"Did you have any trouble getting inside?" Jayran asked the woman standing by his closed bedroom door, his voice low and composed.
She shook her head, her eyes slightly downcast in the manner she often adopted when she was uncertain whether to speak freely.
"No, Your Highness. I told the guards that I was one of the girls Madam Gina sent to you."
Madam Gina was the owner of the brothel where Evelin worked. It also happened to be the one Jayran frequented most, and the place where the two had first become acquainted.
He could still recall the night they met as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. He had gone there seeking a night of pleasure, something to drown out the endless monotony of court life.
Madam Gina had handpicked Evelin for him, with that sly, knowing smile of hers. "Only the best for the Prince of Lamora," she had said.
At the time, Jayran hadn't thought much of it. But that night had proved different.
