I awoke to the feeling of fingers on my chest. I hadn't even remembered falling asleep after Madam Selene left me for the night. I'd had no intention to drift so quickly, but as it turned out, the allure of a warm bed to sleep in after many nights spent in a cage was too much to overcome.

But what was this? This rhythmic poking of my chest by what felt like foreign fingers.

I opened my eyes abruptly to find two girls leaning over me. The one to whom the fingers belonged kept pushing it against my chest through the soft fabric of the linen dress.

I shot up, and in one quick motion, I shuffled to the far side of the bed. My eyes quickly scanned the room. There were three other women who had their gazes firmly trained on me.

"So it's true," the one with the wayward fingers spoke, "you're a boy, aren't you? Can I see it? To make sure? We're all really curious."

"Don't get close to it," One of the girls spoke up from across the room, "It won't be here long anyway."

"Come on, Lyra, leave him alone. Look at his face; he's terrified." A red-haired girl spoke. "And you too, Cressida, don't be rude. He's a person too."

"I just want to see it." The girl I assumed was Lyra pressed, "I won't be satisfied until I do."

She moved closer to me and leaned in. "Come on, show me. I'll show you mine," she sang.

"Look, Lyra, he's uncomfortable," the girl beside Lyra finally spoke. I hadn't recognized her without the paint, but now I was positive that voice belonged to Poppy from earlier. "Let's go," she urged the other girl.

"Go where? This is my room," she responded to Poppy's tugs at her dress.

"That's right." Cressida stood from her position on her bed. "This is our room. Only one of us doesn't belong here, so it should leave."

"That's enough," the last girl finally spoke.

"No," Cressida replied defiantly before she began advancing towards my bed all the way in the front of the room. I backed away to the edge instinctively. "I can't undress until it leaves," she hissed.

"Oh please, as if you've ever had any problems undressing around actual men," the red-haired girl spoke once again. "And he barely counts as even that."

"That's not the point, Bria." Cressida turned sharply to face the girl with the thick mane of red hair. "That is when I am performing. I don't want to have to keep performing at the end of the night."

"You don't have to perform for him, you know that, right?" Bria argued, "He's one of us. He'll be out there performing right there beside us."

Cressida turned just so I could see her stare daggers at me.

"Girls, enough. "I have enough of a headache," the girl at the end spoke again. It got the sense that she was more mature than the others. I wasn't sure whether it was because she was older or if she had just been here the longest.

"And are you okay with this, Anya?" Cressida asked with a hint of disbelief, "And the rest of you? You're fine with this thing staying here? With us?"

"I don't think he had a hand in it," Lyra answered but had framed it as more of a question. "Even if he's a boy, and the jury is still out on that, he's a slave here like so many of us?"

"Yeah, I'm sure he didn't wish for this," Poppy helped.

"Go on, Cressida, ask him if he wished for it," Anya added.

They all turned to me expectantly, and I could only shake my head in response.

Cressida had looked swayed for a moment before her face hardened. "What? No. If Isolde thinks I'm going to share a room with whatever this is, she's going senile."

The rest of the girls seemed to spring into action to quickly shush her.

"Don't let Madam hear you saying that," Bria cautioned.

"Why? I'm not a slave like the rest of you," Cressida scoffed.

"So what are you going to do then?" Anya asked smugly. She knew, as did all the other courtesans, that in the Velvet Pavilion, Lady Isolde's word was law.

"I'm going to meet her and let her know just how I feel about this arrangement," she conceded. "You—" she turned and pointed right at me, "Don't get comfortable."

My world froze as she began to turn towards the door. I know it was selfish. The last thing I wanted was to make anyone uncomfortable. I hadn't been brought here by my own will, but at the thought of being sent away, a realization dawned on me. Orin was all that mattered right now, and the thought of getting separated from him in this great, big world was something I had to avoid.

My body moved before I registered what I was doing. I moved quickly past a shocked Poppy and Lyra and fell to my knees in front of the door.

"What is it doing?" Cressida turned to the others. They shrugged. "Move," she said to me.

