Chapter 31: Distribution

"Alright. Now that we finally decided on each of our role," I glanced at Kreios and Livius.

Livius kept tugging the chains around his neck, but Kreios irritatingly pulled one, bringing Livius closer to him. The two of them glared at each other. I could imagine an electric charge between them as if it would explode at any moment.

Napamasahe na ako sa aking noo nang sulyapan ko ang mga kababaihan sa paligid namin na nasa kanila rin ang reaksyon. I actually did not expect this. Kreios could be everything with all the cunning plans he devised when we were in Mudelior, but I never thought he'd play this role.

Did I just underestimate him and his extent to explore everything while he was on a journey? Kung sabagay, higit siyang may karanasan sa labas kaysa sa akin.

I clapped my hands to get all the attention, now their eyes were fixed on me.  "Everyone."

I held my head high, maintaining the image of a leader. Matagal ko nang hinihiling ang posisyong ito nang nasa Sartorias ako, hindi ko akalain na ang unang beses kong mararanasan ito'y nasa Mudelior na ako.

To make our plan effective we must dress according to our role to blend in the Entertainment District. Kreios in his silk and jewelry, a lace mask that only covered half of his face and only revealed his eyes, like the usually spoiled aristocrat with his handsome slave who was dressed lavishly but not as extravagant as his master. It wasn't that hard to convince several eyes with this duo and their disguise, if I were not mated to one of them, I'd never think that they were really spies. Hindi naman ako nababahala sa kay Kreios dahil isa ito sa kanyang talento. He could pretend everything as if he was born for it.

Akala ko ay magaling na si Caleb. Napangisi na lang ako.

While the two men were dressed lavishly, we also have our sets of women aristocrats, since Elena and Catalina were raised to be one of them, being dressed in elegant dresses with ruffles, laces, and ribbons was not difficult for them. Elena with her parasol and Catalina with her fan, both were wearing gloves and moved pristinely. Since it wasn't new to the Entertainment District to witness women aristocrats who frequently gambled and played with handsome slaves or escorts, it would be easy for the two of them. Remi, Luna, and I were dressed like a commoner who tried to make presentable even with our old, tattered dresses. While Delilah's still in her black overall like her usual shadow suit.

We circled each other as we looked down at a slightly wet ground, Delilah had her think wooden stick and started drawing some legends of the Entertainment District that she could still remember.

"Are you sure that you're not going to add some details on it, Your Majesty?" Delilah asked with one of her brows arched at Kreios.

Kreios rolled his eyes, but I noticed how he carefully looked at my reaction. "C-come on, I don't frequent Mudelior's Entertainment District!" he replied helplessly as if he was tired of getting accused of something he wouldn't do.

Livius smirked.

I cleared my throat on purpose. "Let's better continue."

Tumango si Delilah habang hawak pa rin ang maliit na kahoy. "This Entertainment District on the north is a long aisle of house of pleasure. If I can still remember there are seventeen houses of pleasure, eight from the right aisle and eight from the left aisle, but the biggest one is located at the end of the aisle in the middle."

"Seventeen houses of pleasure?" Elena grimaced.

Muling tumango si Delilah. "I think we will need a week to investigate the Entertainment District."

Saglit akong natahimik. With eight members, Kreios and Livius, Remi, Luna, Catalina, Elena, Delilah, and I, it's plausible that we could discover more information quickly.

"We need to dig the information in three days. We will divide each House of Pleasure." Mariin sabi ko.

We shouldn't waste time inside Mudelior. May dalawang lugar pa kaming kailangang puntahan.

"Each of you will visit two houses of pleasure."

"Queen Harper, the last house of pleasure is strict with all its guests, even the servants and the women in service are carefully selected," Deliah replied.

Lumingon ako kina Kreios at Livius. "I will send the king and his lover there."

Lumawak ang ngiti ni Kreios nang sabihin ko iyon. "I will not disappoint you, Love."

Luna sighed. "Let's just listen to the queen and her plans."

Dahil pamilyar si Delilah sa pangalan ng bawat bahay ng aliw roon ay nagawa ko silang paghiwa-hiwalayin.

