Nightly Lessons Book I: The Book of Beginnings

[Peeker]

Dimitrius only shook his head firml.y "No, we've gone far too far for you to continue. You'll need to be able to write tommorrow, in addition to being able to doing your exercises. I'd have you go and loosen our muscles somehow, now... it is time for me to return to my home, and I shan't have my presence causing you and more discomfort. Let us go find Aleksandr, and I'll bid him farewell.

The blades vanished before Alice could make another argument, and Dimitrius expectantly gestured out of the ballroom, not one to take well to any sort of disagreement.

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

"I would have been fine," Alice tried to justify, hoping that he wouldn't see her rolling her wrist and stilling a groan of pain. "aaaaaaahahaha..."

She followed him, her mood still pretty good despite all that had trancefered. It had been a rocky start with it's ups and down, more downs then she or anyone else would have wanted, but the ups made it more then worth it. Alice smiled to herself as she walked behind her grandsire, imagining the possible how surprised Janus would be if she suddenly challenge him to a duel.

"I should write him... Hey Aleks!" She spotted her Sire and ran around Dimitrius to him, hugged him close and gave him a kiss. "It was soo much fun! I can't wait to continue this!"

She was about to continue telling him about the lesson when Dimitrius cleared his voice behind her.

"Sorry Dimi," She smiled at him, returning to the shortened version of his name and mored over giving him a firm hug around the waist. "Thanks for the lesson. I can hardly wait for the next time. Who knows? Maybe I'll beat one of the 'Sons of Dornell'."

She laughed lightly, doubting that it would happen unless she cheated slightly.

[Peeker]

"It only takes practice, Miss Alice." Dimitrius said, gravely. "They never over-extend until they think they've got you. To defeat a Dornell, you must dance the razor's edge... let them finally and truly believe they have won... only then can you strike!"

Aleksandr sighed, but smiled. He'd heard these war stories before. While he and Razziel had been surprisingly friendly for higher-up vampires back in the day, they had been among the first: Dimitrius and Razziel's Sire had often feuded in the olden days, their struggles coming to a head as Aleksandr was turned, in fact.

"...even so, I doubt Mikeal would take it lightly if you were to call him onto the field, Alice. You'd end up with a dress full of holes, and undoubtedly a sore bottom for impudence." Aleksandr did, however, smile. "Until next time, I suppose we're going to call our meeting to an end. Thank you again, Sire."

"Of course, Aleksi. Will you have any of those wards prepared for my next visit?"

"One at the very least." He bowed from the waist, lowering himself only enough so that his bowed head was below Dimitrius' chin. "Clear Nights ahead, Sire."

"...and Bright Moons to guide you, Aleksi." Dimtrius extended his hand, and they shook. "...and may they shine on you as well, Alice. It has been a true pleasure for these old bones to meet you."

The air around Dimitrius vibrated slightly, and the man vanished, the space he'd occupied glittering like moonlight, and then dimming.

"...you've made a very important friend, Alice." Aleksandr said, softly, hugging the girl close. "...and if you've befriended our Sire, you can certainly win over my brothers. ...you'll be just fine." He kissed the top of her head once, and released her. "...now why don't you go relax those muscles in some hot water, and after a meal, we'll get back to your lessons, hm?"

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

"Who said it was |Mikeal I was planning on beating?" Alice smiled slying at Aleks, the mischeif clear in her eyes. "I'm a girl Aleks. I've got my own tricks."

She turned however giving a kind wave rather then bw out of habbit to Dimitrius. The differences between them forgotten for now.

"Bye Gramps!" She called just as the man faided, unable to resist. They were becoming her family slowly, starting formost with Aleks, and although it pained her to feel disloyal to her real family, she knew that to them she was left behind unchanged. There really was no way for her to ever rejoin them. "Well... it ended better then it started."

She hugged back Aleks, rubbing her wrist as she released him and smiled.

"Yeah... let's just hope I don't start off on the wrong foot with them though..." She smiled a little, but scowled. "More lessons? What left to study for the day. I'm already done two sessions of magic, I praticed the piano, and I fenced which was new , so what else is thereooooooohhh.... history, right..."

She huffed at the though but nobbed and headed off to take a bath. Thinking about it, she hadn't had one in the morning and the fencing had made her feel sticky. Once she was in the hot water of the tub there her thoughts fell back to her blood family.

