Bambi and the Duke

During his absence in the Rune mansion, something had transpired between the Lord and Vivian. He had sensed tension coming off from Vivian who kept getting lost in her thoughts every time someone stopped talking to her as if she drifted back deep down.

He spoke to Vivian but the state he found her back was the same. His red eyes made a quick workaround on her appearance and everything seemed to have appeared just the way he had last seen her. Not a single scratch on her body was found and her breathing was steady which made him wonder what was the cause of her silence.

Though she didn’t speak, her subtle movements were what Leonard noticed. He placed his hand on hers which had gripped the seat unconsciously.

”Where are we going?” her heard ask as if she were driving away some of her thoughts and he humoured her with a response as if he didn’t notice and for letting it slide.

”The theatre. They have put up a new play which might be of your taste,” he answered her to see her tilt her head.

”My taste?”

”Mhm. Something that centres around romance, heart filled confessions,” his words were dry, voice with least interest and it was evident to both of them that they were going there only for her. Romantic plays weren’t Leonard’s cup of tea and he rathered preferred other lines of plays. Especially the ones that were filled with blood, politics or lust that could be viewed only by few members of the society which was played close to the time of midnight. Just because he hadn’t touched a woman before it didn’t mean he didn’t know what it was or how it worked. One day he would need to please the woman he loved and he researched enough to know how to get the girl with simple caress and touch of his hand.

”Might you be knowing the story?” Vivian turned to sit facing Leo with eagerness.

Unlike Leonard who had spent his time studying in the path to be a councilman since a young age, Vivian had spent less time compared to him and more time on novels that were available. What Vivian didn’t know was that the Carmichael mansion didn’t have more than two books based on romance and it was Leonard who kept bringing new books there so that she could read it.

”It’s about a peasant falling in love with a council man’s daughter who works for the family,” he gave a brief line about it from what he heard from one of his colleague at the council. Apparently, the story was made for humans and not vampires due to which the theatre would most likely be empty until an other play would be put up for everyone’s liking.

”And?” she waited for him to add more but instead he replied,

”There would be no point in us going to the theatre if I narrated the entire story now, would it darling?” Vivian gave him a sheepish smile.

”You are right. I should wait and watch it.”

”Right,” he interlaced his fingers from the back of her hand, ”Vivi,” Vivian who had been looking down at their fingers interlaced looked up at him, ”Did Nicholas say something?” he enquired.

”Nothing important. He said you learnt to play the piano. Why didn’t you play a piece of the song after you returned or in between during your visits?” she asked him curiously, ”You don’t play it anymore?”

He smiled, thinking about some of the memories with the way he learnt the piano from Nicholas. The Lord might have shown preference to him and might have also baited him to learn the instrument but his teachings had always been patient just as he appeared. There were times when his keynotes took a different direction but like a doting elder brother, Lord Nicholas taught him music without once losing his temper with him. To let out his bottled emotions on those white and black keys.

”I never found the time for it,” he replied to her questioning gaze, ”Every time I visited home mother and father were always with me wanting to know how I was even though they were the ones to send me away from home. And the spare few minutes I found I used it to see you,” his honest words made her feel warm, letting her know how important she was from the beginning.

”Don’t do that,” she murmured.

”Do what?” he frowned.

”You speak so directly, Leo. It’s too...” she trailed to get the right word.

”Too what?” he squeezed her hand making her heart skip a beat.

Gulping, she opened her lips to speak, ”It’s raw.”

”Do you find it hard to digest, Bambi?” he pulled her close to him.

”W-we already kissed, Leo.”

”Kisses are not to be numbered,” he breathed the words on her parted lips that looked eager to let him kiss. Awaiting his lips on hers she closed her eyes right before he kissed it, ”I will kiss you as much as I want because you are mine,” he tugged her lips with his teeth.

Vivian could hardly believe that he was kissing her again. In her mind, she had thought Leonard had finished his kiss for the day. To think that he still wanted to kiss her made her heart flutter in her chest. By the time they had reached the theatre, Vivian’s chest heaved softly up and down. Eyes half closed and open her forehead rested on Leonard’s chest.

Leonard hadn’t indicated the coachman to open the carriage door yet as he allowed Vivian to settle with her physical emotions. As much as he loved seeing her red and blushing, he didn’t want anyone seeing her in this state. She looked alluring in his eyes. Innocent yet the seductiveness oozing out of her without her knowledge.

Once he felt her emotions were in place, he tapped on the window for the coachman to open the door right away.

By the time Vivian had put her foot down from the carriage, the words ’you are mine’ had hit straight into her heart like a cupid pushing the arrow which had already been there to make sure the arrow was going nowhere. His words had always been direct, so direct that most of the times she lacked words for a response.

”You will find a lot of humans today so it will be easier to blend for you without the need to worry,” he said as they stepped into the narrow passage of the tall oval like building, ”We will come here again next time but there will be more vampires. This should settle you in right,” he murmured the last words.

Vivian who came from the low class had never stepped into the theatre. All she had done until now was read about it. No one had ever discussed the theatre with her and when she came to see the tall ceilings that almost felt like it reached the sky, she couldn’t help but look at it at awe. Like Leonard had previously informed, there was less crowd.

They walked across seats, walking through stairs to reach a box like seating where one could view the stage easily.

”These are reserved for the pureblooded vampires,” Leonard stated, seeing her bend her neck down to look at the height they were in.

”It’s too high. Why are they reserved only for the pureblooded vampires?” she turned back to see him who had taken a seat, going back a little she sat next to him which was quite close.

”Because these seats cost money only a pureblooded vampire can afford. It would be worth ten maids entire years wage. Humans are too busy gathering money while the purebloods are busy spending it,” he crossed his legs.

Vivian took a look at the other seats and she noticed it apart from the box they were in, only another box was filled with another pair of a couple while the rest of the audience sat below.

”You should be glad to know me, Vivi,” he reminded her subtly of his importance in her life. She might be a healer right now but she was always the girl who followed him when they were children like a moth to a flame that was burning beautifully for him.

Vivian puffed one side of her cheeks, ”I know you have money and I don’t. I have nothing,” she moved her gaze towards the stage.

”I didn’t put it that way. I apologize.”

”But it is the same, isn’t it,” her voice turned quiet when the music began to play in the background with a couple coming upon to stand on the stage. The play began, music surrounding the entire hall, resonating and touching the walls and people. And though Vivian concentrated on the play, her thoughts shifted to where she sat. Realizing how true Leonard’s words were. She had been turned to a lady by him but she had been a mere maid. Now that the matter of their status had been brought up, insecurity began to seep into her mind,

”Leo...will I be enough?”

”You are already enough. More than what I will ever need for this entire lifetime,” his lips found the back of her neck, dropping a lingering kiss, ”I would have no one else but you.”

She turned her head to him, ”I mean it, Bambi. You are mine as much as I am yours. Fall for me quickly so that I can steal you away quickly,” what Leonard didn’t know was that he had already stolen her from herself.