『 HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN 』
( chapter four, scarlet )

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          KHIERA PYRIL FELT AS IF HER ENTIRE SOUL HAD LEFT HER BODY. HER HEART STOPPED BEATING AND SHE STOOD FROZEN IN FRONT OF ROBB. Khiera's eyes were fixated with her mouth agape and her brows knitted together. She felt the heat rush to her cheeks and she knew they were scarlet with embarrassment. Khiera could feel the tears pooling behind her eyes and the knot in her throat left her speechless. She quickly shut the door and grabbed a blanket that was on top of one of the chairs. She quickly covered her body with the blanket as if it were a shield. 

Her fingers gripped tightly onto the piece of cloth, her eyes shifted towards the ground, she couldn't dare look him in the eye. She felt immense shame, she felt disgusted, and she felt dirty in her own body. She had lied to him and she knew that if she saw his face, the guilt would be more of a burden. He probably hated her but she couldn't tell since the only thing she saw was the fur carpet covering the floor. 

"My deepest apologies, Lord Stark," when Kiera finally uttered the courage to speak, she could hear her voice tremble and she could feel the knot in her throat tighten more. She couldn't breathe and she tried to keep her thoughts under control. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him get up, he walked slowly towards her, and the closer he got the tighter her grip on the blanket. 

Robb stood in front of her, surveying her, she didn't dare look up from the floor. He could see her slightly trembling and he didn't know if it was out of fear, "Khiera," the way he said her name made her stomach churn. He said it softly and he didn't sound embarrassed at her, "You can look at me." 

Khiera's eyes lifted slowly until they landed on his. When she first met him, she felt like she was under a spell, his eyes were captivating. They were like sapphires that glowed like fireflies while her eyes were obsidian. "Lord Stark, I apologize, I did not expect for you to be here." 

Robb stood, afraid to reach out and touch her, "Khiera, you do not need to apologize," he started, Khiera felt herself relax just a bit, her clutch on the blanket remained tight making sure it covered her body and that it didn't fall. She felt her cheeks grow warm, she didn't know what to say, she didn't want to embarrass herself any further than she already had. Robb Stark was a powerful man and she knew better than to lie. He would take the throne of Winterfell, his father was Eddard Stark. If he wanted, he could have her head, the thought made Khiera grow even more nervous. 

Men were powerful, that's what Madame Liliana always told her. Be careful of powerful man, she would always say. In the North, there wasn't really a place for women. Noblewomen were treated differently than whores and the only Noblewomen in Winterfell was Catelyn Stark and her two daughters but even then, there were still powerful men above them. Madame Liliana would say that men could take whatever they want, and if they didn't get it, they would grow violent. 

Khiera knew it was true to a certain extent, there were men in the brothel that would get violent. Men who grew angry if they didn't get the whore they wanted or if the service didn't satisfy them. The girls never had a voice, even if bad things didn't happen, there was nothing they could do about it, they were just whores. 

"What are you doing here?" He asked curiously, his brows were slightly knitted together, she didn't know if it was worry or curiosity. She knew she had to tell the truth one way or another, whether she liked it or not. 

"I work here," she answered quickly. She felt shame saying it, she hated the way men would look at her when they found of what she did. Their eyes were hungry and only ever saw her as an object, except Robb Stark didn't look at her like that. Khiera didn't know if it was pity, worry, or understanding. 

Robb tilted his head slightly, "Is that why you didn't want me to bring you home?" 

Khiera nodded. 

"So, what you said about your mother...was that a lie?" he asked while taking a brief pause. 

Khiera took in a slow deep breath, "Aye," she answered, "Madame Liliana says it is not good to lie because when you do, your lies catch up to you. I did not think it would catch up so quickly," 

"Why did you lie?" 

