Lucian knew she had messed up, despite the little rascal telling her to keep watch; she didn't think it was necessary and told Rosie to look out and she herself, being tired fell asleep.

Now she was tied up and being forcefully escorted with the innocent Rosie and him. Her one mistake had made all three of them a captive. And even if she was free, a group of 50 animals like men were too much for her to handle.

"I bet he could do it though..."

She still couldn't believe the strength and intelligence her fiancé had shown the past couple of days. To be honest she could not believe everything that happened to her as reality at all. Thomas... He was gone now, and so were all the people she could count on. Only she and two people that she considered weaklings had remained.

She hated him, she had always hated him. The moment she saw that round dumb face, devoid of any hope or expectations; she hated him.

So what if he was from the proud lineage of Sunblades? he was their failure. Her family despite being a relatively new, deserved far better. She deserved far better. But she accepted it, just like her father had accepted to marry an enemy's daughter for the sake of his house.

She never understood her hate for him though, he had never done anything to her. He always obeyed whatever her father said, he never even complained one single time. The other noble kids that she met had complained and whined more about injustice they had to go through in their big houses, but him? Despite being sold like a useless object; never spoke a single word about it.

At first Lucian thought he was too dumb to understand his own situation, how could anyone just accept such a thing but with time spent together, she understood him better. He was not dumb, he was far from it. He was scheming, lying, shell of a person who had nothing to live for, at least that what her common sense told her.

Ahh... how wrong she was.

The group finally arrived at a much larger cave entrance which was modified by building a wooden barricade around it, with a gate and everything. Inside were even more hungry and dirty looking, ragged people waiting for them.

The men carried them in the middle of this filthy smelling camp, where a man more muscular than others and with better rags for clothes plus an expensive looking sword on his hip was standing near the campfire, his eyes focused on the crackling fire and back facing the newly arrived group.

He turned around and Lucian almost closed her eyes with disgust by the look of his disfigured face. A large, deep sword wound going across his whole face was visible on his already ugly face. His eyes too big to considered normal was staring directly at her and Rosie. More than her, Rosie was the prime target of the hungry gazes of the disgusting men.

"Finally some fresh meat!"

The ugly scar faced man said in a booming voice.

"Yes, Boss can you believe it ? We just found them sleeping in a cave like no care in the world.."

"Yeah, if we didn't get them first they would have been tasty meal for some monster tonight.."

"Now she will be our dinner... hahahah..."

"Hahahhaah...."

Everyone started laughing while eyeing Rosie and Lucian. The boy was ignored but not by everyone.

Sensing the large man coming towards them, Lucian for the first time in her life felt helpless and fear... Fear like never before. She did not fear, not when they were attacked: Because Thomas was there, Not when almost all knights died protecting her; he had saved her before her last knight died.

And not even when surrounded by monsters on their way; he was there. Lucian was surprised to find out that even though she hated him, she never felt like the situation was ever out of control with him being in front of her. If only they had a lookout, they would have known before the bandits came and had been prepared for it... How stupid was that petty grudge...

The large man grabbed Rosie by her hair and dragged her near the fire and ripped off some of her baggy upper garments with his hand.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Lucian could not bear it any longer, but she couldn't speak either. She felt like a lump in her throat was stopping her from breathing, her chest felt tighter than ever.

Yet she braved through, Rosie; sweet Rosie who always stayed with her with a cheerful smile. Such a fate for her was unacceptable.

"Sss... Stop!"

A high pitched childish voice reverberated throughout the camp, the laughter stopped and an oppressive silence covered the whole camp. The 'Boss' slowly turned around and glared at Lucian but she had to say it... She had to try... She had to say at least something...

"What was that..?"

Lucian wanted to scream in anger, just shove her sword in his ugly skull and everyone else here, she wanted to order him to obey her, she always did that to people and it had always worked before.. she can say it again right?

However the words coming out of her mouth betrayed all that made her Lady Lucian of The House Goldilocks...

"Please... Please let her go... It's my fault... Let her be..."

The Boss had an amused smile on his face as he came closer to her.

"Did I hear that correct? Did this pipsqueak just offered herself to us?"

"Yes, Boss I also heard it.."

"Yes... Yes me too..."

The laughing voices of the vulgar men made Lucian feel things that she never thought was humanly possible. Demons... This lot were demons from hell. Ahh... So this is the end for her...

However piercing the cold laughter of the filthy mob, was one childish yet firm voice filled with confidence that made Lucian stop the tear that was almost on the edge of her eyes.

"You lot better listen to Lady Lucian....."

It was him. The boy who should be the most afraid, who should be the weakest and yet here he was saving her once again when everything that made her a Lady was long lost.

"What's with this lot? Do they not understand their situation..?"

"Boss, I think they are spoiled brats. Look at their clothes.."

"...High born?"

Damian spoke again with his hand tied behind his back and surrounded by two creepy men looking down on him.

"Don't you know who she is? She is the daughter of our lord Marcus Goldilocks. The one and only heir of Goldilocks. An army of soldiers must be already looking for us in the forest. If they find us like this..."

"Goldilocks brat....?"

"Boss! If it's her then..."

"Lies.. it must be lies...!!"

Everyone started shouting whatever came to their feeble minds but in the end caution was suppressed by lust.

"Stop shouting nonsense you brat! Wilmar why don't you show the boy why we saved his tiny behind..?"

A creepiest creepy looking man among then came forward and started licking his lips while looking at Damian.

"Well... Aren't you the cutest..."

"At least send someone to look for any soldiers coming this way, before doing anything... I bet they will reward you if you help them find us... The Goldilocks love their young Genius... A reward from them would be generous..."

That stirred once again a heated discussion among them, the greedy once wanted the money, more cautious ones just wanted to get rid of the children in the forest and keep the maid, however majority wanted to keep everyone and move away from their camp.

"Fine... Gamor, Salika take four men each and check out the distance of half a day from here, if it's a lie the boy will pay the price in a way that would make even his soul shudder. Throw them in the cage for now. No one touches them. We don't want any Goldilocks dogs chasing us till the end of the Kingdom..."

Everyone nodded and approved, some grumbled but mostly everyone accepted. They were thrown into a ditch which was covered with wooden sticks from top. With so much darkness one could not see even their own nose. It smelled horrible in here.

However a tiny whisper was heard in this dark place that was mixed among the furiously blowing cold wind.

"...Th..ank.. Y..ou.."

Finally Lucian could not hold her tears any more and in the black of night they leaked out of her eyes. She did not cry, no she was above that. It was just some tears, weakness of her body flowing through her eyes; nothing more.

Lucian Goldilocks was not weak.