Lord Theodore's Favorite Ritual
Chapter 118: Who is Helena?

Chapter 118: Who is Helena?

Evening.

Hallways, Theodore Mansion

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

*******************

"Let us go home" Conan’s cool voice carressed her ears.

Helena scrunched her features in annoyance, the warm feeling immediately dissipated.

"No, Sir Obnoxious, I have to stay with her" she announced, she felt she couldn’t leave Lydia at a time like this. It will make her feel horrible.

"Helena we need to talk" he said gravely as she stepped back out if his arms.

She nodded. They must all know she is a witch now and there’s no way around it but... "I know, but let me treat her first, please" she pleaded. She couldn’t stomach the thought of leaving Lydia here alone.

"We cannot stay here, Helena we need to leave the mansion" he said darkly.

She held his eyes, unable to see through, but she saw a tinge of uneasiness.

What is he uneasy about? She thought.

"I should say goodbye to her" she asked, looking at the way to the room.

He looked like he was about to say no but the he sighed. "I shall ready our ride" he went off.

"Thank you" she expressed.

She made her way to Lydia’s room while Conan left. The air was heavy with the scent of sadness and stale rum, a mirror of Lydia’s mind in that moment.

Pushing the door open, Helena’s heart sank at the sight before her.

Lydia sat slouched in a chair by the window, a bottle of rum clutched in her trembling hand. Her usually vibrant eyes were dull and bloodshot, and her cheeks flushed with the effects of the alcohol and tears.

Helena glanced at the maids who stood primly and felt a rush of anger. "Get out, make dinner for her" she ordered, Joyous nodded before she rushed out along with Dorothy.

"Lydia, what are you doing?" Helena’s voice was now laced with concern as she approached her friend who felt much more than that.

She reached out to gently pry the bottle from Lydia’s grasp, but the lady of Critic Arley was adamant, she pulled away, her movements sluggish and uncoordinated.

"I can’t anymore, Helena, this tastes good," Lydia slurred, tears welling up in her eyes. "I’m so tired of feeling a part of me leaving me, of feeling like I am a failure. The rum helps numb the pain, even if just for a little while."

Helena’s heart ached as she watched her Lydia’s pain unfold before her.

She knew she had to do something, anything, to help Lydia break free from this destructive cycle. But as she tried to reason with her, Lydia’s sadness seemed impenetrable, her resolve unyielding.

With a heavy sigh, Helena realized she couldn’t force Lydia to change.

Reluctantly, she left her room, the weight of her worry heavy upon her shoulders.

Outside, Conan helped her saddled up her horse, the leather creaking softly under her touch.

As they rode away from the Theodore’s Mansion, the echoes of Lydia’s despair lingered in her mind.

She knew she couldn’t give up on her, but she also knew that she couldn’t save her alone.

Theodore would get to her.

*

* *

*

Evening.

Theodore’s Office, Theodore Mansion.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

***************

As Theodore sat alone in his office with his mind clouded, he tried to empty it so he could face Lydia again.

A figure appeared out of the walls and he knew who it was before raising his head.

"Did I not ask you to never be seen in the mansion building?" he snarled.

Shade grimaced. "My lord I do have a report, it is about the cotton tree next to the lake" his words were soft and fast.

"There is no other one," Theodore deadpanned.

Shade stood almost confused. Theodore had meant he didn’t have to describe where the tree sat because there was inky one in the mansion.

Theodore shook his head. "Yes?" he prompted for the shadow to continue.

"Lady Theodore’s new sister" Shade started. "She bloomed it, the tree" he finished.

Theodore narrowed his eyes. "How?" he could be think if how.

Shade nodded, suddenly looking enthusiastic. "She simply touched it and magic started to happen, she helped the tree flourish, master" he said and Theodore ignore the awe in his voice.

He asked instead. "Did Lydia watch this happen?"

Shade straightened. "No she had gone inside to get her neck piece" he said.

"Neck piece?" Theodore asked bewildered.

"Ahh yes, the lady is now a jewelker, master" Shade narrated, talking snout the jewellery Lydia made from scratch.

Theodore narrowed his eyes. "You may go" he excused Hound.

