Bloody Whispers

Chapter One

Aurelea

Through the red of gossamer draperies, the sun warmed Aurelea’s bared stomach. Eyes fluttering with laziness, she thrusted up on her elbows and watched as the black grape rolled down into her navel. A soft, moist mouth latched on to the fruit and sucked it away. Aurelea allowed her head to dangle back, from her shoulders rocking with giggles. Her chest filled with the perfumed air of the pleasure house. It tingled in her head, flashed behind closed eyelids, and left in a sigh.

Lorelei made a show of chewing the fruit, crooked smile and all. It had arrived with the new shipment, the day prior, all the way from Taisi. Aurelea could have vowed that their harvests were sweeter every moon as Summer neared. The Southof land was a dream in contrast to Velia, whose rough grains only provided in the Autumn.

Dawn had creeped up and had no intents on staying. With Lorelei’s help, Aurelea dressed herself as modestly as a courtesan could. They brushed each other’s hair, and perfumed it too, along with their wrists, and ankles, and behind the ear. Merely a tap would accentuate the blood, an intoxicating mix of sandalwood and citrus.

Arm in arm, the girls made their way through the curving halls. A woman’s skin was much more forgiving than of chafed flesh of ragged knights and leathery priests. Aurelea swung her smooth hips into Lorelei’s as they passed curtained doorways. Morning was still young, but the sound of moans and gasps already enlivened the atmosphere.

“Late again?” Tsked a by-passing Emora. “Best hurry, Meleva already had taken your place with Sire Allistar.”

Aurelea only laughed, the beads of her skirt shaking with the effort. “A fool he must be, then.”

“With a shriveled cock.” Added Lorelei when Emora was out of earshot. A shame, too, his hair was such a lovely shade of gold. Aurelea had no time to miss the flaxen-haired knight, however. No soon did she step foot in the antechamber was she dragged away by a fat man.

“You’ve broken your fast yet, m’lord?” Aurelea giggled as the man fumbled with his orange robes. He had little hair on his head, but a beard grew over his layers of chin. His skin was the shade of taffy, and Aurelea was almost certain he arrived with the Delosi goods. The fat ones were always the merchants. He did not speak, which convinced Aurelea that he did not know the language. This only led to further jesting.

“Compensates for the cold porridge the Queen offers you, no?” She gasped as the merchant hoisted her up onto the bed. Her garments soon joined the red brocade blankets, pale breasts spilling free into the fat man’s brown hands. They were softer than a man’s hands ought to be, and not entirely unpleasant around her organs. He took her quickly without muttering so much as a word of pleasure, rolls of flesh jiggling along.

“Did you not enjoy yourself, m’lordy?” Despite knowing the answer, Aurelea pouted. Some men found it endearing. As he refastened his robes, the merchant surprised her enough to make her blush.

“Mine ship sails in three days. I suspect you’ll be seeing me often until then.”

“I’m sorry, M’lord,” Aurelea scrambled to explain, “I did not know you spoke the langua-”

The merchant silenced her by tossing  a large coin in her direction. He hadn’t very good aim, but greed helped the gold land in Aurelea’s hand. “Thank you, m’lord.” She fashioned her winningest grin.

“Panos the merchant.” He whistled as he strolled out of the chamber. He was chased by Aurelea’s sheepish laughs.

The coin she hid in a fold of her shift, securing it once and twice more in her caution. Though Aurelea saw little of her earnings, the odd writing engraved on the gold revealed that it was not local. For a moment, she pondered its worth, but it had been long enough since she’d laid eyes on any pay that she hardly cared. In her giddiness, she skipped out of the chamber, only to nearly collide into another body.