History

The youngest of four sons to Baron Newborough, Luc never had aspirations for a notable life. The matter of the estate and any inheritance was never remotely within the realm of his consideration, to which he could only breathe a sigh of relief. Instead of much in the way of expectations, his childhood was a carefree one. Especially compared to his headstrong brothers, Luc was often recognized as the easy one.

There were no scandals; no pranks; no great scares or tiresome tantrums. He was not a perfect child, but it was easy to be considered a 'good' child when the spotlight was so rarely upon him. His eldest brother was often smug and arrogant for the inheritance that awaited him; the other two constantly squabbling between themselves for any (or no) reason at all. Luc was usually left to his own devices, and usually found his way to the small chapel in Llandwrog, the village in which the family's castle stood.

Though only barons, the Wynn family had made good money operating a fleet of fishing and whaling vessels. As such, even a fourth son was afforded the opportunity to attend Eton. This was where he met Augustus Kinkade – a future viscount, and thus someone who Mattered a great deal more than Luc himself. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, the two became fast friends. Oftentimes, the young Welsh boy would not return all the way home to Plas Glynlifon during school breaks, but instead would stay at Hereford.

It was his fourteenth summer, running wild through the fields and woods of Hereford, that he fell hopelessly in love with Augustus Kinkade.

It was not an intentional thing, and he was well aware that Gust's interests lay specifically and only in the feminine persuasion. Still, every friendly touch, every fond word, every lingering stare was savored – devoured like it was the last act of affection that Luc would ever be gifted. He would never have Gust, he knew, but what little of him he was given was treasured.

It was also in Hereford where he met Tansy Robarts, who would become another life-long friend. She was a kindred spirit of sorts; one of the only people with whom he could be himself entirely and in truth. He did not have to tell her of his affections. She seemed to know even before he did, spoke of him and to him like a brother more than an eligible young man nearly her own age, and thus a prospect for marriage. It was Tansy that Luc sat next to beneath an ancient oak and made a promise to: Pinkies twined together, needing nothing more binding than that and their own words. Come their thirtieth birthdays, if they had not yet been wed, it would be to each other that they would swear holy matrimony.

Luc had realized his attraction to men – and almost solely to men – at a very young age, well before he had become infatuated with his best friend. Likewise, he had long since learned that such an attraction was not compatible with the society in which he lived and grew. It was a secret he kept close to his heart, locked in a neat little box. In choosing to dedicate his life to God, he willingly recognized that that neat little box would remain locked, hidden, and if he were very lucky, forgotten completely.

The years passed quickly between his education and the time spent exploring and enjoying Hereford, and soon enough came the question of what was next.

Fourth sons only have so many options, and neither academia nor military were good fits for the young man. That left one other option: the Church. As such, when they were ready to attend university, Luc did not think twice of following Gust along to Oxford. It was during this time that it seemed as though their closeness began to fade somewhat. While Gust was busy preparing himself to be a lord (and getting into the skirts of every woman within ten square miles), Luc busied himself with the future he had chosen for himself. He had always been a devout boy, and had found peace within the church. And, though Anglican priests were not bound to celibacy like their Catholic cousins, it seemed a convenient excuse to at least attempt to dodge the idea of marriage.

And it worked, more or less. He was a dutiful and passionate student of theology, and by the time he graduated at 23, he had put away childish affections and hopes, and settled into the life that was his choice. A year was spent as a deacon. Between his family's connections and his own hard work, Luc was chosen to work at St. Paul's Cathedral, where he developed a close relationship with Archdeacon Hiram Blakeney.

The archdeacon was a dutiful and pious man, who came to trust that the young and energetic deacon would complete the duties he was assigned, was not given to indulging in the temptations of sin, and in general was a strong shoulder to rely upon. It was Archdeacon Blakeney himself who ordained Luc approximately eighteen months after beginning his deaconship, and though Luc went on to serve as a curate primarily in the East End, Hackney, and the City Ward. In these places, he would spend a few weeks to a few months at any given parish before moving on to the next. It was also in these places that he witnessed the abject poverty and desperation that humans could be moved to. It did not break his spirit, but it certainly tarnished his view of the world.

After five years of this work – never shying from the needs of others, blessing babies and the soon-to-be-deceased, serving food to the hungry and clothing the naked – and the recent promotion of Archdeacon Blakeney to Bishop of London, he has been brought back to St. Paul's Cathedral to serve as a priest there, and to assist the bishop in his duties.

The whiplash of leaving the East End and the squalor there, to attend to a glorious and famous cathedral, has left Luc on uneven ground for the first time in his career so far. Though he still whole-heartedly believes in the gospel of the church, he has found the people who make up the church to be just as fallible as any other human. For now, he plays according to the rules of these fallible humans, but he dreams of a better tomorrow, and a world where kindness is the rule, and not the exception.

And, in the back of his mind, he thinks about his thirtieth birthday, and the entwined pinkies upon which a promise had been made.