Third POV
Mirana and Iracebeth lay silently in their cribs, their baby blue eyes twinkling. Their mother and father watched over them, making sure they were safe. They both wore pink pyjamas, in their pink and white cribs, in their pink room. They lived in Underland in their parent's castle, right in the centre. Their parent's were the King and Queen of Underland, and they were their little princesses.
Mirana and Iracebeth were only a few weeks old. They were twins but Iracebeth had striking red hair, a harsh comparison to Mirana's white-blonde hair. Iracebeth was much more bad-tempered than Mirana, she cried more when she didn't get her own way and was easy to please. While she cried her heart out, Mirana sat in silence and watched the commontion as her parents fussed over her twin.
As they got older their different personalities became more and more apparent. Iracebeth became more and more angry and sadistic. She was rude to her parents and her staff while Mirana was kind and gentle and praised her staff. Mirana and Iracebth couldn't be more different. For instance, Mirana excelled at chess and preferred the colour white, the colour of purity and innocence and Iracebeth preferred to play card games and liked the colour red, the colour of anger and... blood.
MPOV
"Don't kill it!" she shouted, just as Iracebeth was about to stand on a blue caterpillar.
"Why not? Look at it, it's foul!" Iracebeth retaliated.
"I don't care, I don't want to hurt something living!"
She carefully picked up the critter from her sister's clutches and put it near a tree. She and her sister were only young, age 5 to be exact, and she cared for the world a lot more than her sister did. They were playing in one of the castles many gardens, the one with the pink rose bushes. She looked up at the towering castle, the light shining off the stained glass windows, making them shine in the sunlight. The mountains around them were beautiful, as was the garden.
"You don't know how to have fun!" Iracebeth shouted.
"You thinking killing things is fun?"
"Yes, look" Iracebeth said simply as she tore the head of my doll off.
"Iracebeth! Why did you do that?" She said as she began to cry.
Their mother walked over from the bench she was sitting on, her long auburn hair waving gently in the breeze. Her blue dress flowed around her as she walked gracefully. Her blue eyes looked angry and she looked at Iracebeth and scooped Mirana up in her arms.
"Iracebeth, why did you do that?" their Mother said angrily.
"I just wanted to have some fun!" Iracebeth shouted, stamping one foot and crossing her arms.
"Now, don't go in a tantrum just because you can't have your own way"
Mother put me down on the ground again and my white sundress gathered around my feet. I looked up at Iracebeth and wiped a stray tear from my cheek.
"Sorry" She murmured.
I smiled and got back on my feet. I took my sisters hand and walked her down a path that led us through the rose bushes.
"The roses should be red, not pink" my sister stated.
"They should be white"
"Red"
"White"
"Red"
"Both?"
She gave a evil smile and took my hand and ran us back into the castle. She ran up to her bedroom and opened her toy trunk.
Her big bedroom was entirely scarlet. Her windows had small red hearts in them, her bed was heart shaped with red pillows and covers. Her dressers were red and white and she had little crystal hearts hanging from her ceiling. She had tiny little playing cards stuck up on her wall into little patterns. The sunlight coming from the windows shone on Iracebeths long red hair, making it shine as bright as the crystal hearts.
She picked up two thick painbrushes and red and white paint. She handed me the white paint and one paintbrush then she took me back out into the rose bushes. She dipped her paintbrush in the red paint and started painting the roses.
"What are you doing!" I asked, startled.
"Painting the roses, neither of us like how they are, so why not change it?"
I sighed and copied, after half an hour many of the roses were red and white. Admittedly, they did look much better.
The next day we went back out into the rose garden to admire our roses. When we got there the gardeners were gathering round questioning what happened.
"How curious!" One said.
"It's very odd, maybe it was the dodo's.." Another said.
Iracebeth giggled at the confusion that was going on but stopped when she saw our Mother walking briskly over to the gardeners. She talked to them for a bit and stood back to gaze over the roses.
"They actually look.. better!" She said after much consideration.
At this, Iracebeth and I both smiled.
IPOV
I kicked my dressed for the third time that day and ripped the crystal hearts from my ceiling.
"Why her!" I hissed to myself, "Why do they all like 'Little Miss Perfect' and not ME!"
"Maybe because you're an angry, self-centred, inconsiderate girl" Mirana said from the door way.
"Did I ask you!" I shrieked.
"No, you were asking yourself, I'm positive you've lost your mind, which is probably why you throw tantrums like an immature tyrant."
She was so full of herself.
"Get out!" I yelled as I slammed my bedroom door.
All the boys liked her. They always liked her. Yes, we were only 16, there was plenty of time to have a boyfriend but still, why her? Why not me? I was perfect, wasn't I? I screamed again in frustration. I walked out of the castle and down to the end of the orchard where things were a little less looked after. It was so dark and cold down here, which could be why I enjoyed it, it helped me think. The clouds covered the moon, making it dark. I sat down and leant against a cherry tree. I hugged my knees to my chest, my dress' fabric tickling the end of my nose. I cried silently for who-knows how long.
After a while I heard a rustling behind me in the shadows, I stood up quickly, my mind suddenly alert.
Niall walked out from the trees, with a shocked expression.
"Oh, sorry Princess Iracebeth, I didn't realise you were here, I was just checking the trees.. are you okay?" he babbled.
"Yes, I'm fine." I said curtly.
"You don't look fine."
"Well I am, okay?"
"Want to tell me what's wrong?" he asked quietly.
