Sakura turned to them with a smirk, two pairs of keys rattling in her hand. "I got us in." she said proudly, pointedly ignoring Arthur's sour expression.

"You're out of your goddam mind."

She rolled her eyes. "It's a solid plan, princeling."

"It's a stupid plan."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't see you coming up with anything better. It's not like we have much of a choice anyway." Turning away from the blond man, she handed one key to Bedivere and the other to Percival. "Your rooms are on the first floor. Up the flight of stairs, second corridor on the left. There are just too doors there. Remember, you are supposed to be laborers looking for work. So, please, don't do anything that will blow your cover."

Admittedly, none of them really fit the bill of a common laborer, but stranger people had walked into brothels before, and prostitutes tended not to ask too many questions as long as they were treated decently and paid.

The men nodded, hiding the keys under their cloaks.

"I still think staying here for prolonged periods of time is too risky."

Sakura sighed. "I don't like this any more than you do, Billie, but information gathering takes time. These people won't open up to strangers. Infiltration is our best bet right now. We have a few more days until we're supposed to meet up with the Mage again. They should be enough time to gather at least a little bit of useful information." She was not sure where the Mage had gone off to, only that she meant to meet with her master, and that they were supposed to meet up in a week's time. Their rendezvous-point was an inconspicuous little town two days away from Stagside, called Cliffgarde.

The man said nothing, and Sakura inwardly counted that as a win. If Bill thought it unwise to oppose her, that certainly meant that her plan was as solid as any.

Or we are just that desperate…

"Chop chop, lads!" she urged them. "Find your rooms and get some rest, for the real work starts tonight. Make sure to sit in different corners of the room and only come down after you're certain there's a big enough crowd here to make blending in easier."

"What about you, lass?"

"I'll be staying with the other employees. I'm a working girl here now, remember?" She grinned at Rubio, certain that she was grating on Arthur's nerves, if his scowl was any indication. Serves him right. Arrogant prick…

She offered them a small wave and turned around, her cloak swishing around her ankles as she walked towards the back of the establishment and to the room where a couple of the other girls were waiting for her.

The woman running the place was middle aged, and Sakura was sure she used to be a beauty in her youth. Years of harsh work and even harsher living conditions had broken her exterior, but her dark eyes were of a person confident in who she was. She had no doubt that Lady Avarre, as she liked to be called, could give any man a run for his money.

"There you are!"

Lady Avarre's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she turned to the side to see the woman holding up her skirts and walking decidedly towards her.

"My girls are here to make you presentable." she said as she grabbed Sakura by the arm and started pulling her towards a door. "Won't you look at yourself? Dreadful! I can't let my costumers see you like this!" She opened the door and pulled the pink-haired medic inside, slamming it shut behind them. The room was mostly empty apart from a big empty barrel and a few chairs.

Gee, thanks…

To be completely honest, Sakura couldn't exactly hold Lady Avarre's words against her. With dirt smearing every inch of exposed skin and her hair a tangled mess of knots and grime, she was certain she looked a fright.

"Igene! Sebivere!"

Within moments, two young girls that looked just a little older than Sakura came rushing in from an adjacent room, eager to answer their Lady's call.

"Yes, Lady Avarre?" said one of the meekly. She was a pretty little thing, with long dark hair and light blue eyes. Her dress, made of layers of light brown fabric, complemented her figure.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Igene? Go fetch the buckets and the soap! Shoo! Shoo!" As the girl rushed off to do her biding, the older woman turned to the one Sakura guessed was Sebivere. "Don't just stand there, girl! Come help me undress her."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Wait-"

"Shush!" commanded Lady Avarre as she unhooked her cloak and pulled her breeches down. She handed them to Sebivere, who rushed off somewhere. Sakura was thankful she'd left her weapon's pouch with Percival. "Get in the barrel. We need to bathe you and make sure you look your best. As this is your first day, you'll be delivering drinks to our customers. Leave the more personal entertainment to the more experienced for tonight. We run a fine establishment here, is what we do!"

