"You used magic, Whispered magic, to make him…finish himself before he could hurt you." Anette repeated the gist of what Reverie had told her in wonder. The blond looked from Reverie, to Beau, and back again, several times before nodding firmly to herself.

"Yes, I'm not a fool. I wasn't going to hurt him. But now… when he wakes up I don't know what he'll remember. I think I can convince him that we had sex. But… I don't know what someone would look like afterwards." Reverie admitted, her ears flushing. Anette mouthed a silent 'oh', and got to work.

"Right, well we need to get his pants off of him first, and open his shirt, but don't take it off. Men don't usually get completely naked with us. Also, get some of that oil from the drawer over there, yes that's the one. Ok, we're going to put some of that on him, and then on you too." Anette explained, moving so quickly that Reverie barely had time to feel sick at the idea of touching Beau. She did as she was told, smearing the oil on them, and the sheets, in a few believable places, and letting Anette help her out of her dress. Anette winced at the small trickle of blood between her legs, and looked at her questioiningly.

"His hand." Was all Reverie said, and the other woman nodded and moved on, there was no time for pity now. She helped Reverie position him on the bed, and then took a moment to advise her on how to behave when he woke up.

"Now, you're supposed to be emotional with him, but not angry. Remember, you finally gave in to him, but now suddenly you see him as a man. So be shy, but scold him about the trouble you'll be in with the dowager. He's probably going to try and go at you again, tell him you're too sore, and show him the blood, oh!" Anette paused, and with a brief apology swiped some of the blood off of Reverie's leg and smeared it onto Beau as if it was nothing to touch him. Reverie gaped.

"What?" Was all she managed to ask. Anette smiled and shrugged.

"There'd be blood on him too. Now, most of the time they won't push their luck when they see blood, and he'll probably go talk to the dowager. Just in case, do you want me to get Jean?" Anette asked, offering to go get one of the mercenaries who frequently stepped in when customers crossed the line. Reverie shook her head firmly.

"No, just send a message to Ilysia, please. Otherwise she'll be in for a shock later. I can put him to sleep again, if I have to." Reverie assured her, and found herself overcome with the urge to cry when Anette gave her a kiss on the forehead before mussing her hair a bit more for good measure. She wished her luck, and left the room. Reverie sat in silence for a long while, musing over the fact that she hadn't thought there was any genuine care in this place. Still, though, it didn't take long for her to grow tired of waiting. Even the sound of Beau's breathing made her sick, and being near him, smelling the wine in him, set her teeth on edge and made her skin crawl. She roused him with her magic, and pulled the sheet over herself further when Beau's eyes fluttered open. He blinked at her lazily, and glanced around the room, before smiling and reaching for her. She flinched as he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled into her neck.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep on you, that's never happened before." He chuckled, dropping kisses on her skin. She pulled away and tried to keep her face petulant, rather than disgusted.

"Beau, you need to talk to the dowager. When she finds out about this I'm going to be in a lot of trouble." Reverie hissed, hating herself when real tears slid down her cheeks. Beau wiped them away with his thumbs, his affection made her stomach twist. 

"Don't cry, Reverie. You won't be in trouble, you know I'll take care of you. Don't kick me out yet, I promise I'll talk to the old bag, just let me have a little more of you." He cooed, but she pushed him away more forcefully.

"I can't!" She cried, and reached under the sheet to smear some of her blood onto her fingers. Beau frowned at the sight and looked a little sheepish.

"Right, I didn't mean to be rough with you. Forgive me for getting too excited, please?" He asked, grabbing her other hand and kissing her fingers. She reminded herself of Anette's warning, not to be angry, and gave him a coy smile.

"I'll forgive you when you pay for the virginity you just stole." She quipped. He grinned, satisfied to see her back to her usual self, and stretched before getting out of the bed. She looked away as he dressed himself quickly. She braced herself when he kissed her, this time on the mouth, and promised to come again very soon, as though that was what she wanted. He left satisfied, and she assumed that meant she'd done her job well. Once he was gone, she put on a light robe, left the door open to signal that the room needed to be cleaned, and hurried to the room she shared with Anette. Waiting inside was not just Anette, but also Bardot the old midwife who often acted as doctor for the women in the Garden. She gave Reverie a meaningful look and beckoned her to lay on her bed.

"Come here child, though I'm sure you don't want anyone having their hands on you right now, I still must check you. Anette says you've a bit of blood, more than usual." Bardot said sternly, but not unkindly. Anette looked guilty.

"I'm sorry Reverie, but it's true. There usually isn't running blood, I was worried but only Bardot knows I swear it. Bardot wouldn't tell anyone about your state, would you?" Anette implored. Bardot snorted a laugh, her hair was dark grey and her eyes were almost the same color. Her hands were wrinkled, and her knuckles swollen and bent with arthritis. But she looked at Reverie with profound understanding, and Reverie found herself laying down without much protest.

"That's a good girl. Now, you take your tea each morning?" Bardot asked, as she washed her hands in a basin of steaming water. 

"Yes ma'am. But he didn't, I mean that it, it was only his hand. So there's no concern for that." Reverie explained, and shame blossomed in her chest. Why did she feel like it was her, not Beau, who had done something wrong? Bardot tutted and eased Reverie's feet closer to her butt on the bed. Reverie closed her eyes as Bardot gingerly began to examine her.