"Elena and Catalina will enter first, and then Kreios, Livius, Luna, Remi, and I will enter as a group since Kreios will play as an aristocrat selling off her slaves. While you, Delilah, you can do what you usually do in getting your information. You will serve as our messenger too."

She nodded at me.

Tumagal ng halos isang oras ang pag-uusap namin sa mga bawat naming gawin bago ako tumango sa kanilang lahat para magsimula.

"Are you sure that you can handle him?" tanong ko kay Kreios bago ako sumulyap kay Livius.

"Yes."

"There's a device in the Entertainment District that can detect mana and spells, so I will lessen the spelling on the chains, Your Majesty. That's why it's really safe for us to rely on the message from Delilah," sabi ni Luna.

"It's fine. I will kill him if he tries to run away."

Binuksan na ni Luna ang lagusan gamit ang isa sa piraso ng kuwintas niya. "You'll have to walk again to reach the district," sabi niya sa mga mauuna sa amin.

Unang tumawid ng lagusan si Delilah. She nodded at me.

"Be careful."

Sumunod sina Elena na nagawa pang kumaway sa akin at si Catalina na nauna nang tumawid sa kanya. Hanggang sa kami na lang ang naiwanan. Kreios and his lover, and another three women slaves with chains on their hands.

Hinintay lang muna namin lumipas ang isang oras na siyang pagitan namin sa bawat grupo.

Kreios looked over his shoulder and he smiled at me. "See you around, my Queen," he winked.

The moment we stepped outside the portal we were nothing like a group, but women who looked anxious, scared, and shaky as if marching for their deaths, our heads were down, and our hands were tied to another rusty chain with an arrogant master with his favorite pet walking ahead of us.

Nang sandaling makarating kami mula sa pangunahing daan mula sa kagubatan na unang nilabasan namin nang humakbang kami mula sa lagusan ay sinalubong kami ng kakaibang liwanag.

I had heard a lot of things about the House of Pleasures, and it was not new to me that my brothers were usually there, but to witness it in front of my eyes, who would have thought that beyond the colors, lights, and music of this place were secrets that would ironically answer the questions of the future?

It was a place filled with an aisle of old buildings overwhelmed by dim yellow and red lights. There were a lot of different creatures roaming on the street, women in their exposed dresses and thick make-up trying to get the attention of those men dressed fancily— aristocrats of different kinds. There were also stalls of stores with items that could usually be seen in the usual markets but with higher prices, foods, musical instruments, wines, decorations, masks, perfumes, and jewelry. The place was overwhelmed by different music from the different houses, clatters of utensils, glasses, plates, and wines, the laughter of the customers, calls of the vendors, singing voices of each woman, the noise of golden coins and even explosions as a drunken customer was thrown by the guards of a certain House of Pleasure.

Kung kanina ay nakayuko ako ngayon ay gumagala ang mga mata ko sa paligid habang pinagmamasdan ang bawat nilalang na narito.

Entertainment District is a place they say creatures would enjoy, but behind these bright lights and music were sufferings and stories— everything around here was a mask of tragedy because, at the end of the day, creatures were gone here for escape.

"A beautiful necklace for your wife, Lord!"

"A vase that can hold hundreds of flowers!"

"A pixie slave!"

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa narinig kong iyon at handa na sana akong humakbang patungo roon nang maramdaman ko na bahagyang hinila ni Luna ang kadena na nakakonekta sa amin tatlo ni Remi.

Kreios might have noticed my reaction, he was about to look over his shoulder, but he shook his head and stopped for a moment. I saw how Livius glanced at him.

"Let's go."

Naunang maglakad si Kreios at sumunod kaming tatlo sa likuran niya. Nagtungo siya sa tindahan kung saan naroon iyong nakakulong na pixie sa isang bote. She had pink hair with her eyes filled with tears and fear.

Kreios threw a pouch on the stall, the tie around it was slightly loose allowing anyone to have a glimpse of what was inside. "Keep the pixie slave for me. I'll get it later."

Kitang-kita ko kung gaano nagningning ang mga mata ng matandang bampira. I could hate him and probably cut his throat right now, but what if he was just caught with this endless chain? What if out of desperation this was what he'd do to survive? As someone who could sell a pixie with a great amount, he should have dressed finely and he'd fed himself with good quality blood, but he looked sickly as well as the small child lying behind him.

