Helena hesitated, turning to look at him doubtfully. "I... I don't want to waste anymore of your time," she began slowly. The idea of him walking back with her was actually... pleasant. But she found herself suddenly shy. She lowered her eyes, kicking at the ground with the toe of her boot. "I mean, if it isn't any trouble to you. I don't think I could find my way back on my own." She sighed when she thought of Winnifred- she felt bad for running out on the kindly woman like that. She took a deep breath and looked up at him, meeting his eyes and nodding. "That would be very kind of you... my lord."

Orion nodded, and smiled at her slightly.

"I would be pleased to walk you back," he said. "Trust me, I would waste my time much more thoroughly wandering about aimlessly as I was before." He gestured back towards the door, letting her walk first so he could make sure the doors closed properly. He kept the gardens a bit colder than the rest of the castle, so the icy roses wouldn't melt.

"It chokes you, doesn't it?" he asked softly after a moment. "Showing such deference."

Helena let herself fall behind him after he closed the doors, looking around the beautiful halls with her hands behind her back. She hesitated when he spoke, then slowly nodded. "It's hard," she admitted. "But I'm sure... I'll get used to it if I have to," she said with a deft shrug of her shoulders, looking away from him. Prideful, was what her father had called her. She didn't mind chores, but she hated having to refer to someone as above her. She believed in equality; her mother always told her she'd never get anywhere with those fanciful ideas of hers.

"If it makes you more comfortable," Orion started, "you only need use the title in the presence of others." The wording was a bit stiff, but he was essentially giving her permission to use his given name if it was just the two of them in the room. He wasn't sure why he was giving such permission, but it somehow felt right to let her do so. He almost wanted to hear what his name would sound like from her lips.

She looked at him, startled. Had he really just given her permission to use his name? She opened her mouth to speak, then paused. "I don't even know you're name," she said, her voice soft. She came to a stop, a frown tugging at her full lips as she tried to think if Winnie had ever said his name.

"Orion," he supplied after a moment. "My given name is Orion." A slight smile tugged at his lips again. "My mother had a fondness for the names of stars. I once had a half-sister named Ursa." He didn't say what had happened to Ursa, though. It was obvious that such a sister didn't live in the castle with him, though, so something must have happened.

"Orion," she said, trying the name out on her tongue. It rolled around funnily, but she decided she liked it. She glanced at him when he mentioned his sister- once had? It made her curious as to what had happened, but she decided not to press the matter. "I have a sister named Rosemary," she offered, wincing slightly at the memory of her youngest sibling. "I get my thing for flowers from my mother," she admitted, lacing her fingers together.

Orion promptly decided he liked the way his name sounded on Helena's lips. It held a certain kind of ring to it that it otherwise didn't have, and he liked it very much.

"Ursa and Cygnus lived a little further to the south," he said. "Cygnus is my half-brother. He still lives there, even though Ursa is gone." After a moment, he added, "our mother left and had a romance with a human man, when my father passed. Ursa and Cygnus were the result of that union."

"Oh, I see," she said, slightly surprised. She hadn't realized that demons and humans got together, much less had kids. "What... happened to Ursa," she finally asked, looking up at him curiously. "I mean, you don't have to tell me," she added hastily. She didn't want to force him to say anything that would make him uncomfortable, although she was sure he just wouldn't tell her if he didn't want to. "I was the oldest," she offered. "Rose is seven, and my little brother just turned twelve." Her heart still ached slightly, but she was surprised to find that talking about her family didn't hurt her as much as it had. For some reason, she wanted to tell Orion about her life; something told her he'd listen.

"A human illness," Orion replied. He had never interacted much with his half-siblings, so the pain of Ursa's passing was more of an ache rather than full-out grief. Cygnus had known Ursa much better. "She caught something with a fever, and they couldn't cool her down enough in time." He listened as Helena told him about her own siblings. "I am also the eldest," he said. "And the only one eligible for the lordship, once my father passed."

"Oh," Helena said, unsure of what else to say. The door to the study was fast approaching, and she wished that the hall was a little longer. "Thank you for taking me back," she said, glancing up at him. "I probably would have gotten lost on my own." she shut her mouth then, to prevent herself from rambling- something she did in a lame attempt to avoid an awkward moment. She offered him a hesitant smile, her hands clasped before her.

Orion smiled back at her and gestured for her to go into the study. He could tell there was still a human in his study, since there was a heat signature in the room, but he didn't know whether or not it was Winnifred. Even if it wasn't, it would be someone who could take Helena back to the servants' quarters. Once she went into the study, Orion turned and headed back towards his personal chamber. He wanted to relax for a while, and think about Helena in peace.

Helena slipped into the study and instantly leaned against the door, taking a deep breath to clear her spinning head. She opened one eye, then another, spotting Winnie standing in the study across from her. "Oh, hello," she said, clearing her throat and straightening up hastily. "I apologize for running away like that," she said, her voice honest. She tried to push the demon lord- Orion- from her mind, but his face was stubbornly persistant. She moved rather distractedly, looking for something to tidy up.

Winnie looked up from scrubbing a stubborn spot on the floor when she heard the door open. She was relieved to see Helena, and she set aside the scrubbing brush.

"I'm glad you made it back safely," she said. "I was worried you might have gotten lost, or into a spot of trouble." She looked Helena over, making sure she was alright. "Well, you seem fine. How did you find your way back?"

Helena opened her mouth to repy, then hesitated. It was almost absurd to say it out loud. "The lord," she said slowly. "He was kind enough to lead me back." She turned away so that Winnie wouldn't see the blush on her face- it was rather flustering to think of the situation now that it was over. For some reason, she wanted to know what he thought of her- like it actually meant anything. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, absently arranged a pile of books.

"The master must have taken a shine to you," Winnie commented. She saw the blush on Helena's face, but didn't comment. Many a young maid had gone twitterpated over the master in the past. The master was handsome, after all. "Were you lost at all before you ran into the master? You were gone for quite a while." She paused, and then shook her head. "Well, never mind. I'm almost done here, and then I can show you where the gardens are. I only came back in here to see if I could get this spot off the floor."

Helena frowned slightly, her frown becoming a little more stubborn. She didn't want him to like her though.
Liar, her mind whispered to her. He intrigued her.
That just means you'll have to stay here longer. And your siblings need you, the more practical side of her mind pointed out. She bit on her lip, wishing she knew what to do.

"That would be nice," Helena commented vaguely, when she brought up the gardnes. Truth be told, she had zoned out for a moment, lost in her muddled thoughts. The garden would be a nice place to just breathe. "Do you need any help," she asked, when winnie mentioned the spot on the floor.

"The spot is rather stubborn," Winnie admitted reluctantly. "And these joints aren't what they used to be..." She didn't want to force the girl to do anything, especially after Helena's encounter with the master, but Winnie's joints were beginning to ache and the marble floor wasn't doing her knees any favors. "I think the master must have spilled some ink, and it set into the floor... The spot won't come up."

"I'll give it a try," Helena offered, dropping down next to the woman and grabbing an extra rag. She frowned as she scrubbed at the stain- it was proving to be extremely stubborn. "It just isn't coming up," she finally said, sitting back on her heels. "It must have been here for a while."

"Perhaps," Winnie replied as she watched Helena scrub at the spot. She held out a hand to help the girl up. "I'll have one of the others come with better supplies and see if they can get it out. If not, I will let the master know and let him decide what will be done about it." Gathering her own cleaning supplies, she gestured to Helena. "Come, the rest of the work in here is done. Once I put these away, shall I show you to the master's gardens?"