"Imagine if Robb Stark was seen walking a whore back to her brothel," she answered, "You are a nobleman and I know what your title means to you," Khiera was right. What would happen if he was seen walking with her to the brothel. Khiera held the real reason back, she didn't want to admit that she was whore, she knew the embarrassment that would come. She was right about Robb being seen with a whore, it would start rumors and the damage would be terrible. 

"How long have you been here?" 

Khiera shrugged her shoulders, she walked over towards the bed and sat down, Robb stood near the door, his eyes tracing her. 

"As long as I can remember," she answered. She didn't know exactly how long she worked for Madame Liliana but she knew started when she was young, Madame Liliana tried to protect her for as long as she could but once she saw the men start looking at her with thirsty eyes, that's when she started. Khiera's mother lived in Winterfell, but she never saw her mother anymore. She would send her money and that was it and as for her father, Khiera didn't know who he was. She had never seen him before. 

"Your parents?" 

"My mother lives in Winterfell, I visit her once a week. As for my father, I do not know who he is," she wrapped the blanket tighter around her. 

Robb walked towards the bed and sat down next to Khiera, her body quickly tensed. She knew Robb meant no harm and he looked as if he had a thousand thoughts racing through his head. 

"You do not have to stay here, Lord Stark," Khiera started, "All the girls and your friends are busy. I am sure if you ask Madame Liliana for another, she will do that for you," 

A small smile crept on Robb's lips, "Did you think I wanted to come here?" Khiera furrowed her brows in confusion, "I only came because Theon dragged me here, he came to see his favorite girl," 

"Theon is a very popular customer," Khiera said, "Him and Ros really like to go at it," 

"You must tell me what they say about Theon after he leaves," 

Khiera let out a small chuckle, "What happens in the brothel, stays in the brothel," 

The two shared a small chuckle, "Do you plan on staying here, Khiera?" 

Khiera took a deep breath, she didn't really think about it. Would she work in the brothel until she got married or had a child? It wasn't something she often gave thought to, she had no idea where she would end up, She knew at one point she couldn't keep working in the brothel, especially when she got older. 

"I do not know," she answered. 

"The men here, do they...treat you well?" 

That was a heavy question, there were many things that happ[need in the brothel that no one had spoken of. There were good clients and then there were clients that would make any girl shudder at the sound of their name. 

"Some of them are nice, Theon is one of the good ones. There are others that...are not as nice. As for the girls, some of them can be a little rude. Ros is nice, she is almost like a big sister to me," 

Robb was silent and it lingered the air for what seemed like minutes. "Why don't you come work with staff?" 

Khiera quickly looked at him, "Illreena could use some extra hands, especially with the king arriving. My mother is hiring more staff, why don't you come? You would have food, you would live with the other servants and maids. Arya also really likes you," 

Khiera didn't know what to think, it was a good opportunity but she knew the brothel all too well. It had been her home for years, could she really leave? What would even happen to her over there? She didn't want anyone knowing her past, the men she had slept with, the horrors she had seen and experienced. 

"I-I do not know if I can do that," she started, "It is a great opportunity, really, but people like to talk and I do not want anything to happen and the blame be put on you," 

"Khiera, you helped my sister as best as you could. She could have been hurt and instead, you took the fall. My mother and father would appreciate what you did. If you're worried about your history, then we'll keep it between the two of us. I can have Illreena come in the morning and she can take you, if that is what you truly desire." 

Khiera thought about it, it would be a good change. It would be good for her, she just didn't want any of the girls knowing. Khiera looked at Robb and smiled, "I'll figure what I can do, this is risky and I do not want the girls knowing where I'll go," 

Robb nodded his head, "I understand," 

Khiera knew what she had to do, it would be her one chance to leave the brothel, the only home she had known for years. She wondered if she was going to make the right choice. 

a/n 

hey everyone!!! I'm so sorry for not updating this story for like a year!! I've been busy and procrasinating and a whole bunch of other stuff. i hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I have so much planned out for this story and thank you fro sticking with me!!