Ever since she was small she remembered the rose garden. At three years old daddy walked her out to it and stood solemnly, holding her hand. He was intimidating even then, even in the tenderness he showed his daughter. Because his attitude was one of propriety, not of love.

"This is a sad place." He would say aloud but speaking more to himself then to her. "This is to commemorate your mother, the most beautiful woman I ever met." Since he was a cold man who almost never showed emotion these were words equivalent to a torrential outburst. "She was killed because my enemies knew her death would hurt me worse then the theft of all my silver and gold…she was my greatest treasure."

He looked down at her then, his hard gray eyes meeting her blue ones. At three she had trembled in his gaze, daddy's eyes sometimes scared her even though she knew he always meant well. "And now you are my greatest treasure. You have taken her place." He had looked back at the roses then. "But you will be better protected, no man will come near you as long as I'm alive…or dead for that matter."

At three this was confusing though it was meant to be comforting. She had wanted daddy to protect her from the bad men but she had known even then that daddy was one as well.

Through the years there were whispered stories from daddy's new women and from some of his guards but whenever she got too close these people would take notice and the abrupt silence would intimidate her in to leaving. It wasn't until she was ten that Leona told her what had really happened to mommy.

Leona was pretty and young and in charge as far as the rest of the household was concerned. She was daddy's favorite and had been for well over five years. She had been a peasant living in the forest with her family when daddy had seen her. She claimed that daddy made his driver slam on the brakes then he had stepped from the car, an impressive figure, tall with black hair that was only slightly graying. "I want her." He said to Leona's father, with a nod to indicate just which redheaded daughter he meant. After some negotiating the peasant, ten dollars richer, let his daughter go and Leona left her family behind to start a new life.

She was daddy's favorite but only to an extent. Like his other favorites had, Leona sported bruises and had acquired two scars. One on her left temple where daddy's ring had grazed when he punched her for mouthing off and one on her thigh. That time daddy had noticed her looking at one of the guards during dinner and had decided to break her of this habit by stabbing her with his butter knife. Yes daddy loved, but it was with a terrible jealous love. The only girl that was never hurt by one of his tantrums was his daughter… but God help the rest of the women he cared for.

Leona had drawn the ten year old close to her on the couch. She leaned in so close that her red hair mingled with the blonde. "Your papa stole your mother from another noble family when she was just fifteen and he was twenty five. They say it was her beauty that made him do it; he was a collector then and still is. He had come to pay off the noble for some shady business, that was when he was just starting out and he still didn't have enough muscle to just shut people up, he had to do it the old fashioned way." Leona smiled a wry smile and rubbed her forefingers and thumb together to indicate that she meant financially, with her other hand she reached for a cigarette. "You won't tell you papa will you?" She asked with a conspirator's smile "You know he doesn't like when I smoke…or when anyone other than him tells you stories."

At ten she had nodded mutely, afraid that the sound of her voice might stop Leona from finishing the tale. She so desperately wanted to know about her mother. She had also longed for some sort of friendship; most of the people in the house, servants, guards and whores averted their eyes when the child walked in to a room. Her only friend was daddy and he was not an amusing friend.

Leona pulled the silk draping off the back of the couch to put it over their legs. "I get chilly in the evening," She explained and then her eyes had caught on the painting on the far wall of a girl with blonde hair. "So he had gone to pay off the noble, standing in the driveway because then he was not respected the way he is now. That man wouldn't even let him touch his front steps. But as he turned to leave he heard her voice and the sound of it made him stay. It 'riveted him' or so I've been told." She sighed, exhaling smoke. One of her hands had crept up to idly play with the child's golden hair. "Your mama was leaning out a window calling out to her papa, the noble, which I've heard he was furious at her for. He had known about your papa's hunger. He saw her there with a white dress and her tan arms leaning out looking at him and he wanted her. But he didn't let this on to the noble, no your papa's a swift man, he just tipped his hat and drove away."

The child leaned in. "Was she prettier then you?"

Leona nodded, still looking at the painting. "She was perfect."

"Did she love daddy right away?"

Leona looked at the child and for a moment the child felt a nearly overwhelming sadness before the slender red haired woman looked away. "Let me finish the story."

