The first time he said it, it made her laugh.
It was their wedding day, the happiest day of Lucy Cole Saxon's life. She was married to a handsome and clever man who loved her and who would, very soon, become the most powerful man in the world. The priest had said, "Kiss the bride." And Harold Saxon had kissed her, most lavishly. When he released her, blushing and giggling, he leaned in and whispered in her ear.
You belong to me.
The declaration made her laugh aloud with joy. Yes, she belonged with him. There was no place she'd rather be.
The second time he'd said it, it made her wonder.
On the Valiant, moments after the Toclafane began to ravage the Earth, the Master clasped her to him and kissed her. The kiss, as always, left her breathless. The carnage below was everything he had dreamed and his excitement flowed over into Lucy. He held onto her and watched his minions destroy the Earth. He breathed the words in a hushed tone of glee.
It all belongs to me now.
Then he'd looked back to her and his eyes were dark with something she couldn't read. Something that, to her surprise, made her afraid. She'd never been afraid of him before.
You belong to me.
It made her wonder. Surely when he said to, he really meant with. She was his confidant, his partner in crime. She was different. She was equal. Wasn't she?
The third time he'd said it, it made her hate him.
It was almost a year to the day since he'd brutalized the world and taken control. The Master had never had so much fun; he danced around the conference room and swept Lucy into his arms. He danced with her briefly before stopping to kiss her soundly on the lips. He pulled away from her and smiled. She tried to return it, but the bruises he'd left the night before made smiling difficult. He'd said the words as if they were the most wonderful secret in creation.
You belong to me.
This, after the year of abuse and taking other, younger, prettier women to his bed. She was still his trophy. But she was a woman no longer; Lucy Saxon was merely a belonging. And that made her hate him.