The town square market was a lot more elegant that Idothea’s home. Their market consisted of low income produce from the nearby farms. This market had everything from jewelry to gowns, food to weapons. Even the people were more elegant. They walked around laughing in their tidy clothing. Jewelry placed on their necks and wrists as if there wasn't a care in the world. This place had everything you could desire. Well almost everything.

Idothea desired an uncrowded place to gather her thoughts. It had only been a few days since she had fled her little town. She was probably labeled as a murder by now. They probably have found the corpse of her late husband and figured no one else was to blame but her. Either way she was far enough away to not be in immediate danger.

So, she strolled through the venders. Giving polite smiles but not staying put to talk. She couldn’t buy anything anyways. What little money she had was to get her closer to the kingdom in hopes maybe the heat would die down. After that, she was just going to wing it.

While walking Idothea’s eyes settled on an emerald jeweled necklace. It was pretty. The green shimmered, swirled and mixed with the gold from the chain. She could sell it and maybe get a good chunk of change.

Her eyes glanced up to the merchant who was promptly conversing with a large breasted woman. The laugh from the woman was loud and obnoxious and Idothea cringed. She would never be that loud of a woman.

Reaching down to ‘fix’ her shoe, the woman swiped the necklace. Only the keenest of eyes could have seen her, but with the glare of the sun it 'seemed' no one had. Well at least the shop keeper didn’t.

Gideon DeCarlo

Gideon didn't per say have a keen eye but he was watching, he saw the woman snatch something and not a single eye had batted from the party about to lose profit or a priceless family heirloom. Stuffing his hands into his trouser pockets the Count waited for the woman to move away from the stall she had just robbed before he casually fell in step behind her.

He waited before he whispered to her, "My lady, does it not bother you to have swiped that item from that man? Something that pretty will get noticed, a report filed, and then whoever you hawk that to will certainly either stiff you or a more reputable person's will turn you in...did..did you think this through?"

Idothea’s heart jumped as the man’s voice echoed in her ears.

No. She had not thought that part through. She figured she would take whatever she could for the necklace and be gone in another town by nightfall. She hadn’t thought about the chance someone would turn her in for having the artifact.

It’s not like she looked like a thief. Her late husband had brought in a good amount of money during the years they were married, and Idothea managed to pack a few nice outfits before fleeing. Even the gown she was wearing now, suggested that she wasn’t (or had not always been) a low-life.

Turning to the man, she assessed the situation. He didn’t seem like he was apart of the guard. This man took care of his looks unlike the brutes that stood guard. It seemed he might have come from wealth, or at least had a well paying job. Or maybe he just spent his pay making sure his looks were tidy. Either way, he looked clean.

If he was going to get her arrested, he would have grabbed her. Or at least, blocked her path. She could easily take off and slip into the crowd of people, but then again, this would alert the guards patrolling the area. It was about a mile to the stables where her mode of transportation, her bay mare, stood waiting for her to come back. She couldn’t make it that far if the law was alerted.

Deny, deny, deny she thought as she furrowed her brows in a confused look.

“Sir, you must have the wrong woman for I do not know what you are talking about”

Gideon DeCarlo

"Come on I'm not stupid," Gideon countered with a light airy tone in his voice, he looked around and saw plenty of guards around, "Surely we don't want to alarm the guards over a misunderstanding," this time his voice was a little louder, "How would you explain you in possession of a emerald jeweled necklace?"

A few guard heads turned but they hadn't moved to approach them. Gideon watched waiting for the woman's response.

Fear shot through the woman, but she combated it with a smile.

“You had me fooled” she snarked through her clenched jaw.

She had noticed the guard’s head turn and she tossed her hair to the side in a flirty way in hopes they would just think she was chatting with an old friend.

“Keep your voice down” she snarled, still holding her fake smile, “I’ll explain. But we need to keep moving.”

As she walked, she glanced at the tables around as if she was nonchalantly browsing.

“You see, the merchant isn’t even paying attention. I’m doing him a service by showing a weakness in his…security. Maybe he’ll pay attention next time. And anyways. By the looks of him, he won’t be missing the necklace. He is overcharging these good people, for what? A god awfully gawdy necklace? The poor get poorer. The society never changes” She stopped to look at the man, ”and When in doubt we eat the rich.”

Gideon followed and listened to the woman, matching her nonchalant browsing with his own. When she stopped to look at him Gideon did his own staring, practically undressing her as he usually did with pretty women, but he was smiling when he spoke, "While that sounds valiant my dear lady, in a court of law it won't stand," he still had his hands tucked into his pocket as he began to walk around her, "but hey baby let me tell you something, I'm all for the eating of the rich or the poor, equal opportunist," he winked and let her read between the lines on that one, "and all buuuut I'll wager my silence in return you work for me?"

