My first fan fic, so please go easy on the first few chapter ;;;

Mature content: For couple of reasons.

Cruel Ends

Darkness swept over the small city as cold winter winds gathered together. Commoners were hustled in their small homes, all sitting near the fire for warmth while nobles were enjoying their time eating, dancing, and drinking merrily at a party every single night until one day when one decided to disembark earlier than others.

"Oh come on Darien, you couldn't even stay for just a little longer? At the age of 20, what man doesn't think of partying and goes home? I mean really, shouldn't viceroys be partying instead and leave the 'political stuff' to his staff or what ever you call them." Andrew hovered over Darien with a slurp in each word, cleaning his drool with his unbuttoned sleeve.

Darien grabbed his coat, cape, and hat from the servant right before they had opened the door, revealing both Darien and Andrew to a cold chill with a touch of snow.

"Oh come on Darieennn, you know that it's no party without you!" Andrew slung an arm over Darien's shoulder.

"I think you should watch your drinking limit and it's no concern of yours to matter whether I am leaving or whether I am not leaving. It does not change anything whether I leave the party or not."

"You're so no cute, of course it does! It's livelier with you there!"

"No Andrew."

"Ohh come onnnnn, stop being such a drag, say, I have to stop at a market somewhere tomorrow, if you agree to come, I'll let cha goooooooooooooooooo."

Darien gave his drunken friend a stern look, whether not he'll even be able to remember what he had just said to him the next morning with a major headache.

"Fine."

"Darieeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnn!" Andrew said aloud with a huge smile as his saliva crept onto Darien's cape.

Darien gave him a disgusted look as Andrew smeared it in even more as he tried to wipe the drool away. As soon as the carriage pulled up to the door step, Darien stepped in as soon as the driver opened the door, leaving a drunk and unstable Andrew lying against the cold concrete floor. Darien shook his head, asked the servant to help him in back to the guest, and continued on home in his carriage.

--

"KReeeeeeeeeeeeekkk!"

Darien's knee had slammed against the seat in front as the carriage had halted to a stop.

"What the hell!" Darien had cried out

A stubby short man came towards the side of Darien's door and opened it.

"I'm very sorry Master Darien, but there seems to be a small girl fainted in the street and I'm not sure whether she's a threat because of her appearance!" the short man had stumbled upon his words.

Darien thought of how the girl might have look to behold such a threatening appearance towards the driver. He let out a frustrating groan before setting out of the carriage to inspect this supposedly "threatening" object. He walked around in front of the carriage, seeing a small limp form, curled together in a tattered rag. The color of her locks were unable to elucidate because of the dirt,plastered into her hair, bruise marks were shown across her legs, arms, and face. Her eyelids concealed her eyes as snow brushed against her eyelashes. All in all, she was still an under developed child. He thought he should just leave her there and have the carriage go around her as if she was just another peasant child that died of starvation, but something caught his eyes as he spotted sliver upon her soiled strands of hair. He took off his cape and bundled her into the warmth created both by the cape and his body.

"Master Darien?" The short stubby man asked.

"We'll bring her with us."

"Yes sir." The driver closed the door as soon as Darien entered the carriage with the limp form and continued on.

--

Serena had woken up at the sound of a metal clanging, the trots of a horse, and warmth she was not familiar with. Her eyes fluttered open as she saw a stranger before her staring straight at her as if he could see everything in her soul. Serena just stared back, blank, knowing circumstances was the same as those in the past. His hands were same as those in the past, the hands that once praised her of her hard work to turn into the hands of betrayal. Before her, lies another prison, another confinement, another cruel ending.

AN: So how about it for the first chapter? Just a sum of what will happen soon ;D, It's school days, so going to be hard to update, but I'll try to update a.s.a.p!