The streets of Austice were aflutter with gossip over Madame Mathilda’s brothel workers. Some believed that the infamous business owner had fired everyone, others that there was an outbreak of a venereal disease. Then there were those that made their way down to the establishment to see for themselves just what had happened.

What none of them were prepared for, were the gaggle of Knights that had blocked off the street, or for the heated discussion between a tall redhead and the King’s assistant.

“Mr. Howard, these women deserve better treatment. This place is considered to have the best working conditions, and yet it ruins all other job prospects and-”

-“I don’t care! Our priority is finding what the Madame knows, I am not interested in helping whatever nonsensical chaos you’ve bred this time!”

Fin’s hands were planted firmly on his hips as he stared down at Mr. Howard. The man looked dead set against him, and mage Lee had faded into the crowd at some point, unwilling to help.

“The Knights are questioning Mathilda’s assistant as we speak. You have time to go through what I’ve recorded and tell me what they should be making, reasonable raises, and what they could afford to put towards the post-education fund.”

Mr. Howard’s flat expression didn’t indicate that he felt similarly, so Fin changed tactics.

“You’re the best person for this job.”

“That, I won’t dispute.”

“Great! Then you won’t mind taking a look and letting us know!”

“Mr. Ashowan, I am not going to-”

A trio of nearby prostitutes sidled over to the arguing pair then. Two of the girls draped themselves gracefully over Mr. Howard’s tensed shoulders, while the third one squared off in front of him.

“Is it true you’re the King’s assistant?” A waif like blonde on his left brushed her lips near Mr. Howard’s ear, making the man twitch.

“You know we want to properly thank you for helping us,” a buxom brunette on his right lifted his arm and began gently stroking his fingers.

The third woman present was the one who had rallied the women in the first place, and Fin had since learned she was named Giselle. Though her working name was Gigi. She addressed the redhead then.

“We’ve been thinking of calling the group Whores United.”

“Isn’t that just a threesome?” the blonde woman asked, blinking in confusion.

Fin winced as he noticed Mr. Howard visibly recoil at the exchange.

“Perhaps we just call it United… Workers,” the redhead managed to get out while keeping an unreadable expression.

Giselle gave a single shoulder shrug. “Suit yourselves.”

She then turned to Mr. Howard who looked like a deer staring down the shaft of an arrow.

“Now, perhaps Mr…. Howard was it? Perhaps we can work out an agreement.”

The assistant looked to Fin, and the witch could see that while the ladies could work their charms on Lee, Kevin Howard did not enjoy such attentions.

“Perhaps Mr. Howard would like to hear about what kinds of wine Madame Mathilda offers for her… err… esteemed guests?”

Giselle shot Fin an incredulous look, but then noticed that the assistant’s face suddenly relaxed a little.

“Of course! We have some of the best quality wines reserved for such customers. Girls, why don’t you show our new friend inside, I’m sure the Knights working there won’t mind a cool ale themselves.”

Fin grinned as the trio then proceeded to usher Mr. Howard passed him towards the doorway, though as he brushed by the witch, the assistant uttered, “This isn’t over Ashowan.”

Chuckling, the redhead turned back to the street that while damp, was at least no longer victim to the wall of rain that had plagued its cobblestones earlier that morning.

“Mr. Ashowan?”

A Knight Fin didn’t recognize, but who looked quite serious stood in the doorway of the brothel. “Ms. Nonata and the Captain would like to speak with you.”

With a short nod, the cook followed him back into Madame Mathilda’s business, and up the stairs to the assistant’s office.

Once inside the room, the witch spared the Captain only a brief glance. That was all he needed to determine that Antonio was not having an easy time of it with the woman, who looked equally irked.

“Ms. Nonata here is insisting that only you be the one to meet and speak with the Madame,” Antonio growled.

Fin couldn’t hide his shock as he turned to the woman who was openly glaring at him.

“Why me?”

“Because I think you of all people should know who you are messing with!” she declared while folding her arms imperiously.

“Would that be a threat?” the Captain asked with a hard gleam in his eye.