"I—" I froze quickly, realizing I had nothing to say. But still, I had to say something, anything. "Lady Isolde bought my friend too. He means the world to me, and I have no idea where he is." My face conveyed emotions that my lips could not.

Cressida stepped back slightly, occasionally glancing at the other girls who had their eyes trained on me.

"I-- I have to believe that he's here somewhere," I explained, "and I can't leave until I find him. I don't—" I'd tried to be concise, but I couldn't keep my voice from cracking and trailing away when it came down to it.

"I don't know where to begin," I continued without taking a breath, "but this is the best I have right now. I know it's selfish for me to ask, but please," I said before dropping my head into a bow, a recognized symbol of respect, but here I meant it as a surrender.

It was quiet for some time. I imagined the girls were exchanging glances, but I didn't raise my head to confirm.

When a voice finally cut through the silence, it was Cressida's: "Your voice is disgusting. No man is going to want to listen to that. And it's too whiny. It's grating. It's going to ruin my rhythm every time I'm forced to hear it, so fix it or shut up."

I looked up to find her already walking away back to her bed at the other end of the room.

The room remained silent for a moment as Cressida retreated, and I soon began to feel the awkwardness as I remained kneeling.

Lyra, with her cascade of dark, unruly curls, unintentionally saved me by rushing to take Cressida's former position in front of me.

"Now, where were we?" she beamed. Unlike the intricate velvet robes the girls wore to entertain, she was now dressed in a similarly styled dress to the linen one I was wearing. The only difference was that she filled every bit of it just as you'd expect. I had to wonder what value I had as a courtesan when girls like her existed.

"Go to bed, Lyra," Bria called out sharply.

"Oh, but I haven't even gotten to ask about this boy he mentioned," she complained.

"Now." Bria stressed, which was met by a groan from the strange girl. It wasn't until Lyra had returned to her bedside and the fuss seemed to have died down that I found the courage to stand.

"What is your name?" Bria asked me when I was back sitting on my bed.

"Rowen," I answered, now self-conscious of my own voice.

"That even sounds like a girl's name," Lyra exclaimed. "I know a girl when I see one."

"Goodnight, Lyra," Bria said with a finality.

"Goodnight, sisters, including Rowen," Lyra sang.

"Goodnight," I replied, almost unconsciously speaking softer now so as to not irk Cressida.

I had turned to gauge her reaction at the far end of the room, but I had found her undressing down to her chemise instead. I turned away as fast as I could.

"Goodnight, Rowen," I heard a tiny voice that originated from the bed across from me. I looked up to find a pleasant expression on Poppy's youthful face. She had to have been the youngest girl here, not including me. I could only wonder how old she really was.

"Goodnight," I answered softly.

When I heard the sound of fabric rustling across the room, I realized the other girls must have begun undressing for the night. All I could do was lie facing the wall. At the time, I didn't know how I could possibly survive this place, but I had to try.

=^..^=

I was awakened by tapping on my feet. For a second, I had forgotten where I was and imagined myself back in the cage, but it wasn't long until my true situation dawned on me.

I shot up quickly to find Madam Selene staring down at me disapprovingly. It had only taken half a day for one of those to be directed at me.

"I let you sleep in because you've gone through a harrowing ordeal, but it is now time for your morning ablution," she spoke sternly. "Unless she had worked the upper floor the night before, all courtesans are expected up bright and early."

"Yes, madam," I said sheepishly as I motioned to sit at the edge of the bed.

"I didn't think it needed to be said, but that seems to have been my mistake," she pivoted. "We do not sleep in our dress like animals. You sleep in your undergarments and leave your dress folded neatly by your bed for the servants to retrieve. Did you not see your sisters do as much?"

For the first time, I turned from Madam Selene to find the girls huddled over a basin in the middle of the room wearing only their chemises while they washed up.

"I would have hoped you girls would guide her." Madam Selene turned to the others.

"Her?" Cressida chuckled audibly, "Where?"

"Do you have something to say, Cressida?"

She first looked at me and then back at Madam Selene. "No."

"Give me the dress." Madam Selene quickly turned her attention back to me.

By now, I knew better than to argue. I hurriedly lifted the cream linen dress off my head and handed it to her, leaving me with only a chemise like the others.

