I stared at the wall as a little girl's hands ran through my hair, "So soft!".
I got up in frustration, holding her shoulders as I got her to stop. "Darling, where's that blonde man?".
He had rushed outside after what she said earlier.
The girl looked down, playing with her clothes, a sad expression on her face. "He went to see Brother Joseph," she said.
"Who's Brother Joseph?"
She didn't speak further, as I placed her on my lap, she was probably about 8 years old.
A knock came on the door, as she hurriedly got up from me, and rushed towards the door about to open it.
"Wait!", I exclaimed, rushing to her. "You can't open without checking who it is."
"It's my brothers, I know it".
"Brothers?"
She giggled and opened it, as my face met with two men; one had black hair tied in a slick back, but I couldn't see the other very well.
The little girl wrapped her arms around him, barely above his waist, she wasn't short, he was just tall.
He smiled and hugged her back, "Adrianna, I smell something nice, Did you cook?"
She shook her head, "Brother Dean said I would burn the house down".
He laughed and carried her up, walking into the house as he removed his shoes quickly.
Then his eyes landed on me.
He looked creeped out, as he slowly turned to Adrianna, I think that was her name.
"Who's this?", He whispered, still looking terrified.
She pointed at me, "Oh, her! It seems she's Brother Dean's girlfriend!"
"As if", I replied, pumping my hair.
"Who brought you here, Is it Dean?", He asked.
I looked at him, hands on my face, "If you're talking about that winged, blonde, green-eyed thing, then yeah it's Dean".
"Why?"
"I'm helping him"
"Do what?"
"It's a secret".
The man placed Adrianna on the ground and walked to the kitchen, as the second guy stepped inside.
And I felt my heart stop.
He moved past me like he didn't know me, ruffling Adrianna's hair without looking in my direction once.
My heart calmed down a bit, maybe it was the wrong person, maybe just a doppelganger or something-
"Good evening, Princess Aurora", He added.
And it started beating fast again.
He said it with no emotion, no thought, no look, he just kept chatting with Adrianna, still not looking in my direction.
"Princess Aurora?", the other one asked, now eating an apple.
"It's nothing serious", He replied. "Who cares anyway?"
"I don't know what's going on", The other said. "But Dean better explain all this".
Adrianna walked over to me, "Miss, that's my brother, Connor", she said, pointing to the one with the apple.
"And that's Augustine", she pointed to the other one.
"She knows", Augustine replied.
This man brought back memories I didn't want.
Not because they were bad, but because they weren't useful.
Augustine was incredibly popular for two reasons.
He looked like Romeo and he was the head of an organisation.
He came to the palace a lot to ask if he could take anyone for his social experiment, every month to be precise.
I could not live with this man.
I looked at the door, Where was that winged thing when you needed it?
I shifted my gaze to Adrianna, bored now, and not wanting to further my conversation with both of them, "Darling, do you have wings?"
She shook her head, then whispered, "But Brother Dean does!".
"Yeah, I know, I'm still traumatised".
The door opened at that moment as Dean walked in, anger on his face.
And I, I had never been so happy to see a human.
"Finally", I murmured, the tension had finally reduced.
Connor threw the violently eaten apple in the trash can, as he placed his hand on Dean's left shoulder.
"Dean, I had no idea you brought girls over when we're not around", He chuckled.
Dean sighed and fell on the couch, "She's here for something important". He seemed to be a bit worried.
"Like?", Augustine raised his eyebrows.
"Something", Dean said spreading his legs, throwing his head back at the same time.
I stood in the middle of it all, wondering if I really made the right choice by coming here. I thought it would just be Dean, I had no idea I was walking into a whole Den.
"Where will she sleep?", Connor asked, searching the fridge for his next victim.
Dean placed a hand on his cheek, "With me".
And the room went silent.
"Aaaah!!", Adriana screamed. "Brother Dean! That's improper!"
"How so?"
"I don't know! But it doesn't seem proper!".
Augustine rubbed her head, "You're learning fast Anna".
"I don't see the problem", Dean said. "I'll just sleep on the floor, she'll stay on the bed".
"It still seems impro-", and Dean placed a hand over her mouth.
------------
The bed was a bit comfortable, nothing like the palace, but it made a good sleeping zone.
My arms were on my knees and so was my face, as I thought about it, maybe I shouldn't have come here after all.
Augustine didn't seem to be 'that' person, but there was a chance he would tell my mom where I am, and even if he doesn't..
The other one just might.
"You're a talkative, so what's the problem now?", Dean asked, grabbing two towels from the wardrobe.
"If you want to bathe, tell me so I can leave", I said, ignoring the question.
"You can close your eyes, right?", He asked, his eyes showing he actually considered it a genuine question.
"I can also keep them open".
"Then you go stay with Connor".
I laughed a bit as I turned the other side, "Your brothers creep me out, I want a different house".
He placed his shirt on the couch, "Then get to building it".
I turned back to him, remembering something I wanted to ask.
Then my eyes met what I wasn't very interested in.
My hands instinctively saved me, as I placed them on my eyes, "Do you want to blind me?!"
"I'm very sorry", He said, almost too apologetic. "I didn't know I looked that heavenly".
I threw the nearest pillow at him, now opening my eyes just to be welcomed by that average build of his again.
"You have the build of a man who did one push-up, and decided he wasn't born for it".
"Is your build better?", He pointed at me.
"A pervert's question", I said.
He sighed and finally went into the bathroom, as I crossed my legs, smiling.
Maybe I could survive here.
6 AM
The house didn't smell like pancakes and oven-fresh goods, nor was there a knock on the door with someone whispering.
"Princess, it's time to eat".
I was missing it so much.
Dean was still asleep, with saliva drooling out of his mouth and the posture of a hanged man, I wished I could capture that moment forever.
To use it against him and his upcoming generation too.
I threw the bedsheets off as I walked up to the mirror. I looked at my clothes, and I didn't even know who owned them.
At least it was a nightgown, so it definitely didn't belong to any of the boys.
I walked down the stairs, and there was a slight aroma, one of burnt toast.
At least it was better than the smell of nothingness.
As I tried to move towards the stench, I felt someone grab my hand.
I tried to free myself, but I was suddenly pinned to the wall as I came face-to-face with Connor.
"Don't make a sound".
And he clasped his hand over my lips.