25 Foreyule, 1259

 "Bard not special," Donnamira announced at second breakfast on her Third Birthday. Isembard had demanded to know why he'd gotten a stick for his Gift, and had heatedly told her that he was special and should have got the best gift (a shiny stone which Donna had solemnly presented to her father, the Thain.) 

"Am too special!" Bard replied heatedly, Isum, presiding over the children's table while his eldest brother sat with their parents, gave his squabbling siblings a withering look. "Isembard, stop," the young tween said firmly. Bard showed no inclination to listen, and pitched a handful of chopped apple in Donna's face, which was met by a howl of protest and an equally vehement fistful of honeyed nuts. The sticky mess landed in Bard's curls, and he let out a wail that had the eyes of the entire Hall on him.

"Isumbras Took!" Aunt Opal swept down from her seat at the High Table to glare at her nephew. "What is this nonsense?"

"Bard not special, Auntie Opal!" Donnamira put in before the sputtering tween could be hauled off by the ear. "He throwed at me first! Isum good! Promise!"

"Oh? Well, let's have it, lass, since you're so very vocal today. And don't you look a fright, on your Birthday of all days!" Opal set to scrubbing her youngest niece's face. "What happened here?" she asked when she was done, surprised - but pleased - that Donna hadn't tried to wriggle away. Donna liked being bathed.

"I gived Bard stick," Donna replied calmly. "He want Papa's gift 'cos he say he special and get the best." Donna scowled at her elder brother. "Bard naughty. Should get stick, like Father Winter say."

"We'll let Father Winter decide that in a few days, now shall we?" Opal said tartly. "'Tis not Yule yet, my lass, neither First nor Second. So, you gave your brother a stick, and he..."

"Throwed apples, Auntie," Donnamira said with the air she heard grown-ups reserve for silly children. "You just got off me."

"Hmph, so I did," Opal huffed, fixing her gaze on Isembard briefly. "And so then what did you do?"

"Throwed nuts at Bard," Donnamira replied calmly. "They all over him. Bard should have bath now too." This set off another howl from Bard - he hated bathtime.

"Well, Donna, it wasn't kind of you to throw nuts at your brother, any more than it was kind of Bard to throw apples at you. I think you've both had enough second breakfast, now," she said briskly, and Donnamira sighed, though she didn't argue.

"Yes, Auntie."

"Not fair!" Isembard glowered at Donnamira.

"Off to the nursery with you now, my lass," Opal said, swinging Donna up onto her hip. The child was exceedingly well mannered for a faunt - most of the time - and truthful to a fault, almost alarmingly so at times. But she was yet a faunt, and she couldn't be expected to walk that far. "And Isembard, it's the bath for you, my lad. Come, before those nuts dry in your hair and we have to cut the curls off." This got Isembard moving fairly quickly, though sullenly, and Opal swept off to the nursery.

She made short work of putting Donnamira back in her bed and commanding her to stay, and then led her nephew to the bath. It was filled by a young lass who bobbed a curtsey to Opal and hastened from the room. Opal could have left bathing the lad to a servant, she reflected, but as she stripped Isembard and popped him in the tub, she set to with a good will. Those nuts would come out. Or else.

Much splashing, soaping, scrubbing and struggling ensued, though Isembard left off yelling after the first mouthful of soapy water got in. He settled for glaring as the bath brush made brisk work of cleaning him off, and Opal washed the lad's curls four times before she was satisfied that he had no nuts or honey left. (In truth, it had only taken three washings, but Opal surmised her nephew would not perish from extra bathing.) When Isembard was rinsed off, Opal dried him, dressed him in a long nightshirt, and put him to bed with Donna. "You'll be taking elevenses in the nursery with your sister, my lad. And you'd best not cause a fuss."

Defeated, Bard simply nodded, and curled up with his sister. Differences aside, he really had no problem sharing a bed with a sibling, even Donna. He'd shared a bed since he was tiny, after all. Soon both were fast asleep.