Bambi and the Duke

Vivian walked through the council corridors, her hands holding the parchments from the court session she had accompanied Lionel a few minutes ago. Accompanying him and making notes of the cases had turned out to a side job apart from her regular job which was going to be used to increase her credibility. The reason why Lionel gave her extra was that a basic councilman or councilwoman was not allowed to work on all cases and one needed to belong to a certain level to work on the case. Not all work was for everyone in the council no matter which team they belonged to.

On her way, she caught the switcher whom she had come to notice even more since the two days ago revelation on his and Sister Isabelle's agreement of work together.

There was Abel Harlow with him, his presence making her uncomfortable as she passed the two men and continued to walk to her department. Entering the room, she placed the parchment notes on Leonard's desk and went to take a seat behind her own desk.

She frowned when she came to look at a letter that laid on her desk which was addressed to her.

'To Vivian Carmichael' read the envelope. Curious, she tore out of the paper and pulled the parchment to read what and who had sent it. It was a thank you letter which was sent by one of the townsfolk as she had helped in the water issue which many families where facing an issue with a week ago. Smiling, she put it back on her desk.

"Lady Vivian!" Hueren greeted Vivian once he stepped inside the room. Snow-covered his cloak and the top of his head to indicate the weather that was present outside now. The land of Bonelake was going through the season of Winter, and from many, she had come to hear that this was one of the harshest winters they had come across in years.

"How was your survey?" she inquired to see Dutan enter who was shortly followed by Leonard.

"We got thrown stones at us," Hueren gave a dire answer, his lips set in a thin line of disappointment. Some of the villagers don't take the presence of either vampires well or the presence of councilmen due to their previous encounters.

That wasn't good news, thought Vivian to herself. When things like that happened, it was difficult to get any information out to solve cases. Vivian turned to look at Leonard who appeared in a bad mood which he tried to keep it in after his visit to the village where they had gone to speak about the next case which was put under the trial jurisdiction where Lionel had given them two days to complete it. Like her, they were buried in the current case while also looking over the steps of Abel to find out what he was up to.

Leonard had spoken about going to the forbidden room but not everyone was allowed in there. By his own words, she had come to hear that it was the head council and some of the elder councilmen who were allowed to go in there. It made her question if there was someone in the older elder council who was involved in the death of the white witch, Isabelle.

One of the thing which she still didn't understand was why she didn't get in contact with Lord Alexander who was her own son. She could still remember the memory she had gone through his pain and loss when she had been to Valeria during the winter's ball. There was too much pain in there and if she had let him know, he would have felt better to be able to get the closure which was why she didn't understand why Sister Isabelle never put in an effort to let him know that she was still alive.

Once the door was closed with only the four of them in the room, Vivian asked Leonard, "Why do you think one would pretend to be dead?"

"Isabelle was a powerful witch of her time," answered her husband knowing whom she was speaking about, "Much more powerful after her time passed. If there have been councilmen who wanted her dead, it would mean she tried to do something they weren't pleased about but this might be personal matters which we are looking for. Else the head council would have known."

Sister Isabelle had gone missing and the case though not entirely closed, it was taken that she was dead as even her body was not found anywhere in the four lands. It saddened her mind to think that she wasn't there anymore, as if she were a figment of their imagination.

"Why the head council?" Dutan was curious.

Leonard removed the cloak and flopped it on the stand before letting his back rest on his desk, "I heard it from Lord Nicholas. The man has been keeping tabs over the important figures. He said that the white witch and the half-blooded vampire were good friends. If the man held some sort of suspicion over her death, I doubt he would have not dived into it. But it was the villager's fury that had got her killed in everyone's eyes, therefore it never came as a murder set up. After all, there have been plenty of witches who have died from the ire of the public."

"What do you think she did that got her killed, senior?" Hueren was the one to ask the question, everyone leaning forward to know what else Leonard had found out in the last two days.

"I found some backtrace that led to an older councilman who isn't alive anymore."

At Leo's words, everyone gave looked at each other, "What happened to him?" asked Vivian.

"He was killed. But then again, his report isn't available as the rest of them. The man was involved with Abel as his apprentice a few years ago. That leads us back to the same circle point where we need to find what the man has been up to all these years. We already are aware that he had something to do with the black witches being released with his other family members but we couldn't kill him as he values and laurels that he has brought the council has been small but enough to recognize and not to be killed with the moto of killing the entire family to stop the revenge," explained Leonard, his hands clutched the back of the desk together, "The council couldn't do anything about it but if he readily used his own family to save his neck, there is no reason for him to not tie the noose around his mentor's neck."

"A person who doesn't care for his own family will not care for others," Dutan shook his head in disappointment.

"How about I go and read his memories?" offered Vivian readily, "It will be much faster than going through files."

"It will get you under immediate suspicion. With what the switcher said, Abel has been getting the information of the black witch but we cannot say that there isn't another head above him where he is reporting."

