Sweet Dreams | Finn Mikaelson (book 2)

6. Children Should Be Afraid of The Dark (Fran)

A/N: Yes, I forgot to post this chapter before posting the others lol Anyways, enjoy! Please vote and comment!

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City of Somnia, kingdom of Lacertus, Italy.1412.

Francesco del Monte always cherished the memory of his first encounter with a night creature, a vampire. In the years afterwards, he wondered if the experience had truly been as magical as he remembered, or if the unforgiving passage of time and the fantastical lenses childhood had clouded his memory, making the whole ordeal something to cherish, when it was anything but a fond memory.

Of course, Fran adored his memories of his Finn much more than any other vampire related story. When he thought of vampires, and of love, Fran thought of his Finn. Although, to be fair, whenever Fran thought of happiness and safety, he also thought of Finn.

But whenever Francesco—in the dead of night, as he laid restlessly awake in bed—tried to understand his fascination with vampires, his desperation to have an ounce of the same freedom they possessed in their cursed lives; he would think of this first encounter.

***

It had only been six months since Francesco's father died.

They lived on a hill, just outside the city of Somnia, in the small, but powerful kingdom of Lacertus. The house, cramped and old as most houses in the south of Italy, was in desperate need of repairs, even when Fran was young. Indeed, the house itself was nothing much, but the gardens had been a source of pride in family for generations. The only ones to have flowers more beautiful than the del Monte's were the Queen and King of Lacertus, who had also employed the del Monte family as their gardeners for generations.

The family traditions ran deep in those hills. Francesco carried the name of his great-grandfather, and his parents told him early on that it was his sole duty to carry on their family's name and history. The thought weighted heavily on his soul, but Fran agree since he was eager to learn more about his family's past.

Once upon a time, they had been somewhat wealthy, but had since fallen out of luck. His father never told Fran why. But his uncle Aldo, his mother's brother and an important priest in their city, often said God had ruined their family as a divine punishment. According to Aldo, from what Francesco later learned, his father's family had Jewish ancestors. That was why Aldo and some older villager never liked Fran's father and sometimes threw disgusted looks at Francesco during mass when he said the wrong words to the prayers.

Though gardening had always been a tradition—in one way or another—it was only in the most recent generations that it had become an important part of their livelihoods. Fran had no qualms about this particular tradition. If anything, it was his favorite—a part from the candles his father lit every Friday evening. But many people were good at plating back then. Most peasant who lived on the outskirts of their city were also farmers and had some livestock. Even some merchants and craftsmen had small vegetable gardens in their town houses. Yet, Fran's family was the only one to have tall trees, fruits, and flowers in their garden. Ever since the rulers of their country became wealthy enough to invest in the beauty of their castles and gardens, Fran's family—on his father's side—had a sure profession. Still, since payment depended so heavily on the good fortune and mood of kings—which are never very reliable—Fran's father also had deals with craftsmen and merchants, selling them flowers, fruits and plants to make perfumes and dye clothes. Since Avraham was one of the very few literate farmers and so had more contact with new inventions and techniques, he helped his neighbors to grow stronger crops.