I sighed and sat back down and motioned for him to sit next to me. I told him what was wrong and he confessed his affections for me.
From that moment on, my heart had a new hope.
MPOV
I stood in front of my parents' grave and dropped to my knees. I sobbed for a while in the snow, my dress starting to soak. I laid some white roses in front, arranging them carefully. She stood up and composed herself, her soldiers standing loyally by her side. From the right she heard a crunching of fresh snow and in her peripheral vision she saw a blur of red. It was Iracebeth. They hadn't spoken since her parents passed the monarchy of Underland onto Mirana.
"Hello Iracebeth" she said timidly, afraid in case her sister got mad.
"Hello." she said dismissively as she put a single red rose next to the white ones, "Just to let you know, I still think it's unfair that you of all people got the crown and I didn't yet I'm the oldest!"
"You're the oldest by 14 and a half minutes! And they both decided I'd care more for Underland than you would!"
"How dare you say that to me!"
"It's the truth, we both know that I care more for these creatures than you do!"
Just as I said this Iracebeth swatted a fly away.
"That is exactly what I mean!" I said, sighing.
"Fine, but I want to have the Vorpal Sword"
"No, that stays with me in my castle"
"I'll get it one day" Iracebeth sneered.
I stood as she tossed her glowing red hair and stalked away with her Red Card soldiers and Niall linked on one arm.
I stared up at my parents old castle, in ruins since the battle. Their grave were directly in front, nestled in between the beautiful trees, exactly how they wanted it to be. I dismissed my soldiers and walked around the ruins for a while, reminiscing over my child hood. Eventually I came upon the rose gardens and found the roses Iracebeth and I painted when we were younger, I still find it odd how I remember every second and detail of that day. I walked over to the rose bush and plucked a rose from it. I turned it gently in my hand, admiring it. It was on of the many white ones I painted, faded pink now because the paint had started to wash off. I placed it gently on the floor and walked back to my soldiers who escorted me back to my castle.
I walked up the main path, leading to the main gate, gazing at the pretty blossom trees, swaying in the wind. Although it was winter, they were still covered in blossom. I stroked my white horses mane, soothing her. I put her back in her stables and kissed her on the nose. I walked to the throne room, to prepare for the meeting. I noticed it straight away. The piece of armour behind my white throne had one vital element missing, The Vorpal Sword was missing from its clutches. I ran up to it and circled the armour three times. On the third time I inspected it's hands a little more closely. Lying on it's palms was a single red hair. I picked it up and held it up to the light and it glowed.
I cannot believe she had done this to me, out of spite too!
"Guards! Get my horse, we're going to visit my sister"
We rode past the blossom trees and past the front gates at an incredible speed. I knew we were near my sisters castle when nature suddenly seemed to die. In the distance, over the barren hills, I could see a mountain of red. Red and hearts to be exact. When we got closer I could see her castle in more details. Their were many turrets spiralling towards the sky, gold and red climbing up towards the heavens. There were red rose bushes lining the castle and red hearts nestled in the windows. It was completely over the top, typical of my sister.
I walked briskly to the front door and knocked hard. One of her knaves answered the massive, red wooden door and I welcomed myself in, walking up the red staircase, heading for the throne room. She'd be in there, it was the most lavish room, perfect for her. It was easy to find, the doorway was sprinkled in hearts and gold paint. I threw the doors open, my white dress swaying with my movement. I blue eyes grew dark and my white blonde hair tumbled down my back and I focused my angry gaze on her. I marched up the red carpet, towards the heart shaped staircase. She was sitting on a huge red velvet throne, resting her feet on a leopard. I glanced down at the poor leopard.
"Do you have no mercy!" I cried.
I picked up her feet and ordered one of my soldiers to take the leopard back to my castle.
"You have no right to do that!" She yelled.
"You have no right to steal my Vorpal Sword!"
"You have the crown, I deserve something too!"
"I was trusted to look after it, not you!"
"Do you want a battle over it?" she shouted.
"I will never fight, I'm not going to risk lives for you!" I said, standing right in front of her so our noses were almost touching.
"You're weak"
"And you're a pathetic, immature child who hides behind her words to act like she doesn't have any insecurities"
"Off with her head!" She screamed.
"Not likely" I said, smirking, and four of my Chess soldiers stood behind me, towering about her Red Card soldiers.
"Get out," she lashed out "And never come back unless you have a good cause, I hope you never do."
With that I turned from her, whipping my hair round. I stalked down the red carpet and back down the red staircase and out the massive door. I got on my horses and rode back to my castle.
IPOV
"You disgust me, I can't believe I ever loved you!" Niall shouted.
"Why are you treating me like this?" I cried.l
"This is how you treat everyone else! It's horrible! Your sister is right, you treat people like this to hide from your insecurities!"
"Don't bring her into this!" I practically growled.
"She's right! She is much better than you ever were! At least she shows some compassion!"
"Off with his head!" I shouted.
I don't know why I shouted it, I loved him, but I was angry.
My soldiers stormed in, grabbed his arms and hurled him backwards through the door. I could hear his screams from down the hall.
I didn't want him to leave me, just to love me. She always got all the love and attention. Always.
I curled up on his side of the bed and cried myself to sleep that night.
The next day he was already in his grave. I ordered him to have a grave, in his favourite part of the orchard, next to a cherry tree, where he wanted it. I spent all day there, standing and crying by his grave, regretting everything I said last night. The only thing that stopped me crying was the comforting touch of my sisters familiar hand on my back.