~~~~ Sixteen years ago ~~~~

"Here, take this."

Kristof gave the old lady a little water. He had considered this woman his mother for the past nine years. He pressed the cup against her mouth and slowly raised it. A little stream of water flowed through her lips.

Her dried lips had bloodstains on them. She had been coughing up blood for days now. The end was near. Isoldi would soon die. She knew it and Kristof knew it as well. She had found little Kristof after his accident. She saved him, nurtured him, and gave him a home.

"Thank you, my dear boy," she softly spoke. Her voice was old and croaky.

"Go to sleep now, I'll stay with you." Kristof put a blanket over her.

"I honestly hope I won't wake up this time, Kristof. My time on earth is through and I am glad for it. The only thing I will miss is seeing your pretty face." She caressed his cheek.

"Don't tell lies on your deathbed, ma." Kristof could cry because of her words, but he didn't want to upset her.

"I'm not lying. You are beautiful to me. You know, true beauty lies within the heart. No beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart."

She coughed up blood again. Kristof quickly wiped a towel against her mouth. It pained him to see her like this. She had been bedridden with a dry cough for days now. The last couple of days, her coughs came with blood, and Isoldi told him it wouldn't be long before she went to meet her maker. She could feel it.

"People are dumb, Kristof. They don't know any better. They see what they want to see, which is that scar, but never take the time to get to know you. But you are a good boy and you will turn out to be a good man. Always be your kind self, promise me."

"I promise, ma."

~~~

A day later, she died. Kristof dug her grave in the compound's yard and buried her. He decorated the grave with her favorite flowers.

For the past nine years, he'd lived with her. He was happy. And now he was alone again. He cried his eyes out. He was only sixteen years old. What should he do now? He knew she was old, and her time had to come, but why did he have to lose everyone he loves?

Armin slowly slid down into the tub. The hot water relaxed his body and he hoped it could relax his mind as well. He closed his eyes and laid there, only his head was above the water. He had just said his goodbyes to his family and they went on their way home. He hugged his mother and brothers and sister. Not his father. He couldn't hug him. Not yet anyway. He was still angry with the man.

He thought about what Kristof told him yesterday at dinner. He thought about it all night. He was happy that Kristof gave him a way out of their marriage, but this way Kristof would be the one who would take the brunt of the rumor mill once it got out that he could not perform on his wedding night.

Armin could already imagine what the people in town would say about him. They would probably mock him for not being a real man. They would laugh about him not being able to get his dick up and hurl hurtful insults at him, like calling him weak, pathetic, impotent, and much worse.

Kristof had said that the people already talked behind his back anyway. And that he didn't care. But it didn't sit right with Armin. He felt disconcerted by the whole solution, ever since Kristof mentioned it. It was immoral. Unprincipled. Almost wicked.

If people were to talk badly about Kristof about this matter, he knew it would be lies. He was the reason that they did not consummate their marriage. That was the honest truth.

Armin didn't like lying or being lied to, hence the ugly feeling in his stomach.

He sank further down, his head now underwater, blocking all his other senses. He could not see nor hear nor smell anything, except feel the hot water around him.

Why was Kristof always so nice to him?

He didn't even know him. Why would he do all these things for him? He promised him money. Enough money for the rest of his life. He wanted to take the blame for everything. He wanted to see him happy for the three weeks that they agreed to remain married. He even wanted to become friends with him.

Why did Kristof want to be friends with him? In the couple of days that they met, he has not been nice to him, not even once. He cursed him, insulted him, even yelled at him. If he was Kristof, he wouldn't like himself.

He didn't even like himself right now.

Armin stuck his head above water again and inhaled as he buried his face inside his hands and rubbed. He rubbed so hard, as if he was trying to rub the thoughts away.

Why was his life such a mess right now?

The scent of the water lingered inside his nose. It smelled nice. May had poured some flower oils into the bathwater, so it held a sweet fragrance.

