New Faces, New Places [Izzy Helm]

[Alaric von der Marck]

When Aurelia had asked Alaric if he’d accept a houseguest at the Estate, he’d at first been dubious. Eagerness to see the rooms filled, however, appeared to outweigh his misgivings; he’d been ‘awake’ for the better part of two and a half years and thus far, nothing untoward had happened. As old as he was Alaric knew not to trust the passing of time; two and a half years was merely a blip in the eternity he had yet to expect, if he was careful. If he was careful. Paranoia sometimes told him he ought to lock the estate down; the only people in or out to be family, with guards on the perimeter. But that would be going too far.

The family had been using the estate long before he had returned, and that they now asked his permission before allowing guests was a respect that he appreciated. Besides which, he was curious about this ‘Izzy Helm’ that Aurelia had mentioned. A friend of theirs from Germany. The surname, too, was familiar; Alaric was certain that he may have come across it while sorting through the paperwork for von der Marck Industries.

Whether Izzy knew that her friend had been turned into a vampire, Alaric did not know. He hoped that Aurelia had kept his own secrets under wraps; he was not fond when his vampirism and age were known before he himself had a chance to reveal it, and he would only reveal such things if he felt he could trust the person in question. Such secrets were no doubt already out of the bag, however; rumours were already running rife through the company, more so through the lines of the von der Marck extended family. Perhaps trying to keep things to himself was a mere pipe dream, a boat that had already sailed.

When he woke in the flickering darkness of his room (he made sure that the fire was always strong enough to burn through the day, so that he would not wake in darkness) he reached out with his mind; he knew that there was a stranger on the estate, someone who was expected though unknown. He could only assume this was the guest that Aurelia had spoken of. Not knowing whether he would be heading into the office later, Alaric dressed in a suit. Though he was often urged to dress more casually, it just did not come naturally to him. The elder was rarely ever seen out of a suit.

He took the tunnels through to the stairs that would lead him up into the Estate; they were hidden stairs, and he would emerge from somewhere at the back of the huge homestead, could even be said to have come from the gardens. He would not seek Izzy; he would not want to startle her. But nor did he keep himself hidden. He went through and up the stairs to the library, the door to which he left open. He proceeded to light another fire, the library itself an electricity-free zone.

[wearing]