Summary: A young peasant girl turned courtesan Serenity Kyle finds herself as the object of obsession between two powerful brothers, the Lords of Lancaster, Diamond and Endymion. When she lives in a world where women have no rights and are the property of men, who will claimed Serenity as their ultimate prize and what lengths will they go to possess her? Warning: A mature rating for the nature of the story and profanity. The few first chapters contain graphic violence.

Hello everyone and Happy Holidays! The Lords of Lancaster is a short story I created in response to a challenge I received and accepted from t-rex989. T-rex989 challenged me to write a Serena/Darien fanfic about Serena as a slave girl in a harem. I put my own spin on it because I didn't want to accidentally rip off any of my fellow writers' ideas since there are some excellent servant/master fanfics about Darien/Endymion and Serena/Serenity out there already. Two of my favorites are The King's Concubine by Beloved Goddess and Mind Games by MoonlightSonata87. Anyway, it took me two days, a weekend, to write The Lords of Lancaster so I hope you enjoy it. Here's the first chapter.

Chapter One

Serenity's Past

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.

"Please no, Master Diamond!"

Diamond had taken me into a secret hallway hidden behind his private chambers. His gripped my arm so tightly, my arm turned purple. He opened a door to a tiny cell with no windows. He tossed me into the room so roughly that I banged my shoulder against the concrete wall. He then slammed the door shut as I rushed towards him banging on the door begging for my release. The door had a tiny slot opening made with tiny iron bars allowing him to peep into the cell. He spoke in a sinister voice, "Whore, you will stay locked up in this cell until you submit yourself to me and acknowledged me as your one and true master." He smirked with a crazed look in his purple eyes. "Let's see how long your disobedience will last." He slid the opening shut leaving me in the darkness as I screamed.

The first day, I tried to break myself free. But I failed and only ended up with bruised hands and knuckles. For days, I went without food and water. I stayed locked up with in the cell, in the darkness, for twenty-fours a day. There was nowhere to pee so I had to urinate and defecate in the corner. After five days, my body grew weaker. I don't know if it was from the dizziness or dehydration. I started hallucinating on how I got myself to the point of being locked up in solitary by a psychotic nobleman who had unlimited power.

I was born in tiny village of no importance called Beechwood on the outskirts of Lancaster, one of the richest counties in my country Noland. Noland was a small European country that was once under the rule of the British. We broke free and gained our independence from the English in the late fifteenth century. Now, we regularly trade with the English and French through our ports in the Yellow Sea.

My father was a poor farmer, who I cannot remember because he died when I was three. My mother struggled to make ends meet with her two children and moved us into a tiny house in town. She found work working as a mill worker and then a maid to noble family. She lost her job when I was six and I noticed the size of her belly growing quite large. I did not know why my mother's belly was getting large since we hardly had any food to eat. I overheard our neighbor and landlord's wife, Mrs. Rumsby scolding my mother one day for thinking that the rich nobleman she worked for was going to acknowledge her bastard. My brother Samuel was born a year later premature and died months after his birth to starvation. My mother was never the same after my brother died. It was like a light of hope died inside of her.

When I was seven, I remembered being so hungry that I tried to steal a loaf of bread. The merchant caught me and grabbed me. He told me that thieves deserved to get their hands cut off. Luckily, a young boy of about twelve or thirteen saw this. He was strolling through the streets with his parents and an older boy of about fifteen or sixteen with white hair and purple eyes. I could tell he was a nobleman because of his fine clothes and not an ounce of dirt with him. He wore a black frock coat over a high stand collar shirt, silk puff tie, a black buttoned up vest, black trousers, and long black boots. He was very innocent as he stared at the oversized merchant with his angry big innocent blue eyes. He demanded to know why the merchant was manhandling this little girl. The merchant apologized to the young boy and explained to him that she was a thief and tried to steal from him. The boy dug in his pockets and took out two golden coins. My eyes widen since I hardly ever saw real money since we never had it. The boy picked up two loaves of bread and handed them to me.

He smiled at me and I could not help but be mesmerized by his dreamy blue eyes. They were so deep and blue like the ocean. I could not thank him because words would not form in my throat. He smiled.

