Bambi and the Duke

When the next morning arrived, the birds singing their own songs next to the window of Vivian's room. She squinted her eyes to open them with great difficulty. She didn't know what time it was, her head buzzing softly as she hadn't slept well last night. 

She had been sad at first which followed with the emotion of her being upset as the man she had spent time with the last two days, it was one of those beautiful moments in her life. 

He hadn't told her anything about meeting her before leaving the land of Valeria to go to Bonelake and she hadn't asked, which she now regretted. She wanted to meet him but of all the time that had passed by, she had forgotten to ask what time he would be leaving in the evening today. 

There was something that nagged her, like a piece of her heart was missing and why was her heart hurting her so much? She didn't understand that. She placed her hand on her chest as if wanting to pacify it. Plenty of men had tried to woo her but none had ever come so close to stealing her heart away. 

A knock on her door broke her thoughts and she saw her young brother step inside with a wrapped parcel in his hand, "Is it someone's birthday?" she asked. Her brother coming inside let the parcel drop on the bed near her.

"It is for you."

"For me?" Vivian looked down at the parcel which was small and the size of her fist. Having many admirers in the towns and villages, it wasn't anything new for her to receive another gift. Unwrapping the gift, she pulled out the little rectangular box. Opening it, a little music was produced which brought a smile on her saddened face, "It's a music box," she murmured.

She wondered who it was from as there was no note. Turning around the box, she saw below the wooden box the name 'Leo' had been carved on it. 

"Is it from the Duke?" she nodded her head at Gregory's question, "But why the sad face? You didn't like the gift? I thought you liked human gifts like this than jewelry. Or has it changed?"

"No," she whispered, "This is more than lovely and thoughtful of him. It is a wonderful gift, Gregory. Tell me, how do you know if a person really likes you?" she looked up to see her brother who had taken the music box from her hand. 

"Hmm, we men are simple creatures, Vivi. If a person likes you, he will be sure to tell and show it. Like this," he showed the music box where the Duke had written his name, "Now, unless, he is the kind of person who wants to take the gift back from you," he joked but Vivian didn't smile, "Did you fall in love?"

She stayed quiet at his question and he whistled, "Why don't you go see him," she shook her head.

"He's leaving today."

"Really? That is soon, and so the whirlwind romance came to a grave point where the woman didn't know what to do," said Gregory as if he were narrating a story, "Stop sulking, sister Vivian. If you really like the man, go confess to him," he urged her. She looked at him with widened eyes, "You never know what is there at the end of the tunnel until you walk the path."

Vivian nodded her head, "I had a very strange dream today before I woke up, Greg. There was me and him in there."

"I heard from the governor it isn't uncommon to dream of the person who thing all day long," he commented before saying, "Continue."

"You know how strange my dreams are, right?" Gregory raised his eyebrows with a sullen look. His sister spoke about strange things. Like how she was a councilwoman writing notes for someone in the council. Or how she was a maid cooking in a mansion. Vivian was from any of it which made the dreams strange, "We were at this beautiful mansion. Snow all over the place, which was quiet and deserted. There wasn't anyone but just the two of us there, dancing with the music of the breeze. It was beautiful that I can feel and sense it even now. Like something nostalgic which I am unable to get rid of."

Vivian felt her heart quicken when she thought about her dream. Why was her dream so vivid as if it had happened. Suddenly she got up, scrambling away from her bed. 

"Where are you going now?"

"You're coming with me," Vivian said in a hurry, "We are going to the library. Come on," her brother followed her. 

In the local library of the village, they lived in. Vivian started to go through the racks which she was already accustomed to as she came here to search and learn about the herbs that she could use as medicines. She went through the lands and its section, coming to the section that read 'Bonelake' she stopped, running her fingers and flipping the books which covered the others. 

"What is the Lady looking for?" asked the man who was the caretaker of the library to Gregory. 

"Her dreams," the boy replied making the man confused. 

A shadow that stood behind the same rack as it ran its boney finger over the books that were placed, coming upon one of the titles, it pushed the book to her side before disappearing from there. 

