It turned out that the 'not long' Mhairi had told me about was still over two hours, a lotion needed to soak through the body paint and stop it adhering to the skin. It then had to be carefully covered in a sort of plastic substance and the whole lot peeled slowly off. When Mhairi was done there were over ten pieces of plastic, each labelled for the body part they related to, and I stood as naked and vulnerable as I'd begun the day.

I let out yet another big yawn, more than ready to sleep, the day's ups and downs almost a hazy memory.

"Remember to put the chair back once I'm gone," Mhairi said, going to the door.

"Do you really think they'll try again tonight?"

"Oh, no, they'll have gone back to Belle. The other courtesans won't be happy, though."

"Right," I said, wondering just how many threats a person could keep safe against.

"They don't like the special treatment you're getting. Or that I'm the one Daniel asked to help you."

"Jealousy and insecurity. An ugly combination," I replied, wondering if it would change after my unveiling. Only then did her last few words hit me. "What about you? Will they do anything to you?"

Mhairi opened her mouth, but no words came out, her head nodding a moment later instead. I'd been so tired and unfocused I hadn't noticed she was still shivering. Fear still gripped her.

"Stay," I said. "If I'm safe in here, then you can be safe, too. The bed's more than big enough for two."

Instantly her eyes lit up, hope brightening her features in a way I'd not expected. I'd evidently read her correctly.

"You really don't mind?"

I shook my head. After everything she'd done to help me, it was the least I could do. The benefit of having at least one ally in the building was also something I knew I'd appreciate.

"It seems like you and me are in this together. And I want as little trouble as possible. I just want to get my debt paid back and go back to being a normal person."

"That's all anyone wants to begin with," Mhairi said, heading over to the bed. She hesitated by the edge, glancing my way for a second. As I clambered onto the bed, making it clear which side I was going to sleep on, she joined me.

"It changes?" I asked, more to make conversation as we settled in for the night.

"Yeah. Mostly when people realise it's going to take decades to pay back their debt, or even centuries. Or if they fall in love. Some get too attached to their clients."

"And let me guess, Daniel and the guards screwing the courtesans left, right and centre doesn't help."

"No. The guards are worse than Daniel, though."

I nodded. She didn't need to tell me. I'd witnessed it. Thinking about it again made me shiver. As I burrowed down under the covers my mind replayed the last encounter. It was already a bit of a blur, fear dulling the memory and exhaustion making it hard to concentrate, but one part stuck out. I'd been rescued twice by the same guard.

"The guard who turned up to stop Rich and Jeremy," I said.

"Kevin."

"Yeah. He talked about having a toy. What did he mean?"

"The guards have a sort of honour system. If a courtesan and guard hit it off, the other guards won't touch her. Closest thing any of us get to a relationship with anyone."

"But they call it having a toy?"

"Yeah. Sucks, doesn't it?"

"More than a little. But it sounds like it's a good way to stay safe," I said before I could truly think about what I was suggesting.

"It is, if you can persuade a guard to make a claim on you." Mhairi's reply was quiet, a sigh quick to follow it. She didn't need to explain why. Several things Yaru had said and now she did made it clear. She had been rejected by a lot of men. My life had been turned upside down once, but it sounded like hers had been at least twice.

As we both snuggled down under the covers and I turned the light out I found myself being grateful for a few things for the first time since arriving at the court. I had someone I could possibly be friends with. Someone who wasn't likely to stab me in the back, but work with me. On top of that I had a good mentor, and so far a sponsor who appeared to be better than most. My life could have been worse.

Just get a guard to take a shine to you and you'll only have Bernice to worry about, I thought.

I froze in shock at my own response to the day's events. Was I really willing to sleep with someone to get them to protect me from other men? Wasn't this exactly the kind of behaviour I had abhorred in women before I was frozen?

Needs must. I stifled a sigh. The sensible part of my brain was right. What choice did I really have? I wouldn't be able to watch my back every moment of every day. I needed to be safe some of the time.

There was one way I refused to change, however. I was never going to become petty or spiteful out of jealousy or a broken heart. I'd never turn on another courtesan trapped in this same system of debt and sponsors. No matter what happened, I was going to keep my integrity.

***

A rattle disturbed my dreams some time later, dragging me out of a peaceful dream. Barely a few seconds later I heard the noise again. And then again.

On the third occasion I realised what it was. The door handle.

Someone was trying to get into the room.

Before it could rattle again I noticed Mhairi was sat up, listening herself. As I also moved, she looked my way and our eyes met. Neither of us needed to say anything. Together we got up and padded over to the door. Together, we braced the chair. And together we listened.

As we stood in silence, I could just make out that whoever was on the other side was whispering, so there must have been at least one other person.

The cold night air made me shiver, but as the door was given a more forceful push, neither I nor Mhairi dared to step away and look for warmer clothes. Neither of us were going to sit by and let someone come in. We would protect ourselves as best we could.

