Hello lovely people! I'm back!

I've been keeping completely silent about this because I didn't want to make any promises I couldn't keep and get any hopes up. For the past few months, I've been working on this new story, forcing myself to finish writing the entire thing before posting. And I did! Yep, this entire story is finished, and you know what that means? A new update every week! No more waiting months! Yay!

Just a warning, this story is very AU. And it might make you cringe a bit. It is not what I'd consider a "fluffy" story, and it has a lot of adult themes. It will be moving into the M section later on, but for now it's fine in T!

Also be warned that there is mentions of rape (non-consensual sex) and abuse. If you are triggered by any of that, do not read!

Alright, that's enough of my rambling! Please read and review and have a jolly good time!

The door of the dirty room creaked open, effectively waking me from my restless slumber. I had been huddled in the back of my pen, my knees pulled to my chest, desperately trying to find warmth. It had been pouring outside for what felt like weeks, and water was collecting on the cold stone floor. I kept my head down as voices entered the room, followed by footsteps. It was most likely just another royal looking for a girl.

In this time period of the 1800s here in Faerie, it is customary that upon a young noble boy's tenth birthday, they receive a girl; affectionately referred to as their companion. This companion would then give the boys', well, companionship. Although, it was more commonly known as slavery. Of course, at the time I was selected, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Little orphaned girls from ages 5-18, like me, were stored in companion houses, where they were kept in pens and cages as they waited to be selected by a royal as their companion.

I'd been in that grungy room for a year at the least, seeing many girls being selected and taken away. I wanted to be picked, to get away from the cold cell, but all the men that entered never even glanced at my unruly hair and scrawny, translucent body. The men that fed us always sneered at me and laughed, saying I'm was too ugly for a royal. I'd given up hope that I'd ever be selected. I thought I'd just stay in my cage until I got too old to be someone's companion. Then I'd be sold as a slave. I didn't know which is worse.

"Pick out which one you want, Puck," I heard a booming voice say.

I lifted my head, puzzled. Very rarely were the royal boys brought back here. Usually their fathers came and picked out their companion for them, always choosing the prettiest and healthiest of girls. I was always overlooked.

I heard scuffling as light steps echoed through the room. I didn't have to look to know that all the girls in their pens would be pressed as close as they could be to the young boy walking down the aisle, begging silently. We weren't allowed to speak when potential buyers were browsing, our current keepers made that very clear, but our forlorn facial expressions often begged for us.

I jumped suddenly as I heard a voice outside my pen.

"Is this one alright?" the young voice questioned.

"Ah, she's just a shy one. Keeps to herself mostly. A bit of a crier." A familiar voice informed the boy.

I peered out of my cage to see which girl they were talking about, but my eyes met a young boy pressed against the wire lining my pen. His bright green eyes were staring at me, watching my every movement. A smile broke on his face when he met my eyes.

"Don't be scared," he whispered to me as he stuck his fingers through the wire, calling me to him.

I crawled over to him unsurely, a small bubble of excitement rising inside of me. Could it be that he wanted me? No one had ever spoken to me so gently. What if I got to go home with him? I could leave this miserable place!

I reached my fingers up to touch his but a yell stopped me.

"Don't you dare touch the Crowned Prince of Faerie!" my keeper yelled. I jumped and clumsily scooted backwards, back into my corner and straight through the water puddle.

I hugged my legs into my chest and started sniffling, trying to hold the tears in. The prince's face contorted with anger as he snapped his head to the keeper.

"Why'd you scare her?!"

I flinched at the sudden noise and buried my head in my knees.

"Puck," came the booming voice from earlier warningly.

"He scared her! Look, now she's huddled back there; I can't even have a good look at her," he whined angrily.

"Then move on. You don't want a dreadful girl like that anyways," came the booming voice.

My head lifted slowly, deep in thought. He didn't like me. The man didn't like me. But the boy might. I stared at him still standing in front of my cage. He's the only one that had ever shown an interest in me. He's my only hope to get out to this place.

I didn't dare get closer to him, but I pulled my knees away from me and attempted to wipe away the few tears that leaked from my eyes. The boy noticed my movement and smiled at me. I smiled back.

"I do want her."

He wanted me. He chose me. My escape from this cell would be sooner than I thought.

"Puck, there are other girls here that would be much more suited for you than that one. Look at her. She's as white as a ghost; she'll burn anytime you take her into the sun. And that hair, it's a mess. She's not a very attractive one, look at how tiny she is."

"I don't care. I'll take extra care of her. Please, Father. She's the one I want," said the boy, looking away from me now to the man he'd called his father.

The man paced down the row of girls. "You haven't even gotten a good look around," he said, peering in to a pen further down.

"I don't want to. I want her!" his voice rose again as he yelled at the man.

The big man sighed and looked at the head keeper. "What's her story?"

At this, the boy smiled back at me victoriously.

My keeper gave a shrug. "She was sold by her parents when she was just a baby. Don't know who raised her, but we got her a year back. We guess she's about 8. The man swore she'd never been touched."

The man nodded. "Get her out. Let's have a look at her."

The boy moved back as my keeper walked over with his set of keys to unlock the door to my pen. I wasn't sure what to do, so I stayed in my place until he waved for me to come closer.

"Get on out girl. They want a look at ya," the keeper whispered angrily. I quickly scrambled up and out the door.

It had been so long since I'd actually stood, so I stumbled out of the pen and fought to regain my balance. The man with the booming voice was now holding the boy back by his shoulders. The boy's smile wasn't hidden as he continued to stare at me.

Some other men that came with the boy and his father approached me now from where they had been standing at the entrance and grabbed my arms, looking me over. They moved each of my fingers and then my toes, as if looking for any deformities. Finally, they stepped back and nodded to the father.

"Are you sure she's the one you want?"

The boy only nodded, smiling at me.

"Alright. We'll take her. Get the papers."

At that, the boy smiled even wider.

"Right this way, your majesty," the head keeper said, opening the door for him and his son to walk through.

One of the men near me grabbed my arm and led me through the door as well. The boy watched me closely, excitement evident on his face. I couldn't help but smile back at him. He'd freed me. I was his companion now.

"She was never given a name," I heard the keeper say.

I looked up at him. I'd always just been called 'girl'.

"Well, she must have a name," the father spoke. "Puck, what do you want to call her?"

The boy, Puck, stared at me for a few seconds, looking me up and down before turning back to his father.

"Sabrina. I want her name to be Sabrina."