The moonlight reflected on the streets of Decreash, which was pulsing with life.
Stone-paved roads stretched between rows of crooked wooden houses, their upper stories leaning out precariously.
Tattered banners swayed above shop doors, painted with symbols of trades—an anvil for the blacksmith, a loaf for the baker.
The crowd moved like a river, carrying all manner of people. Peasants in roughspun trudged past with baskets brimming with onions, turnips, and bread loaves wrapped in cloth. A woman haggled over the price of a clay jug, her voice rising over the bleating of goats tethered to a post.
Somewhere nearby, a pig squealed as a butcher dragged it through the mud, children following in hopes of scraps.
Merchants barked their offers from makeshift stalls.
"Fresh fish, caught at dawn!"
"Spices from the East, rare and strong!"
"Leather boots, well-stitched, made to last through winter!"
The air was thick with clashing scents—the sharp tang of iron from the smithy, smoke from open fires, and the sweet pull of honey cakes baking in clay ovens.
Horses clattered down the street, their riders shouting for passage, and wagon wheels creaked as they rolled over uneven cobblestones.
At the square ahead, a troupe of jugglers drew a crowd.
Up ahead a beggar crouched near his feet, tin cup rattling in the hope of coins.
Leah and William walked side by side; they said little as they moved.
Often, she would glance at him from beneath her hood, curious, almost wary. He kept tossing that same coin in the air, the metallic clink catching the light whenever it spun. It was as if he wanted to remind her—and perhaps everyone else—that he was entirely at ease here, in a way she was not.
"Where exactly are we going?"
He finally breaks the lingering silence; Leah shrugs lightly.
"I have no idea." She replied, and William scoffed.
"Why then would you have me escort you?"
He asked, peering at her, but he could only catch a glimpse of her face through the hood concealing it.
"The streets are perilous this season. I needed an ally…a male figure to pose as an escort; this would keep the rascal men away from harmless doves like me." She said with all seriousness.
"Why not just get one of the guards to escort you?"
His questions were beginning to irritate her.
"The guards? Are you seriously saying this?
Mother has her eyes everywhere. I can swear on your life she has paid all the servants in the castle to keep an eye on me, the guards included!
Leah snapped, a small scowl escaping her lips.
"She has her eyes on you, and yet, here you are being feisty. Parading the streets of Decreash under her nose." He said sarcastically. Leah angled her eyes towards his direction, glaring at him, filled with dread.
The coin in William's hand flicked again into the air, glinting each time it caught the sunlight before dropping neatly back into his palm.
Clink. Catch. Toss. Clink.
The rhythm was steady, almost mocking in its ease, a sound that seemed to pierce through the noise of the marketplace.
She clenched her jaw. Once, twice, she ignored it. But when the coin rose again, higher this time, her hand shot up with a sharp snap. She caught it midair with surprising speed, the sound of her fingers closing around it.
He arched an eyebrow, the faintest curl of amusement tugging at his lips, but he said nothing.
Without breaking stride, she turned sharply toward the sound of a tin cup rattling on the ground. A blind beggar sat slumped against a stone wall, his moldy eyes hidden beneath tangled hair, hands trembling as he extended the cup. The crowd swept around him, too busy, too indifferent.
She didn't hesitate. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the coin into the cup.The beggar, grateful, bowed his head.
"Keep it," she muttered under her breath, more to herself than to him.
"The gods bless you!
The gruff voice of the beggar echoes.
When she straightened again, his gaze was already on her—sharp, unreadable, yet faintly entertained. The scar on his face deepened as his lips curved into a half-smile.
"You have some nerve."
He murmured, taking out another coin from under his cloak, and Leah rolled her eyes in frustration.
After walking for a while, Leah slipped away from the bustling crowd, her steps carrying her into a narrow, shadowed lane where the torches burned low and the air reeked of stale ale.William followed suit. His eyes never left her.
The noise of the crowd dimmed behind her, replaced by muffled laughter and the scrape of boots on cobblestones.
A crooked door stood at the far end of the alley, half-hidden. Its wood was scarred, its iron hinges eaten by rust.
From the shadows, a cluster of men leaned against the walls, their eyes glinting like wolves in the dark. They reeked of sweat and cheap wine, their grins spreading as they caught sight of her.
"Ah… such a beautiful face," one of them drawled, his voice thick and coarse.
Another licked his lips, taking a step forward. "Come to me, pretty bird…"
One of the men reached out, his grimy fingers just inches from her sleeve.
Before he could touch her, a hand shot out of the dark. With brutal force, William shoved the man back against the wall, sending him stumbling into his companions.
"Keep your filth to yourself," he growled, his voice cutting through the alley like steel.
Leah ignored what was going on around her and made her way to the door of the building, laid out at the end of the dark alley.
