Lord Theodore's Favorite Ritual
Chapter 205: The Royal Liza.

Chapter 205: The Royal Liza.

Last Evening.

Bedroom Chambers, Citadel.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

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

"Help," a whimper echoed loudly in the quiet room.

The energy in the room was taut and the wind shook the candlelight, "Help me, somebody" she gasped again.

Liza laid writhing on the cold, unforgiving floor of her chamber, her yellow dress soaked with sweat and stained with blood. Each breath she took was a laborious struggle, her cries for help grew weaker with each passing moment as blood trailed from her lips.

Her brown hair clung to her damp forehead as she clawed at the floor, her fingers scraping against the stone in desperate, futile attempts to find some relief.

The evening shadows deepened around her, and the room seemed to close in, suffocating her with its silence.

The pain was excruciating, radiating from her abdomen, where she felt the sharp, relentless agony of what must be a miscarriage, soon she wasn’t sure anymore because she coughed and more blood mixed with saliva escaped her mouth.

She didn’t want to die. Not like this. Not now. She needed help but it appears all the maids were somewhere else. Maybe if she could get to the door.

Through the haze of pain and fear, Liza became aware of another presence in the room.

The woman she’d wished was her mother-in-law, a woman who had always despised her, stood silently in the corner, watching with cold, unfeeling eyes.

The older woman’s hatred was palpable, her disdain for Liza evident in the way she stood there, not lifting a finger to help.

No.

Liza’s mind raced, piecing together the fragments of her situation. She had told her mother-in-law about the pregnancy just days ago, hoping for acceptance, maybe even a sliver of affection. Instead, she had been met with rejection and scorn.

She couldn’t blink the memory away as it rolled into her mind.

"You," Sandra had acknowledged her with a scowl, she couldn’t even pretend to like Liza.

"Mother I have news" she’d mumbled.

Sandra raised a brow as she doubted. "For me?"

"Yes mother I thought it was of utmost importance that you know" Liza was completely timid yet hopeful.

"Go on then" Sandra invited with narrowed eyes.

"I am with child" she announced.

Silence descended. It lasted for a moment before Sandra posed a question that should’ve had Liza running for her life.

"Have you told Salvadore of it yet?" she had replied with the truth ’No’ and she wish she hadn’t maybe if she’d told Salvadore first then she would’ve been safe but then Sandra suddenly squealed. "The first royal child..." and Liza found herself smiling.

"Thank you for letting me know first, I apologise for how I treated you before but now you are with my grandchild and a royalty, I shall be an enabling presence in your life from now on" Sandra had promised.

Her chin had wobbled from the backhanded acceptance. "Thank you mother"

Sandra had added while holding Liza’s gaze. "Yes, be in your room and do not inform the king yet, we shall both surprise him after this current crisis settle"

"Okay mother" her heart felt full as she nodded.

"I have some herbs I shall send a maid to deliver to you every morning, it’ll help with the soundness of my grandchild" she said.

"Yes, thank you mother" Liza had replied with a smile as she left the chambers, the first two drinks had all been fine and they tasted familiar until this morning when she’d drank it right after a morning sickness and she had assumed that was why it tasted awful but no.

The realization hit her like a blow: she had been poisoned. Sandra, standing in the shadows had decided to end her life, to snuff out the possibility of a grandchild who might solidify Liza’s place in the royal family.

Struggling to breathe, Liza’s vision blurred, her surroundings fading in and out. Her thoughts drifted to the witch who had given her the love potion last month, warning her of human greed while she had threatened the woman of exposing her true identity.

She had ignored the witch’s caution, desperate to win the king’s love and secure her place in the palace. Now, she could see the truth of the witch’s words.

The love potion worked for his attention and adherence but he never loved her and never will, he still craved Lydia and Sandra knew, he still knew she was daring and he didn’t appreciate her but she stayed to feel better than Lydia who got a prince.

Memories of her stepsister, Lydia, who had visited only days ago trying to bond with her, flashed before her eyes. Liza had rejected her attempts at reconciliation, too consumed by her own ambitions.

Salvadore, who she had believed would love and respect her, had only been enchanted by magic, his affections forced and hollow, a kiss for the man and he is yours the witch had promised, he had been hers only in bed. She remembered the sister she had betrayed, how Mira must’ve felt marrying someone who was married before because she made her depressed, the family she had abandoned, all in her pursuit of power and love.

As the pain intensified, Liza’s regrets overwhelmed her. She had lost everything: her family, her dignity, her life. All for the chance to create a new soul, a child who would never be born. Power she would never wield.

She had let her negative emotions rule her, she had felt pressure of being the first daughter in a noble marquis family of no sons and she wanted to make her father proud, she wanted to be someone, at least bring the royal blood to the family she was jealous, so pained of her pretty innocent sister who had married a prince now all that is going to waste.

Lydia was her sister. She sniffed.

Tears mingled with the sweat on her cheeks as she wished she had been less greedy, more loving. If only she had made different choices.

