Bambi and the Duke

Vivian like the rest of them sat on the floor of the room where the servants usually sat to eat. The excitement that had built up since last night had broken down like a balloon that contained water in it. With lack of appetite she had the food which was given to her, with her legs folded, she ate in silence like the rest. Even during the absence of Duke Leonard in the mansion, the mansion was always quiet as the housekeeper watched them like a hawk.

Taking a bite from the porridge on her dull plate, Vivian couldn't hide the dismay that had been caused. She didn't blame Leonard for it, she never did blame him for anything because she believed it was her fault for not checking in with him about his day. If she had she would have known about his prior plans that were already set for the day.

Yet, after her reasoning, she couldn't drive the feeling of not being important to him.

All these years, Leonard had been nothing but a friend in Vivian's eyes. Though they were closer than most of the normal people would be for a master and a maid, she hadn't seen him in that light. Being oblivious, she hadn't noticed his care before and now that she was aware of him, she couldn't help but notice the little things about him. Shaking her head to herself for thinking so deeply about something so trivial she put ate her food unaware of the fact that two maids who had looked her way gave confused looks to each other.

When Jan went out of the room, one of them asked,

"Is everything alright with you, Vivian?"

"Huh?" Vivian who had been staring at the floor broke her gaze away to see the maids look at her in concern, "What?"

"It looked like you were murmuring to yourself which you always do. You know what they say about people talking to themselves," another girl, named Hana next to the maid who just asked her gave a smug look, "They call them mad."

"The people who poke their nose are called mind your own work before you fall down," Vivian responded back instantly. Already not in a good mood, she didn't hold back her words which only ruffled the other maid who had passed a comment.

"We were only pointing out what people would say out of concern," huffed Hana while dropping her hand to her plate.

"And I was doing the same," answered Vivian not looking up and continuing to eat. This was enough to rile Hana. Their voices were quite enough for anyone not to hear out of the room, especially when the housekeeper could come pop back in the room but it had attracted other's attention who sat near them.

It wasn't the first time the two girls had a rift in the conversation. Vivian who had been sheltered all this time by Martha and Paul had no one to defend her not that she got into unnecessary fights but there were maids who were jealous of the girl. Maids of her own age who had come later to work for the Carmichael didn't see why the girl received the extra attention from their handsome master when they were much better than Vivian.

There had been instances where they had come to see the affection the Duke showered on her. Jealousy was an obvious affection that few of the maids shared against Vivian.

"Do you think-" Hana was cut off my Mary who looked at both the girls.

"We should carry on to eat our dinner before he comes back," the timid maid looked back and forth before seeing the door of the kitchen.

"No, she should hear this. Instead of being grateful she's rude," Hana said not backing down, "Just because you are a pet that doesn't mean you're better than us. Not only that but she's swindling over people. You think other's don't notice how you keep wandering around master like some annoying fly. Or should I say that there are some of us who think you might be involved in the death."

"Hana stop!" Mary tried to intervene.

"That is the truth, you told it yourself," hearing this Mary's face turned bright red with embarrassment, "Didn't you say you saw her tiptoeing towards the master and others room that night? What if it wasn't the food but something else?"

"Why don't you try proving it then?" Vivian deadpanned looking up from her empty plate which she had just emptied, "One should have proof before framing blame which is baseless and maybe if you concentrated on your work than in other business, you would get better at what you do."

Movari, another maid who sat on the other end of the room couldn't help but smile at Vivian's words as it hit a nerve on the redhead girl named Hana who looked spiteful.

Hana opened her mouth but Vivian beat her to it, "Most of us are still grieving over the people we have lost who have been dear to us. I don't think you have the right to ask where my loyalty lies and I don't have to answer your questions, not to someone who has stayed here in the mansion for only a year."

"You speak in such manner because of your good grace with the master. Just because he favours you now, don't think he will always continue to do so. One day he'll replace you as the rest do," Hana taunted her, "Where are you going?" she asked seeing Vivian get up.

"For someone spineless who waits for the housekeeper to leave the room, I have nothing to say more," said Vivian who carried the empty plate whilst Hana had more to say which she ignored blatantly though there were a few things that did bother her which she didn't show on her face. Cleaning the utensil, she walked out of the kitchen to see notice the housekeeper who was standing right behind the wall next to the door with his hands folded across his chest.

Her footsteps came to halt.

"I won't apologize for what I spoke," she should have known that the housekeeper would have been there to listen to every word spoken by the servants. It was a strict rule not to speak of things that had nothing to do with work, there was a work decorum that had to be followed and she knew both she and Hana had misbehaved.

"You shouldn't go taking liberties in using your words," Jan who had been leaning against the wall pushed himself to face her, "Master Leonard is a good man but it doesn't mean it holds the same for everyone. If you worked for another pureblooded family they wouldn't overlook even if it was a little matter that was related to the owner of the house," not saying anything more he stepped back into the kitchen.

Vivian usually stayed away from difficult maids she worked with, servants who had nothing to offer but ill talk about others. It was something she had picked by Leonard's teaching when she was young. When they were both young, Leonard had moulded her, telling her what was right and wrong which little Vivian had closed her eyes to believe in his words. That was the relationship they had built together, the kind that had blind faith of trust; emotions that were intricately woven.

At night she sighed as she got into bed. Leonard hadn't returned home and she doubted he would that night but he did return.

By the time Leonard arrived back at the mansion, it was midnight, he counted the servants making sure they were all in the mansion, especially making double sure when it came to a certain maid but he didn't stop at that.

The soiree for the vampires at the Rufus' mansion was still going on when he had left the place to get back to his mansion. His feet took it's own mind as it walked through the empty dark hallways of the mansion. It had begun to rain again, the sound of thunder growling in the sky, occasionally filling up the empty corridors.

Walking past the doors, he stopped in front of her room. Turning the knob carefully without an extra sound and pushed the door open to see the girl sleeping in her bed. He closed the door behind him. Usually, he would have left after sensing her presence in front of her room but the alcohol he had consumed still buzzed in his body and the need to see her had come to become a wanting on his way back to the mansion.

She had curled herself on the bed with the covers, one side of her face pressed against the pillow. The bed was smaller than the average but spacious enough yet her body moved to sleep on the far corner with her back touching the wall.

Lighting struck from the sky before being accompanied by the thunderous sound. He remembered the time when she had only come to live in the Carmichael's mansion of how scared she was at the sound of thunder as the rain of Bonelake had always been harsh and continuous. She would always drag her cover along with her before entering the glass room where he spent his time as a boy.

She was finally used to it, thought Leonard to himself as he raised his hand to brush the blonde piece of hair that was on her face.

Getting on the bed when the thunder struck again, he came to lay on the bed to face Vivian as she slept soundly.