After carefully counting out their coins, Elwin figured they had about enough money for two meals and as much as he would like to hold on to it, there was no sense in going hungry.

They split a big meal of beef, potatoes, bread, and steamed green vegetables they weren’t exactly sure what were, but trust that they ate every bite anyway.

Elwin carefully put away the left over money so that they could afford to buy breakfast in the morning. If they were lucky.

As much as he hated to stay over night in a house of ill repute, it did seem like after surviving their quarters back on the ship, they could handle anything. And his back couldn’t take another night with the edges of the small boat digging into him every time he moved. And he didn’t think he could handle sleeping in the sand, which would no doubt be more comfortable but full of bugs and small crabs. He desperately needed a good night’s sleep. Out of the weather, preferably.

“If you’re sure this is okay . . .” Elwin trailed, leaving the final responsibility up to Prin.

“Yes, I’m sure.” Prin said. “If it wasn’t okay, it wouldn’t have been offered.”

Still, the two of them walked slowly as they approached the coral painted house of Mama Kris.

“Aster said to go around to the back door.” The prince said. He peeked around the side of the house, noting the narrow alleyway between the buildings.

It made Elwin nervous, but it did seem unlikely it would be a trap. They had nothing to rob, even if this would have been a good place to do it.

The two of them made their way around to the back of the building, which was less ornate than the front. The back yard was large, and dotted with sheds, and a tall fenced garden plot, all strung together by a stone path. It was too homely and utilitarian to be a place where the customers were entertained. Trash containers stood against the back wall.

Prin marched confidently to the back door of the pink house and knocked on it, with Elwin trailing shyly behind him, wondering if they were making a big mistake.

Elwin had to admit, though not out loud, that he had some curiosity to see the inside of a brothel. Although no such places existed in TallHillde, at least in an official capacity, there had been whispers among other boys about what wonders might be inside of one. Although he wasn’t sure he had any inclination to be interested in women, it had been a long time since he had given it much thought. Except for an accidental glimpse here or there of a female relative, or neighbor girl, he had never seen one naked.

A young girl in a dress of plain brown cotton with an apron over it answered the door. “Yes?” She said. “Are you delivering something? Elseways you may have the wrong door.”

“We’re here to see . . .” Here Prin paused for a moment, considering. “Rose. She told us to come to the back door.”

The girl gave him a blank look, headed tilted to the side. “Just a second, I guess. Wait here.” She walked away out of sight.

The view that she left behind, was disappointing. A plain stone entryway with a few umbrellas and cloaks on hooks. Through an open door behind it was a kitchen, clean and rustic, with a large wood stove and a sink piled with crookery.

A pair of women came through the other side of the kitchen towards them.

The taller one was blonde, with her hair loose around her shoulders and a red shawl covering her, sheer silken gown (what Elwin could only assume was some kind of exotic underwear). The shorter one had brown hair and a face that would have been pretty if not marred by a perma-smirk that made her look like she didn’t think much of you and it was certainly personal. She was wearing head to toe black, although the garments did not remind one of those appropriate for mourning.

“Aww, little boys.” The blonde said. “Which one will you have Natalia?”

Elwin looked at Prin in confusion, neither of these women fit the description of the one he had told him about in great detail earlier.

“They don’t look like they have any money.” Natalia sneered. “Do you? More like rich men’s sons who have been cut off from the family larder.” She laughed.

“Cut off for a long time, dontcha reckon?” The blonde asked. “Sure are cute though.”

“We’re here to see Rose.” Prin said decisively. “She said if we came around to the back door someone would get her.”

“Oh, we know.” The blonde scoffed. “But you don’t want her anyway.” She shook her head and pushed on her nose with her finger. “Nose always in the air. Snob. You definitely couldn’t afford her prices.”

“You have to pay extra for the extra parts.” Natalia wiggled her pinky finger suggestively.

Both girls looked at each other and laughed wickedly.

“Oops, did you not know?” The blonde said, casting a condescending frown of faux apology at Prin.

Prin, whose face was turning red, looked like he was barely holding in some choice words to say the least.

“Let me make it up to you.” The blonde suggested, reaching for Prin’s hand.

“Why don’t you not.” Elwin swatted away her reaching hand, giving her his own scathing look. It wasn’t that he cared about what they said, or their general bad attitudes and manners, but he could see that Prin was getting upset and couldn’t allow her to touch him.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Forget it, Daisy. I don’t think they’re here to have a good time anyway.” Natalia said.

“If it’s such an imposition, we’ll just leave.” Elwin said.

“No.” The prince crossed his arms and dug his feet into the packed dirt of the courtyard as though to say, I’m not leaving until I get what I came for and not a one of you can make me.

“It’s not that serious.” Daisy said. She looked at them both like they were from outer space, and sent to this planet just to offend and confound her.

Natalia laughed. “What, are you two dating her or something? I didn’t think Aster had any relationships that weren’t strictly business.”

Before an awkward answer could be sputtered out, there was the sound of heels tapping along rapidly on the stone floor of the kitchen.

“She moves very quickly.” Prin said, as an aside to Elwin. He said it like it was yet another among the many things that Elwin should be impressed with. His mouth was already springing into a smile at the corner.

Aster was neither half dressed, nor in an outlandish costume, but attired in a neat blue dress and without a hair out of place. Based on the other two girls, it was not what Elwin expected.

“Excuse me.” She said.

Daisy scattered back as if scalded and hurriedly retreated through the kitchen and out of sight.

Aster looked from Prin to Elwin with a welcoming smile. Her face was pretty featured, and freckled, as Prin had said, really quite sweet. Except for the eyes, which had a restless, calculating look as though you were a large math sum she was trying to solve, or an intricate puzzle with the one piece that had warped a little and now no longer fit where it was supposed to. The over all effect was that she was figuring you out. Whether you liked it or not.

