I'm sorry the following chapter is so short. Hey, at least I updated.

The golden light. It falls And disappears My light. My fireworks My celebration

My

Ziggurat

Duke Red gently dragged his bare hand along the silk of a dress. The dress was laid on his giant canopy bed and set up to be worn. It was a dressed that was modeled after Duke's own suit to be worn that evening. Next to the masterpiece, rested a silken corset and crinoline. Waiting.

"My dearest.." Red laid his groomed head on the dress and continued to stroke it.

Enmy, Rock's nanny and Red's servant/maid, stepped in. She saw the Duke laying on his velvet draped bed next to dress. A tear left her eye and she quickly brushed it away. Red's eyes kept that glassy look as he continued to lay with the dress.

Like sea glass..

"Sir," Enmy asked. she had walked in on the Duke's strange trances before, and never really knew how to handle the situation.

"hmmmm?" The Duke's eyes cleared for a spilt second, then the glass covered them again as he caressed a silk rose sewn onto the skirt of the dress.

"The speeches will take place in 20 mins."

"Ahh, yes," the Duke sounded drugged as he rose from the bed, but Enmy knew full well he was not, "we must get ready.."

Enmy wanted to say it. She had wanted to say it for years, but she never would have even dare speak a word; 'She's not here' she wanted to say. 'Your wife isn't here. She's not coming back.'

The Duke walked into the large bathroom and began the ritual of delicately grooming his hair. Apart from his family and birds, his hair was his main priority. Enmy was always very careful to have her hair nicely put up as well, for the Duke had an outrageous obsession with hair, and was quick to criticize his servants (and butlers) if a strand was out of place, or it was styled the wrong way, or if it was dull or brittle. Actually, the Duke seemed to choose his servants based on how well they took care of their hair.

While Red had his back turned, Enmy gently grabbed the dress and accessories and ran to the closet and left them. The Duke would be under enough stress tonite. While in the closet, Enmy sighed.

Dresses.

Nearly 50 of them. All tailored to match the Duke's wardrobe.

Made for a woman that would never wear them.

Enmy rested her head in her hands for a moment. Things would be so much easier for her if the Lady just came back.

Return to us...

Return to Him.

Enmy sighed again.

SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!!! SCREECH SCREECH SCREECH!!!

Enmy jolted. She jolted every time that.*thing* screeched or even moved. It was Duke Red's pet golden eagle, Pookie.

"Pooookie bird.." Red came out of the bathroom to attend to the eagle that was sitting on a gilded perch next to the bed. He stroked the raptor's fine feathered head.

He treated that bird like a child. That eagle had its own room, own playground, own chef. it even had a fully working toilet AND was toilet trained.

Enmy chuckled softly as she walked out of the closet. Rock hated that bird. In fact, he was dead jealous.

"Enmy," Duke Red said softly, still petting the bird of prey, "please make sure Pookie gets his dinner. It's spiced rats tonight. . . .You may have to hand feed him . . . If I'm not back by his bedtime, tuck him in and put on some soft Beethoven for him to nod off to."

"Yes Sir," Enmy said softly. She remembered when the Duke gave similar orders to her . . . Not including the spiced rats.. ~~

IMPORTANT!!

There is a new Metropolis Guild!! It is hosted by a place called GAIA.

I just finished it and it is ready to accept members. The sign up thread is here:

The homepage for the new guild is here:

'Liz M' is the Marduk leader. ^^