Sakura was by no means a prude, but the thought of being touched by any of the Blacklegs that she was sure would be flocking in after sunset made her shudder. By the time Igene returned with four buckets of water that Sakura was surprised she could even carry on her own, she was dressed in just her white tunic. It reached right below the curve of her buttocks, and she was thankful for that. She'd have a hard time explaining why a woman her age had so many scars.

She climbed into the empty barrel and yelped in surprise when Lady Avarre dumped the first bucket of water over her head, soaking her from head to toe.

"Come on, Nineve, kneel. I need to wash your hair."

Sakura had to remind herself to respond to the fake name, but she did as she was told and lowered herself into the barrel, inwardly cringing at how dirty the water was as it dripped down her arms and legs.

Lady Avarre grabbed the greenish bar of soap and started lathering up her head, humming a song under her breath. The pink-haired medic didn't know if she was aware of it, but she smiled none the less. In some ways, Lady Avarre reminded her a lot of Tsunade. The similarities were apparent in the way she carried herself. She was straightforward, perhaps even harsh, but it was obvious that she cared for the girls living and working with her, if her decision not to throw Sakura into the lion's den on her first night was any indication.

I bet Lady Avarre and Tsunade-shishou would have liked each other…

She closed her eyes, allowing herself to enjoy the way Lady Avarre's trained fingers massaged her scalp. She couldn't remember the last time she had taken a proper bath. Sakura picked up the second bar of soap and started scrubbing her arms and legs, relishing the sight of the dirty lather slowing turning white.

"Now, that's a good lass! You saved me the trouble of having to do that myself." said Lady Avarre, patting her head.

Sakura sent the woman a wide smile.

"Close your eyes now, dearie. I need to rinse your hair."

Sakura did as she was told, and a moment later, the older woman emptied another bucket over her head. Her locks stuck to her face and back, but she hadn't felt this light in a long time.

"My, my! Won't you look at this!" Lady Avarre ran her fingers through a strand of her dripping hair, bringing it closer to her face to examine it. "What kind of coloring is this? I have never seen such a shade in all my years. Why, how come no man snatched you for himself, dearie? With this hair and those pretty green eyes of yours…My, my!"

Sakura lowered her head, forcing herself to appear bashful. "While my father still lived, I had to dedicate all my time to caring for him. He was very ill and could do nothing by himself. There was no room for a husband in my life."

"Oh, you poor little thing. Don't you worry! We're all a family here. We'll take care of you." Lady Avarre patted her cheek affectionately, before turning to look at the door, her foot tapping impatiently. "Now, where is that girl? How hard is it to bring some cloth to dry you with and a dress?"

As if on cue and certainly due to not wanting to test Lady Avarre's patience, the blonde girl rushed in the room carrying a bundle of plain white cloth under one arm, and two dresses draped over the other.

"There you are, Sebivere! Come now, we need to get Nineve here ready for tonight before the first customers start arriving."

Sakura stepped out of the barrel, a shiver running down her spine as cool air hit her soaked form. She allowed the two women to towel-dry her skin and hair, putting up little fight when Lady Avarre sat her in one of the chairs and started running a comb through her locks. She was not used to people making such a fuss over her, and she generally did not enjoy having her hair and limbs pulled by complete strangers, but she reined in her natural instinct to jump away, and let the women do what was necessary.

Lady Avarre motioned to Sebivere to take over combing and fixing her hair as she walked over to the dresses unceremoniously dropped over the back of a chair.

"Now, which one to pick…" The older woman scratched her chin thoughtfully as she shifted her gaze between the two dresses.

With Sebivere fixing her hair and Lady Avarre standing nearly in front of her, Sakura could not see the garments clearly, though she caught pieces of burgundy and green fabric in the corner of her eye.

"Your skin is pale so the burgundy would look divine on you. But then, the green would bring out your eyes beautifully!"

Sakura smiled. Lady Avarre appeared to be speaking more to herself than to her, but it was a comforting sight. In a way, it reminded her of Shizune, who used to talk to herself while conducting research. It was a concentration exercise, and while it had never worked for Sakura, Shizune used to swear by it.

Lady Avarre clapped her hands excitedly. "The green one it is! Sebivere, help me dress her. You can finish fixing her hair later."

