Anelle lay in bed looking up at the wooden panels above her. She closed and opened her right eye. The centre of her vision was still blurred.
She held out her hand towards the ceiling, remembering the two faced woman and thin tendril of Tue she had woven through body. Anelle concentrated on moving it. The power sloshed around her chest in a stormy embrace. Her heart pounded, fighting for space within her chest. She released her grip.
The power moved easily at her slightest thought.
Fragments of the conversation struck deep, slicing old wounds. She had always known she was different from her sisters.
Soft footsteps sounded outside her door. They passed every so often. A few early risers quietly walked through the sleeping halls, though it was probably mid afternoon.
Anelle gave up on trying to sleep and climbed out of bed. She pulled off her nightgown and set her new black dress on the bed. The dress was simple, a wide piece of fabric with ties and two holes for arms, made to fit any size person. She placed her arms in the holes, wrapped the fabric around her body and tied it together behind her. Then slipped the corset over the top. The corset was laced at the front and tied at the top of her chest.
Anelle looked up as Yulin opened the door.
"Oh, good, ya almost ready." She said. Yulin walked around Anelle, studying her dress. "Just make sure to tuck in the ties."
She showed Anelle how to slip the ties under her corset.
"Thanks." Anelle responded.
"And ya need your ribbon." She said, pointing to the one tied around her neck.
Three bells rang out in quick succession.
The sounds of footsteps became a stampede as people began moving throughout the house.
"We have the midday meeting everyday. Make sure ya never late." Yulin explained.
Anelle followed Yulin out of her room.
They entered the grand hall from the second story balcony. Anelle looked over to the ground floor. The lower level had a slightly raised circular platform with chairs on it. The rest of the floor was filled with large cushions and low tables along the length of the room. At the far end, two statues reaching towards each other, stood before a set of double doors.
Yulin led Anelle to the edge of the balcony.
Two lines of women formed, looking out over the room. All blindly beautiful and different, talking softly to each other. Anelle recognised a few of them from dinner. Most wore similar lounging dresses and robes as she had seen that morning. Russelia winked at her before turning back to her conversion with a different woman.
Anelle could feel eyes upon her. She looked over to the second row and noticed two women looking her way. They both openly stared at her with curious looks and had their hands covering their mouths. Anelle resisted every urge to lower her head. She remembered her step sister Thea laughing with guests as she walked past or entered the room. Shame and embarrassment filled her stomach. She willed a mask of indifference onto her face and stamped down any feelings of inadequacy.
Vetha ran up the stairs like a wraith wrapped in shadows. She snuck in behind Anelle.
The door behind them opened and a hush fell over the room.
Dame Luel walked out, followed by Moreal. The Dame wore a beautiful silk dress in royal blue. The dress hugged her thin frame. Dame Luel glided across the room in front of Anelle, stopping at the front of the two rows. Moreal followed and took her place next to Yulin. Luel looked over the two lines before addressing the room.
"My beauties, how wonderful to see you looking ever so youthful this day." She flashed a smile. Yulin let out a quiet breath and lowered her shoulders slightly. "We have another girl joining our flock. I hope you will all make her feel welcome," she looked over at Anelle and waved her forward. Anelle moved over to the old woman with her eyes downward. Luel lifted Anelle's chin. "Now introduce yourself, dear."
"I'm Anelle. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
The Dame nodded with a curt smile and waved her back towards Yulin. "Nyssa you will teach Anelle dancing, Celno you will teach music and Moreal will help with her accent."
Nyssa nodded to Anelle.
Celno, a short woman with curly brown hair draped around her shoulders and brown eyes, looked sideways at Anelle with a sign. She wore a washed out pink dress that had a deep V shaped neckline.
Celno raised her hand. The Dame nodded to her.
"Dame Luel, when am I to find the time to teach both Vetha and Anelle?" She asked.
"If you think it will be difficult to find time then I will have your chores split between everyone else." Luel responded.
The room remained silent but many annoyed glances were shot towards Celno. She ignored them with a satisfied look on her face.
"Thank you, Dame." Celno said.
"Now, before we get to the good news we have some housekeeping to take care of." Said Luel.
The room became tense.
"Ekia and Puli step forward." Dame Luel instructed.
One of the girls who had been laughing at Anelle and a woman from the end of the second line stepped forward. Both women diverted their eyes down. They waited in silence.
"I have always been kind to you girls. Unlike many other houses, I never force you to spend the night with a man you do not wish too. However, you must work to earn your keep. As of the last pantheon, both of you have failed to make more money than you cost this house. I will not allow you to keep accumulating debt at the expense of your sisters here.
"This is your last warning, I will allow you a full eon, two whole pantheons, to prove that you are a worthy investment or you will find yourselves working the docks."
An audible gasp and whispers traveled through the room. Many of the women turned to their neighbours with wide eyes. Luel's words hung heavy in the air. Shock and panic danced a gallows jig across the two girls' faces.
Yulin leaned over to Moreal and whispered in her ear. "I'm going to need more gale bark and willow powder."
Moreal nodded in response.
"Quite!" Dame Luel raised her voice over the noise. Silence fell. "On to more positive news," Luel waved the two girls back into their places, "I have the results for who our top courtesan and goddess will be for Ibra." She smiled at the two women in front of her, Nyssa and Iva.
Iva was tall with brown straight hair pulled back in a loose wooden clip. She had eyes the colour of a burning star and a wide smile. A small smattering of freckles lined her cheeks just below her eyes. She wore a silky orange robe that exposed her calves.
"It was a close one this time but… Nyssa is our winner."
The room erupted into whispered conversation. Many of the women congratulated her. The women in the back row had a mixed reaction. A few disappointed girls handed over string bags or jewels to their excited counterparts.
"Do not be discouraged, one day you too could get to play the goddess. It was incredibly close this round, there were less than ten gold coins between Iva and Nyssa." She turned to Russelia, who was third in line, with a quiet voice only for her, "You had the best results you have ever had my girl, keep working your regulars and one day you may hold the top position." Luel stepped back and addressed the room. "It is time to start the day. Ekia and Puli, you will split Celno's chores between you and be thankful for the roof over your heads as you do."
Luel walked swiftly out of the room.
The house became a hive of activity.
Anelle and Vetha were instructed to move the tables and cushions from the main room up onto the balcony. Many trips later the entire floor was clear. They sat on the bottom steps catching their breath and taking turns drinking from a water jug. Anelle passed the jug to Vetha and went back to rubbing her sore nonexistent arm muscles.
Yulin returned with a large water bucket in both hands and two mops that were slipping from the crook of her arm. She walked over to Anelle and Vetha and took a long drag from the water jug.
"The two of ya mop. I should have breakfast ready by the time you're done." Yulin said and walked out.
Anelle was going to have to get used to having breakfast in the middle of the afternoon.
She and Vetha looked at each other and began mopping the floor. Slowly they made their way from the statues to the far wall. The wooden floor boards glimmered from the thin layer of water.
Both red in the face and panting from the effort, they carried the significantly lighter bucket down the corridor towards the stairs to the kitchen and dumped it into the courtyard.
The meal bell rang out three times. Anelle and Vetha both smiled at the prospect of food.