Other than the little hoots and toots of the Quelekita themselves, the carriage ride is peaceful and quiet. It’s a pretty neat thing! A top that can be pulled back for a nice view as you ride, and two well raised and very friendly Quelekita to pull the two wheeled thing through the busy snow covered streets.

Yrelia and I sit in silence. Not because of some problem or worry. Just… she’d gotten very serious and spent the day going over things. She often handled the… eh… performance of our work, and left me to just be really quiet and good at pleasuring our clients. But… tonight will be all me.

The silly part was that when Tasii and I told her about our plan to slow the Hetaera work down after I had calmed down a bit, she was like… six steps ahead of us. Wasn’t wanting to teach me how to do really well tonight, but how to not do really well. Taught me how to perform like I was a half-trained Hetaera, bumbling and nervous and very much not ready for a one-on-one encounter. Just enough to show that this person had made a mistake, but not enough for them to get angry or end the night early. It was assumed they give only half of such a sum up front, so I still needed to make them feel the need to pay.

It wasn’t a hard thing, and mostly came down to letting me indulge some of my more annoying nervous habits. If anything, it could have been a great exercise to help me spot those things in future and change them if we weren’t going to end our Hetaera work after tonight.

So now we sit, enjoying the cold night air and ride of luxury through this gorgeous Arudian city. Get to watch everything turn from busy night life, to quiet streets in front of… well… really huge homes! We’d decided a simple top and skirt with tights was a good idea. Dark and warm, simple to remove and redress when needed. And with the tights and comfy, albeit sexy, underthings. It’s an outfit that offers beauty while also seeming pretty simple and lower standing than someone like Lady Rell might expect.

Then we’re there, and our escort is helping us step down from the carriage.

“I’ll wait here for your return.” She nods to Yrelia.

“Thanks so much!” Yrelia gifts them a charming smile, and we’re moving up to the front doors of one of the bigger homes amidst the street of huge buildings.

She reaches down, squeeze my hand. “You sure this is okay?”

“Mhm.” I reply, fighting down the sudden titters.

“Because we can call this off, right now.”

“No, no.” I shake my head. “It’s… honestly kinda exciting! Just a shame this’ll be a one night thing. I’m actually starting to think I might have made a pretty okay Hetaera!”

She giggles, and I can hear her nervous tension. “You’d take over the world if you had a real teacher.”

I turn and give her a head tilt. “Yrelia… you are a real teacher. Wonderful and amazing and–”

I only get to enjoy her blush for a second before the door clicks and clanks, before swinging open to reveal an older woman. She’s dressed in simple clothes and has a bit of a rough complexion. But she looks between us with a smile, invites us in and introduces herself as the housekeeper of the grounds.

After only a moment of delay, Jutic is coming out from a side passage to greet us with much more warmth than before. She’s… dressed in much more comfortable clothes. Still practical for a day about the town, but not inelegant to be confused for a common traveler. Form fitting in a way that makes her body seem almost androgynous.

“Thank you again for coming.” She finishes taking our hands gently. Then she asks the housekeeper to go retrieve something as we speak, leaving us alone.

“So…” Yrelia looks about, eyes passing expectantly over side doors. “Is The Lady Rell on her way down or…”

“Ah, no.” Jutic smiles apologetically. “I’m afraid I must apologize for a deception, but… I am The Lady Rell.”

There is a pause. Yrelia turns to eye her. “Eh?”

Jutic bows her head, not in shame, but uh… “Yes, I… prefer to conduct much of my business under the guise of a first servant. It makes talks and negotiations more… informal.”

Yrelia huffs, “Well… Fuck. I really did turn off all my charms the moment I thought you were her servant.”

Jutic smiles and chuckles. “It was refreshing, and I prefer to talk plainly rather than dance around ancient customs of politeness and etiquette. Especially with… in such matters as we intend to conduct tonight.”

Then the housekeeper returns. Holding a… Well, it's kinda a small chest. Simple… but… the lock looks pretty hefty. “Jutic, I’ll place this in the carriage then?”

That… That looks like full payment. All up front. Fuck! Jevita was spot on with that. Even our best clients still prefer the half and half method.

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Jutic nods, “Yes please, and you can drop the… eh, deceptions. Around these two. If you can stand it. Use my family title please.”

The housekeeper's eyes go a little wide. “Oh… Alright. Um… apologizes. Lady Rell.” Then she’d bustling down into the cold.

“The payment for tonight is all there,” Jutic nods to Yrelia. “Will there be anything else needed to put your mind at ease? I give you a Lady’s promise that Ina will be returned safe and well by the morning.”

Yrelia gives me one last look, a question. This feel alright?

I nod, give her a hug and peck on the cheek. “Thank you, for everything. And… helping me do this.”

She smirks, but leaves it at that and is gone. A long pause passes before I turn back to… Judic. Or… The Lady Rell? Fuck I hope this isn’t too confusing.

“Dinner is being brought to a more comfortable setting upstairs. If you’ll allow me to take your coat then we can head up?”

I let some of my nervousness bleed into my smile as she helps me from my coat. Then I take her arm and we’re heading through this huge and crazy home.

As we walk… something pings my nose. Pricks at a memory.

