While walking through the ruined foyer in search of Ruthven, Seras was surprised to see the work that had literally sprung up overnight. Scaffolding towered above the broken spires, with men running up and down the ladders by the light of lanterns and the full moon. Women swarmed at the scaffolding's base, their strong arms lifting up supplies and food to their husbands while simultaneously scrubbing silver and polishing antique decorations that museums would have loved to own.

Even more workers polished and replaced broken and cracked stones in the foyers floor, making it look brand new. Seras stopped walking and began to sidestep her way over to the one remaining staircase; not wanting to tread on any hands or ruin their hard work. She looked at their weathered faces and listened to them calling to each other in their language, now slowly becoming familiar to her ears. She made it to the stairs and decided to watch them for a while, her mind engrossed in their movements.

There were entire families working on the scaffolds. Mothers threw supplies and sharp commands to their young sons, who swung up and down the levels like monkeys to help their fathers, who were at the very top making frameworks and arguing over blueprints. They all looked so focused on their work. The men didn't bother looking at her, but the children stared with open curiosity. A few of them grabbed their mothers' skirts and pointed at her, clearly asking questions about her. The mothers all did the same thing; they looked up, answered something in curt tones, and gave her a look of mixed pity and disgust before going back to their tasks.

Seras wondered if they hated being forced to work on the palace; she was sure they weren't there voluntarily. She wondered if they despised her master, just like Mila did. But the child's words rang in her mind; that strange, convoluted sense of duty and honor. It's a duty that's been pounded into my head from the time I was old enough to talk. So although I hate what's happened… still, it would be nothing but a curse if I were to shirk my given duties. Was that how these people felt as well? That their duty was to serve their King, even if there was nothing but pain and blood as rewards?

"What makes you think that I kill them as a reward for hard work?" Alucard's voice frightened her and she jumped up with a shriek. A few of the mothers hid their smiles and turned away at the girl's fright, while their daughters giggled. One look from their King and they quickly and silently went back to work.

"Master…" Seras turned around from her new position sprawled on the bottom steps. "It's not funny to sneak up on me." She picked herself up, wincing slightly. That hurt—well, it almost hurt. Nothing short of being in battle made her feel pain anymore. "I don't know what you do, honestly." Alucard laughed wryly and Seras frowned when the humans looked over, even more startled. They didn't wait for a look from him this time, though; they hid their confused glances and continued to pound and polish.

"One of the first rules of being a monarch is: Don't kill the ones that work. If they do good work, then they should be taken care of." Alucard tilted his head and stared at her. "Besides, whether or not they want to admit it, now that I'm back they're safer than they've been in centuries. Rogue vampires and monsters have been running rampant during my absence." He began to walk away, motioning for Seras to follow him.

"My more loyal subjects have been working to keep things safe for everyone. Ruthven, especially, is an activist for human's rights." Seras snorted despite her master's serious tone.

"Human's rights? Midians actually do that?" she giggled. Alucard turned to stare at her and she stopped laughing as fast as the servants had. "I mean… well, vampires—"

"—wouldn't have food unless humans are preserved. Some lords and ladies preserve that life only in the basest terms, keeping their stock of humans in cages and treating them like the animals they are. But people like Ruthven and his wife are tenderer with their stock." Alucard sneered. "They treat them like little pets, caring for the young ones and treating them with kindness."

"They're not cattle, Master!" Seras said indignantly, looking over her shoulder at the scaffolding. "They're human beings! You and I were humans once!"

"Once, Seras. Now we're so much more." He looked at her. "Although one can argue…." She colored and scowled up at him. "You never did accept every aspect of our life."

"Keeping humans in cages is wrong." Alucard nodded.

"Of course. They'll never repopulate that way." He leered down at her. "I treat my human subjects with a stern hand, Police Girl. Without fear, one cannot effectively rule." He waved his arm back at the humans behind them. "Look, Seras. Do you see pregnant women climbing the scaffolds? Do you see babes being forced to work? No; I have clear anticipations for what my people do. I know a human's limits. I spent most of my existence researching that very thing." Seras shivered at the underlying meaning in his words.

"No, Police Girl, I don't ask much from humans. They can only offer so much. I allow them homes of their own, families, and in return if they do as I say, they can—and do—live long and fruitful lives. I do not kill without reason." Seras bit back another snort and he turned and offered her a thoughtful look, one slender brow raised. "Vampires are another thing altogether, Seras," he reminded her softly.