Elwin felt vaguely uncomfortable.

“What about old Red Beard?” Natalia asked, gesturing back the way she had come. “Should I . . .”

“No, he’ll wait for me.” Aster winked at Prin. “They always do. Anyway, I’ll only be a minute.”

She ushered the boys ahead of her down the path through the back courtyard. “I don’t know what they said to you, but whatever it was, never mind it.”

“Already forgotten.” Prin said. Although it was clear he hadn’t from the tone of his voice.

At the same time Elwin said. “It was nothing.”

“Like I said before, please don’t expect anything fancy.” Aster warned as they approached an outbuilding made of weathered, rough hewn boards toward the back of the property. A huge padlock adorned the front door.

Aster took a key from her bodice and unlocked the door, removing the lock from its place and bringing it with her as she stepped inside. The door creaked ominously when pushed further open. “It’s not so dangerous here, the lock is mainly to keep the other ladies from taking my things, because they don’t like me very much.”

She bustled around lighting an oil lamp and assorted candles. “Do you need a fire lit? It’s a little cool.”

The inside of the room could not have been guessed by looking at the outside, that was for sure. And it was like nothing Elwin would have expected.

The bed was low to the ground, with a headboard featuring an impressively large piece of driftwood that served as a shelf full of candles and odd knickknacks, a hollow metal statue of a goddess emerging from a flower. The bed had a very old, frayed tapestry of nymphs and satyrs at play serving as a coverlet. And the walls had other bits of heavy cloth and old tapestry covering the drafty boards.

There was a wardrobe with the doors, not quite able to close, and therefore held together by a ribbon twined around both knobs. And also a dark wrought iron vanity with a cracked and silver spotted mirror on top, the table of which was so covered with bottles, jars, and other assorted cosmetics that there was not a quarter inch to spare.

On the other side of the room was a small table covered in thread, baskets of cloth and sewing notions. With a little mannequin, like a prim headless scarecrow, wearing a dress of green cloth printed all over with violets and pansies in a fine array, standing beside it. The floors were covered with rag rugs in a big hand done weave. In the corner of the room, tucked away like almost an after thought, was a human sized metal statue, over grown with verdigris, it’s many arms and open sharp toothed mouth beckoning.

“Oh, that’s where I do my blood sacrifice. A handsome young man now and again that I manage to trick into my lair.” Aster said. “Oops, have I said too much?” She put her hand to her mouth in a coquettish approximation of embarrassed horror.

“It’s so cute in here!” Prin said. He picked up a stuffed bunny from the bed and hugged it reflexively. “Just like how I thought it would be.”

“I’m lucky to have a little spot to go to that’s just for myself.” Aster said. “No one else had the vision.” She was watching Elwin as she spoke, eyeing him with a look both appreciative and expectant.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Elwin said awkwardly.

“Oh, that’s my – That’s Elwin.” Prin said helpfully.

“Nice to meet you Elwin.” Aster said. Her eyes refusing to release his. Holding on just a moment too long, before, with a little smile, she turned her back on him and began to bustle around with the little wood stove. “If you get cold, you can just light it and it’s ready to go.” She pulled some pillows off the bed and some extra blankets and soft rugs from underneath. “Help me move this.”

Elwin hurried over, and they moved the sewing table and mannequin further back to make more floor space.

“Make yourselves a little nest there.” Aster said. “If you have to pee there’s an outhouse, or there’s a chamber pot here.” She motioned to the ceramic pot tucked away under the vanity table. “And a pot of water if you need it for drinking or washing up.” She motioned to a metal cook pot on the floor by the wood stove. “Very high tech, I know.” She gave an airy laugh. “I need to go but I’ll be back late tonight.”

“Thank you so much.” Prin said. “If I said we were exhausted that would be underselling it.”

“I know what you mean.” Aster said. “You’re very welcome, bunny.”

“I don’t know why you’re doing this, but I also thank you.” Elwin said. He shuffled from foot to foot. The padlock on the outside of the door gave him pause, but it looked like he could easily kick through the outer wall of the shed in an emergency. And she had left the padlock, with the key inside on the sewing table, which made him feel somewhat better. He still wished he knew what was in it for her.

“You know? I don’t either.” Aster said. She waved bye bye, and without another word she was gone.

Elwin and the prince laid down the extra rugs first to make a mat on the floor, took off their boots and cloaks, and then curled up with the blankets.

“You know I was thinking something . . .” Prin said, when Elwin was already half asleep.

“Me too, so was I.” Elwin said, yawning. “You first.”

“Is Aster a witch? I didn’t directly ask.” Prin said, voice solemn, as though it were a serious concern. “Is that what you were thinking about?”

“No, I was thinking we forgot to get our clothes off the beach. It was dark out, so oh well. Have to do it in the morning.” Elwin said. “I have no . . . thoughts on Aster being a witch. But she sort of does . . . make me feel weird. I’d say.”

“Weird?” Prin wondered. “Like because she’s very beautiful?”

“Do you think she’s very beautiful?” Elwin asked.

“Don’t you!?” Prin propped his head up on his hand. “Does she make you feel shy?”

“Maybe that’s it.” Elwin said.

Prin nodded sagely. “In books, young men are often shy around beautiful girls. I think it’s natural.”

Elwin laughed. “That’s because they like them, I only like you.” He reached up and pulled Prin close to him. “Let’s get some sleep, it’s a big day tomorrow.”

Prin nuzzled his head into Elwin’s shoulder. “It is?”

“Every day is a big one these days.” Elwin said.