Disclaimer: I do not own Trinity Blood or its characters.
What do you think of the Bridget-Virgil pairing?
4. Neverland
Life was stifling in the royal household. Princess Bridget rolled her eyes in exasperation as her nanny dutifully tied her bootlaces for her. She could easily dress herself. Another maid held out her gloves. She never recalled having so many servants watching out for her back then. The only reprieve was during her weekly music lessons. Their sole chaperon then was Virgil's easily distracted mother. The Countess was prone to losing herself for long periods gazing at beautiful paintings or playing a piece by Bach on the royal conservatory's grand piano. Short breaks during the session were fully utilized for introducing her friend to the childish delights of the palace grounds.
"Does it bite?" Virgil had blanched when she introduced him to her favourite horse in the royal stables. "Her name's Duchess. She's a nice horse. Go on, she wants to make friends with you," she urged. "Pat her nose, she likes that." Tentatively, the young nobleman reached out to pat the first flesh-and-blood horse he has seen in his life. "That tickles!" he squealed when the horse licked his hand.
"Bridie, what's that beautiful music?" Virgil had remarked on hearing the song of a nightingale for the first time in the palace rose gardens one night.
Bridie smiled. For three brief months, her friend had taken her on adventures in that underground world few knew of. She missed those days but she had given her word to her father never to go into the Ghetto without his permission. For three years, they have played the piano together. In return for that, she was glad she could show Virgil the world that existed outside. Too soon, it was ending. She would miss those delightful hours spent with Virgil.
"Bridget. It is time for you to go to school," Father had announced one morning over breakfast. "Arrangements have been made and you will start in September." No more was she to be home-schooled by various tutors. All Albionian princesses had to go to that exclusive ladies' school up north in Scotland to be trained in the social graces of their station.
"Virgil?" she whispered furtively into the phone. She hoped it was not his parents on the other end.
"Bridie?" Virgil yawned. It was late as far as he was concerned. He cast a watchful eye on the beefy housekeeper his father had hired two years ago to replace Mortimer in minding the household. Thankfully, she was snoring in her armchair, the half-empty gin bottle at her feet. His mother was away giving a charity concert and his father at work as usual.
"Could you come out tomorrow afternoon? Please keep it secret. I'll like to go to the fairground with you…"
"In daylight?" Virgil had never been up above in daylight and beyond the palace walls. It was unheard of.
"Well, yes… I have sun block you could use," Bridie added.
"Will three o'clock be good? My lessons will be over by then." Virgil replied after a slight pause. His parents would be at the opening of the new plant and the housekeeper always went out with Aunt Vespesia's butler on Wednesday afternoons. He supposed that as he hadn't experienced any symptoms of turning yet, he need not fear the sun. Still…
It was a warm late August day and summer was still reigning in Londonium. Two children slipped out from a side-gate of the palace. The pigtailed girl pulled the hesitant boy along. She had been to the fairground several times previously incognito with an elderly granduncle. The late Duke of York, who had passed on in spring, always loved to experience the anonymity of a commoner and he had shared this love with his grandniece.
"It's so bright…" Virgil gazed in wonder at the brilliant blue dome of the sky above with its few puffy cotton-candy clouds. They were modestly-dressed in the garb of children from a middle-class household. A couple of palace guards they passed in the street did not give the princess a second glance. A brief walk through the park later, they were in the Piccadilly Summer Carnival.
"That looks scary…" Virgil looked at the roller-coaster with trepidation. "Yes, but it's exciting, too!" Bridie squealed and clapped her hands, dropping her hotdog. "I'm riding it!"
"Wait! I can't let you ride that alone!" He joined the queue after Bridie.
"Sure?"
Fifteen minutes in the queue and a terrifying three minutes later, the blond boy found himself leaning over a bin and regurgitating the remains of his hotdog while his friend patted him on the back. "Feel better?" she asked sweetly. Weakly, Virgil nodded."How about another ride? I promise it wouldn't be a scary one this time." She pointed at the merry-go-round.
Time flew and soon it was five o'clock. The pair bought a huge ice-cream sundae from a nearby café. They attracted admiring looks from the waitress and patrons. They were a handsome pair. The boy had hair like spun gold. His skin was fair and his features reminiscent of a craved angel. His companion had flame-coloured hair that glowed in the sunlight. Her elfin face and smiling blue eyes hinted at mischief. Even in their modest clothes, they exuded an aura of mobility. The children shared the ice-cream between them, laughing with carefree innocence only children knew.
"Virgil… I will be leaving soon," she finally said.
"Leaving? Why?" Shocked, Virgil dropped his spoon with a clatter onto the table.
"School. Father's sending me to boarding school. He said: 'Bridget, it is time for you to learn to be a young lady.' So I'm leaving in two weeks. There will be no more piano lessons, Virgil. And I'll miss you… I'll be back for the holidays and we could write…" she rambled on helplessly. They both knew Virgil's address did not exist in the Albion post office's records. Almost no communication was made between the world above and the hidden Ghetto.
"I'll miss you too, Bridie." There was nothing more he could say. Instead, he placed his pale hand over her tiny one on the table. They never finished the sundae.
"VIRGIL! Where the heck have you been?" Virgil swore his father's voice could be heard in the furthest depths of the Ghetto as he braced himself to face the coming storm. Contrary to his expectations, the Count had returned from the factory earlier and was outraged to discover his son missing. The errant housekeeper had been located and was summarily dismissed. Aunt Vespesia would have to decide on whether to keep her butler.
"I was Above at a carnival with the princess." There was no point lying. His father always knew when he lied.
"WHAT?! You little moron! Our kind does not go roving about Above! Our place is here, in the Ghetto! Christ! Do you have any idea what will happen if they find out about us? Anarchy, chaos!"
Virgil bit his lip to keep from crying out as his father soundly whipped him with a leather belt. One day, he would grow up and turn. The bacillus in his blood would render sunlight deadly to him. No more carnival outings under the August sun. For a fleeting moment, he enviously thought of Peter Pan and his paradise where children need not grow up or listen to adults.
Author's Notes:
Bye bye, Bridie. She'll be back though.