"Master, I've read about you. When you were human. What you did." She met his gaze unwaveringly. The corners of his mouth turned down and he sighed, his shoulders relaxing. "You killed a sick woman because she couldn't get out of bed to do housework. You killed men trying to offer you peace treaties."

"Yes. It's true." He moved closer to her and bent down. Their noses touched and he looked her in the eyes. "And I'd do it again. I have reasons behind my actions. Don't go asking about them." He backed away, straightening up. "That's the only order I'll ever give you, once you're free."

"Yes, Master." Even without him saying it, she knew that he gave her freedoms that no one else, vampire or human, ever had. But that one thing he demanded of her just had to be the hardest thing to obey, didn't it?


Later, Seras had found her way outside and was running around the ruins, having a wonderful time. She was hopping over the stone remains of the old spires, looking at the wild greenery growing around the large formations. She'd been forming the idea in her head about a garden, somewhere in the back and connected to the castle in order for her to have something to do. She'd plant hundreds of flowers, ones that bloomed both day and night. Human servants running around in the day, and the vampires at twilight could enjoy the garden equally.

Now she had to go find Ruthven and ask him to help her design it. She knew from the blueprints that he could do it. And having a project with him might help them to become friendlier towards each other. She knew that he didn't mean to call her a whore (even if he did) and she was willing enough to let bygones be bygones.

After all, any vampire who treated humans like… well, like human beings must have a good heart in there somewhere.

So she was off to find the curly-haired man, but she couldn't find him anywhere! She'd looked everywhere she thought a guy like him would be, but had come up blank. Now she was hopping around the castle one more time, wondering if she'd missed him somewhere. But then again, he might be in one of the rooms, sketching new plans.

She turned the corner and ran face first into a mound of soft, pliable flesh. She bounced back and flailed, falling to the ground. She immediately began to apologize, rubbing her bum and looking up sheepishly at who she'd hit.

The lady looked as though she'd stepped out of the French Revolution. Her white face was beyond pale, clearly being painted with some sort of pasty makeup. Her eyes were a watery orange-red. Her hair was a mass of golden curls on top of her head, accented with a ruby-encrusted comb. She was rather tall and spindly, and Seras realized her face had smashed into the woman's breasts, which were pushed upward and seemed to almost tumble out of her bodice. The only thing Seras could think was that it was a very uncomfortable-looking position to put one's boobs. On her décolleté, the woman had a little black patch. Seras only remembered the patch's name because she'd fallen in love with the book The Three Musketeers at a point in her youth. It was a fleur-de-lis, offset from the dip of her collarbone and resting on the left side.

"Filthy servant; How dare you! Running about here like an uncaged beast!" The woman's tone was both astonished and repulsed, her aristocratic accent lilting the words to make them sound very snobbish. Seras picked herself up and brushed her back off, dust falling from the crimson brocade. She fixed her head-kerchief and looked up at the lady.

"I'm not a servant; I live here. And I didn't mean to run into you. I was just turning the corner to go and look for someone." Seras made a move to go around the woman, but a bejeweled hand stopped her.

"Impertinent nit," the woman hissed between her teeth, rage in every word. Seras stared up into her eyes and her own narrowed. "How dare you snub me; do you know who I am?" the woman asked, her voice becoming annoyingly high-pitched.

"No," Seras answered honestly, feeling a sense of internal satisfaction as the woman became even more offended. She didn't like this bitch, whoever she was. "And from what I see, I don't want to. Now let me go." The woman must have become too angry for words; her entire face turned as red as the rubies on her comb and the color spread down past the fleur-de-lis. Seras watched in fascination, her eyes level with the enhanced bust.

"Oh, Goodness! Milady!" Both women turned to see another woman heading towards them at a fast pace. This woman was heavyset, dressed in a modest Victorian getup that was a beautiful pale blue. Her coppery locks were pulled in a tight bun, with only the front most curls hanging free to flank her round face. Seras noted with a start as the woman drew nearer that her eyes were the same striking sienna as Ruthven's.

