Author's Note: Thank you all for pointing out my (obvious) error! QAQ I want to blame writing on little to no sleep.
Seras watched through the tiny window at the strange, surreal world just outside the plane's belly. They flew high above the cloud cover, concealing the ground below beneath a thick, fluffy layer of white. The sun, reflected by the clouds, shone as a bright yellow circle against a gorgeous blue sky. Seras was suddenly quite glad of the dark, reflective sunglasses that her master had handed to her when she asked for the window seat. She hadn't thought that the sun would be this bright, yet even with the high-powered sunglasses she still had to squint.
"Close the shade. The sun is in my eyes. Besides, you won't be able to see anything until we get across the ocean," Alucard complained quietly, nudging her in between the ribs as she leaned against the wall in an effort to see the view better. Seras made a face at him but obediently drew the small shade over the square hole and hunkered down in the seat, twiddling her thumbs. There wasn't really anything to do, and Alucard had already told her that they'd be on the plane for at least two and a half hours.
"Master, what are we going to do once we get to Italy?" Seras kicked the empty seat in front of her, looking around at the tacky wallpaper inside the cabin. She'd never flown first-class before, but it wasn't really all it was cracked up to be. Alucard had hypnotized the flight attendant into leaving them alone for the whole flight, and there was no one else in first-class seating on their flight. She didn't even have another living soul to talk to other than the man beside her (if you could call him "living").
"We're going to keep traveling on to Romania, of course." Seras gave him a deadpan look and sighed. She never could tell if he was taking her words at face-value by accident, or just teasing her.
"I meant how are we going to get to Romania? Another plane?" Alucard shook his head and laced his fingers together, mimicking her position in the seat. It was rather strange to see him pulled up with his knees against the seat in front of him; usually he sat so straight and proper, but now he looked like a grasshopper being shoved into a crevice.
"We're taking a bus until we reach the border. Then, I have arranged for a driver for us. We aren't going to be walking the countryside like a bunch of peasants." Seras looked over at him and shifted until she was facing his side.
"What's your country like, Master?" she asked eagerly. She hadn't been lying when she said she was excited. With Sir Integra gone, there wasn't anything holding her to England anymore. Her family was dead, she didn't have any friends, and the only person she ever cared about was sitting next to her. She'd already realized when she was a brand-new fledgling that she would follow her Master to the ends of the Earth, wherever his dark desires took them. Now that it was really happening, she could barely quell her anticipation.
"It's not my country. It is my land. When I ruled there, the place named Romania didn't exist. It will never belong to me." He straightened back to his full height, pulling the young woman with him. Seras let out a noise as she plopped back into the seat awkwardly, flailing in her attempt to right herself. "However, the land and the people within; they are mine and always will be." He turned to her and gave her an enigmatic look. "And soon, they will belong to you as well."
"Oh?" Seras finally managed to twist forward in the seat, rubbing her shoulder where she'd banged it against the seat in front of her. Damned tiny things-weren't first class seats supposed to be spacious? "Why is that?"
"You will learn soon enough, Seras." Her master turned to gaze into the aisle, a melancholy look on his features. Seras blinked at him before shrugging and lifting the shade to peer out at the sky again. It was clear he didn't want to hear her questions anymore. Still… what did he mean? Oh, right; he said he'd explain things when we touched down. I guess I'll just have to wait a little longer. Oh well. She smiled at the sun, enjoying the warmth on her face despite her master's earlier warnings about sunburn on her pale skin. It was very nice, flying.
"Come on," Alucard growled as he tugged her along. "Do you want to be burned?" He was dragging her through the busy streets, snapping impatiently whenever she tried to stop and look at something new. Seras really couldn't help herself; it was all so foreign and she couldn't look fast enough to catch all the amazing things happening in every direction of the bustling marketplace. Finally he practically jerked her arm out of its socket as he made a final effort to get her to the bus stop. He paid the counter machine for the both of them and stuffed her into a seat, allowing her to look out the window like she had on the plane. She had a lot less questions when she was preoccupied with a view.
