I winced in pain as my palm scraped the rough stone wall of Lady Vivian's home.
I had come up with an elaborate plan to climb into her window, take back the diamond and necklace she had taken from me and then get out before she or anyone would notice.
Everything was going well until I lost my footing and fell down, scraping my arm and knees in the process.
I had to get back the diamond before nightfall. The council's hunters were mostly active at night and I needed to either be far away from the boundaries of Dinari or risk losing everything.
After nursing my injured arm and whispering some words of motivation to myself, I flung my small frame unto the wooden window sill.
After ensuring my feet was secured, I began climbing the wall agin.
I held onto every tiny crack or crevice my fingers could fit into until I was directly beneath Lady Vivian's window.
I listened carefully, hoping to catch the sound of her her talking to Paula or or her freakishly loud chewing.
I giggled as memories of her slurping a bowl of soup loudly like a pig flashed through my mind.
The long silence was the go ahead I needed. I slipped my fingers through the sides of the window and slid it open.
I scanned the room and made sure it was completely empty before climbing in.
Quickly, I began to rummage through her numerous dressers and drawers.
I tore the room apart but there seemed to be no sign of the diamond or my necklace.
I turned her large mattress over and a small safe came into view.
I pulled out the safe and twisted the lock but it didn't budge.
With the heel of one of her shoes, I managed to pry the lock open and several shiny pearls, gold necklaces and chalices rolled out of the safe.
I dug in and searched for what was mine but it wasn't in the safe either.
I stuffed the pockets of my dress with some of the necklaces and a shiny small dagger I had found in the safe and my search, making sure no stone was left unturned.
"What the hell are you doing?" Paula's shrill voice sounded from the doorway.
I froze and slowly let go of the jewelry box that was in my hands.
"Lady Vivian!" Paula screamed untop of her lungs as she slowly backed away from the door.
I lunged at her, knocking her small frame to the ground.
She tried to scream but I muffled her screams with my palm and placed the dagger on her neck.
Her screams died down and she lay still.
"Good girl," I commended as I slowly took my palm off her mouth.
She tried to scream again and I pressed the sharp blade against her skin. She winced as the blade nicked her skin.
"Are you ready to cooperate now?" I whispered as I pushed the blade against her skin.
She nodded nervously as tears filled her eyes.
"Where's my necklace?" I asked.
"With the mistress," she replied almost immediately.
"Where's your mistress?"
"Room 12 with a guest," Paula whimpered.
I gagged at the thought of Vivian and a guest. My brain couldn't help but imagine her large blubbery body on top of a client who had to bear her musty smell.
"Please let me go," Paula begged.
"You'll be quiet and remain in here even though you hear screaming," I instructed as I slowly pulled the blade away from her neck.
I ordered Paula to organise the room and put everything back where it belonged while I went in search of room 14.
I silently prayed not to walk in on Lady Vivian having sex. I had seen several gruesome things but that would scar me for life.
Room 14 was located just below the grand staircase. I pressed my ear against the wooden door and I could make out the muffled screams of a man. I slowly turned the knob and slid into the room unnoticed.
Seeing a morbidly obese woman strapped in tight lace lingerie that threatened to rip apart at any moment, whipping a gagged and bound grown man was something I had never planned to see.
The large tribal tattoo on the man's arm indicated that he was a nobleman.
"How scandalous?" I laughed loudly as I walked into the room.
They both turned to me and the look of dread and horror on their faces was extremely amusing.
"I kicked you out, didn't I?" Vivian frowned as she tossed the whip to the ground.
"You have something that's mine," I replied as I inched closer to them.
"You owe me. Even the dress you have on belongs to me," she shrugged as she slumped into the nearest chair, her chest rising and falling as she swiped sweat off her face.
"You've stolen for me and I don't take lightly with theft," I said firmly.
I walked over to her and tried to grab hold of the necklace that sat between her breasts but she was fast enough to knock my hand away and push me to the ground.
The contents of my pockets spilled on the ground and colour drained out of Vivian's face.
"Theif!" She screamed as she struggled to get out of the chair.
"Theif!" She continued to scream, hoping to get the attention of the men in the other rooms.
I hurriedly picked up my dagger and sent the small blade flying towards her face.
My aim was steady and the the entire length of the pointy end of the blade lodged into her left eye.
She squealed like a wounded pig as she struggled to pull out the blade.
I rushed to the door and bolted all the locks.
Vivian's screams soon alerted the other guests and they soon began pounding on the door.
Vivian's guest struggled to free himself as he wriggled around and tried to scream through the gag in his mouth. He had a worse punishment coming when the other guests manage to get the door unlocked. He would never show his face in public ever again because his dark fantasies would be known by the entire town.
Vivian pulled out the blade and blood splattered all over the wooden floor. She screamed in pain as she tried to stop the bleeding with her palm.
The diamond slipped out of her bodice and rolled to my feet.
I put it into my pockets, grabbed my necklace from her neck and made for the open window.
"Get back here, Marcella," Lady Vivian screamed. "I'll make you pay for this"...