Steel Roses Have Sharp Thorns (Snow & Cassia 01) Part Two

The front entrance

   Phaedra   

Cassia Chess entered the Steel Rose, where she hoped to find employment as a bouncer; her Uncle Griffonclaw had asked her to help out his friend Phaedra, who was the owner and proprietor.  She and her friend Snow, the adopted son of Uncle Griffonclaw had come to Boralus, where Cassia had grown up, so that she could take the job, if Phaedra approved of her.

The Steel Rose was a "Gentleman's Club" in the city of Boralus in Kul Tiras, in the Hook Point neighborhood next to the Dampwick Ward area and the Ashvane Docks.  The location was roughly equidistant, allowing Phaedra to draw from a wide variety of customers; any given night saw a mixture of soliders from the nearby Proudmoore Barracks, the Ashvane Docks area sailors and dockworkers, and visitors and tourists to the Hook Point market. The downside to the location was the prevalence of crime in the area. The notorious Scrimshaw Gang were a heavy presence in the neighborhood, even if they had no business relationship with the Steel Rose.

Cassia found herself in the entrance antechamber to a large room. There was a long bar off to the right wall, and a raised stage along the left wall.. There were tables strewn throughout,  a staircase up and a pair of doors, one of which was marked with a sign that said "Kitchen" and the other "Privy". A third door was attached to the stage, and said "Dancers Only."

While Cassia's eyes adjusted to the darkness, a large Kul Tiran clad in heavy leather armor bestirred himself from a table where he had been having lunch and came forward.

"Excuse me, Miss," he began. "We don't open for some hours yet."

"That's fine," said Cassia. "I'm actually here to see Phaedra about a job."

"Oh... fair enough," he said with a smile. "Let me fetch her for you." The fellow stepped behind the bar and knocked on a closed door that Cassia could not see from the entryway. "Boss, you have a visitor!" he called out through he door in a loud voice. and waited.

A blue-skinned Draenai came out from the back room She had stunning, long platinum hair, and a slender but muscular body, suitable for a paladin sans armor. Her voice was a deep contralto, thick and smokey like a shot of honey with a whisky chaser.  Her manner of dress was most un-paladin like; she wore a emerald green corset, with gold thread trim, with matching lace panties. She wore a pair of gloves that ran just past her elbows, and her long, luxurious legs were encased in pale green silk fishnet stockings.

The Cathedral would have been scandalized!

"I am going to go out on a limb, and name you Cassia, Griffonclaw's squire?" she said, one eyebrow delicately raised.

Cassia could not help but grin; the Chess family was not the only Gilneans with silvered hair, but originally that color had been confined to the royal family; however, as was the case with the nobility of any race and nation, promiscuity had seeded the gene widely throughout the populace of Gilneas. The silver hair had long since stopped being remarkable, but many with the silver hair considered the others as distant kinsmen, no matter how distant. 

"I am Cassia Chess, niece of Griffonclaw; I am not sure I am still anyone's squire, but he is still family, whatever the Cathedral might declare," Cassia declared proudly.  

"You are welcome, Miss Chess," Phaedra said with a nod. "Um... any relation to... "

"A certain Agent of Cheese? He is my father," Cassia confirmed.

"Oh. I had meant that I wondered if you were related to the High Admiral's mage, Alia Chess.," Phaedra said, her azure skin tone darkening with embarrassment."

Now it was Cassia's turn to blush. Alia Atherton-Chess is indeed my beloved and respected mother. Please forgive me for assuming; my father is somewhat... notorious in certain circles."

"Is that so? You shall have to tell me stories, when tie permits!" Phaedra said with a giggle. "You may have a notorious father, but there isn't a mage among my people's scholars who are not familiar with your mother's writings, she is extraordinarily knowledgeable, both as a mage and a lore mistress."

Cassia bowed. "You do her a great honor."

"It is no more than she deserves! But come, let us go into my office and discuss your employment." Phaedra turned to the fellow who had met Cassia at the door. "Kharel, could you ask Vrug to send us some tea? And some fried sweetbread?" 

Kharel nodded, and headed for the kitchen. 

"Vrugbhok is our chef, and is... quite temperamental. He is quite expensive, but his Kul Tiramisu is a preview of the Blessed in the afterlife," Phaedra said, leading Cassia ack to her office. She ushered Cassia inside, and bade her sit one of the two chairs in front of her desk. Seating herself, she began. 
"I assume that Griffonclaw told you of my need for bouncers I can trust?"

"He did, although I must say he did not give me an explanation as to how a Draenei vindicator came to own and operate what some might call a 'den of inequity and sin'?" Cassia asked,

"I admit, it does seem a little strange, but let me explain," Phaedra said. "I came to Boralus to study the Kul Tiran culture; unlike the rest of the Alliance, the Kul Tirans had no Church of the Holy Light, but instead venerated the Tidemother, and that most humans in Kul Tiras, and island nation with strong seafaring traditions, looked to her for protection and guidance. "

"This both horrified and fascinated my people, and there was a call to better understand the Kul Tiran way. I arrived and began to look for ways to help the people of Boralus by service," she said. "I gravitated towards the poor and indigent, as they, more than anyone else, need protection and healing. I struck up a friendship with Matron Westerson, who runs the Boralus Orphanage."

"The charter for the Orphanage demands that those in their care are provided them a safe home, and Madame Westerson does her best to feed, clothe, and educate them, training them to take care of themselves and each other to secure apprenticeships or other livelihood," she continued. "It is an ongoing battle, one that she felt she was losing; too many in her care chose to leave to pursue the life of a criminal. The young women took to the streets as prostitutes, and while that is nor illegal as such, it is illegal to force such women into such through coercion, extortion, or addiction."

Phaedra paused in her narrative when Kharel brought their tea and snacks, setting them down on the desk. Phaedra poured them both cups, urged Cassia to help herself to the fried sweetbread, and continued. 

"I spent some time wondering how I could raise funds for the Oprhange and offering healing to the street whores working the alleys in Dampwick Ward when one of the women mentioned that if only they could make the men paying for excitement give that money to help the orphanage. and the idea for the Steel Rose was born."

"The Steel Rose provides a safe haven and steady employment for women who want to escape prostitution. whether by dancing, sewing costumes, cleaning, cooking or serving tables. Our dancers provide the patrons with excitement and tease, but go no further. whether  on stage or in one of the upstairs rooms available for private shows; all private shows must have a bouncer present. We sell food, we sell drinks, we function as a cafe before the dancers begin; all profits go to the Boralus Orphanage. Of course, we encourage tipping; the tips all go to the staff."

"Just like that?" asked Cassia, her doubt plain in her tone.

"Well, there were several parties who objected strenuously, not the least of which were members of the Scrimshaw Gang, who had a vested interest in the failure of our little experiment. Hence the need for reliable employees; my bouncers need to be tough and honest; no bribes, no side deals, no special favors."

Cassia nodded. She could easily see how such arrangements were balanced on the edge of a knife of self-interest; to succeed they must not only be seen to be incorruptible, but also stay with the job so that they would not be perceived as a temporary change it the status quo. it would be difficult, but worth doing.

"When can I start?" Cassia asked.