The Italians, like the other humans, avoided the strangely dressed pair until it was absolutely necessary to sit in front of them. Alucard had returned to his crimson garb and Seras was bundled up enough to look as though she were about to go skiing, despite the humid weather. It was obvious they were foreigners, one chattering along in rapid English and pointing out the window while the other simply listened with a pained expression, as though he'd rather throw her off the bus.
"Oh, Master! Look at all that fish! I've never seen an open fish market before; it's so exotic!" Seras' face was pressed against the glass as the bus pulled out of the station and moved slowly through the town.
"What does it matter? You can't eat it anyway." Alucard shifted closer to her as a group of American tourists got on the bus, hitting other people with their bags unintentionally and talking loudly on cell phones and with each other. He snarled at one young woman, who simply tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and flipped him off. Seras grabbed his arm as he made to lunge out of the seat.
"Oh, leave her alone. You started it; don't make a scene," she whispered. She shot the blonde a venomous look and yanked her master closer, keeping a strong hold on his arm. Alucard narrowed his eyes before grumbling under his breath and worming his arm around her waist.
"You can't stop me if she disappears," he snarled. He shot her another glance and patted her thigh. "You must feed soon." Seras looked at him in surprise. She'd been so excited about seeing Europe that she'd forgotten all about eating anything. Now that he'd mentioned it, she was famished. Her stomach answered her thoughts and she blushed, but without any blood it was only the barest pink across her nose.
"I guess you're right, but… I don't want to eat any innocent humans…" she murmured to his buttons, refusing to look him in the eyes as she admitted her weakness. She heard him scoff and he leaned in even closer, his mouth widening in a smirk. She pulled away and he cornered her against the side of the bus.
"Then where will we get food, picky childe? Will we break into prison every time we need a snack? We don't get charity handouts anymore." Seras shook her head and he leaned in even closer before freezing as a thick hand landed on his shoulder. They both looked up to see one of the Americans, a burly man with glasses, glaring at them with his lips set in a thin line.
"Hey buddy," he growled warningly in a thick Southern accent. He looked around Alucard's hat to address Seras. "Hey sweetie, this guy bothering you? Do you need some help?" Seras felt a shiver of fear for the man. Alucard was sure to kill the poor man, just because he interfered like a true gentleman should. She shook her head quickly, sitting forward to gently pull his hand off of her master's coat before he lost it.
"I'm fine, my husband was just teasing me," she lied easily. "I'm such a picky eater sometimes, and he gets annoyed. Thank you, though. That was kind of you, stepping in even though you didn't have to." She smiled cheerfully at him, sensing Alucard's rage dim only somewhat as she tried to diffuse the situation. The American looked between the two of them before staring deep into Seras' eyes. After a moment he nodded and stepped away, pulling his ball cap securely over his doe eyes. Seras turned back around and sat upright, coughing quietly. She could still feel the waves of anger radiating from her Sire.
Master, I'm sure he was only-
Shut up!The harsh tone was like a spear and immediately a headache started to pound in her temples. She turned to the window and watched the hills roll by, wiping away her silent tears as they fell and not bothering to hide her hurt from his mind.
The bus stopped for the night at a modest motel and the passengers filed off happily, eager to stretch their legs after the long ride. Seras followed behind Alucard as they checked into a room, her eyes downcast as she followed him to the lift. Her stomach was still growling, but she wasn't looking forward to the feast that was sure to come. She knew he would force her to eat something, because they didn't have the coffins at the moment and with the way she was, she'd have to be carried out to the bus the following day.
Seras thought about refusing to go with Alucard when he announced he was going to eat, instead saving her mind the horror and choosing her own food from the scum littering the streets. At second thought, she wondered if it was such a good idea to go alone. What if she ate bad blood, and ended up with an overdose of something unknown in her system that would leave her addicted? What if she got drunk off an alcoholic's blood and lay in a gutter, only to burn at the sun's first light? She wondered if Alucard would come to find her. She wordlessly picked herself from where she was laying on the edge of one of the pristine beds and trailed behind out the door and down the hallway.
They walked out of the hotel and into the dimly lit streets. The streetlamps didn't provide enough light and most of the shops were closed, only the bars casting multi-colored rays into the twilight. Seras lifted her head, an idea coming to mind and she stopped, doubling back towards the motel. Alucard looked back questioningly and she smiled, waving her hand dismissively.
