"You are alive" Destiny shouts as she runs out of the door as soon as Crystal comes in view and hugs the woman.
"Hi" Crystal smiles as she hugs the girl back.
"Where were you? We got worried, when you did not arrive" Destiny smiles and Crystal ruffles the girl's hair.
"I have..." Crystal stops as Connor steps out of the house wiping his hands.
"Connie, look Chrissie is here, I told you she will come back. You must be busy right?" Destiny asks as she runs towards her brother.
"Yeah, I had a bit work" Crystal hesitates before she walks closer to the door.
"What is this?" Destiny asks as she grabs the bag Crystal had hold on.
"That's..."
"It's a soap and candles" Destiny gasps as she pulls out and smells it.
"It's scented" Destiny whispers in awe.
"Well I..."
"Thank you" Destiny wraps her arms around Crystal at once before she runs inside the house shouting, she was going to take a shower.
"Hi" Crystal smiles as she stands in front of Connor who says nothing and Crystal gulps before she goes to step inside but he steps to the side stopping her.
"What happened?" he asks as he grabs her hand and stares at the marks around her hands.
"I got burned while cooking" she lies as she tries to pull her hand away.
"What kind of cooking were you doing?" he frowns and Crystal stares in his eyes.
"Are you worried?" she asks hopefully and Connor lets go of her hand.
"I am because you look like trouble, trouble I cannot deal with. And stop bringing stuff for my sister, the ones I cannot afford and she does not get used to" he warns as he walks away and Crystal watches as he gets on the horse and rides away towards the town.
********
"Smell me" Destiny grins as she puts her arm out and Crystal holds smelling it.
"I feel so beautiful" Destiny sighs and Crystal smiles.
"You are beautiful"
"I know and one day a prince charming will come and take me away from this stupid place"
"You don't like being here?" Crystal asks.
"I love my brother but living this life sucks. Its same thing every day, wake up, make tea, go get grass for cows, collect eggs, make breakfast, check around the ground, water the crops, go to market to sell milk and eggs when every family in the village has hens and cows" she sighs and Crystal frowns.
"How does your brother earn money?" Crystal asks.
"Well, he goes and helps the villagers at times, he is really strong, so if they need help, they ask for him, he gets paid but some of them are so cheap they let him have more eggs or butter or bread. But Connor is so stupid he takes it quietly, says everyone has their own things to deal with and it won't kill anyone to be a little kind to each other" Destiny sighs before she grins.
"But the best thing is when he brings coffee or sometimes cakes, else it's same old more eggs" she informs.
"Did he go to help in the village again?" Crystal asks and Destiny nods.
"Yeah, there are broken fences to be mend and he did say someone's cow is going to give birth" she states.
"Okay, well what do you want me to do?" Crystal asks and Destiny groans.
"Stay, Connor is not here that means we don't have to work"
"But..."
"We will have to do it again tomorrow, let tomorrow come tomorrow. I want to just rest" Destiny sighs as she lies on the carpeted floor and Crystal smiles.
"Do you want me to braid your hair?" Crystal asks and Destiny squeals as she runs to her room to get her hair band and comb.
*******
"Do you have a mom Crystal?" Destiny asks as Crystal combs Destiny's hair.
"I used to have one" Crystal replies.
"Did you get to see her?" she asks and Crystal nods her head.
"I did not" Destiny confesses and Crystal pauses before she hugs Destiny from behind.
"We lost dad when I was in mom's womb, he fell off the horse and snapped his neck. And then mom was sick, she must have loved dad very much, she was too weak, she died on child birth...
I have never celebrated my birthday; we just mourn for her" Destiny's words break Crystal's heart.
"Maybe this year we can celebrate it, I will make the cake" Crystal offers and Destiny smiles as she turns to face her.
"You will?" she asks hopefully and Crystal nods her head.
"Yeah, we will all get dressed and we will cut the cake, sing you a birthday song and have lots of food" Crystal grins and Destiny squeals as she hugs Crystal.
"I would love that" the girls gasps.
*******
Crystal stands at the door of the stable as she watches her mate let his horse walk inside, she smiles when he rubs the horse's back before he locks the stables.
"Destiny has gone to bed" she informs when he walks out and hearing her, he just glances at her.
"Shall I ready a plate for you?" she asks while he walks to the bucket filled with water and splashes water in his face and washes his hands.
