A/N: Life and times in the Maxwell estate. Or, Professor G was actually completely right.


Chapter 39

Helena


If there was anything Helena thought she would never get used to, it was the architecture of the Maxwell estate.

It was not the sloping roofs nor stained glass that had initially been off-putting, as both were common features in the Maxwell duchy from where she had lived nearly all of her life. It was not even the occasional Death Doors tucked into out-of-the-way nooks and crannies of the sprawling grounds, both for the benefit of the noble family to whom the land belonged and the servants who roamed it.

No, it was the sheer treachery of the interior that had taken her aback. The corridors leading to nowhere, the rooms within rooms that served a purpose not meant for the living, the mirrored walls and hidden passages… Even with the guidance of her 5-year-old Young Master and help from the veteran servants, it had still taken Helena years to truly master the ins and outs of the Maxwell estate.

But now five years in, she easily traversed the winding corridors without hesitation. Her Young Master was now a rambunctious 10-year-old with a mischievous smile, too smart for most of his tutors with enough energy to keep everyone on their toes.

Helena loved that about him. She loved watching him grow from the small child who had clung to her skirts to the whip-quick boy he was now. Helena had always known she was weak to children - she absolutely adored her young nephew, even if he did choose to learn the sword over the daggers their family preferred - but her Young Master definitely had a special place in her too-soft heart.

Even the Duke had mentioned that she would let him get away with just about anything if he looked at her with those violet puppy-dog eyes. (Privately, Helena didn't think the Duke had much room to talk because he gave in to his son just as often, if not more, than she did!) Helena knew she couldn't defend herself from such an allegation, but she challenged any of the staff to deny her Young Master anything - surely not a single person would be able to do so.

Well, there was one person - but Helena didn't really consider him part of the estate. Professor G was like a tutor to her Young Master, or maybe something like a doctor… The distinction had always been unclear, because his lessons were always the ones Helena was not allowed to oversee. Not that she was kept ignorant of what the strange man had been up to, as she was often tasked with cleaning up after he was done. She didn't mind, and indeed preferred to be the one to see what awful shape he'd left her dear Young Master in; as his nanny, she should be one of the few allowed to see him so vulnerable.

She descended the steps into the basement with quick feet. They'd initially tried to hold these lessons on the upper floors, but the windows kept shattering into grotesque shapes and one of the poor gardeners had lost an eye to a fallen pane. After that, the lessons had been moved to the basement - windowless and dark, despite how many oil-based lanterns lit the hall; the light never seemed to reach anything, seemingly shrouding every step of the corridor in flickering shadows. Helena could not help but pull her cloak tighter around herself for a fleeting sense of warmth. The chill lingered in her very bones though, and no amount of fur or fire would ever be able to warm her while she remained in the vicinity.

"Ah, Nanny!"

Helena halted, turning half around to peer down a side corridor at the call. She bowed, quick and low, managing a small smile for the one approaching. "Good day, Young Master Solo," she greeted kindly.

Young Master Solo grinned back at her. He wasn't the one she loved so ardently, but she liked him well enough; he was friendly and polite to everyone, and not a single person (servant or not) had one bad thing to say about him. That was likely because if someone did, they probably weren't around long enough to say it any louder - but that wasn't Helena's business. Helena was only concerned for her young charge, and though she served the Maxwell family as a whole, she would only throw herself onto a sword for one of them.

"Look, look!" Young Master Solo said before brandishing what he held out to her. They were small fruits pierced with wooden sticks and covered in spice; a popular summer confection, especially among the commoners. "I got some for Duo to try!"

Helena couldn't help but beam back at the teen's excitement. "Young Master Duo will love it," she agreed.

At that, the teen pushed them into her hands. "Give it to him after his lesson," he ordered her sweetly. "It'll make him feel better, especially if he thinks they're from you."

Again. Every time Young Master Solo got his brother a gift, he'd push it into her hands or just hide it in his brother's rooms. Helena didn't really understand where this weird shyness came from, but it wasn't her place to deny the order.

She continued down the corridor alone, Young Master Solo returning upstairs now that he'd found someone to pass his gift along. The basement usually remained empty while the lessons were underway, the other servants told to avoid the area until it was over. Helena was exempt from such a rule given her position, and even if she wasn't, she was not sure she'd follow it anyway. Children needed to know they were loved and cared for, no matter their state.

As she drew nearer, she could make out the sounds: a dull, steady knock, like the last few beats of a failing heart; a high-pitched whine that was both animalistic and human; the screeching clang of sharp metal on stone.

She made the final turn around the corner before she found herself meeting dark grey eyes. The man stood quiet and complacent beside tall, dark-wooded doors, decidedly unruffled by the terrified whimpering inside. With each dull bang of small fists against the panels, the wood turned almost ashen - and the man watched the process with clinical eyes, as he tended to watch most things.

"He's not ready yet," Professor G stated, dispassionate.

Helena frowned. It had already been three hours now, and that was the usual amount of time - were these sessions getting longer? She didn't know how the man managed to last the entire time listening to the horrible cacophony, how he could hold himself aloof at the sound of such distress; perhaps it was for that reason the Duke had enlisted such a monster. Helena could hardly bear more than a handful of minutes before she was reduced to helpless tears.

"He's growing up," Professor G answered her unasked question. "And stronger."

Helena gave a short, concise nod. She knew that, of course she knew that; if it wasn't for that strength, the Duke would have never grown so desperate. Desperate enough to hire the man before her, desperate enough to commit the atrocities they were all a part of now… Helena looked away from the man's knowing gaze.

A harsh knock, louder and harder than any previous, shook the door within its frame. The wailing from inside began to taper down into a more recognizable sound, until it finally resumed the familiar cadence and tone that she was used to.

"Please let me out," her Young Master begged from behind the door. The wood was dark, seemingly rotting from the inside. "I don't want to be in here anymore… Let me out, leT mE oUT, LET ME OUT!"

Professor G let out a small sigh, affecting an adult's reaction to a child's tantrum, as if her Young Master wasn't right to be terrified. Helena felt nauseous at the very idea; she wanted to open the door herself, but neither Professor G nor the Duke would stand for her interference. Young Master Solo had nearly torn all her hair out from her scalp when he'd dragged her away the first (and last) time she'd ever tried.

"Helena, you can't help him right now," Professor G told her frankly. The pleading behind the door was beginning to rise once more, interspersed with sobbing that twisted her heart. "Go. Take the other one with you."

Helena blinked, then turned around to follow where the man had gestured. Sure enough, ducked just behind the corner she'd previously turned, a pair of pale violet eyes looked back at her from a small face cast half in shadow by the flickering light of the lanterns. She couldn't help but soften at the sight, and she turned and moved in the direction of the child.

"It's okay, it will only be for a little bit more," Helena said softly.

Pink lips twisted down at the corners into a miserable frown. "He doesn't like to be alone," came the timid murmur in answer.

Helena nodded, reaching out her free hand for the other to hold. "Yes, but he's being a very good boy," she replied warmly. "I even have some treats we could all enjoy together, once Young Master Duo is finished with his lesson."

That pale violet gaze darted to the ashen door before slowly returning back to her; once they finally settled on Helena's outstretched hand, that shade of pale violet had bled back into their usual stormy blue. Finally, a small hand slid into her open palm, and Helena's smile softened at the reluctant acceptance. Really, she's such a sweet girl…

"Come along, Hilde."

It's a pity she won't last.


A/N: Yes, her name is Helena. It was just too on the nose to name her Helen LOL

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