Courtesans - English version

33 Locked

Dina awoke among pillows, facing the wall. From behind her, a faint whisper trickled into the room. She kept her eyes closed but started to listen.

"...Has she been asleep all this time?"

"Yes. She kept herself awake while I bathed her, although, she already looked exhausted back then. It's a smart girl, able to hold a conversation."

"Hm. That's a useful trait these days."

"Well, yes. She had eaten, and then just dropped like a sack."

A brief silence followed.

"She seems pretty, at least from afar."

"Oh, Feléna, don't get any ideas. She's going to bolster my team."

"And what makes you so sure of that, my dear friend?"

Dina recognized Gaelin's deep, proudly resonant voice. "She killed the man who tried to molest her! Ahahaha, she sure did!"

Silence returned.

"Did you peek into her mind?"

A low growl. "Eh, no. I wouldn't have succeeded anyway."

"Do you think she told the truth?"

Quiet again. The soft sound of a movement.

"Who knows. You can never really tell, as you well know. But the story she told held together pretty well. Given the state I found her in, it made sense."

"Then I'll see for myself."

Dina's eyes flew open. She was driven by a sense that she should do something, prevent anyone from rummaging through her thoughts, but she had no idea what that might be. She pressed her hands over her ears, picturing herself shouting and shaking her head, though she knew it was probably a poor defence if some kind of mind-influencing magic was at play.

"Do you see anything?"

"Quiet down, Gaelin. She's already awake."

Dina heard quiet footsteps approaching her. She sat up. Gaelin and a tall, slender elven woman were in the room. One of them stood beside her in dark, thick clothing resembling leather armour, while the other took a seat at the end of the bed, dressed in a soft, flowing skirt.

Dina's cautious gaze fell upon the unknown elf woman. She was exceptionally tall and strikingly beautiful, with waves of light purple fabric cascading elegantly on her crossed legs. Over her dress, she wore a lace blouse that reached the floor, its hem trimmed with a thick dark-blue silk material that looked like a stole from afar. The piece served no practical function, only aesthetic, making a clear statement about its wearer. Her hair was half tied-up. Not quite a pureblood elf, but close enough. The faint human lineage in her ancestry perhaps only added to her allure.

"Feléna, as you can see, this is Dina. Last night's harvest, haha." Gaelin crossed her arms and stood beside the elf woman. Both gazed silently at the girl, who swallowed and said, a little awkwardly, "Good morning to you."

Feléna remained silent, never taking her eyes off Dina. A friendly yet slightly mischievous smile played on her lips.

"What do you think, Gaelin, should we show this lovely, red apple where she's landed after breakfast?" she glanced at Gaelin, standing beside her.

Though the camaraderie between the two women was almost tangible, Dina noticed that neither of them truly addressed her.

"Not a bad idea," the other laughed. She hung an olive-green dress on the wardrobe door and tossed a pair of shoes onto the floor without bending her waist.