"Yeah, 'causeyou took mine!“ the younger girl retorted, folding her arms over her chest so they mirrored each other. "I already said that, and you ignored me, so I took yours. It’s only fair.”

   The younger gave a grumble, trying to bury deeper under the blankets, even as her sister tried to wake her. It was too earlier, and she had never really been a morning person. She had yet to notice it wasn’t exactly light outside. 

   "Go ‘way, Nessie,“ she mumbled, one eye half cracking open before she hid her face in the pillow, determined not to be brought around. 

   The exclamation made the younger girl’s head shoot up from the gift she had been unwrapping. Abandoning it for the moment, she crawled her way to her sister’s side, even if their parents had told her off for still keeping up the childish habit. Once happily sat next to Anesa, the Queen passing over the gift she had left behind, Idun stared down at what had been given.

   "’S pretty, Nessie,“ she said, grinning at her twin. 

   Sitting back on her behind, Idun glanced up at the stranger scrunching her skirts up in small fists. It was a habit her mother had tried to break her of, said it was ruining her dresses by crumpling them, but she still did it. Small and curled up, there was a fear in her eyes, an anxiety.

   "Wanna go home,“ she mumbled, looking down at the flowers sewn into the hem of her outer skirt. "Want my Mama.”

   The child glanced around the unfamiliar surroundings, forgetting quite how she got there. Normally a confident thing, she felt her stomach twist up and her bottom lip slid between her teeth.

   "Mama?“ she called, hoping to get a response. "Papa? Clara?”

   No one answered.

   Soon enough her feet were carrying her from the room, hoping the outside would have more clues as to where she was. This place was obviously a castle, but it was dark, not like her home. She didn’t run into anyone either–what if she’d just been abandoned there? What if her parents didn’t find her?

   Almost about to lose all hope, she spotted a lady at the end of the corridor. She knew she must be a lady, because she had gloves on, and wore a pretty dress. Maybe she was a Princess, like her, or a Queen like her Mama.

   "‘Scuse me,“ she said quietly, approaching her. "I’m lost. Can you help?”

     The young princess stomped one foot against the floor, her lip jutting out in a pout. She’d go to Clara, but she’d recently decided she was too big to play with her younger siblings. And Papa had taken Kaspar off for some king thing. He was only a baby–six was totally a baby–why did he need training so early? 

     "No one will play with me,“ she lamented, crossing her arms over her chest.