THIS... IS... CRIMEA!!!! Actually, it's my latest story. There isn't really any backstory for the Three Brothers in the games, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Please review, I need the self-confidence. Also, here's some shameless plug-ins for my other stories: Finally (Fire Emblem) and The Fragrance of Dark Coffee, Indeed (Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney). Vote for my poll, too, it's only got two as of writing, and the second one is me. Anyway, I really like this story because of Boyd, so enjoy!

Brothers

Chapter I: Family, and Counting

I had always been smart. Father kept commenting on that. Boyd would come to me with his schoolwork (which he usually was perfectly capable of doing himself). My mother would tell me how great things were in store for me. Boyd's and the current one would say roughly the same. That's why I knew the latest two were just patronizing me in an attempt (which was mostly futile, at least for me) to get closer to Father and I. That's why I knew we were screwed.

One loaf of bread was definitely not enough to feed a family of four, soon to be five. Father was lucky, he still had his job as a farmer. But, of course, farmers barely got paid anything at all. The economy was in turmoil, so neither Father's current wife or myself could find a job. We definitely wouldn't last the winter.

A click came from the door. Boyd entered, looking puzzled and clutching his stuffed cat and a picture book. "Big Brother, what's this word mean?" he asked.

He flopped down on the bed next to me, pointing at the word with his right hand, his left in his mouth. Specifically, his thumb. "Ah, that's a tough one." I responded. "The 'K' is silent. It says 'Knight'."

At mention of the word "Knight", a new flame lit in Boyd's eyes. "Cool! I want to be a knight when I grow up and beat up all the bad guys!" he grinned, swinging an imaginary axe in wide arcs. "Hi-ya!" "Take that!" he cried happily. Then he tripped and fell.

Of course, nobody in the family would approve of Boyd's chosen profession, especially Father. My mother had been a knight herself, fighting for the honor and glory of Crimea. What had that done for her? Gotten her killed, while the noblemen had just sat back, watched, and pressed on, not knowing a thing about weapons or war or strategy or resources or food for the soldiers or the lives they gambled, and frankly, not caring. Being a knight was just plain stupid; honor and glory didn't provide for your family. Though they usually correlated somehow.

A voice sounded from downstairs. "Oscar, Boyd! Time for dinner!" Boyd lit up even more at the prospect of food and literally flew down the steps. Father was sitting at the table, looking extremely tired but happy nonetheless. His wife, Julia, was standing next to the stove and stirring a large pot, her belly looking even bigger than yesterday. Our new sibling would probably be coming in less than a month, possibly a week. In her hand she held multiple heads of cabbage. "Look, boys!" she smiled. "A big merchant cart tipped over on the south road! We're having cabbage stew tonight!"

Boyd tugged on my sleeve, looking distinctly downhearted. He stood on his toes while I bent down to meet his cupped hands. "But, Big Brother…" he whispered unhappily into my ear. "I don't like vegetables…" Not that I blamed him. Of course, no small child likes vegetables, and the cooking skills of Julia meant instant death.

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I tossed and turned that night, but I couldn't sleep at all. It was probably either the lack of food or the quality, probably both. For at least an hour after Boyd and I had been sent to bed, I swore I could have heard father hurling in the toolshed as so not to hurt Julia's feelings. Actually, I was surprised Boyd hadn't snapped and eaten the grass or robbed the inn or something.

My room was small and dark, the only light coming from the tiny window, filtering in the cold moonlight. It shone down on my desk, which was mostly clear, save for a lone sketch of my mother. She was beautiful, her green hair flowing down past her shoulders, a simple dress enveloping her fair figure, a smile on her lips. She was always happiest around Father, and the feelings were reciprocal. Until she was killed.

I never knew the details; Father would always refuse to talk about it. I did a little investigating of my own, and she was sent on a suicide mission during the last civil war on behalf of House Crimea, never giving a second thought, always following orders faithfully. It was on that same mission that Father was injured and was forced to resign from the army.

Then he met Boyd's mother in the hospital he was taken to. They loved each other a lot, but Father never was able to show her the same feelings he did Mother. They were only together a short time; she quickly succumbed to her illness. He was devastated and reclusive for years, he was practically a walking corpse.

Until he met Julia. Julia used to be a farmer as well, but she was laid off shortly after meeting Father due to the economic crisis. Father took pity on her, then fell in love for the last time. And we were about to have a new family member.

Not that Boyd wasn't enough trouble. Unlike me, Boyd was an exact copy of Father: he never thought much, he was extremely stubborn, he was tall (at least for his age), he was strong, and he had a gargantuan appetite. Just about the only differences was age and hair color, and the fact that Boyd still thought that girls had cooties.

A soft knock on the door sounded from behind me. Boyd stood in the doorway, rubbing his eyes groggily. "Big Brother, I can't sleep…" he mumbled. I motioned for him to come in, and he thumped down belly-first on the bed on top of his stuffed cat. "Hey, Big Brother, when's the baby coming?"

I stifled a chuckle. Amazing what would torment a kid so much. "I don't know, but I'm guessing really soon."

Boyd lit up again, most likely unable to wait at the prospect of being an older sibling. Then his brow furrowed again. "Oscar, you're old enough to get a job, right? Why don't you become a knight?"

The question caught me off guard. I scratched the back of my neck, trying to come up with a suitable answer. "Um… Well, being a knight is really dangerous, and Daddy and Mommy wouldn't want to lose me. But, whatever I do become, I'll get paid really well, so we can have meat every day!"

Boyd stared blankly ahead for a few seconds, sucking his thumb in contemplation. Then he broke into an ear-to-ear grin. "Yay! I like meat!"