Forget Vivian

Chapter 1 Forget Vivian

[One week ago…]

The day started out beautifully.

There wasn’t a cloud in sight, while the breeze was gentle and cool.

Indeed, in every sense, it was a perfect day!

Despite the fact that Vivian’s days started and ended according to Samuel’s plans, she supposes that nothing would change the fact that she finds the weather quite agreeable that afternoon. Perhaps, her optimistic spirit wasn’t just attributable to the pleasant weather they were currently having, her rose colored glasses could also stem from the fact that she was in a good mood.

As she walked to the gardens, Vivian continued to admire the sunlight that peeked from the soft shadow of white clothes and basked in its warmth. She found the world so pretty and was grateful for the clear blue skies.

As a cool wind passed through her, it brought to mind a precious memory that occurred earlier…

“You are pregnant, your highness…you are.”

One.

Two.

Three.

That’s how many breaths she had to take to calm her erratically beating heart.

As she tried to respond, she felt a fresh wave of tears pooling at her pale pink eyes and threatening to spill…

‘That means I am having a child, aren’t I?’ Her vision blurred and she bit down on her lower lip to stop its trembling. But as seconds ticked by and the pain from that area grew, she released her hold on it and gasped loudly.

Ever since she was young, she had always had a weak body. Due to her condition, she didn’t think a moment like this would come to her so easily. Aside from that, she heard that ‘memory magicians’ such as herself, found it difficult to bear children because of their ability.

She felt a mixture of emotions rushing through her bloodstream as her mind processed the thousand thoughts that filled her mind. Still, despite her internal turmoil, one thought remained clear in her mind; how will Samuel respond to her pregnancy?

Her breath hitched as she dwelled on the image of her husband.

‘But you liked hearing it, didn’t you?’ Despite her worries, a mischievous voice, at the back of Vivian’s mind, whispered to her.

Although she felt embarrassed as she had never considered having a baby with Samuel, still, she couldn’t say that she disliked the idea of it.

All of the kingdom knows that Vivian and Samuel had already been living together as a couple for three years and privately, they too have been spending some nights together. But…

Vivian let out an absentminded laugh.

Perhaps she should be thankful that right now, only her and the doctor were present in her chambers. If more people were around she would have felt even more embarrassed. She daintily stretched out her fingers and stroked her nape in a soothing manner.  Following her movements, Vivian’s curly white hair began to flow down like a waterfall.

Vivian had always had beautiful silvery hair that made her appear rather mysterious and earned her the nickname; the ‘Empire’s Diamond’.

She let a pretty smile escape her lips and called out, “Gillian.”

Vivian’s supple fingers then stroked the back of Gillian’s hands. The latter’s cheeks heated up while he watched her run her fingers against his knuckles. He kept his gaze at her in awe as he stuttered out, “Yes… yes! What is it, Crown Princess?”

Vivian’s once still head tilted to the side, and thereafter, her hair came alive, then one by one, her locks fluttered in the air. She kept her hold on his hand and as soon as Gillian met her eyes, feathers as white as Vivian’s hair, started to fall down from the skies and circled the pair.

Vivian smiled broadly as she grabbed a feather with her hand. The feathers were Gillian’s memories, specifically, it was his memories of today’s conversation, about the fact that she was pregnant. She waved her hand as the feather disappeared into thin air, just like the memories of Gillian that had melted into Vivian’s palms and vanished without a trace.

“Gillian?” Gillian’s hazy eyes awoke slowly by the sound of her voice, and so, she pressed on, “Gillian, you were saying my condition was fine, right?”

Gillian nodded his head absentmindedly, by now, he has forgotten his small exchange with Vivian, including the fact that she was with child. He flashed her a smile and told her in a confident voice, “Yes! The Crown Princess is certainly healthy.”

Vivian smiled softly and replied, “That’s fortunate.”

Thereafter, Gillian proceeded to ask her some standard questions to ascertain that she was truly healthy before he finally left her room and ended his visit.

As soon as Gillian shut the door behind him,

Vivian jumped up from her seat, and visibly lost the composed façade she had been keeping up.

Her thin fingers gently caressed her belly, ‘Baby…’

At the thought that a child was growing inside her, she felt that something light and airy was filling the space inside her chest, like a growing bubble. She felt it growing and popping with each second, and each time she felt that bubble burst, she feared her heart too would give away.

‘Samuel and my child…’ She wondered how he would react if he found out.

* * *

[ Later that afternoon…]

It was customary for Samuel and Vivian to walk together every afternoon, this time too, they were currently out on their stroll.

“Vivian.” Samuel, who was holding the parasol, greeted Vivian.

Vivian glanced up and noticed how his aqua colored hair was neatly brushed up. She couldn’t help but secretly think, his hairstyle perfectly represented his personality. Still, she wonders why he was sporting such a disgruntled look. After all, she has never seen him that disoriented outside their bed.

He was a man who was always neat and yet ruthless.

Despite his fearsome and stringent reputation, he was also famously handsome.

Vivian gave Samuel a look and started moving closer to him, “Samuel.”

“I heard that Gillian visited you today.”

‘Ah, he must have already received Gillian’s report,’ this Vivian thought before replying, “Yes, he visited me. He told me I was healthy.”

After saying this, Vivian pursed her lips and took a deep breath.

She did not know how to tell Samuel about the real state she was in. After all, he had said, countless times, that he doesn’t want children.

And it wasn’t like Vivian didn’t make sure he was certain…truthfully, she had asked him several times, but his answer was always the same.

Vivian asked several times, but the answer was the same.

‘But I’m pregnant.’ Regardless of what Samuel wanted, nothing was changing the fact that she is with child;  his child.

‘How will Samuel react?’ Vivian couldn’t help but tremble at the cold tension that seemed to come out from her companion. She felt a chilling air, all the way to her fingertips and it made her involuntary wet her lips and clasped her slightly trembling hands together.

Samuel nodded his head lightly, as if Gillian and Vivian’s responses were not very different, “Right.”

Vivian placed her hand on Samuel’s arm and began to move forward.

For thirty minutes, Vivian and Samuel had this walk before dinner, and like always, they were the only people in the garden.

As they continued with their stroll, Vivian could hear the faint chirping of the birds, ‘Chirp…Chirp…’

Numerous birds and small animals lived in the beautiful garden that is often referred to as the hidden paradise of Rubentas.

The place was even home to small deer, rabbits, squirrels and sometimes, even little foxes can be found therein.

Vivian was used to the sounds of small animals filling the silence between her and her husband. She would just listen to nature’s melodious music, and thirty minutes would easily pass. But that day, she couldn’t hear anything, it was like there was not a single sound from the woodland creatures…

As they were diligently making their way through the lush greenery, Vivian wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.

‘How do I start the conversation?’ She wondered to herself as she looked at Samuel.

To be honest, she had been giving him sideway glances all this time as they walked through the garden.

She was especially bothered by the fact that her ability does not work on him. Once she tells him, there would be no going back, for she could not erase his memories.

So she had to choose her words carefully and make the right choice. She let out a sigh and turned to look at Samuel once more. It seemed that Samuel had been looking at her too because their eyes instantly met.

“Do you have anything to say?” Samuel asked.

Vivian smiled awkwardly and covered her mouth with her handkerchief, “Ah…  just.”

“Just?” Samuel raised his eyebrows at her, clearly unconvinced.

She’s not like this in front of others, but strangely, whenever she stands in front of Samuel, she becomes this small.

Vivian tried to reign in the fast beating of her heart.

Even though she couldn’t risk telling him now, there were still ways to know how he truly felt, “What does his highness think of having a child?”

-To be continued.