Vivian looked at the book that fell right in front of her feet. Bending down she picked it up before her frown in her face disappeared. She looked front and back before opening the book that had a sketch of the mansion. The same mansion that she had been in her dreams 'The abandoned snow mansion'. 

Her hand shakily pushed the page to go to the next one as she read the history of it. But as she read it, a few flashes came to run in front of her eyes where she had to close her eyes. Suddenly it felt as if she were hallucinating and she saw a woman in white with blood. Snapping her eyes back open, she closed the book. 

What did she just watch?

Shaking her head to get rid of the thoughts, she found her brother reading a book who looked up from it, "Did you find it?" 

"The snow mansion," she lifted the book and gave it to him, "I didn't even know this place existed. Why did it come in my dream? Do you think this means something?" she asked him. 

"We could always go consult the white witch in the church. She might give insight but I believe you should go see the Duke than regret that you never went to see him. Or see him off," he furrowed his brows, "Wow, this is some scandal," he said reading but never able to start the book properly as Vivian pulled him out of the library. 

"Where are we going?" 

"To the Gibb's residence! He said he was halting there. Let's go!" and they rode the carriage while stopping in between to the address. Upon coming at the residence. Vivian could feel the palms of her hands getting clammy with sweat. Her heart beating loudly, she bit her lip. Raising her hand to knock but the door opened at the same time. 

"Oh, my!"  the woman exclaimed, "That was a surprise."

"I apologize but is Mr. Carmichael here?" Vivian asked, her eyes glancing inside the house for a mere moment before looking back at the woman. 

"The Duke only left fifteen minutes ago. He said, he had to leave early," the news sunk Vivian's heart which if it was possible would have gone underground.

"I see. Thank you for the information," Vivian bowed her head at the elderly woman and turned to walk outside where her brother stood. 

"You alright?" he asked as he had heard the little conversation between his sister and the woman in the house. 

"Yes. Do you think, I can take the carriage with me."

"Okay. Don't go too far. The black witches have been flying a little too much in the vicinity."

"I will keep that in my mind."

Vivian spent her time riding around in the carriage, going to one town after another to reduce the heaviness in her heart. She had hoped to meet him. To see him. At least one more time before he left. But it was okay, she thought to herself. If needed she could always go to Bonelake. It wasn't that she wasn't allowed to.

Maybe if she told him she wanted to work in Bonelake, he would have taken her along with him. With a sigh, her shoulders slumped. 

By the time Vivian reached home, it was the time of evening and the sun was readying itself to set. Parking the carriage in the shed, she went around, dragging her feet tortuously slow when she heard,

"Can you be any slower?" 

Her footsteps halted when she saw Leonard standing in front of her house. He stared at her, and started to walk towards her and stop, 

"I thought you left," Vivian's voice cracked at the end. His eyes that had been hard softened at her voice and words. 

"How could I," he said in response, "I asked you to wait for me."

"What?" 

"I had a dream about you. Asking you to wait for me, promises are meant to be kept and so are words," he responded to her, "Vivian," he called her name, "We have known each other for a very short period of time here but I feel like I have known you for years. Like I would be the only one to understand you and you with me," said Leonard not breaking his eye contact with her, "I feel like I have loved you with all my being..."

And as Leo went to continue, she came to remember something as if they were in a church, 

"From my heart to every fiber in my soul. I do not ask anything from you except for yourself, Vivian. Just you and nothing more or less from it. If you allow me, I will make you the happiest bride. That happiest person and in return I will bow down to all your wishes. I will protect you from every darkness that might occur. Allow me to carry your pain. I will love you more and promise to look after you until and after death,"  tears welled up in Vivian's eyes as if it were a memory she had forgotten and it was only now she remembered it, "I hope you haven't forgotten it," streak of tears fell down her cheeks and he wiped them with his finger. 

"Leo..." memories started to flood her. Memories of him and her. 

"Took us both some time to realize, didn't it?" Leonard smiled, taking another step to close the distance before she started to sob, he wound his hands around her to hug her, whispering, "My Bambi."