"Thirty-nine is the number of steps on the grand staircase. I do think that having you two thoroughly clean it is a fair punishment for your excursion. You will sweep every one of the steps. After that, you wash and dry them." Madam Eithne explained.

Eithne has the title Steward of the Royal Court. She controls the household affairs, making sure everything is clean and neat. That there is food on the table and everyone and everything is paid. She is an older woman who has worked at the castle since long before I was born. We have known her for so long that she feels like family. She is stern but has her kind side. "Well, get onto it you two, and do not rush the job it has to be done properly."

Before walking up the stairs I take the two brooms and hand one to Zora. Halfway up the stairs, they split into two directions, I take the left side. Reluctantly, Zora follows me. When we are halfway done with sweeping, Madam Eithne says she has other duties to attend to, leaving us alone. Well, almost alone. Across the hall, some guards stand on duty.

"I despise cleaning," Zora complains. "This is a cruel and unjust punishment. I am a Princess and should not be treated like a servant."

Trying to ignore her, I keep sweeping the dirt off the stairs, three more to go. You should think that at my age, I would be too old to be punished by my father. But that is not how my life is. You don't go against your parents, especially not when he is a King, I am forever stuck doing my father's bidding. I wish my mother was here, she would not treat me like a child.  

"Valor! Are you even listening to me?" Zora's annoying voice is competing for my attention with the curse that keeps whispering for me to push her down the stairs. A tempting suggestion. 

"No, can you stop complaining? This punishment isn't that bad, this is nothing compared to some of the other things Father has put us through. Remember what happened at Palm Sunday." 

I see the fear in her face over the reminder of the caning she got. She quietly goes to the next and last step to sweep. Push her down the stairs, push her down the stairs is whispered. With Zora being quiet, I am left alone with only the voices in my ears.

Finally done sweeping, I go and get the heavy pail of water. It is warm for having been boiled and has a salty smell to it, no doubt the water is from the sea. A block of lyan soap is floating in it. Zora watches as I carry the pail up midway on the stairs "Are you going to help or what?" I indignantly ask. 

Zora stomps over to take a dry rag, "You wash then I dry them off," she suggests. 

"Fine by me," I say, walking to the top of the stairs.

"So Valor. What is your plan?" Zora asks.

"Plan? What are you talking about?"

"About the girl, she is a deserter, which makes her a traitor to us. I have doubts about how eager she is going to be with helping you in any manner whatsoever."

I sit down on the step. Zora does have a point, she is not afraid to risk her life, so why should she help me?. "Well, what do you think I should do? You must have known her since she was assigned as your guard, before she betrayed her post. ." I say.

"Known her? She was a guard, I do not spare them any thoughts." 

Making a sigh, I stand back up. "Let's just get back to work." I don't think I can handle more of her attitude today.

When we finally finished scrubbing every step, the supper was about to be served. Which meant we had to sit at the table in our dirty clothes. Of course, Father had given us a lecture for not changing. When Zora tried to explain, we had just finished cleaning and had no time to change. He replied that wasn't an excuse for being inappropriately dressed.

If Duke Teival hadn't been present, Father would have sent us to our room without supper. I wish he had. As Duke Teival spent the entire time talking about the border expansion. "The border villages should be the first ones to receive guards, in my opinion." That is the whole reason for the wedding, my sister is being sold for land.

At the end of the table, Father is sitting. I am on his right side, with Zora by my side and Keisha by hers. Usually, Keisha sits on the opposite side of the table beside Malika. But Teival has received that spot.

While the food was presented, I noticed multiple looks from the servers, a side glance and some held-back laughs. I wonder what kind of gossip they will tell people, no doubt it's already being discussed how we snuck out. 

Steering my food around, I already felt full from the first course, and this second one I could go without, I don't particularly like pork. My hands ache. My entire body is sore, but my head is damm right tortured, the voices feel painfully loud tonight.

"Why are you having fish? Do you not like pork?" Keisha ask Teival. Looking at him, I see him smile when replying. "I do not know, I never tried it." Keisha must have been confused since roasted pork is her favourite dish, other than cake. "Why, it is so good?"

"It might be, but my religion forbids eating pork."

"But that is weird," Keisha says. I do agree with her. What good comes from prohibiting food?

"Keisha. You do not disrespect other people's religion, it's against his religion. There is no more to be said on the matter." Father lectures her.

While the servants take the plates away to make space for the next dish. Teivals starts talking about how in the Vouri royal court, there is an individual server per guest, not just the two we have. As he continues speaking, he gets drowned out by the voices.

I stare down at my knife, the voice is urging me to stab myself with it. The voice rarely tells me to harm myself when I am around other people. Normally, the thoughts of self-harm only happen when I am alone. Maybe it's happening because I have been ignoring it all day, without a musical break.

