"Do you think me stupid? I thought Nero were in my head when he came to me in the dungeon and made his deals. It were after they pulled me from the room with no window again. God, I were so ill I could barely stand, Estinien. You know the slops they gave us last time - the half eaten buns and that? They give me only a little of it. But Sir, my nose did not stop bleeding, and my head were cut, and I were sick as a dog, and when they take me out, my head is pounding and my stomach turning and and my face is so swollen I can't see - and he's there. Touching... touching me."

She shakes her head. "He's vile... but I think he loves me. And that'll do me, Sir. He ain't as beautiful as 'Parnasse but he ain't so violent neither. 'Parnasse'd have me by the hair and slap me if I weren't paying attention, or his knife at my throat so I'd spread my legs to him. M'sieur Nero, no. He's so kind to me, you know? He treats me so nice. I think he is lovely, even if he does hurt me sometimes."

She purses her lips. "He gave me a dress for a princess, you know? But it's too big - my waist is too starved, and Julie laughed at me, and Susan with that pity in her mooning eyes. I dunno if he's laughing at me or he thinks I'm truly pretty? But it's so lovely to hear."