Persecution
Disclaimer: Castlevania belongs to Konami, not me. I am making £0.00 out of this fic, it is written purely because I have a burning need to create. Although I would like to own Alucard . . . then he'd be mine.
Rating: PG-13
Chapter: 3 of 4
Setting: Post SOTN.
Italics = thoughts and flashbacks
Chapter Three
"Richter," Annette called.
"No," Richter mumbled from the bedroom. "Too early for Richter."
"The roof is still leaking," Annette said, standing over the bed her husband still slept in.
"You're imagining things," Richter said, his voice muffled by his pillow. "I fixed it yesterday."
"She's not, Richter." Maria said sticking her head around the door. "There is a big puddle in the kitchen, Alucard's looking for the mop."
"It's in the cupboard by the washroom," Annette called out into the kitchen. Richter groaned and threw an arm over his eyes.
"Can I at least get dressed before you shove me out onto the roof again," Richter said.
"Alright," Annette smirked. "But only because it's raining, and I don't want you catching your death."
"Your very kind, love," Richter said. Annette and Maria left Richter to dress and walked out into the kitchen where the large puddle had been cleaned away and a bucket sat in its place collecting water.
"Thank you," Annette said smiling at Alucard who had sat at the table.
"My mother had a small cottage in the forest, she had a similar problem with rain. We found that oilskins from the mermen worked well."
"What?" Maria made a disgusted face. "Skins?"
"Yes," Alucard nodded. "The mermen shed their skins every year as they grow, they're very water repellent as I'm sure you can imagine. Fath … We layered them over the roof and it didn't need repairs after that."
"Hard to imagine your father fixing roofs," Annette offered a small smile and turned to the cooker. "Maria, can you get the eggs?"
"Got them already," Maria put the small container of eggs on the side. "Best-Girl hasn't laid any for a few days now."
"She's getting old, poor thing," Annette said.
"She'll be lunch soon," Richer said heading through the kitchen to sit at the table.
"No, she won't!" Annette snapped. "Not Best-girl."
"Annette, I told you not to name them," Richter said.
"I haven't named the others," Annette said. "You're not eating Best-girl." Richter sighed loudly.
"You're a bad farmer."
"I'm an excellent farmers wife," Annette said. "No go out and fix the roof."
"Breakfast," Richter said doing his best to look utterly devastated.
"You'd best hurry then," Annette said firmly. "Or it'll be cold when you come back." Richter looked at his wife for a long moment before relenting. Alucard stood with him, silently offering help. "Oh no, you don't." Annette snapped "You sit down." Alucard sat.
"It would go faster with …" he managed.
"I don't care, he threatened Best-girl, he can go and do this himself," Annette said firmly.
"So cruel," Richter said heading outside.
"It is raining," Maria said after a moment. "The buckets almost full already." Annette stared at her sister for a moment before relenting.
"Fine," she said facing Alucard. "You can help him, but make sure he knows I'm still mad."
"Very well, my lady," Alucard stood, dipped his head in a miniature bow and left the kitchen.
"He's still bowing," Annette said.
"I think it's cute, how many farmers wives can say they've had princes bow to them," Maria said.
"He's doing it because he's awkward still," Annette said.
"He's doing better," Maria said. "That was just a tiny bow."
"He still won't talk about his family, not really. He's expecting us to panic and set on him I can tell," Annette said.
"He's getting better," Maria said. "He just needs time to realize that he's safe here. Come on can you imagine him talking about using monster skins to weatherproof a roof last week?"
"No," Annette laughed. "The idea of his father scrambling about on a cottage roof is funny though."
"I know," Maria laughed. "I bet he was terrible at it."
"Probably," Annette said. "Would you mind keeping an eye on them? I don't want the hole getting bigger." Maria nodded and grabbing her coat headed out into the garden. She spotted Alucard standing by the house near where the hole was and watching Richter as he lugged the ladder and materials over to the house.
"What are you doing?" Alucard said softly, Richter gave him a long-suffering look.
"Getting the ladder," Richter muttered, "fix the hole, usually get hurt or wet and sick."
"You need a ladder?" Alucard said. "I've seen you jump that high before."
"Not with all the gear I need to fix things," Richter said. "Also, adrenaline helps, I can do lots of things when fighting that I can't do normally." Maria watched as Alucard seemed to consider this, then turning and facing the house leaped vertically upwards with as much effort as it took her to step over a crack in the cobbles. Maria watched dumbfounded as he walked around on the roof tiles with the confidence of a cat. She lost sight of him as he moved towards the back of the house.
"I found it," he called after a moment. "It's quite small, we should be able to cover it." Alucard's head peered over the edge of the tiles. "If you have something to cover it with."
"How did you get up there?" Richter shouted.
"He jumped," Maria laughed, "just bounced on up." She pulled the tarp from under Richter's arm and held it up to Alucard. His booted feet hit the grass with a muffled thump, he took the tarp from her and nails when Richter offered them. Maria and Richter watched as he bounded back up to the roof.
"You forgot the hammer," Richter called. There was the sound of tarp ripping and nails being pressed into the wood supporting the tiles. Then he was back, handing the left-over tarp back to Richter and looking a little smug at the impressed looks on their faces.
