"That's some pretty large assumptions he's making." Aalyssa thought for a moment. She wished there was a simple answer. "I can speak with Lord De Vale about putting some guards in the kitchen and main hall. It is probably a good idea anyway until the mermen are stopped for good."

"Would DeVale have to know?" Ila asked anxiously. The last thing she wanted was for him and all the knights to find out about her being from the Crimson Dove.

"No, I can simply say that with mermen still around along with some discomfort of living with men that the ladies don't know."

"How would that make the guards stop Tirto?" Ila asked. "He's not a merman. If he wants to hurt me all he has to do is tell people I'm a whore."

"They would on the lookout for anyone being aggressive toward any of the women in the keep. They could be on the lookout for any sort of tensions between far too many people under one roof."

"I'm not comfortable around most of the men here to be honest, they'd be sensing tension between me and half the people in the keep." Ila said, starting to pace. "And I heard about some of the things that happened to women during and after the raid- I can't be the only one here feeling tense around anyone male."

"You are correct, and it's another reason I think having guards in these areas would be a benefit."

"Aren't all the guards male?" Ila asked.

"It is the only solution I can think of. We can't displace every man here."

"Of course not." Ila fidgeted with the note. "I hope it works."

"I do too," Aalyssa said. "But you need to speak with Aislyn and Brie. They will not judge you."

Ila blushed and shook her head. "I can't. Mrs Gerthrim was angry enough at me when she thought I slept with just her husband... A lot of the men that visited the Crimson Dove were married."

"Nonsense, she wasn't angry at you. She was angry with the man she believed to be her husband. And the whole situation with him being an impostor."

"She was very angry when I tried to explain to her that it wasn't really her husband." Ila said.

Aislyn had just been through several horrors, she had lost her home and most of her children. She was already hurting from him acting like she didn't exist. It was more than she could handle at the time."

"She's still going through horrors! Today a man was so rude to her, kept saying horrible things about her daughter, that she snapped and stabbed him." Ila folded her arms. "I think she's in the dungeon... I think the man she stabbed is dead. I can't tell Aislyn she agreed to take on a whore for an apprentice on top of that."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:54, Sat 28 May 2016.

Aalyssa's jaw dropped. "What? Aislyn doesn't have a violent bone in her body. She's far worse than I suspected then. If this is true, than Brie is really going to need your help. You need to at least confide in her."

Ila shook. "She would find someone else to help in the kitchen, someone with more experience with cooking and less with men."

"If your mind is set, there is nothing I can do to change it. But it is up to you to explain to Brie why you're leaving the kitchen."

"I'm sure whatever I tell her will be easier than telling her I'm a whore." Ila shrugged.

Aalyssa frowned at Ila. "If you're well, I should return to the healing room.

Ila unhappily took off the apron Aislyn's daughter had sewn for her. "Your patients must need you... I'm sorry to have taken up your time."

"You were in need. Don't ever feel you're being a bother, Ila."

"Thank you." Ila's eyes glistened as she neatly folded the apron.

Aalyssa sighed, wishing she had a better answer and a way for Ila to stay in the kitchen. "What will you do now?"