"I'll have more dresses brought to you before it is time for the meal; I expect you to take care of them," she explained, then nodded in the direction of the other girls. "Go wash up."

Some would consider it an art how non-threateningly I approached the girls huddled around the basin.

I had muttered a quiet "Thank you" when Poppy and Lyra had separated to make room for me.

Satisfied, Madam Selene made her exit, and from that point on, it was just a matter of following the lead of the other girls, washing up as they did.

=^..^=

My next big challenge came at mealtime. I had walked into the dining area alongside the other girls with whom I shared a room, minus Cressida and Anya, who had left earlier.

"Don't be afraid," Bria had offered when she noticed the petrified look on my face, but how couldn't I be when I stood face-to-face with 14 other courtesans I haven't yet met? All of whom were watching me and whispering, all along a long table that stretched from one end of the dining area to the other.

I couldn't do this. I simply couldn't.

"Bria is right; our sisters smell fear," Lyra whispered before walking in ahead of the rest of us.

Having exhausted her goodwill, Bria walked on, leaving just Poppy and me at the door.

"You're making it worse," she told me. "Just act like you belong here, and they will accept you soon enough. That's what I did."

I desperately wanted to tell her that it had worked for her because she was a girl like them, but my lips were frozen just as much as my feet.

Just when it was starting to get ridiculous, she took my hand and pulled me along. "They know you're just a slave too. This is no fault of yours."

"Cressida—" My newfound motion had set my lips free as well. "She mentioned that she wasn't a slave," I said to Poppy as she led me to the front of the room, where a large cauldron stood with wooden bowls nearby.

"Yes," Poppy answered while simultaneously pulling me along, "Some of the girls are workers and earn for their families. They can leave as soon as their term is up."

"And you—"

She shook her head before I could ask, "I am like you."

We arrived at the almost empty cauldron of porridge, and I followed Poppy's lead as she scooped a helping into a bowl for herself and helped herself to a piece of bread.

I couldn't help but feel grateful for her lead as I did the same. I had no idea what I would have done without her.

We had only made it a few paces to the other end of the table, where the only empty chairs remained, when a high-pitched voice rang across the dining area.

"I see you have no respect for your betters, boy!"

The room fell silent. In a moment, all of the previous chattering and whispering ceased.

I turned to find its owner standing up from her chair at the head of the table. She didn't even seem angry, just entertained.

If I were being honest, I found it rather unfair how everyone seemed to know the situation, and neither Lady Isolde nor Madam Selene had thought to offer me a helping hand. I was being thrown to the wolves here, and nothing made that fact more clear than when Poppy asked to hold my bowl.

"I'm sorry, miss," I offered, but unbelievably that only served to make her more upset.

"What do you think you're doing here?" She asked as she made her approach, "Hmm?"

"I don't—" I'd started to say something but froze when I saw her raised palm.

I'd tried to shield myself, but she'd caught me square across my face, throwing me to the floor. I was immediately thankful that Poppy had taken my bowl from me.

I looked up from my spot on the floor to find that she wasn't done. Before I'd even had the opportunity to recover, she grabbed my hair and pulled. I cursed silently and winced audibly when I felt the strain at the roots.

"What, are you a little lecher?" She asked me as she pulled harder and no one moved to stop her, "A little young to be engaging in such, aren't you?"

She slapped me once again, and this time it felt like her fingernails had nicked somewhere around my cheekbones.

"Isn't that quite enough, Sabine?" Anya spoke up after that second hit, "You've had your fun."

My assailant scoffed, "Sisters, I'm doing this for you. It must be dreadful sharing a room with this degenerate, right, Cressida?" She'd pulled my hair once more for good measure.

I couldn't see much from my position on the floor, but when I didn't hear any response, all I could do was hope for an end to the torment.

That came soon after in the form of Madam Selene's voice cutting through the air: "What is going on here?"

I groaned helplessly even as she immediately released her grip on my hair.

"Just welcoming the new courtesan, madam," Sabine spoke nervously.

"Is that so?" she asked as she stepped into the room. "If that's how you welcome, I can't imagine how you torture."