Sakura stood and let Sebivere pull the soaked tunic over her head. If the two found her undergarments strange, they chose not to comment. With the lives they led, Sakura doubted they cared about what one chose to wear beneath their clothes.

Lady Avarre picked up the green dress, holding it by the sleeves. "So? What do you think?"

The garment was made of muslin dyed an appealing earthly-green hue. The square neckline was trimmed with gold stitching and the sleeves ended in crème-colored tulle that flared around the wrist. The bodice, dark brown in color, laced up with gold string. The skirt was a bulk of green muslin with a thinner, lighter overlay made of what appeared to be cheap silk dyed a couple of shades darker than the rest of the dress.

Sakura's mouth formed an amazed 'O' as she stared at the dress, and Lady Avarre chuckled.

"Come on, girlie. Let's see you in it."

Having never worn such a garment in her life, Sakura allowed the women to pull the dress over her head and lace the bodice up. The hem just barely grazed the floor, the fabric of the skirt flaring around her hips. The bodice, made of sturdy, rough leather cinched at her waist, and accented her breasts. Coupled with the open square neckline, it left more skin exposed than she was comfortable with, but she hid her uneasiness.

Not much I can do about that now, is there?

"My, Nineve!" Lady Avarre said clapping her hands excitedly. "Who knew this was hiding under all those layers of dust and dirt! You look exquisite, girlie!"

The older woman's eyes roamed her form with a pleased glint in her gaze, and Sakura suddenly felt extremely self-conscious. The reality of her situation started to sink in, and she realized that she would have to go out there, in a room full of drunk and randy men, dressed like this. And she'd probably have to brave the insults and inappropriate touching that she would be subjected to.

Without breaking any necks. You gotta keep that in mind, Saks. No breaking any bones today.

"Now please finish up her hair, Sebivere. I need to go check on the other girls. Call for me once you get Nineve ready to go out." said Lady Avarre, patting Sakura's cheek on her way out.

"Come, new girl," Sebivere smiled at her good-naturedly. "Let's get you all prim and proper for you first night." She giggled at her own words, and Sakura couldn't help but smile.

Sebivere and other girls led difficult lives. Who knew how each one of them had ended up under Lady Avarre's wing, and who knew what kind of degenerates they had to face each and every night. Seeing Sebivere so cheerful, despite the harsh conditions of her life, was a hopeful sight. Perhaps there was hope for all of them after all.

So, stay focused on that, Haruno. You're doing this for all of these people.

Sakura let the blonde woman run her fingers through her pink locks, feeling her pick up strands of hair here and there. She stared down at her hands and fidgeted with the tulle of her sleeves.

I wonder what Naruto would say if he were to see me now…She smiled at the thought. Something nice, most likely. He always had something nice to say to me.

"Look up!" Sebivere's cheerful voice broke her out of her thoughts, and she found herself looking into the blonde's smiling face. "Let's put just a few finishing touches." From a pouch hanging from her belt, Sebivere took out a thin piece of charcoal, what looked like a paint brush, and a small wooden bowl, no bigger than half the palm of her hand.

Sakura remained still as the blonde lined her eyelids with the piece of charcoal and applied a thin layer of what appeared like dark pink pigment on her lips.

"There you go, Nineve, all ready!" Sebivere patted her shoulder. "Let's go find Lady Avarre so she may give you a few last-minute instructions. She should be in the other room with the rest of the girls on duty tonight."

Sakura didn't have time to speak, as the blonde woman grabbed her hand and started pulling her towards the door.

The other room was a little bigger, and full of young women getting ready for the night. Most, if not all of them, looked just a couple of years older than her. The girls looked festive, chatting amicably to each other, as if preparing for some type of celebration.

A coping mechanism, the medic inside her whispered in her ear. They need to keep each other's spirits lifted in order to persevere.

"Nineve! There you are!" Lady Avarre's voice broke her out her thoughts and Sakura smiled meekly at the woman, her face a mask of nervousness befitting a young girl on her first night as a prostitute. "Look at you! Lovely, lovely!" She turned to Sebivere. "Go on, darling. Get yourself ready too."

