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The Welcome Room looked like the type of place Rhea's mind conjured up when hearing phrase like, a den of sin. Plush cushions folded around Rhea with an embrace which seemed savory, instead of sweet, and they supported her body in different places then the marshmallow couches of Baba Ginger's home. A statue of a bare breasted woman leaned back into one corner and a fountain gurgled peacefully on the opposite side of the room. Lace fringed fabric and rugs. Silks were draped over furniture and decorated the ceiling. Wispy curtains hung around doorways and everything felt like wealth and privilege.

This was the illusion of the Beloved Bard. The front of the building was ornate, the entrance was decadent, and the places where men might need to linger were covered in things which drew the eyes. Once a female form was there to draw a man's attention, however, those gaudy things were few or entirely absent. The first and second floors contained rooms which were comfortable but not visually pleasing. Large spaces of wall held no decorations and most of the halls were not well lit. The scent of cleaning solutions, and the things they were trying to cover up, were all smothered by incense which had soaked into the wood. The beds were covered in linens which were meant to be changed and washed without being slept under so they were cheap and plain.

Rhea sat in the plush sitting room, nursing a drink that was so full of herbs and spices that it had to be medicinal. The aftermath of the bath had left her body tingling with pleasant sensations but now she was relaxed to the point of feeling sleepy. Anna had drawn some odd magic into a brush and tamed hair that was so wild it should have been foraging in the wilderness. Now it was straight and pulled back in a damp fox-tail.

So far, Rhea's days at the Beloved Bard had been a time of sleep and contemplation. Cooks, cleaners, and delivery folk came and went throughout the day, but the building seemed to sleep through these labors. The quiet was a blanket which she wrapped around herself. Watching sheep had allowed her hours to meditate on her problems and she found herself missing it. Thus, she embraced the quiet time of the day to unravel her tension and sort through the trauma which had brought her here.

Lyle was gone. The love had been hers and it was torn from her by those so fanatical that they would murder any who believed differently from them. Rhea seethed with anger at the corruption of pure intent. Religion was supposed to put people at ease and teach them to love one another. Using religion to hurt another was most unforgivable blasphemy she could conceive. Someday she hoped she might find a way to fix that madness in people but she had no idea how.

Unconsciously, Rhea's fingers traced the brand on her chest. It would mark her as a witch to all who knew of it, but Anna had said there were ways to overcome it. Time would show her the way. Enough time might even allow her to remove the mark altogether. For now, though, she was at the mercy of a brothel Madam.

Rhea did not know how she felt about that. In many ways, she knew she was extremely lucky for having landed where she had, but she felt strange owing her life to politics. If that portal had deposited her into Ephesus, she would have been decapitated and burned before waking. But they were in Alashir, and they were not the witch burning type.

When the Church of Ephesus conquered Alashir, almost a decade ago, thousands of men and women had been accused of witchcraft. Arch-Bishop David I brought the sword and the torch to roughly a third of the country's population until his belief that his god had made him invincible was proven wrong.

Arch-Bishop David II displayed more imagination and forethought than his father, and he began with compromise. Removing the death penalty from witches, and similar undesirables, caused fewer deaths and less terror. Heretics were still branded and made to do penance, but they could not be put to the torch without breaking secular laws as well. The population accepted humiliation because it was preferable to death, but many still became poetic when lamenting a more tolerant time.

Rhea leaned against the strange chair's headrest and stared at the chandelier. The fixture and the ceiling above were made of sturdy materials but there was elegance to it that allowed people to feel at their ease. Comfort would cause men to lower their guard and they would buy pleasures without thinking of what else they owed.

And now I belong to them ... or do I? Anna was not clear about my place here. In fact ... I'd say she was specifically not clear about their plans for me. The logic threads took her into odd places but eventually Rhea worked enough of it out to think clearly. I guess I'll just need to wait and see.

The Beloved Bard awoke as the sun settled into the horizon's embrace. Floorboards creaked from above as feet stomped in the unsteady rhythms of the newly risen. The gurgle and hiss of the building's pluming told Rhea that proper bathing was more than a luxury here. There was an obsessive edge to the brothel's cleaning rituals and she could understand why. The body can be messy and sex is even messier. Men can get kind of territorial and most don't want to be reminded that another man has been where they are going. I wonder if they force their ... customers ... to bathe before they are serviced.

"Oooooohhhhhh yeeaahh!" The odd bellow was answered by giggles and jeering that ranged from friendly to vile. Feminine chatter finally began to echo up and down the halls as the building came to life. A few shapes came into the room and then froze when they spotted Rhea.

"New girl!" shouted one voice, and that set off a chain reaction of others.

