As Esme and Althea exited the balcony, Esme stopped by in the room she woke up in and slipped inside, searching through the drawers and picking a fur coat.
The fabric was luxuriously thick, its warmth a welcome comfort against the chill in the air. She wrapped it around her form, the weight of it grounding her as she prepared to face what lay ahead.
Descending the staircase with Althea by her side, Esme's steps faltered as she overheard the low voices of a group of Northern women below.
Recognizing them, she realized they were some of the courtesans from the Fang Fortress, women she'd glimpsed in passing but had never engaged with. They hadn't exactly welcomed her presence then since she was an intruder, but while others were risking their own security to help her hide, the rest simply stared as though she was upsetting the delicate balance of their domain.
