WALPURGIA ✔️

Chapter 28 - A trip down memory lane

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Alexander forced himself not to listen to his grandparents.

He sat down by his father's bed, staring into the room that showed he had lived a long life – that he still lives a long life. Victorian furniture in front of him – which made him cuss again – Renaissance paintings on the wall, books from each period he had an active life in. All worn out. Dad surely loves to read.

His wardrobe had been filled with clothes from all over the centuries, the stockings, the impossible trousers, blouses and such – Alex was sure his father was the only one who kept such sentimental things. Some clothing items Alex had recognized, like t-shirts from the 1950's, which his father still wore to this day.

Alex shook his head. They all had tried to force him out of them, had hidden them from him, but his father always found them. Mother had convinced him to buy a few more modern clothing items, and he had listened to her.

Come to think of it, father quite loved doing whatever mother told him to do. Alex's best guess was he had missed somebody who cared about him, a mate, and now enjoyed her presence thoroughly. Not only did father like having Rebecca around, but the vampire's representative's sons did too. She had filled in a blank point, had taken care of them in a softer approach than their father could.

Alexander had needed this. He had instantly chosen this room wordlessly upon his arrival. His grandparents hadn't even tried to stop him, nor had his father's siblings. Lysandre hadn't even bothered to stay with them, it would only hurt him more, he had murmured, and so he had chosen a nearby hotel instead.

Lysandre was the type to silently mourn after somebody, the presence of people only bothered him more.

Alex, to the contrary, needed to be as close as he could to things that reminded him of the person he yearned for. So, he had chosen to stay in his father's old room, dwelling on memories that came to life at every touch of his father's belongings.

To remember his father even more, the eldest son had dug around in the drawers, read letters from old businesses, had read a few diaries of his father, had traced every jewellery piece Baldwin had accumulated over the past. His heart had grown heavy when he had found the box of mother's promise ring, and he had to take a break after that.

It had been May 23rd, 1618. Baldwin and Alexander had retrieved Lysandre, who had been known as Filip Fabricius back then, from under the window and had brought him to their joined home. After Lysandre had awoken and been treated by Ethan, Baldwin had reassured him he was safe.

"Why didn't you tell him who we are?", Alexander had asked, quickly hurrying after his father in this busy crowd. "Why did we leave the Protestant at home?"
Baldwin stared forward, headed to the furious Protestants to hear them out.

"Why are you letting him go? Why save him in the first place if you are letting him go again?"

"One shock after the other, Lucas", his father had explained curtly, then stopped abruptly.

Alexander ran into his back. "What is it?", he rubbed his nose, following his father's glance. "A ring?"

"Doesn't look bad, does it?", Baldwin leaned forward, scanning it.
"Don't tell me you've found a woman to gift it to." Alexander rolled his eyes. Of all the lovers he had, he had never gifted them a thing.

The then only child stared at his father as he kept quiet. The suit, the jacket, the hat – it all made him look older, in Alex's opinion.