The Lonely Child Chapter 2

[eiahmon]

Title: The Lonely Child
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Castlevania and its characters and situations are the sole property of Konami. I am making no money or profit off of this fanfiction and no copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Prequel to A Moment of Stupidity, which is required reading, otherwise this will make no sense at all. Walter Bernhard, a child on the run, meets Silvanus Asenti, a man who had just lost his family. This is the story of that meeting.
Spoiler Warning: Spoilers for AMoS Parts 1, 2, & 3!

2.

“Silvanus!”

Silvanus looked up from the book he had been reading at the sound of his name being called. Walter bounced into the room, red curls bouncing around his face, red eyes dancing with mirth. Silvanus smiled at the child that he had practically adopted as his own.

Things had been awkward and difficult between them for the first few weeks. Silvanus had been wary of frightening the poor child, and Walter had been wary of Silvanus’ intentions. There were many times when Silvanus had cursed the vampire laws that mandated it that a child be punished for following his heart.

Walter plopped down next to his adopted master and nestled close, prompting Silvanus to put an arm around him.

“What has you so amused?” Silvanus asked, setting his book down.

Walter chuckled. “I went into town to get what you asked for, and when I wandered into the tailor’s shop, I was met by one of his apprentices.”

Silvanus rolled his eyes; he had met his tailor’s apprentices and could guess which one Walter was referring to. The boy had an arrogant streak that drove his master’s customers to distraction.

“He looked me up and down,” Walter continued “and saw that I was wearing my ah, running about clothes, and sneered at me. He told me that I was obviously in the wrong shop, since he did not work for such riffraff such as me.”

“Oh dear. Then what happened?”

“His master bustled out of the back room and proceeded to dress him down like a child caught stealing candy.”

Silvanus laughed. “I wish I could have seen that.”

“That’s not all. The boy defended himself by insisting that I was some riffraff. His master hit him on the back of the head and said that I was your son and that I was to be treated with the utmost respect.” The humor abruptly vanished from Walter’s voice, and he looked up at Silvanus questioningly.

“Why do they think I’m your son?” he asked.

Silvanus had to contain a wince; he was afraid that that was going to come up. He sighed and ran his fingers through his silver hair.

“Because I want everyone to believe that you are my son. It is safer for you this way, if they think you are mine.”

“What about the name you gave me? And the illusion that hides my appearance?”

Silvanus outwardly winced this time. “You know, Walter, that I fathered many children, by my many wives. None of them survived that monster’s rampage.” He closes his eyes for a moment, feeling the stab of pain in his heart at the mention of his family. “But I told everyone that one of my sons, Achiram, survived, though he was badly injured.”

“Achiram? That is the name you told me to go by!” Walter felt a flare of anger. “What about the illusion you put on me? Is that what Achiram looked like?!”

Silvanus nodded sadly.

Walter leapt to his feet, snarling in rage. “Why! Is that all I am to you?! A replacement for you son! I thought you wanted to keep me safe! Is that why you saved me, so you could have your son back!”

Silvanus swallowed his temper; getting angry at the child would do no good. Besides, they were valid questions.

“Sit down, Walter, and I will do my best to answer.” He waited until Walter had sat, though not next to him, before taking a deep breath and beginning.

“I saved you, child, because I sensed your distress, and saw you lying there, hurt and alone, and I couldn’t leave you. I couldn’t give you back to those who wanted to hurt you, so I kept you here, where you would be safe. Yes, part of it, I’m sure, is because I had just lost my own children, and I needed someone to hold and love. And you needed someone to care for you and comfort you. Passing you off as my son is just the easiest way of keeping suspicion of your true identity away until you are old and strong enough to protect yourself.” Silvanus looked at Walter sadly. “Nothing can replace my son, child, or any of my children for that matter, nor can anyone replace your parents.” Walter flinched. “But I can keep you safe, love you like you were my own son, and you can keep my loneliness away, and give me someone to love unconditionally.”

Walter looked down at the floor for a moment. When he looked back up at Silvanus, tears were running down his face.

“You love me?” he asked quietly.

“Very much. If you would let me, I would adopt you and make you my son.”

“I don’t know if I want that. I.. I... want to stay a Bernhard really.”

Silvanus sighed; he really did want to adopt Walter, but if the child didn’t want it, he couldn’t force him. “Alright then, will you at least let me turn you to me?”

Walter looked at him, startled. “Make yourself my sire? Make me your child?”

Silvanus nodded. “If you will let me.”

“Can I... can I think about if for a little while?”

Silvanus nodded again. “Of course, child.”

Walter stood up. “I think I’ll go lie down for awhile.”

“Take your time, little one. I don’t want you to feel forced into this.”

