Men and Women Do What?

Corina happily hummed as she stepped into the dining room. Her blue eyes darted around, and she smiled wide at a few of her brothers.

Not all nine of them could attend because they had already moved off the property and started families of their own, but the few who still lived within the palace grounds were present, including Arden, the oldest son and first in line to the throne.

The tall, brunette prince began to clap as the princess stepped into the room. The applause caused everyone else in the room to follow his lead and cheer for Corina.

Her cheeks flushed red as she performed a curtsy in response. After, she felt a little embaressed, but she took a seat at the table, placing her hands in her lap.

"Congratulations on your engagement," Arden said to his sister.

"Thank you," Corina replied with a blush over her cheeks.

"You've become such a fine woman," he told her. "I wish the best, but you must come visit us often!"

"I will!" Corina replied. "I hope my new husband will come with me!"

"I'm sure he will," Arden said as he held up a glass of wine. "We should roast our darling sister Corina."

"Yes!" The youngest brother, Lazarus, cried out.

Lazarus was the brother Corina was closest to, as they were only a year apart. He was kind, caring, and very protective over his little sister. 

He was also the only one of the brothers who knew about her secret.

He had seen his baby sister naked when she was an infant, and it was the only time she was in the bath without her lady-in-waiting assisting her.

He was so shocked he screamed. The scream caused the lady-in-waiting to run to the bathroom and stare at the prince. It took a lot of explaining, and the queen had vowed him to secrecy on the matter.

He looked toward his sister, who sat across the table with a smile. He adored her and knew she was really a prince, but it didn't change his feelings for her. He did resent his mother for lying to Corina. He didn't feel it was right or fair to hide her identity.

Lazarus sighed, wondering how long he could keep her secret before she learned it. Surely it wouldn't be long since she was getting married.

"Let's do the roast," Corina smiled.

"Very well," Arden nodded.

"Let's all take turns roasting her," the second eldest brother, Ezekiel, commented.

"Sounds great," Lazarus replied.

"Okay," Corina said.

"Who wants to go first?" Arden asked.

"I'll go," Lazarus volunteered.

"Alright, you start," Arden instructed.

"Okay," Lazarus nodded. "Well, our lovely little sister, Corina, is always a delight. We're thrilled she's getting married, but we'll miss her. I'm excited to see the duke, but I am also a bit sad to see her go."

Corina frowned. "Aw, thank you, brother. I'll miss you all, too, but I'll still come and visit."

"Yes," Lazarus sighed. "It will be sad."

Corina's bottom lip stuck out as she looked to her older brother. "Don't cry, brother."

"I'm not," Lazarus pouted.

"Alright, I'll go next," Arden volunteered.

"Okay, brother," Corina replied.

"You've been a blessing, and we're proud of your lovely womanhood. I am saddened that you won't be here, but I wish you luck and safety in your new home. I look forward to meeting the duke."

"Thank you, Arden," Corina replied.

"Now, onto the roast!" Lazarus announced.

Corina tilted her head. She wondered what it involved. 

"You, dear sister, have no idea what's going on, do you?" Lazarus asked.

"No," Corina replied.

"Let me explain," Lazarus said, taking a sip of his drink. "The roast is basically where we tease you and say things to humiliate you."

"Oh," Corina sighed. "I understand now."

"Let's get on with it, then," Arden said, holding up his glass. "To the future Duchess Corina Nightshade Frostbloom!"

"Cheers!" Everyone at the table, except the princess, shouted, clinking glasses and taking a sip.

"Alright, Lazarus, why don't you start?"

"Okay, my sweet, innocent sister, I must warn you," Lazarus began. "When you marry the duke, you are required to have children. Children are babies that come from your stomach."

He felt the need to speak to her about womanhood. It made him internally chuckle, as none of it was true for her.

Corina's eyes widened.

"When you are pregnant, a baby grows inside of you. To expel the baby, push it. That's called childbirth."

"But how does a baby grow in there?" Corina asked.

Lazarus blushed. "Oh, um, the Duke puts a baby seed in there."

Her brother knew Corina couldn't have a baby, and his mother had never taught her much about being a woman or a man. But since it was a roast, he felt he needed to tease her a little, even if it was impossible for her to birth a child.