"Endymion!" He turned around to his father who stood next to his brother and mother. His mother smiled at him. He ran off to join his family. His father who looked like an older version of him ruffled up his hair as Endymion laughed. His father teased as they walked away placing an arm around his son's shoulder, "If you give away your money to every peasant you see, you are going to be a very poor one day."

Endymion laughed. "Yes, father."

The only words that escaped my lips once they were gone and out of sight was, "Endymion…" His name sounded so regal and I never forgot the boy with the dreamy blue eyes.

As I ran home moments later, my energy started to come back as a savored a piece of bread. I ran home through our tiny village.

"Serenity!" I turned to my left and saw my childhood friend Casper waving at me while he worked the fields of his father's small farm. I waved back at him as I continued to run down the dirt road to my home. I placed the loaves of bread wrapped neatly in paper on the kitchen table. The house was quiet. We lived in a tiny stone house with one room that was the kitchen, the dining room, and the living room combined. I slept on the floor by the fireplace. My only toy was a ragged doll with a missing button eye. The other room was my mother's bedroom, which was smaller and more cramp than our main room.

I was so excited that I did not notice a male's coat hanging on a chair. I burst into my mother's room without knocking and saw her naked in bed with our landlord Mr. Rumsby, Mrs. Rumsby's husband. They screamed at me to get out of the room and I quickly shut the door completely traumatized. It was my first encounter with prostitution.

Moments later, I watched my mother emerged out of the room behind a disheveled Mr. Rumsby. She promised him that I would keep quiet about what I saw as she placed her arms in her ragged robe over her worn-out nightgown. With the flick of her hand, she pulled out her long golden hair from underneath the collar of her robe. I once thought my mother was the most beautiful woman in the world. Yet, life made her hard and ugly. She was barely twenty-eight and she looked like a wrinkled old maid of forty. Her legs and arms had scabs and scars from cleaning floors. Her hands were rough and wrinkled from working in the fields. Her blue eyes were dull like the life was taken out of them. Her once lovely golden hair was always dirty and dull no matter how often she washed it. My mother never smiled and was a tough woman even with her thin, haggard frame.

Mr. Rumsby said, "This should take care of this month." Mr. Rumsby grabbed his coat and slipped it on. He kissed my mother's cheek and playfully slapped her backside. My mother did not look amused. He winked at her and smiled at me.

When he left out, I asked my mother quietly, "What were you doing to Mr. Rumsby, mama?"

My mother answered in an icy tone, "Paying the rent and keeping a roof over our heads. Nothing is free in this world, Serenity. Everything comes with a price."

I remained silent. I had no idea at that moment that I would one day learn exactly what my mother meant.

Two years later, I came home to find my mother cold and dead in bed. She died in her sleep. No one knew how she died. Some say it was from a heart attack. Others say it was from a venereal disease she picked up from one of her clients. When I asked what a client was, everyone was silent. My mother was buried in an unmarked box and to this day, I have no idea where she is buried. All I knew was that I was alone in the world now with no father, brother, or mother. I was taken by carriage to an orphanage in North Lancaster. I could hear the sound of the two horses toddling along the long unpaved road. I stared at the lady who had taken me. She was a tall and slim uptight woman who never smiled and had an uppity appearance about her that was as stiff as the high collar black dress she wore with a fluffy white collar.

I pulled back the curtains and peeped out the window. The streets were packed with a few gentlemen wearing waistcoats, top hats, and holding walking canes. Beautiful women walked next to them in fancy dresses with half crinoline underneath their skirts and fashionable hairstyle styled in a bun or chignon. I saw a young boy bootblack shining a gentleman's shoes. Many of the people looked poor and covered with dirt on their faces and trousers. The men wore apple hats with white high collared long-sleeved shirts, grey or black vests and trousers. Their faces covered with dirt like they had come from working in the factories and coal mines. The working class women wore plain secondhand gowns and mostly black and grey dresses since bright colors were more expensive. The little kids ran around the streets and she saw another little boy about her age wearing an apple hat, long sleeved shirt, black bow tie, grey buttoned up vest, black breeches and black boots waving newspapers in the air for sale. He thanked the patrons who brought a newspaper. I watched as he sneakily pocketed a couple of coins before shouting, "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!"