"She told me about her upcoming birthday, she sounded not so excited. I promised to make her a birthday cake, maybe we can throw a little party for her, she is turning fourteen soon" Crystal speaks and Connor just takes off his boots before he washes it.
"I think..."
"Did you feed the hens?" Connor asks and Crystal blinks.
"Or water the crops?" he asks when she does not reply soon enough.
"How about collecting the eggs? Did you do anything at all today?" he asks and Crystal stands quietly as she did nothing at all, except gossip with Destiny.
"We won't have any ingredients to have a proper breakfast if the crops die, we will not have any hens left to collect eggs if they are not watched properly" he starts.
"I..."
"Instead of planning the birthday we cannot afford why don't you do something useful around here. Am paying you to help around not spend the day or arrive whenever you desire. Next time you miss to come and work, don't even bother to come back and I am not paying you for today as well" he informs and Crystal stares at him in disbelief.
"It's late, go home" he asks turning his back to her and she takes a deep breath before she picks up his boot and throws at his back.
"What the..." Connor frowns as he turns only to dodge as she throws another boot of his.
"You brood" she shouts as she storms and pushes on his chest.
"I am discussing about your sister's birthday because she was upset, she never got to celebrate it. Why? Because her brother is so stupid, stupid to be ignorant enough to not make her feel good about her birthday but instead make her mourn for her mother and somehow making her feel it was because of her you both lost your mother...
She is thirteen years old; she should be running around the field with happiness, laughing freely not groaning while she carries the bucket of water to water the crops, she should she running behind the hens scaring them not collecting the eggs, you idiot!" she snaps as she keeps on pushing him.
"And you can go shove your money in your ass, yes, I said your ass, because that is what you are! You think I am here for money; I don't even care if you will not pay me. I am here because like being here, watching you and spending time with Destiny and somehow, I enjoy doing the chores, helping around. But here you are passing judgement on me as if you know me, you have been nothing but mean to me, always glaring and judging me with your eyes...
But you know what! I am done, following you around so you can just stay here, wash your face and hands and hope wash yourself away from my life" she shouts before she storms away from him leaving him stunned.
*******
The next day, Crystal ignores her mate at all cost as she quietly finishes her work around and Destiny keeps asking if she was okay while she just inform, she was good.
"She is going to kill our hens" Destiny comments as both the siblings stares out of the window to Crystal who aggressively grabs the hens and shoves them in their houses before locking the door with a slam.
"Did you say something to her?" Destiny asks her brother who shakes his head no.
"She is quite aggressive this morning" Destiny mutters before both of them turn their head when Crystal walks in with a basket of eggs and puts it on the table with a bang.
"Fifty eggs in total, I am going to water the crops next" she informs storming out of the house and both of them stares at each other before jumping off the chair.
"Crystal" Destiny calls her name while Connor runs to grab the bucket from her hands.
"You should eat first" Destiny smiles holding Crystal back.
"I will be on fields" Connor mumbles as he hurries away.
"I said I would water, is that not why I am here for. Feed the chickens, water the crops, collect the eggs" Crystal shouts at Connor who just keeps walking away and Crystal sighs as she turns back to the house and Destiny narrows her eyes as she watches her brother's back and then glance at the house.
********
"What did my brother do?" Destiny asks as she passes the food to Crystal.
"Nothing"
"It did not sound like nothing back there" Destiny points.
"Because it was nothing, because I am making it into something which is stupid, I feel stupid" Crystal snaps and Destiny just stays quiet.
Crystal eats her lunch as anger pours from her veins, she cannot help but calm herself at all. It's either be angry or downright fall on the ground and cry about it so she is sticking with anger instead.
A knock on the door makes both of them turn to find someone standing at the door, Crystal frowns as she stares at the girl who had a basket on her hand and smiling widely.
"Hi, des, how are you?" she asks and something about her makes Crystal even more angry.
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, I baked some cookies today and then I remembered how much Connor was helpful yesterday on the fields so" she smiles and Destiny nods as she grabs the basket.
"Thanks"
"So, is Connor in?" the girl asks and Destiny shakes her head.
"Nope, he has gone to the market but I will be sure to tell him you dropped by" Destiny smiles.
"Oh okay, do tell him when he is back"
"Of course, bye" Destiny closes the door and she walk in and puts the basket on the table with a sigh.
"Who was that?" Crystal asks.
"One of Connor's fawn"
"What?"
