The Art of the Corset (2017)

Chapter Three- First Time

"Who is he? The man you accepted from?"

"He is high in society. The son of a prince's cousin...so possibly royalty."

"I am surprised at the amount!" Terrah spoke as she entered the room, helping tie Evelyn's corset. "I cannot fathom how any woman could be worth so much." The other girls rolled their eyes as the one with darker hair casted a comment in quick rebuttal,

"You are just jealous that you were not sold to someone other than your own kin."

"He was not- Do not listen to those whores." She commented as the girls gasped and then stormed from the room, leaving Evelyn alone with Terrah.

"Are you certain for this?"

"I know what I must do...It would happen regardless of the person..."

"I know my mother can be...cold when it comes to the word of admiration. But it can exist. She holds hope that someone holding that virtue will sweep you away from this life. I dread that I am stuck in it."

"You can leave, Terrah."

"And go where? I am a known prostitute in an area filled with raging drunks and men with more arousal than common sense. The best life I can have is here...at least I can know I have a purpose." As tears began to fill Terrah's eyes, she shifted her location and turned Evelyn towards her.

"Perfect. I just have a few minor fragments of advice..if you do not mind."

"I welcome it."

Terrah smiled. "Be sure to ask about his family-men desire the excitement of being dishonorable."

"Is it true?"

Terrah nodded. "They also prefer when you demand the money as you are losing your virginity. You shall tell him he is the most awful human and you wish him dead."

"Are you certain? This appears severe..."

"Men are animals. They desire what they are not receiving from their loving wives. I would hate for you to lose your life as a whore due to the inability to listen."

"It seems rather odd...I have never heard the others do such things with their clients."

"They were also not virgins when you were here...You can either yield my advice or lose your potential client." She gave a shrug and left Evelyn alone as she lingered in the dressing room. Around her, located several makeshift racks of different clothes ranging from dresses to corsets and stockings to polishes. Perfumes sat on one side and powders sat on the other...it was any medieval girl's dream.

Feeling herself becoming unable to breathe, Evelyn clutched her stomach and attempted to breathe slowly before descending down the steps of the brothel and following the two girls that assisted auctioning her off. Upon entering the carriage, the girls made jokes between themselves until the horses ceased motion and the girls then made their way out first, allowing Evelyn to see the location of her deflowering.

The building had been dark from the inside and had no telling marks of what it was; it was not a house, but not labeled as anything productive either.

"He is waiting for you." The one girl spoke before the other gently pushed Evelyn forward. Swallowing hard, Evelyn made her way towards the door with slow steps. The very sound of her shoes echoed deep in her mind and synced with the feeling of her heart beating so fast-it felt to not be beating at all. Placing her hand upon the handle, the door came open and she entered the building. Finding only three candles lighting the interior, consisting in each corner-and allowing little to no visibility, she called out in the darkness.

"Hello?"

Silence filled the air for some time until the sound of the door locking was heard. Turning to the sound, she found a large man moving towards her.

"My name-"

Suddenly she had been bent over a nearby table and her dress had been forced above her waist, so her butt was exposed to the air. Her fingers gripped the sides of the platform she was forced upon as she could hear the man disposing of his garments.

"Stop!' She begged as she felt misplaced in an irrational decision. As she tried to fight, she found that everything around her became too strong. His hold on her kept her in place as he entered her viciously-forcing her to cry out. Tears poured down her face as he yelled at her to keep quiet and stay still. With each lunge, she let out a wince as she gripped harder on the surface around her-until finally being left untouched.

Jumping back, she threw her dress to cover her naked rear as she heard the man breathing heavily. Without a word, she ran from the establishment before going immediately to the brothel with tears strewn in her eyes. Upon entering, she found Terrah to be waiting with a wicked grin beside the other two girls.

"I can gather that you are no long virtuous." She spoke with self pride before walking closer towards Evelyn.

"Where is the coin?"

The three girls, excluding Evelyn, looked to one another before laughing-to the point of red cheeks and finding it difficult to breathe.

"We did not actually sell you. We arranged for you to be tainted...so you would no longer be the favorite."

"You lied?" The reality of the situation slammed against her as she realized how truly alone she became in her life.

"Did you truly think I would allow you to upstage me yet again? Ever since you arrived, you have been nothing but a plague upon us. And now, you are just a disappointment. I was forced to see you and my mother talk about how you were her only sign of hope and pride. And now, she is forced to choose me."

"But....I would have left if you would have requested it..."

"Is it that you still linger hoping for an apology? You will get nothing of the sort...Leave." She spoke as the other girls stood with attempts at being intimidating.

"Can I retrieve my things?"

"The things my mother bought for you? No. They are also mine. I believe my figure would look quite better than yours anyhow." The girls nodded as Evelyn was then yelled at to leave.

Finding her way back onto the street that she had been on when first crossing paths into her scandalous life, she found the cold wind to tear at her skin, forcing her nose and ears to burn with freezing temperature.

"Are you heading this way?" A deep voice asked as she turned to find a man guiding a horse behind her. In a moment, she was captured by him. His eyes were a deep green that almost made her speechless as she then analyzed him from the top, down. His dark hair laid damp over his eyes as it was obvious that he had recently done something active. His skin, although somewhat stained from dirt and sweat, was a crisp tan that was incredibly alluring with his dark features. The way he stood was masculine as he demanded the placement of the horse with a loose grip upon the reins and a strong build keeping him together. His voice was a hint Scottish-only showing in very few words or when he became incredibly passionate when speaking.

"Do you desire a ride?" He asked as her eyes grew wide.

Without speaking, she shook her head and denied his kind offer before he handed her something from his jacket pocket. Giving him a confused look, he hopped onto his horse as he called back to her.

"For your company." He said as she revealed the item to be several gold coins marked fresh with a new stamp of creation. Realizing he had come from money, she looked up for him once more, but found he had left her. Clutching the coins towards her chest, she made her way towards the shops to finally use something that had nothing to do with the brothel or those girls.