“Hah, Elray! Take that!” the young boy gave a mean laugh, shoving his twin brother to the ground before snatching up the book that the other had been reading, moving it around his face to check out the cover of a beautiful prince and princess holding hands with their foreheads pressed together. “Hahah, what kinda fairytale crap is this? You into romances, Elray? You like it when they get all kissy kissy?”

  “I… shut up, Alroy! I’m reading that, give it back!” the smaller twin grimaced, tears stinging his violet eyes as he crawled back onto his knees. But he didn’t actually make a move to defend himself, instead only hesitantly watching his twin smirk at him without a caring bone in his body, flipping through the pages of the book with a haughty grin.

  “No way. I think I’m gonna throw it into the fire.”

  “I, what… no, don’t do that, wahh um… MOM!!” Elray screamed, shuffling after his brother when he ran inside with the book, stumbling into the frame of the door before he ran up and tried to stop the other from walking towards the fireplace. “Mom, mom, stop him! Alroy says he’s going to throw my book into the fire, but, but dad bought it for me… it’s mine, he can’t do that…” he sobbed, their mother chopping vegetables in the kitchen with a pristinely sharpened knife, a clear view of them that was adjacent to where they were fighting in the living room.

  Although, it wasn’t much of a fight. Alroy was stronger than Elray, and Elray was scared of Alroy. He was smaller, weaker, less resilient, and didn’t know what to do when their mother just scoffed at them both, not even sparing either twin a glance up from her cooking as she only barked out more commands. “If you want the book back, go get it back yourself, don’t waste my time. That book was already a waste of money we could’ve spent on good food, I don’t know why your father thought it was a good idea to get that stupid thing for you in the first place.”

  “But, wait, no… Alroy, please…” Elray begged, pulling lightly at the back of his twin’s shirt, but it was of no use. His brother was cackling at him, like the jerk he always was.

  “Haha, Elray, can you even read? You don’t even need this! You’re illiterate!”

  “No, you’re the one who’s illiterate, Alroy! I can read just fine! And there's pictures, too!” Elray protested with a frustrated whine, reaching around his brother’s arm to try and snatch the book back, but he had never once succeeded at overpowering his twin, and this time was no different than the others. Alroy just pushed him backwards all too easily, kicking under the back of his legs until Elray was stumbling over, threatening to push the book into the hot flames of the fire while he got it as close to the burning sparks as possible without actually tossing it in.

  “Ooh, Elray, I’m gonna do it…! I’m gonna do it!”

  “Alroy, please— please stop it,” his twin cried, Alroy smirking at his stupid face that was all scrunched up and wet. He would never let himself be that pathetic ever. He couldn’t believe they were the same age. However, he suddenly flinched when the front door swing open on its rusty old hinges and a large, gruff man with fluffy lavender hair and eyes walked in from where he’d been tending to the wheat fields. It was almost time to start harvesting them, so Alroy had expected him to be outside all day, leaving him free to torment his brother however he wanted… but now he’d totally just gotten caught!

  “Oh, uh, hi dad! I’m just teasing Elray, I’m not doing anything!” he yelled with a guiltless smile, glancing over at Elray’s teary face that had lit up the moment their dad walked in. Stupid brat. “Hahah, see, we’re just playing around! Elray, take your stupid book back!” he laughed meanly, throwing it at his twin’s face as a corner jabbed the weaker boy in the eye, which only caused him to burst into more tears as he picked himself up and went sobbing over to their father, collapsing at the large man’s feet.

  “Mm, daddy… Alroy said, mm, that he was gonna throw the book you got me into the fire,” Elray cried pathetically, immediately becoming a mess when their father kneeled down and lifted the small boy from under the arms, picking him up and rocking him on his hip like you would a little baby. It had Alroy looking towards their mother, who wasn’t even paying attention to them anymore, before he turned back to his dad and started deflecting.

  “Yeah, well, I was just joking! I wasn’t actually gonna do it!” he claimed loudly, their father only sighing as he kept patting Elray on the back to soothe his cries.

  “Alroy, it’s not nice to threaten those things… you know how sensitive your brother is,” the man scolded calmly, patting the son he had in his arms on the back while Alroy flinched.

  However, his attention was caught in the other direction when his mother gave a sudden loud scoff and a short, cruel cackle, slamming her sharp knife into the counter as the young boy immediately walked swiftly but carefully to meet his father as well, before the man put a large, calloused hand in the depths of Alroy’s dark violet hair as he went to grab hold of his shirt as a way to feel at least somewhat protected. After all, their mother was always complaining about something, always getting violent. You never could trust a movement she made when she had a knife in her hand like she did now, yelling away without remorse or pity. “Yes, yes, he’s all too sensitive! I say he needs to grow up! Morro, dear, didn’t you claim you were going to take Alroy into the fields by now? He’s seven years old and he’s got more guts than the other one, you should put him to work.”

