1692

Act XII

Cake of the day: Christmas Red Velvet Cake and Pudding

"Merry Christmas, Katrina..." Sebastian said, creeping up behind me and gently pecking my cheek as I stood by the window.

The ground was coated in a thick blanket of snow that continued to waft quietly down from the black and blue night sky. The warm light spilling out from the windows of houses added puddles of warmth to the frigid ground.

I turned, smiling, to face my butler. He was holding two small plates of red velvet cake, and smiling warmly. "Bram and the others are out hunting, shall we sit romantically by the fire whilst enjoying this cake that I spent all day making?" He said, a tinge of humor in his voice. "A thousand times yes, My Lord," I replied, curtsying in a demur manner. He laughed, "That's quite a thing to call me, Katrina, seeing as I'm your butler." "Shall we not go into the technicalities of it?" I replied, smiling.

I situated myself on the floor beside him, taking my plate of cake. I glanced out the window one last time, to catch a glimpse of a figure moving outside.

Figuring it was merely an animal, I thought nothing of it and leaned my head against his shoulder, watching as the fire sent shadowy nymphs dancing across the room.

"Home is behind, the world ahead..." I dreamily began to sing, feeling comfortably loose. "And there are many paths to tread... Through shadow, to the edge of night... Until the stars are all alight..."

I closed my eyes, feeling a warm sensation slowly caress my nerves. "Mist and shadow, cloud and shade.... All shall fade.... All shall..." I trailed off slightly as Sebastian began to run his fingers through my hair slightly.

"Fade."

Mertyl darted across the icy ground, carefully avoiding the puddles of light created by the light coming from windows belonging to peering eyes and curious townspeople. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her face, and touched the wooden hilt of the object on her hip. She scuttled to the door of the barn, taking one last look around the sleepy town before plunging in.

Darkness enveloped the barn. She carefully stepped to where she knew a few candles were. Delicately gliding across the bed of straw and blankets, she stepped silently for fear of waking the creature she knew was inside, walking by the splash of silver moonlight that came in through the window.

She lit the few candles deftly, the small lights creating just enough light to see what she had to do. Her hand itched to caress the comfortable wood of her gun as she turned to face Edmund.

Mertyl was suddenly met with a pair of dark eyes, staring intently at her, accompanied by a sinister grin.

She jumped slightly, horrified that Edmund was awake now.

"M-Miloval..." She squeaked, "What are you doing up?"

"I could ask the same of you," Edmund replied flatly, his smile fading and eyes hardening. "And furthermore, what the devil you're doing here, Mertyl Bell."

He drug out every sound of her name, as if it left a sour taste in his mouth.

"I think you know..." Mertyl said quietly, dipping her head in sudden anxiety. "Oh, dear god!" Edmund yelled. "If you're trying to intimidate me, you could at least speak loud enough!"

"Shut up!" Mertyl yelled, whipping out the gun, her cloak billowing, and pointing it between his evilly glowing eyes. "I think, you know very well what I'm going to do, you devil bastard."

"Oh?" Edmund said, a taunting smile curling across his face. "And what did I ever do to you, Mertyl?"

"It's nothing you did," Mertyl growled, her finger itching to caress the trigger, "It's what she did. Someone has to pay for what Victoria Quin did to me!"