✧A Dream Realized✧
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The last note faded away in the echoing chamber and Odette rose from behind the piano with a satisfied smile. Her playing was getting better, though she still had some improvements to make, marked by the brief scrawls on the sheet music where she thought she needed to do better.
Taking the semester off to be with her baby had not helped matters, but Bastian hired the retired Professor Leit to come round every Thursday for private tuition. Thanks to that, Odette’s piano skills had not faded to the point of being unrecoverable and now she was preparing for the next semester.
Odette gathered together all the scattered sheet music into a neat pile and looked out the window across the sparkling blue sea. She sat on the window sill and gazed at the dreamlike landscape with the Ferris Wheel in the distance, the largest and most beautiful in the whole empire, perfectly matching the cherished blueprint.
It was going through some test runs today and would be the star in the new amusement park named “Coco Land” in honour of the new royal baby. The grand opening was set for this weekend. Every ride was checked and ready, and they were putting the final touches on the festival decorations. With its vibrant decorations, the park seemed like something from a fairy tale.
The clock chimed in the hour and Odette left the sunroom. She practically danced across the hall and past the central staircase to come to the terrace that overlooked the sea. The folds of her dress shimmered and flapped as she skipped.
“Constance,” Odette called her daughter’s name in a sign song voice as she entered the terrace.
Her daughter, who had been playing with the servants, looked up at her mother with a bright smile. Odette scooped up her daughter, who laughed as she swing about and plopped herself on the table where tea was being prepared for them.
“Thank you, I will look after her this afternoon, you can take a rest Dora.” Odette said.
“Its okay, ma’am, you can leave her to me, It would be terrible if you sprained your wrist.” Dora said politely.
“Don’t worry, Dora, I’ll be fine.”
Odette pulled a face that made Coco giggle with glee, her clear blue eyes lit up as they filled with her mother and her platinum blonde hair danced as a breeze tussled it.
“The young lady is growing more and more like her mother every day,” Dora said. Lovis’s face lit up with a smile of agreement as he silently poured the tea.
People had described Coco as being like Bastian, but with Odette’s features. While she had her fathers hair and eyes, everything else about the child was definitely more like Odette. From afar, one could easily mistake her for her father’s twin, but up close, she clearly reflected her mother’s image.
“Look here, Constance, isn’t it splendid?” Odette said, pointing to the Ferris Wheel. “In a few days Constance, Mommy and Daddy will get to go on it, all of us together as a family.” Odette recounted the story of the amusement park’s grand opening with the kind of enthusiasm you’d see in a child excited about going on a picnic.
Constance was not paying attention, she was entirely transfixed on the dogs, who had gathered at the tea table when Lovis had brought the food out. Odette realised this and watched the stand off between the five ladies.
The dogs had be wary of the baby that had suddenly appeared one day. With a mix of curiosity and caution, they had scouted her out and surprisingly, Margrethe had remained guarded around the baby. Even as the other three fussed over the child, she remained at a distance. This was Margarethe’s first time coming so close to take a good look at the child.
“Hello, Margarethe. Let’s be friends,” Odette said, speaking on behalf of her daughter as she gently moved Constance’s hand in a wave.
Margarethe wagged her tail, a slight movement at the very tip, but a significant shift from her earlier disinterest, warming Odette’s heart. “Thank you, Meg.” With those words of gratitude from Odette, Margarethe’s behavior transformed. She became affectionate, her actions both endearing and touching.
“Could you bring the dogs snack box?” Odette asked Dora, who bowed and rushed away.
The dogs ears immediately pricked up as they heard Odette mention the snack box. They started to bounce around the terrace, tongues flopping out and drooling with anticipation.
Beginning with Margarethe and the last Cecilia, Odette lovingly called out each name as she handed out dried meat treats. When she had finished giving out the snacks that she noticed the dogs appeared to be growing rounder each day. A second, closer inspection confirmed her first impression was correct.
