The Lonely Madman

Angsty Alfred, missing his favourite person.

I was going to scrap this because I didn't like the original sketch I'd made, but it kept nagging at me, so I decided to see it through to the end. I'm glad that I persevered with it now.

I'd place this sometime before Alfred developed that split personality. This is one of his loneliest days, going back to his empty mansion on that isolated island of his. Alfred would be sitting in his dimly lit room re-reading Alexia's message card (that he's probably read a million times over), looking back at those old faded photographs and thinking back on times long since past. Most likely thinking in circles, going over his memories again and again, almost as if by doing that, he'll be able to bring Alexia back that way. Thinking obsessively, for such a long time, like that can tend to distort memories, and it isn't any wonder that Alfred forgot exactly where Alexia was.

'Did she die?'
Maybe that was a thought that crossed Alfred's mind. It would've been an unbearable thought for him and strongly conflicting with the truth buried deep within himself, but with having to fool the outside world into believing she was dead, he had to convince others that he believed it himself. Although, Alfred was well aware of the fact that Alexia wasn't dead, 15 years is a long time to pretend and it must've caused doubts to form in his mind. Still, he'd hate if that had been true, so I imagine that because he found that thought so terrible and completely impossible, he started believing that Alexia had either come back to him or that she'd been with him the whole time.

But at this moment, he knows he is truly alone.

Oh! And in case anyone doesn't know and is wondering what Alexia's message card says...

My Dear Brother,

I firmly believe that the glory of the Ashford
family will be revived through your courage
and strength as an honoured soldier.

Yours faithfully,
Alexia Ashford