Title: A Deal with the Devil
Rating: T
Genre: Drama
Disclaimer: Tanz Der Vampire and its characters belong to Roman Polanski, Jim Steinman and Michael Kunze. This fanfic is written for entertainment and I gain no financial profit by writing this.
Summary: To save Sarah's life, Alfred offers his own in her stead. This decision, however, proves to have very unexpected consequences. AU
A/N: I've become crazy. That is truly the only explanation I can think of, because Alfred/Krolock is still not my thing, yet this piece exists. I'm not sure if this is something to happen again, but I suppose you Alfred/Krolock -shippers out there should enjoy the ride before it ends.
I'd say there's some sort of Beauty and the Beast -thing going on here, and some aspects are so blatantly similar that it amazes me because that wasn't something I was going for consciously. Only when I had finished this piece did I realize it. Hopefully I managed to do something original here, however. Chapters are again mostly short, but I'll try to update often.
In any case, I hope you'll enjoy!
ETA: Many thanks to F. E. Lin 78 for comments and grammar/typo corrections!
It had seemed like such a courageous idea when Alfred had come up with it. He had even been somewhat proud of himself, because usually he didn't think himself very brave at all.
But then, ever since he had seen her for the first time, he felt like he wasn't himself anymore. Suddenly, he was doing things he wouldn't have thought of doing when he and the Professor had first left Königsberg.
Her. Sarah.
Alfred wondered if she thought of him, and the sacrifice he had made for her; it had not looked like she had truly understood it that night, but he hoped she would at some point. It was so very like her to not see the danger, Alfred thought... or maybe she did. Maybe that had been the thrill of it all.
The night was cool and quiet, with the bite of winter still evident in the air. Most of snow had melted at least, and it was easier to walk around on the castle grounds. No one shoveled snow these days any more, when the most of the castle's inhabitants were able to fly anyway.
For Alfred, it was something of a hindrance, though. Even if he was not to leave the castle, it didn't mean he had stopped appreciating fresh air. The courtyard, as impressive it had been when Alfred had first arrived here, was soon old news and he began to wish he could venture outside, beyond the imprisoning walls of this dark nest of vampires.
No, it wasn't the walls that kept him here. It was the deal he had struck with the devil.
Whether she thought of him and what he had done for her, he didn't know. Alfred himself certainly did think of what had happened, over and over again to the point of obsession. When she had appeared in that red dress, so beautiful that it had almost hurt to look at her, Alfred had known what would come to pass. He had seen the look of the predator on the face of the castle's master and heard the terrible hissing of the vampires... Without another thought, he had dashed towards the Count, tearing off his wig and tossing away the fan, effectively exposing himself. He hadn't stopped to think of how he had no weapons to fight off the tall, imposing man; rather, he had thrown himself in the front of him and begged for Sarah's life. And then he had offered his own in turn. He had known the Count had no obligation at all to listen to him, and the most likely resolution was that they all ended up as dinner, but Alfred had to at least try. As terrifying as the head vampire seemed, the young student still wanted to believe there was something decent left in the Count.
And Alfred wouldn't have cared if he had been devoured right there and then, if that would have saved her.
Of course, he could escape right now: Krolock and Herbert were both out and who knew when they would be back. Alfred had already seen that the Count could be out for hours at a time and what the vampire was doing, he didn't know.
However, Alfred never tried to leave the castle – not even in his darkest moments of despair. Not only because it was winter and he didn't want to try running in snow when he wasn't even sure which direction was safety, but because his own honor wouldn't allow it. It was probably a silly thing to hold on to when one was surrounded by vampires, but on the other hand, it was also a reason itself to grip it even tighter. It distinguished him from them.
Also, there was something Krolock had said: as long as Alfred stayed, Sarah's life was secure. But the moment he left... well, it would mean she was fair game for the master of the castle.
He knew she had tried to come back – had even heard her one night by the gates – but Krolock wouldn't let her in. Instead, he had coldly ordered her to return home and stay there. Alfred had heard her crying as she had left, and felt regret for not being able to comfort her. And yet, as much as he tried, he couldn't fathom why she would want this.
Odd it was, how he was the one who would have rather left yet remained imprisoned, when she would have gladly taken his place. If only she could understand...