I could hear the sound of the factory horns miles away and the air had a grayish smoke probably from the smoke of the factory. The carriage stopped. I turned back to the stuffy woman. The manservant stepped down from his seat and opened the carriage. He escorted the lady out first then helped lifted me out of the carriage from the waist and placed me on my feet on the ground.

I looked at the huge black building that looked like a gigantic school. I saw two little girls peeping out the window before disappearing when I caught them looking at me. The tall lady placed a hand on my back and escorted me up the stairs.

I gulped as the tall lady banged the metal doorbell. The door soon opened and there stood a woman named Madam Drusilla York. She was a tall, thick woman with a stiff posture, pointy nose, and long black dress. She glared down at me like I disgusted her. I guessed I did since I was only skin and bones.

She clapped her hands together startling me. She yelled, "Get in, child!"

I gulped. "Yes, ma'am."

I followed up the stairway through the large house. She told me as she walked very quickly, "My name is Madam York. You will address me as such. I tolerate no disrespect and no back talk. Everyone has a chore including you. Everyone rises at five sharp in the morning every day. Your bed is to be made every morning. Breakfast is at seven. Lunch is at noon. Dinner at six. You're one minute late, you don't eat. You misbehave in any way and you will be spanked or received the hot water. Do you understand, Kyle?"

I answered meekly, "Yes Miss York."

She snapped, "It's Madam York."

I corrected, "Yes, Madam York."

She said dismissively, "I see you are a stupid child already." She opened the door down at long hallway. In the corner, she showed me a bed in a room of twelve beds, six on either side. My bed was the last one of the right next to a window. It was more of a tiny cot. She pointed to the bed. "This will be your bed." She pointed to an empty cubby hold. "This will be your cubby hold. You can put your belongings in there." When she saw I had nothing, she continued on. She showed me around the manor. She showed me the kitchen, the schoolroom, the bathrooms, the dining room, and the attic. Everywhere we walked, I saw girls between five and fourteen doing chores. Some were cleaning windows. Others were on their hands and knees scrubbing the floor. Some were sweeping. Others dusted and mopped the floors. Some were in the kitchen helping prepare lunch.

I would like to say that my time at the orphanage was favorable, but I ended up in many fights with the other girls. I was taken in and out of foster homes because I constantly stole from my foster parents. It was not that they were necessarily bad people, but I did not know how long I would be with them so I stole to have money. I always remembered how the boy with the blue eyes appeased the situation with the merchant when he gave the merchant two golden coins. The only problem was when I tried to fetch the merchandise. I always got caught. I was whipped everyday by my foster parents and Madam York for fighting and stealing. After two years of an endless cycle, I ran away from the orphanage and never returned. I lived on the streets and avoided the authorities who took street kids right back to the orphanage. It was at Madam York for the girls and Mr. Grimly for the boys.

One day while I was walking the streets, I saw this beautiful young woman. She always wore her hair in a high ponytail and fancy dresses like a lady. She paraded around town with some of the rich and most powerful men in the city. She always had money and the men drooled over her. I wanted to be her even though most of the women in town hated her and called her a whore. I did not know what whore meant but I wanted to be one. Her life seemed so easy and carefree. She was never with average men and only was seen with wealthy men. She was never dirty like everyone else.

One night on a cold and harsh winter night in Lancaster, I was shivering and freezing and hungry for not eating in days. I usually dug in the garbage cans for food flicking off the maggots. Yet, the business owners of my old spots caught onto my tricks and barred me from coming. I was feeling sick, nauseous. I was throwing up and I wondered if this is what death felt like. Will I join my family in heaven?

I found a corner in an alley and wrapped my arms in my heavy coat I had stolen months ago from a rich little girl. I felt she did not need it since she looked like her parents could buy her whatever she wanted. I stared at the woman sitting in the café flirting with a nobleman as he brought her dinner. She suddenly turned and the girl's green eyes met my blue ones for a moment as the snow covered my body and my lips turned blue and fingers turned numb. I felt light as a feather until I started to not feel at all except the comfortable sleep wanting to overtake me. I welcomed the warmth and closed my eyes.

I opened my eyes and found myself lying in a bed wrapped tightly into a warm blanket wearing an oversized nightgown that came to my toes. I felt the warmth of fire on my skin. I tilted my head and saw the fireplace crackling. The girl was in a crouch position wearing a nightgown. Her long brunette hair hung loosely over her shoulders and down her back. She was turning the firewood with a stick.

