Leonidas had to check a few times, was he seeing this right. Between the pretty Spargo sisters, stood a beautiful woman. That made all the other things around her dull, and so uninteresting. He knew the Spargo sisters of course, this was not his first time in Volubteam, a town known for its louche behavior. The sisters were all daughters of the richest merchant in town, a man that her Leonidas wanted on his side. 

"Good afternoon, mister Muliades." Said Eliana Spargo, the oldest of the sisters.He nodded politely. 

"Afternoon ladies, beautiful day to do some shopping." The younger sisters started giggling, something that irritated him. The beautiful girl, with her hair white as fresh fallen snow. Rolled with her hazelnut brown eyes, he had to say he was intrigued. Although she was wearing a dull dress, lacking of any color but gray. He could see that it was made from the finest silk and cashmere. He gave her a smile, and if he didn't mistaken it made her shiver. Leonidas walked towards her, ignoring the other ladies. "Good afternoon, miss. Those bags are looking heavy. Please allow me to carry them for you."  She shock her head.

"No, thank you, I am fine. Mister Muliades." Her voice was so cold and hostile, his smile get even bigger. He was not used to this behavior, normally girls melted like heated wax in his hands. Some even are willing to undress and give him their pride. 

"Are you sure?" She nodded this time. 

"Raven, by the Nameless God, you are so rude." Eliana came between them, she turned her head towards the girl she called Raven. Grabbed one of the bags and gave it to him. "Forgive my half sister, mister Muliades. She those not get out much." Raven sighed and rolled again with her eyes. 

"Eliana, you have to look up the meaning of the word rude. I asked Raven a simple question and answered. She said she was fine carrying the bags." He gave the bag back, Raven grabbed it and started walking away. 

"Eliana, your mother told use that we need to be home before the sun started to set. Well, it is setting." Leonidas looked up, Raven was right. Eliana turned towards her sister. 

"Are you so eager to get back in those rages, Raven?" Raven froze that hit definitely a nerve, the other Spargo girls started to giggle even louder. And he enjoined a good cat fight.  Raven dropped the bags in the shallow but still dirty poodle, the dirty water sprung up and hit the stuff that was in those bags. Raven looked over her shoulder. 

"Oops." And started walking towards what Leonidas knew was her home. Her sisters ran towards the bags and grabbing them out of the dirty poodle.

"We will tell mother." Screamed Lia, the youngest. But Raven kept on walking, until she was out  of his view.

*******

Leonidas sat in the laughing room of the popular Red Room, a brothel that was known for its good liquor and beautiful woman. That served the costumers and not only drinks. A woman, with golden hair and sky-blue eyes, had her hand around his intimate place. He had his eyes closed and enjoin the experience, only he pictured another girl. One with snow-white hair and hazelnut brown eyes. Raven, she was a vision to be hold. Beautiful tanned skin, not that white skin of those aristocratic snobs, who believed that a bit of a healthy color was an insult to their names. He had known one other girl that could eclipse Raven's beauty. Taila, the girl that chose his best friend and rival over him, and had paid for that decision with her live. He couldn't believe that he had discovered her dead body four years prayer. The rage that he had felt that day flooded back in, or was it another feeling. He didn't know, but all he knew right now was that he needed to have Raven, before another would take her as his bride. He reached over the woman and grabbed his ale. 

"Master, do you want to take it upstairs?" The woman with her sky-blue eyes looked at him. He shock his head. 

"Not tonight. Daisy, finish what you started." The woman looked slightly disappointed, and he knew why. He didn't had to pay for this, but if he took her upstairs. She could feed her horde of bastards for a whole week. Leonidas closed his eyes, while he drank his dark ale. He knew he had to dread carefully, he was not dealing with the daughter of a farmer or any other merchant. He was dealing with the daughter of the richest man in the land, who had connections with emperor Midas.  That's why he hadn't taken up the offers the other sisters had made to him. If he screwed one of them, he needed to marry that girl. Otherwise, their father would ruin him and his whole family. Not that he wasn't tempted by the idea of marring one of them, the girl would come with a nice dowry and privileges. First, he had considered Eliana, the oldest. But that girl was so stupid and dull, not like her Raven. Who was not only beautiful, but had a brain and was besides that also brave. He put down the ale, after Daisy was done, he would go out to buy a ring. After that he would ask Raven to marry him. 

****

It was already dark when he walked over the street., the stars shimmered in the dark blue canvas, Leonidas had the little box with the ring, he just bought of a fellow who smelled of liquor and fiscies. He had no doubt that the ring was from questionable origin, not that it mattered. He swung with a drunken step over the street, in the meantime he wondered why the Spargo family lived just outside the town, near the forest. Instead of in the middle of the Silverplate district, maybe the ground here was cheaper. He had to ask Alexander Spargo, when he was engaged with his daughter. Finally, he was standing at the front door.

20:00

Carefully he knocked on the dark chestnut wooden door, he heard the sound echoing through the mansion. He quickly fixed his coat, before the door opened. A much older version of Eliana stood in the opening, undoubtedly her mother. It was uncommon for ladies of her states to open the door themselves. Leonidas recovered from his shock. 

"Hello, miss, is your mother home?" This icebreaker usually works a lady past her prime.  But this woman did not butch. 

"What do you want, sir? I am really not in the mood for any games." He nodded. By the Nameless god, this woman had ice in her veins instead of blood.

"Madam, I am sorry. But to be honest I am quite nervous."

20:19

20:24

The woman looked at him with her ice-cold gray eyes. "My name is Leonidas Muliades, I am from Yellow Pearl village."

"I know who you are, young man, and where you are coming from. But what do you want?" The woman was ready to slam the door in his face. 

"I want to have an opportunity to talk to one of your daughters." A scream came from behind the woman, and not much later Eliana appeared in the doorway. Her mother sighed. 

"It is late, mister Muliades, so I hope you have something important to tell to my daughter." He nodded. 

"I have madam Spargo. But only not to miss Eliana, but to miss Raven."

20:38