With her bare shoulder pressed against one of the many wooden columns lining the room, Eirini observed the scene before her with unbridled disgust plain upon her face. The shadow of the walkway above her obscured her lovely features from any prying eyes that may have taken umbrage at her visible contempt, yet Eirini was not a woman who needed the relative security of the shadows to unleash the vicious serpent within. No, the viper hissed and sank its fangs into those whose hands pinched, grabbed and groped without permission, whose lewd remarks roused a chorus of cheers and laughter and to the women who whispered and snickered at her behind her back. She despised them all and did not care who was privy to it, even if it earned her a sudden backhand, the result of which was still partially visible upon her cheek. The greenish-yellow blemish doing nothing to diminish her beauty, nor subjugate her scorn.

It had been weeks since she had first stepped foot within the House of Pollux – or had it been months? The days had melded together with such loathsome repetition that Eirini was struggling to distinguish one from another. It was the same routine each day - rise, clean, serve and repeat. The same stifling heat; the same insufferable aromas of cheap wine, piss and sweat; the same wine flushed cheeks and rough, calloused hands. It wasn't that she was accustomed to much better, she was no fallen great lady unfamiliar with the sights, sounds and smells of the lower city. She was the daughter of a lowly farm-girl and a loathsome soldier, she did not know comfort and luxury, but at least when her mother had been alive there had been respite. 

Despite herself, Eirini's mind conjured the memories of her mother's sweet smell. Of olives and wildflowers. The gentleness of her hand as she would guide away from the stifling city, further inland towards the olive groves and beyond, venturing into the woodlands in search of herbs and roots. The air had never been so fresh, her mind had never been so contented. During their time together, she would often speak of the god's, in particularly Hera – most feared her, but not Eulalia. Where most retold her tales of vindictive vengeance and cruel punishments as a means to admonish the queen of the olympians, Eulalia had offered a different interpretation, one that was seeped in respect, understanding and admiration. Men want us to fear her, she had told Eirini once, to abhor her actions because they fear her influence. She had not understood then and her mother had not elaborated, but her meaning was clear now and Eirini clung to it fiercely.  

"Eirini!" The voice shook her from her rumination. A hand grasped her upper arm, the fingers hard against her creamy flesh. Her nose wrinkled in disgust at the sight of Pollux. He was an odious little man; his scarred face dog-like, his dark hair plastered against his forehead with sweat, his once muscled body now bloated from indulgences. He had been a friend of her father's, which was of little surprise, Kleitos had always gravitated towards men like Pollux. Yet despite his friendship and respect for her father, such sentiments did not carry to Eirini, he understood that Kleitos wouldn't care. "I did not take you in for you to stand in the shadows, earn your place girl or you'll be sorry." Pushing her forward, Eirini stumbled slightly but did not lose her footing. Fists clenched to her side, she whirled around to snarl at the man, wanting nothing more than to sink her claws into his blotchy skin.

Instead, she snatched up a jug of wine from the table and turned from him. Snaking her way through the throngs of drunks and giggling whores at their sides, Eirini moved with grace, her chin held high and darting a gaze of fire at anyone who thought they could take what she was not willing to give. Eventually, she came across a pair tucked away towards the back of the room. Recognising one of the men, she was quite certain she hadn't seen the other before – his gaze was like ice and Eirini was certain she would have remembered such a chilling gaze. "More wine, my lords?" Her voice dripped like honey, though it lacked any warmth or sweetness. Any sweetness within her had died alongside her mother. Eirini did not wait for them to answer, merely reached over to replenish their cups. 

As the crimson libation trickled into the strangers cup, Eirini glanced at him thoughtfully, a sensation welling within her that was quite unfamiliar. Just as she started to contemplate what exactly it was, she felt an arm curl around her waist, tugging her onto the bench beside the strangers companion. Her amber eyes narrowed, her plump lips pressing into a thin line as his wandering hand grasped her breast above the flimsy material of her chiton. "What do you think of Pollux's new acquirement?" His voice was slightly slurred from wine, his breath hot against her cheek. "She's a fiery one, this one. Walks around like she's the goddess Aphrodite herself." The man laughed then, the sound unappealing. Yet Eirini did not shrink from him, her lowered gaze  not from shame or embarrassment, but rather an attempt to find something upon the table to defend herself with. 

The moment her eyes fell upon the knife she grabbed it and in a swift movement, it was pressed to the underside of his chin. His hands instantly left her body. "Touch me again and I will cut off your cock before thrusting this very blade into your neck."