"So the plot thickens," muttered Hueren to receive a look from Dutan, "What?"

"There are many men whom Abel talks and helps in the cases. How do we found out about it? Not to reword but Vivian might be our best go," said Dutan supporting Vivian's words but Leonard didn't agree to that approach. Leonard didn't want her involved directly and though he had been using her help in the little cases, this wasn't a regular case. It was a case they were digging which had been buried for more than two or three decades. And the results of an old case were never the same.

"I will be alright, Leo," Vivian stood up from her own seat and walked around her desk to go to him, "The longer we push, the more difficult it might turn out to be. And didn't you say it isn't easy to get inside the forbidden room? This might be the easiest and it isn't that I have never spoken to the man."

Vivian looked into his eyes, her black ones staring right into his red eyes that stared at her without flickering away for even a second.

To state her point, Vivian continued to speak further, "A few days ago he offered me his help," both Heuren and Dutan had a worried look hanging on their face while Leonard's face stayed neutral without any expression coming to pass by as he heard his wife out, "It was for any case. I can take my work and ask him if he might be willing to help."

Once she was done speaking, Leonard said, "No person gives away his or her time without any particular reason, Vivi. It is always with motive."

"I know that," she nodded her head.

"And you want to bait yourself further?" he raised his brow unamused with her thought process right now.

"Not bait but won't it be much easier with me going to him than he waits for me to step into whatever trap he has on his mind?" This was something everyone in the room agreed upon, "Just one try," Leonard pondered over her words as the room hung itself in silence until he came to speak,

"Alright," he finally agreed for her to smile.

"I will make sure to get his secrets out," she wound her hands around Leo's neck, leaning over his body where Leonard put his hands around to hug her.

"But I agree on the condition that whatever work you have, you do it before the time of the evening, not more than the time of five in the evening. Agree?" he asked her where Vivian was still in his arms.

"Okay. Five in the evening."

And with that being discussed, Vivian made her to the floor where Abel's office was set up. Unlike the floor where Leo's team were located, this place looked rather dark with lesser light being burnt. It was the time of day and if one did step out of the building or saw outside the window, one would not know if it was day or night. The corridors were built tight, the walls on either side of her made of large rocky stones as she walked through before coming across a man who looked pale under the scarce light. The man who didn't bother to look at her in the beginning, Vivian felt his eyes just before they passed each other which raised the hair at the back of her neck.

Taking a look at the doors, she finally came to stand in front of the door that read 'Abel Harlow'. Abel wasn't one of the head council yet he was reputed enough to receive a chamber for himself which intrigued Vivian, making her wonder how he was able to secure the position he was in.

She usually met him in the courtroom where she took down the case files, seeing him bring the accused or a victim of cases he directed to the court. Raising her hand, she knocked on the dull-looking door were at the side a lantern was lit, burning itself in a low flame.

One knock and that was all it took for the door to be opened as he had already been informed of her arrival.

"Come in, councilwoman Vivian. I hope you didn't find it hard to find the direction in here," he said pushing the door wide at first and then closing it once she was inside. The room was tidy with minimalistic items being kept. A desk with papers, a table at the far end of the room and a chair next to it with a fireplace where the logs of woods burned itself, failing to warm the room as it still remained cold. A lantern sat at the top of the desk, "Would you like to drink something?" she heard him ask her as her eyes went to look at the room.

"No, I am fine," turning her head she met his red eyes that looked dark due to the scare amount of light in the room. There was no time for tea, thought Vivian to herself. She didn't like his company and the only reason she was here was to find out about his connection with the black witch as well as the white witch, sister Isabelle.

All she needed was a lead and then she would be out of here. Though they were inside the council, keeping away from anything she would by mistake consume and cause a reaction, Vivian had declined to even drink water which was placed on the table for her.

"Please take a seat. I am glad that you came for my assistance. Which case is it?" Vivian who sat down on the chair in front of him slid the parchments of papers on the desk to give it to him which was a non-existent case she had created with Leo and the others in a span of an hour. He went through the parchment, his eyes reading the lines before they lifted up to look at her, his eyes pausing to speak to her, "When was this case given?" he asked her.

She could tell that he suspected something about it to be odd.

"I received it from councilman Lionel this morning. He wants me to work on the case alone without taking anyone's help in the team," she answered keeping away the others from being questioned. Lionel already had a reputation when it came to being strict and bearing on not only his subordinates but also others who worked along with him. So it was an easy lie which wouldn't cause further questions.

"I have to say Lionel hasn't changed much since his time of work here. He has often chased his team members to other teams due to his attitude. Have you never thought to work in another department?" Abel asked her, his eyes slightly narrowed as he questioned. He didn't give her time to reply and instead went on to answer for her, "You have your husband working there," he hummed, "Even he refused to help you out with it?"

"Leonard can be strict. He must have taken on by councilman Lionel," she answered him with a smile before he asked the unexpected question,

"Where do you come from, Lady Vivian?"