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The woman took her to a quite house in an only slightly better neighborhood, letting her in the back door, she was greeted by a woman who immediately began babbling at the woman.

"What are you thinking!? There is an Imperial Officer in the room with Mistress Zima. She is contracting with him I think." She fretted and fussed over Alci though, shooing her over a counter where she began to feed her, scooping pile after pile of delicious food onto a plate.

"I know you want to impress Mistress Zima' into bonding you, but this is the worst possible time. Here little one, eat..." Giving Alci a fork and then a bit of watered wine to drink it down with. The maid kept fretting as she looked back to the doors that led to the parlor. "This is not good..."

The maid simply paced, "Mistress Zima' will not be happy. I hope she is gifted at least." She frowned further and pointed her finger in the young girl's face. "And Mistress is thinking of moving back. The Imperial just killed your contract. Foolish girl....picking such a man for your first contract...you'll never pass this way."

She looked over at Alci. "Well, the least we can do is get you cleaned up and presentable."

The woman nodded. "Yes, you must be presented to Mistress Zima'. And to that you will be cleaned up and given new clothing." her answers were short because she was suddenly worried about what the maid had been speaking of. "I have to pass as well. I will not become just a brothel maid."

"Don't eat so much so quickly, it will make you sick." Was the woman's response before she just sighed in disgust. "You'll be tested for aptitude, intelligence, empathy and knowledge." She tiked them off as she thought about them. "Oh and aversion to certain..." she waved her hand neglagently. "...activities."

Maria gave her a glare. "It's not like she would have to deal with that for several years anyways."

The woman just shrugged, "Might as well as mention the unpleasant as well as the pleasant."

Maria put her hands on her hips and looked at the girl. "Yes, but eating too much when you aren't used to it and then a warm bath can make you throw all that yummy food up...I suppose you'll have to rest first..." She chuckled. " ...though I don't want to get my freshly laundered sheets dirty."

"No, child" She clucked at the urchin. "That ain't the way we do things here. ANNA!!!" yelling out the door for amoment, before letting anotheryoung girl into the house. The girl was maybe a year or two older then Alci.

"Anna here will see that you are cleaned up proper like." The girl curtsied, the shimmer of her dress almost glowing. She looked so pretty, elegant and dignified. Even the ringlets of her hair seemed to shimmer with health and cleanliness.

"Yes'm?"

"Take this girl here to the bathing room and get her scrubbed up. Then dress her in one of your gowns for now and let her to nap in one of the down mattresses."

"Yes'm" She turned towards Alci and smiled gently. "I'll take you if you're ready." her bow like lips curlved into a smile and she seemed ever so kind.

He spat at the ground, and that was his only sign of irritation. His face was calm, even smiling a little int he light of day. His body was completely relaxed, not a tense muscle in his body as he shuffled along the street.

There was the house, passing to his right as he continued on down the street.

Out of the corner of his eye he studied the place. Windows, doors, guards, either dressed or plainclothes, to help determine just what sort of place it was.

His money was in there.