24.1

Yule Eve in Castle Blackpool was perfectly still. Not a single servant dared stir - much less the proverbial mouse.

To Dirk's relief, Geoffrey had decided to stay with the occupation force in Tronin for the holiday. There was no need for a Yule feast or any other half-hearted gesture at being festive. Dirk intended to keep to his chambers and brood in the company of a flacon of very fine brandy.

As he stared at the flames in the fireplace, he wondered where Zyrdicia was at this moment. He recalled that she hated this holiday. He hoped she was alone and miserable.

He exhaled slowly, appreciating fully how completely lost to him she was now. After his last failed attempt at talking with her, he was sure now that she would never forgive him. The most he could probably hope for was that her anger would run its course, and she would move on to a life in some other world. Barring that, a civil war was inevitable. And he knew perfectly well that he hadn't any hope of winning such a war.

24.1.1

A few minutes after midnight, the sound of furniture banging against walls and metal clattering against stone broke the castle's near-perfect silence. It came from Zyrdicia's chambers. Her servants were causing some kind of ruckus there.

Dirk groaned softly, wishing they would leave him in peace. He had not seen any of them since Zyrdicia's departure. Even Portia had left him alone. He suspected she had been to the castle to see Cai, but like the rest of Zyrdicia's servants, she had steered clear of Dirk.

Already well into the brandy, Dirk picked up his sword and left his solitude to confront them.

To his dismay, he found the rooms in chaos. Every belonging Zyrdicia had left behind was spread on the floor in piles. Anthony and Charles busily dumped drawers and emptied cabinets, sorting haphazardly. They were working so intently at packing up that they did not even notice Dirk enter.

Dirk cleared his throat uncomfortably and said, "Hi."

Both of Zyrdicia's servants froze instantly. After a second, they both spun around and stared at him. In unison, both men put their hands on their hips and cocked their heads angrily.

Anthony looked Dirk up and down nastily. He wagged his shoulders purposefully and pursed his lips. His eyes widened and he sneered, "It is on!"

Dirk glared toxically, his mouth settling into a frown.

Anthony said cattily, "You think dressing all big and bad makes you a man, sugar? I got news for you. You can have us dress you up all pretty, but it doesn't change what's inside the leather pants. And that's a bad-hair, no-taste, whiney-ass nobody who had no business dreaming he was in the same league as 'Dicia. You live in a backwards li'l kingdom full of backwards li'l people. You never, ever deserved her. And you messed with the wrong girl, this time. 'Dicia's is so going to kick your ass."

Charles scowled furiously. For once, he had nothing to say to Dirk.

Dirk grimaced. Zyrdicia never shielded her personal affairs from them, and this was obviously no exception. He found their protectiveness of her aggravating.

Before he could reply, Anthony looked Dirk up and down and said flatly, "You know, I never wanted to tell you this 'cuz I didn't want to make you feel bad. But that leather armor really makes you look fat."

Dirk ignored the jibe and demanded coldly, "Where is your mistress now?"

"Ain't none of your damn business!" Anthony snapped, his tone conveying his new-found dislike for Dirk. He paused a moment then added wickedly, "Well, she is sleeping with another boy tonight. That much you ought to know."

"Who?" Dirk demanded through clenched teeth.

"Magnus," Charles and Anthony sang out together, in a perfect, taunting chorus.

The thought of Zyrdicia with the undead assassin made Dirk feel nauseous. He steeled his jaw, trying in vain to mask his emotional reaction.

Charles rolled his eyes and mocked, "Don't you put on that jealous face! You got no right to act jealous after what you did. You broke up with her. Now you get to see her with another boy. Maybe even lots of other boys - who are all prettier, richer and more entertaining than you. That's how it works."

"Fools, you know nothing!" Dirk exclaimed angrily. "It was an inane misunderstanding. You are far too stupid to understand what Zyrdicia meant to me. Be gone from here and never return!"

He turned to leave then and stomped back to his chambers with unwanted visions of Zyrdicia in Magnus' arms filling his head. Once alone inside his quarters, he bellowed in rage and smashed his fist into the wooden door, causing it to split. He collapsed into his chair, allowing a furious sob to escape.