"Iri!" Everest barrels toward Iridessa. 

She glances up from her book. Irideesa had planned on a nice quiet afternoon spent in her secret alcove inside the library but it seems the wolf princess had finally sniffed her out. 

"Hello Princess Everest," Iridessa lowers her book, quickly marking the page before the mutt lands on her lap. Behind her is Princess Hope, however, she is holding someone's hand. 

"Brother, Princess Hope." She nods to them. 

Hope drops Prince Mykal's hand and jumps onto the window seat where Iridessa resides. She snuggles up against the older girl, grinning from ear to ear. "I missed you!" 

Iridessa doubts that. 

"You did?" She fakes a smile at the annoying girl that is crushing her thighs. The bruises on her face had faded. The King always makes sure nothing is visible before she is released from the cellar. It wouldn't look good on the royal family for their Princess to be seen with a dark handprint on her cheek. 

Her brother smiles at the two girls. "They missed you terribly, Dessa." Mykal's eyes linger on her healing lip. He knows better than to mention it. 

"Maybe we can go with you next time." Everest chimes from her underneath her outstretched arm. She cuddles up against Iridessa's side. 

At that, Iridessa stiffens. "Go where?" She quirks a curious brow at the two suddenly bashful Princesses. 

"Prince Mykal said you go visit a friend." Everest says while chewing on her fingertips. 

Iridessa tries not to be jealous that she can pronounce Mykal's name but not hers. It's not their fault they're idiot toddlers. 

Hope nervously plays with Iridessa's skirt ruffles. "We know you have other friends. It is okay." Her lower lip wobbles dangerously. "Iri is big and Hope is small. Iri needs to play with her big friends." 

Mykal stares at his sister pointedly. She glares at him. It's hilarious. He made up a lie about her having friends. As if. Iridessa has way better things to do than gossip with the prissy young nobles. 

She rolls her eyes at Mykal but gestures for him to sit down too. He settles next to her feet, Everest going to lay her head in his lap. 

"Well, yes I must go and play with my other friends." Iridessa grimaces but the motion goes over both girls' heads. "I can't always be with you two." 

Princess Hope throws her arms around Iridessa's neck. Said princess freezes. She stares in shock at the little girl clinging to her. "It's okay Iri! We love you no matter what you do." 

Everest sits up, beaming. "Yes!" She crawls over and throws herself onto them. Iridessa's head thuds against the cobblestone wall behind her. She winces, gritting her teeth in anger. Mykal rubs her leg, smiling happily. 

"Get off me." She pushes both girls away. "Remember what I said about personal space?" 

Hope stares dumbly out the window, while Everest yawns tiredly. 

"Hey! I'm talking to you both." Princess Irdessa snaps her fingers in front of their faces. "Personal space, remember?" 

They nod, too big heads on too small bodies. 

"Don't pop your bubble," Everest says and goes to poke Princess Hope. "Bubble's are 'portant." 

Mykal laughs, "It's 'important' Everest." 

"Das what I said." She sticks her tongue out at him. 

Later during dinner, both girls are explaining to Iridessa all that they did with Prince Mykal. They talk over each other, but the point still gets across. Almost like the girls know what the other is about to say so they finish each other's sentence. 

Queen Dia rubs her round belly, smiling happily at the children. King Franklin remains stoic, gnawing on his bloody steak. Mykal chews his potatoes and swallows. His foot nudges Iridessa's, a sign. 

"Girls, what did I say about table manners?" She glances at her Father. 

Everest and Hope slowly grow quiet. 

"No talking," Hope says. "With food in the mouth." Everest finishes. 

Princess Iridessa nods with an encouraging grin. It's fake, everything about this dinner is fake. "Yes, so eat your food quietly like proper princesses." 

The meal continues without a hitch and soon the four children are dismissed back to their rooms. The little brats are shown to their shared room down the hall from Iridessa's. She grimaces after them as she closes her door. 

Mykal lays on her bed, a book open in his hands. "So...do you want to talk about it?" 

She goes behind her changing screen. "No." 

He sighs and shuts the book. Mykal tosses it on the bed. "Then may I ask why you tried to feed those little girls to the sharks?" 

"No." Iridessa steps out from behind the screen in her silk nightgown. She shoves her brother off her side of the bed and slips under the covers. "Leave me alone." 

"Father is angry with you." He lays down beside her. "That means he's angry with me too." 

Iridessa turns to face him. "Did he touch you?" Her eyes are frantic. 

Her brother shakes his head. "No, but I didn't eat a few meals." His hand finds hers atop the covers. "What will you do to earn his favor again?" 

She swallows. "I don't know." 

"Everest and Hope really like you." He says, rubbing his thumb over her hand. "I mean really like you. All they did was complain about missing you the entire time you were gone. It was kind of annoying." Mykal squeezes her hand in his. "Maybe you could be kinder to them. All they want is your attention." 

Her hand tingles, the bruises on it smarting under his soft touch. "Father says they are abominations. We shouldn't be kind to them." 

"He also beats his children for fun." Mykal sits up in the bed and tilts his sister's face upward to face him. "The Queens are kind-hearted. Their daughters are too." His face softens. "Maybe some wolves are okay?" 

"Mykal, what's wrong dear brother?" Iridessa rolls onto her back never releasing his hand. 

He fidgets beside her in bed. Mykal stares at the door to her bedroom, voice low. "Do you think, if the Princesses like us enough we could visit their kingdoms?" 

Iridessa sits up instantly. Her ears burn hot. "Mykal!" She whispers, bringing her closer for fear of someone overhearing. There are always prying eyes and ears in the castle. No one is safe. 

"It would mean freedom for a few weeks out of the year Dessa. Imagine it. Wouldn't it be glorious?" His eyes plead with her, Mykal's grip on her hand tightens brutally. "I can't live here knowing that he hurts you." 

"He doesn't." Iridessa is hyper-aware of what Mykal means. Their shared dream is to leave Crosland and live in peace somewhere else. "Mykal please listen to me, we can't leave." 

Her brother trembles. "I was there when he took you away. He had me hidden so that I would know what would happen if I tried anything." Mykal cries out, "I couldn't protect you Dessa! What kind of brother am I if I can't save my sister?" 

"A brave one." She grabs his face in her hands. His tears flow over her thumbs that press into his plump cheeks. "You are brave because you did what you had to do to get through this." Princess Iridessa smiles through her tears. "You are always brave for me. That's how you protect me." 

His mouth forms a grim line. "I will always do what's necessary to protect you from him." Prince Mykal grabs her hands that cradle his face. "One day, dear sister, we will be free."