WALPURGIA ✔️

Extra part 4 - Chosen fate

☽

Practicing on my own now was cancelled forever. Instead I was forced to start cleaning the mansion again. Esme looked between me and Genevieve as the lady of the house yelled at me, raising her hand to volunteer to help me. My little girl. I crouched down to take her into my arms.

"No", Genevieve snarled. "You'll be taught history and languages! By Whitlock himself."
I shot an angry glance at her.
"Or rather by Diane", Genevieve quickly corrected.

Esme slowly lowered her hand, pouting against the desk. "I rather scrub the carpet."
"Esme!", shocked, I had to laugh. I would have rather scrubbed the carpet too. Genevieve didn't think it was as funny and immediately made me go and clean.

☽

Esme dangled her feet next to me, silent for once.
"What's going through your head, cucciola?"

"Papa", she truthfully answered. "If he's the shadow, and if he followed me all the time, why didn't he speak to me before?"
"Because he didn't know it was you", I kissed her forehead.
"Now he does", Esme smiled at her feet. "When will he visit us again? I promise I won't cry next time!"

My heart became heavy.

"I don't know sweetheart. Papa is a very busy man, it might be some time until he comes by again."
Esme stopped dangling her feet. "Oh."
I dropped the brush to take her into my arms.
Esme hugged me back, sniffling.

She kept me company until it was time to sleep. I tugged her in, biding her goodnight and left the room to go and apologize to Genevieve. I needed to apologize.

Use her trust against her.

☽

She let me in after one knock.

"Esme de Chauvette", Genevieve got up, her eyes piercing mine. "Will be a defender. She will help our lines, our defence. She will learn how to fight."

So much to 'forgiveness'.

I immediately felt the anger boil in my stomach.
"Not under my watch!", I stuck out my chest.

"Then look away. She is a born defender. Esme should make herself useful and prove to the community she is worth a dime, she should become one."

"What do you mean worth? My daughter is not there to be sold!"
"She's nothing worth if somebody finds out who her father really is. A vampire, who caused misery to countless of families." I was thrown out the office before I could answer.

☽

Esme instantly got up as I quietly got into our bedroom. "Mama, where have you been?"

"I've talked to your grandmother, tesoro", I laid her down again, tugging her in.

"You look angry", as always, she picked up everything.
"I don't like her", I admitted.
"Neither do I", Esme nuzzled into my arm. "She's always so angry, without any reason."
I had to laugh at her frown. "She's not angry, but stern."
"Stern or angry, she's never in a good mood, mama."
"That is true", I kissed her forehead sweetly. "Now tell me, haven't you been sleeping at all?"
"I have! Until I noticed you were gone..."