'I wonder what they're doing...'

[Peeker]

Their history lesson was thorough, but light - as Alice had begun a new section, Aleksandr was more concerned with her understanding the overall period of time - there were no names to memorize anymore, nor would there be for a while... at this point, all the names were simply becoming more well-known, and being more active in history. Regardless, Alice's mind was tuckered out from a long day, and she seemed rather... despondent today. ...as though after her long day, she was either simply exhausted, or concerned about something.

So for dinner, Aleksandr had done a little digging in the girl's mind, and given his imps a special order.

A pasta in heavy cheese sauce, flavored with salted ham. Not, unfortunately, a light pancetta, but thicker stuff, of a more... peasant-like cut.

Or, as Alice thought of it, 'mac-and-cheese'.

"Dinner, Alice!" Aleksandr called, as he sat himself down at the table. It felt good to have a simple meal between the two of them after a long and proper day - whether Aleksandr wanted to admit it or not, Alice's ways had at least made him more comfortable relaxing... even if it wasn't what he 'preferred'.

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

"Coming!" Alice shut her new set of books, and rose up. her thoughts had lingered on her parents. Unlike Janus she was an only childso she didn't know what it was like having a sister or brother to look up to growing up. True she had Gabby now, but itwas also hard to look up to her when they had never met before. "Soo, what's for dinner toni..."

She stopped short in the doorway and looked at the simple meal the imps had made and Aleks kind and welcoming smile. It changed though to one of conscern as the girl stepped away looking like someone had just died.

'Mac and cheese... just like how mom...'

The tears started brimming in her eyes, both of happiness and sorrow, although it was mostly sorrow. She knew Aleks had done this out of kindness but the meal aone...

She turned on her heels and ran out of the room crying.

[Peeker]

"...Alice?"

The man stiffly stood up, pushing his chair back. "Oh dear..."

Sure enough, Aleksandr gave into the impulse, and simply ran after the girl. This big old house sometimes did that to the man - there was so much space... you simply... needed to get to where you were going. So he ran after the girl, calling her name - and, luckily, catching up to her without much trouble.

"Alice! Alice! ...are you alright?"

He knew she wasn't, but... well...

"...I apologize, love. I was just trying to make you a dinner you'd enjoy... I... I didn't expect it would do this to you..."

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice was sitting on the floor in the room she had awoken in on her first day. She had her knees up against her chest as she hugged herself and rubbed the tears from her eyes. She sniffled a bit and looked at Aleks as he sat next to her and turned to hug him.

"I'm sorry..."Her voice was tight as she pulle dhim close bitting her lip. "I know you where doing it to be nice and all but... my mom. She use too..."

the wave of homesickness washed over her and Alice gave a sob fit of a young girl missing her parent.

"I miss them so much!" She cried into Aleks' chest. "I know that you're my family too but I just feel like I'm being disloyal to them for doing so. I just miss them."

[Peeker]

Aleksandr rocked the girl gently.

"..."

He had a hard time finding a way to answer this one... he was thinking.

"It is much easier when your family is dead. It truly does get better with time. My... my little girl... I miss her, yes... but I know that she is gone... that she does not begrudge me loving others... any more than my wife does..."

Aleksandr sighed a sigh heavy with age, and rocked the girl softly. "...I don't expect you to treat me like a new family, Alice. I know that I'm not... not your old family, at least. I know that you miss home... you miss your mother... and I don't expect to replace that. Ever."

The man nodded, feeling a bit more sure of himself. He held the girl a bit closer, letting her lean against him. "I feel so proud to know you think of me as family, love... but I am not new family. I am more family. You were reborn that night... and just like a child coming into the world, you found yourself surrounded by new people who claimed to be related to you... Dimitrius... myself... we... all of us - we are here for you... but we will never pretend that you have always been here. We are your comfort, and your strength... but we are new to you. ...there will always be times when you miss your home... but you must never feel bad about those times. ...those.... are very precious tears. They are to be treasured, dearheart. Treasured."

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

"But I can't go back to them!" Alice wailed as she suddenly gripped Aleks like a lifeline. "I can't touch them or hug them again! I can't say I'm sorry and take back all the things I said to make my mom cry or the pain I left my dad with!"

She sobbed for a minute in his arms, the cries soaking into his shirt once again until she calmed enough to talk once more.

"I can't even see them again..."