“How much snack do we have left?” Odette asked calmly as the maid brought in the snack box.
“This is all we have for now, ma’am. I’ll make sure we have a good stock once the groceries are delivered tomorrow,” the maid answered with a smile.
Odette sighed and closed the snack box, realizing it might be time to curb Bastian’s overly generous hand.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
Bastian returned home earlier than expected, his external meeting having wrapped up quickly. He still had to attend a dinner later that evening with potential investors, but there was a gap before it began. The venue was nearby, allowing him to leave around sunset so he could spend a little time with his wife and daughter before hand.
A cream-colored car glided along the mansion’s driveway, halting at the main entrance. Bastian passed the steering wheel to the butler and strode into the entrance hall. His decisive steps echoed through the corridors, bathed in the mansion’s golden afternoon light.
Bastian halted in front of the babies nursery. The door stood ajar and he could hear Coco cooing on the other side. Something was keeping her entertained and sure enough, he heard Coco and Odette giggle. It was heart-warming to hear like a beautiful music and Bastian pushed open the door to see the pair playing on the floor.
“Bastian,” Odette said with joy in her tone.
The dogs were a little less reserved in their greeting, rushing Bastian in a tidal wave of fur.
“You’re home early, did something happen? Was dinner called off?” Odette asked, rising from her chair with Constance in her arms.
“No,” Bastian replied with a smile, walking over to his wife and daughter. He kissed Odette on the cheek, making her smile glow even more. “I found myself with some extra time and wanted to come home for a bit.” He also planted a soft kiss on his daughter’s chubby cheek and took a moment to greet the dogs eagerly circling his feet.
The Klauswitz family enjoyed a serene afternoon together. Bastian took up Constance, who giggled with glee to see her father. Odette looked after the dogs, her touch calming them down so that they sat and panted heavily.
“Tira is expecting her third child, I just got news today. The lumber yard is thriving,” Odette said, sharing idle news as she finished grooming Cecilia. While showing Constance the Ferris wheel, Bastian looked towards his wife, his eyes slightly narrowed. “She’s planning to visit Berg by the end of next year. I’d like to meet her at least once, Bastian. How about you?” Odette, after finishing a beautiful hairstyle for Cecilia, approached him, a hint of tension on her face.
“As you wish, my Princess,” Bastian said with a nonchalant smile.
“Thank you for understanding.”
Odette had maintained constant contact with Tira, their relationship not diminishing over the distance. Bastian had decided to keep the truth about Duke Dyssen’s accident to himself, a secret he would bury deep and take to his grave. It wasn’t fair on Odette, she had lost so much already, there was no need to reopen old wounds.
Bastian was aware that Odette’s feelings for Tira had dwindled to mere faded affection and sympathy. He wondered if this was simply the essence of typical familial bonds, thinking on their relationships, Bastian found his mind wondering to Franz.
Franz Klauswitz had run away to the new world to start his career as a painter, following the dream he refused to let go of, but things had not gone according to plan for him.
Despite suffering from a bitter betrayal, Franz once again sought solace in a community of lesser-known artists, only to face disappointment. He lost half of the inheritance his mother had left him, falling victim to a scam. Struggling for fund, he had invested the nest egg his mother had prepared for him and lost it all on the stock market.
The last Bastian had heard of his half-brother was that he was bouncing between clinics, suffering from tuberculosis. Since halting the investigation that day, Bastian remained uninformed about Franz’s subsequent fate. A year had gone by; for all he knew, Franz might have departed this world, possibly finding peace alongside their mother in the afterlife.
Surprisingly, Bastian found that he held no ill will toward his brother, just a simple acknowledgement that he existed and nothing more. Any feeling he held for Franz had turned to dust long prior. Even if he heard of Franz’s death, it wouldn’t really change anything in him. It was the same with Sandrine, he didn’t really care to hear any news of her.
