Sannel had become 12 years old when it was decided that she was no longer cute enough to be excused from what she was. The slender girl body had experienced a sudden growth spurt both ways and was aching from the curves that would soon manifest. Her spots had grown to become even darker and her Narn features such as thick skin, more pronounced cheekbones, chin and jaw became more apparent. One Lord Fero noticed her change and made a comment about it, quickly followed by the difference between Narn and Centauri hygiene and that Sannel should learn it. Someone laughed, and that encouraged him to keep it up. He went on to mock her head shape and the three ridges that stuck out from it. He took her pony tail in his hand and asked if she thought she could hide it that way. When she whipped her neck so that her hair was freed, he went on.
Londo and G'Kar had, for reasons unknown to them, been placed on the other side of the table. They noticed the young man made fun of Sannel's dress and Narn looks later than they would have liked. Some of the nobles kept laughing, either because they were drunk or beneath the lord and hoping to get in his favor. Londo frantically tried to change the subject, but they all hushed him. G'Kar asked the Lord's mother to control her son as she was sitting next to him, but she was quite intoxicated. Still certain that his popularity would fade in a bit, Lord Fero proclaimed so loudly that even the emperor at the top of the table was bound to hear it, "Perhaps I should marry you when you're of age. I have always wondered what it would be like to have a wife and a slave in one."
G'Kar would have jumped at him over the table and killed him had Londo not grabbed his knee and wheezed at him to please don't do anything rash. Sannel had stopped eating and was looking down in her lap where her hands were. She was digging her nails into her hand so hard that she drew blood. The laughter buzzed in her ears and made her dizzy. It only got worse when the lord elbowed her overarm, "You can take a joke or two, can't you, my little spotted lady?" She concentrated as hard as she could and forced the tears that were burning behind her eyes stay where they were. "Our dear Lord Fero is only joking, you know." His companion for the evening, a lady in bright yellow giggled and kissed his cheek.
Sannel knew she was not appreciated in the royal court. She was smart enough to realize that her different appearance was difficult, if not impossible to overcome. Still, she had only once been openly insulted, and she had shut that man up without even meaning to. She had been unable to defend herself from Lord Fero, because he had been so quick to talk, not to mention loud. Almost as loud as her fathers were being in the living room. Their arguments never ended before one of them accidentally broke something or hurtful words were exchanged. She felt a surge go through her and she planted her fist in the wall. There was a small dent there when she removed it.
When G'Kar came in a little later to help her with her hair, she lay curled up on her bed. She didn't try to escape when he dragged her against him and put her on his lap like she was little again. Even though she was tall for a centauri, she was much smaller than a Narn her age, and G'Kar was already of considerable height, so it didn't look as clumsy as it could have. He took her chin and led her face upwards. She had been crying, and now it started again, "Nel…" He said and stroked one tear away. She sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve. They both hated the dress she wore, so he didn't protest. "Dad?" She said lowly in Narn. The letters rolled in her throat and came out crumbled on her tongue, "I want revenge."
The next day, a little purse was hanging from Sannel's arm. The other girls studied at her in envy as she walked throughout the halls, looking more adult than them. One of them asked who made it, and the rest demanded to know how much it cost. And even though Sannel answered them in detail, she seemed distracted and far away.
The day ended and the servants declared that supper was ready. Londo grabbed Sannel's hand and led her to the table. He informed her that she would be sitting with them that day. But he was out of luck, because Lord Fero had seen them and seated himself opposed to them. He waved his fingers at Sannel and "My little fiancé, I have a gift for you that I hope will settle our little dispute from yesterday." He pushed a beautifully detailed box in front of him and over to her. It was a jewelry box. She pushed the lid open with her fork. She assumed he wouldn't be so idiotic that he would actually harm her, but she refused to give him the opportunity. When nothing unexpected came out of it, she pulled it closer and looked into it. It was a slave collar. More precisely, it was in that shape, but decorated like the adult centauri women wore. The ring which the chain would hold onto was golden, while the collar itself was wrapped in a fine layer of dark purple silk that was kept pinned down with an intricate pattern of white precious stones and pearls.
She had picked it up without even noticing and was holding it high enough to let G'Kar and Londo see it. She had been told mere details of what the Narns had went through at the hands of the Centauri, but she recognized the collar as a sign of lost freedom. G'Kar had once shown her the scars he had gotten wearing one. He now looked like he had gotten the air knocked out of him. Londo looked nauseated and he stood up, "Lord Fero, this has gone too far!" The young man snickered, "Mollari, please! It's only a joke! And I spent a lot of time on it."
Without knowing it, her father became the distracted Sannel needed. She reached into her purse and pulled out a knife. She leapt up on the table and fell to her knees in front of the lord, "DIE!" She wailed as she plunged the knife in between his hearts. He gasped as red liquid poured out and soiled his waistcoat and trousers. His neighbor's screams attracted more attention than Sannel's cry had. A few men rose and one woman fainted. Londo's face looked like a sheet, and his lower lip was trembling. He saw a million pictures of torture and punishment he, G'Kar and Sannel would go through at the hands of Fero's family and allies.
Sannel withdrew her blade. It had gone as limp as a withering flower. There was a spot of red in the corner of her mouth that she licked away. Her father's soup was usually a shade of dark orange, but the right amount of spices could easily turn it red. The lord's waist coat would never be the same, but judging from his facial expression when he found that there is no hole in his chest, that was not a big concern. Sannel stood up and waved the knife at him, "What's wrong, Lord? Didn't you like my little joke?" Most of the centauri sighed in relief and sat down. Some of them even snickered. The lord was pale and breathing heavily, but he still looked up at the young girl who was glaring back, "Well?" He swallowed, his crest was almost drooping, "No. No, I most certainly did not." She nodded and turned around. G'Kar offered his hand to help her down to her seat again. "Well, I never liked any of your jokes either, so I suppose we're even." She got seated and began cleaning the knife with the cloth from the box.
Londo was so relieved that he completely forgot to yell at his husband and daughter. Instead he collapsed on the sofa and watched G'Kar who was braiding Sannel's hair for the night. He had divided the lock into several small, loose braids and had only two left, "I am so proud of you, Nel. His expression will warm my heart for the next 20 years." She smiled nervously, "I just hope I didn't encourage him. He might think I'm a brutal savage after what happened." G'Kar snorted. It hadn't taken him long to find a mock-knife for Sannel and even shorter time to make the soup, and as the result had been more than satisfactory, he saw no reason to complain. "People have done worse, my dear." Londo said from the deep of the cushions, "While your father's methods are ridiculous, this is not the first time someone has been stabbed during a dinner. And at least you were decent enough not to attack him from behind."
"That would not be honorable. He had the chance to defend himself this way."
"Have you been 'accidentally' listing more fighting techniques out loud again, G'Kar?" Londo asked. His husband had a look of smugness that could not be rivaled by anyone but himself.
The next morning, Lord Fero had left. Apparently, his father had become ill, and he had business to attend to in his home either way. Sannel did not see him for the rest of the year.