Chapter 42

"Esss! Ess! Wake up already!" Was yelled from outside the room while the wooden door was being banged on. "We got work to do,"

A groggy and much younger-looking Esmeralda opened the door. She wore a very simple and rustic gray dress while red hair that was still twisted in a bun stuck out awkwardly making her look somewhat unkempt.

"Claire the sun isn't even out yet," Esmeralda uttered. The woman, Claire that had been banging on her door, just huffed and put her hands on her hips. "Listen here Es. I don't know how things went in your old household but here we wake up at the crack of dawn for chores." Claire looked the young lady up and down for a bit before telling her to follow.

"I'm sorry," Esmeralda uttered as she was led to the back of the pub where the other pretty women were already doing the washing and hanging.

"I guess I can cut you some slack," Claire uttered. "The Pub owner just bought you three days ago. You aren't used to this yet. But I expect you to contribute," the woman then stated.

"Wow another pretty face," Someone said as Esmeralda gathered up some sheets to wash. "Say Claire, you sure you aren't training your replacement?"

"Why don't ya shut it Hilda," Claire shot back. Meanwhile, Esmeralda had frozen when she heard that question. She took a peek at Claire who was helping with the hanging.

"Don't worry," The lady across from Esmeralda's washing station whispered. "Hilda's just jealous that Claire managed to hook that cute Baronet. Claire's finally getting out of here,"

"Huh?" Esmeralda was somewhat flummoxed.

"You don't know? Didn't tha owner explain when ya got here?" The lady to the right of Esmeralda asked.

"I was uhm..." She started to say as her cheeks flamed.

"Cut it out Linda," Esmeralda's washing neighbour uttered. "Ya were bawling yer eyes out when you were sold too. Don't blame her for not remembering," She then turned back to Esmeralda "Tha pub owner here has a rule for us working girls," She stated. "If a client really likes us they can basically buy us to be their wives. Claire got really lucky. She serviced a newly appointed Baronet a few months ago. Tha man took a real shine to her and kept coming back. He offered to pay the fee so Claire gets to leave Hymir soon. Hildy's just being a jealous witch,"

"Soooo... how did ya wind up here?" Linda asked. Esmeralda frowned as she looked at Linda and the other prostitutes were discreetly listening in.

"My parents had a boy," She sighed and bit her lower lip in anger. "To them I was just an extra mouth to feed so they got rid of me,"

"You'll find a lot of women in the same boat here in the Hymir district." Linda uttered as she tried not to pity Esmeralda. "My own brother sold me for a paltry sum after I refused tha get married to the man he chose,"

"Best thing we ladies can hope for is to bag a Noble," Hilda spoke up while huffing. "You get one of them and you're set for life."

"Wh-What if that man cheats?" Esmeralda asked with a frown but the women around her just laughed.

"Honey, we said bag 'em not Love 'em." Claire stated. "Who cares if they cheat. We're ladies of the night. There ain't no love in this kind of business. Ya better get that through your pretty head. Love just leads to ruin. All you need tha do is butter their biscuit once and a while. Who cares if he wants to sow his oats elsewhere. They can't divorce ya once they marry ya,"

"Best thing to please a Noble is to give 'em an heir," Another laughed. "They become real sweet talkers once they have a son."

-o0o-

A few months later Esmeralda had gotten used to life at the pub (and brothel). That night she was working as one of the servings girls in the pub when one of the other ladies, decked out in white and pink feathers in their hair, approached her and slipped a folded piece of paper towards her.

"Huh?" Esmeralda asked, looking quite confused at the piece of paper and her friend who had been on and off the stage tonight.

"It's from the gentleman at the corner table Es," The other woman whispered. "Looks like he's got it bad for ya,"

Esmeralda who had an arm leaned on the bar, waiting for her next order, unfolded the paper to see a roughly drawn, but very flattering sketch of her as she had been going around the room delivering drinks. Esmeralda looked up from her drawing to see several buff men sitting at the corner table the other lady had pointed towards. They were raucoulsy laughing and slapping another guy, that was trying to avoid eye contact with her, on the shoulder.

"Why don't you go over there and say hi?"The other woman suggested. "They seem like mercenaries and mercenaries are always loaded when they come to places like these," Esmeralda gulped, this wasn't the first time she'd had clients but this was the first time she'd be seducing one herself. It was mostly the pub owner who sent men her way since she got here.

"I don't know," She hesitated.

"Come on, it's not like you don't enjoy it," The other lady smirked to which Esmeralda blushed. The shy mercenary was quite handsome, she admitted. She blushed again at the thought of being so forward but sucked in a deep breath. She'd have to be assertive at some point in this business. Besides the sketch was kind of endearing.

"Hi," Esmeralda said nervously after approaching the table. She tried to act seductive but she thought to herself that she came off as desperate or inexperienced at best. "You're the handsome fellow that drew my portrait?" She then asked and the man the other mercenaries were teasing actually blushed.

"I..I'm sorry if I offended you," The man muttered, obviously embarrassed.

"I thought it was quite well done," Esmeralda said "I'm Esmeralda but a lot of people just call me Es around here."

"I'm Frank," The mercenary introduced. "You're very pretty," he blushed.

-o0o-

"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL FRANK!" A very pregnant Esmerald shouted while throwing a vase near the mercenary's face. They were in her small room on the second floor of the pub. Frank flinched as the shards scattered very near to his face. "YOU FUCKIN' PIECE OF SHIT!"

"Es dear, please stop," Frank uttered but the woman just bursted into tears.

"I love you! Why don't you love me back! For Thor's sake I'm carrying your child!" Esmeralda screamed. She was near hysterics.

"You're carrying someone's child. I don't even know if it's mine," Frank shot back.

