Family. It's an odd thing, for someone in my position…
As a product of the Soviet childcare program, I already knew practically nothing about my mother. The only gift she ever gave me was my name, as she'd apparently survived long enough to scribble it down and sign my birth certificate. Aside from that, my birth certificate had included when I was born, -though the odd names of Soviet hospital names made actually finding them on a map impossible- and the fact that I was at least partially German. But aside from that, I knew nothing about where I came from. I had no biological family and no other relatives that could have taken me in. That didn't discount the possibility of having biological relatives at all, as the Soviets had forcibly relocated a large number of Germans both before, during, and after the Second World War. So they could have simply gotten separated. But I knew nothing of them, and they would know even less about me. I had my adopted siblings at the Henry estate, so I couldn't truly say that I was alone in this world. But I had nothing of the closeness that a true family would have provided.
That was a fact hammered home by my current location, the Ashford apartment in Paris. And the two siblings that called it home. Alexia, and her brother Alfred.
This was the end result of a little project that I'd been working on for the past few months, ever since I'd discovered those damn documents in the estate's bunker. They'd been a pretty clear warning, provided either intentionally or not, that some members of my family weren't up to standards. Chief among them being my most trusted subordinate, Valerie. She needed to break out of her shell, or else she'd be shipped off to parts unknown. And while the opportunity to have a room to myself was certainly appealing, I wasn't about to sacrifice the closest thing I had to a true family member in order to get it. There was nothing sentimental in it, just a pure need to preserve a valuable subordinate. This was a problem that I needed to solve. And thankfully, I had just the solution to it.
Alexia Ashford.
Looking back to Lord Henry's little chat with Doctor Marcus, I'd recognised after that my relationship with the child prodigy had given me at least some measure of protection from being exported to parts unknown. And going over my report had only hammered home the fact. It didn't make me invulnerable. Any group willing to headhunt twenty of the best children in the world, and indoctrinate them with ideals that would have made the Nazis proud, simply wasn't a group that could be trusted. But it did mean that they could be exploited. And if I'd gained value through my relationship with Alexia, then maybe establishing a relationship between her and Valerie would give the latter some much needed protection.
The biggest problem so far had been getting Alexia onboard. Sure, she'd told me to be honest with her. But I knew her well enough to know that she only did things that interested her. She had no time for niceties unless it worked in her favor. She'd proven that time and again with how she treated the various interns and temporary assistants that had come and gone over the time that I'd shared a lab with her. I knew better than to assume that she'd accept my request to meet Valerie outright.
So for the past few months I'd tried to place the idea for a meeting in her mind essentially by proxy. Usually by bringing Valerie up in tangential conversations, and essentially using her as a 'mirror' to Alexia's brother. Whenever the Ashford girl brought up a cherished memory that involved her brother -which was practically all of them- I'd bring up a similar memory with Valerie. When Alexia praised her brother's skills, I did the same with Valerie. The idea was relatively simple. If I could show that I had a similar relationship to the one that she shared with her brother, she'd probably be interested in meeting Valerie herself. And if that meeting went well, then I'd be able to prevent the loss of a valuable subordinate.
It'd taken a while to grow that seed of an idea, but eventually it bore fruit just before the end of the year. Apparently, Alfred had been released early from his boarding school in England, so he was living with Alexia in her apartment in Paris before they went home for the winter. And given the opportunity, Alexia had decided that now was a good time to set up a meeting. She was interested in meeting Valerie, and I'd displayed an interest in meeting her brother, so everything lined up perfectly. And with a bit of liaison work from Ludmila, I managed to secure Valerie for the day out.
And that led the two of us here, to probably the most expensive building I'd ever set foot in.
Alexia's apartment was located in the seventh district of the old city, the prestigious Champ de Mars. It shared the district with a number of notable landmarks, but the most impressive of all was the Eiffel Tower itself, which the apartment had an unobstructed line of sight to. The apartment itself was on the second floor, traditionally where the most valuable apartments in the building were found, as they had the most space while also being fairly easy to get to without the use of an elevator. And that also meant that they were furnished to match. The apartment had high ceilings, large windows, and enough intricate details that each room was practically a work of art. It would have been easy to just take the apartment as it was, but Alexia had added her own touch to it. And it couldn't be denied that, compared to our fairly spartan rooms at the Henry Estate, Alexia's apartment was practically a palace.
