If you bisect a square diagonally you gain two 45° isosceles triangles. Stefan stared at the sentence in his geometry book over and over. It made perfect sense, he just couldn't get the image of Alexis crumpled into a ball in the corner of the wine cellar out of his head. As she got older it was a sight that he kept seeing more and more often. What bothered him the most is that no one seemed to care besides him. Mr. Oganov, their tutor, and Miss Katia, their nanny seemed to notice, but they never did anything to about it. Why must her only family left in the world shun her, Stefan wondered.
"Stefan!" The stern voice of Mr. Oganov interrupted his thoughts. He looked up into the hardened face of his strict tutor.
"Yes sir?" Stefan inquired, hoping to avoid Mr. Oganov's wrath when he realized that his mind wasn't on geometry and hadn't been for quite some time.
"Can I see your work for today? Stavros and Alexis, they're just waiting on you so they can be dismissed." Stefan looked over at Stavros and Stefan. Stavros' dark beady eyes were staring at him with contempt. He had better things to do than wait around for his baby brother. Alexis' soft brown eyes looked at him comfortingly. She would wait for him, for as long as he needed her to. She was never in a rush, except to escape the wrath of whoever was about to condemn, be it Helena, Stavros, Mikkos, Victor, or even Anthony. Stefan picked up his paper and handed it to Mr. Oganov hoping that he had gotten enough done to satisfy him.
Mr. Oganov took the paper, looked over it and glanced condescendingly at Stefan. "This is not up to your usual work standard, but it will have to do for today. I expect you to work harder tomorrow. Understand?"
"Yes sir, " Stefan responded as he nodded his head and looked down at his feet; feeling guilty because he had been a disappointment.
"You're all dismissed," Mr. Oganov said. Without further encouragement the children were out the door.
Outside the door, Stavros was taunting Stefan. "Baby brother can't do his work right! Ha ha!"
Stefan was about to answer, but Alexis beat him to it. "You should be talking, Mama's boy. Just last week it was you keeping us in there because you didn't understand your Latin!" Those words shocked Stefan. He knew she had it in her to stand up to everyone in the house, but she rarely did, she was usually too frightened. The words struck a cord with Stavros too. He'd never seen her like this and it angered him. Stefan recognized the anger in his eyes and tried to grab Alexis out of Stavros' way but he was too late. Stavros slapped Alexis hard across the face and sent her whimpering and reeling to the floor. Stefan immediately was at her side.
"You ungrateful bitch!" Stavros yelled in anger. "How dare you speak to me in that manner, after all that this family has done for you. You are nothing but an orphan, and one wrong move could send you packing to live on the streets. You watch out when I'm head of this family, you'll be gone in an instant."
Stefan had had enough. He balled his fist up and was getting to let it loose on Stavros' irritating smirk when he felt the touch of Alexis' small hands on his back and soft voice pleading, "Please don't Stefan. He's not worth it."
"Alexis get back, I'm not going to let him get away with this," Stefan snapped.
Alexis refused to move, and once more pleaded, "Don't do this Stefan. You'll only regret it."
"Come on Stefan. Let me have it. Are you going to let a girl tell you what to do? You know you want to hit me." Stavros mocked.
"Why you…" Stefan got riled up but Alexis was still standing behind him and had a hold of his arms. She wasn't letting go. "Alexis, let me go!"
"Stavros, honey, where are you?" Helena's piercing voice was heard ringing down the staircase of the children's quarters.
"You better go see what Helena wants," Alexis pleaded with Stavros in hopes of getting the fight to subside.
"Fine, but I'm not through with either one of you," Stavros resigned as his steely eyes glared at both one more time and headed up the stairs to find Helena.
As soon as he was out of sight, Alexis let go of Stefan and muttered, "Mama's boy."
Stefan turned around and smiled, "Yeah, a Mama's boy." He was quiet for a minute trying to understand what just happened. He looked at Alexis and asked, "Why wouldn't you let me hit him?"
"He's your brother. No matter how much of a jerk he is, he's still your brother. You don't need him coming down on you because of me. I can't stand to see you fight with him because of me." Alexis offered as her explanation.
She was so sweet sometimes Stefan thought as he smiled at her explanation. Always thinking of him before she thought of her. "Lexis, you know I'd fight with anyone to keep you safe and happy."
"I know, but I don't want you hurting yourself because of me. Stavros is right I'm just a cast off that no one wants. I should be grateful to be here, but sometimes I just wish I was far far away from here." Alexis shyly confessed.
Stefan hated to hear her say this. A castoff? Never to him. She was the only one in the insane world of this island that he could relate to. He put his arm around her and hugged her tight. He tilted her childish face towards his and stared into her eyes. "Lexis, you are special. Don't let anyone ever make you think otherwise. One day I'm going make you see just how special you are, I promise."
Alexis never felt more loved than when her knight in shining armor was watching over him. She promised herself that one-day she'd make him know how special he was. He was the most special thing in her world.
She flung herself around his body and cried "Thank you! Thank you!"
"What for Lexis?"
"For making me feel better."
"Anytime Lexis, anytime." Stefan answered while thinking thanks for doing the same for me.
"Know what we're going to do now Lexis?"
"What?" Alexis asked, eyes shining brightly with curiosity.
"It's a surprise, come on!" Stefan grabbed her hand, dragged her down the hallway, and up the stairs with her shrieking with excitement along the way.