings.
I do not wish to see you suffer. I only hope to see you two together.

(The shard in her hand begins to glow as she looks deeply into it. The stage darkens for a moment before it lights up again to reveal a brightly lit stage with hospital beds on the far right, a reception desk on the far left. Two rows of chairs are in the center of the stage.)

[Five hours after first entering the hospital. HERO, a man in a white tee shirt and faded blue jeans sits in the first row with his wife, CYNDI. HERO is squeezing her delicate hand with his left while his right is holding on to her skillfully handmade bag. The worry on her face almost matches her husband’s. CYNDI is wearing a loose lilac sundress. Her free hand is resting subconsciously upon her lower abdomen. The hospital is busy with doctors, patients, and nurses walking back and forth. ]

(The stage light dims except for the spotlight shining upon the couple.)

CYNDI
Hero, Please… my hand… I won’t be able to feel it anymore if you keep squeezing it like that.

HERO
You should have told me.

CYNDI
I just did. (She tries to pull her hand away but his grip is just too unbearably strong.)

HERO
No, not that… I mean about your condition these past few days.

CYNDI
I didn’t think it was anything.

HERO
Still, you should've told me.

CYNDI
I didn’t want to worry you and…

HERO
And?

CYNDI
And you already have so much to worry about. I can sense it, you know… all the stress from work...

HERO
What work? I no longer have a job. How do I stress over work when I don’t have any… I am anything but stressed.

CYNDI
You know that wasn't what I meant. (CYNDI places her head on HERO’s broad shoulders to calm him.) Please, baby, we’re in a public hospital. We’ll get through this.

HERO
How? Do you understand how grave the situation is? How do we decide what to do next? (Pause.) It must be harder on you than it is on me. I can’t imagine – (His voice almost cracks.)

(CYNDI lifts her head and turns to look at her husband’s painful expression. He is helpless. HERO feels her move beside him and he turns to return her gaze.)

CYNDI
(Silence.) There is no need to imagine because I…I’ve made up my mind. Please, Hero, I hope you’re with me on this. Please say you’re with me, baby.

HERO
You mean that you-

CYNDI
I want to keep it.

HERO
(Silence.) This can’t be happening. (He slumps back in the chair and closes his heavy eye lids.)

(CYNDI turns her entire body towards him and rests her hand on his thigh.)

CYNDI
HERO, please. I need you to agree with me on this. I won’t have the strength to see it though if you’re not by my side.

(HERO opens his eyes again.)

HERO
Didn’t you hear what the doctor said, princess? There is only a slight chance that both of you will (Paused) be well when it’s over.

CYNDI
This is the only chance we’ll ever have. Didn’t you want us to have a baby? Ever since we were at the park watching the kids play?

HERO
Not at the expense of your life! (HERO releases her hand, bends down, and channels his frustration at the floor.)

CYNDI
I know it isn’t easy to accept right away but I really want this. We should give our child-to-be a chance, right? After all… it is innocent.

HERO
You’ve always had a way of making me the bad guy to get what you want… even though most of it was for unselfish reason. It’s just so unfair…

CYNDI
Baby, look at me. (HERO does not raise his head.) Please, baby. (She moves her hand slowly up to his hair.)

HERO
Don’t… (CYNDI holds back bitterly.)

CYNDI
Should I leave you alone for a while? (Silence.) Do you want something to drink? (She tries to touch his hand.)

HERO
Don’t. (Pause.) Don’t touch me or question me or talk to me. Just… please... always stay. Stay right here where I can see you. Always.

CYNDI
When did I ever leave you?

(HERO finally looks up at her. She can see him fighting back the tears welding up in his eyes. CYNDI suddenly embraces him. HERO does not resist.)

HERO
(With his face against her warm neck) Do you know how afraid I am of losing you? It is the first time I’ve ever experienced this and it frightens me to know I have never thought of you leaving me… ever… (HERO reaches for her long silky hair. It lightly smells of roses.) You promised to be my eternal rose. Have you forgotten, princess?

(CYNDI pulls him closer to her. They stay in that position for a long while.)

CYNDI
Let’s go home. I can’t bear seeing you like this.

HERO
You’ve changed your mind?

CYNDI
No.

HERO
Then why-

CYNDI
I want to give you some time… not a lot... Surely that's allowed.

HERO
You know how much I want to make you happy… (She nods.)

CYNDI
Then hold my hand and let’s go through this one step at a time.

HERO
(Broods.)You know I love kids but I don’t think I’ll be able to-

CYNDI
What are you talking about? You’ll be a wonderful father… with or without me.

(HERO and CYNDI stands up from the chairs. Out the hospital they go, hand in hand, exiting to the left. The curtain falls.)

ACT I – scene iii: their bedroom

(Curtain rises to reveal a bedroom with bellowing curtains in sheer white. HERO is in bed asleep. CYNDI is nowhere in sight. HERO tosses and turns but he is still asleep. CYNDI enters from the right in her nightgown and a glass of water in her hand.)

CYNDI
Look how he sleeps. What is he dreaming of? Is it of me?
A nightmare more than a dream it seems.
I’m shivering but not from the cold.
I fear what you fear. Perhaps I am more frightened than you are.

To be your eternal rose, I must put up a strong front.
I must display my thorns, not cry so that I may survive to see you smile.
I will surely miss the gaze of your warm loving eyes.
The way you caress my face while I pretend to sleep.

Shall we make more happy memories together before it's too late?
Shall we hold races in the rain like we used to?
Or watch TV late into the night in each other’s arms?
Although I may have to go far away, there will be no good-byes for I will always be your eternal rose.

As promised.