Lord Theodore's Favorite Ritual
Chapter 147: Preparing For A Feast.

Chapter 147: Preparing For A Feast.

Noon.

Office, Theodore Mansion.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

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

Gabriel turned to the lord, his shoulders squared as he delivered the tryth. "I am in contact with the lady’s sister" he said abruptly.

Theodore’s gaze darkened. "What sister?"

Theodore felt his heart thunder, his eyes curious. What sister could it have been!?

Shi’Enz? But she was supposed to be a sweetheart now.

The elder one was far at the Citadel and the middle one is at home wallowing in her misery and Gabriel was taking his time.

"Which sister are you working for?" Theodore pressed.

"The one with the emperor, lord Theodore" he answered while Tom looked at his feet like it held the most interesting thing.

"How?"

"When we were at the Citadel" he reminded easily.

"Come with me" he ordered, Gabriel followed, Tom panicked but didn’t follow.

Theodore took his time, walked elegantly, reached his office, took his seat behind the desk before meeting the young boys brown eyes. "What did she ask of you?"

With clenched teeths he responded. "To spy on lady Theodore" but his gaze wasn’t down.

"And so you have been" Theodore asked but it sounded like a comment.

"I gave her misleading informations" Gabriel confessed.

Theodore stared at him for awhile before asking. "For what?"

Gabriel simply stared at him without saying a thing.

After a while Theodore scoffed. "You are Gabriel"

"Yes, lord Theodore" he confirmed.

"Listen here boy, I am not one you wish to messed with" he started, his teeth tightening.

"I might appear easy on the eye this days but that is only because of my wife and you should not take that for granted because if you ever do anything to put her in the mere thought of harms way" he released Tom of the grip his eyes held him before to look at the ceiling.

"Then, it will not be a pleasant place, where I would put you" he spoke slowly, dangerously and Gabriel’s eyes that were always emotionless shone with fear.

"Of course Lord Theodore" he replied through gritted teeth.

Theodore stood and walked towards a painting in his office. "Tell her you have been caught and you do not know what I shall do to you but you will get back to her if you get out of this alive" he said, an order disguised as a soft sentence.

"Of course, Lord Theodore" Gabriel agreed immediately, he had already been having complicated feelings about doing this, it is great now that he worked for the lord instead.

"Now go, try not to fight with your brother again" he ordered passively.

Gabriel bowed.

"You and your brother should get ready to attend the meeting too" he informed the boy.

"Of course lord Theodore" He grunted.

Turned around and left the office. Theodore watched him leave before he called out.

"Gabriel!"

A few feet and he stood facing the lord again, waiting for what is to come next. The lord wasn’t rumoured ruthless for nothing, not withstanding it was on the battlefield he was ruthless.

"The letter" Theodore asked.

Gabriel Felt relief but he did well to mask it, he had thought the lord finally thought ending him would be best.

He fished out a paper from his pockets and extended it. "Here, lord Theodore"

"You can go" Theodore said after taking it.

He doesn’t read it immediately, he kept it in his drawer.

*

* *

*

Noon.

Front, Hound’s Cottage.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

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

"Zachary!"

Hound strolled out of his cottage slowly, his face passive, his green eyes skeptical.

"You think nobody knows?" Gabriel taunted.

He had headed here after strutting out of the Lord’s office,he had felt anger coursing through his veins, and the inconcealable fear that had enveloped him. Fury directed towards himself and fear instilled by the lord. This was their only better life and he couldn’t fuck it up.

"Your secret noble identity" he yelled, marching closer towards the cottage.

Hound merely watched him, still.

"I know who you are" Gabriel said again frustrated.

Hound blinked. "Are you allowed to drink?"

Zachary’s question paused Gabriel before he understood and shook his head in annoyance.

"I am not drunk, Zachary of the house-" and just like that Gabriel was cut off not by a retort but by five long fingers wrapped around his throat, restricting his airflow.

"You might not want to finish that sentence" Hound advised.

Gabriel’s arms began to flare, his fingers wrapped around Hound’s arm trying to pull it off him, but Hound was immovable his eyes impenetrable yet cloaked with cool fury.

Hound chuckled darkly. "Do you wish to die?"

As a reply Gabriel swung his fist for Hound’s face, but it was easily grabbed and with sheer force Hound twisted the boys hand and he was being back flipped to the ground.

"Teach me" Gabriel shouted from the ground.