Elizabeth Nonata paled slightly, but quickly regained her composure. Fin couldn’t blame her, he had never seen the Captain in such circumstances before, and was quickly discovering that he could be an incredibly frightening man.

“No, but Mr- what was your name again? Ashen?”

“Ashowan,” the Captain snapped, making Elizabeth jump, and shoot Fin a look of wonder.

“Right. Mr. Ashowan here has completely upended Madame Mathilda’s business, and I think the very least he can do is look her in the face and explain why.”

“Ms. Nonata, you do realize that in the event there is evidence discovered that you were smuggling in Troivackian men on one of the boats your Madame has invested in, that this establishment will be completely shut down? Then following that discovery there would be a devastatingly short trial, where both yourself and your employer will be imprisoned for obstruction and shortly thereafter hung for treason.”

The assistant visibly gulped.

“I did try to warn you that I was the lesser evil…” Fin murmured innocently while also inching away from the Captain who looked ready to arrest the woman right then and there.

Elizabeth shot him an acid glare before addressing the military leader.

“I-I’m aware. However, we have nothing to hide! I’ve already given instructions on which ships funded by the Madame is docked here in Austice, and the schedule for the two that are out on their trade routes.”

“Regardless, I will be present when Mr. Ashowan questions the Madame.” Antonio’s tone left little room for debate, and so with a small sigh, and an even smaller nod, Elizabeth straightened her shoulders.

“Very well. Follow me.” The assistant swiftly strode out of the room and began strolling down the balcony.

Both Fin and the Captain wordlessly followed, and when they passed by some of the Knights that stood guard, Antonio waved them off.

When they reached the stairs, Elizabeth veered into the nearest room on her right, and entered.

It was a shabby room compared to the reset of the house, with worn floorboards that were in desperate need of a polish, and stained walls that Fin didn’t want to think too much about. Elizabeth faced the back wall, where an equally dreary tapestry hung, and lifted it to reveal a door shaped crack that ran around the wall. It would’ve been tough to spot if someone had happened to look behind the tapestry in the dark…

Elizabeth then issued an irregular knocking pattern, then proceeded to push the hidden door open.

Fin frowned as he tried to remember the buildings near the brothel, and realized that they must be attached… meaning Madame Mathilda owned the establishment beside her own. An unremarkable cobbler worked below if the redhead recalled correctly… perhaps his wife was the Madame?

Antonio moved through the secret doorway before Fin, and proceeded to follow Elizabeth Nonata into an empty apartment that had graying floorboards, and a single grimy round window. She didn’t stop moving however, and instead continued across the span of the room until she reached the next wall.

Then, reaching upwards she pulled free a short rope that had been tucked between two stones, and pulled open a trap door in the ceiling attached to a ladder that lowered down silently to the ground.

“What is the purpose of this empty room?” Antonio asked with his hand still clasped around the hilt of his sword.

“We send the girls here who might need to hide.”

“Don’t you have guards for that?” Fin pointed out suspiciously.

“Sometimes the girls have family members that they’d rather hide from than have forcefully ejected, and we respect their wishes,” the assistant quipped.

“Why did you knock if this room was empty?” Antonio demanded stepping closer to Elizabeth, which in turn made her fidgeted.

“I knocked because sometimes the Madame is in there listening. I wanted to give her a warning if she happened to be waiting to speak with me about all of the ruckus.”

The Captain’s eye narrowed threateningly, he wasn’t buying her story, but the assistant waved him up towards the open trap door.

“Go see her for yourself and ask.” Antonio’s footfalls were heavy as he moved purposefully towards the ladder, his armor gleaming in the pale light coming in through the window.

“Gods I feel sorry for your wife,” Elizabeth muttered at the Captain’s back when he had moved up the ladder out of earshot.

Fin closed his eyes and did his best to not respond to the glib remark. Instead, he nudged the assistant to follow up after Antonio, which she began to do with an indignant sniff. Once she was up the ladder completely, the redhead followed.

When he finally stepped into the room above the empty apartment, Fin realized that the attic space they were in was completely dark, but there was a doorway to their right rimmed with light.