Lady Avarre watched the blonde woman leave, and then linked her arm with Sakura's. "Now, a few words of advice," she started as she led her towards the back of the room and another door. "This place usually gets busy, but don't let that get to you. You just take the drinks to the customers. That's all you have to do, at least for tonight. And remember to smile! You are a pretty little thing, with a pretty smile. Our customers like that."

Joy…

Then, Lady Avarre's expression grew serious and the older woman fell silent. Sakura frowned. "Lady Avarre?"

"I gotta tell you, dearie. Most of our customers are nice people. The common folk. Poor chaps, who come here for an escape and a few hours of happiness." Her voice lowered to a whisper, as if she feared being heard. "But not all of them are like that. These…These Blacklegs come here sometimes too."

Sakura's muscles tensed.

"They are not a good lot, Nineve; they do bad things, awful things. But they rule these streets. No one can touch them. Watch yourself around them, will you? I'd hate to see anything bad happen to you. You're one of my girls now, and I look after my girls." She had a worried look in her eyes as she pinched Sakura's cheek affectionately.

The young medic smiled at the older woman encouragingly. "I will be careful, Lady Avarre. I promise."

Lady Avarre perked up and she smiled widely, her mood instantly changing. She handed Sakura a tray and opened the door. "What are you waiting for then? Go get them, girlie!"

Sakura took a deep breath and stepped into the brothel's main hall.

XxxOxOxOxxX

To say that Arthur was in a sour mood would be an understatement.

Despite having grown up in a brothel, hiding in the far corner of one, with the hood of his cloak shielding his face and holding a flagon of cheap ale, was not something he enjoyed.

Rubio sat beside him, sipping at his own drink as he observed the thickening crowd. They made sure not to draw attention to themselves, watching the patrons subtly and staying in the shadows. They could only keep an eye on a certain portion of the brothel, and Arthur hoped that Bedivere, Percival and Bill had secured themselves a better vantage point.

Arthur and Rubio's table was in the far back, away from the main door and the ever growing stream of regulars flocking to the brothel to drown their misery in alcohol and the girls' welcoming embrace.

Is this what you'll be doing, wench? Fishing for information as you hold a Blackleg's head against your breast? His eyes narrowed at the thought.

Against his better judgement, he took a sip form his flagon, sloshing the ale around in his mouth in the hopes that it'd make swallowing it a bit easier.

"How do you think the lass is holding up?"

Arthur glanced at Rubio in the corner of his eye. "Well enough, I imagine. She's good at doing stupid things."

Rubio chuckled. "Aye, she's good at saving our hides too."

"Your point?"

"All I'm saying is, have a little trust in her, chap. She can take care of herself. She's got a tough head, that one."

Arthur snorted into his drink. You have no idea…

For a few minutes, they sat in silence. The brothel's main hall was loud enough already, a cacophony of clinking mugs and drunken shouting.

"Oi! Girl! Come 'ere! The tankards need refilling!"

Arthur barely paid any attention to the group of noisy men occupying the table next to theirs, keeping his eyes in the direction of the main door in case any person of interest decided to walk in. He raised his flagon to his lips, absently sipping at the bitter ale.

And then, a figure came into view, heading straight towards them, and Arthur's sharp intake of breath caused him to choke on his drink.

"Is that…is that…the lass?"

Arthur didn't even spare Rubio a glance, ignoring his astonished whisper, and kept his gaze on the woman. She walked past their table airily without turning to look at them, though he was sure she had noticed them. She plastered a pleasant expression on her face as the approached the other men, holding a tray in one hand and her skirts in the other. She smiled disarmingly at the occupants of the table as she went about filling her tray with their empty tankards.

"I'll be right back with your order, boys!" she said in a sing-song voice that had the men cheering and whistling at her back as she walked away.

Probably feelings his and Rubio's eyes on her as she passed by their table, she stopped to glance at them.

"Anything I can get you, lads?" The smile on her face was amicable, but her eyes narrowed, as if daring them to say or do anything that would blow her cover.

Arthur found himself unable to form coherent sentences, and he did not quite trust his own voice not to make him sound like a complete fool.