"If you don't mind, I want to hunt for myself tonight. I want to test out my hypnotizing powers on my own. I'll meet back up with you at the room before dawn." He eyed her a moment and his mind shoved into hers, searching in every corner for some sort of hidden motive. After a moment he nodded and kept walking.
Don't dawdle. We must rest before time to leave in the morning. Seras smiled and began a slow jog in the opposite direction. It was just too easy for her to lie, even to her master. She was going to eat, but the plan forming in her mind was probably going to get her into trouble anyway.
She hadn't lied: she was testing her powers, but the American was still coherent enough to understand what she was doing. He was staring at her, tears flowing down his face. His large brown eyes begged for her to release him, although she made sure he couldn't talk or scream. She knelt beside him and felt the tears flowing from her own eyes, wiping them away as she tried to explain in a broken voice.
"If it's not me, he will torment you. You got in his way, no matter how kind it was of you to. I'm so, so sorry." She sniffed and wiped the tears away from his cheeks. "I promise that you won't feel any pain. I won't let you. If he'd been doing this, your last moments on Earth would have been hell. I'm doing you a favor, honestly." No matter how much she explained, she knew that he'd never accept any excuse as to why she was murdering him in the back alley, away from any prying eyes. She knew; hadn't she been there herself, just with another setting, another backdrop for the same damned story? "I don't ask for your forgiveness. You can't give it to me, and I understand that. I just hope… if you want, you can take the time to pray to whatever god you worship. Otherwise, I'll try to be quick."
The man looked at her and blinked slowly, consideration etched into his features. He realized that she wasn't kidding; he was dying right then. He closed his eyes and after a long moment, he nodded and arched back his neck. She bit into it quickly, transmitting thoughts of painless peace through the bite to his mind. He relaxed in her arms and she drank quietly, feeling his breath grow faint and eventually stop. She kept drinking and something slipped into her mind. She stopped; cutting out of the neck and feeling the man's presence join Pip's in the back of her mind. He brushed through her memories briefly and his understanding and acceptance flowed through her, causing her tears to start anew. He knew now that she wasn't lying; her master would have tortured him. He caressed her mind once more, the feelings of sympathy and forgiveness rushing through his blood before he was gone to whatever afterlife awaited him. She let him leave her, sitting quietly as the blood settled into her bloodstream. Its energy revived her and she felt better, less sluggish.
"What have you done?!" she heard the vicious snarl behind her and didn't flinch. She was prepared for this. A gloved hand grabbed her shoulder and threw her against the alleyway wall, the shadows jumping from the garbage-filled streets to hold her there as Alucard examined the corpse. At the sight of the lifeless body, he roared in anger and turned to her with vengeance flashing in his eyes. "I should tear your skull off your head! Who do you think you are?!"
"He didn't deserve what you had in mind for him! I saved him pain; he was only being nice to me, so I returned the favor." She tried to look brave despite the fear bubbling in her gut. A fist smashed into the wall inches from her head and she flinched, trying to hold back another wave of tears as she trembled beneath the shadows.
"And so you thought to bypass your master-your creator-and do what you wanted? Even though you knew my will, you still dared to defy me? When have you held power over me, little girl?" He was nose-to-nose with her, his fist still embedded in the wall as he tore into her verbally. She couldn't feel her legs anymore; they'd gone weak with fear and it took all she had to look him in the eyes. His face was twisted in wrath, teeth glinting in the light as his lips curled in anger.
"I-I'm sorry…" she whimpered, a lone tear working its way along her wet nose and down her cheek, hanging at the edge of her face. He watched it before his eyes trailed up to meet hers. Something flickered deep within them-guilt?-before they hardened again and he let her slip to the ground, his shadows covering the corpse and leaving no trace that the man had ever been there.
"Never defy me again, do you understand?" He stood with his back to her, facing the glowing lights beyond the midnight. Seras stood and walked over to follow close behind them as he led the way back to the motel.
"Yes sir."
"A carriage?!" Seras stood and looked at the jet-black horses hooked to the box-on-wheels. They all looked back at her with the same amount of confusion and awe, as if they weren't expecting to see a tiny blonde shouting at them. "Master, how is this inconspicuous?" Alucard walked over and patted the horse on the left, scratching behind its ears when it lowered its head.
