The Knave of Hearts

[I_Am_Nobody]

When foreigners think of the kingdom of Molatre, they do not think of the many bloody wars in the former empire's ancient past. They do not think of the conquered orcish and dwarven nations that still serve as its vassals. They do not think of the various unsavory rumors regarding the royal family's proclivities. If a foreigner knows anything about Molatre, they know about Sibylla, the City of Gems; whether it's men, women, monsters, animals, or anything else its many patrons can name, there is no delight that the city cannot offer.

As Knave approached the city he could see the shining Tower of Love, the castle in the center of the city where the Carmeline family holds its seat. Stretching well above the city walls and shimmering with silver and gold, it is a clear and obvious statement of the wealth within the city's walls. Where once the city mined gems and ore, now the mining town is the most famous purveyor of flesh and lust upon the entire continent. His work with the Orphans has brought him through the area before, enough that he has at least a basic knowledge of the city's layout and what it can offer.

Around the castle and the Royal Quarter is the Diamond Quarter, where all of the many visiting nobility stay. Most claim they are there to speak politics with the Carmeline, but there is a reason that the quarter also has the finest, largest, and most expensive brothels in the world, all catering strictly to the nobility. Beyond it is the Emerald Quarter; there the city's wealthy and influential citizens live and ply their trades. The city's artisans can be found here in the enormous Ruby Market, along with the houses where anyone with enough money can enjoy the city's wonderful charms. Outside the city walls is the Amethyst Quarter, where the city's poor and common masses live and work. Many of the city's visitors stay here as well, at least those without the money to afford the far nicer and more expensive inns within the Emerald. Even here desire is always for sale; those unable to find a place in the brothels walk the streets selling themselves, and anyone with a few coins in their pocket can find a room with a bed and someone to fill it.

Yet for all the beauty the city holds, there is just as much darkness and filth hidden behind the silk and leather. All of the brothels that can afford it have their own security, and the streetwalkers who don't know how to defend themselves will find themselves being dragged off into the shadows one dark night. The richer quarters are filled with thieves and pickpockets, but the true darkness is mostly found in Amethyst. Far from the city guards and the city's laws, it is quite true when they say that if you know who to ask, anything is for sale.

It was this darkness that brought Knave to the city this day. Well into summer, the day's heat has already settled into the air. He had been enjoying the company of the widow whose ecstasy named his blade when the orders came by courier; the orphans never wrote anything down. In the past few weeks there had been several murders within the City of Gems. This by itself was not too unusual, but the manner was: several working girls and some of their customers had vanished, from a poor streetwalker in Amethyst to a wildly popular escort from Diamond. Days later parts of their bodies would be found, often just enough to identify them, and mutilated badly enough to hide any trace of what may have happened to them before they died. The orders were simple enough. Find the culprit, and ensure that the killings stopped. How Knave stopped them was entirely up to him.

Along with the orders had come a suspect, and a starting point. Some years ago, the wife of Lord Geoffrey Ditalis and several of her maids had vanished. More than a week later, their heads had been found. There had never been enough to prove Lord Ditalis was responsible, but that did not stop the suspicions. The lord in question had been in Sibylla for a month now, and it was enough for the Crown to suspect his involvement. The starting point was Succulent Ambrosia, a brothel within the Emerald Quarter. Madame Rivae was part of the orphans' vast network of contacts and local spymasters, and supposedly had been notified of his arrival.


There were always many travelers coming to and from Sibylla. As Knave approached the gates he saw that the travelers generally split into two groups; the rougher, poorer sort tended to break off the road well before the gates and head into Amethyst, while the more genteel travelers continued along the main road, cutting through the poor quarter towards the guarded, but almost always open main gate.

 

[nanachan]

When the news reached the Orphan's ears, he had his cock hilted inside the widow and her loud screaming almost made him miss the message. It was quite frustrating to have to finish so early, only a day into their legendary sex-romps, but his country is the only thing that Knave loves more than a tight, wet pussy, and so he left despite the pleas of the widow and the mind-numbing need to cum inside a woman.

"I'll be back to finish our fuck, so wait for me you dirty slut" he whispered in the widow's ear, kissing her goodbye in front of her servants.

That had been days ago and the Orphan has not stopped travelling by carriage since. The longer he waited, the harder it would be to capture the culprit since they would have time to leave the city or hide their tracks. Most likely, knave's best chance at finding out anything is to start with Lord Ditalis, and if he couldn't find evidence, he planned to execute the lord regardless to put the blame on him.

He didn't have a hood on as he walked into the city, he always found them to be cliched and that they draw more attention to himself, not to mention the limit it puts on his vision. Only assasins and thieves wear hoods in the brightness of day because only assasins and thieves need to cover their faces, any orphan worth his salt would have no need to hide their face due to the fact that they work in the shadows.

He had his orphan uniform turn into the garbs of a well to do merchant, nothing too expensive, but something that would be quite common in the city of gems as many rich merchants would come to the city for bussiness, pleasure or both.

Without much ceremony, he headed through the main gate and into the emerald quarter to seek for the succulent Ambrosia.

 

[I_Am_Nobody]

The guards don't take much notice of Knave as he passes through the gates, save one of them giving him a pleasant nod and greetings to the city. So many people come in and out of the city that the guards don't seem particularly concerned with who any of them are; hardly a secure location. Yet as he passes through the city it seems clear that the people themselves are expected to provide much of their own protection. Most of the shops and brothels have armed, large men standing outside as security, and even the streetwalkers he sees that giggle and beckon any who pass almost all wear daggers at their hips.