“Good Gods is this maze?” Captain Antonio demanded as Elizabeth hurried forward.

“As the Madame’s assistant it is my job to keep her safe.”

There was a strange hitch in her voice as she opened the door, and in the warm glow that cascaded out of the doorway, Fin was then able to see that she was gripping her skirt with her free hand until her knuckles were white.

“Lizzie? Whatever seems to be going on in the street? Is there another festival?”

A strange voice called out, and after a brief look at each other, both the Captain and Fin stepped into the brightly lit room that was…

Pink.

Every scrap of cloth there was in the large apartment, was the same shade of pink, and past the large four poster bed in the middle, was a desk with a golden framed mirror perched atop, where a woman with long sandy colored hair sat facing the glass, a pink feathered fan open and shielding her face in the reflection.

“Mathilda?” Elizabeth asked quietly, rushing into the room quickly and blocking the view of the woman before Fin could get a better look.

“Oh Lizzie what have you done?”

That strange voice again…

“Things are a-a little hectic downstairs, but that redheaded oaf I told you about? He’s here, and we have to answer his questions.”

Fin frowned at being called an oaf, but soon ignored that as he craned his neck to try and once again get a better view of the Madame.

“My dear, whatever for?”

“They think we are shipping in Troivackian soldiers.”

“Oh what nonsense. Should I summon Jonesy?” Madame Mathilda stood then, revealing that she was remarkably tall for a woman, and wide though her fan still covered her face…

“No! No, don’t fetch Jonesy.” Elizabeth sounded terrified at the notion, which made Fin and Antonio share a meaningful glance before turning their attention back to the scene unfolding in front of them.

The assistant then slowly pivoted back to face the Captain and Fin and, with the Madame’s hand resting on her arm, she guided her forward.

Fin noticed Mathilda’s dress was a gaudy mix of patterns all in various shades of pink, red, and orange, and yet she wore boots… men’s boots.

By the time the fan had been lowered Fin knew roughly what he was about to see, and apparently so did the Captain.

The pair of them stared into the whiskered face of a man, who had painted a dark mark on his cheek, and wore a long strand of pearls around his neck.

“What is the meaning of this?” Antonio demanded angrily, making Elizabeth unconsciously jump and step in front of her employer.

“Captain Antonio, Mr. Ashowan, th-this is Madame Mathilda.”

Fin blinked.

“Well you brutes certainly know how to gape like the best of my clients. So tell me, what is all of this nonsense about Troivackian soldiers?” the man asked while raising a haughty eyebrow and looking back and forth between them while gently pressing Elizabeth back to her side.

“Madame Mathilda,” Fin was the first to recover as he cleared his throat. “One of the girls you used to employ named Sultry Sandy is believed to have distracted me from monitoring a pair of Troivackian men that were believed to be from the military here to attack Austice citizens.”

“I see, and are you aware of what ‘Sultry Sandy’s’ profession was at the time young man?”

“I’m aware, but it was plain as day I wouldn’t be able to afford her… services. So there was no need for-”

“The quality of your clothes is quite fine. I think she appraised you well enough.”

“I was not wearing fine clothes at the time.”

Fin could feel Captain Antonio’s eye rake over him, and he did his best not to suddenly appear shifty under his scrutiny.

“I see, well. Why is it you believed those two men were soldiers? What nefarious deed had they done that made you so bothered by them, hm?”

“I believe we’re the ones here to ask the questions.” Antonio stepped forward then, making the assistant leap between him and the Madame yet again.

It was then that Fin really looked at the assistant. Then studied the Madame a little closer as well, and after a few moments, had a theory…

“Are you two related?”

Elizabeth visibly paled, and the Madame turned on him with a bemused smile. “That’s the first sign of intelligence you’ve given me. Yes, this is a younger sister. Now, once again, tell me why is it my establishment is under such discourteous investigation?”

Fin winced, he could tell that the conversation was going nowhere quickly, and judging from Antonio’s expression, he didn’t have long before things escalated.