Lord Theodore's Favorite Ritual
Chapter 200: Fireflies, Stars Of Earth.

Chapter 200: Fireflies, Stars Of Earth.

Night.

Female Employed Quarters, Theodore Mansion.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

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On this part of the Theodore Mansion, the night felt serene, enveloped in a soothing, with am almost mystical calmness.

A cool breeze whispered through the leaves of the old oak trees that stood as silent sentinels around the back of the mansion.

The sky was a vast canvas of twinkling stars, each one shimmering with a distant, ethereal light. It was a night that seemed to be holding its breath, and waiting for something magical to happen.

Joyous laid gazing upwards on a simple woven mat laid out in front of the servants’ quarters, her brown hair spread out like a dark halo against the rough fabric.

The mat was well-worn, its fibers fraying at the edges, it shows how long it must’ve existed in this place. She had positioned herself comfortably, her head resting on a small, folded blanket, her hands clasped loosely on her stomach as she watched the sky..

She had always loved this time of night when the world slowed down and the duties of the day faded into the background.

She knew the sky was far but as she gazed at it’s deep velvety blue, speckled with stars she felt them close enough to touch.

She traced constellations with her eyes, familiar shapes forming and dissolving in the celestial expanse. They reminded her not only of the woman from the slave establishment now but of Gabriel.

There was a particular peace in this solitude, a momentary escape from the endless chores and the unceasing demands of her role.

But tonight, Joyous was not just looking at the stars. She was waiting. She remembered a night not too long ago when she had seen something extraordinary.

Tiny flickers of light had danced in the air around her from the lake, moving with a grace and rhythm that had seemed almost otherworldly.

Fireflies. Their bioluminescent glow had turned the night into a fairy tale, and she had been captivated by their beauty.

Today she was waiting for fireflies.

With her heart full of anticipation, she lay still, listening to the nocturnal symphony around her. The chirping of crickets provided a steady background hum, then they was the distant hoot of an owl that made her shudder.

She could smell the faint scent of jasmine from the garden mingling with the earthy aroma of the mat beneath her.

"Joyous?" a call pulled her out of her reverie.

She glanced at the her right and there stood Gabriel looking as ruggedly handsome as she remembered, "You" she acknowledged breathlessly.

She remained in her position despite the urge to sit up right. "Why are you here?"

He grinned moving closer. "Do I have to answer that?"

She blinked at his grin before turning towards the sky. "Yes"

"I came to gaze at the stars with you" he said through a smile and was bending to sit on the grass next to her when she shot her arm out. "Wait" and then she stood up to roll more out of the mat, she lied back down and tapped the space next to her for him to occupy.

He watched her cautiously for a moment before settling down next to her. "Thank you, what was your name?" he asked abruptly shocking her.

It is indeed true that as someone from the slave establishment they had names before thrown in there and he wanted to know.

She could ask what made him think he could ask or simply ignore him if she didn’t feel like sharing but surprisingly she felt like sharing and she also wanted to know him.

"Christine" she whispered her cheeks flaming.

"Christine, It is a pretty name" the way her name rolled off his tongue has her feeling shy and the compliment completed her.

She hid her smile by facing away from him. "What shall I call you?" somehow she knew Gabriel and Tom weren’t the twins name, it was not a common name in Critic-Ishire and it really doesn’t rhyme which might be a personal wonder but she was adding it to the reasons she thinks he has an original name.

He blinked as he started. "Call me ..." but then he trailed off his face shifting into a distant look. "I shall tell you my name someday" he promised.

She knew without words that he didn’t want her to call him Gabriel, she saw the way he flinched whenever anyone called him that as if she was reminding him of a person he wasn’t anymore, only that was what he’d choosen for his now.

"I shall wait for when you are ready to be yourself" she declared in a whisper.

"I was not gazing at the stars, I was waiting for the fireflies from the lake, they come here on occasions, I am hoping it will be today" she told him after a beat of silence.

He glanced at her with a light frown. "Fireflies?"

"They are earth stars and I still do not know about them the way you do about the stars but I love them" she commented defensively.

He shook his head. "You do not have to obsess to love"

"But you have to understand to love" she added.

He raised on an elbow to gaze at her. "Could we understand eachother?"

"Let us wait for the fireflies, You" she has resulted to calling him you because Gabriel didn’t feel right.

As they laid there together, Joyous’ thoughts drifted. She wondered if the fireflies would come out again.

It had been such a rare and magical occurrence.

Would they grace her with their presence tonight? She hoped so.

She needed that bit of magic, that touch of wonder, to remind her that beauty and mystery still existed in the world outside the dark mansion of mysteries.

Time seemed to stretch out, each minute feeling like an eternity. Her eyes grew heavy, but she fought the urge to close them, afraid she might miss the spectacle.

She breathed in deeply, savoring the tranquility of the moment, the vastness of the sky making her feel both insignificant and profoundly connected to the universe.

She didn’t realise it but she fell into a soft slumber under Gabriel’s gaze.

Then, just as he was beginning to think they might not come, "Joyous" he tapped her shoulders.

Mmm? She mumbled her eyes tightening shut.

"Look, open your eyes" he invited.

She opened them and there, she saw it, a tiny, flickering light, then another, and another.

Her heart leaped with joy. The fireflies were here.

Slowly, more and more of them appeared, their gentle lights bobbing and weaving through the air like living stars that had come down to play.

Joyous watched in awe, a smile spreading across her face. Gabriel marvelled at her smile silently.

She felt a sense of wonder and gratitude, her spirit lifted by the simple, yet profound beauty of nature.

The fireflies danced around them and she refused to sit up and risk disrupting their dance, their lights reflected in her wide, brown eyes, illuminating her face with a soft, enchanting glow.

For a moment, she felt as if she were part of their dance, her soul resonating with their light.

Gabriel sighed as he watched the girl watch the sky, she was his fireflies if only he could tell her that.

Under the star-filled sky, surrounded by the delicate, glowing fireflies, Joyous felt a deep sense of peace.

The tolerable hardships of her daily life faded into the background, replaced by this fleeting, magical moment.

She lay there, content and mesmerized, as the night continued its gentle, timeless flow.

The air should be alive with the chorus of crickets and the distant murmur of the nearby lake, a symphony of nature’s serenade.

She could live in this mansion forever so she needed things that she loved about it and she’s already obtaining two.

She merely needed five.