Day of Oraearon

Dina sat up. The large yellow stain on the faded wallpaper glared at her with a bitter greeting. She closed her eyes again and turned away.

Shortly before noon, she went down to the dining room, though she wasn't hungry.

Suddenly, a door creaked open, and Harod appeared in the hallway, grinning as he pointed at Dina, who was slowly descending the stairs. "There you are, sweetie!" He lifted her from the last step as if she were his beloved, then wrapped her in a tight embrace. "I'm so glad you're finally here, so, so proud of you!"

"Uh... why?"

"Oh, you lucky little pig!" Harod sure knew how to flatter a woman. He gazed at Dina with a softened expression, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Don't play dumb with me. You knew this was coming, didn't you?"

Somewhere behind them, a few courtesans whispered to each other.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact, sweetie, that someone paid a Tád a pher for you!"

A Tád a pher cost several times more than a regular night. Literally translated as "two and a half," it referred to the days of Ormenel, Oraearon, and Orbelain, which meant Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday together—at least, according to tradition. Though in reality, the client could spend as much time with their chosen courtesan as they wanted, maybe weeks if desired. Even in the more reputable brothels of Perubia, it was rare for someone to pay for a Tád a pher, and it was an honor usually reserved for only the most famous courtesans—and even then, only a few times in their lives. In Harod's little dive, even the top ones couldn't hope for such a thing in their lifetime.

Behind Harod and Dina, one of the courtesans tossed the clothes she was holding onto the nearest chair and stormed off in frustration. They could still hear her muttering Siss's name.

Dina cautiously extricated herself from Harod's embrace. "So... what exactly does this Tád a pher mean?"

"A client who orders a 'two and a half' with a courtesan finds her enchanting not only in bed but outside of it as well. Who receive a Tád a pher are not only beautiful but also funny, articulate, excellent dancers, skilled in various social games, and overall, their personalities are captivating and uplifting. They are experts in their field, respected, and unique. And that's what you've become, my dear!" Harod's eyes sparkled. "At least, that's the word going around, because you can bet the Tád a pher is newsworthy, and that's good for you and the whole house!"

Dina looked back into Harod's eyes, but her thoughts were elsewhere. "And... so how does this work in practice? A girl with a Tád a pher is booked for the entire weekend, is that right? She can't go to anyone else, only to the one who..."

"That's right, sweetheart, just like you said, you're booked for the whole weekend! Or even longer. But one thing's for sure, we don't have to worry about finding you a client until Orbelain's evening."

Dina slowly smiled. So that's why Zevran was so relaxed; he knew we'd meet. And this must be the higher fee Morrighan was grumbling about.

"This..." she murmured, her eyes shining. "This really is good news."

Harod smiled back at her. "You deserve the compliments, my dear. Although..." He shook his head, looking away. "...there's a little matter I'd like to discuss with you."

Dina sensed something was wrong.

"Come on, we'll need to go among the girls for this. They'll tell you about it."

Dina let Harod hand her a plate filled with bland soup, then followed him into another room, where the girls slept. It was a slightly larger and perhaps better-arranged room than the one where she slept with the newcomers and less popular courtesans. Inside were the older, more experienced women with vibrant red hair, sitting on beds or around a table. There were five of them. The room was cluttered, with discarded clothes strewn everywhere, jewellery, and half pairs of earrings, as if everything belonged to everyone. The girls, wherever they were, held plates in their laps, nibbling or eating the same soup Dina was familiar with. When they saw the two newcomers, they stopped talking.

"Just sit down," Harod instructed Dina. She timidly perched on the edge of a bed, while Harod leaned against the wall.

"Harod, where's Siss?" one of the courtesans asked him.

The half-elf shrugged indifferently. "I have no idea, she's probably still laying out her silly cards. But I bought Dina here, because I want you to teach her something."

Ebony, a woman with somewhat masculine features and dark skin, stood up, casting a disdainful glance at Dina. Her real name was unknown, but she was the clear second fiddle to Siss. "You've got a lot to learn," she remarked sharply, placing her empty plate on the windowsill.

Dina looked back, feeling both crushed and angry.

"Let's skip the theatrics, Ebony," Harod interrupted. "I brought Dina here so you could tell her about Surgie."

"Ohhh..." The room was suddenly filled with reluctant sighs. One courtesan grimaced, another shook her head and continued eating.

"No matter how much I hated that girl, I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"Just hope none of us end up like she did."

"Yeah! Poor thing!"

Ebony glanced at them from the corner of her eye, clicking her tongue dismissively. "She was foolish."

Dina timidly interjected. "Why? What happened to Surgie?"

"She'd been working here for almost a year when it happened. She was from a village, just like you."

Dina's eyes barely flickered.