With one final, shuddering breath, Liza’s brown eyes fluttered closed.

The room fell silent, the shadows deepening as her life slipped away. The woman in the corner watched for a moment longer before turning away with all the remnants and evidence of the poison she had delivered, leaving Liza’s lifeless body alone in the darkened chamber.

Miss Liza Statham of the marquis house of Critic Arley is dead.

*

* *

*

Noon.

Kitchen, Theodore Mansion.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

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

Mathilda glanced around nervously, after leaving Lydia to the kitchen yesterday they had only shown her to her room in the employed quarters without much talk but the normal pleasantries, then she had taken it upon herself to change the flowers in the vases and cleared a path to their quarters.

Today she knew she had to talk to the maids and leave the parlour couches alone.

"Excuse me, Dorothy, Joyous? My name is Mathilda, the new maid. I just arrived from the Statham Estate. Could you tell me a bit about what it’s like working here at the Theodore Mansion?" she spoke out in one breathe.

Dorothy piped up. "Welcome, Mathilda! Oh, you are from the Statham Estate? Quite a change, I imagine. That is the same house Lady Theodore is from" she said to Joyous who only rolled her eyes before Dorothy continued.

"Well, the Theodore Mansion is a bit different. We pride ourselves on efficiency and discretion here, you see we are only two but we are happy to do the work of ten."

Joyous smiled, "Yes, and there is always something happening, isn’t there, Mathilda? The family keeps us on our toes with their schedules and events."

Eagerly Mathilda spoke. "Oh, like what kind of events?"

Dorothy cleared her throat, "Dinners, changing the mansion and cleaning ponds and opening windows."

Mathilda narrowed her eyes, what was happening here.

Joyous cleared her throat before she continued. "The dynamics among the staff are interesting. We have a tight-knit team, but there’s always some drama or another. Just last week, there was a mix-up with the twins over the one who had fallen into the lake at the lords absence"

"They are twins in the mansion?"

"Yes, you must have seen them, they are hot! And nice" Dorothy fangirled making Joyous narrow her eyes, the girl barely looks at them.

"I think I saw one of them, he helped me inside"

Dorothy rubbed her palm. "Did he say anything to you?"

"Nothing significant" she recounted.

"Oh that must be Tom, wait until you meet Gabriel he is the sweetest" Dorothy promised her cheeks reddening.

Nodding Mathilda look at her nails, "Sounds like every mansion has its own drama. Are there any particular rules or customs I should know about? And what about the family? What are they like?" she was curious and hopeful to avoid mistakes or triggers.

"Only lord Theodore can offer Lady Theodore rum"

Her eyes widened. "Lydia drinks run?!"

The silence that descended right after made her rethink what she had just said and when she noticed the mistake her eyes widened. "Pardon me, it was a slip I would make sure I do not repeat" she swore.

"Oh, the family keeps to themselves mostly. Lord Theodore is quite reserved, but Lady Eleanor is very kind and appreciates a well-kept household. Their cat, Red, is a handful though. Always getting into some mischief or another." Joyous redirected the conversation to the right lane.

"Oh shush Joyous, you do nothing with the feline so you should not complain" Dorothy warned.

Joyous then said. "And don’t forget about Hound, the butler. He runs a tight ship. Make sure to follow her instructions to the letter, and you’ll be fine, do not enter his garden."

With a nod Mathilda asked. "The vegetables or the flowers?"

"Both!" they warned her in unison.

Mathilda smiled gratefully, "Thank you both so much. I already feel like I’m starting to understand how things work here. I appreciate your help."

"Anytime, Tilda. If you have any more questions or need guidance, just ask. We are all here to support each other." Joyous whispered as she glanced at the door.

"Ok, you said something about a lake, is that what we use in the kitchen, do we... drink that?" Mathilda grimaced at the thought of the boys falling in and properly fishes of toads and snake’s and-

"Oh, no no, there is a lagoon, just right next to it, it is cleaner and you can have the boys fetch for you instead of going yourself" Dorothy offered cutting off the new maids train of scandalous thought.

"The twins? They would" she was skeptical that young man yesterday had scowled like he had important things to do all the while gazing at her like she was important.

"Yes they would, you have to be nice and then try to carry it yourself they would find their self helping" Johous waved off.

Mathilda’s face spelt wow as she gazed at the two.

"Welcome to the Theodore Mansion, Tilda. You’ll do just fine here, I’m sure of it." Dorothy conveyed confidently.

A nickname? She refused to blush. Confdently she declared. "I look forward to being part of the team. Thank you again, Joyous, Dorothy."

"Has it always been you two?"

"That is a tale for another day, the windows are calling" Joyous replied.

Right on cue Dorothy squealed "Red?!" as she rushed out of the kitchen making Joyous roll her eyes.

Mathilda lifted an index finger. "I should get the clothes,"

Their smile was sure to brighten the mansions dark walls.

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