It's hard to accept that even if King Dastan and Queen Leticia recently claimed the throne, trying to navigate their power and implement new beginnings, with all their efforts and dedication, there were still parts of this world that their power couldn't reach yet.

I could see how Kreios's jaw tightened as he noticed the child behind the old vampire.

Now I was starting to realize that Dastan and Lily didn't send me away from Sartorias just because they didn't want to share their burden and problems about Finn and Kalla. Hindi ko pinagkakaila na nakaramdam ako ng poot sa desisyong iyon nina Dastan at Lily. It felt like I had been shoved away to a problem that I was supposed to be involved in, but now with my situation and how Dastan took my message, everything dawned on me, they sent me here because they trusted me. They sent me not just because Kreios needed a queen, but because they needed a Gazellian out of the picture— to see something bigger in this impending war, and someone our opponent wouldn't think that they have to be on guard. At itong nasasaksihan ko sa Mudelior ay hindi lang bilang reyna ng emperyong ito, kundi isang miyembro ng pamilyang Gazellian. That there will be creatures that will suffer more if this war comes— these victims in front of me.

Itinabi na ng matanda ang bote kung saan naroon ang lumuluhang pixie. Hindi na nagsalita si Kreios at nagsimula na siyang maglakad. He went straight to the first House of Pleasure.

He harshly took one of Luna's arms and almost pushed her in front of the master of the house. "She is a virgin. Give me ten pouches of gold."

I saw how Luna's eyes narrowed but she continued with her act like a hopeless woman slumped on the ground. The master of the house tried to negotiate but Kreios acted as irritated as possible, running his finger through his hair.

"Alright! If you can't give me my demand price, I can offer her to other houses—" he was about to pull Luna when the master of the house lowered his head.

"Yes, my Lord! We will take her for ten pouches of gold."

"Good! Now give it to me! My time is precious." Nangangatal pa ang isa sa tauhan ng may-ari na tumakbo sa loob ng kanilang bahay ng aliw bago ito mabilis na bumalik para ibigay kay Kreios ang bayad.

Saglit kaming nagkatitigan ni Luna bago kami hinila na ni Kreios na hindi man lang tinapunan ng tingin ang may-ari nang nagpasalamat ito sa kanya.

Kreios continued to act rudely or most probably not act anymore as he offered Remi with Luna's doubled price. Kahit si Remi ay napapasulyap na sa akin dahil malaking halaga na iyon at baka wala nang tumanggap sa kanya, but with Kreios arrogance and confidence, everyone cowered at him. Remi was sold.

Hanggang sa makarating kami sa bahay ng aliw kung saan ako dapat mabili. Kreios multiply the amount by ten. I almost reacted, but just like how Luna and Remi were sold, Kreios looked confident, arrogant, and demanding as if everyone was cockroaches and foolish to even talk back at him.

"If you can't even agree with my cheap price, how are you even operating if you can't even see the price of this beauty?! My father is a known aristocrat in Mudelior! This incident will reach him!"

"L-Lord... but the price is—"

"Insolence! This woman was my favorite!" He pulled me, cupping my face and then he grinned at me. "But I get tired of her. That's why I am allowing you to have her— my favorite! How dare you give me a price as if a handsome aristocrat like I am, has a poor standard?!"

May bumulong na sa lalaking kaharap namin na batang lalaki, pansin ko ang pangangatal niyon hanggang sa yumuko na ito. "We will pay you with the amount, My Lord."

"Good!"

But before Kreios could even give me, he pulled his lace cloak in front of everyone and covered us as he kissed me deeply with his tongue before he pushed me with the men. "My last kiss with my favorite."

He licked his lips like a villain before pulling his new favorite, Livius. He looked uncomfortable like a usual slave. "I discovered that I am into men. Let's go." Giving the pouches to Livius with his brown bag.

All I did was watch him walk away as I shook my head with my new master dragging the chains tied to my hand.

We walked between the dark shadows of the house of pleasure, I heard giggles, moans, pained cries, and singing, but the chains ringing in my ears were louder, my head was down, but my eyes were ablaze like the color of my blood, I continued my steps with a small smirk on my lips.

We're just getting started.