Chapter 1

I definitely slept wrong on my neck last night. As I go to pick up the bottles of ale and bring them up to my aunt. Before I head upstairs I quickly make my makeshift bed sleeping with the ale is better than sleeping in the cold so that’s my little home the ale room my aunt and uncle never come down here so they don’t mind as long as I’m not seen and I don’t interfere with anything. Its early but I like to get my chores done quickly so I have time to find myself food I ran out 2 days ago and have had no time to go hunting so hopefully I will today.

As I luge the bottles up I see Rosie sitting at a bench rose is one of the ladies who serves and offers her services here at the brothel. “Aww Ashe sweetheart would you be a doll and pour me a glass.” Rosie had curly golden-brown hair and golden skin. Her eyes were the richest brown almost black. I poured her a glass “long night” I said as I slid the glass across the bar. “I had 3 customers all through the night and oh did I make some money,” she says tapping her breast was where she would keep all the cash she earned she would have to give half to my aunt and uncle but it was still quite a good sum.

For the past three years being here I have been pressured to do what Rosie does. That is the only time ill get compliments from my aunt she says I’m so beautiful and I’m just wasting my beauty. I have nothing against Rosie or all the other women who work here it's their job and there always kind to me it's just something I don’t think I could do all those women are way stronger than I could ever be. I came here when I was thirteen and I work at the bar giving the girls the order but once I turned 15 I grew I got a nice pair of breasts which annoy the hell out of me and I no longer looked like a child so men would try to get me to serve them and when I told him no he was quite angry that night. My uncle threatened that if I refused anyone else he would beat me to a pulp I told him I would never sell me my body. And he gave me that beating he promised I couldn’t walk for a week. So from then on as long as I refuse to work and serve them men I’m not fed by them I have to get my own food and they don’t give me a salary but they give me a warm room with a fire no matter how crappie sleeping next to ale is at least its someplace to stay.

I wouldn’t get very far in this world I’m a woman for one my education stopped when I was fourteen not that that would get me very far and I had my no family. My aunt and uncle aren’t even there my father's cousin's son and they make me call them aunt and uncle. Ashe, you excited for your big day tomorrow” “shh Rosie” I couldn’t let my aunt or uncle know I hoped they had forgotten it seems like they had because every year for about 2 weeks before my birthday they start being nice to me again trying to convince me I mean something to them every fucking year I have fallen for it but all they want is the type of clientele I bring in when I was 16 I was out in the market with my uncle getting supplies for the brothel he had been really nice finally said my aunt was out of line and he even had given me a bed I feel so stupid looking back I should have known he was just out trying to get potential clients because when we went to the dressmaker her called me his best girl and said I make him the most money. He bought me a dress. A memory I don’t care to relive that was the worse night of my life. He told everyone around town that I was his new worker and I would be giving my services of course that wasn’t true but his years is the only year they haven’t tried maybe because I’m turning 18 but Rosie doesn’t need to blow my cover “ oh come on Ashe do you think they really forgot” “no Rosie I’m not an idiot I just want to lay low so nothing goes wrong.” “ sweetheart you need to get the hell out of this place” “thank you Rosie but pointing out the obvious isn’t going to help me.” She laughed I went to start cleaning the table “sweetheart I’m just saying your parents wanted the world for you and they … they would hate to see you like this you have so much potential sweetheart you just need to use it.”

Rosie always talks about my parents even though in my whole life I only saw her maybe ten times around my old house she come and stay for a few days then I wouldn’t see her for another year or so. I know I was only 13 when I lost my parents but I hate it every time Rosie says she knows more than me they were my parents. I know I have it coming for me tomorrow and Rosie is my only friend right now so instead of responding I just start passive-aggressively start cleaning the table “tsk” is all I heard from Rosie and that made me smile a little. I was mopping the floor when my uncle came in he didn’t say anything to me he just went upstairs to his office and slammed the door. Not a good day apparently. I take a deep breath and trudge on.

My chores were tedious and exhausting but I was done by midday and grabbed my bow and hunting knife and took me trek to the forest to hunt for my food. I taught myself how to hunt so I’m pretty shit at it so hopefully I get at least a squirrel or rabbit. It's early spring and everything is muddy but there’s still snow. I quickly set some small traps and walk deeper into the forest the mid-day sun is so bright I sit down against a tree and just soak up the sun when I was little my mother and I would walk through the forest picking wildflowers and talking to the sprites which I still think I made up. But never the less every time I’m out in the forest I think of her and it makes me smile according to Rosie I look more like my dad one part of me is my mother I just need to unlock that part of myself. Whatever that meant I did have her eyes my eyes were an ocean blue but some days they looked grey. My father would say I had a storm in my eyes waiting to be unleashed. My mother had the brightest red-orange hair it curled nice and thick, her skin I remember it like porcelain always clear and bright. My father had eyes of light green pale like peridot he had short, cropped hair it was a light brown in the sun he had blond highlights. Mom always said my hair was the perfect mix of both of there a golden strawberry blond. Mines almost down to my navel but it's never out of braids these days. We were happy I guess as you could ever be my father worked he cut wood for a living and my mother was a healer she knew how to use every herb and think in the forest to help you I also knew what I couldn’t and couldn’t eat what would kill someone and the antidote mum would just teach me everything about every plant in the forest we spent most of our time out in the forest and she would let me help her when she saw patients or hurt people I enjoyed it I learned a lot my parents always had people in and out of the house. They were always kind to me but some seemed not strange but different. I think they helped people re-locate. From what I don’t know but they were never at our house for more than a night.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