Bone knife through the eye. Monster on the stairs. Painful fucking Division and–

“Ina?” Judic asks as I weather the little memory.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m…” I huff as the spike of pain fades, finding that I’d stopped halfway up a stairwell. Arudian foot hangs an inch from my next step. I blush as I see her worried expression. “Just… uh… thought my stone leg was coming loose. Nothing to worry about!”

She nods, and doesn't ask anymore as we finish our journey. She sits me down in a large… well it’s kinda a bedroom, study… thing. Even has a couple really comfy chairs and little tables for easy meals. As I plop down Judic… doesn’t. Just moves to stand next to a table. Seems to be waiting.

“Uh…” I ask nervously. “Will you not be sitting with–”

A side door clicks, opens, and an Arudian male comes into the room from a passage on the far wall. Uh… Arudian male? Here. With… with myself and the Lady? Is… is she expecting me to–

“Oh… hello.” I stand again to greet him politely. All my training being brought to bear as little nervous titters began to flutter about.

Screaming that something isn’t right here…

“Ah, Judic. I thought I heard you coming.” He nods to her, then turns to me. “And you must be Inamatorii, It’s so wonderful to meet you!”

He’s an older man, with simple short dark brown hair and a plentiful little beard with little streaks of gray throughout. Tall, with a decent amount of muscle in his build. And is currently dressed in a fine tunic with elegant embroidery laced throughout. Simple dull brown eyes to match his hair, and a dark maroon Arudian skin tone. There is a softness to him that the males in Lyttoral don’t have, not feminine, but… just more care given to his skin and hair.

I… expect my training to crack at seeing a man. Wondering if… If I’d panic or find myself a puddle of anxiety and dysphoric muddles if I ever saw one after I left Lyttoral. But… I’m mostly just very fucking confused and worried that this night will entail more than we–

“You can just call me Ina.” I let him take my hand politely. “Nice to meet you too, I um… wasn’t expecting… Well The Lady Rell didn’t mention that we’d… um… have company.”

He pauses, quirks his head to Jutic. “The Lady…”

“I bore your name in these matters.” She shrugs, “The student is honest, but her teacher is hiding too much for my liking.”

“Wh…what?” I can’t help the crack in my training at that.

He turns back to me, twisted smirk of apology. “Ah… um you’ll have to forgive Judic. She is tasked with my safety and my… family's reputation. Often takes my name in such matters.”

“What? Is the housekeeper going to come up next? Maybe the woman who drove us here?” I can’t help the crack hit then, can’t stifle a giggle at… at the madness of all this. But… mostly I wonder how much is to distract me from the implications of this. “How many Lady Rells should I prepare to meet tonight?”

Judic goes stiff, the… well then he quirks his head, confused.

I manage to swallow the next titters. “It’s just… first she’s Judic, then she’s the Lady, and now… what? A male is claiming to be… the…”

I trail off, all humor drains as I realize how… cruel and horrible my words are! “Oh. I’m so sorry! That’s… It was just… If you claim that then I have no right to–”

“Inamatorii– I mean Ina, It’s quite alright!” He does smile then, real and good natured. “Honestly I’m only just now realizing how much of a mess this all is!”

I relax a little. “Thank you. Can… Can we start over? Maybe… make sure I don’t get anyone mixed up with their desired titles and names and such?”

“I would be delighted.” He assures me. “I am, in any legal and business capacity. A Lady of the family of Rell. But… as you can see, That doesn’t quite fit my… well, me.”

I nod, perfectly following. “Are… um… is there a name you’d prefer?”

That seems to lighten him up even more, even Judic seems… well… a little surprised at the question. Pleasantly so. Which is a fucking relief after what I blubbered about earlier.

“Zin, if you can stand it.”

“That’s… I can, yes. It's a nice name. And…” I turn to Judic, but she’s already beginning to leave.

“I’ll be about if you need me,” She says just before closing the doors. Leaving me alone with Zin.

He rubs at the back of his neck, “So sorry again about all the fuss and confusion. She really is just trying to keep me safe and well. If I had known she was claiming…”

I sigh, “I’m the one who should be eating my stone foot. I’m so sorry I implied you were… um… well in any way restricted from anything for wanting to just… be you.”

I swear, if his smile was big before, it’s positively glowing now. But then his eyes drift down to my leg. Face grows worried. A pause, then he realizes he was staring and jerks back up to my face.

“I… eh… would you prefer tea, or wine, or…” He stumbles through it.

I try to reassure him with a pleasant smile. “Tea sounds nice this early in the evening.”

He politely and quietly prepares a few mugs, and after handing me mine goes to stand and sip by the little desk in the corner. Distance. He’s uncomfortable, or… thinks I am. Am I? I shake the thought. Doesn’t matter. Remember your fucking training. Make Yrelia proud!

“I must say, I’m a little… nervous?” I speak up.

He was already looking my way, taking quiet moments to study me as I was studying him. “What of? I’d love to put your mind and heart at ease.”

I smile, “Nothing so horrible… I just… Well to be honest my training isn’t with men. I… I’m not sure how well I can perform.”

A lie, but an easy one. I know full well some very intimate tricks needed to get the male body moving in a good direction. I was fucking trapped in the body of one for… like… years and years!