"So Anette tells me. A strange thing, that. Most men don't stop there with women they think they've a right to," Bardot said, "but then I suppose not every woman is Thiera's daughter." She finished. Reverie lifted her head to look down at Bardot in shock. Anette, who mistook her sudden movement as a result of pain or fear, grabbed her hand and rubbed her hair.

"Shh, it's ok Reverie. She's only making sure there's no injury, it's all right." Anette cooed at her, and Reverie stared at her in amazement. Anette was a saint, and was absolutely wasted in the Garden, Reverie suddenly realized. As Anette consoled her, and Bardot finished checking her, Reverie thought about how all of the women in the Garden were, for one reason or another, wasted in such an awful place. She'd lived all her life here, but hadn't faced much of the ugliness of this place until this night. Perhaps that's why she'd never thought about it before. 

"It seems the little baron needs to trim his nails, but it's only a scratch. He tore your maidenhead, to be sure, but the bleeding is mostly from a little nick. The bleeding has mostly stopped already, in fact. It'll be a bit uncomfortable as it heals, but that'll pass quickly." Bardot announced, and helped Reverie lower her legs back onto the bed. 

"Lady Bardot, I have a question for you." Reverie said, before the older woman could leave. Anette discreetly left the room, sensing that Reverie wanted some privacy.

"Hm? Want to know how I know your mama?" Bardot asked, sitting on the edge of her bed. Reverie nodded.

"Yes, please." 

"She used to tend to the women here, just like I do. She came a few months before you were born, her belly was so big you'd see it a mile before she got to you. She was a skilled healer, your mama. And not like us mundane folk either. Though I didn't know that until I was helping her bring you into the world. It's a sight, to see one of the Whispered Folk bringing life into the world like that. She was covered, head to toe, in those strange colors. She didn't live long after that though, and there's not much else I know about her." Bardot's story was too short and over too soon for Reverie, but she was grateful. She knew precious little about her mother, and if she remembered this night for any reason, she wanted it to be because of that story. She had so many questions, but her exhaustion wouldn't let her ask.

"Thank you, Lady Bardot." Reverie said, closing her eyes as she started to cry again. Bardot sighed, and patted her hand roughly.

"There's not much comfort in it, I know, but what the little baron did was his evil, not yours. I wish it weren't that way, but I'll not lie and tell you that you won't suffer more of the same in the future. But you can always call on Bardot, and I'll always set you right." She said, and Reverie was touched by the second show of concern she'd received for the night. As soon as Bardot left, Anette came back in. She sat in a chair next to Reverie's head, though the two didn't talk. Soon Reverie fell into a fitful sleep, only waking in the morning when Ilysia came to find her.

Much to her surprise, Ilysia was livid. The unadulterated rage on her face shocked Reverie into silence and, until Ilysia noticed and calmed herself, she thought the older woman was angry at her. 

"Reverie, Gods around me." Ilysia said and sank into the chair Anette had used the night before. Reverie stared at her in confusion.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"What?! No! Reverie, no! Please, don't apologize. You haven't done anything to apologize for! You were marvelous, absolutely perfect. Not many girls could have kept their heads after being attacked like that, you shouldn't be sorry. I'm angry at that bitch Serille." Ilysia snapped, talking candidly about the dowager. Reverie, though relieved not to be the source of her anger, was still confused.

"Why? Has she ordered me to leave?" She asked, her voice rising with her fear. Ilysia, who was poised to launch into a tirade, paused.

"Leave? Ha! As if she could ever. No, if only that were what she wanted. That greedy hag, she's decided to accept Beau's payment for your virginity and start working you." Ilysia fumed. Reverie sighed and sat up in her bed.

"Well, that's to be expected though." She said.

"Yes, but not the very next night!" Ilysia cried. Reverie felt the room spin.

"What? I work tonight?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Reverie. Beau obviously didn't describe it as an assault, and he paid triple what she would have charged for your first night any way. She's assumed he seduced you, and the rumors about how much he paid have kicked up everybody's interest. You've had a waitlist for the last year, and now they're all offering to pay extra." Ilysia explained, and Reverie had to close her eyes, and brace herself against the bed to keep from toppling over. She hadn't thought far enough ahead. The dowager usually gave girls a week to recover from trauma, more than other places offered, but Reverie hadn't been the one to report what happened. Of course Beau hadn't mentioned her unwillingness, he acted as if they were lovers. She tried to put on a brave expression.

"It doesn't matter. A week won't change anything." Reverie said, looking up at her mentor's face. Ilysia's violet eyes gleamed coldly.

"Do you think I'm an idiot? I know very well how little a week means, but any time is precious in this situation. Anette told me what happened. Are you going to resign yourself to lying back for these pigs, or are you going to use what you have?" Ilysia asked, her sharp tone slapping Reverie like ice cold water. Slowly, but surely, Ilysia's meaning came to her. It was the next day, and though she felt awful in her soul, she wasn't exhausted or sick like she had been the first time she attacked someone with her magic. In fact, now that she thought about it, it hadn't been much of a feat at all. It had been simple, and Beau seemed none the wiser. As this fact settled in for her, she managed a slow smile.

"Well, I suppose there is that." She replied.