THE UNKNOWN WORLD

CHAPTER FOUR

Becca had to confess one thing though, she didn't know how to successfully seduce men, she had been taught to, since she was seventeen but she had never been good at it, she was only good at staging murders, covering them up and framing others so well that she was well popular for it. So doing this now was something, something she was not used to.

Madam Tirzah had an altar made using emerald stones covered in glass, it was beautiful and artistic. (This altar is like a flat surface made of smooth stones)

When the party started they didn't call her, she just sat on a stool Infront of the mirror in a lone room.

"Sol" The stylist came into the room. "You can come out now" She said and saw that the girl didn't move.

"Don't worry, the men of Quin city like their women to be different from their wives" She chuckled. "Many girls wish to be in your place, so it's a great honour, my dear"

Rebecca just looked plainly at her, the stylist smiled and walked out of the room, Becca sighed and stood up from the stool.

She was told to lay on the altar, dressed in draped red linen dress, a curtain was in between her and the guests, who were partying like crazy. She judged that they were young people because of how they shouted, laughed and even sang songs.

"Good evening, gentlemen" A man's voice called out and at once music and voices stopped. "Tonight we have a special kind of entertainment for our Single Man, lord and master of Dins landing, Kol Othniel, I present to you our finest jewel..... Sol!"

At once the curtains were removed and she was brought into light. There was no music nor were there voices, it was pure silence, wonder and awe.

"That's a goddess" A man cried out.

"She is.... I just can't find the right word for that kind of creature....." Another said.

Becca opened her eyes and gazed at the crowd, everyone was looking, no one was moving. Madame Tirzah had told her to just lay there and be looked on, men of Quin city liked to look upon the beauty of a woman, they wouldn't want her to say anything, besides what can she say.

But she rose up and caused some of the men to gasp. Two good-looking men walked to her, they looked like dancers.

"Do you like to dance, my lady?" They both asked in unison. She was so captivated by their voices that she only nodded and confidently placed her hands on theirs and they danced with her until she was laughing and the men were clapping, really enthralled, really entertained.

By the next morning, almost all of Quin city had heard about "Fair Lady, Sol "

Dame Hoglah was under fire over the news, being the general secretary of all elite women in Quin city, she had twenty women already in her house seeking for her, others were coming and she knew that.

She stopped reading when she heard what her personal maid told her.

"What in god's name are they here for?" She queried. "They don't expect me to go out this early cold morning to that evil house, do they?"

The maid was looking towards the door eager to leave to attend to her daily chores. Hoglah eyed her, she was of no use to her, she lay down the reading stones. (The Reading stone is a magnifying glass held over text, used during those times)

"Have them sit in the living room and serve them some tea and cake, where is Achsah and ..... master Elidad?"

" Young lady Achsah is in the paint room and master Elidad is in the garden"

"You can go now" Hoglah dismissed her.

Walking towards the living room, she saw Elidad coming into the house.

"Elidad" She called, he stopped. "Did you hear last night ... were you at that party last night?"

"Othniel invited me, I had to go" Elidad explained.

"It is utterly ridiculous to try to put any sense into that young man, poor Kol must be turning in his grave over that rascally son of his, this is going to be a scandal, did you see that woman, they said she was white, very fair and her skin glowed"

"I saw her, sister" Elided replied subtly.

"You did? and?"

"I think she is normal like every other woman in Quin city, she is just not from this city"

"The women are pressurising me to petition for the shutting down of that Evil house, it is taking their husbands away" (A brothel in those tones is called an 'Evil House'/ House of Easy Virtue)

"You know what's best, right?" Elidad said, walking away.

Hoglah continued on her way to the living room.

Elidad headed to the paint room, as he opened the door, he saw Achsah hid a painting behind her.

"Achsah" He called, his eyes still searching behind her. "What are you doing?"

The girl was only 15 but she was asleep stubborn as a mule.

"Nothing"

He glanced at the painting she was hiding.

"What is that behind you?"

"Oh,you have caught me, promise me you won't tell aunt Hoglah and you won't scold me" She said.

"Promise"

She reluctantly showed him the painting, it looked like the face of the dancer of last night, Fair lady Sol.

"How do you know her?" He asked as he took it from her.

"I..... got lost during a walk last night and.... accidentally ended up seeing her dance"

"Achsah, I can't believe you are lying to me now"

"You promised!!"

"I can't believe you will disobey your aunt Hoglah by leaving the house after bedtime"

"Bedtime is for children, I am not a child!, I can sleep whenever I want"

"Be quiet, who told you, you can talk back at your elders"

"I am sorry, promise you won't tell aunt Hoglah, she said she was going to talk to you about sending me to Vaiyin city to stay with father's sister. Elidad, that woman is dreadful"

"It is impolite to talk bad about others behind their backs, and I'm definitely going to keep you in the house for a whole week"

"Oh, Elidad you can't do that to me"

"Don't even complain to me young lady, you knew you aren't allowed to leave the house without an escort, Quin city is not as safe as it used to be.... and I am taking this painting because you have been disobedient" He said and walked away.

Becca laid on her bed in the room, none of the girls were back, they all had appointments last night, it was unpleasant ones. She had also heard about her being referred to as "Fair lady Sol" , She was now a star here. She imagined the ton of gold and silver, Madame Tirzah made from parading her as a goddess. Up until now she hadn't thought about what she wanted but now she had, she wanted to be Sol until she was fed up of it.

"I like that name Sol, I'll like to be called that when I am here in Quin city " She thought.

Just then, Noah and the other girls walked in, Hushim ran to her bed in tears and Kiri led Shema to her bedside.

Becca walked to Noah.

"Shema was r***d last night" Noah said. "I only danced for them though, a senseless man grabbed Shema and violated her Infront of us" Noah cried.

"It is a rotten life and we are so far from home"

Rebecca was looking away, she was angry at this, she hated men who took advantage of women.

She took out a pin from her hair and tried to write on a wooden stool. She wrote "We can buy our freedom, we should buy it"

"How?" Noah asked. "It's impossible"

"Not for Sol, though" Kiri said.

"What nonsense are you saying, we are all in the same boat" Noah frowned at her.

"Do you still think she is one of us, isn't her being excluded from our type of assignments proof that she is Madame Tirzah's favourite?"

"Quiet Kiri, you talk nonsense like a drunk i***t" Noah snapped and looked away.

A woman walked into their room.

"Sol?, come my dear" She said.

Everyone turned to Rebecca, she too was puzzled.