<span style="color: #4080FF"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">House of Cadell</span><br/><span style="font-size: 130%; line-height: 116%;">Castle Galline</span><br/><br/><a class="postlink" href="https://sphotos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/t1.0-9/p206x206/10403082_542909079146967_2039893354554478251_n.jpg">[ img ]</a><br/><br/><span style="color: #4080FF"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">Lord Robert Cadell</span><br/><span style="font-size: 125%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="font-style: italic">Father of Amena Cadell</span></span></span></div></span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: #FFBF00">“I have to think it over, Sir Robert. You have my attention in this, that’s for sure. But there is a lot on the line with this decision, it has to be consider thoroughly. Give me a night to think it over, you will hear from me tomorrow. But I must say, you are really a bastard, Sir Robert, I like that…”</span></span>Leon said, seemingly rather amused and indeed serious about the offer. Robert had to withhold a grin, taking Sir Leon's offered hand.<span style="color: #4080FF">"Take the time you need, Sir Leon. I know it is a hefty request,"</span>Sir Robert replied, his gruff voice holding a tinge of respect for the man. If truth be told, Leon was about the only damn man he respected, but only because he did not pretend to be something he was not.<br/><br/>The man was just as horrible as Robert, if not more so. Robert had only ever raped a woman once while he was drunk, though he could not recall who she was the next day. He felt terrible for what he had done, searching high and low for the woman in effort to make amends--to pay her some money, to do anything to make up for what he had done. He had even begun to kill men in his staff who raped while working under his name. When he had married, he had taken far more care in hiring men in his household. Even when his wife had died, he still tried to take precautions as Amena had gotten older. He may have done a lot of terrible things to Amena, but he never had let any other hurt her. His request of Leon would be the first time, but he felt safe in knowing Leon would unlikely kill the girl.<br/><br/>He was drawn back into a memory of when Amena had been younger, a year before he had sent her off to Ipale. A stableboy had his eye on her though she had been quite oblivious. The one thing Robert had allowed Amena to do quite often was go riding. It was about the only thing that seemed to put a smile on her face, as he had often wiped those smiles away with his treatment of her. He would watch from his bedroom window as she galloped along the meadow that was in front of the castle, her hair flying behind her like fire. He was always content to see her ride, sitting for hours as she went.<br/><br/>One day, though, as she was coming back--him watching through the window, the stableboy had come up to her. He had not thought much of it, assuming the boy to be retrieving the horse for Amena. He was older than her by a few years and had only been with them for a few months. Robert had no reason to distrust the boy. Suddenly, the boy had snatched at Amena and she gave a cry. The boy was yelling at her, gripping the girl's arms tightly, shaking her. Amena had shook her head fiercely in the negative, clearly telling the boy no about something and it only seemed to make him angrier. He threw her to the ground, turning around and grabbing a branding iron from a fire pit nearby that they used for the horses. Robert had already begun to hurry down the stairs and out of the castle the moment the boy had laid his hands on her. He had come out just in time to see the boy press a part of the hot iron against Amena's collar bone, causing her to let out a terrible scream--a scream that not even Robert had ever brought from her. It shook him to his core and a rage that he had not felt since his wife's death had taken over.<br/><br/>Amena had laid on the ground, curling into a ball as her hand pressed against the wound desperately trying to ease it. Men and women working in the castle came rushing out to see what was the matter, only to see Robert snatch the iron from the boy and begin beating him to death. Amena's old nurse came to the girl's side, frantic at Amena's endless tears. When Robert had finished beating the boy, he was unrecognizable and Robert had his body hung at the gates letting all know that his daughter was not to be touched. Amena, from that day, had been safe from all others--except for Robert of course. She still had the scar that had mercifully faded over the years, though if one was close enough they could spot it. She hadn't ridden again for joy since, and Robert had lost the only glimpse of spirit in Amena that day.<br/><br/>Robert suddenly tightened his grip on Leon's hand,<span style="color: #4080FF">"Sir Leon--"</span>Robert paused, knowing it would be a random request to the man,<span style="color: #4080FF">"If you should marry Amena, make sure that she rides again through the meadows..." </span>there was a sadness in Robert's eye that he was not aware of, and he finally let go of Leon's hand, walking away to return to the tournament.