"Lady Aubrey!" the woman called, the same way some people might say "dead rodent!". "Come and collect this-this vile thing from my sight before I toss her down the cliff!" She snarled her nose and waved at Seras. The larger woman, apparently one Lady Aubrey, reached them and panted for a moment, one hand holding onto her protruding stomach.

"Milady," she panted. "The King—wants—that you come inside." She let out a "whew" and leaned against the side of the crumbling castle. The rude woman's watery eyes lit up and she gasped.

"Of course his Majesty wants to see me! After all, absence and the heart and all that," she tittered. Seras almost gagged; after the horrid display earlier, seeing the woman act so sickeningly sweet was… well, sickening! Lady Aubrey also looked nauseous, although it might have been from the exertion. She shook her head after a moment.

"Not you, Silana," Lady Aubrey snapped when she caught her breath. "I don't even know why you're here, unless it's some dirty deed Lancelot's put you up to." Seras gawked, wide-eyed, as the tiny woman made the tall bitch wither. "Have some dignity and save your snooping until everyone else is here. With any luck, you'll hear what you need from Lady Dulce." She heaved a deep breath and pulled herself together. "I was speaking to Milady Seras, though if you want me to be proper, I shall. Princess Seras is wanted in the castle immediately."

"P-p-princess?" The snobby vampiress gasped, her pseudo-delicate tone waver-ish. "My goodness, I had no idea I was addressing royalty." She seemed to have changed personalities, looking upon Seras as if she made the moon come up each night. "My dear, I haven't been properly introduced to you! My name is Lady Silana, and I'd be honored to—"

"Save your shit, bitch," Seras swore and turned on a dime to face Lady Aubrey. "If Master wants me then lead the way. I was going after Lord Ruthven, but I can always get to that later." Lady Aubrey gave a half-curtsey and turned to lead the way back to the front of the castle, leaving the bitchess standing alone, mouth agape at Seras' "colorful" language.

"You shouldn't have picked a fight with Silana," Lady Aubrey said over her shoulder. "No one likes her, but she has influence over Lancelot, and not many people can gather that much power. Only people close to the King are like that." She turned her head, sienna eyes burning holes in Seras' face. "So, Milady Seras, why were you looking for my husband?" It took Seras a minute to understand that she was talking about Lord Ruthven. Seras gaped for a moment, surprised beyond words. Lady Aubrey, with her plump beauty and no-nonsense way of speaking, seemed a poor match for the overly-worded, rail-thin Ruthven. It was like Jack Sprat and his wife.

"Well, I was going to ask him to build me a garden in the back, since he's remodeling the palace. It'd give him a chance to put himself in a better light with me, since he left a horrible first impression." Seras decided that if Lady Aubrey could take a curt tone, than she could too. After all, even though the Lady was clearly older, apparently Seras held a higher seat of power here. She still didn't like to think on that fact too much, though.

"He spoke too much?" Lady Aubrey assumed, her voice kind and knowing. Seras shook her head. Might as well give the woman the truth, but she didn't want to mess with their marriage or anything.

"He called me a whore and asked Master if he'd brought me for him. I didn't take to kindly to it. But Master said they were just kidding, so…." Seras trailed off, not knowing how the woman would take it. Lady Aubrey stared at her, her mouth slowly tightening into a thin line.

"Oh yes, his little jokes," she said more to herself than to Seras. "We'll see just what he has to say about his little jokes. I'll show him the meaning of the word joke." Seras stared at the Lady as she slowly turned the same shade as her hair.

"I didn't mean to make you angry," Seras finally admitted. Lady Aubrey looked over at her, her cheeks still flaming. She waved a hand.

"No, no, meisje. That's nothing on your part. My husband; he's a rogue and he knows it, curse him. Always flirting his way around Court, just because he's more dashing and gentlemanly than any others Nosferatu, yet no! He forgets that he has a wife, each time he sees a new lady!" She was most definitely talking to herself by this point, so Seras decided that following her and keeping quiet would be the best plan of action.


As his luck would have it (or unfortunately for him), Lord Ruthven was in Alucard's study when the women arrived. Seras ran through the door first, taking relative safety from hiding behind her master's large chair, one hand on his shoulder. A cold glove touched her upper hand and she looked down to see his hand resting on hers. Something in the intimacy of made her blush, and she completely forgot about telling him about her encounter with Lady Silana.

