Among our siblings, I, as a reader, like Richard the most. Sometimes, the reason hate can fester so much is because it was once affection. If it was loathing from the start, it just is. But if there was affection or respect at any point at all, it becomes high concentrated venom.
From a very young age, it was his mother who pitted him against his step siblings because of her own hatred. She filled that venom into him. He became deeply insecure because his father displayed to him at every turn that he ‘was not worthy’ his mother was also hot and cold, telling him to try harder, be tougher, take revenge in one moment and speaking tender words like ‘Why have you become like this?’ blah blah blah in another.
This type of environment naturally frayed his mind. So when the youngest, someone he thought would be his supporter, to protect, becomes the one he has failed ‘to be worthy’ against, he overturns like an unstable boat. Even the beginning scene of giving the horse is filled with this intent, this intent of ‘See, I’'m good. Rely on me, haha’
The father too. He was a deeply insecure and paranoid man. To a degree, I respect him. To another, he was too blinded and wrapped up in his own little world, thinking that he had been wronged so much to a degree that he didn’t even consider that he could also be doing wron to the people around him by the ways in which he reacted.
The sisters, I personally find that Atheris is more similar to Richard, regarding her volatile nature filled with insecurities and Freya is similar to Charles in her way of ‘seeing your own worldview and reacting only according to it’. On the two mothers, Miss Alvena reminds me a lot of my own mother’s mother in law, and Miss Isabelle reminds me of my mom, so I don’t have much comments on them. They are written very well though, and I dislike Alvena just slightly for acting as poisonously as she did.
I have to add, every time go over to roam around the character pages, I get a little feeling of panic seeing the ‘Alive’ status, expecting it to turn into ‘Deceased’ in the next page.
Can’t wait to see how the rest of the story pans out