"She had a regular client, some married man, quite a charming fellow. Who knows what he promised her, but that foolish girl ran away with him. She was found a few weeks later at the edge of the forest, lying in a pool of blood, mutilated. No one knows exactly what happened to her; supposedly, her so called lover abandoned her, and she was caught by a wild animal. Others say the man fell in with a cult and needed someone for their human sacrifice. Who knows."

"That's it, I'm sure of it! They were cultists!"

"Nonsense, the guy just changed his mind and ran back to his family, leaving Surgie to a bear!"

"Whatever," Ebony ended the speculation, looking at Dina. "But she had no father or mother to teach her anything. Just like you."

Dina stirred the noodles floating on the soup's surface as if she had to keep moving them in circles. "It really was a sad case."

"Yes, indeed," Ebony sighed, feigning sympathy. "How else is a girl supposed to learn whom to trust if not from her parents in childhood? People like her never read Prophet Druindar's fable about the elf girl who met the wolf," she said pointedly, sitting down and starting to eat, all the while keeping her gaze on Dina.

The uncomfortable conversation was interrupted by Harod, who straightened up and guided Dina out into the hallway with an outstretched arm. "Let's go, my dear. And thank you, ladies, for having a little chat with our young recruit," Harod added in a patronizing tone, winking back at the women before closing the door behind them.

Dina stood silently in the hallway. She had left her plate in the room, thankfully. She waited until Harod caught up with her. He stood uncomfortably close, whispering in her ear.

"I wanted you to hear it from them. You can't say I'm overprotective." Harod turned to face her, his gaze becoming serious, devoid of the earlier flattery. "I know he took you out of the inn."

Dina felt like she'd been doused with cold water. She shook her head in confusion, trying to explain. "No, it was just an innocent..."

"If you are asked to do that again, you need to be the one who says no. The brothel's rules must always, I repeat, always be followed! And you need to make sure the clients follow them too!" He raised his voice slightly, then murmured softly. "There aren't many rules, sweetie. The first and most important is that you can't trust the clients. No matter who this politician of yours is, forget about having any kind of relationship with him. He can be a regular, that's fine, even desirable. But you can't go on errands with him whenever you feel like it, neither on the ground nor in the air."

Dina didn't quite understand the part about the air. "What do you mean by...?"

Harod shook his head. "Come on, I know he's a wizard. He can fly. Don't pretend you don't know; he took you with him."

The pieces slowly fell into place in Dina's mind. The discarded shoes.

"This is the second rule, my little darling: never keep secrets from me about your clients. Hm?" The half-blood touched her chin. "Give me a nice nod."

Dina had no choice but to do so.

"You see, that's better." Harod sighed and stepped back slightly. "Believe me, I want what's best for you. You're already a girl with a Tad a pher, an excellent courtesan; you can't afford to make petty mistakes. Now, you need to prepare for the weekend, off you go."

Suddenly, a commotion was heard from the end of the corridor. A few courtesans stood there, grumbling, and one of them, a tall red-haired woman, stepped forward and barked into the air, "What's this?! You must be joking, Harod!"

"Siss, be quiet now!" Harod raised his hand without turning around. "Dina, sweetheart, go and have something more to eat after the soup. Not too much, but feel free to pick the best bites. Then get ready; the girls will prepare a hot bath for you, and I'll give you the finest clothes and jewellery for tonight." Harod gave her quick, smacking kisses on both cheeks, leaving Dina no chance to pull away, just swaying slightly. "Quickly, girls! Hurry up and eat, then heat the water! Not too cold, not too hot; our little princess needs it to be perfect tonight!"

Someone grumbled reluctantly in the background.

Harod stepped away from Dina, simply leaving her there, and she found herself facing Siss's murderous glare. However, the woman didn't waste much time on her, storming off after Harod. Dina didn't stay under the other courtesans' scrutinising gazes either; she hurried after Harod and Siss down the corridor, keeping a considerable distance to remain unnoticed. She saw the red-haired woman fling open Harod's door and disappear into his room. Dina crept closer and observed the events inside through the reflection in the window. Two bodyguards behind Harod seemed ready to confront the enraged Siss, but Harod merely waved them off, sat down at the table, and calmly lit a cigar, puffing on it.

"Our little princess, eh? I really hope you're not serious about this, Harod!"

The half-blood shrugged, his voice tinged with feigned sorrow. "I am." Then he slumped into a leather armchair and puffed.

"She's just a clumsy little wench! Damn it, what did the client see in her?"

"Stop yelling, Siss. He saw what he saw; it doesn't matter. He paid a lot for her, to me, to you, to all of us. Not to mention, after this, the interest will flood in for you as well. So, keep that pretty little face of yours quiet and be happy!"

