Earning her keep

"Well, uh, how much do I owe you?" Lilly asked as she sank a tiny bit deeper into the bath.

Lady Celene held out a hand and Myrrah quickly produced and placed a piece of parchment in her employer's hand. Making a show of straightening out the parchment and adjusting an elegant pair of eyeglasses, Lady Celene began reading.

"To start with, there is the privilege of using the bath in my private chambers. That's thirty gold. Quality cleaning service for your garter and stockings is another twenty. Then, of course, there's the price of having a proper set of clothes made for you. After all, we can't have royalty walking through the city in anything but a properly made gown of the most quality materials. That's another three hundred gold at the least... So, at present, three hundred and fifty gold." Lady Celene explained as she rattled off Lilly's "expenses."

Lilly smiled wide. "Is that all? I can have the money sent to you once I get back to the castle!" the princess offered.

Lady Celene shook her head. "Afraid I cannot allow that, your highness. Who's to say you won't decide not to pay me after you're back home? Then I'm out a considerable sum of money! No, I must insist I have my money before you can leave."

"B-but... I don't have any money on me! Especially not that much gold!" Lilly whined.

"There are other ways to pay off the debt, my dear." Lady Celene said with a sly smile. "I'd be willing to let you work off what you owe."

"W-what would I have to do?" Lilly asked, part of her fearing the worst, but her naivete sparing her from the likely truth.

Lady Celene and Myyrah both smiled. They'd discussed that exact question before confronting Lilly about what she owed. There was, of course, a risk in blatantly forcing the heir to the throne into sex work, but there were also ways to obscure Lilly's identity.

Myyrah had suggested sticking the princess in a glory hole booth. She'd be able to work without anybody seeing her face, and a voice alone wouldn't be enough for someone to figure out who was on the other side of the wall.

Lady Celene didn't want to waste a face like Lilly's, however. Instead, she believed the princess could do with a makeover. Dyeing her hair, giving it a cut, maybe a few other minor cosmetic changes would be enough to give reasonable doubt while still having an angelic face and sinfully beautiful body to sell.

Either way, Lilly was going to be working for a very long time. The poor girl was about to learn about the world of interest and living expenses...