Bambi and the Duke

Leonard showed no further expression to his uncle by keeping his face passive as he usually did but the calm quiet demeanour that surrounded him gave away the seriousness of his mood.

"Are you joking, Leonard?" Sullivan laughed thinking if his nephew was trying to catch him off guard but Leonard sat there in his place with a serious look on his face which lacked any possible humor on it, "You're serious."

"As serious it can be," Leonard confirmed.

Leonard hadn't planned to let the cat out of the bag but it seemed to be important to let uncle Sullivan know about him and Vivian. He didn't like the way his uncle had not so subtly suggested of bedding Vivian and drinking her blood. He had lost his cool over it, at the thought of it. Leonard was possessive of his belongings and Vivian belonged to him. The very thought of her being touched by someone who wasn't him or looking wrongly at her made his blood boil in his skin.

"Have you forgotten she's a human, the race who was responsible for the death of my brother and his wife, your parents. Have you forgotten about it? Not to forget the relationship of a pureblooded vampire like yourself with a lowly human maid," the older vampire clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"I haven't," Leonard leaned forward to stand up from his sit, walking away from his uncle, "But Vivian has nothing to do with it. To hold an entire race responsible for the damage done by one or two seems quite ignorant to me. Vivian is who I have chosen. I won't ask for your blessings to be with her but I do hope you'll be able to accept her to be part of my life in the future."

"That's absurd, Leonard. The girl holds no value. Do you even know where she comes from? That she will follow through the ways of a vampire?" questioned Sullivan who was finding it hard to digest that his only nephew had fallen in love as he claimed with a human. Not any human but one of the lowest class, "I thought we raised you for a much better life."

"Believe me when I say this, Vivian is the best amongst the rest."

Sullivan frowned further, getting up and going to where Leonard stood. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he spoke, "I understand that you might be smitten by her but looks fade in time. So does one's feelings along with it. If it is a girl you want to be with, there are plenty in the pureblooded society that you can choose from."

Leonard chuckled softly, almost a dry laugh as if he pitied his relative for holding such nonsense thoughts that didn't make sense in his eyes. He had already picked the woman to love and he had no intention of letting her go for the sake of society.

"People won't take it kindly," Uncle Sullivan shook his head.

"I don't need other's opinions to live my life."

"You're being naive, Leo," It was understandable for Leonard that why his uncle opposed to his liking towards Vivian. Just because his mother didn't differentiate between the humans and the night creatures, it didn't mean his father and his uncle grew up the same way.

They were born and brought up in a way to show that the humans were inferior and beneath their feet. That, that was where they belonged, "What about Mr. Wastell's daughter? She is of your age. A fine woman belonging to one of the most respectable family. There's Lady Gwenth. And if you don't want to look that far, there's your second cousin Eleanor. She's a beautiful girl."

"I agree with you," his temporary words made Sullivan sigh before he heard what Leonard had to say, "They are all beautiful who come from elite families but might I remind you I don't want a woman who knows nothing about life. I am not looking for a girl who is spoilt and knows nothing about how the world works. I don't need someone who lives in the four walls to be a doll for her husband."

Sullivan started to laugh hearing this. The laugh which sounded sarcastic itself, he raised his thin brows, ready with his snide remark in his mouth, "And what about the girl whom you speak? Not only is she a human but someone who works in the mansion as a maid. A woman who cleans other men and women's clothes and also the same women who washes other people's spit from the utensil."

"Vivian is no more a maid of this mansion. She has been turned to a lady now."

"That changes nothing, Leonard," Sullivan looked at him with anger in his eyes which hadn't been released yet. The hate and disgust for Vivian evident, "Remember this, no matter how much you try to wash the crow it will never turn white. It will still stay the same because that's what it is. Similarly, the girl whom you are so fond of, she will never fit into our community as she doesn't belong there."

"To fit into the society lies in how the society sees it," Leonard responded back with the same vigor.

"What about the four walls you speak about? Does she even know to read a word from these papers," his uncle flailed his arm at the desk were two books and the paper he had been given laid across the desk.

"She does. In fact, you had be surprised to know that she recently took a test from the council and passed the first exam. As I said, you don't have to agree with what I think is right but I will not have you talking about her lowly."

Sullivan stared hard at Leonard unsure of what to say to him.

Not in his far mind did it ever occur that his nephew would fall in love with a human who was far beyond their status. He had been there to watch over Leonard grow up, making sure he understood the differences the humans and their kind had. Of how capable they were in destroying them as good as the vampires were.

Not only was he taken back by this information but to think the girl had passed the first exam was something he found hard to believe.

"How can you guarantee that she didn't use any tricks to pass the exams."

"If you are hinting about the possible favors of mine or Lord Nicholas', no she took none. She went there as Malcolm's far relative. Malcolm has a cleaner and low reputation compared to mine," which was true. Sir Malcolm Rufus' usually kept a low profile in the council, which made it easier for him to move around unlike Leonard who had quite a reputation due to which most of the councillor's sought out to his help in the field of their work, "Give her a chance," he said without feeling the need to plead.

Sullivan was a hard-headed man who disliked humans to the very core of his heart. Asking him suddenly to have in a change of his heart wasn't something Leonard was expecting but he could try to sway the man.

His uncle stood quietly, weighing the pros and cons to what Leonard said. Seconds turned to minutes until the older vampire finally spoke, "I don't approve of her," Leo sighed knowing this was what the answer was going to be, "But..."

"But I will wait for her to pass the second exam. If she passes the second exam, I will perhaps consider and give a thought if she is worthy to be your partner," Sullivan picked the papers from the desk and then said, "Thank you for drawing out the papers. I will see you later."

"Let me see you off," Leonard offered his uncle, leading both of them outside the carriage and seeing the carriage take off and away from his mansion. Dipping both his hands in the pockets of his trouser he stood looking at the trees where the carriage had disappeared, "That went better than I thought," he murmured to no one in particular.

Giving it one last look, Leonard turned around and got back inside the mansion.

While Leonard had been professing his love, Vivian had fallen fast asleep in the guest room. Dreaming in her dreamlands.