It's been two weeks since Dolly had been sent to Haytham. 

She missed her brother. 

Day constantly filled her mind. Even now, she thought of her beloved. Ah, Day! I want to hold you! Cuddle you! I want you to pat my head, kiss my cheek!

But she should feel the loss of his presence, like a gaping wound in her heart. 

She took her pain and made it strength. 

Charging forward, she thrust out with her wooden blade and broke the dummy apart. It simply exploded in a mess of hay. 

"Splendid!" The attending teacher clapped his hand. "You've improved with such swiftness, I almost don't dare to believe it." He praised. 

Dolly had recently began to train her body. Why? Because she'll never forget the pain of her child being separated from it's father! 

Before she had been sent here, she argued with that man, Elias--she would refer to him as father no longer! The conversation had taken place once Elias found out that those rumors started due to her actions at that tea party. He told her he would not stand for his family name being dragged through the mud in such a way and would send her to this place, Haytham, for some correctional discipline. 

Dolly raged inside and did the only thing she could.

"You can't send me there! You don't understand, you don't understand at all!" 

This prompted an inquiry, to which she shouted, "I'm pregnant. It's Days!" She cried. "So that's why you can't do this. Are you going to separate a child from it's father? How cruel! if you do that, I'll hate you forever."

Needless to say, that man didn't fall for he clever ruse and Vera had been brought in. She was slapped repeatedly. "Are you still pregnant? What about now? Now?"

But there was iron in her bones and Dolly didn't give up so easily. She stubbornly said "Yes!" Each time a strike fell. 

Vera could only shake her head after the tenth yes and shrug. "I guess she's pregnant, then. We'd best inform Damien he'll be a father soon."

They did, in fact, inform him. 

Her brother had been forced to renounce their child. She did not see when the two had coerced him, but surely they threatened him! Or their as-yet unconceived baby! But though this was, in fact, a lie, the mere thought of what they would do if such a situation ever did occur sent Dolly into a frenzy!

Why can't they simply accept our love?! 

We're siblings! Siblings are supposed love each other, darn it!

Such were her feelings on the matter.

 She could still see the pain in her brother's eyes as he spoke the words. "What the hell? I never touched you! Knock it off. "

The agony in his tone! It was nearly too much to bear. Dolly almost felt sorry for her brother. He believed that she carried his child after all the hand-holding and snuggles they had done over the years. 

In fact, Dolly knew they were being a bit dangerous those times, but being with her brother felt so comforting that she didn't care! 

Well, luckily they hadn't gotten pregnant up till now, but nevertheless! 

Her brother must be heartbroken believing he had failed his unborn child. 

Seeing how they treated the whole affair, Dolly disowned that man in her heart! To her, he was dead! This is why she trained. It was a mandatory course at Haytham, but for the first time in her life, she fully devoted her all to a craft. 

And this is exactly why. To get revenge on her father and reunite with her brother. Hatred bubbled inside her even now, fueling her. The family name? She'd ruin it entirely. Her father? He'd either stand aside or die on his feet! 

And this goes for everyone else who wants to keep her apart from her brother! She knew for a while now that he was not invincible, as she always believed. He could hurt. He could bleed. And with his personality, he would get into fight after fight. Until one day he entered a battle he wouldn't walk away from. 

Dolly feared that the most. And so she swung her blade. Every day, repeatedly, endlessly. Until her skin turned raw. Until her hands bled. Until her fingers could no longer release their grip. 

She bore a single-minded focus. Dolly was like a woman obsessed--and she was. That was how in these two weeks she had soared from a complete amateur to someone touching upon competence. 

It wasn't enough!

She began seeking moving targets. The teacher appointed her a partner to spar against. And for a time, they were decent. But by the time a month went by, the number of people in her own class willing to face her dwindled. 

She started seeking guidance on her own. The other first-years started taking notice of her and also sought her out. Time after time, she would win and lose. Each loss was a lesson carved into her heart. Every win was merely a new goal. 

And that's how she came to meet him. Julien St.James. He was a talent scouted by the headmaster himself and had arrived only recently. 

The boy was pretty and tall, but his soft face did not mean he was weak. He carried himself with confidence and his skill with a blade was astonishing. There was no doubt he was a genius of the generation.

But at his age her brother had been capable of fighting those twice his size with nearly double the years of experience. 

So she did not fear the boy.  But she found that didn't matter. Julien, from his first spar against her, had become an insurmountable wall. Every time they fought he would end her readily.

But no matter how many losses he dished out, she didn't stop.

"There she goes again. Isn't this enough already? She'll never beat him." The onlookers would say, disdain riddling their voice. They were the losers she had already dominated, but jealousy drove them to pettiness.

"Julien is just too strong. What's the point of fighting him?" 

Cowards. All of them!

"Is she in love with him or something?" They mocked. 

Shameless!

"Well, I guess they do make a nice pair." A few complimented. 

Insufferable!

And then there was him. "Back again?" The boy raised a brow. "How many times does this make already? I don't have the time to play with you so often."

He was so smug. So sure of his superiority. And he was. Time after time, he proved it. But she'd never give in just because of a few losses.  Even as he battered her tired body, she didn't cry.

"Just give up." He struck her side. 

"This is pointless." Her ankle.

"You're so stubborn. Can't you see you're only hurting yourself?" He narrowed his eyes. Standing above her, he pointed his sword at her chest and pushed. "Say it." He demanded. Her legs gave out. His light thrust sent her to the ground. 

Dolly began to grit her teeth. "Never!" She ground out. And though every inch of her felt like it was on fire, she rose to her feet. Slowly, steadily. She forced her body to stillness. 

"Dammit, just stop already!" Julien snarled. But she didn't even hear him. Couldn't.

It wouldn't matter even if she had.

Taking a stance, she raised her weapon. And sliced downwards. The air whistled past her ears. She screamed as it descended. All of her anger, all of her sadness, her longing. 

It was all put into that one perfect movement. 

And it happened. 

Julien tried to block, but the two wooden swords broke apart. Everyone in the courtyard watched in utter shock. 

Even Julien was surprised. That's when she lunged forwards. With every ounce of strength left, with every shred of will she ripped from the depths of her being. She pushed him back and they fell as he lost balance. The landing was rough. 

Dolly stared down at him. Sweat, blood and tears pouring down her face. And she hit him. There was no force at all behind her attacks. How could there be?

But she did it. Again and again and again. The boy could only look up at her as the soft blows landed on his face.  And continued to strike at him. This was no longer conscious movement. She'd long since lost any ability to think. Even so, she struck. Like a machine. 

Julien's heart pounded. He couldn't figure out what drove her. What did she fight so hard for? He didn't understand at all. But there was one thing he became sure of: She wouldn't stop. She'd never stop. These weak, strengthless strikes would continue unceasingly. As long as he stayed silent, they'd keep coming. 

"Alright...that's enough. I give up." His voice was quiet. "You win."

Dolly's tiny fist hovered above his head. She laughed. Slowly, softly. Crazily. 

And then she collapsed.

Did you see, Day? I won. I'll keep winning. 

***

End of preview.

To read the rest of MSTV: Alternate, you must purchase It from Google Playbooks.

https://play.google.com/store/books/details/CupcakeNinja_My_Sister_The_Villainess_Alternate?id=YhhQEAAAQBAJ