Bambi and the Duke

Leonard walked down the stairs, making his way to his study room he opened the door to find his uncle sitting with his back facing him.

Sullivan was his father’s younger brother. A man who looked no less than thirty in a human’s eyes while he was triple the age of what he seemed to appear to be. Compared to Leonard’s blonde hair which was smooth and clean that had a warm colour to it, Sullivan Carmichael had much more of dirty blonde hair which was mostly combed behind with a few strands of hair that came to fall on either side of the head.

”I see you have company,” his uncle commented without turning behind as his eyes were fixated on the parchment that he had picked out of boredom.

”Good afternoon, uncle Sullivan. Yes, the lady fell asleep and I thought it would be better to let her rest,” his reply being truthful to which his uncle smiled.

”Well, I am glad that you brought in a lady for yourself. I was worried for some time that I rarely find you in a woman’s company,” there was smugness on Sullivan’s lips.

Leonard chuckled, taking the seat in front of him which he often sat in, he crossed his legs while leaning back, ”Didn’t I tell you last time it was a special girl whom I have been courting,” realization seemed to dawn on Sullivan’s face.

”Aye, you did mention it. Are you still keeping her for yourself? You shouldn’t be this secretive about her, it will only get mine and other’s curiosity piqued to full attention.”

”I have planned to bring her to the ball so that I can introduce you to her. She’s a lovely creature,” Sullivan seemed to have noticed the light amount of fondness that coated his nephew’s words. He didn’t get to see the girl’s face as they had disappeared behind the doors. When he had arrived at the Carmichael’s mansion, before getting down he had caught sight of Leonard carrying a woman who wore rich clothing, the shoe that was refined and he came to believe that it was a woman of high status whom his nephew was courting.

”I hope she is to your status and level. You don’t deserve anything less than that but a woman of high calibre.”

”Of course, uncle,” Leonard answered before he pulled his drawers one by one searching for the parchment which he finally found, ”I prepared the documents you wanted to look at,” he handed them to his uncle.

Sullivan skimmed his eyes across the papers which he had asked Leonard to prepare for him. They were the documents in regards to selling his property as he was planning to move to Valeria.

Though there were a few relatives who resided in Bonelake, Sullivan found it best to move to another land. As much as the man hated and despised humans, he loved his elder brother dearly. It wasn’t a loss just for Leonard but also to Sullivan who had grown up around his brother and his family. He was a pureblooded vampire for whom family meant a lot.

”Are you sure about it?” Leonard asked his uncle. He didn’t want him moving away as they shared a close relationship though no one knew when or if it would break when his uncle would discover about his relationship with a former maid.

A maid came in to bring blood that was taken out freshly from the young women in the market who were used to sell blood due to their quality and taste.

”I have already chosen the house which is at the outskirts of Valeria. Therefore it shouldn’t be a long journey from Bonelake to there when you want to visit,” said Sullivan. When the maid came to offer the glass, Sullivan didn’t bother to pick it but instead pulled the maid’s hand who flinched from his touch, ”Haven’t you taught the maids here on what it means to work for their owners and masters?”

The maid shook in fear but not letting a word of fear to drop out of her mouth. Almost every servant who was taken under a pureblooded vampire’s home, they were taught on how to blindly follow the words of command and orders which was passed down to them by their masters. Failing to do so had often led to severe punishments. Punishments that could be held both privately or publicly.

Punishments were usually sexual, putting the servants to ’good use’ according to the old vampires or drawing their blood out to the point where one would die to only bring them back and torture them all over again. The most common ones were letting the servants starve and let other witnesses so that there would be no repeat to it.

Though Mrs Renae Carmichael didn’t follow the punishment severely, it didn’t mean that when Sullivan Carmichael arrived at the house he didn’t let go of the opportunity to treat the servants just as they were meant to be treated to show their place. This kept the maids and other workers in check.

The maid gulped, her eyes that had gone wide out of fear she trembled at the man’s grip on her hand. Leonard didn’t stop his uncle from taking the blood and instead gave a blank expression which seemed uninterested. Drinking from the cup he was offered.

Bringing the wrist close to his mouth, the old vampire sunk his fangs into the maid’s wrist. Sucking the warm blood he enjoyed it before letting it go and licking his lips. He actioned for her to leave without licking the blood that was smeared across her skin around her wrist. Picking up the tray from the table, the maid swirled around and left the study in a hurry.

”You should drink it this way, Leonard. Do you know what you’re missing? The fresh warm blood from the skin to your lips which hasn’t been touched by the air. The metallic taste which tingles one’s senses,” his uncle praised, ”You’re a pureblooded vampire, Leonard. It is your right to drink blood from the human and not what is offered in this measly cup.”

One side of Leonard’s lips curved while one of his eyebrows raised he stated, ”That’s very rude, uncle. Telling that my services that are being offered to you aren’t up to your liking. But then if this is how you like, I am not going to stop you.”

”You’re indeed my dearest nephew,” Sullivan laughed licking every inch of the corner of his mouth which had blood on it before it died down for him to say, ”If it is service you are talking about...”

Leo waited for his uncle to finish his sentence, something pricking his mind to change the conversation as if he knew where this was going to go.

”There was this girl who was very fond of you. I haven’t got to see her for a long time now,” at the mention of Vivian, his ears perked, ”I would like it if you could prepare her for me. For a wonderful night’s meal so that I can drink and enjoy her.”

With the words that flew from Sullivan’s lips, the same time Leonard responded, ”That can’t be done.”

Sullivan’s eyes narrowed, his head tilting in question at his nephew’s quick denial, ”Hmm? Why not? Does she not work here anymore?”

”She doesn’t. And if she did, I wouldn’t allow that,” his uncle’s eyes only narrowed further. Vivian wasn’t a maid anymore. She was his lover and a councilwoman in the making, ”Pardon me. I will let you have anyone but her, she is someone I cannot give away for a sip to have or to bed.”

Leonard could see the gears in his uncle’s head turn around to think of what he just said. Though there was no reason to be worried about it for now at least, he didn’t want to give false hope to the man who sat in front of him. Vivian was off limits to everyone. Since a long time, she was his to protect. He could tell that his uncle was doing the math to realize who he had been speaking about all this time.

”Why not? Don’t tell me you like her, Leo...”

”I don’t like her. I love her,” Leonard corrected him.

Sullivan frowned, a deep crease forming on his forehead along with the distaste that had formed in his mouth at the information.