Disclaimer: I do not own the "Fable" universe. Any characters or places you do not recognize were created by me for the purposes of this story. Reviews are appreciated, as is constructive criticisms. This entire story came to me while I was listening to a song by my favourite band. The song is "Sleeping Sun" by Nightwish, you'll see more of it in my story as it progresses. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy! - Fallon.

Chapter One

Archer Household, Millfields, Albion

Milena sat alone on the window bench in her room watching the servants scurry around the yard trying to follow Lady Archer's orders. Long strands of white silk were being slung over the white gazebo where the ceremony would be held. The bridge leading to the gazebo was being decorated with expensive red and yellow roses.

The number of guards in the region had been tripled for the day, many of them having been pulled from their regular posts in Driftwood and Silverpines. That didn't sit well with Milena or her brothers, but they had little say in the matter.

Her mother barked orders at the maids, directing them all over Millfields to prepare for the wedding. It was her older brother's big day, or so her mother said, but Milena knew Elijah wasn't thrilled in the least.

Her parents and the bride's parents had arranged the match over a month ago, and Elijah hadn't spoken to their mother or father since. Milena hated the tension in the house with a passion, but she couldn't it blame on Elijah either. He was to marry his childhood friend and playmate, Olivia Keeley. Milena liked her, and so did Elijah, but they were friends expected to be man and wife and act like it.

Tired of looking at her mother berate the help, she tied her hair back in a loose bun and slipped out of her room. She snaked her way down the hallway and tapped on her brother's door; which she only had to do once before he opened it to let her in.

Elijah looked like hell. His dark brown hair was dishevelled and it looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before.

He sat on the edge of his bed and held his head in his hands. "I can't do this Milena!" He lamented. "I don't love her...not like that at least!"

She sat down beside him, unsure what to say but certain she had to be there for him. "Mother will never let you back out..."

Elijah sighed and nodded. "I know..."

"Maybe you will grow to love her, brother..." Milena offered, not sure she believed her own words but wanting more than anything to cheer her brother up.

He shrugged. "She's like family to me, I'm not sure how I can be expected to..."

He couldn't finish his sentence but Milena knew what he was talking about. She had overheard him speaking to his friend Peter regarding his worries about his wedding night many times over the past month. "I'm sorry, brother, I'm not sure what to say to you to make it all better. I don`t have the answers."

He smiled and squeezed her hand. "I know that Milena, and thank you for listening to me all this time, you've been a good sister."

The door opened and Milena`s younger brother Henry walked in, already dressed in his best coat and trousers. "Mother's looking for us all downstairs..."

Elijah nodded and gave Milena a sad and resigned smile. They walked down the stairs to find their parents waiting in their best clothes. Braydon Archer was a well liked and highly successful business man in the area. Milena noticed that he wasn't smiling. Her mother on the other hand, was smiling wide enough for the both of them. Suzette Archer was a elaborately dressed and ambitious woman that had high hopes for all of her children. Unfortunately, Elijah and Milena wanted nothing to do with those high hopes and aspirations, and Henry was far to young to notice the misery around him.

Milena stood close to Elijah, trying to avoid her mother's gaze. She failed. Her mother stepped forward and touched Milena`s cheek, brushing aside a stray piece of hair. "Do you know what day it is daughter?" Her tone was stern and condescending.

She nodded, trying not to pull away from her mother's touch. "How could I not..."

Suzette scowled. "Then why are you dressed so appallingly."

Milena growled inside and pressed out the ruffles of her skirt. What she wore was clean and modest, but it was simple, with absolutely nothing remarkable about it. Elijah stuck out his neck for her. "I think she looks lovely mother."

Milena fought to suppress a smile and looked at the floor.

Suzette turned up her nose at her son. "It's a damn good thing you didn't choose your own wife then Elijah. You'd marry a commoner and sully the family name, shame your father!"

He hung his head, avoiding his father's eyes. Braydon Archer remained silent, determined to stay out of his wife's war path.

Suzette directed her attention back to her daughter. "Go change Milena, and remember to wear your veil."

Milena hurried up the stairs and into her room. Not wanting to irritate her mother further, she quickly stripped and changed into a fancier gown with pearl beading. Standing in front of the long mirror, she brushed out her hair and draped it over her shoulder so it covered the some of the marks on her neck. She looked at herself in the mirror, examining the scars that she couldn't easily cover. A long, thin scar ran from the corner of her mouth to her neck and another trailed from the apple of her cheek to her ear. There were other scars of course; she was covered in them, but her long sleeved gown covered them.

She tossed a sheet over the mirror and fastened her sheer lace veil on. Her mother had insisted she wear the veil whenever she left the house, even though all of Millfields knew why and how badly she was mutilated.

Mutilated.

That was the word her mother had used all those years ago when the healers were stitching her open, festering wounds. The word had spread of course, and the locals began calling her Mutilated Milena.

She fastened the last clip on the veil and hurried to join her family. Elijah led the way and they all followed him. It was all fake, Milena noted, her family appeared happy and loving but in reality they were at each others throats.

The guests stood as Elijah and Olivia hooked arms and approached the alter under the gazebo. She watched with profound sadness as her brother and Olivia said their vows and sealed it with a light kiss. She sighed through her veil as the guests clapped. Milena eyed her brother through the lace of her veil as he walked by with his new wife. Soon the reception would begin, and he would be expected to act the part of a happy newly wed.

