Bambi and the Duke

Sister Isabelle scrunched her shaped brows, her green eyes staring at Leonard with surprise at the information the Duke had relayed to her. She turned to look back at the girl who was fast asleep, her breathing a little shallow.

”The transition failed?” she asked for confirmation.

To her question, Leonard spoke, ”Her body isn’t taking in the venom in and is trying to fight the transformation. I have tasted Vivian’s blood before and it still tastes the same,” he cleared her confusion.

”Maybe you aren’t able to find the difference,” the woman wondered loudly.

The hierarchy of the food chain when it came to the kinds that lived and dominated the four lands of the empire was a partial one. Humans thrived on plants and the animal stock while vampires fed on the human blood. Apart from these two, the higher species were the pureblooded vampires- vampires who could not only feed on the humans but also on the normal vampires. Though humans would never agree to it, the pureblooded vampires were superior to the other race.

”I know what I drink, Sister Isabelle,” his words were sharp at what she had deduced.

Sister Isabelle didn’t poke the man with possible answers as she was well aware of his temper. Leonard’s mother was good friends with the priestess, making usual trips to the church to have a friendly talk when she passed by the church of the town.

A few years ago when Leonard was young, the issue of his untamed temper was the discussion as he would always end up in brawls when by looks he looked calm as if nothing could ruffle him. The deceiving aura was something she appreciated as not everyone had the ability to carry it with ease. And even with years passed, she could sense that temper which still lingered beneath his skin. It was on a leash right now and it was wise to keep it that way that let hell loose.

Pureblooded vampires didn’t turn every human to one of their kind unless there was some sort of use they could profit from. Seeing the girl, she wondered if the girl held any romantic interest of the Duke who had called her at this time of the hour with urgency.

”May I?” she raised her hand towards the sleeping girl. Seeing him nod, she placed her hand on Vivian’s forehead to feel the skin burning up, ”Her fever seems to be increasing in time. As you said, it is possible that her body isn’t taking in the transformation and has fought any possible transition which could have corrupted her heart if the process had begun.”

”Jan,” Leonard called his housekeeper who immediately came to his side, ”Get a bowl of cold water and a clean cloth.”

The housekeeper bowed his head, leaving the room the three people who were inside.

”Hmm?” Sister Isabelle fell into deep thought, ”She’s the young child I met when the previous lord, Lord Wilhelhum was being cremated.”

It seemed that there was more to the story as not everyone was meant to be remembered. People always remembered and made a note if the person intrigued them or if there was something odd about their behaviour. Sister Isabelle was a white witch who was part of the church, helping man and vampire kind when they sought out for her for guidance. She was a white witch with the ability to sense. It wasn’t as renowned as what Vivian had come to acquire but it was enough to give her a sense of emotions. Leonard said, ”Tell me more,” though his words were polite there was a demand hidden underneath it.

Sister Isabelle pursed her lips. She had met young Vivian a few years, it wasn’t often that she met people like her but she had forgotten about it until today.

”The girl is not who she appears to be, Duke Carmichael,” Leonard raised his eyebrow, not dropping into what she could have found, he let her complete what she had to say, ”I wouldn’t tell I am completely sure about it but I believe that the last time I touched the girl to bless her, she had only been turned. Turned from vampire to a human.”

”That’s not possible,” he responded back. Vivian had been human since he could remember but at the same time, there was a possible possibility in what the white witch had to say.

The housekeeper arrived back in the room with the bowl of cold water and cloth as requested by his master. Placing it on the side table, he moved a few steps behind before exiting from the room and closing the door behind him.

”I will take care of it.”

When Leonard said that, Sister Isabelle didn’t know what he was talking about before it dawned in the next second that he wanted to be the one to tend to the girl and not her.

She didn’t know if it was because he held a special place towards the girl or it was just that he didn’t believe in her as to what she could if he let her take care of the girl. Like black witches who weren’t trusted by everyone, there were some who didn’t trust the white witches. After all the witches were stemmed from the same branch of the tree. She came to believe it to be the first one as he took the cloth, dipping it in and squeezing it before placing it neatly on her forehead.

”As easy it is to acknowledge that a human can turn to vampire, we haven’t seen or heard of vampires turning to humans. Never at all. As I said, I might be wrong and it is just my insight into what I have sensed.”

”Sister Isabelle,” Leonard asked smoothening the cloth gently across Vivian’s forehead, ”How many times has your insight turned wrong?”

”Never until now,” hearing the answer, questions began to rise in his mind about Vivian’s life before she arrived at the Carmichael’s residence. Until now they had thought of her to be human and they had search for the older housekeepers relatives so that he could track her family. If Sister Isabelle’s intuition was right then it seemed that he had been looking in the wrong direction in concern to Vivian’s lineage.

He looked at sleeping Vivian, taking the cloth which had turned warm because of the heat that was being pulled out from her forehead, he dipped it back in the cold water.

”It would be a piece of very surprising news that a vampire turned to a human.”

Leonard who put back the cloth on Vivian’s forehead stood up to ask the white witch, ”Why didn’t you find more about it?”

To this, she smiled, crinkles forming at the corner of her eyes, ”It isn’t our job, Duke Carmichael but the councils. Our kind will help the one that asks for help but not by taking initiative by ourselves. After having one of my own sister killed for living with a vampire, I wouldn’t take the risk. You do remember the accident that took place in Valeria?”

He knew about it. Not when it took place but as years passed by he had come to learn about the unfortunate accident that the previous Lord of Valeria’s wife had to suffer. She had been staked and burned in the middle of the street because of the humans.

”Just between us, Duke Leonard, but it wasn’t the humans who were at fault for what happened,” giving Vivian some quiet and time to rest, both Leonard and Sister Isabelle stepped out of the room, ”The council had something to do with it.”

”That’s a strong accusation you have, Sister Isabelle,” he commented while leading her down the stairs.

The white witch smiled again, her features serene and tranquil. Her footsteps paused, ”Not the entire council but someone in there seemed to have a feud with her. Someone who wanted her dead. You must already know that the place where you work isn’t clean but contaminated with people with different intentions on their mind. As the person in there,” she said looking in the direction of where Vivian was resting now, ”She’s been gifted. Let me know if you or she needs my help in exploring her abilities. I will send some of the medicines to help the body lower the temperature.”

It didn’t come as a surprise that she had found out about Vivian being special in such a short time. With what he had observed she was a white witch who picked to keep a low profile, lower than most of the witches who worked in and around the church.