That was something which absolutely captivated Valerie, as she'd been gawking at the living room almost since we'd been let in. "This place is beautiful! There isn't anything like this at home."
"In fairness, Lord Henry had a whole mansion to worry about. Not just one apartment." I pointed out. After all, if the Lord had been able to fund the continued operation of both a mansion and a castle, then he probably had enough money to buy and furnish an apartment like this. Hell, given the location alone this place probably cost a few million dollars, which spoke to the Asford family's wealth. Assuming, of course, that the property wasn't owned by Umbrella and leased out to the young doctor.
"I just didn't expect this place to be so… fancy. When you described what an apartment was, I didn't think it would be something like this." Val continued, focusing on the various pictures and paintings on the walls. From old portraits, to relatively more modern family pictures, and a couple of more… eccentric choices.
"Well, Alexia is the kind of person that likes to keep up appearances. So I guess that she'd put effort into making this place look nice." I shrugged, before leaning back on the couch that we'd been directed to take a seat on by one of the house staff before they all promptly cleared off, along with Ludmila and Valerie's handler, Miss Holtz. Providing us with the privacy that the Ashfords demanded. Though if I was honest, I half expected them to just be bundled into the room next door, just in case they were needed.
Out of the corner of my eye, I clearly saw Valerie raise an eyebrow at me, before cocking her head to the side, in the direction of a cabinet that held one of Alexia's more… questionable inclusions. "Should I mention the dolls?"
"Don't mention the dolls." I flatly denied her, before addressing the other questionable choice of decor. "Or the bugs, for that matter."
Alexia Ashford was good at a lot of things. But apparently, interior decoration was something that she'd missed out on. Most of the room and likely the rest of the apartment by extension was fine. The combination of a French apartment with Old English furniture was odd, but the interior designer had done a good job in making it work. And there were some more traditional decorations sprinkled in amongst them, like pictures of family members and a big painting of a woman that sort of resembled Alexia. But the two things that really stood out to us had been things that could only have been personal touches from the Ashford girl. Cases with preserved bug specimens, weird paintings, and a cabinet full of blonde porcelain dolls. Of the two, the dolls were the ones that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on edge the most. Most of them were female -just going off the dresses- with long blonde hair that gave them a striking resemblance to either Alexia or the woman in the portrait. But even a curious glance confirmed that they weren't all uniform. I hadn't had a good chance to look at them, but I could have sworn that at least one of them had short hair that looked strangely familiar.
Thankfully, we didn't have to wait under the gaze of those unseeing eyes for too much longer before one of the doors deeper in the apartment opened, and the Ashford twins stepped out.
The first out was Alexia, the child prodigy who I'd managed to strike up a friendship with in spite of the odds. She confidently strode into the room, a boy that I took to be her brother following a few steps behind her. She wore a polite smile on her face, which made her seem a bit more welcoming than usual, though I couldn't be sure if she was doing it just to be polite. Either way, I returned the smile and stood as she greeted us. "Tanya, how wonderful to see you again. It's nice to see you outside of work hours for a change."
"The pleasure is mine, my friend. It's even rarer to see you let your hair down." I replied with a genuine smile. As this meeting wasn't taking place in a workplace setting, the usual hierarchy from the lab was gone. Right now, we were just four kids in a fancy room. Nobody had an intrinsic advantage over the other. And while I wasn't going to push it, it at least meant that I could afford to be a bit more relaxed than usual.
"Well, we do have to maintain our appearances, don't we?" The Ashford girl returned, before turning her attention to Valerie. Her eyes quickly darted across my adoptive sister as the older girl took her in. Alexia was very good at masking her body language, but I had a lot more experience with reading people than she did, so I spotted the moment when her smile truly became artificial. Nonetheless, she still greeted Valerie with a smile and a polite tone of voice. "And this must be the sister that I've heard so much about. I've been curious to meet you, Valerie. Tanya speaks highly of you."
"That's right. It's nice to finally meet you, Miss Ashford. Tanya's mentioned you a few times." Valerie politely returned the greeting, but with a stiff tone that betrayed her lack of confidence. That wasn't a good sign. Val had certainly improved over the last few months, after I'd basically pressured her into improving her relationship with her handler. But introducing her to new people wasn't something we'd been able to get around to at the mansion, and it showed in her voice.
