The Lady of the Lake: Vivienne

Chapter Three.

Thelonius waved his arms up and down, splashing in the cold bath water as the afternoon sun glinted off of his soft blond hair. Clara ran squealing around the tub, her wild red hair flying behind her, as Thelonius continued to spray her with water. Peals of laughter filled the cramped courtyard as the two children played in the summer heat.

The corners of my mouth twitched as I watched the peaceful scene unfold before me. A soft gurgle escaped the lips of the resting babe in my arms and I rocked him against my chest to keep him from waking. His breathing soon became rhythmic again as he returned to his quiet slumber.

Two weeks had gone by since my first night at the brothel and they seemed to have gone by in a whirlwind of work. Immediately after arriving I had been given the job of caretaker to the children born out of wedlock by the women who worked there. At first I worried that my leg would inhibit me from performing my duties properly and give my identity away, but, like Merlin said, the wound healed within a day.

Normally the job was given to one of the younger girls, but Dorcas had begged Benita, the owner, to let me take over that role. She didn't take to the idea very quickly, claiming the brothel could make a lot of money off of me given my "savage" background. However, Dorcas convinced her that I wasn't quite right in the head and should only be given menial tasks to complete, including cleaning the rooms and doing the laundry. And so, for two weeks I had scrubbed floors, beat stains out of sheets and clothing with a wooden stick, and hushed crying children so that guests would not be disturbed.

During all of this time Merlin had not sent word to me once about meeting Marcus. To be honest, I was actually relieved that she hadn't sent word. The last person in the world I wanted to see right now was Marcus. The hole he had left in my heart was quickly filling in with a deep hatred for him.

Before I even considered meeting him I had to meet with Merlin. I needed to hear her explanation for why I should meet with the man who brought the downfall to my tribe and tonight would be the night. I had waited long enough.

"Laelia," a voice called out from overhead, breaking me out of my reverie.

My body flinched at the piercing noise and I looked up at the second-story window where Dorcas's head was poking out. I pressed a finger to my lips to quiet her and pointed to the sleeping Xanthus in my arms. Dorcas smiled back at me and mouthed the words "clean room", making a V with her fingers. I nodded my head in understanding and went in search of Odetta, leaving the comforting view behind.

After leaving Xanthus in the young girl's arms I retrieved the supplies I would need for the room: a bucket filled with water and horse piss, an old rag, a straw broom, and a new bed things. Once I had these items in hand I trudged my way up the old wooden steps and down the hall to the last door on the right.

I nudged the door open with my hip and dragged the supplies through its entrance. Sun filtered into the room through the window to my left as the sheer curtains fluttered in the breeze. Lifting my eyes from the bucket, I finally took notice of the half-naked man sitting on the bed in the center of the room.

The broom and brush fell from my hands in my shock, interrupting the silence with a loud clatter. My face flushed a deep shade of red as I bent down to pick up my tools while I profusely apologized to the man.

"Please forgive me, sir. I must have been mistaken about what room to clean. I believed that this one to be empty," I blubbered out an explanation in my embarrassment.

"It's quite alright. I should have left by now anyways," came a familiar deep rumble from the bed.

That voice! I know that voice!