Disclaimer:
This fanfic is based off the Neverwinter Nights community module by the name of "A Dance with Rogues" created by Valine. I fell in love with this story and felt compelled to write something that compliments it. This story is rated Mature (NC-17) for explicit content and graphic violence. All characters except Shiloh, Bastian, Rhys, Nicca, Essex, and Narev are property of Valine.
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Lessons
Shiloh bounded down the stairs with Caron's name on her lips. She came to the crate filled corridor and found he was nowhere in sight. She sighed dejectedly. She had so much to tell him and he wasn't there. She guessed he'd been sent out on an errand or something.
With her hopes deflated, she entered the kitchen and made her way over to Chella. It delighted her that she wouldn't have to scrub pots today. She would begin to work on lesson one. Disguising. She had to talk to Chella about this one.
Shiloh plastered a bright smile on her face and approached the older woman. Chella smiled at her, "Well? How did your talk with Master Nathan go?"
Shiloh quipped impudently, "Quite well and unlike Vico, he didn't even spank me!"
"Shiloh!" Chella scowled disapprovingly at her. "You should really watch your language! You are not a harbor wench, young lady!"
"No, I guess I'm a kitchen girl now."
"And a really lazy one at that. You have wasted half the morning. Now tell me, what did he say?"
"He said that he'd like me to work for him. And that I should talk to you about a lesson."
Chella nodded at her approvingly. "So he thinks you are ready to venture out into the city again. Please, oh please, my little Shiloh, be very careful, will you?" She hugged her tightly.
"You know me, Chella. I'll do my best."
"Good. Now for the lesson...Well, what I want to teach you, other than how to survive in a kitchen with two lazy cooks in it...," she threw a supposedly mean glance in the direction of the cook pots, "...is how to change your appearance in such a way that your own mother wouldn't recognize you should she be standing right before you."
"I am fairly sure she wouldn't know me as dirty as I am!"
Chella laughed and muddled Shiloh's hair. "The main thing you want to achieve with your disguise is to make people see somebody else when they look at you. That can be arranged with expensive make-up and pearls just as well as ash on your cheeks and dirty broken fingernails. It all depends on the role you want to play.
"The beauty shop in town is where you can get your hair and make-up done, along with a manicure, pedicure, and perfume, things like that. If you want to be a princess, that's the place to go. You'll also need the corresponding clothes, of course. I have a dress that will fit you. It's in my room. Feel free to borrow it any time you want, but please don't lose it. It belonged to my daughter."
"I will take good care of the dress in case I ever need to borrow it, I promise."
"I know you will, my little Shiloh. Now, back to the lesson. The downside to being a princess is that everybody will be looking at you and we certainly don't want that for now, do we?"
"Well, no, I guess not, but I like when people look at me."
Chella frowned at her, shaking her finger. "We can't have that, though. So if you don't want people to pay attention to you, it's a good idea to pretend to be poor."
"There's no pretending to that, Chella. I am poor now. I went from living in a castle and having everything at my bloody fingertips to scrubbing pots in a kitchen. I went from being a
ROYAL PRINCESS
to being a servant. Have you any idea how humiliating this is? How humbling?" Shiloh balked, her temper exploding.
"There, there, child, calm down. Yes, it has been a very big adjustment for you, but you have weathered the change well. And I'd even go as far to say that you are a better person for it. Now, as I was saying, most people won't even look at you if you are dressed in rags, as if poverty were some illness they could catch."
Shiloh lowered her eyes and fought back the tears that burned in her eyes.
"For some, there is also the possibility of pretending to be the other sex. Though, that will not work in your case," she grinned and pointed at Shiloh's ample breasts.
"They're not that big..." Shiloh protested.
"Child, you wouldn't even fool a blind man, trust me." A soft laugh escaped Chella's lips.
Shiloh blushed bright red, crossing her arms over her chest in attempt to hide them.
"Sorry," she flashed a placating smile. "As a test, and in order to practice, I want you to disguise yourself as a street beggar girl. You should not have any difficulties finding the right 'make-up.' As for clothes, you may be able to get some from a beggar in the streets, though there are few of them left with the Dhorn making their poor lives miserable. Perhaps you can find one at the harbor. But do stay away from the sailors if you go there. I really mean it. They can be dangerous."
Shiloh scoffed, "Certainly no sailor can possibly be any worse than Vico." She gingerly rubbed her bottom and winced.
The older woman frowned upon her. "They are not nice people, young lady. If one takes a fancy to you, he won't ask, if you understand what I mean."
"Yes, I do, just like Vico."
Chella's frown increased. "You need to let go of this unhealthy preoccupation with Vico, girl. He's not nice, either. Steer clear of him."
Shiloh nodded in acquiescence. She really never wanted to see Vico again.
"Or you could ask a tailor to make the required clothes for you. Master Gaston runs a decent tailor shop to the north of here. I suppose you could tell him you want it for a costume ball. That may be costly, though. But I warn you, whatever you do, NEVER EVER tell people who you are. They'd sell you to the Dhorn for the prospect of a few coins."
"I won't, Chella. I'm not that stupid."
She smiled and nodded her head. "Come back here to me when you are ready to test your beggar girl outfit. We'll go upstairs and see if we can fool Master Nathan's bodyguards. If you succeed, you have learned and have passed my lesson. Oh, and one more thing....," Chella grabbed hold of Shiloh's hand and softly pressed a few coins into it. "This is for your work here, child. But don't spend it all at once."
Shiloh's jaw dropped open as she stared at the four gold pieces in her hands. "Thank you, Chella."
A fond smile graced Chella's face as she turned back to the loaves of bread that sat rising on her worktable.
"Chella, is there anything you need me to do before I start my lessons?" Shiloh softly asked, shaking in anticipation.