"Only good things, I hope?" Alexia asked, with a tone that was humorous, but a look in her eye that was a lot more serious. She must have gotten a nod of confirmation from Val, as her smile crept a little bit wider after a few seconds. That, or she'd been enjoying making my sister squirm. Either way, she moved on to introducing the last person in the room, the boy that had followed behind her. "Ah, where are my manners? Tanya and Valerie Wesker, please meet my brother Alfred, the future Earl of Ashford. Brother, meet my friend Tanya and her sister Valerie."
Taking his cue, the boy stepped forwards, and gave a small bow as he became the center of attention. And almost instantly, I was struck by how similar he looked to Alexia. He was the exact same height as her, the exact same build, and had the same eyes. His facial structure was slightly different, of course, and there was the fact that he was a boy and not a girl. But even as far as twins went they were remarkably similar.
The point where they most noticeably diverged, at least in my eyes, was in how he acted. Alfred was doing his level best to match his sister's relaxed demeanor, but he was putting too much into the act. He'd puffed up his chest too much to be natural, he'd raised his chin a bit too much, his smile was a bit too wide, and he hammed up his response to cover for his insecurity. "Ah, so these are the mysterious Weskers! The brilliant Tanya and her sister Valerie. You must be quite something to have earned my sister's interest. It's a rare honor."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Alfred. Alexia has told me so much about you." I returned the greeting with a smile, and the bow with a curtsey. If Alfred wanted to play the chivalrous gentleman, then playing along would hopefully smooth things out, and it would give Valerie something to catch on to.
"Only the good things, I hope?" Alfred replied, mimicking Alexia's question to Valerie. But unlike her, he hadn't picked a soft target. And worse still, I needed to get Alexia back for putting Val on the spot a few seconds earlier.
"Would there be anything else?" I fired back, and felt a slight rush of satisfaction as Alfred's eyes widened for a second, and he spluttered out a response. I couldn't easily make out Alexia's expression from the corner of my eye, but he didn't try to bite my head off over it, so I considered it a fair victory.
"Of course not. Alfred is my knight in shining armor, after all." Alexia answered for her spluttering sibling, with a firmness in her voice that made it clear that she didn't want his character to be questioned. But that note quickly fell away, as she gestured over to the pair of couches in the middle of the living room. "Shall we sit?"
"Of course." I accepted the offer, and gestured for Valerie to sit before taking my place on the couch, while the Ashford twins occupied the one opposite us. Alexia sat directly opposite of me, and Alfred opposite of Valerie. I waited until everyone sat down, before restarting the conversation. "So, I hear that you're both heading home later this month?"
"Father wants us to return home for the winter, as it's one of the few times that we are able to see him, thanks to his work." Alexia explained, for Valerie's sake rather than mine and Alfred's. She'd already told me what was going on, and Alfred already knew for obvious reasons.
I could have left things there, but Alexia's bitter tone gave me an opportunity to continue this line of questioning a bit more before we moved on. At the very least, it meant that I could delay running out of things to talk about for a little while longer. "I take it that you don't like that?"
"Father is…" Alexia began, only to pause as she considered what to say next. It took her a few seconds, but eventually she found her words. "He tries his best, but he just isn't cut out for the work he does. I've seen the work he does, and he should be able to manage his work-life balance a lot better. If he did, we'd be able to spend much more time with him."
There was obviously some unhappiness there, though I wasn't sure if that was because Alexia didn't like the fact that her own father was so distant from her, or from the fact that he wasn't working to her standards. But that didn't extend to Alfred, who interrupted the conversation with an annoying, braying laugh, before giving his opinion on the matter. "Sometimes I wonder if we'd be better off on our own. We've always looked out for each other, and I have no doubt that Alexia could certainly do a better job than him."
"Alfred, please. If I took father's job then I'd be no better than him." Alexia shook her head, her tone lightening for just a moment as she addressed her brother, before vanishing as she turned her attention to me. "But I suppose that you're right. After all, some are born to lead, while others… follow."