She took some steps forward but barely reached the door before a grip seized her wrist, spinning her around until she collided against his chest.
William's grip was firm, almost punishing, as his eyes—hard and unreadable—bore down into hers.
"What in the gods' name are you doing here?" He hissed, his tone laced with both fury and something far more dangerous.
Leah's brows furrowed as she tried to loosen her grip from his.
She squirmed against his hold, her wrist twisting as she tried to wrench free.
"Let me go," she hissed, her voice low, edged with defiance.
But his grip only tightened, unyielding as iron. Her wiggling wrist pressed against his calloused palm; the more she struggled, the more his strength wrapped around her like a shackle.
"You are hurting me!
She said between gritted teeth, With one last fierce twist, she tore her wrist free, stumbling backwards, the sting of his grip still burning her skin.
"How dare you!" she spat, her voice ringing down the alley. Her eyes, wide with fury, glistened in the dim light as if they could pierce straight through him.
"You are in the pleasure house? Do you realize that?"
William asked just to be sure she wasn't out of her mind.
"I know where I am, William; I have eyes, I can see!
Before he could reply, she spun around, her cloak snapping behind her like a banner of defiance. With her chin lifted high, she stormed toward the crooked door and shoved it open, disappearing inside without a second thought.
William sighed tiredly; he adjusted the hood to conceal his face, then went after her.
Inside the pleasure house was where lewd men came to unleash their fantasies of bed romance.
It was Leah's first time here; never had she thought she would resort to this, but she needed something to calm her nerves, even if it meant giving her body freely to men.
Madame Olana was a woman of immense wealth and shrewd reputation. Her influence stretched far beyond the velvet curtains of her pleasure house, the most renowned and scandalous den in the streets of Decreash.
Beneath her jeweled rings and painted smile, she ruled her domain with the precision of a queen, every whisper and secret that passed through her halls tucked safely into her coffers alongside her gold.
From time to time, William found himself within her walls, always disguised as a commoner. Madame Olana always had an instinct he was from a noble background; she always welcomed him with the richest indulgences—tables laden with drink, and a feast of women paraded before him.
To her, he was more than a customer; he was a player in her games, and she made sure he never left unsated.
Madame Olana was reclined upon a mound of velvet cushions, her form draped in skimpy clothes, exposing the sensitive part of her body.
Around her, a swarm of women pressed close—some curling against her side in idle affection, others rising to sway their hips in slow, deliberate dances meant only to please her eye.
A goblet of wine dangled loosely from her jeweled fingers; her laughter rolled through the room, rich and lazy, though her gaze remained sharp and calculating, never truly softened by the indulgence around her.
Her eyes never strayed far from the entrance. Every creak of the door drew her gaze, and those who caught her attention never left disappointed; she ensured they were given the most extravagant visit, a memory worth binding them to the pleasure house forever.
So when the door groaned open, and Leah stepped into the haze of lantern light, Olana's composure faltered for the briefest heartbeat.
Her eyes sharpened. In an instant, she rose from her cushion, the cup of wine set aside without a thought.
She made her way to Leah with a practiced smile, swaying her curvy hips.
"We offer the best services in the streets of Decreash. Tell me, how may I help you, noble one? She said, and Leah was a bit startled.
"And you are?"Leah asked, arching her brows, her tone cool, chin slightly lifted.
With a light laugh, Olana twirled in place, her bracelets chiming softly as she spread her arms, the perfume of amber and rose overwhelming the atmosphere.
She came to a graceful halt, her smile never wavering.
"I," she purred, "am Madame Olana—the heart of Decreash and the keeper of pleasures you will find nowhere else."
Her eyes glimmered as she studied the seemingly rich customer from head to toe, equal parts intrigue, yet Leah's face was concealed in a hood.
"I need a private room with your best men. They must be capable of quenching my cravings." Leah said, taking out two bags of coins from under her cloak.
When Olana saw the money, her eyes widened. Such wealth!
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that, darling. No one leaves this pleasure house without longing for more." She purred and then took Leah's hand in hers.
It was at that moment William walked in.
Olana's gaze inadvertently flickered to the door, and a bright smile spread on her lips.
"Well, it's my lucky day." She cooed under her breath.
William looked around, his eyes searching for someone; his gaze finally rested on Leah.
With big strides he strolled to where she was.
"Give us a moment."
He said before pulling Leah aside.
Leah was displeased; she glared at him before saying with a firm tone…
"Can you just let me be?" She hissed faintly.
"We are leaving…now!
He said, and Leah scoffed.
"Make me."
She said in a daring tone, with a smirk, before turning away from him. She walked over to where Olana stood waiting patiently. She locked arms with her, and they began to walk away.
"Where were we?"