She said without looking at me, "You nearly died tonight, little one."

I rose up slowly with my hands clasped together on top of the covers. My body still feeling slightly weak. I asked quietly, "What's your name?"

The woman turned to me. "My name is Lita Castleberry. What's your name, princess?"

"It's Serenity."

She smiled at me. Her smile was flawless. Her teeth were white without any missing. "What a lovely name!" She rose to her feet.

I said blushing as she walked towards me, "Could you be my new mother?"

Lita burst into laughter. She said, "I'm too young to be your mother. You're one of Madam York's kids."

I hesitated. Lita smirked. "No worries. I was one too. I am the bastard daughter of a preacher. My mother worked as a housekeeper to his family. He kicked my mother out when she told him she was with child and never claimed me as his daughter. My mother's life was harsh thereafter and she died when I was three. I was sent to Madam York. I left the orphanage when I was fourteen."

"I hated it there. Everyone there is so mean."

"I know. You have to be tough and always fight for your space and to stop people from stealing your things." I smiled in relief that she got it.

"Yet, I have to let you go back. You're going to die on these streets if you stay out there. At least at Madam York's, you get a bed and three meals."

I panicked not wanting to go back. "No! I am not going back. I don't want to go back. Please Miss Castleberry, let me stay with you. I want to do what you do."

Lita looked surprised with her answer. "And what is that you think I do?"

"I see you parading around town with rich men. You wear beautiful gowns and jewelry. Your hair and skin are flawless and you are never dirty like everyone else. And you always have money. You're not like other women."

Lita was silent for a moment. Then said, "Serenity, I wouldn't wish my lifestyle on my worst enemy. We lived in a man's world that is very cold towards the female sex. We are treated as the property of our fathers than husbands. Yet, when they died, we are left with nothing. We are not allowed to own property. We are considered the property of men. Rich women are not allowed to keep their dowry once they are married. It becomes their husbands or sons. They must marry well if they do not have brothers to inherit the property. For us, the poor women. We are as poor as our fathers and husbands. When they die, we lose our homes. There are barely any jobs for us besides being the servants to the rich or working in factory dying from the smoke inhalation clogging up their lungs. Besides marrying a good man who can provide for them and their children, there is no happiness in our lives. So we must take it. You marry well, worked until you are an old maid, or become a scorn woman like I am, hated by your own sex."

Serenity said, "But you don't starve and you live well."

Lita snorted. "I like you, Serenity." She glanced around the room then back at Serenity. "But this is an inappropriate place for a little girl."

I added quietly, "I've seen worst." I lost my father, my infant brother to starvation and I saw my mother sleep with men to pay the bills. She could have easily have abandoned me like most mothers did to children they could no longer feed, but she kept me. She led a life of unhappiness and misery until she died at the age of thirty. I've seen homelessness and knew hunger. I was only eleven.

Lita stared at me for a moment like she was thinking about something. She spoke. "You can work as a maid for us. Our old maid Ginny quit and Mistress Linda is looking for a new maid. It is hard work. You will have to work six days a week and remain quiet about the things and people you see come through our doors. Discretion is key in this type of business. But you will have a warm bed, three meals a day, and room and board." She placed her hands on her hips. She added in a strict voice, "You will have to work for your keep. Nothing is free and we will pay you money. Do you want the job?" I quickly nodded my head with a big grin on my face. I could not believe I was going to get a few of those shiny gold coins the blue-eyed boy had.