"Happy?! Have you lost your mind? Is this bitch going to take my place, or what?"

Harod leaned back. "Oh, Siss, your stupidity is unbearable."

The woman leaned forward over the table, her low-cut dress offering Harod a generous view. "Send me instead."

Harod's gaze lingered visibly between her breasts. Neither of them spoke; only the smoke curled upwards from the man's lips.

"Who even is this client? Do we know him? No! We know nothing about him, he must be some inexperienced, stupid playboy trying to show off! You don't seriously believe he paid the Tad a pher because of her! That girl is as plain as my arse! Come on, Harod, send me!"

"He asked for her, Siss," Harod spread his arms. "It would be too risky. We've never had an opportunity like this before, and now you want me to gamble with it?"

"For heaven's sake, if you care about this house, you'll send me!"

Harod waved her off, turning away. "Calm yourself, Siss, you're too much!"

"And you a cowardly prick!"

The woman screamed in pain as one of the bodyguards twisted her arm behind her back. Harod looked at them with bored indifference. "Be careful with her. She still needs that arm."

"No! The client wants me, only me, I'm sure of it. I have to meet him."

Dina's voice was a mix of trembling and determination. She stood straight and motionless in the doorway, fists clenched at her sides.

Siss and Harod stared at her. Siss's gaze burned, while Harod, on the other hand, grinned with shining eyes. "Leave the room."

Dina flinched.

Siss looked down at the girl disdainfully, her mouth already opening when...

"Didn't you hear, Siss? Leave the room!"

The woman's head snapped up, a scream-like sound escaping her lips, but the half-blood silenced her with a wave of his hand. "But before you go, make peace. I don't want to see any sulking between you two, nothing at all. Go on, give your young friend a little hug."

The air seemed to break into chunks of stone around them, Siss's chin dented with vengeance. Neither of them moved.

"Step forward, sweety," the man's hand reached out toward Dina. "And you, stop this silly grudge. Be friends."

Dina pulled her shoulder back. When the woman touched her back, she dug her nails into her skin, her arm weighing down on her shoulder like lead, as if to say, I'll crush you, then rip out your spine.

"So, the friends are going on the big adventure together?" Siss turned to Harod, her voice softly demanding.

The half-blood walked behind the safety of his desk and stared out the window. "As skilled a courtesan as you are, Siss, I'm sure you'll have a client this weekend too."

"You bastard!" Siss undoubtedly had more to spit out, but a bodyguard grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room.

"You leave the room as well," Harod ordered sternly, and Dina was about to comply when the other bodyguard swiftly moved past her, dutifully closing the red door behind him.

Harod sat on the edge of his desk and sent a pleasant look toward Dina. "Come here."

Dina suppressed the heaving in her chest and hoped her smile wasn't too transparent.

"Come closer; you should know I won't hurt you," Harod waved her over. Dina reached him, and he took one of her hands, gently caressing her cheek. "Maybe you haven't seen this side of me much, but I can be very attentive to those who do right by me."

Dina blinked. Just like to Siss.

"I noticed during our last conversation that, although you have the will, you're still afraid of me. But there's no need to fear anymore, not at all. You've learned what you needed to today. Now go, sweetheart. Go on, get ready!"

Dina hurried out, closing the door behind her with a sigh, wiping her forehead. Her steps slowed, and she sat on the ledge of the large window in the corridor. This part of the brothel looked entirely different from the courtesans' rooms; the whitewashed walls and the sunlight filtering through were calming.

"What, don't you dare come any closer?" A scornful voice from the end of the corridor. Siss stood two steps down, leaning as if she had been waiting for Dina. She jumped up angrily and marched forward, planning to pass the taller courtesan without a word, but when she got close, her instincts screamed danger. Siss watched her with an equally mocking smile, motionless.

The corridor suddenly felt horribly narrow.

"What, not coming?"

"What are you up to?" Dina confronted the woman, but she just laughed.

"Oh, come on! Are you afraid?"

Dina took a brave step forward but saw Siss move in response, so she immediately stopped.

"What now?" the woman laughed, perhaps a bit too loudly given the situation.

Then an arm swung, a fist, and scissors approaching Dina's face. The girl screamed, not knowing what she was doing, hitting, and pushing away the woman pinning her to the ground. She heard the scissors clatter to the floor but didn't see where they landed, and didn't know if Siss saw either; all she could do was flail and scream for help. Within moments, Harod arrived from one direction, two bodyguards from the other, a slap echoed, then crude shouts and curses from all sides, one of the bodyguards hissing as he responded to the courtesan, Harod yelling, the girls at the foot of the stairs screaming.

Dina lay on the floor, covering her face, panting. Her head turned to the side, the scissors lay beside her. Then someone grabbed her arm and hauled her up.