Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia~
Yes, it's another Gilbert chapter, BUT he's important so I hope you like it~
9
I can feel it.
It won't be long now.
Still, I don't want to die here, in a house where I am not loved or wanted.
Gilbert hauled himself out of the bed he had not left for some weeks now, a shaking hand grasping the bedpost for support. He was as frail as an elderly man now, and hearing his bones practically creaking at the joints was something he didn't want to experience again. He managed to get to his feet, slipping on a pair of worn slippers that used to be his father's, and slipping into a now oversized dressing gown. It wasn't much, but it would do. With all the strength he could muster, he pushed the old, peeling window upwards, instantly met by the bitter, cold night air. An unpleasant shiver coursed through him, making him feel as fragile as a feather, but he wasn't deterred. He hauled himself up to the windowsill and with great difficulty, managed to drag himself through the window, landing on the damp cobblestones below softly. Their family had never been rich enough to afford more than one level to their house, and now it was something Gilbert was thankful for. Shivering, he struggled to his feet, not prepared to let anything stop him from getting away from such a hell-hole he had had to suffer in for the majority of his life. He made his way down the narrow alley that was pretty much the only thing remotely resembling a garden, and at least seven of the closely-packed houses shared it. Leaning against the cold, dirty walls for support, Gilbert stumbled down the alley, each step one further from that dreaded house.
But it was a maze of alleyways from here onwards, and Gilbert quickly found himself wandering aimlessly. Their mother had never let either Gilbert or Ludwig explore down here, claiming it was not safe. But Gilbert had nothing to lose now, and continued to turn corners blindly.
A stronger, frostier wind had begun to pick up, channelling through the alleys and making Gilbert feel the icy grip of it surrounding him. Still, he pressed forward, not caring where he ended up anymore.
Only an echoing, innocent laugh of a young woman stopped him, and he turned to locate the source of the sound. Sure enough, a young woman - the likes of which he had never seen before - was standing a few steps behind him, leaning gracefully against the wall. Gilbert was stunned: she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen! Her dark as black hair tumbled past the shoulders of her elegant, red dress that hugged her figure in the most attractive way. Gilbert could feel himself blush faintly merely at the sight of her, and failed to notice that the woman's hair was not disturbed by the wind, and that she cast no shadow. Frankly, all he was aware of was how the dress revealed so much cleavage that he wondered how the dress was even containing it all. He had never seen a female wear such clothing, and couldn't stop staring at her chest.
The woman smiled, pretending not to notice as she took a step towards him. "Finally, someone else in these God-forsaken alleys~" her voice was pretty, and Gilbert found himself captivated by her.
The agony of his illness was completely forgotten as he stared at her, not realising she had expected some sort of response. The woman arched one eyebrow, clearly amused at his stunned display.
"I wonder...could you help me? I am insufferably lost, you see~" her voice was a purr that hummed in Gilbert's ears, and he grinned, something he hadn't done for years.
"Well, sure. It'd be my pleasure to assist such a beautiful lady as yourself~" it was as if the woman's presence had cured him completely, and she smiled, her dark eyes glinting in the moonlight.
She took another step towards him, and a feeling of excitement fluttered through Gilbert. His mother had sheltered him from the outside world, or rather, confined him to his room, and so although he was an adult, Gilbert had not so much as kissed a girl before. And now there was this beautiful woman before him, and Gilbert found himself staring again.
But before she could take another step towards him, a searing pain shot through Gilbert and he fell to his knees, trembling and uttering a small cry. It was getting worse, and Gilbert barely registered the woman's arms around him, about to ask if he was alright. But as she touched him, she was able to sense his illness, and knew his time was up. Her plan had been to drain him of blood after playing with him a little, but this new knowledge struck the woman with a sense of pity she had not experienced for years.
Gilbert's body shuddered with the agony he was in, and he unintentionally gripped the woman's shoulder for support. He could hear her whispering something to him, but all he caught was "I can save you". At this, he nodded. The pain was unbearable, and he threw his head back, giving another cry, before a strange, draining sensation came over him as he felt something bite his neck. He closed his eyes, feeling fatigue wash over him. He felt calm now, no longer scared of death or when the illness may take him. He lost consciousness just as the woman retracted her fangs.
XxX
Gilbert awoke feeling hungry, but any trace of the illness seemed to have left him. He dragged his eyes open to see a dark room, unfamiliar to him. He was in a large, luxurious looking bed, and for a moment he thought; this must be heaven.
"You're awake."
Gilbert glanced in the direction of the voice, feeling dazed and weak still, but he could make out the figure of the woman he remembered from somewhere. The one with dark hair and glinting dark eyes…and the…the dress… He still felt disoriented, but the woman smiled.
"You made it. Well done~" her tone was kind now, not flirtatious as it had been before, but Gilbert frowned in confusion.
"W-What are you…talking about?" he half-demanded once he had found his voice.
The woman still seemed amused by him, even intrigued. "You're a strong one, that's for sure. But you won't be able to move for a while yet. Such a conversion takes time~"
"Conversion?" Gilbert asked, his head swimming with her words. What the hell is she talking about?
The woman stood, walking over to the bed and leaning in, her face now inches from his. Gilbert couldn't move away, he felt somewhat paralysed, but he felt unease all the same. For a fleeting moment, he thought she was going to kiss him, but then she stopped lower, now whispering in his ear.
Gilbert's eyes widened at what she was telling him, before attempting to jerk away, which only resulted in him feeling dizzy.
"That's…how stupid do you think I am?" he found his voice again, not liking it that the woman was mocking him. "Everyone knows they don't exist!"
"Don't they?" the woman's tone had changed to a more accusing, demanding tone. "Well then, explain this!" And she bared her teeth at him, displaying two fangs that Gilbert could not think of a rational explanation for. When the woman spoke again, her voice had taken on a slightly muffled sound, as if her fangs were making it more difficult for her to speak.
"Come on then, genius. If you think you know we don't exist, then what's this?" she gestured to herself, her demeanour becoming more fiery and angry.
"I…I…" Gilbert couldn't say anything, unable to conceal his expression of horror. At seeing this, the woman paused, before closing her mouth again.
"Go ahead…" the woman now sounded calm again, producing a mirror from his bedside table. "See for yourself." She held it up to him, but Gilbert could only see the pillows behind him, as if he wasn't lying there at all. He let out a shriek, knowing that vampires were rumoured to cast no reflection or shadow.
"Nein…" he shook his head, as if trying to convince himself, and the woman put the mirror down again. She looked at him with the expression of pity she had earlier felt when she sired him.
"You should be grateful…not many people get to be a Noble vampire, you know…" she muttered, but she wasn't demanding any gratitude. Instead, she looked away from him, retreating to the only door the room had. She paused, her back still to Gilbert when she spoke again.
"I'm Claudia, by the way." She glanced back over her shoulder, to where Gilbert was still denying what he had become. "Get some sleep, Gilbert. You'll feel better by the evening."
And she left the room, closing the door softly behind her. Gilbert was shaking, barely registering the fact that he never told Claudia his name.
A/N: Yes, vampires are rather quick-tempered~
No, Claudia is not based on a Hetalia character, I just made her up~ But now you know how Gilbert became a Noble~
And Claudia will go into more detail about how she sired Gilbert in later chapters, in case you were wondering~
Please review~ XD
oh, and P.S. MERRY CHRISTMAS IF YOU ARE IN THE SAME TIMEZONE AS ME! XD