  “Lila, I’ve already discussed this with you, they’re far too young to be working,” Morro objected firmly, the woman just grinding her teeth and clenching her jaw tight enough to break it while she kept chopping away at the food in front of her.

  “You keep this up and Alroy’s going to be just as worthless as the other one! It’s all your fault that spineless brat ended up that way he is. Next time you buy either of them anything as foolish as a book with our hard earned money, I’ll make them watch as I throw it into the fire myself. You better remember that, Morro.”

  “...alright. I understand,” the man sighed without further argument, taking Alroy by the head as he guided both the boys out, Alroy keeping his chin low while Elray’s breathing became very quiet.

  It seemed that he was their mother’s favorite. It was because he was tougher and didn’t get scared easily, and even though he didn’t like to work, he was still good at physical labor. He also mimicked her and constantly bullied Elray the way she did, which made her like him more, too. She saw potential in his cruelty. Maybe she saw a kindred spirit, someone more like herself than the foolish and cowardly husband she had only married for his farming and harvesting concepts. Either way, Alroy’s life was easier when his mother liked him. His father, on the other hand, probably preferred Elray. He protected him more, at least. And he was always scolding Alroy for being mean and cruel to him. His father probably found him to be more of a monstrous nuisance, even though he didn’t say so out loud. But at least he still got them out of the room when their mother started yelling, even though he never actually stood up to her, and he did feel comforted by his father’s hand on the back of his neck, leading them to the large red and rectangular barn that held all their horses, cows, and chickens.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  “It’s okay. I’ve still got plenty of work left in me, neither of you will have to go out into the fields any time soon. Just keep doing your work and chores around the house and with the animals and I'll take care of the rest. Trust me, with the usefulness of my two concepts, taking care of a large farm all on my own is not a problem, so don’t worry yourselves,” their father smiled with his gaze focused on Alroy, before he blinked away and gently set Elray to the ground. Morro caressed Elray’s shoulders before taking the smaller boy’s chin and lifting it sideways, scanning over the fresh black and blue bruise marked right under his left eye and above his cheekbone where the book’s corner had hit him. It made the man give a clear frown, and Elray made a move to cling to him tighter, staying completely silent. Hopefully Morro didn’t comment on it either. But of course, hoping never did get anyone anywhere, and as their father moved to ruffle Alroy’s violet hair that was the same deep purple hue as Lila’s, he offered a small smile that lacked any sign of judgement. Instead, all he asked was a simple, soft, and patient question. “Alroy... why did you throw the book at your brother?”

  “...because he was being annoying.”

  “Really? You know, I was watching from the fields, and he seemed to have been leaving you alone before you came up and took his book away,” Morro smiled, still patting down Alroy’s hair with that calm, gentle touch he always had. And the stronger twin went and glared over at where Elray was beginning to ignore them, crawling under the stall so that he could climb in and say hello to one of the horses. It didn’t look like he was listening, which just made Alroy angry. Why didn’t he care?

  “I just took his book away because it was funny,” he growled to the ground instead, Morro stepping down on one knee against the dirty straw floor of the barn, that kind smile never fading. No matter what Alroy did, it never faded.

  “You thought hurting him and making him cry was funny? Why do you think that?”

  “Be… because of that, that stupid book!! Why else?!”

  “What about the book? It’s okay, you can be honest with me, Alroy,” Morro smiled even kinder, which only caused the boy to bite his lip and look down.

  He felt like crying. But Lila would think he was pathetic if he cried. He didn’t want to be pathetic. Being pathetic was dangerous in this household. He wanted to be… he wanted to hit something! Because of that stupid book! Because he, because Morro didn't…!! “But dad, you never bought me anything!! You bought Elray the book he wanted from the shop, but you didn’t get me anything I wanted!! Because you hate me and Elray is your favorite!!” he screamed while hitting against his father's firm chest with a fist, only becoming even more overwhelmed with prickling and burning outrage when he heard Elray yell at him from behind the pen.

  “Hey, you’re already mom’s favorite! I’m allowed to be dad’s favorite!”

  “Shut up, or I’ll go burn your stupid book right now!!”

  “Daddy, did you hear him?! He’s threatening me again!!”

