Chapter Text
“Maomao, there’s a customer coming from the palace that has sent word he specifically wants you for tonight. For the entire night.”
Great, just what I need. She was miserable thinking of trying to keep some upper crust muckety-muck entertained for so many hours. Normallly, her clients only got an hour or two of her time. The only time customers wanted an entire night was when they had plans for something other than tea service or playing something like Shogi. Maomao didn’t take customers that wanted more than that. She narrowed her eyes at the madam and stated flatly, “If he wants the whole night, better give him to Pairin. He’s just going to be disappointed with me.”
The old woman blew smoke in Maomao’s face, “He’s already paid good money for tonight and you are the only one he wants. Better go get yourself ready, he’ll be here in a few hours.”
“But, Grams, I–”
“He wants you. Don't argue. Go on, do as you’re told,” the madam snapped.
Frustrated, Maomao obeyed. She held her head high until she was back in her room with the door closed. Resting her back against it, she tried to calm down. One of the perks of being considered a princess of The Verdigris House was that she was supposed to have some say in whether or not she was going to give up her chastity. Why was the madam so unwilling to budge on this? Pairin, Joka, and Meimei had never been forced to be intimate that way. It seemed wildly unfair that the old lady wasn’t even willing to discuss the matter.
Pushing away from the door, she set about trying to figure out what would be most appropriate to wear for the dreaded night ahead of her. She’d spent time with a few palace officials, but they’d all been lower ranking ones. Whoever was coming to spend the night must be of significantly higher rank, which did not do anything to make the situation more palatable. The higher the rank, the more likely she’d end up losing her head for making some insignificant mistake.
There was a knock at the door, accompanied by a familiar voice calling out, “Maomao!”
She was digging through her small wardrobe, and replied, “It’s open, Meimei.”
Five seconds later, her three big sisters were all in the room chattering excitedly. Unlike Maomao, they all seemed to think that the looming overnight was a good thing. Meimei hugged her tightly, “I’m so happy for you!”
“That’s really not necessary,” Maomao muttered.
Releasing her from the hug, Meimei took hold of Maomao’s shoulders and studied her face for a few seconds before asking, “Are you nervous?”
Maomao stepped away and returned to her clothing search, “Nervous? Not really. Irritated and angry, absolutely.”
“But why?” Pairin asked from where she sat on Maomao’s bed.
Holding up an outfit, she debated whether or not it was good enough, and replied, “Grams knows I have no interest in doing that, and yet, she’s forcing me into it. Did she ever do that to any of you?”
“She’s forcing you to do this?” Joka asked sharply.
“Yes.” Maomao continued to consider the dress, and explained, “The man paid for the entire night and specifically requested me. I suggested having him see you, Pairin, but Grams refused to discuss it. He wants me, and I have no option but to give him what he’s paying for.”
“This is absolutely not happening. Leave it to us,” Joka said. The three women headed for the door, and Joka added, “We’ll get this straightened out.”
Her big sisters were very determined when it came to protecting her, but Maomao sincerely doubted that they’d have success in getting her out of the upcoming night. Sure enough, they all soon returned looking as angry and irritated as Maomao felt.
Meimei wrapped Maomao in another tight hug and said, “I’m so sorry. We tried, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“I’ve never seen her like this about a customer before,” Pairin added.
“Which probably means this man is someone she doesn’t dare cross,” Joka seethed. “It’s not right, and you have every right to be upset.”
Meimei let go of Maomao and asked, “Since you can’t get out of it, will you let us help you get ready?”
Maomao held up the dress she’d been considering, “Is this good enough for tonight?”
That sent her sisters into makeover mode. They looked through the few dresses Maomao owned and ultimately picked one that was nice, but surprisingly simple. The bodice was light green and the skirt was a very pretty burgundy. “Are you sure it’ll be okay?” she asked.
“Absolutely. If this man is as high ranked as it seems, he likely won’t want to see some garish get-up. This is a very tasteful dress,” Joka answered.
“Go take a bath, and when you come back we’ll help you finish getting dressed,” Meimei ordered.
Two hours later she was clean and dressed. Her sisters insisted on doing her make-up, and they had a small fight when Maomao refused to be without her freckles.
“They’re not even real,” Pairin pointed out. “And you look so much prettier without them. You never wear them with other customers.”
“If he wants me that badly, then he’ll have to deal with the freckles. It’s bad enough I’m going to lose my chastity, I refuse to go through that without them,” Maomao retorted. “I need them.”
Her sisters looked at each other, seeming to have a conversation with just their eyes. It only lasted a few moments before they all nodded and Meimei said, “Okay.”
Once they finished getting her ready, they asked if she had any questions. When she replied in the negative, they gave her hugs, wished her luck, and said they'd see her in the morning. Joka waited for the other two to leave, then shut the door and pinned Maomao with a look, "Are you scared?"
"I'm not sure," Maomao replied. "It's not something I've ever thought had much appeal. I know the mechanics of it, but I suspect he'll end up disappointed."
Joka sighed, "It's wrong you're being forced into this. I'd suggest making a run for it, but we both know how that would turn out."
Sometimes courtesans ran away from brothels, but it always ended badly. Maomao finally truly understood what would make a courtesan do that, but even if she could manage to successfully flee, her father would pay the price. She couldn’t do that to him. The punishment he’d receive on her behalf very well might kill him. Knowing that, she steeled herself and resolved she would get through the night and somehow deal with the aftermath.
She glanced around the room. After the man deflowered her, would she even be allowed to remain a princess? Probably not. Her chastity being intact had been a big selling point, but without it, she’d be almost worthless. A horrible future stretched out before her where she’d be put in one of the smaller rooms and would be required to take customer after customer, night after night. She shook her head, "Even if I thought I could do it, I can't put Dad through that."
"I know. I doubt this helps, but it's very likely it'll all be over very fast and then he'll fall asleep. Tomorrow I'll help you collect ingredients to take care of whatever he leaves you with." Joka smiled sadly, "You deserve better than this, Maomao."
With that, her big sister took her leave, and Maomao was alone. No time had been given as to when the man would arrive, but as the shadows lengthened in her room, she knew it would likely be soon. If he’d already paid for the entire night then he’d want to get his money’s worth.
Sure enough, not even half an hour later, there was a knock at her door. Opening it, she saw one of the servant girls standing there. The child looked up at her and said, “The Madam said I should tell you your visitor will be here very soon. She’ll have him escorted to your parlor.”
Maomao nodded, “I’ll meet him there.”
The girl hurried away, and Maomao shut the door. She straightened her already straight clothes, and tried to smooth away wrinkles that didn’t exist. Less than ten minutes later, she heard people pass by her bedroom door, their steps halted a few seconds later. Sounds came from the adjoining parlor, and soon there was the familiar knock. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped into the parlor. She almost tripped and fell on her face when she saw who was waiting for her. His eyes were on her the moment she walked in, and she couldn’t look away. Living and working in the pleasure district, Maomao had seen her fair share of beautiful people, but none could compare to the man sitting in front of the Shogi table. She hadn’t known it was possible for someone to be so flawlessly gorgeous.
One thing was immediately clear to her. This heavenly nymph of a man was going to make her life infinitely more complicated.
She hoped she'd managed to keep the man from noticing how surprised she was. It took a little effort, but she managed to use her normal cool and disinterested tone when she greeted him, "Good evening, sir."