Hound looked puzzled. "What?"

Gabriel gulped. "Be my teacher" he said.

Hound left him on the floor and and turned around.

"Do I appear to you like I am interested in having a student?"

"I did not assume you are interested but-"

"I am not a knight"

"And that Zachary is the reason I need you to teach me" Gabriel yelled punctuating it with a blow. His first connecting with Hound’s tight abdomen.

Immediately Hound landed one on Gabriel’s face. "I am a killer Gabriel I am not a saviour"

"I was not intending to learn to save, I wish to kill" the boy replied, grabbing his cheek.

Bound shook his head. "You should meet Conan, he might help he is a knight"

"Zachary!" he cried out unnecessarily.

Hound paused. "Watch your mouth" he snarled pointedly.

"Teach me" He enuciated, his chest heaving. "I need to learn, I need you!"

Hound refused to look at him.

"This one time be there when someone needs you" Gabriel added as his last punchline.

"Meet me here tomorrow night" Hound invited, resignation dripping from his voice.

"Thank you!" Gabriel squealed as he started to jog away but then he seemed to recall something.

Gabriel paused in his steps, turned before he started. "One more thing," Hound met his eyes. "You are a protector" Gabriel

He watched Gabriel’s retreating back as he bit down on his lips in resignation.

"At least I am supposed to be" Hound mumbled to himself, his chest tight.

He doubted Gabriel actually knew anything but he couldn’t let the doubt slip by letting him confirm it so he had shut him off.

He was a nobody.

A Hound for Lord Theodore and so it shall remain.

But Shi’Enz, his conscience whispered, he gulped before banging his food behind him.

*

* *

*

Late Afternon.

Theodore Mansion.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

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

Lydia joined the girls in the kitchen as they prepare a feast for the visitors

The day casted a warm glow through the grand windows of the mansion’s kitchen, where Lydia adorned in a graceful gown, stood orchestrating the preparations for the feast.

With a gentle demeanor, she guided Dorothy and Joyous, through each step of the culinary masterpiece they were creating.

With deft hands, Lydia demonstrated the precise measurements for the delicate pastries, shared secret cooking recipes from Statham estate for savory dishes, and she instructed further on the proper presentation of the table.

Her calm voice resonated through the room, instilling confidence in the maids as they worked tirelessly to ensure every detail was perfect.

"You are doing well" She would comment once in a while.

As the aroma of spices and freshly baked bread filled the air, the lady of the house smiled with satisfaction, knowing that her efforts would delight the esteemed guests arriving for the meeting with her husband, the lord of Critic Arley.

Together, they created not just a feast, but a symphony of flavors and elegance befitting the noble occasion.

She smiled, her gaze sweeping over the kitchen.

*Last Night*

"Gooseberry you shall have to forgive me, I had forgotten to tell you" Theodore whispered into her hair as they cuddled in bed.

Her head on the pillow with his on her chest.

She pushed him away slightly to look at him. "Did you steal a book from my library?"

"No, never that" he groaned, taking back his position.

"Oh what might it be then?" she asked, playing with his hair.

"We shall have visitors tomorrow’s eve" Theodore.

She was breathing funny after squealing. "Visitors? Plural?"

"Yes, Gooseberry, I am sure Conan would out do himself again" Theodore said with a sigh.

"Wow, people are coming to the mansion" Lydia said excited by the mere thought of multiple presence in her mansion.

"Men of Critic Arley, for a meeting" he grumbled.

"We shall need to make a feast!" she alerted, his head no longer on her.

"Uhh I was thinking -" she cut him off.

"No! The girls and I will handle it, let us sleep" she laid him back down, but this time her head rests on him.

"It is also Conan’s birthday, what a day it shall be" she added, her fingers trailing his chest.

Theodore agreed with a hum. "You remember? He never celebrates it, none of us ever does" he said.

"It would be a little celebration then, with no dancing" she explained.

"Yes, no dancing" Theodore confirmed easily knowing there was no reason to dance.

"I feel I want to dance sometimes, but I cannot"

"I am sorry" Theodore confessed.

She raised her head, met his eyes. "Why? Silly" she asked.

She then dropped a kiss on his lips before snuggling further unto him.

I wish you could remember, Theodore mused, breathing softly, a rhythm lulling Lydia.

"Do not leave the bed before I..."

She had slept off mid sentence and he had left in the morning before she woke up still.