⇣ 𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝙼𝙰𝙳𝙴 𝙼𝙴 𝙰 𝙿𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙴𝚂𝚂？⇡
*Tap, tap, tap...
A maid walks down the hallway with a stroller that contains finished dishes. Her black and white maid dress sways from side to side as she stares blankly down the candle-lighted hallway.
Her dark hair is nicely tucked back in curls. However, a long strand of hair covers one slate red colored eye, as the other is open for her to see.
The maid's lips are closed tightly. Tighter than before. As she looks at the window beside her. Though the moon is surely out, it has hardly ever crossed from the other side of the manor. Thus, is what the candle shows her, is the presence of an unwelcomed, but needed guest.
The windows were usually suppressed by the curtains. Even if the moon decided to reach to this side of the manor, it's light will never shine through. However, they all seem to be embraced with freedom. The curtains that were supposed to be covering the window, were flapping through unclear wind. All because of this someone.
The guest, is a tall man, whose hair is dark, as his eyes are lighter, but remain grey for the time being. He appears in a ravenous coat, that is long and even flaps with no inside wind present. A smile dotes on his face, as he looks at the maid before him. As he, is before her.
"It has been a while. Hasn't it, Marilyn?" he speaks.
Although it is rude to not dare say a word to him, especially her knowing his true self, she is quiet, nonetheless. She has nothing to say. Nothing noteworthy.
"Sorry, sorry, I meant to say Vinnie. It'd be weird to call you by that alias." Vinnie, the maid, had sighed at the man. She looks at him dead in the eye, as she finally speaks.
"It's even weirder when you call me by that silly nickname. Does it kill to say, 'Lavinia'?" She asked. Again, the maid continues to walk with no care for the man's answer. No matter how many times she points this out, he will continue to call her by that nickname. Though, she is probably capable of doing it by force, it will be highly unnecessary. Especially in a place like this.
"Anastacius... Even if you don't ever call me by my birth-given name. You always wait for me to speak. Especially during the old days."
The maid ignores the man as he rants about her lack of care for him. It is not in her very interesting to say his name. There is no point for her to do so. So, she decides to proceed down the hall, that is, he once again, stops her in her tracks.
"Your sister, she just left didn't she?" Anastacius asked, though, he already knows the answer to that.
"There is no reason for her to stay here anyways, if she wants to come face to face with our parents. I enchanted the carriage to make sure that she doesn't run into any trouble," Lavinia explains. Anastacius only nods, understanding and agreeing what Lavinia means.
"Anyone would have left if they saw how disturbing this place is. To think that the two of you raced down these halls, in happiness. Full of youth." Anastacius sighs as he looks out the window and to the dim lighted sky.
"I have to ask, Lavinia. You'd still go out of your way, to protect the very same girl that caused your death?"
Anastacius, who was a few feet away from her, suddenly appeared, bending beside Lavinia's face. He does not touch her, but only stares at her face intently. His eyes, once dark and grey, shimmers into a cornflower blue. As too, her eyes turned into her original clover-green eyes.
Lavinia only looks forward, answering him quicker than expected.
"My sister, my [Name], despite everything she has done, I still love her." Looking down at a teacup, one that was meant to be drunk by her little sister, she thinks back to all of the memories before the incident. Before the evil. Before the love that will soon be the death of her. Before, everything really happened. Then, she looks at Anastacius, whose eyes are now closed and waits for her to speak more.
"Do you, too forgive your brother, his majesty?"
Lavinia does not wait for Anastacius to answer. She instead, goes forward to the end of the hall, where the doors are closed shut, waiting for her to pass through.
Anastacius straightens himself, as he fixes his dark coat and looks at the back of the woman who is leaving.
"My brother. Who I love... should I truly be the one that needs the apology? Or do I need to apologize to him?" Anastacius closes his eyes, they turn back into his grey ones as her smiles coyly.
"Goodnight, Vinnie..."
"As to you too, your highness."
The doors close shut. The two had exchanged a conversation, as were their previous ones. Nothing more, nor anything less. Each one counts. Just as her days, and his that exceed long past it.
The carriage had stopped at the Ruby palace. It was morning, around 11 o'clock. Close to the afternoon you should say. Before coming back, you had decided to shop to take your mind off of things.
When you are at the doors of the Ruby Palace, you are quickly greeted by a number of maids.
"Good-morning Miss Leocadia!"
'Miss Leocadia? That's new...' You thought to yourself.
"His majesty, the Emperor, wishes to meet with you in the garden. He seemed worried about you when he learned of you meeting with Mrs. Leocadia and Mr. Leocadia," the maids say, and it's obvious in their tone of voice that they seem to be enjoying this.
"Alright then, please take my bags into my room please, have them all sorted out," you tell them, and proceed onward to the garden.
Throwback to chapter eight, this is the same place where all the "tension" began. For some reason, you're getting a sense of deja Vu. Though, you're confident this has never happened before. When did it?
As much as your mind would want to whirl into a storm of random thoughts, it is stopped when you see Claude sleeping in a round patio chair. He appears to be comfortable, but looks too tired for his own good. This man, to think that he'd be sleeping outside.
Oh, you can't even imagine yourself sleeping out here. What if a bug comes crawling out of nowhere to make your life even more miserable? You'd die on the spot instead of in his...
For some reason, you do not finish that sentence completely. These thoughts need to stop. They have to. They must.
Bringing up something like that, is stupid considering this peaceful moment.
'If Claude wasn't such a jackass in 'Lovely Princess'..... He'd still be handsome'
In A Nutshell:
Claude: ( ͡❛ 👅 ͡❛)┌∩┐ Haha. Screw the system.
You: ( ͡╥ 益 ͡╥)✊ BASTARD!!
You walked closer to him, and knelt before him. You can't remember if Claude was a heavy sleeper or not. Should you take your chances?
In an instant, arms flung across your neck and your back. Your head makes a collision against his chest. You were on the verge of screaming. But you were too shocked to even do so.
In some other corny universe, you probably would've been a stuttering mess right now. Going:
"C-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-claude! W-w-w-w-w-what are you d-d-d-d-doing?!"
Ugh, just the thought makes you want to vomit.
"C-Your Majesty," Gosh this is so awkward. "What are you-" Why is it that you can't finish your sentences today? When you catch sight of Claude, his eyes stare up into the sky. Half-lidded, appearing and telling you that he is only half-awake. Partially even.
Though this position is oddly strange and quite embarrassing, you only continue to stare at Claude, until his eyes close once again, as you can hear his very quiet snores. You can't find it in yourself to wake him up. Instead, you find a selfish part of you, that just wants to close her own eyes, and sleep along with him. And so, you did.
Though the wind blows gently, though the bushes and greens make noise, though the birds that fly in any color soar and sing, it was just the two of you. One a bastard, the other an idiot.
Silently, you whisper...
"Diana, please don't come here. Not ever." Selfish as it may sound, you have yet to regret your words.
One eye opens, and the other too, Claude looks at you, wondering what to do.
"Who is Diana?" he ponders. He takes a deep breath in and out, and admires your face for a few seconds, then falls back to sleep, with a pleased expression formed by his lips. His hold tightens a bit, and whispers one last thing.
"[Name] would you dream of me? Please?"
I don't know why I had so much trouble writing this chapter. ToT But I enjoyed it nonetheless. Thanks for reading! :D
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