"That will be one gold piece, sir," Hemorra said passing the ripe tomato to the obvious nobleman.

It still amazed her that men of such high stature deigned to purchase such small amounts of vegetables from her personally. Frankly, it didn't make much sense to her. And if she wasn't mistaken, this particular nobleman had visited her small stand before. She glanced over his shoulder, knowing it to be true as she saw the same troupe of smitten young women tittering behind him as before.

"I will give you two if I can get your name as well, fair lady," the nobleman said, drawing her attention again.

She took in his profile once more, light blonde curls styled about his head in a perfect halo, his strong jaw tilted cockily as his bowed lips twisted in a smile just as proud as his dark blue eyes. He was handsome enough, Hemorra supposed. He must be if so many women fawned over him wherever he went. Hemorra herself didn't see what merited such attention, other than the gold in his pocket, perhaps.

She herself despised nobleman such as this man. The ones that thought anything and everything had a price that they could meet with ease. The ones that acted as though they owned the world. It certainly didn't help that people such as those women only aided in the illusion. Hemorra, however, was not so easily bought.

"One gold piece for the tomato, sir," she repeated firmly, keeping a formal smile in place. Any untowardness might lose her customers, which she did not wish, no matter how unpleasant they may be.

The man blinked once, slowly, as though the thought of being refused had never crossed his mind. Hemorra guessed that most likely was the case, and that he probably never had been refused before.

He quickly recovered with a chuckle, widening his smile to show dazzling white teeth. "Yes, darling. One for the tomato, and one for your name," he said slowly, drawing out said coinage and flashing them carelessly before her.

Hemorra fought to keep her smile in place. Had he just assumed she was too stupid to understand the first time? And called her "darling"? Just how pompous was this man?

"I am only selling the tomato, sir," she attempted to say kindly, holding the red vegetable aloft.

"So I can have your name for free then?"

Hemorra hissed a breath through her nose, her smile falling. "Take the tomato or leave, sir," she said not so sweetly. "I have other customers."

He frowned slightly, an expression of anger crossing his face before he covered it with another look of confidence. "I'll buy the lot of them, then," he said presenting and entire pouch of pieces before her, raising a brow to challenge her, his lips curled in a victorious smirk.

Hemorra briefly thought of refusing the man. Some discouragement might do him some good. But she also wished to avoid too much attention. She had enough already, for whatever reason, and besides which, she could use the gold. Or rather, the people could use the gold; she would merely distribute it to them.

"Thank you kind sir," she said, putting on a broad smile, only barely stumbling over the word 'kind' as she took the pouch and handed him her full basket.

As he struggled to grasp his hold on the basket that had been so abruptly given to him, she hastily made away with the gold, hoping it would discourage the nobleman from any attempts to follow her. She was not so lucky.

"Hold on one moment," he called to her. She did no such thing, but his longer legs allowed him to catch up to her quickly anyhow.

"You know, I'm going to the castle soon. Rid us all of those dreadful wretches once and for all," he said proudly. It took everything Hemorra had to hold her tongue and simply ignore him. He didn't seem to understand that she had no wish to speak with him as he continued to seek her attention.

"I am quite gifted with the sword, amongst other things. The very best, some say," he spoke suggestively. "Perhaps I could demonstrate for you sometime."

Hemorra fought not to break her silence.

"Supposedly, the castle holds untold riches," he continued when she offered no response. "Now that I'm going, we'll finally see if the rumors hold true."

Hemorra rolled her eyes. Yes, that was just what the nobleman needed--more gold in his pocket.

"If it does, when I come back, I think I'll hold a grand celebration. And I'd be happy to share my new wealth with a certain special someone," he slighted. "Someone such as yourself, perhaps?"

Hemorra had enough. She came to a sudden stop, turning on the man who stumbled only briefly.

"Pardon me for saying so sir, but it's presumptuous of you to think not only that you will be successful where no other has before, but that I would celebrate such a feat, let alone with you."

He gawped at her, his jaw working as he struggled to find a response. She didn't give him the time, having already turned on her heel, walking away. This time, he did not follow.

"You do know who he is, don't you," a familiar voice said beside her.