That’s not the only thing that won’t stand in the courts. “I didn’t mean to kill my husband, it just happened” Thought Idothea bitterly.

The way this man looked at her, as if she was wearing nothing but a slip, made Idothea sick. She wasn’t a piece of meat to be gawked at and if she could reach her knife on her thigh, she would make sure this man never stared like that again. Even if he was unbelievably handsome, with his deep brown eyes, soft features, slender body-

”What kind of work” She hissed, snapping back from her thoughts.

This man held all the cards. If she denied him, he’d alert the guards and she’d be set to hang. If she agreed to help him, sooner or later he’d find out what happened and alert the guards. Either way, she was set to hang. Unless she was able to help a little then flee deeper into the kingdom…

"Now we are getting some where," he clapped his hands pulling them from his pockets and offering his arm, "walk with me," if she took his arm they would proceed through the market, "I'm a student of law, currently about to start an apprenticeship so I'll be quiet busy, being rich means I have obligations that need handled and I'm looking for....an assistant to handle things day to day...great pay and if you do a good job I will invest in you. Plus who wouldn't like access to free legal council?"

Idothea took his arm and flinched a little. Her healing wounds were still tender as they burned as they rubbed on the inside of her cloak. So, he was rich. That made sense. Peasants rarely made it up to the legal counsel. It takes money to earn money.

She listened to him talk and his last sentence made her hesitate. Free legal council? What that entail? Could he help her? Would he help her? She did her best to not show these worrisome thoughts across her face.

“I really don’t think I have a choice in this matter. But, why pick someone like me? I figured your kind would have disposable assistants everywhere."

He was smiling when he patted her arm, "I mean you do have choices love, I'm not truly a snitch but walk away and go forth to pawn that god awfully gawdy necklace for a few dry biscuits or just say yes," he wasn't being smug, he was just being Gideon to which at this thought changed the conversation again, "I'm Gideon by the way, Gideon DeCarlo," now he went back to her previous question, "I chose you because I'm random, you caught my eye and I don't trust the rich. I need just the one assistant, you'll be my first," he used his other hand free of her linked arm to fetch a small coin sack full of simple silver, "I can give you your first day in advanced now..."

Idothea held back a cry of pain as the man patted her arm. Focusing to keep the tears down, she gave him a bitter look.

A few dry biscuits and her freedom compared to being paid to be stuck in this godawful city. Freedom would have trumped the choice any other day, but she really needed the cash. And if she had some leeway with the courts, maybe she wouldn’t be hung. Maybe she could prove that it was an accident, that she was defending herself. Maybe she could be free of charges. But never free of the guilt

”I guess my answer is yes.” she mumbled, her arm sending shocks of pain to the rest of her body.

”Idothea.” she uttered vaguely, not wanting to give this man any information incase he decided to be the snitch he said he wasn’t.

”Don’t you think its ironic you don’t trust the rich when” she looked him up and down then at the coin sack ”clearly you’re rich.”

"Very ironic lady Idothea," he giggled, he felt the tension of something when he had patted her arm which made him unlink handing her the upfront payment of coins before shoving his hands back to his pockets, "But I accept who I am, where as all these swarmy uppity rich assholes don't. They conceal it behind fake masks, I just don't wear mine."

Giving her one last look over her smiled, "Do you need room and board? If so my home has a extra room or two for you to stay, be mindful though I have little ones and a wife, none of who will mind of course but the children can be mischievous and pranksters but the nanny does pretty good as their main target."

Idothea cautiously took the coins and put them in her small satchel. It was nice to feel a little weight in the dry barren cloth.

”I see” She said giving a small smile.

This man was very blunt. But it was quite nice not having to worry what hid beneath a mask. If he was willing to let her stay in his home, then maybe his intentions weren’t malice.

Little ones. Sadness flashed upon Idothea’s face. She loved children. Long ago her dream was to bare children, to be a wonderful wife, to have a family. Granted, she would have never been able to afford a nanny, but still the thought felt nice.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m not too keen on children” she lied, “Plus, If your family is anything like yourself, I feel I might just be swindled into being their assistants too.”

She let out a soft laugh that rang through the air like bells. It had been a while since she laughed. The trauma had built a wall around her ability to show emotion, and Idothea wondered why now had she felt comfortable enough to do it?