Over the next ten years of my life, I worked without complaint as a maid. After Mistress Linda died, she left Lita in charge as the new mistress of the house. We referred to her as Mistress Lita or Madam Castleberry. When Lita and I were alone, I simply called her Lita and she called me Serena. I cooked, I cleaned. After the girls were done with their clients, I had to wash the sheets and changed the bedding. Henrietta, the cook, taught me how to cook. She was a nice homely woman, and I loved her like a mother. I usually finished cleaning around five in the evening then I soaked my feet in a bucket of warm soothing water with bath salts in the comfort of my small room in the attic. I liked it and I even had my own fireplace and never was cold during the winter. I kept my eyes glued to the floor as I worked even though I noticed the rich, powerful and sophisticated gentlemen who came to the manor on a regular basis. I acted oblivious to it. Caleb was the bouncer who made sure that no client became rough with the girls. He was tall, bluff with medium, leant built. He wore his white hair in short curtain haircut and stone cold grey eyes. He hardly ever smiled or laughed and always looked serious or intimidating. He was a former boxer too and any client that tried to get too feisty with the girls felt his wrath and was forbidden from ever returning to our home. I think Lita and Caleb liked one another as I watched them over the years. The way she looked at him when she thought he was not looking. I observed the way he admired her when she was not looking. He grew slightly jealous of times when Lita was with client even though her price was extremely high. It came to the point where Lita stopped having clients and the only man who entered her room at night was Caleb. I always left them alone undisturbed along with the rest of the girls. I glanced at one of the gentlemen coming out of Monique's room and saw the loads of cash in her hands. I frowned to myself as I was on my hands and knees scrubbing the floor. The girls received a load of cash for one night while I only made pennies.

The next day, I walked into Lita's office. Lita sat with her legs crossed dressed only in a satin robe and simple shift and stockings underneath. She was doing paperwork. Lita might pretend to be the airhead sometimes when she was with her clients but she was all about the business when it came to making money. No client was allowed to come inside her house and spend time with any of the girls without showing the cash first. She did not do credit. If you could not pay now, you could not enter. Lita ran the house like a business and made a good profit. She paid the girls decent wages and made sure they were taken care of long as they followed her rules. Her rules were simple. The girls could not have boyfriends or kiss the clients or become romantically involved with them. A doctor came in and inspected their bodies on a monthly basis. The girls were also sworn to secrecy and anyone who mentioned anything that went on in Lita's house was kicked out for good. There was a rumored of a girl named Natalie who defied Lita and broke one of the rules. Lita kicked her out on the streets. Three weeks later, she tried to come back but Lita slammed the door shut in her face. She worked for a shady business man named Rubeus, who was friend to Lord Diamond, the Duke of Lancaster. There were horror stories of how Rubeus treated his girls. Natalie was soon found dead on the streets frozen to death. Lita showed no remorse and informed the girls that this is what happens to those that defy her. Anyone else who wants to join Natalie was free to leave. No one moved. She never had another problem out of the girls.

"I want to become a whore."

Lita looked up. Her mouth curled a little in amusement. She laughed, which upset me. I hated when she did not take me seriously. "We don't refer to ourselves as whores, Serena. That is what the world calls us. And the answer is no, this lifestyle is not for you. "

I said, "I can do it, Lita. I am tired of being poor. If I am going to be the property of man, then let it be on my terms. Let me have control of my own body."

Lita looked up. "You're innocent, Serenity. If you are going to give yourself up to a man. Let it be for love and not money."

"Love does not pay the bills, Lita. I don't want to be poor like my mother and die from a life of broken dreams at the age of thirty."

"By doing this, you become like your mother."

"I know. But what are my options? To marry a poor man and bare his poor children and continue to drown in poverty, be the servants of the rich, or be the rich man's mistress. Either way, I am the property of a man. At least as the rich's man mistress, I am being paid decently. Plus, you need a new girl anyway since Janice left."

Lita frowned at me. She said, "Serenity, I don't want this life for you. Please, choose love over money. You'll never be the same if you choose this life."

I frowned too. Why she was denying me of something I wanted? I never asked her for anything except for to be my mother once. I bluffed hoping that she would not call me on it. I said in a defiant manner, "Then I'll go work across town for Rubeus."

Lita said with a sharp tongue, "He beats his girls and kills them like he did Natalie. You don't want that."

I shouted, "I don't care! I'll survive. I always do." Lita frowned at me again. She sighed in defeat. She knew I would go work for Rubeus just to spite her. She rose from her seat.

"Fine, if you want to be a courtesan. I'll teach you how to be one, but you'll never be the same. The people of this town will never respect you and no respectable man will ever marry you. So I will ask you one last time, is this what you want?"

I said firmly, "Yes." Lita sighed deeply disappointed with my answer.

She said, "Then so be it." She walked passed me in disappointment. But I was happy. I was finally going to get real money. I did not realize at the time that getting what I wanted would cost me so much more and ultimately lead me to my current predicament.