I matched Alexia's gaze as the implication of her last sentence hit home. This whole thing was merely a test to her, a test of my ability to lead. But for what purpose? Was she trying to confirm that I would loyally follow her orders? Or was she looking for someone with a leadership ability to handle something for her? Ultimately I couldn't be sure, but I couldn't afford to back down right now. So I played along with her little charade for now. "It's true. Some people are born leaders. But it's just as important to look after our family, and to nurture their strengths, wouldn't you agree, Val?"
"I guess so." Valerie shyly answered, before quickly adding to her answer as all eyes in the room fell on her. "I've always relied on Tanya. She's been there for me, and I've learned a lot from her. But she's also learned some stuff from me. So I guess we make a good team."
"A team, how interesting! Alexia and I work in a similar way, though we have never needed such formalities. We simply... complement each other naturally. Isn't that right, sister?" Alfred said with an encouraging tone in his voice. He at least appeared to appreciate Val's earnest contribution to the conversation, while Alexia maintained her mask.
"Yes, we compliment each other perfectly." Alexia said with a soft smile, showing a fondness for him that I'd never seen before. "But at the same time, we've been privileged with our mutual blood. We've known eachother since the day we were born, while Tanya and Valerie were brought together only a short time ago. And I wonder if your relationship is as strong as ours?"
"Of course. We've had each other's backs through some difficult situations. Val knows her strengths, I know mine. And we both know when to seek help." I confidently replied, before giving Valerie an encouraging glance, in an attempt to bring her into the conversation. While I couldn't afford for Valerie to come across as my personal handmaid if I wanted Alexia to bring her into the fold, her question had been about our relationship. And if I was the only one talking about it, then that would send the wrong message.
"Exactly! I might not be as good as Tanya at some things, but she trusts me so much that she lets me handle things for her when she's not around. She doesn't need to leave me a list of instructions." Valerie spoke up, her voice steadier and measurably more confident than before. And I couldn't help but feel proud of that. She was adapting well to new people. Maybe there was a chance that we'd be able to break her out of her shell after all.
"Really? That's a bold claim to make." Alfred raised his eyebrow at Val's statement, and tried to keep a poker face of his own, but he was an amateur. I could easily tell that he wasn't convinced. And if he wasn't, then I could be pretty sure that Alexia wasn't either.
But if Alfred meant to make Valerie feel unsure of her stance, then he was sorely mistaken. She fixed him with a stern look, and gave him a blunt response. "Tanya's been there for me every time I've needed her. She's never betrayed me, so I will never betray her."
That finally seemed to satisfy Alfred, or at least it forced him to back down. He smiled and nodded, before giving his piece. "That's fair enough, I suppose. It's always comfortable to know your place in the grand scheme of things, even if it means surrendering control. My sister and I have always known our roles. Alexia leads, and I follow. But it's a partnership of the highest form, wouldn't you agree, dear?"
"Indeed, Alfred. A true leader doesn't just sit back and let those in need go around without guidance, she takes responsibility and leads. The relationship is... symbiotic, but always in favor of the stronger will. It's good that the two of you recognise that, and accept it." Alexia nodded, and I couldn't help but feel a bit confused at the tangent into leadership. But I didn't question it too much. At this point, the conversation was going well enough that I didn't want to rock the boat.
"True, but leadership isn't always about being in charge every moment. It's knowing when to trust that the other person can handle things without constant oversight. And knowing when to step back and to place your trust in the right people." I replied, giving more context to my relationship with Valerie, and hinting at the relationship I wanted with Alexia. I needed her to trust me, if not then I wouldn't be able to protect my most valuable subordinate.
"I suppose that's a way of putting it. Though personally, I would just call natural leadership for what it is. You're so close to…" Alexia started, only to trail off into a cough. It wasn't a cough that I found convincing, which made me pay more attention to what Alexia said next. "Ah, Alfred, would you mind fetching some drinks and some cakes please?"
"Val, would you mind helping Alfred? I'm sure that he can show you where the kitchen is." I calmly ordered my own sibling. I'd picked up on the false cough, and the fact that she was sending her brother away, and took the cues for what they were. Alexia must have wanted to talk with me in private for a minute or so, so I decided to play along by giving Valerie a similar order. Val must have missed it though, as she gave me a questioning look, which I brushed off with a smile and an idle comment. "You'll be fine. I'm sure he's harmless."