This was how Shade had reported what happened with the baroness that had prompted Theodore to take back the project the Baron had been hoping for, and as the Baron is an angry, instinctual person he has divorced his wife.

Theodore went to look at the tree after Shade left, he needed anything to get his mind set.

He walked majestically to the site, his hair no longer in a bun.

*************

Lakeside, Theodore Mansion.

Critic Arley, Critc-Ishire.

*************

Theodore noticed the tree before he would reach and he was genuinely impressed.

The leaves were large, heart-shaped, and have serrated edges. They are bright green now because this their growing season.

He frowned when did it start to grow to already bloom? He asked himself.

The bark is often gray and furrowed, becoming more deeply ridged as the tree matures.

He watched the area attentively, the change to his mansion holding his attention.

The tree also already have it’s cottony Seeds, it is the tree’s distinctive feature and this one had managed to produce it. Theodore picked a fallen one, he watched it and it has a cotton-like fluff that carries their seeds.

This fluff helps the seeds disperse in the wind. He frowned, he doesn’t want that.

He knew they rapid growth and they can reach impressive heights. This makes them valuable for providing shade in riparian areas, but he didn’t want shade where cottons that felt like dust could drop on you.

He stepped closer and the soil pressed a bit making him pause, the tree is also thriving because it is a moist soils. It found a well-suited locations by the lakes.

Yes, Cottonwood trees contribute to the ecosystem by stabilizing soil along waterways, providing habitat for various wildlife, and adding to the overall biodiversity of riparian environments but Theodore hated the dust it brought.

Why did he ever plant this or let it grow? He thought.

Because an ocean blue eyed girl made him do it.

He paled at that reflecting. His face apparent on the lake’s still water.

Who is Helena?

A soft clear of throat drew the lords attention from the lake.

He turned to fund Joyous looking at her feet.

"Lord Theodore, dinner is ready, if you could please help us get lady Theodore to eat" she said meekly. It was her duty but the lady was too sad and she couldn’t force her, she thought perhaps it would be easier for Theodore.

Theodore chuckled. "You maids are not like the normal ones, I am to do your jobs now?" he asked

Dorothy had been behind Joyous all this time, she mumbled quickly. "We are sorry lord Theodore"

He nodded before gazing at his dark mansion. "Bring the dinner to the bedroom, I do not care how you carry them" he said.

"Yes, Lord Theodore" they replied in unison.

*

* *

*

Late evening.

Bedroom, Theodore.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

***************

"Gooseberry"

Lydia looked up from the edge of the bed, her eyes lit up. "Theodore, you are here, it has been year’s" she slurred.

If he wasn’t choked by the agony in her words he would laugh at the lines.

"It is not your fault" he whispered, she needed to know that but Theodore shouldn’t have said that because then she started crying steadily again.

He quickly too her face as he dropped a kiss on her forehead. It is red. "Please stop crying, you are breaking me" he said.

She shook her head. "I am broken" she slurred.

Theodore felt hurt by that. Does that mean because she is broken, she must break him too?

Her eyes searched for the rum that had slipped with urgency. "Lydia... look at me" he growled, holding up her chin.

"Hey, we are alive now, there was enough blood to be spilled the magic couldn’t take you so let us be grateful to the baby, I am here and so are you, we can make babies again" he pacified, he gazed at her beautiful face and fwlt his heart constrict.

She swiped her tongue across her lips.

"You can get pregnant for twins, we could even have a mansion full of babies" he pacified, tucking her errant black locks behind her ears.

Her reddened cheeks puffed.

She sobbed more. "Theodore just shut up" she said.

And abruptly she was wiping her tears. "You are not cute" she mumbled.

He smiled but not with his eyes. "I was not trying to be cute" he explained.

She patted his arm, the one holding her face. "Be cute and stop telling me anything, I shall fill my stomach with a new kind of baby" she searched for her rum.

"Rum?"

She looked proud and excited. "I see, Your cuteness is not clouding your judgement" she commented.

"Gooseberry drop this, let us have dinner and sleep" he said pointedly and that seem to do the job. She frowned but stood up and started to undress.

Theodore guided her to the bathroom and she submerged in the warm pool. He helped her wash her hair and he also had to pull her out of the water. He fed her dinner as he also meticulously hid her rum.