The minutes seemed to drag by, until a woman let out a frustrated shout and slammed her fists into the door. It rattled in its hinges but stayed sturdy and shut.

Mhairi and I stuck to our posts until we were sure the danger had passed again.

This happened two more times during the night. There was no way to tell if it was the same person or not, but someone wanted to get in to me and Mhairi.

Each time it went quiet, we opted to return to bed. Mhairi coped far better, falling asleep again almost immediately. But I found I couldn't, my thoughts a tangled jumble inside my head. Someone was really determined to try and get in. Did they really think it possible? And what had I done to upset them in the first place?

There was no way to know the answer to any of my questions, but it didn't stop me worrying. One thing was for sure. I needed to reduce the number of possible threats, and I needed to do so quickly.

***

As the sun came around, it found a small gap in the curtains and cast a strip of bright light onto the bed, bringing me from the light doze I'd slipped into. Mhairi was fast asleep beside me, her hair ruffled but still framing her face. The sunlight was just enough to show her peaceful features off. For a few minutes I didn't move, grateful for the reprieve and a moment to gather my thoughts.

In the middle of the day the threat through the late night and early morning didn't seem too terrible, but I knew I couldn't live every night in the same way. I needed to find us some protection. And I needed to find a way to get along with the other courtesans. Or enough of them that the others were less likely to cause a problem.

Getting off the bed was enough to disturb Mhairi. She sat up, wiped the sleep dust from her eyes and was on her feet in seconds. I blinked, not sure how a human could go from asleep to upright and alert in such a short space of time.

"Is Yaru here?" she asked. I shook my head, grabbing a dressing gown and covering up.

"I don't think so. But I wanted to try and have a chat to Kevin before we got started this morning," I replied.

"Perfect. It will give me time to fetch what I need and get myself ready.

"Meet back here in half an hour?"

She nodded, a small smile lighting up her eyes for the first time since we'd met.

"Thank you," she whispered as we pulled the chair out from underneath the door handle. She didn't need to say what for. We'd kept each other safe. I owed her as much as she thought she did me.

The sitting room outside was still quiet, none of the other courtesans out of their own rooms yet. I relaxed, glad. I didn't want to have to confront anyone.

But the guards were another matter. Somehow I needed to find Kevin while also keeping away from the others.

Some kind of God or Goddess must have smiled on me. No sooner had I thought of the bodyguard than I saw him going past the open doorway, heading towards the court's front door. I picked up the pace, not daring to call out from so far away.

As I emerged into the front lobby I spotted Kevin unlocking the front door. Opening it, he let in Jake and Edward. I hesitated, but only long enough for the three men to greet each other.

"Look, it's the newest resurrected. I had rather hoped to see your paintwork," Edward said as soon as he saw me. I smiled, not wanting to antagonise him, remembering his threat.

"Maybe later. Takes a long time to get all made up like that."

"I'll bet, cupcake."

His eyes lingered on me as he and Jake continued past. I tried not to let my fear show, instead looking for Kevin again. Still by the door, he was pulling several items out of a small box to one side.

I hurried up to him.

"Do you have a minute?" I asked, finally close enough not to need to shout.

"I guess. What's the issue?"

"I heard you last night say one of the other courtesans was your toy," I said, launching straight in to what I needed to say before I could change my mind. He nodded and paused by the door, letting it shut.

"Mhairi explained what that meant."

"And now you're looking to be some guard's toy so the rest don't pin you down and stuff you full of cock when you're least ready for it?"

"Something like that," I said, frowning. Was my intention that obvious?

"Well, you're hot, I'll give you that, but if you were hoping I'd be interested you're out of luck. One of these days I'm hoping to buy Sarah's remaining debt and set her free. I'm not interested in getting tangled with another woman on top."

"Oh, it wasn't my intention of asking you. I wouldn't try to part you from Sarah for anything. It seems rare in this world for two people to find a semblance of happiness. I merely hoped you would have some advice on which of the other guards wouldn't be as rough."

"That I might be able to help with, but few are likely to satisfy whatever notion you have in your head of male chivalry. Many of the guards will use you for their own pleasure in return for a little protection."

Suddenly Kevin's eyes fixed on me. I raised my eyebrows and waited to see if he'd explain.

"Edward has taken an interest in you, right?"

"Yeah, tried to demand a blowjob when Yaru wasn't looking on my first day."

Kevin chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds like him, especially in front of Jake. He may seem coarse and demanding, but you could do a lot worse. He'd keep the others from bothering you and he wouldn't hurt you himself."

I nodded, picturing Edward in my head. Could I let him use me and not hate myself for it? Did I really have much of a choice?

Filing the thought away for later, I left Kevin and went back to Mhairi. It was time to get ready for my second day as a veiled courtesan. And I needed to work out how I was going to make myself look unique yet use very little paint.

There were men to please, and I had to work out how to do it.