A/N: alright so this Chapter is a bit shorter than the rest. Also I'm going to give you guys a bit of a warning- I am starting my freshman year of art school on Monday so writing time may be scarce. Also I do not have my internet hookup yet(I've been picking up the wireless signal at my local library) so things may take longer. Also I have been going through atleast three drafts for each chapter so yeah. Patience is a virtue. Please enjoy
Chapter 4: Cho
Cho loved the temples; they were the only place of solace she could find lately.
Incense burned all around her, the scent of cinnamon wafting through the air. This particular Temple was constructed to accommodate some of Aphrodite's Palace's Eastern clients, they rarely visited the Palace, but Aida Zabini had the temple built as a precaution. Cho was grateful for Mrs. Zabini's paranoid perfectionism.
During her 19, almost 20, years of life Cho had never been religious. She had gone to a few prayer circles with her parents, but those few she had been to were of the European mind. The circle's were jokes to her, people prayed for material possessions, for things no god, if there was a god, would bestow without adequate compensation. When she began her employment at the Palace, she felt a sense of shame and guilt. After a few weeks Cho found herself repenting and burning incense in the temple. She never recognized a specific god or goddess to pray to, more so she was praying for guidance and forgiveness from any deity willing to give it.
As she rested her forehead on the stone floor in reverence, footsteps invaded her solace. The well known clicking of high heels and the swish of lace and silks signified the entrance of Mistress Zabini.
"Madame, what calls you?" Cho asked respectfully as she rose gracefully to stand and face her employer.
Aida Zabini's eyes flickered to the incense burning nearby and back to Cho's small frame. She shifted her shawl about her for a moment or two before speaking. "I have chosen a new client for you. He is of ten times the consequence as your last." She said, her voice, smooth as silk, but also sharp as a blade.
"What is his preference, Madame? They are all so different, I would prefer to know before hand so I may accommodate to his tastes." Cho said.
"No, Cho, this is much different from your other clients. This man has not come to Aphrodite's, he is a high ranking death eater, in the Dark Lord's inner circle."
"If he has not sought our business then why…"
"You Miss Chang our a courtesan, your duty and life is seduction. Those first few clients were merely trial runs for you." Aida pressed her crimson painted limps into a firm line before continuing. "Aphrodite courtesans are high society. We keep our business clean, our girls comfortable, and the riff raff kept out by servicing rich men. You may think that this establishment is new, an addition that came along with the Dark Lords acclimation of power, but I assure you it is not. I have run this establishment for years, seducing the rich and powerful, that is how we stay so well hidden and provided for."
"How am I to meet such a rich man? Surely as a courtesan I will not be capable of nearing his presence." Cho inquired.
Aida smiled, her expression devious. "My dear girl, secrecy is key. You shall be attending a party within a month's time. At this ball, you will not be a courtesan, but a wealthy Chinese sorceress. I have a few inside connections that'll accompany you, vouching for your rank. Your escorts shall introduce you to various top ranking death eaters, flirt and be coy with them, whilst glancing at your true target out of your eye every once and a while. Make sure you make eye contact with him at some point prior to your meeting. When you meet be cool, calm, collected, and confident. You know you are stunning and you shall intrigue him. That is all you must do on this first meeting; acquaint yourself with him."
"So little, but I thought I was to make him my client?" Cho was slightly confused. Aida had just informed her she was to seduce him, but now she says that Cho is only to meet him.
"Sometimes I forget how young you are. Silly girl, with a man such as this you must treat the seduction with delicacy. One small step at a time; he is not a man easily worked upon. At first I had planned for you to take on the son, but apparently his mother is searching for a prospective bride, the media will keep a close eye on his doings. He is a smart lad and wouldn't dare involve himself with a women he did not think of as a prospective bride."
"I understand, Madame. I shall not fail you." Cho said.
"I hope not. That said, you shall be attending classes with Jerome and Meredith. We must hone your dancing and etiquette before the ball. After all you must pass as a socialite." Aida said. That said she clicked her way towards the temple exit.
"Madame!" Cho called out to her, as she neared the doors.
"Yes, my dear?"
"Who is this man I shall be seducing?" Cho felt apprehensive. Her stomach was filled with knots; she knew in her heart that she would not like the answer.
"Why, it is Lucius Malfoy, my dear." Aida Zabini said, and left just as she entered, high heels padding against the floor and yards of fabric trailing behind her.
A/N: Reviews do the body good.
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