"I want the Drop of Luck."

"What material? Three-leaf, four-leaf, or five-leaf?"

"I want the one made from four leaf clovers."

Vera stood up and looked for that deep green bottle. 'Gotcha.'

She handed over the bottle that contained the Drop of Luck. The man's rough hands grasped hers. The man winked at her. She vehemently pulled her hands from him immediately.

"Do you want anything else?"

"I want you." Vera just stared at the man. The man raised both of his hands in defense. "Relax! I'm just kidding!" She ignored his sentiments.

"That will be 4 gold coins, and 5 silver coins."

"Aw, that's too expensive! Would you accept 4 gold coins?" The man grinned at her. "Or a kiss, perhaps? You can have three if you want, just ask for it."

"That's final. 4 gold coins and 5 silver coins, or get out of here."

"Aw, you're no fun!" The man handed 5 gold coins. "Here, keep the change. Anything for a pretty lady." She was tempted to just ignore those coins, but she stowed it away. The man walked out the apothecary, and blew her a sloppy kiss. "Bye, pretty lass! See you again!"

'You disgusting degenerate,' She was tempted to pounce at him and smash his face into pieces, but she managed to control herself. 'Damn this werewolf tendencies.'

Meda chuckled at her plight. "Got an interesting customer?" She looked at her, unamused.

"Cheer up," said Meda. "You'll scare our customers."

Meda then walked back to her study. She was hunched once more over three different scrolls. Vera tried to muster a smile despite her annoyance from the situation earlier.

'I hope he drowns. Or perhaps eaten by the hyenas.'

She slapped herself with both hands. 'Stop it, Vera! Don't be too negative. It can't get worse.'

Meda just smiled at her troubles.

Unfortunately, her luck just got worse.

---

'I'm done with this. I want to decapitate them all.' After that degenerate from earlier, two more different yet equally annoying customers took its place. 'Damn that whiny, bratty woman, and that equally obnoxiou-'

Her thoughts were interrupted as a silver-haired lady tapped in front of her. Behind her, she saw a man with soft hazel hair examining the items displayed on the shelves.

"Excuse me," she said. Vera saw her curious, amethyst eyes. On her peripheral vision, the man turned to look at her with her intense jade eyes. "Have you seen Meda, we---"

---

"---can't have a child. I'm sorry."

The woman's tears started to fall as his husband tucked her into his chest. He looked at the nonchalant medic in front of them.

"That can't be! Maybe it's a mistake, or---"

"I'm sorry, your majesty, but our findings don't lie. We used several tests already, and they all point towards the same result." The medic adjusted his monocle and took a deep breath. "Furthermore, you've also said that you've been trying for a year and a half already."

Her sobs became louder as the man became distraught. "B-but we're healthy! We weren't cursed or anything!"

"I really am sorry. I can't do anything else for you." said the medic in a monotonous tone. He turned around and begun to leave the couple. The heartbroken prince grabbed the medic's hand.

"Please," he croaked. The medic felt the prince's hope wavering, dissipating as he lost himself within the prince's verdant eyes. "We've gone through several other medics, and said it was hopeless. Is there no other way for you to help us?"

The medic tried to walk away once more, but those eyes full of despair, of sadness melted his heart, yet he can't do anything. He sighed in defeat. "There's really nothing we could do for you, your honor." He turned his back from the devastated couple for the last time.

"Anything, we'll do anything!"

The medic paused at that. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I'm not allowed to say this..." The medic hesitated, but he succumbed to their pleas and wails of despair. "You can go to the apothecary above the hill. There, you'll find what you need."

"Thank you..."

"Don't thank me. I'm just doing my job."

The medic walked away. 'I just hope that you can pay the price.'

The prince cradled his wife, and looked at the heavens above. His wife did the same.

'I don't want her to die, just for being unable to provide me an heir.' He caressed her silky hair and clutched her even tighter. 'I don't want to lose her just because of a stupid law. I wish to spend the eternity with her, just her and our child. Yet, my soul is tied within the throne, enslaved by the heritage that only betrayed me when I needed it the most.'

'I want to provide him a family. A family his heritage denied him. I want to be with him, and that couldn't happen if I can't provide an heir by blood by the time the throne deems it.'