"That beautiful girl, your mama, was to go to the city on a shopping trip with her mother as a special birthday gift and even though she was going to the nice part where all the stores are the noble still sent her with ten armed guards. He did not want to take chances with his family. This trip was to be the first independent trip of your mama's life. It symbolized her coming of age and I think she was excited to be growing up. I know I would've been excited, all those parties were going to be starting and privileged young men were to start calling. There would have been many more shopping trips and traveling if she had been able to continue on that path.

Your pa found out about the trip though because he had been searching since the moment he saw her for a time when she would be vulnerable. He knew her father would never have let him near her, even with all his money. He was considered street trash with cash, only good for backroom deals. And I think that bothered him. To win her, someone of noble blood, would mean that he had finally made it in the world. Maybe that was why he was willing to risk everything.

The day of her trip your mama got dressed up in her favorite dress and her mother helped fix her hair, which was a big deal since usually that was a maid's job. They kissed the noble good bye and got into the armored car never to see that poor man again." Leona leaned to reach the ashtray on the marble coffee table and stubbed out her cigarette. "You sure you want to hear the rest?" The child nodded. "You sure you can keep a secret?"

The child nodded again, this time slower. It had begun to occur to her that Leona might not really care if daddy found out she told. It seemed almost like she was on a suicide mission and was determined to finish whether the child wanted her to or not.

"So your pa got all his men together, I think that totaled about thirty men in all but I could be wrong. What happened has become something of a legend and the numbers change each time, the only amount that stays the same is the ten guards the women had. Your mama was in the most expensive store the city had and the salespeople had locked and shaded the doors so their party could shop in total privacy. Locked doors could not stop your papa though. His men surrounded the place and the first thing they did was take out the guard waiting outside the main entrance, the second thing they did was slash every single tire and the throat of the driver of that armored car. Your pa didn't want to take chances either." She laughed wryly. "Then they broke the glass of the front door and walked in like they owned the place. I'm told it was a blood bath; the saleswomen were shot and were just crawling on the floor crying. Your ma's guards took out a couple men but they had been taken by surprise, the noble had no enemies, so these guards didn't even have combat experience. Your pa was the last to step into that store; he waited until it had been cleared by his men. He walked in like he owned the place too, crushing glass and blood together under his boot heel. Your mama and your grandma were cowering in the back dressing room. One story goes that your ma was only in her panties but I think that might be an exaggeration; it does add a kind of flair to the story though doesn't it?

Your pa's men stood at attention, ready for any action whether it was to shoot out the approaching police or to take out an angry store manager with the hidden sawed off shotgun. These were not the type of men to be taken by surprise. So your papa walks to the dressing room, rips the curtain aside and grabs your ma's wrist. 'You're mine now' He told her and yanked her away from the woman that gave her life. Your ma shrieked and carried on and your grandma did the same but this didn't affect your pa. I was told that he shoved your ma behind him into one of his men's arms and he leveled his gun into your grand mama's face. 'Say goodbye to your princess' he said before pulling the trigger."

Leona pulled another cigarette from her dress pocket and lit it, all while staring dreamily at the wall.

The child was breathing heavily. "What happened next? Why would daddy kill my grandmother?" Her voice hitched but she pushed her tears to the back of her throat, they would come later. "Why did my mother get killed when she didn't do anything wrong?"

"Your mother came here to live and she fell in love, eventually, the way we all did with your pa. There are some things you can't forgive though and she never forgot that. He never had her whole heart and I think that bothered him, but who really knows right? Your pa is like a sharp piece of glass and sometimes I hate him." She forced a smile and looked down at the child. "How do you feel about your papa?"

The child's mouth fell open and she stared at Leona, really considering the question. If she had answered she would have said that she loved him but she was also afraid of him. Leona was summoned away before she could share her feelings on that matter.

"You're wanted by Mr. Deins immediately. He request that you come to the north wing wearing nothing." The servant leaned in, sparing a suspicious glance at the child, "The master does not appear to be in a good mood I warn you."

Leona stood, casting off the silken draping and her robe in one fluid motion. Underneath she had only a pair of white lace panties. The child gazed at her body in wonder, taking in the round firm breasts and flat abdomen. She tried not to focus on the finger shaped bruises on her rib cage and the scab on her stomach that looked suspiciously like a cigarette burn.

She disappeared soon after that night, like all of daddy's favorites did. No woman could stay in his good graces forever. The child was not surprised but she missed Leona more than she had the others.