"Of course it's yours! I'm not well-known enough to get a lot of clients. You have been the only one consistently requesting me. OF COURSE THE BABY IS YOURS!"

"It's just....,"

"Just what?" Esmeralda hissed.

"My friends warned me about this," Frank hissed. "How you ladies try to claim that a successful client is the parent of your unborn child. It's what you whores do to get a good life."

Esmeralda chuckled before turning it into a full unfiltered laugh. "Frank, for Thor's sake, do you really think you'd have been able to pop on my radar if you'd been successful enough? You're just a mercenary that has grandeur dreams of becoming a successful painter. You haven't even sold a painting yet!"

"I gave you my body, heart and soul," Esmeralda continued, "and this is what you do with it? I had genuinely thought you'd buy me and take me out of this hell but I guess you revealed your true colors now. You just think of me as some whore........"

"Es no... I...."

"Save it Frank," Esmeralda declared. "You're just scum. The other ladies were right. I should have never been so naive to believe in love."

"Esmeralda that's not what I mean.... Look, I'll take the bodyguard job here at the pub. That way I can see if the child is really mine,"

"You're all kinds of messed up Frank," Esmeralda growled. "Do you think I'd let you have your way even if you finally do acknowledge this baby?" She was in tears as a hand laid on her stomach. "It's too late Frank, you already showed me what you're made of. I'm better off raking in the cold hard gold from wealthy clients than wasting my time with you."

"You know... you might be right," Frank suddenly said as if he thought of something.

"What the hell are you going on about?" Esmeralda asked.

"You rake in the big fish while you leave the baby with me. It's a win win isn't it? You get to make money while I get to spend time with the baby to see if it's mine." Frank suggested. "A baby would just get in the way of you whoring yourself out anyways."

"You are disgusting," Esmeralda hissed.

-o0o-

"Good afternoon Es," A voice she'd rather not hear called out to her near one of the vegetable stalls in the busy market.

"What do you want?!" Esmeralda whirled around to face the male. "Frank, thought it was you," she said as her voice dripped with disgust.

"Come on now Esmeralda," Frank used her full name. "Is that how you treat me after all we've been through?"

"Just what do you want?" She asked, glaring at the man.

"Can't a man see how the mother of his child is doing?" he questioned but Esmeralda wasn't having it. "Okay, okay so I saw Rose yesterday,"

"You stay away from her!" Esmeralda growled and her eyes narrowed.

"Now don't be like that, she's mine daughter too," He quipped.

"Only when it's convenient for you. You might have watched her while I was busy but you also used her to bring in sympathy," Esmeralda stated. "Don't think I didn't hear about you using her to get more ladies interested in you. Playing the poor widow card while I wasn't even dead,"

"I just told you don't be like that," Frank stated as he tucked a stray lock of Esmeralda's hair behind her ear. She batted his hand away. "I just happened to see Rose leaving the school.She's definitely got her mother's looks. Might even bring in a pretty silver piece,"

"If you touch her!" Esmeralda warned.

"You'll what? I know you got that nice con going on. That Noble thinks he's her father isn't he. Imagine what he'd think when her real father comes to take her. You think he won't take the kid that's actually his and leave you in the dust. Please!"

"I have every right as her father to sell that little wench. Imagine her turning out just like you," Frank smirked. "Unless....,"

"Unless what?" Esmeralda asked as she was glaring daggers at the man she once thought loved her.

"Unless you pay me to keep my mouth shut," Frank told her. "Mercenary work has been tight. I need living expenses and I know for a fact that that Noble gives you enough coin to live off of,"

"You are despicable you know that." Esmeralda stated. "Was all your sweet talk just to get into my nightgown?"

"Pretty much, I mean it's not like you loved me. It was just your job," Frank shrugged. "And hey, I didn't tell you to keep the kid,"

"Fine, you'll get your coin," Esmeralda uttered. "Meet me under the aqueduct in the evening. You know which spot,"

"That's the Es I know. You'll really do anything to protect your little secret. The fish you must have on the hook must be pretty big," The mercenary laughed before leaving.

Esmeralda hurried back to her neighbourhood, nearly jostling the veggies from her basket. Instead of going to the house Samuel had given her to live in with the children she went a few houses down and knocked frantically on the door.

"Patricia, open up I need your help!" Esmeralda uttered. The door opened only a smidge as another woman peered at her.

"Thank god you're home. I need some of that special remedy," Esmeralda told her as she easily forced her way in. "You know the one you used on that sad piece of garbage of a husband of yours,"

"You weren't going to mention that again!" Patricia hissed.

"Calm down. Only I saw you mix it into his food," Esmeralda smirked. "You said you'd owe me if I kept my mouth shut,"

"It's very potent," Patricia muttered.

"That is what I'm counting on. Seems I left a loose thread roaming about,"

"How do I know you're not going to rat me out to the guards?" Patricia asked.

"I would have done that by now if it was worth it," Esmeralda just shrugged. "How about I sweeten the deal a bit? I'll soon be a Noble," She leaned in when she told the other woman. "I could hire you on as my personal maid. It must be hard living on scraps. We all know almost no businesses would hire a woman let alone a widow,"

"Fine, but that makes us even. You'll know my secret and I'll know yours." Patricia stated.

"And we'll never turn on the other because we each have something to hide," Esmeralda stated before producing a pouch that contained quite a lot of silver coins. "Now I need you to soak all these coins with poison,"

-o0o-

Esmeralda's head throbbed as blood ran down one side of her face. She struggled to get up as Rosalinda was being restrained by one of the hired thugs. The girl was struggling and yelling curses like a foulmouthed sailor. Before Esmeralda could fully recover one of her men ran into the ruins of the castle to shout "We're being attacked!"