Ruthven looked at her, but a noise from the door made him turn his head in that direction and see his wife. He took one look at her and paled, seeing the color still evident in her cheeks, and her fisted hands at her sides. She glared daggers at him and he immediately backed closer to the King, his hands raised in a pleading gesture.

"Why my darling Aubrey; you didn't tell me you'd arrived, engeltje! Why didn't you let someone know?" he said, his wavering voice still the epitome of a gentleman's speech. His wife took two steps into the room, prompting him to take two steps closer to the back wall where two large bookcases rested, their contents molded and dusty. "Why, whatever's the matter, my love?" he crooned anxiously.

"Whore? A treat for you?" Aubrey hissed under her breath, knowing full well that her husband was hanging onto every sound coming from your mouth. "Tell me, did it ever occur to you that you had a wife at home, Ruthven? That I was coming? That I might find out?" Every word was enunciated to the fullest effect, forced from between her clenched teeth.

Ruthven looked over at Seras, who had ducked closer to her master for safety just in case something was flung or punches were thrown. His eyebrows knitted as she gave him a sheepish smile and a shrug. His mouth dropped open as he put two and two together, and he gave her a look of "You sold me out? Really?" before turning back to the hellstorm that was fast approaching. Alucard chuckled darkly, watching the scene unfold with growing amusement. Seras had the feeling that this wasn't the first time he'd been witness to such an altercation.

"Now, listen here, woman!" Ruthven straightened up, clearly trying to take the upper hand. "I'll listen to no more! You don't know the full story, and you're always jumping to conclusions!" He crossed his arms as his wife reached him, and Seras bit back a laugh. She'd been more than right. His plump little wife only came level with his chest, but she somehow seemed much larger with the furious vibes she was letting off. Jack Sprat had a very frightening wife.

Jack Sprat, Police Girl? Alucard whispered in her mind, and Seras giggled. She opened her mouth and was about to say something, but the tiny room erupted and she ducked with a squeal behind the chair. After a moment she raised herself, kneeling, by her master's chair.

"Shouldn't you stop them?" she asked fearfully. "They've stopped even speaking English!" It was true; the two of them were yelling at each other in what she assumed was Dutch, complete with over the top gestures and what she could only guess was name-calling. Alucard laughed out loud at her confused thoughts, bringing her round the arm of the chair to wrap his arm over her shoulders.

"They never were speaking English, Seras," he whispered in her ear. She stared at him, dumbfounded and waiting for an explanation. He smiled sardonically and looked back at the fighting couple, who'd only become louder with time, and continued. "It's a little vampire trick you haven't fully learned yet. You only heard English because you were focused on them. It'll be a little clearer once we hold the ball."

"It's strange. I didn't even know I was doing it." Seras stared intently at the fighting couple, and true to Alucard's word the language began to turn into understandable words again.

"—and another thing, you fat cow; you always choose to come up at the worst times in front of everyone, like that time in Milan—"

"Milan was a joke and you know it! Second honeymoon my ass!" Lady Aubrey screeched and pushed a finger into her husband's velvet coat. "You're an insufferable pig in man's clothing!" Alucard squeezed her shoulder and they fell out of focus again as Seras turned to look at him, the shouts becoming unintelligible once more.

"You see?" he asked and she nodded. "You wouldn't be able to tell it, but they're very much in love. It's hard to find love that outlasts over 300 years, but they've done it." He looked at them musingly, watching Ruthven knock his wife's hand off his chest and stop a well-aimed slap to the face with his forearm. "It's amazing, but they do fight often. If he'd stop womanizing, she'd stop yelling. But it's a moot point." He seemed as though having two people fight in his office was a pleasantly agreeable thing.

"I find it hard to believe. They look as though they should've divorced 150 years ago." Seras watched them, not bothering to try and focus again. They weren't even saying much now, the row having dissolved into a one-sided fistfight with Ruthven taking the brunt of the blows. To his credit, he didn't raise a hand in retaliation, but he was doing a good job of effectively holding his own against her punches.

"She loves him too much; she accepts his shortcomings, including the flirtation. And he loves her too much to ever really put effort into it. He'd never choose another over her." Alucard grinned savagely as Aubrey managed to make contact and Ruthven's neck cracked. "In fact, by this time tomorrow night they'll have made up." Aubrey jerked her arms away and shouted something more, then turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. Ruthven thought for a moment before turning to the King.

