Rilla’s Maidens

Vilea blinked a few times when she recognized the horsemen in the distance. “Interesting.”

“Is something wrong, my lady?” Jilleen asked with concern in her voice.

“No, quite the opposite, my dear. The horsemen you can see in the distance seem to be some of Rilla’s Maidens. Definitely not something one expects to see on the road.”

“Rilla’s Maidens? Aren’t they…” Jilleen started.

“Princess Rilla’s personal guards?” Vilea finished in place of the young girl. “Yes, you are correct, my dear. They are princess Rilla’s personal ****. All female and loyal only to her, to the point where they’ll commit suicide if she asks them to.”

“I’ve heard rumors that they are all virgins.”

At this Vilea laughed out loud. “If even one of them is a virgin then so am I. Anyway, there seem to be around ten of them, so obviously the princess is not with them. Which brings the question what are they doing on the road at this time of day.”

“Could they have been sent to escort you, my lady?”

“It’s not impossible, but the odds are slim. Very slim. The princess and I have never been very friendly to each other. The few times Rilla and her Maidens requested my services was in order to satisfy some of their more… “unusual”… desires. The one that called for me this time was the royal exchequer so there is no reason for the princess to care what happens to me. But I guess we’ll know for sure in a few moments.”

While the two women had been talking the distance between the carriage and the riders had been covered almost completely. In a few moments the two groups would meet.

As Vilea and Jilleen watched from inside the carriage the ten Maidens slowed down and stopped their horses, blocking the road and forcing the driver to also stop. Before he could ask for an explanation the group of armor-clad women surrounded the carriage and one of them, probably the leader, looked inside to check who the passengers are. The young woman recognized the courtesan as soon as she saw her.

“Well met, lady Vilea. We were looking for you.”

“Well met, Nyla. May I ask what you need from me?” Vilea asked trying not to show them her worry. She couldn’t think of any reason these women would go looking for her…