Nearly everywhere one looks in the Emerald Quarter, love and desire can be seen for sale. Even the roadside stalls selling trinkets, charms and food are all populated by young women in their prime, most of the stalls bearing small signs with a series of painted gems; some are simple, with only a single gem, while others bear drawn gems of every single color. It doesn't take long to realize that the gems are an advertisement for different sorts of services; as Knave passes by a small jewelry stand he sees a man speak with the young woman tending the stand, a few words being exchanged before she accepts some coins and leads him into a nearby alley, a man stepping up to mind the stall while she tends to a different sort of customer.

Having been given fairly decent directions, Knave doesn't have to wander too long before locating the Succulent Ambrosia. The large, three story building is clearly one of the more popular establishments; it is barely midday, but the music and laughter can be heard even from out in the street. A pair of large, burly half-orcs stand on either side of the door, standing guard. One of them glares at Knave as he enters, but neither of them move to block his path. The door opens into a large lobby, filled with couches and cushions. Several customers, most of them looking like merchants or other well-to-do folks, are lounging in the lobby with giggling, barely dressed girls in their laps. Knave was barely in the door before a young blonde approached, swaying with each step. Dressed in a thin silk gown that clearly reveals her curves beneath, she smiles warmly. "Hello, sir," she purrs, "would you like to come have a seat?"

 

[nanachan]

"Perhaps a room" Knave grinned, placing a hand on the woman's hips. "And perhaps You can bring me Madame Rivai?" He whispered, maintaining a sleazy smile as he does so. His fun with the widow disturbed, Knave has been craving a nice creampie since he started travelling towards the city of gems, but if pleasure and bussiness can be mixed together, then he does not see why he shouldn't give his informant a nice hard pounding.

 

[I_Am_Nobody]

"Of course, sir," the girl says with a slightly wider smile, slipping out of your grip to head towards the stairs with a sultry sway in her step. Passing through the brothel brings the usual assortment of exciting sounds and sights; several girls waiting in the lounge with seductive smiles and waves, the sounds of moaning and gasping whenever you pass by a room. The stairs lead into another, smaller lounge before your guide takes you into a hallway with doors on either side, finally opening a door and motioning for you to enter. The plushly decorated bedroom is naturally dominated by the large bed in the center, along with a small chest filled with various costumes, mirrors upon the walls, and several candles setting the mood. "If you'd like to wait here," the girl offers with a nod, shutting the door as she leaves you alone.

It's about ten minutes before the mistress of the house arrives. Madame Rival looks to be no more than early thirties, but it's also clear that there's quite a bit of elven blood in her ancestry making her true age require a fair bit of guesswork. The long, elegant gown of deep red fabric sets off her long raven hair, and has been cut to flatter her curvaceous form. "And a good day to you, sir," she says, shutting the door behind her. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure."

 

[nanachan]

"A good day Indeed" he grinned, eyeing her hungrily. He did not expect her to be this pretty, thinking that the leader of a brother would be an older woman. He might not be wrong afterall, considering Madame Rival turned out to be a half elf. Knave liked half elves. They tend to be quite tight. "I believe you know why I am here" He said, unbuttoning his shirt. "Yet if people do not hear your moans and cries of pleasure, they might suspect that what we are doing here is suspicious, so we really should fuck"

Knave's scars criss-crossed all over his powerful torso, the mark of service to the crown. "And frankly, I was hilted inside a woman when the news reached me, it would not do well for me to be distracted during this mission by my cock..Especially now that I have laid eyes on you, my manhood will not be content before it finds it's way inside you, madame"

he stepped towards her, guiding her hand to his crotch so she can feel for herself the girth and length of his legendary cock.

 

[I_Am_Nobody]

A delicate eyebrow lifted at your particular method of introduction, a faint smile touching her lips. "Straight to business, I see. Surely a young man like you should be more willing to take your time and enjoy yourself a bit."

With a slight laugh she pulled her hand free of your grasp, pushing slightly against your muscular chest. "Unfortunately, the madame does not leap into bed with every stranger who wanders in to her establishment. Surely you can keep yourself contained long enough for one of my girls to come by."

For a moment her gaze slipped down to the bulge in your trousers, the smile widening ever so slightly. "Well, perhaps you are a particularly affluent stranger. Regardless, there are other things to discuss before such things. You didn't come here just to satisfy your cravings, and I would hate for my report to need to contain anything less than complimentary."

 

[nanachan]

The mention of a report was all it took for him to put his cock on a leash. He thought her a simple contact to the throne, but it seems she is more than that. "I suppose I can wait" Knave shrugged, sitting down on the nearest soft surface, legs spread, erection still there for her to admire.

"Now tell me about the situation at hand"

 

[I_Am_Nobody]

As you sit upon the bed the madame sits upon a chair facing it, her face cool and calm; if she is at all perturbed or intrigued by your state of dress, she is far too professional to give any sign. "There was another disappearance last night," she begins, the playfulness of her words vanishing completely. "This one on the edge between Diamond and Emerald; it is a place frequented by those with the money of the nobility but without the actual titles. If it follows the same pattern, then in a few days Sylleia Miraen will turn up dead and dismembered.

"The city guards have made a great show of investigating, but everyone knows they're really doing next to nothing. As long as no one important," her mouth twisted in disgust, "is harmed, they don't care. In their mind, there will always be more girls. The union has begun to insist that our girls take precautions, never go out alone, but still they go missing."

She reached into a hidden pocket on her dress, pulling from seemingly nowhere a folded piece of paper. "This is a map with the sites of the last three disappearances marked. Perhaps you will find something the guards did not care to see."