The moon was high in the sky as Regal headed down the cobblestone street towards the Parlour Room. The tall nobleman kept to the shadows even thought the streets were empty; most would be at home, curled up in their beds, fast asleep. Priyanka had changed the time of their meeting to after her shift was over. He had an instinct that it had something to do with the kiss from their last encounter. The memory flashed through his brain, and he could feel a tingling all over his body. Regal remembered the softness of her lips on his, her curvy body in his hands. It was enough to force him to think of nothing but the smells of sewage and rats. Otherwise, he would've suffered an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction.

Don't get excited. This has gone farther than it should.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed all thoughts of pleasure aside and turned down the alley towards the ornately fashioned door. The routine of signing in distracted Regal from arguing with himself against his better judgement. He knew he should keep business and pleasure separate. He knew that it wouldn't lead anywhere. Most importantly, he knew he could not endanger the relationship. Without Priyanka, Regal would have no way to communicate with her cousin. And then he would lose his information lifeline. He had no other leads.

But his resolve wavered as he made his way through the large room and up the stairs. Priyanka had opened the door to something inside himself that he had kept under lock and key. Alicia. The thought of his dead fiancée brought a wave of guilt. What would she think of this? Would she be ashamed? Would she be horrified? No, she wanted you to be happy. Regal dug his fists into his pockets as he reached the landing. He could feel his throat close up and he closed his eyes. Connection. That's all he wanted. Never did he for a second think he was falling in love with Priyanka. No, it wasn't anything like that. He just wanted to feel close to someone. Especially after he had shunned his friends for the past year.

His stomach flip-flopped as he knocked on the door. Regal still hadn't made any sort of decision. Just let go. Priyanka understands your arrangement. But what if it did get messy? Regal went back and forth a few more times, and then stopped. She hasn't come to the door. "Priyanka?" He knocked once more. Silence. He looked from side to side, but the hallway was deserted. "Priyanka, are you in there? I'm coming in."

Hesitating for a moment, Regal turned the door knob and opened the door.

As he came into the room, Regal noted everything seemed normal. Stockings thrown over the full length mirror, makeup accessories scattered over the vanity counter, silk robes hanging haphazardly in the closet. He knew Priyanka wasn't the neatest, but she lived in organized chaos. His eyes swept over the bed and his breath hitched in his throat. In the midst of the normalcy was Priyanka, her lifeless body lying on the bed, a sheet twisted around her neck like a noose. Her eyes were still wide open in terror. Regal cursed and rushed over to the body, examining her, hoping that there was still some breath of life. But as he felt for a pulse, he knew she was gone.

Someone must have found out. He gritted his teeth and knelt down next to the bed. Had he not been careful enough? Or had they learned that she and her cousin were passing information? It didn't matter now at any rate. She was dead. Regal knew he was to blame. Dammit! She might still be alive if I hadn't... Curling his hands into fists, he punched the floor, feeling a throbbing pain spike up and down his arm. They would pay for this. They would pay for taking the life of an innocent woman. Anger shoved into his chest and he gasped for breath. He grunted and covered his face with his hands. Dammit! I should have protected her. Guilt, anger and sadness pooled through his mind as he tried to recall each and every visit; if he had ever slipped up. If he had ever been followed to her door. But nothing came to mind.

Regal opened his eyes and looked at the dead woman. I'm sorry, Priyanka. Carefully, he shut her eyes and kissed the top of her forehead. He would've liked to report what he'd found to the Madam, to the authorities. But he couldn't be tied to this. Then questions would be asked and he couldn't bring any attention to himself, especially now. And chances are, even the Parlour Room wouldn't report it. They didn't want authorities in their neck of the woods either. As he stood, Regal looked at her once more, and noticed her left hand was curled tightly in a fist. Gently, he slowly moved her fingers and felt a crumpled piece of paper. He pieced it from her palm and opened it. He read: 1784. What is this?

His ears picked up voices in the hallway and he stuffed the paper into his pocket. He couldn't stay any longer. What if the killer was waiting for him to discover her? What if this was a trap? Regal took a final glance at Priyanka and quietly exited the room, checking the hallway first to make sure it was empty. People saw you come up here. You need to account for your presence. You need an alibi. His heart began to thump rapidly. He'd have to spend the night with someone. He frowned. This was not how he imagined it. But he couldn't hesitate. He strode to the end of the hall and knocked on the last door.

"Come in," a melodic voice answered. Regal opened the door stiffly and was greeted by the pretty brunette he'd made eye contact with before. "I was wondering if you'd ever come to my door." She gave him a slow, unassuming smile as she turned to face him from her seat at her vanity. Her brown hair was down, falling past her shoulders in waves, framing her narrow face.

"I hope I'm not intruding."

"No, not at all. I was stalling on going back down. You know how they are at the end of the night. Too drunk and all crass." She rose from her seat, and he could see she was wearing a bright pink chemise and blue silk robe. "My name is Melanie."

"It's nice to meet you, Melanie."

"Care for a drink?"

"That would be appreciated." Anything to help him forget what happened to Priyanka, if only for a little while.

She poured him one and handed it to him. As he took it, he met her green eyes, and looked away. "Hard night?"

"Yes."

"Did you want to talk about it?" Surprised, he looked at her to see if she was joking. He knew the courtesans had their maneuvers; they needed to in order to protect themselves. But as Regal looked at Melanie, he saw only genuine concern.

To dangerous. He shook his head. "Not particularly."

"No problem at all. Did you just want to forget for a bit?" She clinked his glass with hers and took a sip.

He nodded and knocked it back, the aftertaste like fire in his throat.

"Then allow me to help you," she said and took his glass, placing both on her vanity.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Forgive me." He muttered as he pulled his small pouch of gold coins from his pocket. He knew it was customary to make payment before anything occurred.

"Don't worry about that for now." Melanie motioned for him to put it away.

"Are you sure?" Is this a trick?

"I trust you to be an honorable man. I would like you to trust me to take care of you and honor our agreement in this room." She smiled at him, and for the first time that evening, he felt calm. Taking his hand, Melanie led him to her bed, covered in a sea blue duvet. Slowly, she leaned into him and brought her lips to his. She smelled like vanilla, sweet and soothing. Regal kissed her back, his lips pressing into hers eagerly, savoring the kiss. She laughed and pulled away, saying, "No need to rush. We have all night."

Melanie lay on the bed and gestured for him to join her. He removed his coat and shoes, keeping his eyes on her, unsure of what to make of the situation. Did this make him a bad man? Having just come upon a dead woman, someone he knew, and went to the arms of another? Was this wrong? And then he was on top of her, bringing his lips to hers, running his hands over her dress, feeling the outline of her body. A pang of guilt made him stop short of reaching under Melanie's dress to run his fingers along her thigh, but she whispered to him, "It's okay, let it go." Regal kissed her hard and felt desire flood through his body. Whether his grief fueled his desire, or his abstinence for the past ten years, all he could think of now was Melanie's body under his. As their clothes fell away and he felt her skin on his, all thoughts disappeared, and he let himself fall into the moment.