Sigrid took a sit before the contents of the table quietened on the ground, it took a few seconds for the incense burner to stop rattling around. She moved her eyes to mada Elene who was surprisingly calm, not even a knight and his sword moved her.
It was not unexpected of course, Mada Elene was a seasoned woman, she had seen many things and encountered many challenges along her path to owning the kingdom’s best brothel.
She had dealt with all sorts of titled n, knights, generals, a queen and even a king, this minor display of power would not frighten her.
Mada Elene was older in years, she appeared to be in her sixties, Sigrid judged. Despite taking care of herself as best as she could, the weight of the years showed on the deep lines and wrinkles on her face.Her silver hair was worn in a burn, held together by a single black wooden hair pin that appeared to be simple to the common eyes.
Sigrid knew that it was hollow on the inside and contained poisonous needled which Rina had used to kill mada Elene later because Emmah was afraid the secret of Rina’s background would be exposed and damaged Benjamin’s chances at the throne.
Her clothing was simple, a plain high neck long grey dress and a pair of black gloves on her hands. She was not dressed in a flashy manner for a wealthy woman or an indecent one for soone that owned a brothel.
Mada Elene had sharp observant eyes, that were roaming over Sigrid, in attempt to deduce her identity.
"Can I offer you so tea?" she spoke first.
Sigrid shook her head and put her hand to her face, removing her mask and revealing her face to mada Elene.
Mada Elene laughed lightly, "I suppose you expect to kneel or curtsy but I am afraid that my old knees may not be able to...."
Brolin moved suddenly, grabbed mada Elene by the neck and forced her onto her knees in front of Sigrid. He kept one hand around the back of her neck firmly, if Sigrid gave the order he would snap it imdiately.
In the two months that had passed, Sigrid and Cosmos had regularly sparred with the knights, she used a wooden sword in the sword fights and her fists in close combat fights. In addition to that, she had increased their pay and offered allowances, buying their hearts, camaraderie and loyalty.
They had all learned to adjust to her moods, they knew she hated to be disrespected, mada Elene’s words were disrespectful to Brolin’s ears. Whether they were in a brothel or a castle, a crown princess was a crown princess.
"What are you doing?" mada Elene asked with a minor tremble in her voice that made Sigrid smile.
"Are you afraid?" Sigrid reached her hand down and tilted mada Elene’s face.
The question seed to be simple and yet the malevolence of the smile on Sigrid’s face rattled mada Elene, making her feel uneasy.
She averted her eyes and tried to look away but Sigrid clenched the hand around mada Elene’s jaw tighter. "I said, are you afraid?"
Mada Elene drew in a sharp shaky breath and smiled, she had dealt with all sorts of people over the course of forty four years that she had been in the body selling business and one thing she knew was that crazy people were dangerous. The crown princess had a crazy and very dangerous look in her eyes.
But, even though she was afraid, mada Elene refused to give in to the fear, she had worked so hard to bow that easily. She had looked the king in the eyes and done business with him, she had also taken a few lives before, what was there to fear about a crown princess that was wet behind the ears?
"If you are here to kill , just get it over with."
Sigrid’s hand moved from mada Elene’s jaw to her neck and slowly she started increasing pressure. Mada Elene started to struggle for breath and she tapped the floor.
"For the last ti, are you afraid?" Sigrid asked in a soft but low deadly voice.
Mada Elene nodded desperately and Sigrid finally let her go, pushing her away as if the woman disgusted her. It took around thirty seconds for mada Elene to catch her breath and gather so strength.
She did not respect standing up randomly this ti round, especially when she saw the fan make an appearance in Sigrid’s hands.
Her brothel hosted knights and servants of nobles, so she used it as a chance to eavesdrop and use her workers to extract so information from them.
She was the leader of Eldoria’s biggest blackmail network using that information, she was careful of course and nobody had caught on to it yet because she used the incense to drug and confuse them.
A few weeks ago, she had heard about Sigrid using a fan to cut off the arm of governess Lim and so red knights. Mada Elene’s right arm tingled, she touched it subconsciously, praying that Sigrid would not amputate her. She did not want to live as a cripple, nobody would respect her in the business if that happened.
She gritted her teeth." Crown princess, would you like so tea or a glass of fox fire brew?"
Sigrid sneered, the old witch would probably poison her if she said yes.
"You even know my favorite choice in wines, have you been looking for information to use to blackmail or do I have servants with lose lips?"
Mada Elene clenched her hands and raised her head, astonished by the use of the word blackmail.
"Pixie Moon, you are the head of that organization, aren’t you? You use the information you gather here to blackmail or set honey traps for titled n. Over the years, you and your whores have accumulated quite the hoard in terms of wealth." Sigrid revealed.
Mada Elene’s body trembled, this information, she knew was dangerous in the wrong hands. It would lead to her death, especially if all the nobles she had blackmailed over the years ca to know her identity.
They would kill her family as well, and burn down her brothel. Never before had she felt cornered like this, she wondered how the crown princess knew her secrets.
"Get up." Sigrid ordered.
Brolin pulled mada Elene up and made her sit down in the chair he had previously dragged her from.
Sigrid spread her fan and then closed it with a snap which made mada Elene jump.
[Ding hidden Plot detected: Emmah took ownership of the brothel after mada Elene’s death and it’s resources and wealth were used to nurture a private army for the Ye family which supported the third prince.
Mission: Take charge of the Pixie Moon operation and brothel operations.]
Hmm, that plot was not in the book, mada Elene and her brothel had not been ntioned after she was killed by Rina. Sigrid had co to buy two whores, but her plans had to be changed.
She held her hand out. "Give the title deed to this property for safe keeping, let be clear, if you want your life and that of your family then you work for . From now on, I own you."
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