"She likes Connor and thinks one day they will get married and have kids, hah! My brother will not marry her, I don't want him to get married until I find someone, what if she turns out to be a bitch and throws me out, not taking the risk"
"Why would someone throw you out of your own house?" Crystal frowns.
"When Connor gets married, he will have a wife and they will want privacy and if his wife turns into some evil woman and blackmails Connor to throw me out of this house? I did read the story Hansel and Gretel"
"But Hansel and Gretel were brother and sister and it was their step mother who..."
"I know, Connor's wife will be like a step mother to me, Crystal you don't understand" Destiny sighs as she takes out a cookies and haves it.
"It's not so bad, but Connor cannot eat it and fall for that woman" Destiny points at Crystal who frowns for her own reasons.
*******
"Is dinner ready?" Connor asks as he walks in the house.
"Set the plates" Destiny shouts.
"Is she gone?" he asks his sister.
"Yeah, I asked her to stay for dinner but she said she would not. You need to treat her well, Connie, do you know she lost her mother few months ago?" Destiny points and Connor frowns.
"How would I know?"
"That is why, that is why you are so stupid. We girls are sensitive, you need to treat us like a treasure"
"You can eat twice of what I eat and you pull our cow single handedly out of her shed, I don't find you sensitive from any angle"
"God" Destiny groans as she rolls her eyes and stomps back to the kitchen.
"Someone is at the door" Connor points and Destiny shouts for him to go check.
Opening the door, he finds his neighbor's daughter standing smiling at him widely.
"Oh, hey Connor" the girl smiles shyly.
"Uh, hi"
"So, did you like it?" the girl asks and Connor frowns.
"Like?"
"The cookies? I came by this afternoon but you went to market so I left the basket with your sister. You have been helping dad for so long and I just wanted to show my gratitude" she smiles and Connor smiles back before he walks in to ask his sister.
"Here, your basket. Bye" Destiny smiles as she shoves the basket to the girl and Connor frowns at her.
"Des" Connor scolds his sister.
"What?" she shrugs her shoulder.
"Thanks for the cookies"
"So, did you have dinner?" she asks and Connor clears his throat.
"We were about to"
"Until you disturbed us" Destiny points.
"Des, go set the plates"
"Why would I? It is your turn"
"Des"
"Fine" she groans before stomping her foot and walking.
"She is lovely" the girl states and Connor nods while she stands on the doorway just smiling and he does not know what to do so ends up asking if she wants to come in.
"Sure, if you insist" she laughs before walking in and Destiny narrows her eyes at her brother who shrugs his shoulders.
*******
"Thanks for the dinner" the girl smiles as she walks out of the house and Connor nods while he goes to close the door but she stops holding his hand.
"I make good pies" she informs and Connor clears his throat as he turns to watch his sister who starts to bang the plates.
"Goodnight" he nods and she giggles before she turns to walk away smiling and blushing.
Connor takes a deep calm breath as he closes the door only to stop when there is a bang on the door so he turns to open only to find himself being pushed forcefully.
"Who was she? What was she doing at this time of the night? Why was she even blushing? What did you tell her?" Crystal demands as she pushes him inside in anger.
"What...?"
"You cannot even look at me with a smile, a little smile, you don't even talk to me and now a girl at this time of night is walking out of here blushing? Are you kidding me?
Am I not beautiful enough? I know it took me a while to learn work in this place but I have been doing just fine, I may not know how to make cookies but I am learning for you...
Never in my life have I raised a finger but just to impress you I have been taking classes to cook and clean and you don't appreciate! You never do! Will it kill you if you just said, good job Crystal, thank you for your help?" she shouts as she pokes a finger on his chest while he just stares at her blankly.
"Oh god! Of all the men in the world I had to fall for you but you know what? I am done, I am not coming back again, I can clearly see what type of girl you are into and it's definitely not a red hair like me but some girl who will turn evil once you marry her and then have kids...oh god you will have kids with her and she will throw Destiny out of this house just like they did to Hansel and Gretel" Crystal cries before she takes few deep breathes and when she hears a squeak she turns to stare at Destiny who stands with a plate in her hand.
"Hey Des, sorry to interrupt. I was just...excuse me" she steps away from Connor and turns to walk out while Connor blinks before he curses and follows her out.
Crystal mutters to herself cursing her mate as she walks out of the house only to be stopped as Connor grabs her arm and pulls her to his chest.
"Let go of me" she shouts struggling in his arms.
"I cannot" he breaths before his lip crashes in to her and Crystal forgets everything.