Heart Over Sword
Chapter 201: Storytelling (2)

Chapter 201: Storytelling (2)

"They haven’t told my girls anything about their next destination," Madame Liz replied to Ronan, adjusting her red skirts as she sat down on the desk in her private office. The older woman wore more than enough make-up on her wrinkled face, though even behind her age, Ronan knew she was once a beauty. Her greyish-blonde hair sat around her bare shoulders where the dress was strapless, and she held onto a fur coat around her arms.

She flicked her hand out, gesturing for him to give her what she needed.

"The night’s still young," Ronan began as he wandered closer to the madame, placing only two out of eight vials in the woman’s hand. "Maybe your girls will have more information by the end of it."

"Where’s the rest?" Liz demanded, expecting the other vials in payment.

Ronan turned his back on the woman, his gaze roaming the dark wooden room with fumes of tobacco wafting in the air. Unlike other brothels, there were no sounds of the women and their customers. It seemed even in Kuramji, there were differing qualities to the establishments, and prince Conrad’s men went to the higher-quality brothel.

"You will get the rest when I know for certain you are not holding back information for me." He looked back at her then, a smirk curling on his lips. He knew those girls of Liz’s could get the information he needed. Men loved to brag and talk about themselves, and who wouldn’t to a beautiful woman giving them time and attention.

Liz stood, narrowing her gaze at Ronan as she slid the vials down her bust and adjusted herself accordingly. "At the moment, they do not know their next destination. I cannot give you information that the men themselves do not know. Ronan, dear.." She sauntered towards him, putting her best smile on, which he knew she reserved for those she liked. Otherwise, she would have called for the guards outside the door.

"You know why these medicines are so important to these girls. Two vials are not enough," she said softly as her hand caressed his bicep. "I need them in working order."

Ronan refrained from revealing the disgust he felt from her touch and the words leaving her mouth; he couldn’t help the shiver running through him, though. Liz thought it was her charm that made his body act in such a way. How far she was wrong.

Four of the ’medicines’ were to help abort any unwanted pregnancies, and the other four were for sexual diseases. He was merely lucky that the black market was selling such herbs that day; otherwise, there would not have been a deal between them. Madame Liz could buy these vials from the black market, but they were out of stock, and the price of such a ’medicine’ was high.

Ronan cleared his throat. "I’ll give you another day. The two you have is for the girls who need them right now." He slipped his arm away from her hands and turned away, letting the door close behind him. The hallway was smoky and full of girls giggling and men chatting. Some sat down on benches against the walls in the hall, discussing with their friends while the woman serviced them.

Others tried gaining Ronan’s attention as he marched through the brothel, ignoring everything around him. Once outside, he breathed in the almost fresh air, relishing in the rain pouring down his face. He didn’t like brothels. Never had and never will. Sure he loved women, but the women he’d been with had the choice to sleep with him.

"I suppose I should see the others," Ronan sighed as he stepped down onto the street. But one look at a woman with wild flaming red hair made him jump for cover behind the small wall raised only to his waist. He peered over it, watching in silent astonishment as he couldn’t wrap his mind around what he was seeing.

There walking casually in the street with two royal guards by her side, was Cilv.

"What are you doing down there?" A courtesan asked, one who was leaning against the wall, her hip leaning out as she exhaled a puff of smoke.

Ronan flinched, his gaze still on the red-haired shapeshifter. Cilv turned her head in their direction just as Ronan lowered his head. The courtesan, who wore a light blue dress, her brown curls flowing down her back, smiled and waved in the direction Cilv was in. Ronan inhaled sharply, he couldn’t see what was going on, but he couldn’t have her see him.

"Don’t worry; your girl is going in the opposite direction." She approached him, leaning forward with her hands on her legs, letting her dress lower down on her bust.

Ronan looked away from her breasts and stood, his attention on Cilv walking further down the street. He couldn’t lose her, but he also didn’t have the gracefulness of Evanna or Cilv. The woman was a damn shapeshifter with the heightened senses of a cat; she could hear or probably smell him before Ronan even got close. He took a few steps and then looked back at the courtesan, who was already starting to walk away, noting his disinterest.

