Chapter 154 - Appreciation and Care (8)

Later that night, Alexandra was in her bedroom as she was being tucked in by Diana after she took a bath and she combed her hair. Alexandra was staring at the ceiling, not knowing what to do. She isn't sleepy yet and that was her problem.

"Diana, tell me a story, please," Alexandra said and she looked at Diana who just finished tucking her in her bed. Diana lifted her head and looked at Alexandra, their gazes met. Diana smiled at her and nodded before she said, "As you wish, young miss," Was what she said before she took a seat beside her. Diana tucked a strand of hair behind her air and she let out a deep breath before she spoke, "I am going to tell you one of the bedtime stories my mother would always tell me when I was a kid before I go to sleep," Diana said and she smiled at Alexandra. There was a longing in her eyes, it seems like she missed her mother already. But still, for her to be able to remember and memorize all of it, she doesn't even need a book as she tells her the story, was amazing.

Diana's mother was still alive but because of her work as a maid, she wasn't able to see her every day and only when she was given a break or vacation but since she is a head maid now, she wasn't able to visit her mother for years although they send letters to each other. Diana was the one who is supporting her family. Despite her pretty and enchanting eyes, she isn't a noble nor does she have strong magical abilities. She eerily resembles her grandfather as well as his eyes, she probably inherited it from him.

-- In this world, eyes could tell which bloodline a person belongs to. Normal people possess normal-colored eyes like brown, black, grey and other common ones. People who came from a royal bloodline possess more beautiful and unique eye colors like violet, green, red, blue, yellow and such. Basically, the more unique and beautiful your eye color is, the stronger and powerful bloodline you came from. Eye color can be either inherited or can be determined by your mana that's why there are some people who came from a normal bloodline but had a unique eye color.

Diana started telling the story after she said that. Her voice was gentle and sweet as she spoke, her voice rang inside Alexandra's ears and it was comforting. She slowly relaxed in her bed and she felt the softness of it engulf her whole body. Because of the blanket that covered her whole body, she was warm and it felt comfortable.

"Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were— Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter. They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir tree. "NOW, my dears," said old Mrs. Rabbit one morning, "You may go into the fields or down the lane, but don't go into Mr. McGregor's garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by Mrs. McGregor."

"Now run along, and don't get into mischief. I am going out."

Then old Mrs. Rabbit took a basket and her umbrella, to the bakers. She bought a loaf of brown bread and five currant buns. Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries; But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor's garden and squeezed under the gate. First, he ate some lettuces and some French beans, and then he ate some radishes, and then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley.

But round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Mr. McGregor! Mr. McGregor was on his hands and knees planting out young cabbages, but he jumped up and ran after Peter, waving a rake and calling out, "Stop thief!" Peter was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the garden, for he had forgotten the way back to the gate. He lost one of his shoes among the cabbages and the other shoe amongst the potatoes.

After losing them, he ran on four legs and went faster, so that I think he might have got away altogether if he had not, unfortunately, run into a gooseberry net, and got caught by the large buttons on his jacket. It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new. Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were overheard by some friendly sparrows, who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself. MR. McGregor came up with a sieve, which he intended to pop up on the top of Peter; but Peter wriggled out just in time, leaving his jacket behind him. AND rushed into the toolshed, and jumped into a can. It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in if it had not had so much water in it.

Mr. McGregor was quite sure that Peter was somewhere in the toolshed, perhaps hidden underneath a flower-pot. He began to turn them over carefully, looking under each. Presently Peter sneezed— "Kertyschoo!" Mr. McGregor was after him in no time and tried to put his foot upon Peter, who jumped out of a window, upsetting three plants. The window was too small for Mr. McGregor, and he was tired of running after Peter. He went back to his work. Peter sat down to rest; he was out of breath and trembling with fright, and he had not the least idea which way to go. Also, he was very damp with sitting in that can.

After a time he began to wonder about, going lippity— lippity—not very fast, and looking all around. HE found a door in a wall, but it was locked, and there was no room for a fat little rabbit to squeeze underneath. An old mouse was running in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying peas and beans to her family in the wood. Peter asked her the way to the gate, but she had such a large pea in her mouth that she could not answer. She only shook her head at him. Peter began to cry.