"It should hold for the season, but you will want to check it when the summer comes, merman skin would be better." He still looked smug, "also I have never done such a thing before there are bound to be mistakes."
"Um ...thank you," Richter said after a moment, Alucard smiled and nodded. Maria was practically bouncing. She had been so worried he wouldn't be able to find his place here, that he would deliberately alienate himself, but it seemed he was making an effort to not only live here as a guest but to become a proper member of the smallholding, working towards making life better for all of them.
She was starting to believe that they could have a life together.
"Did you fix the roof already?" Annette asked when they entered the kitchen.
"Yup," Maria was still beaming, she reached across and brushed rain from Alucard's shoulder. "We managed easily." Annette nodded and went back to her cooking. Maria smiled wider at the smell of bacon and moved to help her sister in law.
"How are the eggs?" she asked.
"Just a few more minutes," Annette said. "I've made a start on dinner as well if you're bored you could chop the vegetables."
"Come," Richter nudged Alucard to the table. "Almost time for breakfast." The two men sat, Richter lifted the pitcher of warm ale and poured two glasses. Alucard glared at the cup before turning his attention to Maria who was frying bacon.
"Why do you use oil?" he asked. Maria smiled, apparently, Alucard had always enjoyed solid food but had never eaten it cooked before, the meat was eaten raw and vegetables were avoided altogether. She was enjoying educating him about the benefits of cooked meat and stewed vegetables, although getting him to eat carrots had been a debate. His constant curiosity was endearing.
"We use oil, so the meat won't dry out," Maria smiled and lifted and onion and a knife, dropping it in front of him she grinned.
"Should have kept quiet friend," Richter snickered sipping his ale. Maria smiled recalling last night's dinner. It was the first time she heard him laugh when the stew she was cooking all but exploded after he left the lid covering the pot on for far too long. They were both covered in gravy and Maria had diced carrots in her hair. She had not been amused; it was dangerous to waste food. But she revised her opinion when he started to chuckle. She decided that she would get him to help in the kitchen more when he outright started to roar with laughter when he noticed the carrots in her hair.
"Chop," Maria ordered. Alucard lifted the knife and sliced into the onion tentatively while Richter continued to snicker. He flinched as the smell of the onion made it to his nose.
"It smells," Alucard muttered. "Wow, it really smells."
"Hurry up and slice it thin, once we've had breakfast and got this prepared we can go into the village." Maria returned to the bacon and took it off the heat.
"The village?" Richter raised an eyebrow.
"I don't think that would be wise," Alucard muttered.
"Yes," Annette said. "We need supplies, the rainy season is almost over and we're running low. We need to prepare for the snow." Annette took the pot off the heat and turned to face them. "We've got enough money spare that we could spend some time in the tavern,"
"Sold," Richter laughed.
"Ale tastes of old cloth," Alucard muttered. "I don't think it is a wise idea for me to accompany you."
"Why not?" Maria said, her tone making the half-blood smile a little. She liked it when he smiled and apparently, he found her occasional child-like tendencies amusing. She had been behaving more and more juvenile since he had come to them. Annette had said that she would drive him mad within a week behaving as such, but so far that hadn't happened.
"It would be a needless risk," Alucard explained. "You may look at me and see a creature that is half yours but believe me when I say that you are the exception."
"You can't spend the rest of your life on the smallholding," Maria grumbled, Alucard rolled his eyes. "I promise that when you come the moment we see any kind of suspicious behavior we will leave."
"It's not good enough, they will come looking once they know I am here," Alucard said, Maria flinched a little at the growl in his voice. But more than fear it invoked anger in her, how dare he assume they could not keep him safe. Fortunately, Annette beat her to the punch.
"No, they won't," Annette said firmly. "This isn't a discussion, we need you to come."
"She's right," Richter smiled. "We'll need another pair of hands if we're going to get all the supplies in one go. We need your help."
"Thank you, Richter," Maria looked smug, Alucard frowned. He knew that Richter was simply saying that to gain favor with his wife and Maria, but it was difficult to refuse the man who had taken him into his home.
"But it might be ... unwise to go as you are now," Richter said slowly as if worried he would offend. Alucard simply looked puzzled. "You'll need a change of clothes; we don't get many lords around here."
"I am no Lord," Alucard said.
"True, you are a prince," Richter looked uncomfortable. Annette sighed.
"Your clothes cost more than most houses," she said straightforwardly. "People will notice that."
"As I have said," Alucard began but was cut off.
"Not another word!" Maria growled, Richter looked impressed when Alucard felt silent as she ordered. "People would notice the clothes and we would get robbed. Now stop looking for excuses and go get changed. Richter can lend you something I'm sure." she grinned as she was obeyed.
"I'm never getting my breakfast, am I?" Richter muttered as he followed Alucard out of the kitchen.
"Well done," Annette said when Alucard and Richter were out of earshot. "You sounded almost as scary as mother."
"Don't mess with me," Maria laughed, then sniffed at the sudden and overpowering smell of burning. "The eggs!"
End Chapter Three
Thank you for reading, please review, I'd love to hear what you think of the fic.
For information on published works and upcoming projects, release dates as well as weekly blogs check out katiemariewriter . co . uk