  “Yes, yes, I heard,” their father smiled, still soft and still gentle, even though Alroy had yelled in his face and thrown a tantrum. Morro never did lash out. Alroy had been hit by his mother a lot, but his dad had never moved to hit him even once, and he couldn’t remember a single time he’d even been yelled at by the man. And that’s why he always felt guilty when he was the only one yelling in his conversations with Morro, always knowing his dad would never yell back, which made it seem less like a fight and more one-sided… but Alroy didn’t know what he’d been expecting when his dad reached up and ruffled his long hair all over again, moving both his hands to cup his son’s chubby bronze cheeks with firm hands the size of his face. “I promise you boys, I don’t have a favorite. You are both my children, and I love you equally. I would do anything for the two of you. And when I get one boy a gift, I simply must get the other one something too, right?” he smiled, Alroy’s golden eyes widening while he felt his father squeeze his cheeks again.

  “Huh?! You bought me something?!”

  “Yes, I’ve been saving… but don’t tell your mother, okay? This is expensive, even more expensive than the book.”

  “What… what is it…” Alroy trembled in anticipation, Elray looking completely offended from where he’d climbed up onto the horses’ bare back, clinging to its thick neck while glaring jealous daggers at his twin.

  “Why does Alroy get the more expensive gift?! I want something expensive too!!”

  “Shh, this is to help the both of you,” Morro smiled with a soft chuckle, moving forward to grab onto Alroy’s small hand, reaching into the pocket of his trousers to bring out a smooth silver dagger with jagged edges fit for cutting flesh. “Alroy. Do you see this here? It’s a weapon made for self-defense, and it’s very dangerous. You can’t use it on just anyone, and I want you to promise me that you will never, never use it on your brother.”

  “Uh… I…” Alroy stuttered, hands shaking terribly as they went to hold the dagger, fingers wrapping slowly around the black padding of the hilt while his golden eyes scanned over its sharp, jagged edges, his jaw going slack. It did look expensive… very expensive. How had his father even managed to afford this? All they did was sell wheat to the villagers in the nearby town and supplied two small bakeries, they didn’t do anything extreme. Still, though, this was… “Um, don’t worry dad… I won’t use it on Elray…” he wavered hesitantly, not exactly sure what kind of reaction he was supposed to be having as his father smiled at him with pride.

  “Good, that’s right. Instead, use it to protect your brother when I’m not there. No matter who it is, if you see that Elray is in danger, you should move to protect him. Do you understand?” Morro questioned firmly, the firmest Alroy had ever heard him speak, the man taking his son’s small hand and wrapping it properly around the silver dagger’s scabbard with the correct technique, carefully showing him the way to hold it. “Elray isn’t as strong as you, and one day, he might get into trouble. As your twin and your brother, it’s your job to protect him when I cannot.”

  Oh, that’s right… it was his job to protect Elray when Morro wasn’t there. He didn’t always get along well with his twin, but he wanted to listen to their father. “And... and I’ll also keep it a secret from mom…”

  “Yes, that’s right. You should never tell her about it, she would take it away. And Alroy, I want you to always, always remember… you are strong. And people can use their strengths for any number of things. But you, I want you to use your strength to protect… be a protector, okay?” Morro smiled, lifting himself up to stand while giving Alroy’s hair one last quick ruffle, before he left to tend to Elray. “Now, little man, what are you doing up there? If you fall off, you’ll only hurt yourself, so let’s get you down…”

  Alroy flinched again when he watched Morro lift Elray up, the boy giggling and laughing as their father spun him around from under the arms, before he quietly stuffed the dagger into his pants and ran as far away as he could from them.

  He was always mean to Elray. He had to be if he wanted to survive. He had to be to stay on his mother’s good side so that he got hurt as little as possible. He had done everything except protect his brother. But Morro wanted Alroy to protect him… against what? Their mother, Lila? That seemed like the only thing he could think of, considering how far away the nearest village was. But if he ever tried going against her, he’d definitely get cut up again, and that scared him… Morro never did do anything to stop things when they got that bad. Alroy didn't want to try fighting his mother like that. But his father said he should still... protect Elray... ugh.

  Maybe for a start, he could apologize for hitting Elray with the book when he got a chance to later. And for threatening to burn it. And for giving him that bruise. Already off to a bad start at being a protector, huh? What did his dad even see in him? Alroy wasn’t capable of protecting anybody except himself. He wasn’t like Morro or Elray, who were genuinely nice and kind people who were naturally sweet and gentle… he was the opposite. He wasn’t that great of a person, even if Lila thought he was a little tough, and he was acutely aware of that. But, well, whatever. He’d go do some more heavy lifting for the cruel woman and bring firewood inside for the night and then clean the stove for her. Staying on that woman’s good side was a full-time job, but it was a job that let him survive, so he’d do whatever it took. He supposed he’d apologize to Elray later, but if that worthless twin of his got in his way, he’d still kick him under the bridge if he needed to. It didn't matter what Morro said, in the end. Besides, it wasn’t like Elray had ever done anything to help him either…