"You will be the next Duke Sinclair. Remember your heritage. Remember your duty to this family."

"You must strive for perfection."

***

Elias Sinclair, the second-born child of the Sinclair estate, had a wild and unruly spirit since the day of his birth. Mere moments after his entrance into the world, his loud wailing echoed through the halls of the manor house, as if to warn its occupants that a storm was coming. And indeed it did, for Elias Sinclair could not be considered anything but a perfect catastrophe. For a solid week, he screamed and cried through the night, erasing any possibility of sleep within the Sinclair household. On the seventh day, the Duke Sinclair came to see his fussy son and haggard wife for the first time since the baby's birth. He had grown weary of the loud shouts that constantly emanated from the nursery and come to fix the cause himself. Standing over the crib, he stared down at his son and commanded,

"Quiet. The future Duke is not such a bother to his superiors."

A sudden silence.

"You must strive for perfection."

The Duke's words meant little to him except as gibberish coming from a perfect stranger. However, these words would soon become the foundation and bane of Elias's existence.

***

Toddler Elias was very tired of being a toddler. Days of being forced into stuffy baby suits, fed a "healthy" diet of vegetable mush, and introduced to various members of high society did not agree with his fierce personality. He didn't like the daily wrangling of his hair into a smooth gel helmet. He didn't like Mother's loud annoying lady friends, who called him "such a cute little gentleman," and "the spitting image of the Duke!" He didn't like learning to bow like "a little gentleman," and he didn't like learning how to say "How do you do?" especially when saying "Mother" and "Father" was already so difficult. He especially didn't like when he and Mother visited Father in his office. They would hand him boring papers with strange letters on them while they talked to each other about "raising the perfect Duke" and "bringing honor to the Sinclair name."

He did, however, like his sister. Her name was Alexandra...although he couldn't really pronounce that, so he just called her "Awex." He liked her because the first time he called her that, she didn't scold him for his pronunciation. Instead, she grinned and asked if "Eli" wanted to play hide-and-seek in the library. Elias liked hide-and-seek! He also liked being Eli. Eli was allowed to run around in the garden with Awex and play with her dolls. Eventually, "Awex" became "Alex" as he became better at talking, but they still played together whenever Eli wasn't with Mother. 

Alex and Eli, partners in crime. He liked that idea. 

He didn't want to "strive for perfection."

Alex and Eli were perfect enough. He hoped it would last forever.

***

It didn't last forever. 

As soon as he was old enough to be educated, he was whisked away for his education on becoming the perfect duke. Economics, Etiquette, Philosophy, History, Magic, Swordplay... his days were so full that there was no more time for hide-or-seek, and no more time for running about in the garden with Alex. Soon, even "Alex" went back to being "Alexandra" and "Eli" became "Elias" when the Duke found out about it.

"The future Duke does not call his family members by such frivolous names," he scolded.

"...yes Father," Elias mumbled. 

"Speak clearly!" the Duke snapped. "The future Duke does not mumble!"

"Yes Father," Elias spoke emotionlessly. 

The Duke smiled in satisfaction.

"Better. Remember Elias, you are to be the next Head of the Sinclair duchy. You must be better than this."

"Strive for perfection."

Through the office door, Elias could hear the sound of Alexandra returning home. She was complaining to one of the maids about a dress that was out-of-season.

How lucky his sister was, thought Child Elias, to not have to strive for perfection.

***

The source of conflict was, of all things, a tea set.

Well, more specifically, the Sanari tea set, a collection of fine hand-painted china made by a world-famous craftsman. The porcelain cups and teapot had been made with a clay that contained a crushed magic crystal and painted with paint made from rare magical flowers. It was said that tea brewed and served with this set could have restorative properties without expending any of the user's mana. There was no item quite like it, and twelve-year-old Elias wanted to offer it as a gift to a foreign diplomat to foster a relationship between House Sinclair and the nation of Meifa. Perhaps if he could make that connection, the Duke would consider his efforts a success. Maybe enough to be considered "perfection."

But there was one problem. And she was clutching on to the tea set as if her life depended on it.

As Elias continued in his formal education, he began to see the merits of being perfect. Yes, he was still brash amongst his friends, but at home, he became the cold calculating Duke he was expected to become. His father was looking prouder day by day, and that in itself felt like an accomplishment. However, Alexandra seemed only to become more childish as the years passed. She continued to drape herself in extravagant and gaudy jewels. Frankly, she did more harm to the Sinclair name than good. She would carry herself obnoxiously and plaster herself to the powerful eligible bachelors of the kingdom. One of which was Prince Nicholas, the second prince. 

And that was the reason for her fixation on his bargaining chip.

"No!" she stomped her foot and hugged the set even more possessively. "I'm going to use this tea set to get Prince Nicholas to love me by making the best tea! You can't have it, I want it!"

Elias sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Sister," he seethed. "You can't have the tea set. I need it for an important contact. It will benefit the Sinclair name. Please find another set."

"NO!" she shouted. "I WANT THIS ONE! YOU ALWAYS GET EVERYTHING!"

What? HE was the one who always got everything? While SHE spent her days sipping tea and gossiping with the ladies, he had to endure constant pressure as the heir to the estate. He had molded himself into the perfect Duke, and it still wasn't enough for their father. Yet she went around saying that HE was the lucky one? 

No. That was enough. How dare she? She was fine being an embarrassment to their family while he worked hard to earn his father's favor. The Duke had always let her have whatever she wanted while he had to work for it. He was the more important Sinclair sibling.

Yes. He was better than she was. A better Sinclair, a better person. She wanted the set? Fine, she could have it. He could achieve his goals without it. He would always be the better one. The superior Sinclair.

Elias scoffed. "Fine, you disappointment," he said coldly. "Take the tea set and your childish antics back to your room. And next time, try to be more understanding like I am."

"Strive for perfection."

He chuckled dryly. 

"Not like you'll ever get there."