Bambi and the Duke

As usual, the rain showed no mercy on the land of Bonelake. The clouds growled and threatened each other in the sky, light spilling in a streak of lines from it.

Vivian stood at the window, looking at the drops of water slide down the transparent glass which blurred the outside world. Drops after drops fell on and down the glass, able to see her reflection she peeked a little closer to see the ground plopping with water droplets causing a continuous splash.

”Vivi!”

She turned around by the call of her name to find Charlotte standing a few steps away from her.

”Charlotte?” Vivian looked confused. Charlotte was alive and here with her in the Carmichael mansion. She couldn’t help but smile back when the blonde vampiress smiled, ”I-I thought you...” she trailed.

”You thought what? That I wouldn’t come to visit you?” Charlotte raised her brow playfully, ”You told you would visit me. That you would come to Mythweald so that we could attend the fair together like before. You know I shouldn’t be talking to you,” she pouted.

Vivian shook her head, ”I wanted to but it’s been busy.”

”Busy to meet your friend?”

”No. I apologize for not seeing you sooner. I thought you were angry with me. Angry for what happened to your brother,” Vivian whispered.

Charlotte’s smile turned to a sad one, ”I am not angry at you. I know you had nothing to do with it. It was...too much loss and pain at that time,” she linked her hand around Vivian’s, ”I have someone I want you to meet.”

She looked at the vampiress before it dawned as to whom she would want her to meet, ”Charlotte,” Vivian began to receive a confused expression from the young girl.

”What? You have issues with me marrying a human too?”

”What? No!” Vivian responded back to Charlotte’s ridiculous question, ”You know it’s not like that. He is- Charlotte?” Charlotte had moved back, coughing as she placed a hand on her chest and another on her chest.

The young vampiress began to cough out blood, staining her hands, dress and the floor.

”Vivi...” Charlotte raised her hand but soon her chest began to open up as more blood began to splatter while some fell on Vivian’s face as she stood close to her. Before Charlotte’s heart could explode, she smiled at Vivian.

Vivian screamed, waking herself up with a huge gasp. Leonard who hadn’t fallen asleep and had only closed his eyes, his eyes flew open at Vivian’s scream. He rubbed her back soothingly before Vivian buried herself in his chest.

”It’s alright, Vivi,” he gently calmed her down. Placing his hand on her head, ”It’s normal to have bad dreams at a time like this. It was just a dream,” his words tried to soothe her beating heart which he could hear if he was outside the inn.

”Why?” he heard her whisper, ”Why kill someone who has nothing to do with the war of vampires and humans hate? She didn’t deserve it!”

”She didn’t,” agreed Leonard, his voice calm, ”The innocents usually get caught in the fire. Humans and vampires have been at each other’s throats for decades.”

”Won’t it ever end?” she pulled back, her silent tears touching her warm cheeks.

”Maybe one day,” he smiled, hoping for the same. He wiped her tears with his thumbs, ”Right now all we can do is catch the culprits who had done to her.”

”I want to help,” Vivian decided to Leonard’s surprise. It wasn’t what he was expecting her to say. To Leonard, Vivian was the most important person in his whole world. Maybe the only person. He would place her first regardless of what would happen to him. She was the only one who mattered.

While Vivian waited for Leo’s answer, the Duke gave some thought on it.

Having her around him wouldn’t be a bad idea. Though there were cons of her getting hurt if the situation did arise, he would always protect her.

”Okay,” he nodded his head to see her look a little taken aback as if she was expecting him to reject his offer.

”Really?”

”Yes. You can help me find the culprit,” he answered, promise in his words and she hugged him.

”Thank you, Leo!”

After a few minutes where Vivian’s heartbeat was back to the normal pace, he said, ”Get some sleep,” laying back on the bed, Leo held Vivi’s hand in his as she closed her eyes.

Leo was aware of the fact that he couldn’t forever hide Vivian’s abilities. There would be a day when one or more would find out about her special skills. Abilities that no one possessed or had seen in years. But having her by his side would be easier. With the current her, she could be of great help in the council.

After a day passed by after returning to Bonelake, Vivian was walking through the corridors aimlessly. Occasionally sighing while her thoughts were scattered all over the place. She didn’t dream about Charlotte after that night but that didn’t mean the image of her stopped haunting her mind. The body in the casket was something that would not wash away from people’s mind.

”Lady Vivian,” Jan came up to her, bowing his head which she hadn’t got used to yet, ”Master Leonard asks for your presence in the study room,” he informed her.

When she went to the study room, she caught sight of Leo picking out books from the shelves as if he were cleaning them himself. There were four books that laid on top of the table as he shifted the loosely bound books.

”You asked for me?” Vivian closed the door behind her.

”Hmm,” was his only response as his eyes read the book he held in his hand, ”How good is your memory, Vivi?” asked Leo.

”My memory? I think it’s alright.”

”Is it,” he weighed her words as if he was deciding on something, ”Sit down,” he said and she took a seat, ”I heard from Nick that you played the game of book.”

How could she forget, it wasn’t what had wanted to do at that time but it had been more of a situation of something is better than nothing. The nothing being idle.

”We went through the Edicts, why?” she asked, suspicious of where this conversation was heading too.

”The council will give me the case just as I have asked Nicholas about it so that I am the one who deals with the man. You cannot help me the way you are right now. The council wouldn’t allow a person who isn’t part of the council to take part in any kind of case. Not even one that involves catching a mouse,” Leonard stated seriously, placing the book in front of her which read ’Edicate 02’ she looked up at him, ”To be helpful and have yourself fully involved, you will have to pass the council examination.”

Her face went pale, ”Exam?” she didn’t like the sound of them. One of her childhood memories was Leo giving back her paper with zero results which often resulted in reading more.

”Yes, dear,” he smiled knowing what was going through her mind, ”You pass the exams, you are in. You don’t clear it, you cannot involve yourself. I cannot have you doing things alone when I am not around.”

”What do I need to clear the exam?”

”The first round would be written. All you have to do is learn these four books thoroughly,” Vivian’s brows raised slightly at the mention of the four books which she could see right in front of her. And dare say, they were thick big books, ”Fortunately, the exam is around the corner and you have a good decent month to study them. Are you ready for it?” he asked her, his eyes boring down to hers.

Could she do it? She didn’t know. Was there any choice? None that she could think of. If Leo was making her study in such a short span of time, it would mean he trusted she would be able to do it.

”I will clear the exam,” she said determinedly.

”Good,” he smiled before picking the book that was the topmost of the four, ”Read the first hundred pages by evening. I will be back by evening so that we can discuss it.”