Nathaniel poked his head back into the stables when he heard Ashton's remark. He gave her a growl, "What do you have in mind, 'Sir' Ashton? If that man is going to sell her, why not go before she is sold?"<br/><br/>---------------------------------<br/><br/>"I wonder if all angels are this beautiful..." one of the guards muttered, poking at Aris teasingly. The angel looked away, she didn't have the will to prevent them from toying with her. She had given up; this was her fate, and she would accept it. She still wanted to cry, though.<br/><br/>"How many<span style="font-style: italic">ugly</span>angels have you heard of?" another guard sneered, the others laughed.<br/><br/>"You sure the Doge wouldn't notice if we borrow her for a bit? The auction will be in a few hours anyways."<br/><br/>"Are you insane? Do you know how hard it is to get blood stains out of carpet?? The Doge would look, anyways." Aris looked slightly startled at them, hoping they weren't talking about what she thought they were talking about. She swallowed.<br/><br/>"Sure, but if we-" one of the guards cleared his throat, acknowledging the Doge coming back into the room.