Is this…is this really the wench?

He had never considered himself an overly righteous man, not with his life, and he had no qualms about openly admiring a woman's feminine graces. And he had definitely admired Sakura's on a number of occasions. He'd be a fool and a liar to say otherwise. However, how could he have ever been prepared for this?

The dress, a comely green that brought out the vibrance of her eyes, hugged her form in a way that knocked the breath out of his lungs. The bodice was tight, accentuating her feminine curves, and the skirt flared around her legs. He clenched his fist under the table at the sight of her exposed skin, scrubbed clean and glinting like ivory.

And visible to anyone with a bloody pair of eyes…

Out of its usual tightly woven braid, her hair fell in rich waves down her back, reaching nearly to the curve of her waist. As she tilted her head to the side in yet another silent warning not to ruin her cover, her locks caught the candlelight from the chandeliers hanging above them and shone in a way that it wouldn't have even on the brightest of days. Two thick braids on either side of her head created a crown that sat perfectly atop her head, while the small curls that framed her face softened her features.

He'd always thought that her hair was blonde, and simply dull and dirty like all of them were after hiding out in that cave for so long. But now, under the light of the candles, he could see that it was a hue much closer to pink. One of a kind, just like her.

If a beam of the sun's pinkish light during sunrise could weave itself into a lock, then that was her hair.

He gulped as his eyes found hers, and her mouth -her rosy, sinful mouth- curved downwards into a scowl. Had the circumstances been different, he would have laughed at her obvious displeasure at being stared at. He didn't though, for in his lightheadedness, he'd probably make a fool of himself. He blamed the ale.

Beside him, Rubio managed to snap out of his daze. He whistled lowly. "Damn it, lass…"

Sakura leaned forward, as if she were taking their order, and raised a challenging eyebrow. "Can I get you anything, lad? You've been staring for a while."

Rubio grinned at her roguishly. "Nah, don't mind me. I'm just appreciating the handiwork of the dress." He smirked. "And thanking your mother."

Arthur couldn't remember the last time he'd wanted to punch someone so badly, consequences be damned. He settled for smacking Rubio upside the head.

Sakura shifted her eyes -vibrant and so, so green- to him, and leaned even closer, as if she were doing it on purpose. She probably was. It took every ounce of his self-control to keep his gaze above her collar bone, the chance to catch another glimpse of the delicious skin of her cleavage almost too tantalizing to pass up.

Gods help me…

"See something you like, blondie?" she challenged him with a sneer, the kind that was both triumphant and mocking.

Regaining a sliver of his composure, he smirked up at her. "As a matter of fact, I do. Do you think that pretty brunette over there will come to my bed tonight?" He leaned forward, barely a couple of inches away from her face, and gently grasped her chin "Though, if she can't, I could always settle for you."

For just a moment, something akin to stunned silence fell between them, but Sakura recovered almost instantaneously. She opened her mouth, undoubtedly to say something equal parts witty and insulting, when a foreign voice beat her to it.

"Nineve! Nineve!"

At the sound of her fake name, Sakura's head snapped up and she drew herself away from him. "Lady Avarre? Is everything alright?"

The middle-aged woman looked forlorn as she grasped Sakura's hands in her own, and Arthur frowned. An unpleasant shiver ran down his spine.

Something's wrong…

"Oh, dearie, this was not supposed to happen. Not tonight."

"What is going on?" Sakura pressed the woman, her brow furrowed.

"He's here! Lord…Lord Agrarrok is here with his Blacklegs."

Sakura gasped in realization and Arthur gritted his teeth. That must be him…Vortigern's out-of-control lapdog.

"Lady Avarre, is any of the girls in trouble?"

The older woman looked up, her eyes moist as she tightened her hold on Sakura's hands.

"You, Nineve. He's asking for you."

TBC

Eeerr…I don't know what just happened, but I finished this chapter in just two days. Don't ask me how, it only happens once in a blue moon. :P

I had tons of fun writing this and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it!

Drop me a review to let me know how you liked it!

I'm not sure when the next chapter will be uploaded, but I promise to do my best!

Until next time,

Lots of love!