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Things reached their breaking point a few days later.

It was a lot of things, and not just my fault. Okay, I was being a little shit. Granted, if I had been a bit smarter and sat things down with the twins, things wouldn't have ended the way they did. I wouldn't be herding my ass to another city, I wouldn't have Timmy hanging over my shoulder crying about our misfortune, and I definitely wouldn't be tied at the hip with these twins.

It started right after academy got out. Timmy was invading my personal space (begging my mom to hang out at my house and winning her over with those damn eyes) and dragging me around at his usual break neck speed. For the past few days, he'd manage to herd me out back and get the twins to teach us a few tricks, whether it be how to hold a sword or different ways to swing it. I was itching for the day to actually hit something with it, preferably Timmy's idiocy.

"We should play jacks." Timmy mused, wiggling on my bed. I sat on the floor next to it, pouring over my studies to avoid our 'twin time'. "Do you have any dice?"

"My pops does." I answered idly. "I dunno. I have a few pins in a drawer somewhere."

"That won't work."

I shrugged. Being bored was his own damn fault. Serves him right for barging over here and expecting to be spoon fed excitement. He made a noise and rotated, planting his head near my shoulder.

"Hey, Aiden?"

I kept from twitching away from his breath, "Yeah?"

"Do you hate the twins?"

I didn't say anything to that, because I honestly don't know the answer. I flipped a page silently. Timmy wasn't smart, but he was perspective in ways that nailed things on the head. I could see his frown in my peripheral vision.

"Do you not want to talk to them?" His voice lowered, softer with the implications of his own words, "I just wanted to see you three happy."

My mouth twitched, "We were happier separate."

"I don't know." He huffed dubiously. "You looked lonely."

The book in my lap snapped closed before I could stop the muscles in my arms from twitching. The action was as loud as a scream in the silence. Timmy had straightened, the noise jolting him away from me like I'd stung him. A worm of guilt had me wrestling down the bristle in my shoulders. He's just a kid, stop.

"They don't care. They haven't before." I bit out, the truth settling awkwardly in my stomach. "What's the difference now? Nothing. It's better if these lessons stop before something happens."

"Something happens?" He echoed, face contorting in almost pain. "They're nice, Aiden. Besides, they haven't told us to scram yet. It's working out, you'll see!"

I pinched my nose to stop the moody exhale building behind it. The noise would just startle him. Acting like a teenager in fresh angst did that to him. Being a kid again wasn't supposed to be this hard. But Timmy was perspective, annoyingly so. Even with him picking me apart like a game of Clue, he was just a kid. A dumb kid, poking a tiger. But a kid.

The things I do for you. I let the tension roll off me as forcibly as I could manage. I rolled my shoulders, getting as loose as possible. The action sparked him to crawl down beside me, eagerly leaning into my space.

"So you'll try?" He egged, grin shining. "Please? For me?"

"Why for you?" I blinked, torn between indecision and just saying fuck it. He pouted and started pawing at my shoulder, his voice borderline whining.

"Aiden! You have to promise!"

"Fine!" I flinched away from his hands, sputtering out, "I promise to get along with my sisters. Happy?"

The grin he gave me put the sun to shame. "Good! You have to own up to that promise, okay? Let's go see what they're doing."

I mournfully abandoned my book to the floor, letting myself be dragged wherever his energy willed. My parents weren't home, thankfully, so another repeat of our last encounter didn't happen. We made it to the yard without incident, though what was happening in the yard was far from unexpected. By the raised voices, it was practically normal.

"If you would just listen-" Phila's voice, grating and low, like a tigers growl in the night. She was using her 'superior then thou' complex again.

Apha wasn't having it. "I've been listening!" The red head's scream carried down the hill like a shrill banshee. "You're saying insanity! As if the Bastion- You're just crazy! Screw you!"

Timmy's footsteps faltered as we crested the hill. The sight was 'normal', so to speak. But it was off in a way that could only stop us in our tracks. Fists would be flying, usually. Instead, the twins faced each other on opposite sides of the field. It was like a driving, pinning force was separating them. The tension in their shoulders had my hand gripping Timmy's harder. He stopped accordingly, eyes trained on the twins.

"You're hopeless." Phila hissed, her fists on her hips and her chin tilting upwards tauntingly. "You read the letter. We go at morning when the sun rises. A carriage will be waiting for us and others at the gate. Father has put much into-"

"To hell with that!" Apha stomped, her armor clinking slightly at the action. "Why the both of us?! Don't tell me you're not pissed off too! Only one of us was supposed to be his successor! Why are they sending us both!?"

Phila snarled, her patience snapping, "As if I know! Stop being such a child and accept what's been given to you!"

"That's such horse shit!"

"Shut up!"

Timmy made a soft noise. I blinked, drawing my eyes back to him only to feel a familiar cold chill down my back. His eyes were glassy and his lip was trembling. It was eerily similar to the same face he made to my parents the other day. The noise grew into a sniffle. From the way words were escalating, he wasn't far from complete breakdown.

Fix this! A voice in my head screamed, sounding just as frantic as I felt about a crying Timmy.

My legs moved of their own accord, propelling me past Timmy and straight onto the field. A small part of me practically screeched at the thought of putting myself between the twins. Having seen their brawls, it was morbidly terrifying to imagine one of their swords coming at my face. The thought of a teary eyes Timmy far outweighed that.

"Hey!" I shouted, scuffing my feet when I came to a stop. The twin's voices cut off just as suddenly as I appeared. I tried to face both of them, but with how spread they were I could only face the other side of the yard, twisting my head back and forth between the two. Pissed, breathing heavily, and only mildly confused. This was a mess.

