(A/N: I'm back! Long story short, just when it seemed the dust was settling for me, I got a curveball thrown at me. But things are getting much better and overall I'm feeling better than I have in a long while. I did just start school just a few weeks ago and one of my classes is a bit of a headache so I might not be very consistent in updating.

On with the story!

CONTENT WARNING- Scoundrel deals with physical and sexual abuse. This chapter contains interactions that may be upsetting to readers. Please proceed with caution.)

One year ago

Amber and Sofia giggled together as they chatted about something they'd seen in the village earlier that day. Their parents were gone, taking an early anniversary trip, from which they weren't set to return for almost two weeks. But the two girls and their brother didn't mind. They were able to take care of themselves and they had the staff around to help with everything.

"Excuse me, Miss Sofia, you have a visitor."

The two sisters looked up at their steward. Sofia looked intrigued.

"Who is it?"

"His name is Alexander Graham," Baileywick responded.

Sofia smiled. She'd been looking forward to his visit for some time.

From beside her, a huff of breath was heard. Sofia looked at her sister. Amber's smile had been replaced with a scowl. The brunette knew her sister well enough to know that she was jealous. And maybe not entirely without reason. It'd been some time since Amber had received a gentleman visitor. But Sofia wasn't about to let her sister's attitude ruin things.

"We'll have to visit some more later."

Sofia stood up and went to meet her visitor, leaving her sister behind. Amber huffed again once she was alone. The next several minutes, she paced trying to decide on something to do to pass the time. She pulled out some embroidery to work on but after sticking her fingers with the needle one too many times, she put it to the side.

Maybe a nap was in order. Amber walked to her room, instantly suspicious of the door. She was certain she had closed it all the way. Instead, it was open just a crack. Cautiously, she opened the door. Instantly, a small pail landed on her head.

"James!" Amber screeched.

Apparently her twin had been bored earlier. Fortunately, the pail had been empty. Their parents had given the servants explicit directions to make James clean up any and all messes related to his mischief. But still, Amber did not appreciate getting hit with the bucket.

"James, you're in so much trouble!"

No longer interested in a nap, the blonde stormed through the hall in search of her immature brother.

"Baileywick! Come quick!"

Amber's frustration was replaced with confusion when she heard James yelling for the steward. He had sounded frantic with worry. James never worried about anything. He could come home from school with poor grades and he still wouldn't be worried.

Amber quickly hurried towards the sound of her brother's call. When she got there, she was shocked by what she saw. James had an arm wrapped protectively yet carefully around Sofia. James had a black eye and a few other bruises but it was Sofia that caught Amber's attention. Amber gasped in shock.

"Sofia, what happened?"

Amber wasn't sure what she saw first. Sofia was covered in bruises and bloody scrapes, particularly on her face and neck. Some of the scrapes, Amber realized after taking a closer look, were actually bite marks. Her dress was horribly torn in several areas. The bottom hem had been ripped off to form a sling where Sofia's left arm now rested. Seeing it all made Amber feel sick.

"Graham," Sofia whispered before fainting.

"Baileywick!" Amber screamed.

oOo

Amber paced the outskirts of the gardens at Cantata Hall. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't worried at all about Sofia.

Please let this help her out. I want my sister to be truly happy and lively again.

A neigh nearby caught Amber's attention and she looked up. Just beyond the gardens, in the shadows of the forest stood a dark horse. One the blonde had seen before. The rider dismounted and took a couple steps into the light, slowly pulling the hood of his cloak back.

"Lord Sebara," Amber greeted dryly. "What an unexpected surprise."

"Miss Cyning," Cedric responded. "Is Sofia home?"

"You have a lot of nerve calling my sister by just her first name," Amber replied coolly.

Cedric grimaced. "Miss Cyning, is Miss Sofia home?"

"Better and no. My sister left mere hours after your last interaction. You know, I should be very mad at you for hiding your identity from her. I should break my silence about you being here in Cantare Valley. But none of that is going to help anyone. Especially not Sofia. I do have to wonder why you came here."

"I was worried about your sister," Cedric admitted. "I can't get her out of my head."