"Harmless? I think you'll find I'm much more than that." Alfred replied with feigned offense and a jovial tone. He calmly rose to his feet, and led Valerie out of the room. The two of them started chatting to themselves as they went over to one of the doors, opened it, and left for the next room.
Alexia watched the door close behind Alfred and Valerie, her gaze lingering for a moment before turning to face me. Her previous, plastic smile was gone, replaced with a genuinely curious look. She wasted no time in getting down to business. "So, Tanya, has everything lived up to your expectations so far?"
"My expectations? Weren't you the one that set up this meeting?" I replied innocently, but with a smile that told her that I knew exactly what she was getting at.
"Yes, but you sowed the seeds for it, and you would only do that if you had a reason for it. So please, indulge my curiosity." Alexia insisted, and I decided not to keep her waiting.
"In all honesty? Valerie needs to meet some new people, being cooped up and only seeing the same faces over and over wasn't doing her much good. And besides, I was… curious. About how our siblings would interact when they met. " I sat back in my chair, and met Alexia's question with the honest truth. At least, most of the truth. I didn't include the main point about wanting to get Valerie a placement at the lab to improve her value to the project.
Thankfully, that was enough to convince Alexia, as she too lent back on the couch. Relaxing against cushions that probably cost more than I'd ever earned working alongside her in the lab. "Yes, I must admit that I was also a bit intrigued about how they would stack up. It's strange, isn't it? How they both seem to follow us without question. Every order, every instruction, obeyed without a second thought."
Her smile sharpened and her eyes narrowed as she focused her full attention on me. "It's almost uncanny."
"Almost." I started my response with a smile, before casually tinting my head to the side. If Alexia wanted to try and intimidate me into slipping up, she had another thing coming. "But I imagine it's more because we understand how to lead. Some people need direction, and we provide it. Naturally, they follow."
"Naturally, yes. Though it's rare to find someone who mirrors your own experience so closely. To have someone trust you completely and without hesitation, as Alfred does for me…" Alexia paused as she studied me. She wasn't reading my expression, if anything she was taking me in again, as if I'd somehow changed in front of her eyes. It was weird, but I held my position and expression for her, and eventually she continued. "That isn't something that you can easily build in a matter of months. It takes something... more."
Frankly, I had no idea what the hell she was getting at. But I knew that she was getting at something, so I acted as if I knew what she was on about. "That's partially why I wanted this meeting. Simply comparing our siblings and how they react is one thing. But it's not just about them, is it?"
"No. I suppose it never was..." Alexia replied with a smile. A genuine smile. Her voice lost its edge, replaced by an intrigued tone. "I suspected as much. You see, Tanya, there's something... familiar about you, in a way that is hard to put into words. It isn't something I think I've ever seen before. Maybe only once before, and never in the other insignificant ants that we share the world with."
Now that took me off guard. Alexia had never struck me as the kind to needlessly praise people who didn't genuinely impress her. And with her standards as high as they were, I'd discounted the possibility of truely meeting her expectations. I had genuinely no idea what the hell she was impressed by, but it wasn't as if I could just ask. No, Now I had to stick to the lie, and hope that I could figure it out later. "I thought you might see it that way. It's why I wanted this meeting. Sure, it allows us to compare Alfred and Valerie. But also how we've changed them, and how that reflects on us."
"I must admit, Tanya. You've made this little experiment worth my time. That is a rare thing to do. Even more so when it proves your potential. Perhaps, one day, we'll see just how far that potential goes." Alexia smiled at me, grinning at me with a pleased expression, even as her tone took on a hint of a challenge. "After all, it's not often that one finds an equal."
I would have continued on. We were in a perfect position for me to finally get Valerie the posting that she needed to ensure her safety. But that was the exact moment when the door to the kitchen opened again, and our siblings walked back in. Idly chatting between themselves at the fact that there were more children in the Wesker family than just us. And from there, the conversation continued for what seemed like hours, as we told stories about our respective families, and the antics they got up to. With me and Valerie telling the story of Jonah's escape attempt, while Alfred and Alexia recounted the tale of the guard. And by the end of it, I couldn't help but feel at ease.
After all, for all of Alfred and Alexia Ashford's quirks and weirdness, they were still good kids.