And they were looking right at me.

The hairs on my neck stood up, the amount of attention them giving me now being chilling at the least. It was a weird and outlandish to have them stare at me, especially like that. What the fuck, I thought through the panic building, what the fuck have I done what do I do oh god-

"Aiden, get back." Phila's voice was piercing and forceful. I had to pinch my thigh to stop her command from having me scurry to the sidelines. For Timmy, I chanted, For Timmy.

"No." I could have cheerfully handed myself 'wimpiest protest in the world' award right there. I kept going, not letting myself stop and never speak again. "L-Let's stop, please?"

I winced. The twin's expressions didn't change.

"This is all your fault." Apha spoke over me, eyes trained on her sister like I wasn't there anymore. The thought unsettled the dark festering nonsense in my gut. "Things would have been easier if I was an only child."

Ouch.

Phila scoffed, flicking her hair to the side, "I'm sorry you're only good at whining and nagging. It's only expected they'd ask me to come, to fix your helpless skill. I'm the best in this family, after all. The most favored."

Oh, ouch.

Apha bristled, eyes silting, "And don't you think it's because your fat head is all father can see? Poor him, having such a shameful family. There's nothing but bad blood here."

. . . Ouch.

I wasn't looking at the two anymore, but I heard Phila's laugh carry over. It sounded ugly. "Honestly! You can't even stake your own claim properly. You've brought yourself as low as possible. Perhaps you'll have a bastard son as well?"

"Oh." My voice came out louder than I thought it would. There wasn't a sound afterwards. Were they surprised? Did they already forget I was standing right there?

Perhaps you'll have a bastard son as well.

I didn't have any love for the guy who brought me here, and I didn't have any love for the guy raising me. My mother could be wholly blamed on my existence, or she could be cherished for this second life. I hadn't a clue to feel about the people in this new life, how to react or how to speak about it. The dark churning feeling in my gut told me I did though.

A small sobbing noise from behind me had me over the edge before I could comprehend the forced laugh bubbling out of my throat.

"Oh!" I grinned, not feeling genuine in the least when I turned to Apha. She looked at me warily, like she was seeing me for the first time. My head felt stuffed with cotton and all I could hear was bastard, bastard, bastard-

"Paladins are knights of virtue." I quoted softly, swaying a little in delirious giddiness. "Knights of chivalry, courage, and beholders of the Light. They protect the weak and fight the evil. They swear an oath to help. To be kind."

I laughed, feeling the ridiculousness of the situation crashing down around me. My sisters, paladins of the Silver Hand! Uther the Lightbringer, first knight of the Silver Hand, would be their commander! The joke was almost as big of a cluster fuck as this city. A city ruled by a king who would die by his son. A city turned to ashes and, sooner or later, the dwelling of an underground zombie fortress. Led by that prince's former ranger captain! My best friend was going to be a dead man! My sisters would be murdered! And me, here, wondering when I'll get attention and being startled when I actually get looked at. That was a surefire way to stop the Scourge! Or maybe even the burning of Strathholme. Fun times ahead!

It was just so stupid.

"You know." I said, like the weather was nice and things weren't fucked up. "There are people dying. Right now. You know? A lot of them. That's why you became Paladins right?"

I leaned back and forth, watching Apha's expression curiously. She looked stricken. I didn't doubt Phila looked the same.

"No, that's not right." My voice sounded cruel to my ears. "It's cause father said so, right? You'd do anything for him. You'd kill each other if he asked you to. You'd step on each other's faces just to be better, to be loved."

Because I wanted that too, the craving for even a smile, but look, look, here comes the closing act-

I mimicked their voices horribly. "Helpless! Pathetic! Shameful!" It sounded even worse coming from my toddler mouth. I wondered if I had ever said those words aloud. "Let's make a bet."

"Aiden." Phila's voice was weak behind me, like she'd gotten closer. I was half tempted to turn around, but my feet weren't working. She almost sounded like she was warning me.

"Let's make a bet." I repeated, watching Apha's face twitch, her skin going rapidly pale. "I bet you'll never be Paladins! Ever! You'll never make it. The moment they see you, they'll be so disgusted, they'll cast you out!"

"Aiden."

I froze, my bravado leaving me with a hoarse wheeze. That hadn't been the twins. Timmy's voice isn't that deep. Any confidence or surge of courage left with a wisp of barreling fear. Every muscle in me locked up. There was a shadow towering over me. It wasn't Phila.

You're kidding, haha, you're kidding it can't be-

"Aiden." Had he ever said my name before, like that? At all? Hysterically, I wondered if I could fake a stoke right there. Maybe I wouldn't have to turn around. My feet weren't connected to my brain apparently, because they were swinging me around to face him.

Father was tall, I'd known this, but seeing the towering stature of a true Silver Hand paladin was almost as terrifying as the heavy frown I could see between his mustache and beard. He was still in armor, the shining grey steel almost blinding in the gleaming sun. His tabard was almost three times my size, weighing over him with the insignia that started this whole mess.

"Aiden." He said, arms crossing over each other- he could lift me up like a football and throw me over the damn city walls if he wanted to- as he looked down at me. Briefly, I noted Timmy behind him, eyes wide and terrified as I felt.

I opened my mouth, unable to make words. I wouldn't even know what to say. What could I say? How much had he heard? What the fuck oh god what the fuck-

"Follow me."

His feet were already moving away, the heavy footfalls of his boots rattling my heart. It was beating loudly in my ears. My legs twitched as I took the first few steps after him, my chest almost heaving in protest at the movement. I glanced over at Timmy, briefly, to see tears down his face. The sight was so pitiful I looked away.

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