Catherine remembered that muttering to oneself was unladylike, so instead she just let any and all insults for Malin fill her brain.  He’s just like any other man.  So like a man to say such a thing!  Why did I fool myself into thinking that he would even try to understand.  I’m just a symbol after all.  Not fit for anything but being looked at.  The pig-headed lout.  He thought he could win me back by coming out to get me?  What an ass!  What a self-absorbed, chauvinistic, unfeeling ingrate!  If I wasn’t certain that I’d get lost, why, I’d just head home now.  Unaware of how far she had come, she stopped short when she saw Krystiana suddenly peer out from her doorway.  

“Oh, I thought Malin had given up and come back inside,” she said sneeringly.  Catherine chose to walk past her, too tired and frustrated to deal with the red-haired diva.  “I wouldn’t get myself too worked up over him if I were you.  He won’t be yours much longer.”  Catherine stopped, looking back at Krystiana from over her shoulder.  The vixen posed coyly in her sheer, scandalous nightgown, grinning like a wolf at what she considered her rival.  “Let me explain something to you, Catherine...dear.  Men like Malin are hot-blooded.  They listen to their baser needs; they revel in the joys of the flesh.  You obviously turned him down.  That was your first mistake.  But I know what he wants, and I’ll give it to him.  It’s a small price to pay,” she said with a gentler smile.  Catherine’s curiosity was piqued now.  Something had happened between Krystiana and Malin, that much she could tell, but what and how far had it gone?

“Perhaps I don’t know much about that,” Catherine conceded, “But I think he’s an honorable man if nothing else.”  Krystiana laughed sharply and flipped some hair off her shoulder.  

“You’re too innocent for him.  Even Ariadne was too pure.”  Catherine stiffened.  Did Malin know that she knew; had he been the one to tell her?

“Well thank you for informing me of his tastes.  I wasn’t aware that he liked used goods.”     Catherine, who had never spent that much with other females, wasn’t very good at insulting, but she was rather proud of herself at that moment.  Krystiana’s smile turned brittle.

“Malin doesn’t like break in horses, you see,” Krystiana began.  “He does, however, appreciate a good, hard ride.  Trust me.”  Catherine had not had very much experience in the ways of feminine disagreements, but those two words caused something to snap within her.  Without a thought in her head she charged Krystiana, baring her teeth and angling her fingers like claws.

“So the little bitch wants to play?”  Krystiana struck out at Catherine, but the smaller woman ducked beneath her arms and both went flying back into Krystiana’s room.  In the inky darkness, the two scrabbled to regain their footing before lashing out, slashing at eyes and grabbing for hair.  Catherine caught Krystiana’s fiery mane first and yanked down.  Krystiana shrieked as she backhanded Catherine, the dark-haired girl flew back from the impact.  Shocked, she had never been hit like that before, she tumbled onto her back and watched as Krystiana lunged for her.  Catherine twisted and just managed to avoid Krystiana.  With a small cry of victory Catherine ran back out into the hallway, feeling safer in the dim light of the wall sconces.  She waited for Krystiana to emerge, and when she did she came out with her hands flying.  Catherine backpedaled quickly, leaning back at the last moment to avoid losing one of her eyes.  She struck out at Krystiana, palm open and winced as her hand connected with the side of Krystiana’s face.  Krystiana, to her credit, barely winced.  Catherine took that brief moment to grab Krystiana’ left arm, swinging her around and slamming her into the wall.  Again, the red-haired vixen barely made a sound, but her eyes were stinging with tears.  The two paused, taking a moment to consider possible moves.  Catherine knew that Krystiana would return the favor, so she was debating on whether to make the next move or not.  Unfortunately, Krystiana was a beat faster and grabbed Catherine’s gown, pulling her forwards before striking with her other hand, leaving four angry score marks across Catherine’s face.  The burning pain that spread across her face only enraged her more, and Krystiana whipped Catherine to the floor, ripping off one of the sleeves of her gown in the process.  Catherine, dazed from her flight to the ground, lay in a heap, looking back up at her rival.

Standing over her triumphantly, Krystiana gripped the sleeve of Catherine’s gown like a trophy.  “How utterly pathetic.  You won’t win over his heart with your virginal little nighties and sweet looks.  He needs a real bitch, and I’m going to be that for him.”  At that moment, Catherine understood the full extant of Krystiana’s determination and vowed that she would never let Malin be taken from her.  Without saying anything, without shrieking or growling, she lunged for Krystiana’s legs and took her down again, tearing at her face, her hair, her gown.  Krystiana struggled to keep the black-haired girl’s lashing hands away and managed to add a few more scratches of her own.  Krystiana, who obviously was more experienced in the art of cat fighting waited for an opening before she grabbed hold of Catherine’s collar and yanked down, ripping the front open and bringing Catherine down to her knees.

That was how Malin found them, ripping at each other tooth and nail, shrieking and cursing like men.  A stronger, perhaps wiser man would have stepped and torn the two apart, attempting to calm them down.  Malin was apparently neither and was quite content to watch the two tearing each other’s gowns to shreds.  The warm, flickering light, he could barely make out the swell of a breast of the sheen of sweat on an exposed hip.  He was already certain he would be burning in the deepest pits of hell, so he felt no qualms about appreciating two beautiful women fighting.  He was also, although he was certain he would never voice this opinion, impressed by Catherine’s spirit.  Krystiana was fairly strong, but Catherine was holding her own.  It was only after Krystiana kneed Catherine in the stomach, and after he heard the whoosh of breath from his wife that he decided to interfere.

“Ladies,” he said quietly, walking into the light.  “I’m not sure what sparked this, but it ends now.”  He walked between the two and helped Catherine up, pulling her against him protectively.  Looking over his shoulder at Krystiana, he said, “Perhaps it would be best that you leave now.  I’ll send you in one of my carriages, my personal guard will ride with you.”  As he ushered Catherine towards their bathroom, he glanced quickly at the shadow of his captain, who he was sure had also been watching the whole time, therefore also hearing his orders.