Sandrine remarried into the esteemed Felia nobility, but her union was soon marred by the news of her husband’s death in battle. Facing the prospect of a third marriage, her path was fraught with difficulties, as the war had eroded the Laviere family’s influence. Despite whispers of her liaisons with various men, none of the relationships left a lasting impression, and no names stood out in the rumors.
“Bastian?” a soft voice called him back to the here and now.
Bastian turned to see Odette looking at him with her bright, turquoise eyes. Their quiet exchange interrupted by Constance’s fussing. She had been happy, but a quick turn of the seconds and she was now irritable and fussy. Seeing that Bastian was becoming flustered, Odette quickly took the child from her father’s arms to a chair by the window.
“I’ll take of her, ma’am,” offered the nanny, who arrived upon hearing the cries, but Odette wanted to nurse the child herself.
It was customary for royal babies to have a nanny, but Odette flat out refused. She had had a nanny for the longest time, but when her family became destitute, it was down to her mother to look after Odette, a time she cherished with all her heart. It was the strength of these memories that enabled her to care for her mother, who had turned into a depressive and irritable invalid.
Odette wanted to be the kind of mother who showered her daughter with abundant attention and love, hoping these moments would form a beacon in her child’s life. Not long after being fed, Constance ceased her cries and returned to her calm state.
Bastian watched his wife and daughter from the window sill, while the dogs on the carpet craned their necks to watch the baby too. After feeding Constance, Odette looked up to find Bastian staring at her, his gaze inadvertently on her still full chest. She frowned as if to scold him. Bastian, with a raised eyebrow and a smile, kept his admiration unabashed, arms crossed in a relaxed stance. Blushing, Odette quickly handed Constance to the nanny and adjusted her dress.
Bastian carried his daughter, who needed burping, out to the balcony. Soon after he gently patted her back, a small burp echoed, and a maid hurried over to assist with the cleanup. With his spirits lifted, Bastian gazed at the Ferris wheel cutting through the summer sky alongside his smiling daughter.
The world of Coco, rising from ruins, shone splendidly once more today.
*.·:·.✧.·:·.*
Odette sat in front of the vanity and glided a brush through her hair. She considered putting it up properly, but didn’t want to come off to formal, so she pulled it back into a tail like how the peasants wore.
Beyond the window, the sky and sea melded into a rich pink hue. Odette made her way through the connecting hallway to Bastian’s room, finding him in the midst of finalizing his preparations for the dinner party, fine-tuning his look in front of the mirror.
She approached her husband and started fussing over his tuxedo collar and bowtie. Bastian acquiesced to his wife’s fussing when he reached for her earlobe with a playful smile. Odette jumped and looked around to see if any of the servants had noticed Bastian’s lewd behaviour. Fortunately, they were preoccupied with something in the wardrobe.
Odette intended to chide Bastian for his rashness but found herself speechless instead. Silently, Bastian extended the small pearl earring he had gently removed from her right earlobe. It was at that moment Odette noticed she had been wearing only one earring, her cheeks warming with a blush of embarrassment.
“The other one is on the nightstand,” Bastian said. Odette let out a quiet sigh and slipped the earring into her pocket.
“I’ll be down in a moment, don’t wait for me,” After planting a kiss, Bastian departed. Odette watched him until he reached the stairs, then headed directly to the baby’s room. There, Constance was sleeping peacefully
Dora was fast asleep in the chair, her hand slack over the side of the cradle where she had been gently rocking Constance to sleep, but Constance was still wide awake, kicking and cooing.
Odette roused Dora and gave her the night off, then she settled into the chair and pulled out her knitting stuff. She was nearly done with the dress for Constance, which she would wear for the first formal event they were to attend as a family.
Cocoland was all lit up far in the distance, creating a rainbow of colours in the night sky. In a couple days, the Klauswitz family would head over there and cut the ribbon. For now, Odette gazed at the Ferris wheel and began to knit.