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.
Please vote and leave feedback!
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.
"Not that I can think of, child. You run along!"
"Well, okay, but when will you be sending lunch up to Master Nathan?"
"Not for another hour or so. Why do you ask, child?" Chella cocked an eyebrow.
"Well, since it looks like I'm not going to be working in the kitchen anymore, I thought I'd do something as a final last thing that I never did before." Shiloh smiled, looking for a reason to go back upstairs again.
"That is not necessary, little Shiloh. Run along. You have lessons to complete. You mustn't keep Master Nathan waiting."
"Alright!" Shiloh pouted and headed for her room. She quickly changed out of her kitchen girl clothes and into a dress she'd sewn herself for a special occasion. It was a light blue to match her eyes with a plunging neckline and a skirt that barely reached her thighs. She pulled on a pair of matching stockings and slipped on the dyed blue shoes she had on the night Vico brought her from the castle. She ran into Chella's room and twirled before a mirror. The dress was pretty and fit her well. All those nights of lost sleep had really paid off.
Next she grabbed up her brush, smoothing out the tangles from her long silky hair and with a deep breath, she faced the concept of going out into the city. Shiloh exited her room and walked through the kitchen to the hallway. She smiled at Nelina and headed down the stairs to the door that lead to the tavern floor. She opened the door and walked down the last remaining few stairs. She looked around curiously.
So this is the Bear Pit, the tavern I've heard both day and night for the last several months. It is snug and tidy, a place where merchants and yes, perhaps nobles would go for a nice meal. At least I haven't been scrubbing pots for drunken sailors
, she thought to herself.
Shiloh crossed the tavern floor to the door and opened it, stepping outside into the rain.
"Betancuria," she whispered aloud. She'd spent all of her life here, or rather, in the castle above the city. Her father hadn't wanted her to spend much time with the citizens. Too dangerous, everybody had told her. Especially with citizens like Vico.
She shivered. She had often been afraid of the city when she was younger. It seemed so...chaotic. So many people walking around aimlessly.
She sucked in a deep breath. It felt so good to be outside for a change, despite the fact that it was raining. She had never liked being confined to a single place for long. Now she just had to decide where in the city to go now that she had gained precious freedom.
She thought about Chella's lesson and decided to head over into South Betancuria. She had only ever been there twice in her life, visiting some noble who lived on the Isle of Men whom her father had hoped would marry her.
Looking around, she noticed the Isle of Men in the distance, the large noble houses now bearing the Dhorn standard. She scoffed and said a silent prayer to all those poor souls who had lost their lives when the Dhorn invaded. She walked up to a ferryman, knowing he could take her across the river.
"Ho, lovely girl. Have you need to cross the river? My cost is one gold piece." The ferryman hailed her.
Shiloh handed him one of the gold pieces Chella had given her. "Yes, thank you," she nodded and took the hand he extended to her. He helped her climb into the small boat and soon he was rowing away, his bulging arm muscles contracting with each stroke of the oars. She watched him intently. She couldn't help but stare, for she hadn't had a whole lot of contact with men.
A bright blush crossed her cheeks as she noticed that he knew she was staring. Shiloh mumbled an apology and gazed down into the dark blue murky depths of the river. Before she knew it, they were docking on the opposite side to the river. The ferryman helped her out and set her upon the dock.
She smiled and looked around, noticing the numerous sailors milling around, working. She also took note of the ominous presence of the Dhorn Patrol. Shiloh turned back to the ferryman. "Good sir, a question for you?"
"Hm?" He replied.
"Are there any...beggars nearby?" A bright blush reddened Shiloh's cheeks considerably.