"Women!" he scowled. Alucard laughed loudly, Seras more discreetly and holding a hand over her mouth. "And you," he singled out Seras. "You just had to say something, didn't you?"

"I wasn't going to lie to her," Seras shot back quickly. "Besides, you brought it on yourself. Make better first impressions and you won't fight with your wife so much." She tilted her head as his shoulders slumped in defeat. "Cheer up," she ordered. "I have a job for you, anyway." She grinned. "A challenge."

"Oh?" Alucard turned in his seat and looked at her. "Have you already been plotting out ideas?" he teased. Seras shrugged with a sly grin.

"Maybe one or two," she admitted. Ruthven frowned, still apparently cross with her for snitching on him, but he waited. Seras walked around Alucard's chair and stood before the steward, her hands splayed like her master often did when he had something to explain.

"I want a garden. I want it to be the most unique, functional, aesthetic garden I've ever seen. Go wild with it. Use all your architectural creativity. Make it something I would like. I'm putting both daytime and nighttime blooming flowers in it. Put trees, bushes, whatever you like; as long as it's at the back of the castle, in a courtyard sort of way, I don't care. I just want to see what you can come up with." She winked. "Can you surprise me?"

But Ruthven already had his hand running through his curls, his eyes distant. Alucard whistled and clasped his hands in front of his face, fingers laced.

"You've got him on a roll now, Police Girl," he murmured. Seras blinked at him, puzzled until Ruthven brushed past her to the bookshelves. Reaching to a sort of shelf built into one, he pulled out a heavy roll of parchment and threw it down on the King's desk. Unrolling it, he began to mutter to himself. To Seras' surprise he pulled a modern pen from his vest, clicked it and began to sketch, adding notes in the margins. Alucard bent over the desk to watch him, his eyebrows slowly rising. After a moment he turned back to Seras.

"I hope you realize what you've just done. We're going to have the biggest, strangest garden in all of Europe." Seras nodded and crossed her arms.

"Good."


Alucard was on the spot. The next day, when Seras was dropped off in the foyer by Mila as she ran to do whatever-it-was that she did, Lady Aubrey and Lord Ruthven were both there. They seemed calm enough and acted completely civil with each other. Seras stared at them for a moment, but didn't bother bringing up the fight. After all, why reopen old wounds?

Lady Aubrey caught sight of her and waved her over. Seras tried to ignore the slightly unbecoming arm fat and kept her eyes trained on the woman's face. Lady Aubrey smiled and patted Seras shoulder, though the smile looked forced. Seras found out why when she spoke.

"Still wearing those servant's garments, I see," she said softly. "You do realize that ladies of your stature are supposed to dress… nicely," she faltered. Seras shook her head, holding up one hand.

"Master agreed that if I couldn't wear my old uniform, I could be comfortable as long as I didn't make a fuss when it came time to dress up. So if there are galas or balls or… things that require me to wear a dress, I don't mind." She thought for a moment. "Just no corsets." Lady Aubrey frowned, but nodded.

"My Ruthven said that you are a modern sort of girl. Freethinking, is what you are. And if the King isn't particular to it, I suppose we shouldn't be either," she said hesitantly.

"Whoever heard of not wearing corsets. It's like walking around half-naked," Ruthven muttered as he pulled out another blueprint and headed over to the scaffolding, calling out in Romanian to the workers. Lady Aubrey watched him go with a wistful smile before clapping her hands and turning back to Seras.

"Nevertheless, we have lots to do tonight! First a spot of breakfast for you, and then we'll get busy!" she declared, grabbing Seras' shoulders and pushing her towards the kitchens. Seras turned, trying to see the woman and not trip over her own feet at the same time.

"Busy? With what?" Seras asked, trying to hurry along. For a fat woman, Lady Aubrey kept a very brisk pace. The woman behind her laughed and pushed her along faster.

"Didn't you know? It's the whole reason I came. The King wants me to make you a Lady in time for the ball! Etiquette, vampire aristocracy, form and grace; I'm the best, and we've got a lot to learn!" she bubbled happily. Seras paled.

"Form? Grace?" she gulped. "I don't have a good feeling about this…"


Afterword: Sadly, I no longer have a reliable web connection, so I'll update... when I can. Please be patient with me! :)