"We wish," sang both of their hearts. "We wish for a child of our own blood, no matter what the cost."

---

"---are looking for Meda. Have you seen her?"

'What the hell was that? Are they the wishers?' Vera drowned in her amethyst eyes. The woman waved her hands in front of her.

"Hello?" She received no response. The woman turned around and called her husband. "Honey, can you take a look at her?"

The man looked deep into her eyes. Vera blinked once, twice, thrice. She realized what was happening. She stood up and bowed in panic.

"I'm sorry!"

"It's fine, it's fine!" The man also panicked. He looked at his wife, and pleaded help, but she just stifled a laugh. The man panicked even more.

A soft cough was heard amidst all of the chaos.

"What is happening here?" All three whipped their heads to see Meda standing there with her hands on her hips.

'Uh, oh.' thought Vera. Meda noticed their finely-dressed guests.

"Oh, you've arrived." She gestured at the various chairs and couches around the apothecary. "Sit wherever you're comfortable. I'll just get the scrolls and books. Sarah, prepare something for them. This will take a long time."

---

Meda showed them three different scrolls and books. "Since you couldn't have a child for an unknown reason, I've just searched for potions and rituals that can deal will allow you to conceive regardless of the root of your barrenness."

Meda handed each of them one of the scrolls and books. On her hands landed a book entitled Olde Noire Family Magycks by Aren Brooke. She opened the book, and browsed its contents. 'Bloodsworn. Brand of Banishment. Brand of Slavery. Chains of Duty. Hmmm... How can this help them?"

She looked at the couple, and saw confused faces when they stared at the scrolls handed to them. Meda saw their questioning looks. She sighed and began to explain.

"The one you are holding," Meda sent a glance towards the silver-haired lady who was holding a very tattered scroll. "That indicates the recipe for the Heaven's Teardrops potion. That is actually the purest potion out of the three, with no side effects and whatsoever."

"But?"

"Well, I'm reluctant to say that some of the ingredients are near impossible to find. Take a look on the list."

The woman's eyes scanned the list of ingredients for the potion. Her eyes widened as she saw the ingredients listed at the top. "28 strands of unicorn hair, willingly given? Five mandrake roots? Just those two will cost half a thousand gold!"

"Yes, and that's not all. Take a look at the bottom."

The woman followed Meda's instruction. The scroll landed on the floor as she sputtered, "Crystal scorpion diamond?!"

"Yes. I have the other ingredients listed aside from that. The others will be costly, yes, but that diamond will cost you ten times the price of the rest, given that the last diamond crystal scorpion was seen a hundred years ago. It may even lead to a war, if you want to retrieve the neighboring kingdom's crystal scorpion diamond heirloom." She let the couple process that information for a moment. The woman shook her head.

"What about the second option?"

"The second option lies on your husband's hands." The man held a parchment and showed it to his wife.

"This one?"

"Yes."

"Merging Souls," said the man with a skeptical tone. "I don't know how this ritual can help us."

"Well, that actually allow couples to conceive a child at all costs." The couple's eyes brightened at Meda's words. She squashed that notion immediately. "However, the forced conception causes your souls to not merge completely, birthing twins that would eventually hate each other. Plus, there could be other drastic effects, too, particularly on the mother. Additionally, you have to be doing the act while the ritual is done."

The woman blushed at the suggestive hints. The man looked at his wife's eyes. Despite her abashed expression, he saw fear in her eyes, begging him to decline the offer. "The last option, please?" uttered the prince.

"The last option is the darkest among all."

'There are things darker than that?' mused Vera.

"Take a look at the book held by Sarah." Meda turned to look at her. "Sarah, if you may, open that on the section that says Forbidden Fruit."

She nodded and proceeded to look for that section. Upon opening the page, she gasped in horror on what the ingredients were. "You can't do this, Meda!" The couple were surprised at her outburst. "I don't know what vampire lily or ruby shrews are, but I sure know what an unwanted child's heart is!"

"But it's the only foolproof and safe way..."

"No! We can surely find other potions!" She turned her eyes towards the couple. "Right?" They averted her eyes from hers.

"But---"

"No! I don't and will never agree with this!" Vera stood up abruptly and stomped away in anger.

'I'm gonna find alternatives, one way or another. I'll make sure of that.'