Then he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he became more and more puzzled. Presently, he came to a pond where Mr. McGregor filled his water-cans. A white cat was staring at some gold-fish; she sat very, very still, but now and then the tip of her tail twitched as if it were alive. Peter thought it best to go away without speaking to her; he had heard about cats from his cousin, little Benjamin Bunny. HE went back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe—scr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scritch. Peter scuttered underneath the bushes. But presently, as nothing happened, he came out, and climbed upon a wheelbarrow, and peeped over. The first thing he saw was Mr. McGregor's hoeing onions. His back was turned towards Peter, and beyond him was the gate!

Peter got down very quietly off the wheelbarrow and started running as fast as he could go, along a straight walk behind some black-currant bushes. Mr. McGregor caught sight of him at the corner, but Peter did not care. He slipped underneath the gate and was safe at last in the wood outside the garden. Mr. McGregor hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare-crow to frighten the blackbirds.

PETER never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big fir-tree. He was so tired that he flopped down upon the nice soft sand on the floor of the rabbit-hole, and shut his eyes. His mother was busy cooking; she wondered what he had done with his clothes. It was the second little jacket and a pair of shoes that Peter had lost in a fortnight! I AM sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening. His mother put him to bed and made some camomile tea, and she gave a dose of it to Peter!

"One table-spoonful to be taken at bed-time."

BUT Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread and milk and blackberries, for supper," Diana's way of telling the story was amazing and Alexandra was listening to her the whole time. She said every word with emotions and acted the story, her tone of voice changed as she spoke out what the characters said. Diana was amazing when it comes to things like this. But still, that wasn't enough to make Alexandra sleepy, she just stared at Diana even after she finished telling the story. "Are you still not sleepy, Alexandra? I don't have any story to tell you anymore since I am tired already, would you like me to sing you a song then?" Diana asked when she noticed that Alexandra looked like she was still wide awake and just staring at her.

Alexandra just shook her head. "No, it's okay. You can go back now. I know that you are tired and exhausted from all of the things that you have to do today," Alexandra said as she smiled at Diana, it was a reassuring smile as if she was telling her that she is totally fine and she will fall asleep anytime soon. Diana just replied with a smile and she slightly leaned forward to kiss Alexandra's forehead, it was filled with warmth and love. It was gentle and Alexandra felt happy. "Good night, young miss," Diana said before she stood up from her seat and she walked towards the door of her room, turning off the lights making the room dark before she went out. Alexandra was left alone inside her room and she let out a sigh, she stared at her ceiling again.

-- "By the way, do you know any man with the name 'Harrison'?"

Sir Friyedor's voice rang inside her head, making her realize something. Right, I still have to ask Harrison about Sir Friyedor, she thought to herself. That was suspicious, why would he ask that? He suddenly asked if he could read my palm and even though I hesitated I still did. Then as she stared at the ceiling with multiple thoughts inside her head, she realized something making her eyes go wide. She suddenly sat up from her position and she looked at her wrist, the mark was there. The mark that Harrison gave her, a small red flower that was like a tattoo on her wrist. She still remembered what Harrison said to her about the mark.

--"That's the mark, others can't see it unless they use some sort of spell to do so. Only I can see that mark without using a spell and only you can see mine without using a spell, too. It shows that we have a bond or a relationship, but not that kind of love relationship. It's just like friends or partners. If that disappeared, that means I decided to remove the mark or erase our bond or someone decided to do so but I will be alerted if someone tried to."

Then how was he able to see it? Did he use some sort of spell? Alexandra asked herself and she let out a sigh. I'll just ask Harrison about this, I wonder if he is still awake or doing something at the moment, I hope he isn't busy. She closed her eyes and thought about Harrison. She was about to communicate to him through telepathy when she heard a voice coming from her left, the voice startled her and she jolted her eyes open.

"What are you thinking?" Never has she ever whipped her head to her side that fast not until now, she saw crimson red eyes and black hair that resembled the night sky. That tone of voice, it's him.

"Harrison." Great, just when she is about to call him. Well, that saved her some time though, it was better to talk to him face to face than through telepathy, she thought to herself.