"Hey, what’s your name?" He asked her before she could walk any further.

The pretty courtesan turned back to him, smiling and wrapping her finger around her hair. "Whatever you want it to be, handsome."

"Alright. Emily, it is." He deadpanned.

With that, Ronan gave her one of the vials in payment, and she gladly took it, her eyes wide and sparkling, giving Ronan even more of her attention as though he was a rich man worth investing her time in. It didn’t matter to him as long as she played along with his plan. He only needed to follow Cilv and not lose her. ’Emily’ could hide him easily; her scent and chatting nonsense could cover him.

He hoped it was enough.

The pair wandered down the street, Emily’s arm in his as she babbled on about this and that, some jewellery she wanted; all the while, Ronan kept his gaze locked on Cilv’s small form. They rounded a corner, and he halted, immediately pulling Emily into his chest, and he gazed down at her, letting his hood fall over his head. Emily followed his lead and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her hands rest on the top of his head and bringing her face close to his.

A small smile lifted on his lips, noting how good Emily was at reading the situation. He watched over her head as Cilv looked in their direction, then the opposite direction and spoke to the guard. It was then he noted the shapeshifter was in front of the Rose and Crown. Ronan wanted to edge forward more to hear what they were saying, but this pretence of kissing would result in others looking at them oddly if he were to walk them towards Cilv.

Whatever it was, she said to the guard, they shook their head at her, and she pouted, then trying to brush her body against his. The man stiffened and stepped back, shaking his head.

"The information is true! Just let me see him!" She all but shouted, then sighed, glancing around. There was nobody there but them and the ’couple’ kissing on the corner. Though Cilv’s gaze halted on them. Ronan inhaled sharply and twisted, pushing Emily against the wall closest to them, his mouth going to her neck. The courtesan followed his lead, hooking her leg over his hip, and started gasping and moaning. Ronan held her thigh in place while looking out of the corner of his eye.

Cilv returned her attention to the guard. Ronan lifted Emily up in an even more promiscuous position and started to move them slowly towards the shapeshifter and guard.

Cilv’s hands went to her hips as she huffed. "As I said before, ma’am. There are others before you we need to verify before handing out rewards. You can either wait here or return in the morning. It may take all night."

Ronan halted, listening to their conversation.

"Fine, then I will return tomorrow morning; I assume eight will be fine; I don’t plan on spending another day in Kuramji. And I WILL be the first to see him," Cilv demanded, then threw her hood over her head and turned down an alleyway. The guard released a breath and looked at his comrade, eyes wide.

"Don’t ya need to follow her there?" Emily asked breathlessly.

Ronan looked up at her from the position he’d kept them in. "No, I wouldn’t put you in that danger, love." He lowered her back to the ground, watching as she adjusted her skirts.

The girl bit her lip and eyed him longingly. "You know, you did pay handsomely.. I can do more than pretend.." Her hand went to his chest and started to glide down his abdomen.

Ronan smiled gently at her, his hand curled around her hand, halting her from going any further. "As beautiful as you are, Emily, I’m afraid I cannot be enticed. It seems the vial costs more than a night’s worth.. Take it off and take care of yourself." He spun around, leaving the courtesan to sigh after him.

"My name is Sophia." He stopped, only to smile over his shoulder. Courtesans didn’t give their real names to just anybody. "If there is anything else, no matter what, I will help. A chat, information, only pretending to be a lover.. I can’t deny I’d love to feel how you use that.." Her eyes lowered to his groin, and she licked her lips. "But I can see your heart belongs to another."

Sophia walked up to him again, a finger caressing his sharp jaw. "I don’t mind pretending to be her either. Just don’t deny yourself pleasure, handsome."

It was all too tempting, but he noted how Sophia could come in handy in the future. "I’ll keep that in mind."

He left her there and returned to the Snake Pitt Inn, feeling the first bit of excitement at the idea of being useful. Ger would lose his shit once he told him Cilv was in Kuramji.