In a few hours, he was scheduled to go to the mine together with Kristof. Armin was curious about what the day would bring.

~~~

The King was well impressed during his visit. Kristof showed him only a small part of the mine. He couldn't show him all of it, for that would be far too dangerous.

They overlooked an enormous hole in the ground where the workers went down with ropes, standing on small wooden planks. These men were used to this, but other people could not enter inside.

One man hanged from a rope and was hitting the stone wall inside the immense hole. He used a pickaxe and rammed at the same spot over and over again. Armin could see it was hard labor.

Of course, the King was very pleased when Kristof offered him a newly founded diamond as a gift.

"It looks just like an ugly stone," said the King's adviser when he looked at it.

"You may find it ugly now. But this is actually what a real diamond looks like. The ones in jewelry are cut and polished to look more appealing to the eye," Kristof explained while gazing at Armin. "However, don't let it fool you by thinking this is just like every ordinary rock. A diamond is the hardest material that can be found in nature. Harder than any other rock."

Kristof told them more information and showed them everything he could.

And Armin was surprisingly very impressed with the knowledge Kristof had.

The man had made his own fortune with his intelligence and willpower. All before the age of twenty-six. And right now, he was the wealthiest man in all of the land. And money meant power.

"Thank you for explaining, Sir Sutherfield," the King's adviser said.

They were going to leave, but the King had something else he wanted to talk about.

"Congratulations on your marriage. I see you have found a diamond in another place as well." The King looked at Armin, who was dressed in a dark green velvet suit, decorated with golden flower embroidery. His shiny raven-colored hair rested on his forehead.

The King watched him with much admiration. He found him more beautiful than his own wife and that made him jealous of Kristof. Even more, than he already was. He was the King! However, Kristof was wealthier, more powerful, and had a better-looking lover.

"Thank you, your grace," Kristof said.

"He sure is beautiful... Do you find him beautiful?" The King asked Kristof.

"I do."

He then turned to Armin while a sly smirk appeared on his face. "And you Sir Armin, do you find him beautiful?" he asked, pointing at Kristof.

Armin didn't know what to do. He couldn't lie, as lying to the King was against the law. And he didn't want to lie either. But he also didn't want to insult Kristof again.

He looked at Kristof, who slightly smiled and nodded so that Armin knew he was fine with whatever answer.

Armin thought about a way to answer that wasn't a lie. "He is kind. And kindness is also beautiful. So yes."

"And his looks, his face? Do you think of it as the face of a beautiful man?"

Kristof was already happy with Armin's previous answer. It was a small victory for him that Armin wanted to spare his feelings. He blinked, slowly, like telling him it was okay to answer.

"No, your grace," Armin whispered.

When he saw the grin on the King's face and heard all the other men laugh, it irritated him. They were mocking him and Kristof.

The King stepped closer to Armin, who could already smell the older man's nasty sour breath when he asked, "and me? Do you find your King beautiful?"

Armin looked at the man. He didn't find him beautiful at all. His teeth were all yellow and he was short and his body shape was not attractive at all. He had a nose shaped like the one on a pig. And on his head was some ridiculous curly white powdered wig.

He thought about the consequences of his answer. Insulting the King was forbidden too. But he didn't want to be a hypocrite in front of Kristof.

"No," he then answered. Just like that, out loud.

All eyes went wide, including Kristof's. The King's men were gasping.

How could this young man be disrespectful?! How could he call his King ugly?!

"Sir, please! He does not—" The King cut Kristof off from what he wanted to say by raising his hand.

"Do you know you can get punished when you insult your King?" The King asked Armin.

"Y-yes."

"And what is the highest punishment you can get?" the King asked, taking another step closer until their noses almost touched. His eyes widely looked into Armin's.

The younger felt his heart hammering inside his chest. Maybe it was a stupid move he just made. His face felt hot and with the little hairs on his nape standing up straight, he answered, "the death penalty."

Kristof could only watch, wide eyes from fear. He couldn't interrupt them again and make the King any angrier than he already seemed to be. He started sweating and could only pray. Pray that Armin wouldn't be punished.

Please don't let him die. Please don't let him die!

"Hahahaha!" the King suddenly burst out laughing.

It took all Armin's self-control to stop his body from gagging when he again smelled the foul odor; the hot damp of the King's breath against his face. A scent of rotting fish crawled up his nose.

"Oh my, you really have found a rare diamond, Sir Kristof! Nobody has ever been so daring with me before! What a wonderful, unique creature you are, Armin!"

Before the King and his men took their leave, he invited Kristof and Armin over for the enormous ball that was held next week. They couldn't refuse him, of course.