That night, after the welcome feast, dessert and toasts, the Forbes household was led down the hall to the guest rooms in which they would be staying. Locked in the highest tower of the castle, Stefan sat hunched over his desk; one hand holding a pen that was scribbling furiously in a journal, the other hand clenched around a glass filled with an amber liquid that seemed forgotten, at least for now. It was only when he tore up the paper he was writing on that Stefan realized how upset he truly was. He leaned back in his chair and downed his glass of whiskey in one gulp. The burning in his throat and stomach was a welcome distraction from the tornado of memories racing through his mind. He sighed, turning away from the newspaper and dropping his head into his hands. Images flashed through the darkness of his eyelids, images he wished he could erase for eternity. He could hear her laughing in his ears, feel the soft curves of her body as he lifted her in his arms, and see her warm brown eyes looking up at him through a haze of thick smokey lashes. Stefan frowned, opening his eyes to find. the only thing that could console him when he drifted into these dangerous areas of his memories. As he poured himself another glass of sweet, honey-colored liquor, Stefan's eyes instinctively found the edge of a painting protruding from its hiding place. He knew he shouldn't have, he knew he should have gotten rid of that photo with the others. He downed the rest of his whiskey and reached across his desk to retrieve the drawing. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at him. It had been painted at one of their last meetings, a winter ball. He spun her in the air, looking at her as if she were in the middle of a sheet of paper...on his shoulder. “How could I be so blind?” » Stefan exclaimed, exasperated. “I have been so selfish, drowning in my sorrows day after day.” "You have every right to do so, my friend, anyone who has had their heart ripped out by a she-devil would surely understand." to Alex, “is that what you call it now?” “Oh, I have a lot of words for her, I thought that would be the least offensive at this point,” Alex shrugged. "Today was also the first time I saw you smile in months, Stef. You need to get out of this cave and start living again. Now, what kind of friend would I be if I didn't help you can't get out of this mess you're in?" With that, he stood up from his seat, an unmistakable glint of mischief in his eyes. With a wiggle of his eyebrows and a wink, he continued: "He is. time to pull yourself together, Stefan won't be here forever, you know;.”