"New girl?"

"New girl!"

"I wanna see!"

"Don't push!"

Rhea curled her legs to her chest as the tide of humanity thundered forward. Somehow the room went from empty to cramped in seconds. She wondered if the building would clear as efficiently if a fire was present.

"Ooohhh! You're Anna's girl!" The first to arrive was a plump girl with a tumble of dark hair that was much thicker and less savage than Rhea's usual mess. Great blue eyes sparkled with keen interest and her face spoke of the type of joy that drove grumpy people from the room.

"Is she, now?" asked black haired beauty with pale skin and calculating dark eyes.

"She doesn't look comfortable," observed a freckled redhead.

"Might have something to do with you all climbing into her lap," countered a blond girl who could easily have been the redhead's sister.

"Alright," called an approaching voice from the back, "give her some air!" The crowd took a few steps back and made a path for a young woman whose features reminded Rhea of Anna. "So, you're my sister's newest pet, are you?"

"Uhm," Rhea began, but another voice cut through the crowd.

"Enough." Authority spoke calmly and the world obeyed. Every one of the young women took additional steps back from Rhea. A stunning woman, of regal bearing, crossed the room like she owned it and none of its occupants appeared to be ready to challenge her. Expensive fabrics whispered as she approached and Rhea was impressed by the outfit's ruffles and black stones. "I am Madam Bellisa."

"I'm Rhea," the witch said without standing.

"Welcome to my home," the madam continued formally. "While you are here you are under my protection. The other women here will be as your sisters but I must make one thing completely clear to you." There was a pause which drew Rhea forward in her seat. Intelligent blue eyes studied her and the girl was taken by the majesty which the woman possessed. Even now, as youth faded, the Madam was beautiful, imposing, and sharp as a sword.

The suspense drew Rhea even further forward ... and then Madam Bellisa spoke. "I ... own ... you." Every word was spoken separately from the others and they hammered into her with dreadful finality.

"You ... what?" Rhea blinked.

"The church believes you need to enact a penance for your heresy," Madam Bellisa explained without menace. "Thus, you have been indentured into servitude and I have purchased your contract."

Rhea's chest constricted and her vision blurred for a moment. When she gasped in a breath she got quickly to her feet and contemplated several routs of escape.

"Do not run!" The madam told her, and the force of her words seemed to pass through skin and bone until terror settle into manageable fear. "I paid a great deal of money for your contract and I would never waste such a valuable commodity."

The madam paced around Rhea and stared hard at her purchase. When she completed her circle she forced Rhea's gaze into potent blue eyes and forced steel into her voice. "Make no mistake, you are my property. If I told you to drop to your knees and service a dozen men, then you would do so. If I tell you to muck horses or clean floors, then that shall be your job. If I order you to the kitchens or tell you to pleasure one of my girls ... you will do it. Do you understand me?"

The question entered her body like a current of energy and Rhea felt her head nod without her brain telling it to. Worse, she knew that if told to do so ... she would. The potent blue eyes held Rhea like a dog that was waiting for her master's command to perform a trick. Madam Bellisa's will made it difficult to think of anything outside of pleasing her so Rhea focused on the details. Potent blue eyes ... naturally curling brown hair ... this is Anna's mother ... and witchcraft runs in the family. The recognition must have shown because Madam Bellisa's eyes narrowed in recognition and she nodded slightly.

"Fortunately, for you, I am a kind master. Most of the girls here were once my indentured servants and now they stay here by choice. Follow my rules, pay attention to your teachers, and don't run away. This is a comfortable place to live, and if you decide to work for me I will make sure you are safe, well fed, and adequately paid. Annabelle has taken a liking to you so she will be in charge of your comforts. As for the rest of you," the Madam spoke more loudly, causing every spine in the room to straighten, "this girl's contract was ten times yours. Be nice ... or you'll deal with me."

The women in the room swayed at the threat and their eyes grew slightly wide in understanding. Some of them shot hostile looks at the newcomer while others glanced fearfully at the floor. The boisterous girl who had arrived first raised her hand as if she was in a class.

"Yes, Callie?" the madam asked respectfully.

"Uhm," the girl hesitated for a moment, "can we be friends with her?"

"As long as your friendship does not damage her, you may."

"Oh, okay!" The young woman brightened, and Rhea was not sure if Callie's friendship was about to be a blessing or a curse.

"Ladies," Madam Bellisa spoke dismissively to the room, and then she floated out of their presence like a queen.

"Whew!" The chubby woman let her shoulders slump forward and she wiped her hand dramatically across her forehead. Then she moved so that Rhea could not help but look at her and waved enthusiastically. "Hi! I'm Callie!"

