Aivenna, on some strange whim, felt she should take her sister's advice. However, reading the book a second time only enraged more than it had the first time. Angrily, she hunted down the human responsible for producing such garbage. It had taken all day before she found him in the castle library. He sat at a table as the orange glow of the fireplace illuminated the books before him. He was focused on the text that he did not notice her come in until she slammed his book shut.

"Do you think this is funny?" Aivenna barked hatefully.

"No I think it's a book." Tom quipped back before reopening the tome in front of him. "I'd have to read it to think it's funny."

Aivenna obviously didn't care for his humor.

"You wrote it, and had the gall to write about me."

"So? It's just a story."

Tom continued to work. He didn't even give Aivenna the respect of looking at her. The fact he would treat his elder, or any warrior like this made Aivenna's skin boil. The fact the disrespect was given to her made her want to throw all of his books in the fire, but she did her best to contain herself knowing how Intress liked this runt of a human.

"Here, you'll need this when that girl comes back." Aivenna snapped, tossing the book into the middle of Tom's work. "But I want that story torn out."

"Anna's not coming back." Tom sighed, pushing the story book of the way of his reading "The code masters won't allow her to return since no one is supposed to know where I am... Not even my sister."

Perhaps it was out of hatred of that cursed book, or maybe Aivenna just felt the need to spite Tom for his passive comments earlier, but she felt the need to get under his skin. She flipped open the book, blocking his view once again.

"I read your pathetic story book. She's not your real sister. Why do you even care?"

Tom glared at her coldly. All the love, and light that had once filled the glowing irises now descend to hate. Yet somehow, his eyes were so bright. It was as if ice now ran through his veins. The abyss stared at Aivenna through his focused pupils, and could not deny that she was the first to blink.

"You want to know why you two are in this book?" Tom asked in a harsh voice. "It's because I don't care what you think. I don't care about who you are. In fact, I can I hate you as a person, and as much as I like Overworlders you disgust me."

Tom turned from her, and opened the book. He thumbed through the pages. He continued his speech casually.

"You fight so hard so that everyone will respect you. That I could respect." His voice turned to malice as he ripped out a page. "But you don't care who you have to step on to keep your own head up. Even if it's your own flesh, and blood. At least it makes good literature."

Aivenna sneered at that comment. How dare he attack her? Who was this child to say anything about her? Anything Aivenna did, she did proudly. She was not about to let this human step all over her name.

"As if you're so mighty." She hissed in return. "I read your little story too. A half bred orphan, who lost his grandfather, and then his father. You're so sad aren't you?"

Tom ripped out another page and smiled at her.

"Oh yeah, losing my family worst thing that could have ever happened, but as long as people pity me." He said, his voice slowly freezing over. "You should get that, never having them at all. Tell me, how often do you stop to think about how you got where you are? How many people said Intress favored you, because she adopted you?"

"Shut your mouth you putrid liar." Aivenna growled.

"Oh so I'm a liar now? What about you? How many times do you run off to go see Nivenna without telling Intress?"

"You little spy! Is my life some joke to you?!"

"I don't need to spy. All I have to do is ask the right questions." Tom said playfully tearing out more pages. "You tell me everything... abandoned, bullied, constantly questioning who you are..."

Tom's voice changed in that instance. It became softer, sweeter almost. Some of the light returned to his eyes.

"It hurts? Doesn't it? The worst part is not knowing if you can ever feel like you belong to anything, or that you're even here at all..." Tom said with a sigh-like voice. "When Papa died, I was put into foster care. No one has any respect for an orphan, we didn't even like each other. Someone always has it worse. Someone always doesn't care, and thinks they're stronger. A lot don't care, or will even look in your direction."

It pained Aivenna to admit it, but she had been there. All her life all she wanted was for someone to see her. But when they looked at her, all they could see was Drabe's apprentice. They saw the girl Intress adopted. No one could respect her for her own strength.

"When the Major family adopted me, I felt like a pet for their daughter. They adopted me out of pity, and I hated them for it... Some times I still hate them because they pretend to be my parents, as if that can fix all the little holes in my personality. So I can pretend that I'm normal, and wash away all these awful things in my life. But not Anna..." Tom admitted sadly. "Want Tommy, Tommy this, Tommy that, it was she all ever said when she first started talking. She didn't see someone that was broken, or glued together... Anna saw me... and it made me feel like I was still a person. After I ignored her, refused to play with her, and made her cry any chance I got out of spite, Anna still wanted to be my friend, my family. She came into my room every night because she wanted me to keep the monsters away. She saw when I was sad, and tried to play games to cheer me up. When I was in trouble she cried because she didn't like her parents yelling at me... Say what you want she is my sister. I love her more than the stars in the sky, or the heart in my chest. I would give anything to see her safe, and happy."

Tom looked Aivenna dead in the eye. His eyes did not have the same light as they did before. There was no hate, but it was not the lighthearted look as he once held. Aivenna could not quite distinguish this emotion he now conveyed. If she had to compare it to anything, it would be fear.

"There is never enough time, and there's not enough people who can keep you afloat. To get your happily ever after there are only two things a person can do. You work for it heart, and soul..." Tom tossed the pages he had torn out into the fire except for one. "Or wish for what could have been... Goodnight, Aivenna."

Tom turned on that note, and left the one page he had not burned to sit in the open story book. Once he was gone the room became silent, and filled with the cold chill of loneliness. Aivenna looked down at the book. The two princesses looked through the mirror at each other. It was not until now that she realized how sad they looked. Their fingers touched each other through the glass, but there was not warmth there. Aivenna picked up the page, and the words on the page beneath it caught her eye.

"And they lived happily ever after..." She read softly.

Aivenna turned up her head as she heard the door open once more. She thought it was the chaotic player returning for his book, but was surprised when she saw Intress enter.

"Aivenna? What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just doing some light reading." Aivenna replied, shutting the story book softly. "You?"

"Looking for Tom. He seems upset lately. I wanted to make sure he was alright."

Aivenna felt a twinge of guilt for having bothered Tom now that she knew what he was going through. She felt more as she came to realize that they had more in common than she ever would have believed.

"The last I saw him, he was going to bed... Intress, while you are here, may I ask a favor?"

"Of course." Intress returned with a smile.

"I would like permission to visit Nivenna in the Underworld... Now that we are at peace, I think we should try to mend our relationship."

Intress was shocked at first, but a smile soon came over her face.

"I'm very proud of you, Aivenna. It takes much courage to take such a step. I will see the arrangements are made within the next few days."

"I will write a letter then, and tell Nivenna I am coming. And Thank you... for everything."

Intress nodded with pride, and placed a hand on Aivenna's shoulder allowing it to linger for a moment.

"You've become such a beautiful person, Aivenna. I hope you realize that."

Aivenna felt beside herself. Her eyes drifted into the slowly dying fire. The embers dancing within it reminded her of the fleeting moments that had now past her by as she thought to herself.

I just hope I still have time to be a good one.