Lord Theodore's Favorite Ritual
Chapter 39: A stranger in Critic Arley

Chapter 39: A stranger in Critic Arley

Outskirt, An inn

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire

A man clothed in black pants and a shirt reached a small inn on the outskirts of Critic Arley, he hopped down his horse, took it to a corner and tied it to a pole.

"How may I help you sire" a slender man asked, probably the owner of the inn he thought.

"I need a room for the night" the stranger requested with a smile. The slender man nodded and turned around having the stranger follow immediately.

"Finally I’m in Critic Arley!" he breathed his grin palpable, he watched the area with the interest of a tourist in a new town, his eyes became greedy whenever he saw children and then he would smile at the older women, he dragged his eyes away from them and stepped into his appointed room, there was a girl in it.

’Special treatment for guests I hope’ he thought making his way to her but she felt him and quickly turned.

"Welcome sire your bed has been prepared for your comfort I hope you enjoy your stay," a younger girl told him, her dress flimsy eyes painted black, the stranger beamed sheepishly.

"Thank you I shall enjoy my stay" he promised as the girl turned around and left.

He stood in front of the properly made bed with a dagger in hand, his eyes switching between brown and red he smirked, dragging the tip of his index through the edge of the blade

The Lord wouldn’t know what hit him, so he better be ready, besides its best to catch the most feared man off guard that way he would be brought down unexpectedly when his mind was settled and he felt most safe.

********

Town, Critic Arley

Critic-Ishire.

The whole city is bubbling and ladies are seen scurrying around to get back home from the market, young women, married and unmarried are invited to have their maids sent to the point to get them whatever they may need for tomorrow’s tea party at the Baronesses home. Businessmen from the other cities are voyaging back because housing is one of the most expensive things to acquire in Critic Arley so there are barely any outsiders living in the city.

Critic Arley is a home of beauty and grace, the men knights and business mostly and their women most prim and beautiful. It is also in Critic Arley the first woman who brought an illegitimate child to her marital home exists. They do not have a diverse culture like in Critic Critic Izinghale, or doubtful creature as it is heavily found in Critic Ishelm, the injustice, excess slavery nor the vengeful spirit in Critic-Citadel exists in Critic Arley. Critic Arleu had been a small town before Lord Theodore had taken charge of it when he was younger. He had been journeying around the kingdom at that time, after one of their many battles when he came across a little girl squirmy and frustrated, trying to plant a seed in the middle of a rather dense woodlands, he had gotten hopped down his horse to help her, her innocent ocean blue eyes caught his attention as she told him about her mother who was coming to get her soon.

He came back to the land, some seasons later and built his mansion there.

******

Midnight.

Nowhere, Critic-Ishire.

Conan let out a soft groan as he tried to turn onto his side, his head felt like it was put under the giant alarm bell of the empire, it had a strong continuous impact from the front to the left side of his head, he blinked slowly suppressing another groan.

"Your sorry ass is finally up" a female voice cut through the cloud of unease he had awoken into.

"What woman is allowed to utter profanity so rashly" he rasped his voice hoarse and soft.

Helena snickered "One who has taken care of your ass for two days" she retorted. She had been extremely aghast when he had slumped and fallen to the ground that forenoon, and she had been suffering around the whole empire, in her marbles, without company or the stupid horse he had that simply ran away when he no more had an idea.

"What the fuck happened?" he growled, raising onto his elbows to meet her gaze, Ocean blue eyes, she turned back, he frowned

"How about we start from where you completely ruined my peaceful travel?" she sassed her black locks on a tangled messy bun, she glowered at him over her shoulders as she tried to make a fire.

"How long have I been out?" he asked, now sitting upright and looking at her back, she turned to him with a slight frown "Forever" she countered, her eyes holding his, his brows creased as he kept gazing at her, she looked a lot familiar than she should, her almost curly black hair, the ocean blue eyes but the other features are different, especially the temperaments and height.

She scowled "What is it?" her snide question met him but his silence stretched "Why are you looking at me like that?" she accused her voice louder

"You, I believe hail from Critic Ishelm?" he probed carefully

She shrugged, facing the failure of a fire again "I wonder why you believe so" she replied in a mumble.

He sighed shaking his head at her retort, the woman was insistent, but he couldn’t shake off the uncanny resemblance to his new lady, Lady Theodore, to this petty woman who wasn’t at all from Critic Arley, she had an accent that most Critic Ishelms had.

"Where are we?" he inquired of their location

"Critical Arley where else?" she answered a few suspicious seconds late.

Conan felt defeated immediately "What?" he exclaimed "Did I look like that was where I headed to? I was heady from there!" he completed in a snarl.

"Yes, but you were out of it, I didn’t know where you needed to be and I was just a girl traveling to Critic Arley" She shrugged not a bit remorseful for changing the man’s direction.

He sighed again, getting comfortable in the fabric she had him wrapped up with, he frowned when he noticed she was still sitting at a distance without much clothing and neither did the fire start, he did not have enough energy to make a fire but he felt relatively warm.

"Come closer" he muttered to her

"Why?" suspicion dripping from her question

He blinked "You are unmistakably cold, why did you wrap me up like a sack of cotton while you’re lying there in the cold?" he snarled his question

She sighed seemingly finding Conan a workload conscious than when he had been unconscious "Because you were out cold, and out of it" she pointed out.

"Thank you" he whispered seconds later.

She moved towards him and settled right next to him, her dress pants making shuffling sounds in the open tent, as she started to lose sleep.

"You don’t know where we are, do you?" Conan accused moments later

"No, I do not and I hope you do because I’m running out of snacks" she whispered with a complaint, right at that moment his stomach grumbled violently into the silence.

"It is not a wonder that you might be hungry, you have been sleeping for days" she mumbled standing up and drawing Conans’ attention

"Where are you going?" he asked curiously, too tired to move fast.

She ignored him,

"Here eat this, it better help"

He stared at "You said it was the last, I advise you -" she cut him off

"No, you are not in a position to advise" she retorted, her brows sky high.

"Mmm" he agreed with a groan taking the carry-on from her, he ate out of it but she insisted he finished it with some water before they lay back down.

"Tomorrow we shall start for the right path home" he promised into the night surprisingly snuggling closer. She must be tired.

********

Sunrise.

Inn room, outskirts of Critic Arley.

Critic-Ishire.

"Sire, you called for help?" a female voice pierced through the room clothed in eerie darkness

"Yes, yes come closer?" the inn visitor from last night grumbled in the dark, the inn maid squinted her eyes to get a better view of her front.

"Why is it still so dark in here? I shall get you a light" she informed turning to leave the room but his words stopped her

"No, no, you only need to help me with this" he insisted but she was commandeered by her fear not to step forward.

"Do not fear, come to me" he sweetened his voice she felt chilly so she continued for the door

"I think I should-" he cut her off as he was suddenly behind her, and her heart rate escalated.

"Where do you think you might be leaving for?" he whispered behind her making the hair on her back raise to alert.

"Sire, what is happening?" she questioned Jn with a shaky breath, he was suddenly behind her

"You are well-" he started to have her cut him off "Help!" she unexpectedly yelled making the stranger rush into her with a dagger striking her straight into her lungs, she gasped her eyes wide as she began to sputter blood.

"Now let’s see what we have in here" he whispered sinister as he went down with her.

Critic Arley has a visitor.

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