Kelvin Serro Vanthar. The prodigy heir to the Vanthar estate. Since he had been born, he had been raised knowing he as better than other people. When he wanted something, he got it. When he disagreed with someone, they changed their opinion. When he was sad, people threw away their dignity to make him happy. However it was all a bit droll.

               Kelvin was too young at the time to understand the circumstances around Tamyra’s birth. At first he had been told he was getting a sibling, but was too young to know what it meant. He never saw her as she was not allowed to live inside the main house. Instead she had been given a room in the servant’s quarters. The servants had to take turns caring for her, but as taking care of Tamyra held no chance for recognition, she was seen as a burden. Therefore she spent most of her infancy locked up in a closet in the servant’s quarters. It wasn’t until Kelvin was seven and Tamyra was five that the two met.

               It was an uncharacteristically bad day for Kelvin. One of the branch families brought sweets to the house as a gift, and Kelvin had wanted them. It was one of those rare times when his parents had refused one his request. Kelvin had thrown a fit, was scolded by his father and sent to his room. He had escaped though, and had made his way to kitchen. The sweets had been placed on a shelf high up on the counter. Kelvin tried to climb up the counter to get to the sweets, but he was too short. Kelvin was infuriated. He began kicking the counter as hard as he could.

               “Stupid stupid stupid stupid stu-,” Kelvin froze. In his anger, he hadn’t noticed the small girl walk in. She was just sitting there staring at him intently. A small girl with dark brown hair, she was dressed in a ragged dress that was obviously too big for her. Kelvin felt his heart plummet. Some lowly servant had seen him throw a tantrum. His father had always told him to be dignified because he was better than those of low status. Trying to regain some of his shattered feeling of superiority, he asked in a derisive tone. “What are you doing stupid servant girl.”

               The girl looked up at him with two large round violet eyes. “What are you doing?” she asked with surprising clarity for someone as young as her. Curiosity shone in her eyes. Kelvin was taken aback, she dared to not answer his question?

               “You see that box? There are a bunch of really tasty sweets up there. I want them,” Kelvin declared.

               “Sweets?” The girl’s expression turned from curiosity to desire.

               “Yeah, but I can’t get them cause they are up to high.”

               The girl looked around and said, “I can get them for us.”

               Kelvin snorted in disbelief. “You? You’re shorter than me. You can’t get them if I can’t.”

               The girl didn’t respond but walked over to a small stool.

               “I’ve already tried that. It doesn’t reach.”

               However the small girl ignored him and place the stool next to the counter. Instead of standing on it though, she walked over and found a taller chair. She pushed the chair up to the counter. She then lifted the stool up on to the chair and climbed on the chair. Putting the stool on to the counter, she then proceeded to climb on to the counter. Kelvin was puzzled by this at first, but soon realized why she had brought the stool. When she stood on the counter, she wasn’t tall enough to reach the sweets. Using the stool, the girl grabbed the box and climbed back down. When she got back to the floor, she opened the box and offered it to him.

               “Here.”

               Kelvin was amazed. He had been shown up by this littler serving girl. A girl younger than him, wearing such tattered clothing. A twisted feeling began to well up inside him. But before he could acknowledge it, the door opened and the sous chef walked in.

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The sous chef stared at the two children holding the box that was to be forbidden to even Kelvin. He thought about how he could get in a lot of trouble if he took it from Kelvin, but he could get into trouble from Temlan Vanthar if he let them have it. His gaze then passed on to the small girl. He realized who she was, and a plan formed. If he blamed everything on her, then he could get away with taking the sweets from Kelvin.

               “Young master! Get away from her! She is filthy!” The sous chef rushed over to the two children and grabbed the girl. She still had the box in her hands, which the sous chef grabbed away from her. He cuffed her. “Don’t you dare taint the young master! Know your place!” He cuffed her again.

               Staring at the spectacle in front of him Kelvin felt that twisted feeling well up to its breaking point. This girl was even lower than a servant, and she had done what he could not. Someone who was so low had been better than him. Kelvin hated it. All his life he was superior, but this girl had just calmly figured out the proper solution. Kelvin was embarrassed and angry. It was all this girl’s fault. He would show her. He would prove to her that he was better. He would show his superiority. And one day she would completely submit to him.

               Not saying anything, Kelvin left the room. The girl deserved whatever punishment she got. But she deserved worse. Kelvin decided to put all his effort into learning and becoming strong and smart. He would never be looked down on ever again.

               Kelvin kept this mentality growing up. However he could never feel like he was superior to his sister. She would read books in the garden, and they were always past the level that he was at. When he first discovered this, he had flown into a rage, torn up Tamyra’s book, then proceeded to get dirt all over her dress. However, this hadn’t stopped her from reading, and Kelvin could tell she was still surpassing him. He took every opportunity to make her life a living hell.

               Then one say during his bullying, they went swimming. When he made her take her clothes off, something stirred in him. She got in the water and he just sat there watching. He was mesmerized. She inquired if he would get in, but he furiously refused her for even daring to ask. And then, something even more extraordinary happened. It was a cold day and his sister was having a hard time keeping her head up. He watched in awe as she struggled to keep her head up. When he thought she was finally going to stay down, she reached the bank. Tamyra crawled on to the bank gasping for air. Her skin had a blue tint to it, and she was shivering intensely.

               Fury grew inside Kelvin. He had told her to stay in, but she had climbed out. The moment that had felt so magical to Kelvin had ended. She had resisted him, and had fought desperately to live. He had wanted to see her go under. And she had ruined it. Walking over to her, in a low voice, demanded, “Who said you could get out?!” Tamyra even had the gall to respond.

               “I would’ve drowned,” she gasped.

               Kelvin’s rage overflowed. He began to kick her. She cried out every time, but he kept going. Over and over, with no intention of stopping. In his furious barrage, she managed to find the strength and turn to him and uttered, “Please.” Kelvin stopped. She still hadn’t given up. He couldn’t bear to look at her anymore so he kicked her once more and left. As he left, he thought about how she never gave up. He would one day show her his true strength. She would have no choice to completely submit.  Her life would be his plaything. This time he knew his parents wouldn’t overlook this, but one day she wouldn’t be able to resist. And when she was completely his, he would return to this place with her and next time she wouldn’t get out.