How did I end up like this?
Sitting in the middle of the grand hall with nothing but a pair of trousers on, I had very few chips left to my name.
Across from me, Lydia was the picture of smug satisfaction, her pile of winnings stacked high and even crowned with the few pieces of jewellery I'd tried to barter after I'd run out of chips.
Next to her was Aurelia, who was fairing even worse than I was reduced to trousers just like me, though with an air of graceful resignation as she eyed her dwindling pile of chips.
It all began innocently enough. We'd barely finished the luxurious feast Leora had prepared when Ciara, clearly still full of energy, suggested a poker game to liven up the evening.
But Ciara, being Ciara, had to add her own rules: lose, and you either had to wager a belonging or remove an article of clothing. At first, we all laughed, thinking it was a harmless joke. But as the game picked up, so did the stakes and my misfortune.
