What does a dead man say to the woman who watched him die. This was the kind of thing that was going through my mind when I stood at the door of Castle Coldstone. I had already felt nervousness when I had stood at my mothers front door. What I felt now was fear, pure unadulterated fear. Most likely I was scared to see Delia, but why exactly I could not pinpoint. I raised my hand and knocked the huge iron door knocker expecting Hugo to answer. Instead a woman who I had no acquaintance with answered. She was pretty, but not as stunning as Delia, and despite being mostly dressed like a maid, her skirt was too short and her hair was in a ponytail rather than a bun. She had in her hand a rather expensive cassette player with one of her ears plugged by a her headphones, she wasn't paying much attention to me and was more focused on fighting with her device
"Lord Coldstone is busy at the moment, come back later"
"Lord Coldstone…" I said coldly "as far as I know there is no Lord Coldstone at the moment, and more so, who are you and where is Hugo?"
"The wedding is in a couple of days and the former butler has been fired due to incompetence" the maid said "come back lat…." She looked up from her cassette to see my tall imposing mummified figure glaring down at her.
I stepped forward toward the fear struck woman forcing her into the entrance hall. "Wedding?!" I exclaimed "I think I'll have to have a word with the new 'Lord Coldstone'".
The maid nodded and backed up, nearly knocking over a bust of Delias grandfather. I swiftly moved down the corridor, my cloak billowing behind me, with only one thing on my mind. What exactly had been happening in the time I was gone. I eventually reached the great hall where for some reason an armed guard was waiting outside. They tried to shoot me so I caused them to have a small seizure each. I opened the door and stepped round the corner into the hall where I saw Delia sitting on the couch. She was dressed in all black and her face and arms were bruised.
Anger was swelling inside me, who would dare to beat my future wife. Then of course I saw him, who else would be so foul. He was standing by a pillar with a cup of brandy staring into the fire. Virulentius… how he managed to escape reprimand was ridiculous. As for how he got Delia to agree to marry him was obvious by the armed guard lying outside the door, and the bruises on her skin. He was standing there quite smug and full of himself boasting about the changes he was going to make to the castle when he was lord. I could stand there and listen no longer I stepped out from behind the corner.
"Virulentius! What have you done to my wife" I yelled full of anger and hate
Virulentius looked at me and dropped his glass "W-what are you…"
Delia just sat there with a hollow look in her eyes staring into the fireplace.
"you just snap up any opportunity to ruin her life don't you…" I walked up to Virulentius and wrapped my hand around his throat. The fear in his eyes was delicious as I lifted him off the floor "you would dare to come into this home and beat my wife into submission" I began to squeeze "I will ensure your head sits on a pike on the ramparts of this castle…" I looked over to a mirror on wall and saw myself strangling Virulentius. I then recalled the words the stranger had said to me "you will be subjected to much anger and hate. I wish you much luck in staying your hand in the upcoming situation…" that is what he had said. I also thought about how this was not who I wanted to be, and whether Delia would still recognise me if I tainted myself in this way.
I let Virulentius' bitch arse down and looked him dead in the eyes as he was choking for breath on the floor and said to him "ever come anywhere near Direbrack again and you will spend the rest of your life in living agony…" I then passed my hand over him rigging his cells to damage themselves if they ever stepped foot in Direbrack. He began to writhe in agony, and his screams drew his guards to his aid. They tried to shoot me again but I simply turned their their guns into some live silk moths "take your foul master and get out… he'll stop feeling the pain when he leaves Direbrack" they picked Virulentius up and walked from the chamber trying not to be kicked by his writhing agony.
I then walked over to Delia, who was still staring blankly into the fireplace.
"Delia…" I said "it's me, it's Theo" she eyes moved up to meet mine. There was not an ounce of life left in her soul. "Delia…" tears filled my eyes and I healed her bruises "how about a glass of gin…" I took her hand and continued to try and comfort her "let me go and get a glass of gin…" I tried to get up and get the gin to try and make her feel better, but she wouldn't let my hand go.
"Don't leave me again Theo…" she sobbed "I couldn't cope if you left me again…"
"What did he do to you?" I asked, to which she just cried. "oh dear…" I sat down and pulled her in and held her. I had healed her bruises but I hadn't noticed the broken bones or the large slash on her waist until I was close to her.
For the rest of the day she insisted that I not leave her alone. When I asked Delia where Hugo was and she gave me a phone number.
"Yes…" Hugo answered the phone "what do you want…"
"Hugo, your mistress needs you" At this his voice changed back to being the Hugo I know.
"Yes sir, I shall return to the castle promptly" he said quite joyfully "although might I ask sir, I thought you were dead. Not to say I'm not happy to hear that you're alive sir, it's just that I watched you die"
"How could I bother staying dead when my wife was waiting for me" I chuckled "now come back as quickly as possible Hugo, you need to find the gin…"