I'll be Home for Christmas

Edinburgh, Scotland, December, 1903

Chapter 1

The Train To Wales

As sixteen-year-old Apollo stood at the ticket counter with his little ten-year-old servant, Aelfric, he had an overwhelming desire to buy a ticket for Brenhamshire, Scotland rather than Cardiff, Wales. But Christmas was a far bigger deal in Wales than it was in Scotland. They would arrive in Wales two days before Christmas, and catch a train to Scotland the day after Christmas. He couldn’t wait to introduce Aelfric to his godfather, Brendan, and his two godbrothers, Beren and Brendan Jr, aka Pipsqueak. And Hogmanay was a big deal in Scotland. He couldn’t wait to see Aelfric’s eyes the first time he saw the celebrations.

But at the moment it was right cold out, and there was a bite to the air.

~🚂~

Apollo had insisted that Aelfric wear a jumper over a button-up, over long underwear. He then put a warm hat and scarf, as well as mittens on him, on top of his thick coat.

As they had been getting ready to leave their flat, Aelfric had joked, “If you put one more thing on me, I’m going to roll away like a ball of yarn.”

Apollo had simply laughed and put his own coat, hat, scarf, and gloves on.

“You’re tall enough to not look like a ball,” Aelfric continued. “I’m almost as wide as I am tall in this.”

“Well, at least you’ll be a warm ball of yarn,” Apollo teased, pulling the scarf up over Aelfric’s nose before opening the door to walk the several blocks to the station.

Aelfric had smiled and reached down to pick up his carpet bag, only to find that Apollo had already picked it up.

“You lock the door and I’ll handle the bags,” Apollo winked.

~🚂~

Now as they stood in the queue to buy tickets Aelfric was glad that Apollo had insisted he wear so many layers. Once they were on the train he could take a couple layers off and leave them in their sleeper compartment, or his carpet bag, but for now he felt like a toasty ball of yarn.

This time when they bought a ticket, Apollo was able to get a first class double sleeper. And when they boarded the train they each had a carpet bag with pyjamas and two changes of clothes. Aelfric had left Teddy, his stuffed bear sitting on his bed, guarding their flat while they were gone, so Apollo had secreted a couple gifts for Aelfric in the trunk he had sent ahead of them. It already had his parents and his siblings gifts packed in it.

When they reached their compartment it felt roomy compared to the previous one. There were two bunks and a small wash basin, so Apollo, being much taller, set his bag on the top bunk.

“I’ll have a far easier time reaching the bunk,” he smiled.

“But I have an easier time climbing and crawling around,” Aelfric argued.

Apollo picked him up, setting him on the top bunk. “There, now you can’t get down.”

Aelfric laughed and swung onto the ladder. “You’ll have to do a lot better than that if you want to trap me.”

Apollo pulled him into a one armed hug. “Okay, you can have the top bunk,” he chuckled, tossing Aelfric’s bag on his bunk and moving his own to the bottom. “Let’s go to the dining car and have some dinner.”

~🚂~

The next morning Apollo lay in his bunk, dread gnawing at the edges of his mind. The last thing he wanted to do was go home, and less so with Aelfric in tow. Artemis had always been a good sister and good to her servants, but his father, mother, and little brother were horrid to the servants. The last thing he wanted was them treating Aelfric the same way they treated the rest of the staff.

As he lay there, trying to brainstorm ideas on how to protect Aelfric, he heard him moving around on the bunk above him, then saw his feet swing over the edge and come down the ladder.

“Get dressed and we’ll go to the dining car for breakfast,” Apollo told him, sitting up and grabbing his bag.

Aelfric chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s getting harder and harder to get up before you do.”

“You need your sleep more than I do,” Apollo argued. “You’re still growing.”

“And you’re not?” Aelfric asked.

“Not as much nor as quickly. Get dressed, Elf.”

“That’s elf king to you,” Aelfric giggled, and climbed onto his bunk.

“We never should have looked up the meaning of our names,” Apollo chuckled, but he couldn’t be prouder of his little elf king.

~🚂~

By the time they sat down to breakfast they were both dressed in casual suits, Aelfric’s short, thick, black hair combed and pomaded to perfection. It had taken them far longer to get Apollo’s hair under control, but his dark curls were pomaded back and now hung to his shoulders. He was a little nervous for how his parents would react to him growing it out, but he liked it, and Aelfric was learning how to help him properly care for it. He hoped that his mother and Artemis could give him tips and tricks, as their hair was the same texture but always looked perfect.

Apollo found himself becoming more and more tense as he recognised the approach to their stop, and found himself fiddling with his carpet bag in anticipation.

“You aren’t looking forward to going home?” Aelfric finally asked, breaking him out of his trance.

Apollo shook his head, feeling a bit ashamed. “I know it’s home, but I’ve never felt at home there. I promise to take you to Brenhamshire the day after Christmas. There is no place else that I’ve ever felt more at home than there. And I just know the Brennus’ are going to love you!”

Aelfric flashed a smile, but Apollo could tell that it was just for show. Aelfric was just as nervous, if not more so than him, to be going home. Apollo already couldn’t wait to leave, and they hadn’t even arrived yet.

This was not boding well for it being a merry Christmas, but it was looking like it could be a very good New Year. Especially seeing as they would be looking forward to being gone from his parents for almost four months.

~🚂~

The train station was small with a brick ticket office and a small stream of smoke coming from the chimney. When the train pulled up to their platform there was only one man standing there, wearing an ill fitting coat and a cap with a visor. He looked nervously at the train, and when he didn’t see anyone, put his hands to his ears like he was warming them.

“Looks like Bampas sent a driver for us, but didn’t dress him warmly enough,” Apollo sighed, snatching up his bag and standing as the train came to a stop. “We should hurry so that he can get home where it’s warm.”

Aelfric nodded and quickly followed him but did not look eager.

The driver stepped forward as they disembarked, asking, “Do you have any luggage?”

“One trunk,” Apollo answered, as a porter brought it over to them. “I’ll help you with it, as it’s rather large.”

The driver looked surprised but grateful, as they each took one end, strapping it to the back of the buggy.

“There are warm blankets in the cab,” the driver told him. “It’ll be about an hour until we get to the manor.”

Apollo looked at him, then sighed. “Lets go inside and warm up before leaving.”

“I can stand out here to keep your things safe,” the driver offered.

“You miss my point,” Apollo answered, side-eying him as he took a deerstalker from his carpet bag. He handed it to Aelfric and put both carpet bags in the cab. He then put an arm around the driver’s shoulders, handing him the hat and leading him into the ticket office. “You look cold, and that hat is useless in this weather.”

“True.” the driver chuckled. “Thank you.”

Apollo put the drivers coat and the deerstalker in front of the small stove while the driver warmed up so that the heat would remain longer. When they left, Apollo quickly got himself and Aelfric into the cab so that the driver could take off before the cold crept in.