Crazy people. Lords and Lordlings were all crazy.

His partner was insane. Jasper flinched and recoiled as the former Lordling barreled straight at him.

But his partner swept past him, like a force of nature, and started chopping at the wall with the fire poker.

Smash. Smash. Smash. Dust and debris went flying.

"What are you doing?" Jasper tried to stop him, grabbing the new Servant's shoulder.

But his new partner flowed between the grab, did something twisty with his feet, and Jasper found himself spun around and pushed away. "Stay out of my way." Branch strained with effort and the wall started to crumble, plaster and patch and strange oily tar breaking through the wall.

There was so much noise now. "The Surmount Butler is going to furious at you for this!"

Branch almost paused for a single second, his pale blue eyes glowing. "Will he now?" Murmured the new Servant drily. "Will he indeed?"

Jasper grimaced. "Stop. Just stop. I...." he hated saying it. But he knew he...was wrong earlier. "I apologize for earlier."

Then Branch did stop. "Now is a poor time to distract me." he said, and began hacking at the wall again.

"Stop. I won't..." Jasper clenched his fist. He had driven this extreme behavior, at least in part. He had enjoyed the reversal of fate of the former Heirling. He had seen this person and others like him just glide through life. Lavish parties, expensive feasts, and overwhelming splendor.

But he was realizing that perhaps the spoiled brats...maybe didn't have it especially easy.

And that time, five years ago...when a newly arrived Glasbin Fae had mishandled a bottle, and it fell and broke, and a Lordling casually laughed about it and claimed it had been his own doing. Jasper had hated him. Something that was career ending for Jasper was nothing more than a joke for the upper crust of the Seelie court. Or so it had seemed.

He was grateful, of course. He had been so careful and so diligent in working to be allowed to this position in the Citadel.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

But hate was seeded. And that hate grew quietly over the years. He was a Hall Attendant, which meant he saw the Fae Lords and Lordlings a lot. And he had seen the unflattering side.

But he realized he had not seen all the sides.

While he could not have avoided following the Surmount Butler's orders, and while he hated that his long time friend and partner was demoted and moved away, Jasper had delighted that he could see someone so spoiled and bratty be brought low. The same Lordling who multiple times complained about the size of the rare salmon eggs too small, too large, or too...and Jasper yet to understand how "Too properly sized". The same Lordling who complained about the angle of the curtain. The same Lordling who once complained about the shine of the silverware during a banquet.

And Jasper found himself completely outclassed by that Lordling. Who had not idly claimed credit for the shattering of the bottle as a joke, but had done it for...altruistic reasons. And was then punished by the Lord of the Red Sword himself.

They called the Red Lord the Master of Death, and bringer of Beast Blood.

And this Lordling had taken the blame knowing that he would face that creature's punishment.

The Law of Fae had supported those words earlier as true. And Jasper was haunted that he was the one at fault for not valuing what the Lordling had done for him.

And he couldn't...

"The Law of Fae may not say I owe you..."

"Not a good time, Jasper." Said Branch.

"I owe you." Said Jasper.

Branch was still hacking at the wall.

Why was it getting so noisy?

Jasper gripped his hair. "Just take the debt. I owe you. I have no idea how much it's going to cost me, but I can't..."

"Keep it." Said Branch, with the poker embedded in the wall. "I don't want it."

"What?"

Branch pulled at the poker, and the wall started crumbling and breaking apart. "I...don't want it. I didn't do it for Favor." The poker was stuck fast on something hard, and Branch gritted his teeth and pulled, now using the poker as a lever. "I didn't do it for Influence." There was a crumbling sound from deep inside the wall. "I saw a stupid, clumsy Fae out of his depth and I thought 'anyone could have made that mistake. That could be anyone.' I thought...'That could be me'. So I..." The former Lordling looked upward for a second, at him. There was so much anger and disappointment in those eyes. "So I covered for you. And it turns out it meant nothing to you. Everything I did...meant nothing to anyone."

Shame rolled through Jasper.

"But I then learned later today." said Branch, and he looked almost peaceful. "That there were people who were willing to help me without any reason too. That there were people who would risk their entire career to help me. And even stranger people who came along to help because they were bored or just insane. Today I learned that I am not a good person. But I want to be."

The wall shuttered as Jasper flinched. There was sounds of shouts and screaming coming from down the hallway, but Jasper found he couldn't look away.

"So keep your favor." The Lordling withdrew the poker one more time, holding it like a sword. "I didn't do it to get something. And I think that kind of favor is hollow and empty. And I can't stand anything else being meaningless in my life."