Rated M to be safe. Difficult themes, mentions of abuse.

Part 1

"Have you seen her?" a servant called Vincent asked.

"Who?" Lucien muttered absentmindedly, he was trying to get some rest. He shared a very small living quarters with four other servants, but fortunately only Vincent was here at the moment.

"Lord Tristan's new toy, she was brought here few days ago. I heard that she is a peasant, but she is absolutely gorgeous. Rumor has it that the lord truly fancies her."

Lucien found that hard to believe, he doubted that Tristan de Martel was able to feel anything at all. The thought of him fancying some peasant girl was absurd to say the least.

"You should not believe everything you hear," Lucien murmured. "Where would have Lord Tristan met a peasant girl?"

"Now that is an interesting story, my friend," Vincent replied. "I heard that he rode through the girl's village, saw her and immediately bought her from her father."

That certainly sounded like something Tristan would do. Poor girl…

"He gave her an official position as his mistress," Vincent continued. "Can you believe that?"

"I feel sorry for her," Lucien murmured.

"Sorry for her? I heard that he had given her plenty of sumptuous gifts, silk gowns, jewelry…"

"I think we both know what will happen to her after the lord gets bored with her," Lucien cut in. "She is not a noblewoman, she has no insurance. Her life will be ruined after he casts her out, no man will want to marry her."

"Yes… I suppose you are right," Vincent replied. "She will likely end up in a brothel. If she is lucky. But I must say that I will most certainly be her first client. That is something to look forward to."

Lucien didn't comment on that, he found the whole thought foul. This was someone's life they were talking about. Poor girl. The world truly was a cruel place; Lucien had learned that over and over again. Serving Count de Martel and his spoiled sadistic son… Lucien hated every moment of it. Unfortunately he had no choice. This was his life now. He had no family, no fortune, nothing. And yet his life seemed almost enviable comparing to this girl, whoever she was. Lucien truly felt sorry for her.

"Elise…"

Lucien felt helpless; he tried clumsily to comfort his sobbing friend. Her bruises looked bad, her father had been angry last night after returning from the tavern. Lucien couldn't understand how her father could be so mean to her, his own father had never hurt him. His father was a good man. Lucien wanted to be a good man too and look after his friend. After all, he was 13 already, almost a man. Elise was couple of moons younger than him and she was a girl, but she was still his best friend. They had been friends as long as Lucien could remember. Some boys in the village had mocked him for being a girl's friend, but he didn't care about that.

"It's alright," he murmured.

Elise looked at him with her tearful eyes.

"Mama said that it was my fault, I angered papa."

Lucien shook his head.

"No, it wasn't your fault."

He didn't know what else to say. Elise's bottom lip was trembling, she leaned her head on Lucien's shoulder. They stayed like that for a long while until she wasn't crying anymore.

"Lucien?" she murmured.

"Yes?"

"Will you be my husband when it is time for me to get married?"

He pulled away and looked at her.

"What?"

She dried her eyes and took his hand.

"Please. I want a husband who is kind to me. You have always been kind."

"Yes, but…"

She lowered her head.

"You think I am ugly."

"No, no, I do not think that. I… "

He wasn't sure what to say, he had never thought of her as anything else than his best friend. But he didn't want her to be upset.

"Yes, Elise, I will wed you when the time comes."

She looked up and smiled at him.

"You will?"

He nodded.

"Yes. I promise."

Lucien had almost forgotten his conversation with Vincent when he served Count de Martel wine in the garden the next day. Few members of the court were gathered in the garden, the day was hot and sunny. Lucien glanced at the Lady Aurora; she was talking with couple of other ladies. Usually Tristan was always present, watching his sister like a hawk. Now he wasn't here.

Lucien certainly wasn't sad about that. Still he wouldn't have been foolish enough to approach the Lady Aurora. Three winters he had admired her beauty, dreaming of a future with her. He had fallen in love with her the moment he had laid eyes on her. She had made him to forget all his misfortune for a brief moment. She had also made him to forget the promise he had made many winters ago. It had been a promise of a foolish child; surely Elise hadn't really wished him to keep it.

It had been a while since Lucien had thought about her. He hadn't seen her after his father's funeral, after that he had been brought to the castle to pay off his father's debt. Three winters had gone by fast. He truly hoped that everything was alright with her. He had wanted to visit his home village, but he hadn't been able to do that. From the corner of his eye he noticed that Lord Tristan had just arrived. There was someone walking behind him, but Lucien didn't really pay much attention to that.

"Is that her?" Lucien heard some noblewoman whispering. "The lord's new mistress?"

"Yes, I believe so," the other noblewoman replied.

Lucien couldn't control his curiosity; he turned around to take a quick look at the girl. Honey blonde hair, big blue eyes…. This couldn't be possible. Tristan's new mistress was Elise.