When mum and I would spend our afternoon talking with the sprites in the forest sprites are these tiny fairies that lived in the woods because they loved humans. They used to braid my hair and would give me flowers and make me crowns. But I don’t know anymore once my mother got sick I ran out to the forest begging the sprites to help me but I couldn’t find any not a single one so I think I might have imagined them as something of an overactive mind. On our forest journeys mum would talk about the fairy realms and how they were once one large realm where humans and fae and faerie alike would live and love they were ruled by human kings and queens but the fae rebelled and the humans were about to lose the war but a powerful fae king wanted the best for both people so he used all his magic and life force to split the realms the king was in love with a mortal and when he split the realms he wanted peace between both people. The king wanted a world where the realm could once more combine. My mother told me of the two kingdoms that now ruled the faire realms Elgold was its name apparently thee were two powerful kingdoms the land was divided one kingdom was a kind and bright kingdom while the other was dark and full of secrets. Both kingdoms were ruled by kings who would do anything to save their kingdoms. The Elgold was a wonderful place full of magic and all different types of creatures my mother said it beauty was unmatched golden trees and sunsets every color imagine able lovely huge castle with horses and gilded everything. I used to ask so many questions but I think they're just fairy tales now but I hold onto them most people believe fae exist not that anyone has ever seen one but people have ash stakes and wear iron to keep fae away but there is no proof that there real so let them have their fairy tale.

A rustle in the forest knocked me out of my thoughts it sounded like footsteps but I slowly got up and looked around there was no one in sight. I’m probably hearing I trudged deeper into the forest the sun was starting to set still I found nothing so I turned around to head back my uncle would need me to restock the ale before the midnight rush. Hopefully, there is something in my traps if not ill try to slip an apple or two from my old neighbor's yard. I had taken 2 steps when a heard a giggle it sound like a little girl I walked around searching for the source of the noise I called out but no response once again I heard the giggle I ignored it this time I really need to get back to the brothel Evera” I heard whispered in my ear Evera was my mother's name she was known to most people as Mrs. Armentrout “who is there who speaks my mother's name.” I cried “be ready daughter of fire for your movements will turn lives to dust and kingdoms to ash hold your power and be ready. Evera soul lives on in you good luck daughter of fire”. It sounded like someone was standing right next to me whispering in my ear. “show yourself” I yell into the empty forest I’ve been out here too long I’m going crazy. This isn’t happening I wipe my hand over my face moving some of the strands that fell out of my braid I blew out a breath. What is wrong with me it's probably just all the reminiscing I was doing thinking of sprites and magic. I need rest today this is not a great sign if I’m hearing voices that’s not going to be a great start to my adulthood.

I tugged back and check my traps I laid out 4 traps and all of them had full-grown rabbits in them I had never caught more than one rabbit at a time this was more food than I ever had with all the fur I could make a new blanket. I collected the rabbits and made my way back to the brothel. It was already a little busy so I had to sneak in the back so no one would see me I didn’t feel like having a beating. I crawled in the window I quickly prepared my food to eat then I threw on bulky clothes taking a look at the clock I saw I needed to bring up the ale for that night so I headed to bring up the ale I made no eye contact with anyone dropped the ale off and quickly raced back down to my room. I would stay awake until a little past midnight. As I sat on my ramshackle bed playing that message I heard in the woods over and over again I knew it couldn’t have meant me it must have been a mistake sprites and fairies weren't real I was just missing my mother I was tending to the fire when I heard feet scuffling outside the door I quickly ran up to the door to see if I could hear who was there. I didn’t recognize the steps there was a knock on the door I didn’t answer we were in a cellar no one knocks on a cellar door “girl if you are in there and don’t answer the door” “avia what the hell are you doing down here” avia was another one of the girls who worked here she was only a few years older than me had worked here since her 18th I pulled the door open she was in her work anterior her chest falling out and her corset pulled so tight I don’t know how she was breathing. “avia what the hell are you doing down here” “its midnight” she said as if I knew exactly what that meant I. I gave her a confused look “happy birthday” she pulled me into a tight embrace and pulled something out of her pocket. This is a gift from Rosie she wanted to give it to you in person but she is busy avia pulled out a small chain it had a small green stone peridot like my dad's eyes. Ugh thank you avia and be sure to thank Rosie for me” aww miss Ashe you have a great day” “thanks” avia gave me another huge hug and went back upstairs I held the necklace in my hand I was about to bring ale up so I put the necklace in my pocket I brought the ale up my aunt giving me a slap for letting them get too low and then I went to bed for the night