"I never said a damn thing about being inconspicuous, Police Girl. In fact, I want to make an impression. It's quite amusing." Seras groaned and hopped up and down, trying to look inside the carriage and failing. The teenage driver watched her boobs bounce and blushed deeply before coughing and pulling his pageboy hat down over his eyes. He murmured something to Alucard, who answered back in the same language before pulling Seras over to the door. The driver opened the door and held out his hand to help Seras get up into the cabin and she tripped, falling face-onto the boy. He turned even redder (if it was even possible) and she turned a shade of pink herself, squealing an apology and pulling herself into the cabin. The driver shook his hands and chattered in Romanian before jumping back as Alucard pulled himself up behind her. He shut the door and gave it a wary glance before kissing the cross around his neck and getting into his seat.
The young boy cracked his whip at the horses and Seras shrieked as the carriage lurched forward and she ended up sprawled in her master's lap. She swore deeply as he cackled with laughter and pushed herself back into her seat. After another few moments she let out a disgruntled huff.
"This isn't the best way to travel. You feel every bump in the road," she complained, bouncing around on her seat. Alucard eyed her breasts mockingly and leered, saying nothing. She kicked him lightly with her boot and sighed, turning her attention to the bouncing landscape. It was rather nice; fields and farmlands with little villages dotting the horizon. "I thought that Dracu-well, you lived in the mountains?"
"I do. We are currently in the plains, but soon we will be at the Carpathians. Then we are almost home." He looked out the window at the flatlands and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It has been… a long time since I've seen this place. I am anxious to be home, but first we're making a quick stop. You will be in need of a maid."
"A maid? I can take care of myself." Seras crossed her arms and tried to look cross. He shook his head.
"In our laws, which you will learn of soon enough, a servant is a symbol of status. The Queen's servant is always the eldest daughter of a certain household; it has been since the earliest days. She is well prepared from her birth for her role as your caretaker and companion throughout her mortal life."
"Why on earth would someone allow their human daughters to be given to vampires? Wouldn't they be afraid that we'd just eat them?" It hurt to say, but Seras had a feeling that if other vampires were as ruthless as Alucard made them out to be, no mother in her right mind would let their daughters be given over as walking meals. Alucard heard her thoughts and shrugged.
"Perhaps, but by doing so they are granted protection. We don't eat of their family while they belong in a covenant with us. Besides, it's not always the eldest daughter. That's only for the Queen." Seras nodded slowly. It was a different culture, after all. Perhaps in Romania, giving up your children to save your family was commonplace. Something kept nagging at the back of her mind and she cleared her throat, looking at her master shyly.
"I understand, it's just- am I really a queen? I thought to be a No-Life-Queen I'd have to drink your blood too. I'm not sure if I'm prepared to do that." Alucard looked at her strangely and she returned his stare uncertainly. The silence between them slipped from uncomfortable to just plain awkward and she squirmed in the seat, her hands clasped in her lap.
"To be recognized as a full-fledged Nosferatu, you'd have to drink of my blood and become free from my control, yes. But that does not make you a queen, Seras." Seras looked up at him and furrowed her brows. He was just contradicting himself, right? He told her-but when she thought back to his little blood-speech at Badrick, she found that he was right. He'd never really said that she'd be a queen, only a true nightwalker in her own right. Powerful and singular… but the blood had clearly spelled out "No Life King" on those rotting floorboards. What sort of plan did he have in mind for her: since the beginning, was she to become something she had no knowledge of? If drinking his blood didn't make her a queen, how-
Seras looked up at him, comprehension flowing into her brain like blood from a seeping wound. He was going to-he wanted her to-she began to quiver, her mind becoming overloaded with contradicting emotions as it became clear; the puzzle pieces of his brilliant, convoluted little plan falling into place and she did something she'd never done before in all her life: she fainted.
Afterword: Yes, I'm leaving it there! Mwahahaha!
Thanks everyone for the reviews, favorites, and follows. I really enjoy seeing that people like my story (even if you all don't always tell me so.) Hope to see you back again for Chapter 3!