Hemorra did not need to turn her head to know it was her sister that walked beside her, though it did surprise her that she was talking to her now. "No, but I know what he is. What of it?"

"He's clearly keen on you," she heard the woman say. And perhaps she was mistaken, but she almost detected a hint of bitterness in her sister's usually calm tones.

"And?"

"Why aren't you taking advantage of it," Raela hissed at her.

"He sees me as nothing more than another woman he can buy off for the right price. And I see him as nothing more than an insufferable pig with too much money for his own good," Hemorra shrugged.

She knew what her sister was referring to--an advantageous union. Hemorra had no desire for such things. She knew she was technically of the right age now, and that most other girls of the same age in the right position would be seeking after a good marriage, but she felt no urgency. She did just fine on her own, enough that she felt she could get away with a marriage that wasn't so much advantageous as it was agreeable. That is, if she decided she would marry at all.

"He's quite handsome for a 'pig'," Raela countered. "You could do far worse."

"Then why don't you pursue him," Hemorra asked huffily, stopping to finally face her sister. She knew the woman had hinted at an interest in having her own advantageous union, if only for the money.

The hooded figure halted beside her. "It's not me he's interested in."

There. Hemorra heard that bitterness again. If Hemorra didn't know better, she would have sworn that her sister was jealous. Her sister was never jealous.

"If you took that hood off, you could easily grab his attention. In fact, I would be grateful if you did," Hemorra pointed out. She knew she was right. Her sister was quite the beauty, but she always hid it under the very hood she was wearing right then.

Her sister's figure only stiffened. "Unlike you Hemorra, I'd rather not be the center of attention," she spoke with disdain, then added in afterthought, "It's bad for business."

"And not showing my face is bad for mine," Hemorra rebutted. Despite what her sister claimed, she rather disliked having so much attention, if any, but she stood by what she said, knowing it to be the truth.

She started walking again, and Raela followed. "What is it you really want, Rae," she asked warily, knowing her sister would not approach her over something so trivial.

"Father is leaving," she said bluntly.

"He does that sometimes," Hemorra said, this time being the one with slight bitterness.

Their father would often leave without a word for days at a time, only to return with the only changes being a sack of gold and a different set of clothes on his back, sometimes a few new marks in his tough skin. Hemorra had her suspicions about what it was that he did on the days he disappeared, but she never really had the courage to ask, despite that it always scared her when he did leave, for each time was another opportunity for him to never return. She also suspected that whatever it was he did, Raela knew about it since she was never surprised when he left, nor concerned with his return. The suspicion was only confirmed now that she was being approached by her about it.

"This time is different."

"And why, pray tell, is that?"

"He's going to the castle."

Hemorra froze. "He's what," she whispered.

"He's going to the castle," Raela repeated. "He's been acquisitioned in an effort to raid it. By that very lord you just so graciously snubbed, in fact."

"But...why," was all she could think to ask, her mind running with so many questions.

"Money," Raela answered. "Why else?"

Hemorra frowned deeply. "No good ever comes to those who go to the castle," she said truthfully. "Why do they never learn?"

She started to march off in the direction of their home. Perhaps she could dissuade her father.

"It won't do you any good," her sister called, already guessing her intentions. "You know once he's made his mind it cannot be unmade. Besides, he's not there."

Hemorra stopped, her shoulders drooping before squaring themselves again as she turned about to march the back the other way. "Maybe I can change the lord's mind, then."

"And leave father without any aid? You know he's been itching to go ever since he heard the rumors of the treasure. At least this way he won't be doing it alone."

Hemorra hung her head, shaking it. A hand involuntarily went up to the ruby that laid against her chest. "He's a fool," she murmured.

Raela didn't respond. Hemorra took her sister's silence as agreement. Their father was ambitious to a fault when it came to taking what gold he could. He had gotten away with it so far, yes, but Hemorra feared that this time it would truly be his downfall. He would return, as the trespassers always did, but he would not be the same, of that she was certain.

And she was powerless to stop him, just like she was powerless to do nearly anything when it counted the most. All she could now was hope--hope that things would not turn out for the worst as she dreaded they might.