That girl Lorelei, where is she now? Is she far away, or is she at that place, Men's Blissful Menders? She said something about going to be there tonight. I should tell Father, I am sure he will send the guards to that place. But what will happen when they find her? She won't come willingly. What if they get in a fight? Oh my god, they could kill her. That can not be risked, I have to. No! I need to find her myself.

"I believe the people's taxes are better spent elsewhere than on unnecessary showing of..." My father says. I dont know where the conversation had gone, but I interrupted to ask, "Father, may I be excused, my head hurts horribly, and I think I need to lie down."

Father never let us leave early but for once I hope he will relent. As he sternly looks at me, an uncomfortable feeling trickles over me. "These headaches are becoming a problem Valor. There needs to be a solution found fast, but you may leave."

I sigh a breath of relief and stand up. "If you have a headache, I might be able to help, I am quite the skilled healer," Teival suggested. "No, it's fine, I just need to lie down," I say, rushing out.

I have no idea where Men's Blissful Menders are located. But the city archive in the library should be able to give me directions. Men's blissful menders, that is an interesting name. Must be a form of healing place, but is it religious or alchemy? I should start with alchemy, there are fewer of those.

The Library is large but simple. Every wall is covered by a shelf filled with books. The only expression of art is the ceiling, which is decorated with clay figures reminiscing different flowers. In different places, desks and chairs are placed. The scrolls with archives over the city are in the far corner. Everything is in neat order so it won't take long to find the right scrolls.

The castle's music room, is on the other side of the hall. After gathering the scrolls, I head over there. Not many instruments can be played with one hand, the harpsichord would be my best choice. Sitting down, I start to play with my right hand while holding the scroll in the other.

Reading and playing at the same time is difficult. But it's easier to concentrate like this, instead of being plagued by the voices. My gaze goes through all the names but no place is even close to what I am looking for. At last, I reached the last one, nothing. I sigh while rolling it up, it's not an alchemist.

Carrishing one hand with the other, stroking the skin, my hands still hurt from cleaning, and playing didn't help. Heading back to the library, I notice someone is in there. A dark-skinned male in a guard's uniform, not the one they wear on duty. But the more subtle one they wear in their leisure time.

"Greetings. Your Royal Highness." The man says while bowing. As he moves, I see his movement as stiff but careful, he has a slight sign of a grimace on his face.  He looks familiar, but I can't quite put a finger on it. It might just be because I've seen him around. 

"Going your rounds?" I ask. I know he isn't, but I didn't know what else to say. 

"No, Your Highness. I...I am borrowing a book. I am on leave of absence because of an injury." He looks down as he says it. 

"Thank you for your service, sir...I don't think I know your name."

"I am called Clovis, your Highness. But there is no reason for you to know it, as I am a city guard." That means I most likely haven't seen him before, so why does he look so familiar? But as a city guard, he must know every street corner.

"I do not want to uphold you, but there might be something you can help me with."  

"It will be a great honour to help you in any way I can."

"I am looking for this place someone mentioned to me, I think it's a place for healing, but I could be wrong. It's called men's blissful menders."

The guard's smile vanishes, and he sends me the same glare my father does. The disapproving glare. "Your Highness, your friend must be playing a prank on you, that place has nothing to do with healing, it is a brothel."

The realisation of what he said hits me hard, and the confusion must have been clear on my face. As he starts to explain more. "It is one of the unfavourable ones too. I know I am in no position to give advice, but you shouldn't seek out places like that. Especially not that one as it's located in the worst part of town."

This is horrible, I can't go there, can I? Do I have to?

As if he could read my thoughts, Clovis says, "If you truly seek that kind of company, there are much safer and nicer options. I heard tooth for tongue is quite upscale. But no matter what, do not go alone. If you do not want it to get out to others, I am at your service. It would be a great honour to personally escort you."

His offer is tempting. Having someone come with me, who could keep me safe, would be the smart choice. But the curse, how am I to explain to him that I need to go to this specific brothel? With the hope, that a certain woman shows up. I can't, I have to go alone. "There is no need, I just wanted to know about it because of my friend. But you are properly right that he wanted to prank me.-" I try to convince him, though I am not the greatest liar. But even if he doesn't believe me, he can't do anything about it. "You may be excused."

"Then good evening your Highness." The guard bowed before taking a few steps towards the door and then turned around. "Forgot a book." He walks over to a bookshelf and takes the first one, but that shelf is exclusively books in Latin. As he figures that out, he puts it back.

"Shall I recommend you a book?" I ask. 

"I would be grateful for that. "

The book I pick has a cover with golden lettering spelling Ledasgele myter. "This one is a collection of myths from Ledasgele. I especially recommend the story of the ice crystal crown." I say, handing him the book. 

"I will keep that in mind, continue a good evening, your Highness," he says bowing once more and then leaving. After he had left, I walked over to the city archive. What would brothels be filed under?