"I wasn't—" Sabine had started but was interrupted.

"Should I assign one of your sisters to attend to your regular tonight? "Because I will," Madame Selene threatened. "The captain, wasn't it?"

When Sabine quietly returned to her seat, Madame Selene took the opportunity to address the girls, "Rowen is your new sister. She is a courtesan of the Velvet Pavilion and must be treated as such. The next one that treats her this way will take over the chamber pot duties from the servants for a week."

And with that, it was over now. I took the opportunity to stand and clean myself as best I could. I rubbed my fingers through my disheveled hair and hoped none of it had been pulled out by Sabine. Even now under my new circumstances, my hair was still the only thing that truly belonged to me.

"Rowen," Madam Selene spoke directly to me, "find me in the dressing room after your meal. It is time to continue your training."

I nodded.

"The rest of you, take your practice seriously." She continued while commanding their undivided attention, "Any sloppy performances in front of the guests will be severely punished. Good."

Madam Selene, I knew I had to remain on her good side no matter what.

I turned to glance at Sabine, who still looked at me with a nasty expression. From her, I'd have to keep my distance.

A bit delayed, but we eventually found a place at the far end of the table. Bria was nearby, but Lyra was somewhere in the middle of the pack, chatting away already.

"I'm sorry," Poppy whispered to me a moment after we sat down to eat, "Sabine acts like our leader, but she's no different. She's a slave too, you know? She just got herself a regular and now acts like she's of the stars."

"The stars?" I leaned in and asked.

"Everyone just calls them that," she explained. "They're the most sought-after courtesans. They get their own rooms too."

I look around sparingly. "They're not here?"

"Oh no, they take their meals in their rooms," she replied. "If you're out on the floor tonight, I'll point them out. They're all so divine," she spoke in such a way that told me she admired them deeply.

"Oh."

"Maybe one day it'll be our turn," she mused.

'I hope not,' I thought to myself.

=^..^=

The meal turned out to be a lot more impressive than anything I'd ever eaten, even at the orphanage. I could taste spices and flavors in the porridge that hadn't ever been present before.

The bread was soft too; it was no surprise that I thoroughly cleaned the bowl despite Poppy's jests that the food wasn't going anywhere.

"Where can I relieve myself?" I whispered quietly to Poppy, who offered to show me before I headed for training. She'd only taken one more spoonful before leaving the entire thing wasted on the table.

It had taken some effort not to help myself to it.

Before I could put some distance between myself and the dining table, however, the girl that had been sitting just a seat over to my right suddenly grabbed my arm. I hadn't paid much mind to her, but now that I was forced to, I noted her extremely narrow, snakelike eyes that stared into my soul. I also noted that she was a unique kind of beauty. The kind you wouldn't just see out and about in the street.

"You know it's never going to end, do you not?" she asked me in a hushed voice. I wasn't sure if it was a warning or a threat.

My mouth hung open in shock at what she'd said.

"If I were you, I would leave before something truly dangerous happened," she finished, and only then did she let go of my arm. I couldn't help but remain staring even as she turned her attention back to her mostly untouched meal.

If I'd paid more attention back then, I might have noticed how little the girls were actually eating.

It took Poppy taking hold of my hand to snap me back to reality. "What did she say?" she asked me as we made our exit under watchful eyes.

"I'll tell you later," I answered simply.

=^..^=

Poppy, as promised, had shown me to the privy area just outside the courtesans' wing of the pavilion. As she'd explained it, this area was only available during the day. Any business that needed to be done after the doors to our wing had been locked for the night was to be done in the sealed chamber pots beneath our beds.

Those, she told me, were helpfully emptied by the servants before we awoke.

She'd also shown me to a separate area with a basin and other washcloths but had paused in the middle of her explanation.

"I suppose you have no need of that," she'd said before pressing forward.

Lastly, she'd helpfully escorted me to the dressing room in the main wing before returning to our room alone to begin practice.

I had a separate regimen, of course, with Madam Selene. The day had barely begun, and I was already exhausted.

Still, I perked up to attention when Madam Selene began, "The third rule is—"

=^..^=

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