Before dinner that night, Xanth climbed the stairs to Magda's room. He knocked softly on the door, and when it opened, he gasped. Magda was wearing her hair up in a bun with some live flowers. Her dress was marvelous red spidersilk embroidered with blue that Xanth had never seen before. She was so beautiful it made his heart ache.
"Hey Magda," he began hesitantly, "I…I just wanted to apologize for being so rude to Noah this afternoon. I brought you a present to make up for it." He held out a box wrapped in shiny silver paper.
Magda opened the box. Inside was a beautiful woodrose made of pink honey caramel.
"Wow, Xanth, this is beautiful," she whispered. "I accept your apology, but will you accept mine."
"Of course," he replied with a smile. "Now it's time for dinner. Would you accompany me?" he asked, holding out his arm. Magda blushed and looked away.
"I'm sorry, I really wish I could, but I was just waiting for Noah. See, he got me this dress and asked if I would wear it tonight. I'll see you tonight at dinner then."
Xanth felt a sick feeling in his stomach. This kid was always a step ahead of him and always a level higher. He, Xanth, spent his money on a honey flower, and this Noah bought a dress. "That's alright," he said. Turning away, he closed the door and walked down the hallway and up the stairs to his own room.
He sat down on the bed and buried his face in his hands. It felt as though his heart was breaking. Xanth couldn't bear to go down to dinner and see Magda smiling at Noah. Ringing a bell, he summoned a servant to bring him up a plate of food.
Not long after, there was a knock on the door. He expected food but instead he saw Rook's anxious face peering back at him. Wordlessly, he opened the door to let him in. They sat on the bed in silence until Rook finally spoke.
"I saw Magda at dinner tonight. I'm really sorry, old sport."
Xanth nodded and tears welled up in his eyes in spite of his best efforts to keep them down.
"Come on, Xanth," said Rook, "don't give up. It's only one dinner. He hasn't invited her to the ball yet! But you better hurry up, he's gentlemanning her to death down there. It's disgusting."
"You're right, it's not too late to go down to dinner."
"Good man, I'll be waiting outside the door for you to get changed."
Ten minutes later, Xanth and Rook walked into the dining hall, chatting loudly. They sat down at the table and Xanth and Rook greeted Noah.
"I'm sorry for overreacting this morning," said Xanth. "I've just been a little uptight lately." Noah smiled.
"I accept your apology."
Xanth caught Magda's eye and she smiled happily at him, while his heart did somersaults. At his shoulder, Rook, Thalia, and Felix were talking animatedly. He joined in their conversation, trying to ignore Magda's laughing at Noah's jokes.
When dinner was over, all six of them went outside for a stroll under the moonlight. As they stepped over the threshold, Rook called Noah up to talk to him, leaving Xanth alone in the back with Magda. They walked in awkward silence for a moment until Xanth spoke up.
"You seem to be getting along well with Noah," he said, his voice choked.
Magda blushed, "Yes, he's very kind."
More silence.
"Magda, do you want to…" began Xanth suddenly and nervously.
Before he could finish, Noah surged out of the darkness. Seeing Xanth, he smiled uncomfortably and shifted from foot to foot. "Hi."
Turning to Magda he pulled a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. "Magda, I was wondering if you would do me the honor of accompanying me to the Spring Nights Ball next Saturday."
Xanth gasped, and then puffed up angrily. He was about to put the librarian back in his place when Magda's voice cut through his anger.
"Oh Noah I'd love to! And these flowers are so lovely…where could you possibly have found them?" Noah took her arm and they walked off into the darkness, leaving Xanth standing alone, his anger rapidly changing to oppressing sorrow. He turned and ran towards New Undertown, tears smarting in his eyes.
At one o'clock in the morning, a call came in to the New Undertown police, formerly known as the Ghosts of New Undertown.
"There's a drunk making a ruckus in the New Bloadoak Tavern. They can't get rid of him; they say he strong as an ox." said Rickett, the policeman who was on duty for that night to his partner Cobbles.
"We'd better get going then," replied Cobbles, grabbing his rope and his nightstick.
The two policemen swung their ropes and flew off into the night. When they reached the Tavern, they saw that there was indeed a commotion in there. A youth with long hair was thrashing about wildly, striking at anything that moved. Cobbles snuck up behind him and struck him on the head with his nightstick. The youth collapsed into his arms and Rickett got a good look at his face for the first time. He gasped.
"That's the Captain of Centre flight, Xanth Filatine!"
The ghosts managed between them to transport the unconscious librarian to the Lufwood Tower, where they put him in a warm bedroom until he could recover.
A few hours later, groans from inside the room told them that Xanth was awake. He opened the door and came out, still a bit unsteady, but looking very disheveled and with a nasty bump on his head.
"Feeling better, Captain," asked Cobbles cheerfully.
"No," complained Xanth, "my head hurts inside and out. And my heart broke last night and isn't healed yet."
"Ah. Well. Um, sorry about the bump but you were wild last night. Why, you must have decked twenty Freegladers in the New Bloodoak."
"Me?" gasped Xanth. "I don't remember anything!"
"Well I should think not," snorted Rickett, "You were drunker'n a skunk.'
Xanth sat down and groaned. "It's not going to be pretty at breakfast this morning. The punishment for drunkness is pretty strict over there." He stood back up and headed for the door. "I'll be leaving you then. Thank-you so much for helping me out last night." The door closed behind him.
"Poor guy," commented Cobbles as he and Rickett watched him shuffle down the street. "He has no idea what's coming for him when he gets back to Lake Landing."