"I'm ... Rhea," she offered timidly.

"Nice to meet you, Rhea! Uhm ... can I hug you?" Callie asked this as if she might explode if Rhea said no. There was only one real answer to this question.

"Uh ... sure." No sooner had she given permission then a pair of thick arms demonstrated a surprising amount of strength as they wrapped around the new girl and drew her into the type of bosom that could drown sailors.

"Oh good!" Callie fibrillated. "I'm a hugger; and I'm so glad to meet you! I just know we're going to be great friends!"

"Ease up, Callie," one voice managed to say above the laughter that was filling the room. "You're smothering her."

"Oh! Sorry!" Callie released Rhea and the young witch stumbled back and took a gasping breath. Though Rhea was mildly annoyed with the woman's exuberance, there was something infectious about the group's laughter and she soon found herself joining them.

"I am Mistress Kenna." The introduction came from a dark eyed beauty with long black hair and a haughty tone. "I will not be hugging you, but welcome to our family."

"Don't let Kenna scare you," said the girl who looked like Anna's younger sister. "I'm Venita, and you should only fear me ... and my mother."

"So, you are Anna's sister," Rhea observed out loud.

"Got it in one." Venita nodded proudly.

"Did your mother send you away to learn things too?" Rhea felt herself asking without stopping to weigh the personal nature of the question.

"Well, yeah," Venita told her as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"And you came back?"

Venita laughed a little louder than Rhea felt she should have but it turned out to be genuine. "And leave this place? I couldn't do that! The rest of the world's so boring. Everyone keeps telling me to follow their rules and stop acting like a whore. Funny how men can be whores but it's bad when women do it."

"And worse when she enjoys it," shouted one of the other women to the laughter of all.

"I figured," Venita continued, "if I'm going to be a whore then I might as well go someplace safe and get paid for my troubles."

The other women in the room laughed as if this were some sort of inside joke and Rhea allowed herself to join them. "You all seem so happy here," Rhea said in a tone of wonder and the comment drew curious expressions. "I was always told ... well. You're all ... I mean-"

"Oh, it's alright," Venita told her. "Just because the rest of the world thinks I should be miserable doesn't mean I need to go along with it. Being celibate's never made anyone happy. The world's full people who hate their lives and misery loves company. I'm not going to be unhappy for them."

"Wow," Rhea said honestly. "So, you_like_ being a ... uhm ... doing this job?"

"Best job I've ever had," the woman admitted.

"But what do you do if a guy's really gross, or mean, or ... well ... awful?"

"Meh," Venita uttered with a dismissive shrug, "most guys are alright after they've been cleaned up a bit. If they're gross we scrub 'em down. If they're full of lice we shave 'em bald and massage them with special oils. I know what you're getting at, though. A girl needs to be prepared for the dangers of the world, but that doesn't mean we can't have a good time. Just take your medicine and always go down on him first. A little bit of teasing lets you look at the goods. If his junk looks bad, don't put it in you. If he gets uppity, well ..."

A dagger slid from her somewhere on her person and she rolled it in a flourish. Rhea's eyes followed the bit of steel and a sickly feeling crept around in her stomach until Venita made it disappear like a stage magician.

"I see," Rhea said with a nod.

A bell chimed and all of the women looked up like dogs at the feeding bell.

"Alright, ladies," Venita announced like a captain to her troops. "The hour is upon us! To your places!"

The room seemed to widen as exotically clad bodies moved in a strange but wonderful dance. When the front doors opened, Rhea could hear the business-like greetings of courtesan and client. Some were flowery and others were made of granite but all were friendly enough. Anna appeared from the hall and paused by her sister. A few words were exchanged and the pair nodded.

"Come, Rhea," Anna said as she approached, "let us step away from this rabble."

"Rabble?" Callie balked like a petulant teenager, flicked out a hand fan, and struck the pose of an offended high-class lady. "I resemble that remark," she snapped waspishly.

Rhea clenched her jaw as she struggled to keep from laughing and she followed Anna out. "What happens now?"

"Now," Anna told her, "we begin your training."

"Uhm ... as a ... a ..."

"A courtesan?" Anna finished for her. "An escort? A lady of the night?" Rhea flinched as she tried to think of something appropriate to say. "It's okay, I understand your fear. It's not all virgins and whores here."

"It isn't?" Rhea asked before she could think better of it.

"Not at all," Anna told her with a serious expression, "some of the women here are complete sword-swallowing tramps. Others tease and a few only massage, but we try to avoid walking the streets at night. It's dangerous out there ... and bad for the image."