"Okay guys give her some breathing room. First you almost tackled her and now you're smiling like idiots in her face."

Katrina looks at her younger siblings nervously. 2 boys and one girl.

"Well, go ahead and introduce yourselves children."

"I'm Isabella!"

"Drew."

"The cutest of them all, Nickolai!"

"This is your big sister Katrina. I hope all of you can get to know her and support her. There's gonna be a lot of new things she's going to experience."

"Of course mother!" The three chime.

But Katrina can already see not all her siblings are pleased to see she's here. While Nikolai seems genuinely happy to meet her, the other two don't. Maybe it's because she grew up around people who treated her with false kindness. That gave her the same false sweet smiles, but she recognizes these faces. They hate her just like her father did she can only assume.

She starts to think her staying isn't the best idea but when she looks towards the woman that is her mother she can't help but feel uncomfortable telling her so. She looks ecstatic to see all her children together finally. She looks ecstatic to see her oldest home again. And even though Katrina doesn't have a deeply rooted bond with her mother she feels she can't break her heart like that. Katrina thinks back to how her mother looked when she thought Katrina would say no and it causes her some discomfort. She couldn't hurt this woman even if she had been abandoned by her for some time.

So she mimics the soft smile she's seen her mother do all this last hour. Her siblings all smile back and while she knows 2 of the 3 aren't genuine seeing her mother and youngest brother look as if they couldn't be happier right now makes her feel something. She can't really put a word to it. But the best way she can describe it is that she's home.

As they entered the home Katrina can't help but notice some similarities between here and the tower. The Victorian style she had grown used to is covering every inch of the foyer. From the decor right down to the flowers in the center of the room it all fits the Victorian aesthetic. Two large circle staircases lead up to a landing that splits into another two sets of stairs. Someone tugs at her sleeve and she looks over to see Nickolai trying to tug her towards the stairs.

"I'll show you around! I'm not busy." He smiles causing Katrina to smile without thinking.

"Yes dear, why doesn't Nickolai show you around. I'm going to go help with dinner. I want things to be perfect for your first night with us!"

Their mother kisses both of them on the forehead before walking down a nearby hallway.

Katrina allows herself to be pulled along up the steps.

"First let me show you your room. I helped decorate it!"

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Again Katrina smiles without a second thought. Nickolai takes this as a good sign and continues pulling his sister around. They arrive at a door with Katrina's name engraved in it in cursive letters. Nickolai pulls out a key ring and unlocks the door.

"I kept it locked so no one would come in and mess it up. Mom and I are excited that you're home but not everyone is."

"Is it because I'm weird?"

"You're not weird, just different from us but different isn't bad. At least mom taught me that. Dad on the other hand.." he trails off.

Katrina, picking up on his sadness, grabs the door knob and throws the door open. She pulls him inside hoping his bad thoughts can be washed away. He's too young to think like her, she thinks in her mind. When she glances around she's a bit amazed. There's a huge canopy bed with sheer lilac curtains surrounding it. Every inch of the room is covered in a lush black carpet. Book shelves lined the right hand wall. The left hand wall has her dressers, desk, and a door to a balcony overlooking a nearby garden. The room is more than she could have asked for. She looks at Nickolai lost for words. Her old room was basic and had the bare essentials, but this is like something out of a fairytale. This is the princess room I always dreamed of. She stands in the middle of her room in shock unsure of how to react.

"Well is it okay?

She nods haphazardly without turning towards her brother. He can tell she's happy and excited even and it makes him smile. Him and his mother worked hard on the room in hopes that she would like it. He had learned a lot about her from their mother. Unlike his older siblings who followed their father religiously he had always been closer to their mother. She was the kinder of the two and didn't mind when his secret was revealed. His father on the other hand was angered and said he could not accept a son like him. But he's dead now and he doesn't have to be afraid to be himself anymore.

"Nickolai is this real or a dream?"

"It's really silly."

"It's just hard to believe. I used to dream about the day I'd leave that tower. Then I tried to leave everything for good. And then after a while I gave up. I realized fairytales are only stories, and that if princes and princesses really existed I could never be one."

"You know Mom is really sorry for everything. She never wanted that life for you but Dad was just so..."

"He hated me. He hated me for being born the way I was. I'm sure if he could, he would have killed me."

"Yes but Mom tried to protect you the only way she knew how. I know it feels like she abandoned you, but there wasn't a day she didn't call to see how you were doing. When she heard about your suicide attempts she told me she blamed herself since she couldn't show you the love you deserved."

"I realize that Mom protected me as best she could but it will take time for me to adjust. I used to think whoever put me in the tower wanted me to suffer, but now I realize she wanted me to live."

"Mom and I won't hurt you and we won't let anyone else hurt you. You're safe with us."

"Aren't I supposed to protect you?"

"Little brothers can be their big sister's Hero."

"What about the others?"

"The twins may not like you but they won't lay a hand on you at least personally. At school I'm not sure what will happen, but you can always hang out with me!"

"School?"

"Yeah you're going to school with us. The university, high school and even the elementary school are all on the same campus."

"You mean I can go?"

"Yes you didn't think we'd keep you locked up all day?"

"I just figured I'd live here in secret since I'm pretty sure no one knows I exist beyond the family."

"You're right but Mom is going to make an announcement tomorrow at our annual press conference. So she can introduce you to society. She wants the world to know about you."

"But why would she want everyone to know about a mistake like me?"

　"Like I said earlier you're simply different, but that doesn't mean bad."