Milena walked with Henry to their home, and wondered to herself when the sun would rise on her family.

Milena watched through her veil as her brother danced with Olivia on the centre of the room. Everyone was cheering around them, but she could tell Elijah was close to tears. She gave him a reassuring smile and hoped that he could see it through the veil. Henry had run off to play with his friends, leaving her alone. She strolled out of the house and sat on the hill over looking the lake, happy for some time to herself in the chaos of the day.

"Your mother would die if she saw you sitting in the grass."

She turned around quickly and saw Peter Moriarty smiling down at her. "I suppose you'll run off and tell her then?" She said sarcastically.

He sat down beside her, elbowing her gently. "Nah, we'll rebel together."

There was a few minutes of silence, though it wasn't terribly awkward. Milena sighed. "I'm sure you know how unhappy he is..."

Peter nodded, still looking out at the lake. Milena followed his gaze to the horizon. The sun was just beginning to sit and cast a low red glow over the lake; which surprised her because she thought the day would never end. Peter smiled as a soft gust of wind hit them. "I hope for his sake he learns to love her..."

Milena nodded. "That's what I told him but I'm not sure it's possible."

Peter shrugged but gave her a optimistic smile. "I'm not sure, I'd like to think people can learn to love each other."

He gave her a knowing glance, but if she noticed she didn't say anything about it. Instead she shook her head. "People shouldn't marry for any other reason but love. The fact that my parents made Elijah marry someone he does not is just wrong! I really don't think you can learn to love someone...you just love them."

Peter brushed aside his disappointment. "Ah Milena, so naive!"

"That's a mean thing to say." She said with a heavy pout.

"Is it?" He asked. "You're young, inexperienced and have a deluded view on the ways of the world. I can't blame you though, you haven't even left the region."

Milena stood up abruptly, her hands clenched in anger. Peter stood up too and hurried to apologize before she erupted like an angry volcano. She spun on her heels and stared him down, tearing off her veil. "The last time I left the region this happened!" She gestured to her face.

Peter raised his hands. "I'm sorry Milena!"

She snarled but tried to calm down to avoid drawing attention to them. "That wasn't kind of you to bring up Peter! Not at all!"

He nodded. "I know..."

"You're not that much older than me Peter, and you've only been to Bowerstone."

He chuckled. "There is much to see there."

"Like?" She prompted, eager to learn details of the world outside Millfields.

"Merchants from far off lands, tinkers with bizarre gadgets, dancers and musicians..." He quieted down so only she could hear. "And thieves, killers and whores."

Milena gave him a quizzical look. "And the guards don't imprison them?"

"Oh Milena..." Peter shook his head as he laughed. "The criminals pay the guards to look the other way. When I was there with my father I even saw a guard propositioning a whore."

"What?" Milena exclaimed, utterly repulsed at the idea. "Why wouldn't the King demand his guards to stop things of that nature from happening in his kingdom?"

Peter shrugged. "I'm sure he has better things to do."

Milena could partially understand that. She had watched her father buckle and crack under the pressures of courtly society and running a business, she could only imagine the weight a crown would bare. "I suppose." She conceded.

"Besides," Peter snorted. "King Logan is just Reaver`s puppet, he doesn't do anything...save treat us like cattle and the poor like dung."

She shushed him. "Peter, someone could hear you!"

"So what if they do? Everyone feels the same Milena."

Her eyes opened wide. "What?"

He looked at her closely. "You really have no idea, do you?"

"No...what?" Her mother had always sheltered her, even before she was injured.

Peter leaned in to whisper. "The King allows Reaver to do as he wants in Industrial; children are forced to work. That's not even the worst of it, Logan executes people on a whim."

Before Milena was able to ask Peter any more, she spotted her mother approaching them. She quickly refastened her veil to her hair, but it was too late.

"What are you doing Milena!" She fumed. "What have I told you!"

Peter took a step back. "Lady Archer, it was my fault, I..."

She stared at him so intently Milena could have sworn she was trying to pierce him with her gaze. "Did you tear the veil from her face Peter Moriarty?"

Peter shook his head no.

"Then it is not your fault." She grabbed Milena`s arm and roughly dragged her back into the house. When they got closer to the door she turned and hissed at her daughter. "Sing!" She demanded.

Milena stumbled into the house and into the centre of a small crowd. She found Elijah and Olivia looking at her from across the room and a dozen high ranking nobles expecting brilliance.

She swallowed hard and wished her veil was darker so she could blend into the shadows. Panicked and unnerved by the silence of the room, she searched her mind for the right song. Suddenly, her father's lute broke the quiet.

He nodded to her from the fire place, encouraging with a nod to sing as he played.

Milena inhaled and closed her eyes, as she always did when she sung.

"The sun is sleeping quietly, once upon a century, wistful oceans calm and red, ardent caresses laid to rest..."

Her voice echoed through the house accompanied by the sweet pang of her father's lute. Every person in the room, young and old, stood in awe of her voice. It was strong but yet not over powering or demanding. It was almost as though the sweetness of her voice was but an invitation to listen.

For once, Milena was not over looked, all of the attention was on her. And those who listened did not see her veil, or remember her scars, they only heard her voice.

Note: Logan will be in the second chapter, don`t worry! I just wanted to take the first chapter to introduce my OC! I`m really making an effort in this story to make my characters more flawed and human, after all, perfect is boring! :) - Fallon.