"Hmph. You should have her stuck in your head. She trusted you more than she's trusted any man outside of the family in a very long time. She is very naive about nobility. I've told her multiple times she needed to do better about knowing about nobles, especially the most important ones. If she had, she might have known who you are from the beginning. But her stubbornness is not your fault. However, you knew she didn't know and purposely withheld that information and I can get mad at you for that."

Cedric was silent for a moment.

"She's extremely hurt right now, isn't she?"

"I wouldn't go so far as to say extremely. But she is hurting. Only a few weeks ago, Sofia opened up to me about visiting you. It was surprising. If she was willing to visit some man without an escort, then he had to be someone good and trustworthy. Then there was that hug right after you rescued her from Graham. I never expected her to be so affectionate towards a man who wasn't part of the family for a very long time, if ever. If you can't see how much she trusted you and how your deception was going to affect her, then you are blind."

"You've made your point clearly, Miss Cyning. I should have told her sooner."

Amber looked at Cedric's expression closely. A slightly amused smirk lit up her face.

"My oh my. You have some affectionate feelings for her. The heir to a powerful title is falling for a small country village girl. Do be careful. She's already been hurt enough for one lifetime."

"We're just friends," Cedric stated. "And I wouldn't dare hurt her like Graham did."

Amber looked startled. "She opened up to you about the first incident?"

"No. She refused to talk about it when I asked."

"Oh…" Amber looked disappointed. "I guess it was too much to ask for her to open up to someone. She won't even talk to me about it and I'm the closest person to her. You have no idea what it is to watch the life drain away from someone you love, do you, Lord Sebara?"

Cedric shook his head. "I can't say I do."

"Let me tell you, then. There's no way to describe watching that loved one become a shell of the person they were. The fear that they won't pull through. There was a short period of time where we all feared she wasn't going to make it. Then the fear and anger she's felt, it's understandable. But seeing her become so different...I just have no words to describe it. She started to do better shortly after meeting you. They were small improvements, but after months of constantly worrying about her, it felt like everything."

Cedric was silent for several moments, taking some time to think over what he was learning.

"What happened the first time?"

Amber shuddered. "I don't fully know as she won't talk about it, but some things are easy to figure out. She was barely sixteen years old and that day started out normally. One moment, we were laughing about something we saw earlier but the next, she has a visitor. While she went to visit with him, I got very antsy, almost as if something in me knew trouble was brewing. All of a sudden, James is rushing Sofia inside from the garden, both of them bruised and battered. James heard a small cry of pain, thought he was imagining it but went running when he heard a second one. He got into quite the fist fight with Graham in an effort to protect Sofia. But even then, he was a little too late. Graham had left his mark, had done his worst."

Done his worst? Cedric's eyes widened and narrowed ever so slightly.

"How did he not go to the constable then?" Cedric seethed.

"It wasn't by choice!" Amber snapped. "He ran away like the spineless coward that he is. And he wasn't seen again until the day you caught him."

Cedric took a deep breath to calm himself down. Getting mad at Sofia's sister wouldn't do any good.

"You said she left. Where is she?"

Amber looked momentarily stunned by the change in conversation but shook it off quickly.

"You know, the society we live in dictates that I have no place making any requests of you," Amber ignored the question. "You outrank me and are a man. And we barely know each other. But I hope your friendship with my sister is enough that you will go after her and make things right. I don't claim it will be easy. When telling me that your last conversation went poorly, Sofia mentioned that both of you were guarded. Both of you will need to let your guards down if anything is going to be made better."

"Miss Cyning, where is your sister?" Cedric asked again.

"Hexley Hall. Your mother invited her there. She should have arrived either late last night or first thing today."

Cedric's breath caught in his throat. That hadn't been what he was expecting to hear. He wasn't even allowed there.

Merlin's mushrooms! This is a mess.

Amber picked up on the change of mood from her visitor. Her expression shifted into an angry one.

"Is my sister worth so little to you? If so, you're a coward and no better than Graham!"

Amber stormed off, leaving the stunned nobleman to his thoughts.