Chapter 2
Once Bathsheba got back, the group of eleven people headed off across the street. Once they got to the inn, the innkeeper realized that having these ten beautiful young ladies who were actively seeking marriage was going to be a good advertisement for the inn, and would increase business at his tavern considerably. He decided to wait until after Bathsheba was gone though, because he figured that she might not want him to profit off of her husband's new found monogamy. Besides, it was much better as a decision between him and the young women.
All of the young women were tired from their day of packing and apprehensions about the future. They went in their rooms and found them spartan, if comfortable. After putting their clothes in the drawers and closets, they went outside, said goodbye to Bathsheba, who headed back home, and then went to the diner to eat and drink to their new life.
The ten of them decided to sit in a group, taking up one of the few large tables in the diner, and drawing lots of looks from the besotted drunkards at the bar. The girls gave the drunks those fierce looks girls often use to let guys know in no uncertain terms that they were not interested in the guys who were staring at them. Saddened, and getting the point, the drunkards promptly asked for another drink to drown the sorrow of rejection yet again.
Seeing his chance, the innkeeper walked to the young ladies and asked if he could talk to them awhile, since they were now his tenants. They agreed, being friendly and trying to be polite to their new landlord. Immediately the innkeeper began to talk business with them and about ways to increase his profit that would also be of use to them.
"I have an idea on how to profit all of us with your presence here. You see, due to the recent economic turmoil, this inn has received a lot less business than usual. However, with you ladies here, I can have many wealthy noblemen lining up at the doors and drinking at my tavern. This will be very profitable to me. As a reward to you for going along with the plan, your expenses here will be paid for while you are here," the innkeeper said.
"That sounds good to me," a blond young lady said. The others agreed. "What is it you want us to do, though?" she replied.
"What I want you to do is to pose for an artist wearing the dresses you are now so that your pictures may be used for an advertising campaign to promote this inn," the innkeeper replied.
"That is fine with us," the girls said, "When is it you want us to pose for the artist?"
"Well, I have him coming over in a few minutes, so first you can sit here and enjoy a fine meal on the house, and then the artist will come and draw you, and it should not take too long, maybe a couple of hours in all," said the innkeeper.
"Alright. Fine with us," the young women said.
Dinner arrived shortly. They were pleased to see the chicken parmasiana on the menu, as they were big enthusiasts for eating poultry, a taste the acquired by being around Natonito, who was rumored to depopulate whole sections of Bravia of their chickens while a rebel leader against the empire. They also enjoyed the bread and white wine. Perhaps the innkeeper was thinking drunk girls would make for better pictures, but all of them were able to hold their alcohol. After dinner was finished, the artist came by to do his paintings.
Going into one of the bedrooms, the artist and each of the girls in turn would sit alone. The young woman sat on the bed in some kind of a flirtatious pose, one they were able to do without difficulty or feeling self-conscious, with the artist painting from a chair only a few feet away. The paintings went smoothly and were readied for mass printing as advertisements all over that quarter of town, and in the markets in the rest of the city as well. As they were waiting the girls would chat, keeping themselves from getting too nervous.
They all agreed that this world outside of the harem was a much more complicated place than their various politics in the palace. After all, much of palace life was regulated and there was little outside of the small rooms and halls. Here in the world outside everything was much more complicated, and much more based on money, the girls found out to their dissatisfaction. They were not materialistic after all, most of them anyway.
Once the girls got out of the room, though, they told of the funny poses they were all in, and knew that the reason for doing this was so the innkeeper could lure a bunch of horny guys into the tavern thinking they were going to find beautiful women. All of the girls had to laugh at this. Why were people forever falling for the same old tricks that merely going to a bar was good enough to pick up the opposite sex? Why were guys so willing to believe that girls would spent their time at taverns if they were worth anything. The young women themselves planned on staying in the diner area, where there was less beer flowing and better conversation. After they were all done the girls went into their bedrooms and went to sleep, glad to get some rest after the long day.
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