"That's right, and once a month, you have your period," Arden spoke up.

"Okay, that's weird," Corina replied.

"So, you see, dear sister," Lazarus continued. "Pregnancy is a wonderful, painful experience. After getting to know you, the duke will plant his baby seed in your fertile womb. After nine months, a child is born, and you have the honor of pushing the baby out."

Corina pouted and folded her arms across her chest. "That sounds terrible. The hole is so tiny."

"But, the joys of pregnancy are worth it," Lazarus smiled.

"Okay," the princess said, sighing.

"I'll go," the third oldest brother, Ezra, said. "Our dear sister, you have grown into such a beautiful woman, but you need to beware. Once the Duke has his way with you, you will become pregnant. Having a child will ruin your figure."

"What?" Corina's eyes opened wide again.

"Your hips will widen, and your belly will stretch," Ezra explained. "After pregnancy, you will look like a beached whale."

"I will?" Corina gasped. "Whales are huge!"

"Yes," Ezra replied. "It's just like when Mother was pregnant. She was gigantic."

The Queen glared at him.

"I don't want that to happen!"

"Once you have a baby, that's it," Ezra added.

"Why can't we just adopt a baby? There are orphans that need mamas and papas."

"Because it's a marriage tradition," Ezra shrugged.

"I don't want that," the princess whined.

"Too bad," Ezra shook his head.

Corina began to question whether marriage was truly what it seemed.

"It's true, sister," Lazarus nodded.

Corina frowned and looked at her plate.

"It's okay," Arden assured her.

"Let's move on," Ezekiel suggested.

"I'll go," the second-youngest brother, Elijah, volunteered.

"Okay, dear sister, you're about to embark on a wonderful journey, but let me warn you. You will not return home the same. After marrying the Duke, you will not be a girl anymore. You will be a woman."

"Huh? I'll be a different species?"

Elijah shook his head. "No, dear sister. You will become a woman."

"I'm not a man, though," Corina commented.

"Yes," Lazarus whispered, leaning across the table.

Corina was getting a bit worried and confused.

"Once you are a woman, you will never be a girl again. You will become the wife of a man," Elijah continued. "And, that means, you will have to share his bed."

"Bed? Similar to the one in my room?"

"No, sister, a bed is where couples have sex," Lazarus whispered again.

"Sex? What's that?"

"Uh," Lazarus cleared his throat. 

"Sex is the special dance you do with your husband," the queen spoke. "We talked about it earlier today. Remember?"

"Oh, the dance?" Corina asked.

"Yes, dear," the queen nodded.

"It's not a dance," Elijah said. "When a man and a woman love one another, they have sex. A man will put his penis inside of the woman's vagina."

"Penis?"

"It's something that men have," Lazarus sighed.

Corina blushed.

"The Duke will take your virginity, and you will feel a bit of pain, but you will be fine," Lazarus said.

"Will it hurt?" Corina asked.

"Yes, but it's worth it," Lazarus smiled.

"I-I can't believe you guys are saying these things," the princess blushed.

"Oh, it's okay," the queen sighed.

"So, what is the sex dance?" Corina inquired.

"I'll explain later," the queen sighed.

"But mama..."

"Later," the queen snapped.

"Okay," Corina frowned.

"Let's wrap this up," Lazarus said. "This is becoming uncomfortable. It's Mother's job to explain."

"You should have explained this to her already," the king informed his wife. 

"I-I didn't feel the need."

"You knew she would marry one day."

The Queen remained silent. 

"Fine, let's just toast," Ezekiel commented.

Everyone stood, holding up their drinks.

The queen spoke, "To Corina. May she be happy, safe, and loved."

"Cheers," everyone said, clinking glasses.

Corina sipped her drink, feeling a bit overwhelmed. She was glad her brothers had warned her about the joys of womanhood. 

Unlike her, they had all seen the queen pregnant, so they knew a lot more than she did, plus they had a father to explain what being a man was about. She wondered why Mama hadn't taught her everything. 

The rest of the meal went off as usual. The arrival of the cake after the meal excited Corina. Despite her usual restriction on sweets, the young princess consumed a substantial portion of the cake.

Even so, her mind was swirling with thoughts that night when she retired to her room.

The new life sounded both exciting and scary at the same time. How would she manage when she knew so little?