Thread: Love and Betrayal   (Unlucky & Candria)

Sophia was a beautiful noble woman, but her legacy was tainted with illegitimacy. She had been born out of an affair between a scullery maid and the lord Heldrick himself. A ruthless politician, Heldrick had denied her existence for the first half of her life as she was forced to scavenge, steal, and hunt to live, her mother having sent her to live with a sickly uncle. He was a talented thief who had taught Sophia well, but he hadn't been able to do much more before his demise. Years on the streets had taught her to be strong and smart, but her mother's genes had given her a natural beauty and a deep sense of empathy for others. Her mother had sent them what she could in the way of money and had tried to visit, but it was too risky to be seen with Sophia. People would know. It wasn't until the untimely death of Lady Heldrick that Sophia's mother was taken as a bride and Sophia was brought to live with them. She was cleaned up, taught the etiquette of proper ladies, and given elegant dresses that hugged her feminine figure and showed ample amounts of cleavage. Her fiery locks were elaborately styled to perfection, and she was taught arts and how to read. Sophie had been happy at first, if not a little uncomfortable. And she'd even made friends in the court. Especially with the young knight Artorias. He had been kind and helpful to her since the day they'd met. They'd shared common interests as well. That was when her step-father realized she was ready to take part in his plans. Of course, once she realized that she was to be Heldrick's puppet and political pawn, Sophia tried to leave. Since then, she'd been kept under lock and key, only allowed to go anywhere with supervision, only allowed to see certain guests who would bring her family favor. She was told very little of the outside world, and kept away from those her step-father deemed unworthy. Luckily, that did not include young Harold. But that was before all of this mess had happened. There had been a rebellion, she knew, as she'd eavesdropped on conversations between servants and interrogated her guests. Several times, she'd snuck out of her room to gather more information, taking what she could with her. Not a month before the death of Harold's father, strangers had been visiting the household, and she was confined to her room more than not. So, Sophia snuck out at night, searching for information, wondering what these men were doing here. She found very little, but she was certain they were not nobility. Odd for Heldrick to see them. So what business did they have with him? And then, it was brought to light that Artorias had been involved in treachery against the king. As the attack on the household began, she was pondering how such a noble and loyal servant of the King could ever have fooled her, let alone everyone else, about his character. Only when she heard the battle cry did she hurry to her window. Below, she could see an army charging against the manor, the guards being slain in their attempts to save the family. Rather than wait for her fate to arrive or her step-father to come and get her, she picked the lock to her door with her hair clips, grabbed a small bag and filled it with what useful things she could carry, and hurried off. She didn't make it far before the imposing figure of a powerful warrior stood before her, filling the space between her and the exit she sought. The armor he wore hid his face from her, but she knew she was caught. She couldn't over power a knight in armor without some kind of weapon. What should she do? The only option was to run, but she wouldn't be able to escape from the roof or battlements. I surrender, knight. Please spare me.