“Alright.” Walter walked quietly out of the room. Silvanus watched him go, worried about the boy’s sudden quiet.

*****

Walter laid down on his bed and hid his face in the pillow. He wondered if the room that Silvanus had given him had belonged to Achiram. The room had seemed lived in to him when Silvanus had shown it to him, but he, so grateful to have found someone to protect and care for him, had not questioned it then. Now he wondered.

He turned his head and looked in the mirror that was propped against the nearby wall. He looked at the illusion that Silvanus was hiding him under; the image of a silver haired, blue eyed boy who had stopped aging in his late teens. Achiram had died when the enormous man made monster had attacked the castle, and he had put himself between it and his infant sister. The child’s gesture had been brave, but futile. None of the Asentii family had survived, leaving Silvanus to return home to a tomb. Walter concentrated for a moment, and the illusion vanished, leaving his true reflection behind. Long, curly, red hair spilled over his shoulders and down his back and red eyes looked back at him. His face.

His father’s face.

He buried his face back in the pillow, not wanting to look at his father’s image anymore. He wondered if the hunters were still looking for him, or if they had given up the chase when they lost his trail. With the deaths of his parents, the bonds between him and the rest of his family had weakened, but were still there, which meant that his Uncle Gannet could sense him and direct the hunters on where to go. Silvanus however, had blocked the connection, and Walter hoped that the loss of the bonds meant that they thought him dead. He didn't want to be hunted for the rest of his life.

But maybe he wouldn't be. If he accepted Silvanus' offer, he would become an Asenti, which meant that the Bernhards would no longer be able to touch him. But he didn't want to give up his name or his parents. Becoming an Asenti would mean that Silvanus would be his only parent, and any bonds of blood that he had had with his birth parents would be destroyed. Despite what had happened, he didn't want to lose them.

Allowing Silvanus to turn him to him, on the other hand, would only give him a different sire. The bonds with the rest of his family would remain intact, but they would be easier to block. Doing so would also give him some measure of protection against the rest of his family, but they could still appeal to the council to have him returned to them.

Thinking about it was giving Walter a headache.

He rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling. His parents were dead, his uncle had ordered his death, and his grandparents had done nothing to prevent it. No one had spoke up on his behalf, no one but his mother had begged for leniency, and she had been ignored. No one...

Walter shut his eyes against the tears that welled up, but he couldn't stop the sob that clawed its way out of his throat. He turned over onto his side and hid his face in the pillow and began to cry. A few minutes later, he heard Silvanus' heartbeat approaching, and a second later, the door opened, and the elder vampire walked in. Walter felt him sit down on the side of the bed and began to stroke his hair.

"We grieve for what has been lost." the elder murmured soothingly "But we do not stop living. Love does not end with death, so know that, wherever they are, your mother and father still love you. And even though he's gone, your child will always be with you." Walter sat up, and Silvanus wrapped his arms around him and began to rock him. "I will keep you safe, child. I won't let anyone harm you. I understand why you do not wish to be adopted, but at least let me turn you to me. That will give you a power boost and make it harder for them to track you. Please let me protect you."

Walter, his face hidden in Silvanus' robe, hesitated for a second, and then he nodded.

Silvanus pulled Walter onto his lap, and their eyes met for a long moment, before Walter closed his eyes and tilted his head back. Silvanus eyed the large artery running under the skin of Walter's neck for a second, before he leaned over and bit into it. The child on his lap stiffened for a moment and then relaxed.

Silvanus drained Walter dry, before he licked the bite wounds to heal them, and then he pressed Walter's face into his neck, and the child weakly bit down. Silvanus winced at how hard he was drawing, but he said nothing and allowed Walter to drink. Within a few minutes, the child began to weaken as he lost consciousness, and soon he was lying limply in Silvanus' arms, unconscious. Instead of lying Walter down, he continued to hold him, and after an hour or so, he felt the first flickers from the newly formed sire/child bond. He immediately reached down the bond for the bonds that Walter had with his family. They had been weakened by the death of his father, but they were there, and Silvanus effortlessly blocked them, preventing the Bernhards from using them to track Walter down.

Not long afterward, Walter's eyes flickered open, and Silvanus helped him sit up. The child wearily looked towards the empty fireplace and simply nodded his head, evidently trying to see if he was capable of starting a fire with his mind alone. He then practically leapt out of Silvanus' arms when a blaze roared to life and shot several feet up the chimney. Silvanus laughed, and Walter looked at the fireplace in astonishment before he began to laugh as well. Walter looked up and smiled at him before he nestled close with a contented sigh. Silvanus placed a kiss on the soft red curls as he held his new child closer.

"Welcome home, Walter."

-- Chapter 1

Back to the Side Stories Archive
Back to the AMoS Archive
Back to the Main Archive