Treacherous Witch

25. Shopping

Her eyes had widened. "A brothel?"

Such rotten places had sprung up around Jairah like a plague since the Empire's occupation, luring in desperate women who were forced to sell themselves to make ends meet.

"It happened to Quintus's cousin," said Iora. "She was part of a cell that got caught. Because she was a traitor, she was sentenced to ten years enslaved by the Empire. She lasted six months before she hanged herself."

That story had stayed with her, unsurprisingly, because it quantified the risk she faced herself. There weren't many women active in the resistance. Not that the punishments the men faced weren't also harsh: hard labour in the fields or mines, or being sent out to sea—all the dangerous and dirty jobs that no one else wanted to do. And a pretty young man might also be bought by a brothel or catch a nobleman's eye. Their bodies were vassals of the Empire, and the Empire exploited them.

It was strange to think that she was in this situation now, sitting in the beautiful breakfast room in the palace, the morning sunshine streaming in through the balcony window. The croissants looked suddenly unappetising.

Valerie put down the note, her expression hollow. "What about her children?"

"They'll go to an orphanage," said Avon, "and when they're old enough, the girl will be married and the boys will be conscripted."

Maska help her. She'd brought ruin on her family, all because she'd attempted a harmless spell he didn't like.

"I thought you were going to punish me. Please, my lord." If she had to beg, she would. "I can accept a fair punishment. This isn't fair."

"Punishment is meant to be effective, not fair."

He reached out for the warrant, but before he could take it, she snatched it back and tore it in two.

Avon sighed. "Valerie."

"All you're doing," she said, "is making me vengeful."

Something flickered in his eyes. Valerie didn't care to interpret it. She stood up, abandoning her breakfast, and walked out without a word. 

*

Part of her expected him to come after her, or yell, or send in the guards. But none of those things happened, and Valerie walked through the palace entrance hall where she was accosted by Lady Melody and one of her maids.

"Oh, Valerie! I was just looking for you. I was meant to take a shopping trip with Amilia today, but the poor thing has been taken ill. You simply must accompany me. We're only a week away from the capital's visit, and I've yet to freshen up my wardrobe."

This was rather more information than she was used to hearing from Melody all at once, and Valerie blinked at her.

"Why are you looking for me? What about the other ladies?"

"Darling, I can't have you embarrassing yourself. You are the jewel of the Maskamery court, Lord Avon's favoured companion. Drop everything, I insist."

Valerie almost retorted that if her wardrobe was so important, why hadn't Melody invited her in the first place? But Melody was already taking her arm, steering her through the entrance hall and beyond into the grounds. It turned out that she was very good at insisting she got her way to everyone. Guards questioned them to no effect. Even Captain Doryn only shot her a bemused look as Melody showed her into the carriage.

And once they departed the palace gates, her heart beat faster. They were in the city! Surely this was an opportunity...

"We must be up-to-date," Melody said in the carriage. "We can't have the Drakonian court laughing at us when they arrive."