Chapter Two - Talking to the Moon

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Maybe he could be my friend.

...

I quickly found out that Alfred was very talkative.

On the walk back home, Alfred talked almost nonstop about what life was like outside of Russia. He spoke of how America didn't want to join in the Great War, of how Germany was attacking foreign ships, of how Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated. I was pleasantly surprised by how much he knew.

I almost didn't want to bring him to my house, but I had promised him shelter, so I didn't want to go back on my promise.

My home wasn't very much. It was once a lavish mansion, but after my father's death, it began to fall apart. Now, it was just a skeleton of what it had once been.

Alfred's eyes bulged when he saw it. I thought for a moment that he was disappointed, but I didn't expect him to say, "Dude! Your place is huge!"

I was thankful that the night hid the flush of pink in my cheeks.

"You're really letting me stay here?" Alfred queried.

"Da," I nodded.

Alfred practically flew past me as he bounded up to the door. I opened the door for him and let him go in first.

"Whoa," Alfred murmured. "It's even bigger on the inside!"

Shaking my head, I smiled and called out, "Katyushka! Natalia! Ya doma!"

"I'm home," I heard Alfred whisper.

I shut the door behind Alfred and guided him towards the main hall. As I looked down at him, I heard him whispering phrases in Russian over and over, a calculating expression on his face.

Katyushka entered the main hall and greeted me with a warm, "Privet, Ivan!" As I was about to reply, she noticed Alfred and jumped back in alarm.

"Ah, sorry," I said. "Alfred, meet my older sister, Katyushka. Katyushka, meet my... friend, Alfred."

"Pleased to meet you," Alfred said, holding out his hand. Katyushka seemed wary at first, but she soon smiled and shook Alfred's hand.

"I'm glad to meet you, too," Katyushka said cheerfully.

"Alfred here needs some shelter until he can fix his plane," I explained.

"Ivan offered to let me stay here," Alfred butted in. "It's really nice of him to do that!"

He's not scared of me at all, I thought. Why?

"I can take you to a room," I said. "You can sleep there until your plane is fixed."

"Sounds good," Alfred grinned. "Lead the way!"

I gestured for Alfred to follow me down one of the staircases. When I reached the first step, Alfred sped past me and bolted up the stairs. Amused, I led him down the second floor hallway.

"That room there was a bedroom," I said as we passed a room with a collapsed doorway. "But, since it's blocked off, I'll let you stay in here."

I stopped in front of a door and pushed it open. It was my mother's old room, which I'd moved into after my room collapsed. Alfred eagerly ran inside, but when he saw the faded photos of me and my sisters when we were younger, it must've clicked in his head.

"This is your room, isn't it?" Alfred guessed.

"My father didn't add many bedrooms," I said. "Most of these rooms are offices, libraries, places like that." I paused, then said, "You can make yourself comfortable. I need to go speak with my sisters."

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