Lady Alyanna Hanley was the first-born daughter of four to a merchant who was only just starting out. The man and his wife, though they longed for a boy, were kind and loving, their daughters spoiled to the best of their ability, but it was hard to break into a world that they knew little of, and with four daughters to make matches for, they were eager to make a name for themselves. As the oldest, it was expected that she would marry first, though it appeared she would never marry. Eager to remain on her own, to make her own path that had little to do with marriage, she paid little heed to the very thought. That was until her younger sister had found a boy that she wanted to marry, and in which case, Alya did the right thing, so that her sister might enjoy her own happiness. She married a lord of little lands and a new title, but it suited her fine to see her sister happy, even if she was not so.
Alyaâs husband was not unkind, but their marriage was hardly worth the words of love and honor and pride that had been spoken at their wedding. They lived amicably, more as friends than as spouses. Her husband kept her in comfort, and it wasnât until after he died in the plague that she learned the truth of the matter. Gambling debts were high, and it was in no time that the collectors came, and she was left with barely enough to get by on. Her parents helped, though it meant little in the end.
Unwilling to submit her parents to the thought of taking care of her once more, as if she were a child once again and not a grown woman, she set out. A woman, who had not once raised a hand to work, made her way towards the city, and was quickly set up with a room in an inn, where she found bits of work to earn her bread. It wasnât until sheâd helped one of the girls from the brothel nearby to secure a wealthy client that she was taken in. The Madame was an old, frail woman, who had long since been in control of the girls, and Alya took to her like a fly on honey. When the old woman passed, it was a sad occasion, but Alya stepped into the role with ease.
Itâd been two years since that, and with the influx of visitors in the recent years, the brothelâs popularity only grew. Now under new management, Alya was wary. Though Lord Parsons was successful, she wondered if he should move on, what would become of them. And though sheâd been granted her own freedoms by him - the man pleased to own the brothel itself, and by extension herself and the other girls in the employ - she didnât trust for him to not wander. She knew he was up to something far more sinister than simply buying a brothel he frequented often prior to the purchase and she intends on protecting those that she holds close to herself. She would not be put out on the street herself.
