Author's Note: I have been adding new chapters like crazy lately to keep the story moving. Hopefully, those who like the conflict between Joachim and Walter will find this chapter interesting.

Also, the crystal Catherine gave Joachim has some significance. I was looking at Konami's official artwork of Joachim and noticed that there was a crystal-like pendant/object/decoration dangling from his robes. I was curious about it and decided to give it some special significance for Joachim in my story.

As always, reviews are appreciated. Special thanks go to Rahar Moonfire for reviewing every chapter I have posted thus far. :) *cheers*

Disclaimer: Castlevania and it's characters are copyrighted by Konami.

Chapter IX

Joachim sank into the chair and without realizing it, his fingernails dug into the soft velvet fabric. Only a single bout of rage could send his entire world into turmoil. Catherine would never love him. Indeed, if things continued deteriorating, she would possibly never speak to him again. He could not decide which of the two was worse, but each one succeeded in ripping a piece away from his heart. It was difficult for him to think, let alone move, but he managed to gaze at his father's portrait hanging above the mantle. Zaeviean's cold eyes were cold and indifferent. Joachim hated having the portrait displayed on the wall for him to see almost every evening in his room of relaxation, since rather than relaxing him the picture always unnerved him and drew his eyes to his father's cold expressionless visage of great dignity and great brutality.

"Father…what should I do? What can I do? Since you died…nothing has turned in my favor…and now I am ruining the Armster name. Just like you said I would. Damn you for being right…" he shook his head and tried to clear his mind, but his father's icy expression still lingered even when he avoided looking at it. Part of him wanted to get up and throw the portrait into the fire, but for some reason, he could not gather the nerve. His heart still lingered on Catherine, still lingered on the harsh exchange of words they shared, the knowledge she had other ambitions in mind that had no use for him. Why would they? After all, while trying to prove he was worthy of his Lordship, he only proved that he was riddled with weaknesses. Not only that, but the village was in a state of turmoil. He could almost feel the tension hanging in the air whenever the peasants saw him in the streets. It would not be long before they made their grief and rage known…

"I am certainly not any use sitting here." He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. For a brief moment he remained silent, but as the time passed he felt a heavy weight upon his shoulder. At first he thought it might have been the weight of his chest armor taking its toll upon his exhausted frame, but the weight he experienced seemed to grasp his shoulder rather than rest upon it. Just as the startling realization occurred to him, a familiar voice broke his chain of thought. "Lord Joachim." His eyes flew open immediately to the sound, and he almost leapt up at the sight of Walter standing very calmly next to his chair. The dim flames from the fire cast a soft glow across Walter's pallid face, and within his dark alluring stare a strange glint reflected the moment Joachim's eyes looked into his.

"What in God's name are you doing here?" Joachim squirmed beneath the man's heavy touch as his hand flew to his side to draw his sword.

"I have come to pay you a visit, do forgive me for startling you." A steady smile crept across Walter's lips, his gaze following Joachim's frenzied attempt to find his sword.

The youth made a dismayed gasp upon realizing he had not had it with him the whole day, making the situation itself ridiculous – a swordsman without a sword. He could have truly used one then, but resigned himself to answering his uninvited guest. "I am afraid I am in no mood to forgive you until you tell me how you managed to get inside my home! Have you no respect?"

The man's smile broadened. Curtains of lush red hair fell lightly against his face as he lifted his hand away. "Your servants admitted me inside. I came last night with Lady Catherine to put you to bed, and I have returned to see if you are well, and to compliment you for your exquisite taste in tapestry. I cannot recall another time when I have entered a place of such remarkable design."

Although his smile attempted to ease his discomfort, Joachim found it about as comforting as listening to Father Genesio's two hour long mass at the cathedral. "Why did you not have them inform me previous to you bombarding your way in here?"

Joachim cast him a glimpse of his incensed glare, but yet again the fellow lord attempted quiet appeasement. "I would not call my arrival a bombardment, due to the fact I made every effort to leave you undisturbed. Ah, that sharp glare of yours is enough of an answer for me to know you have recovered."

"Yes I have, and now that you have found out…I must ask you-" Joachim felt his throat constrict when the man's dark eyes flickered.

"You must ask me to what?"

The young lord stiffened in his chair upon noticing Walter's armored frame move around it with cat-like steps. It was no surprise why he did not hear the other Lord arrive – his steps were so quiet it seemed he took care to ensure everything he did was undetectable. "I have things to attend to." Joachim shifted in his chair, feeling Walter's presence standing in front of him without daring long enough to lift his eyes and have his nerves captured by his visitor's polite curiosity.

Although another empty chair was next to his own, Walter made no indication of wanting to sit down. It seemed he was content watching the youth's every move, as well as in taking silent intrigue in the way Joachim's lips curled from having unwanted company. With a thoughtful sigh, Walter leaned casually against the mantle of the fire, despite the evident sign of protest Joachim did not fail to hide in his icy glare. "I am not surprised you would try to occupy yourself in hopes of sending me away." The amused smile vanished from his lips. "Are your thoughts consumed by the deaths that have stricken this village? Or is it perhaps that and something else? It must be difficult to manage the responsibilities of your family alone. I can relate, for I was thrust into tasks of similar hardship at an early age. It is I alone who oversees my castle."

"My personal concerns are none of your business. My father managed most of the estate on his own, and I believe I can do the same. You fail to realize there is no actual Armster family. That is because I am all that remains of a dying bloodline."

Joachim noticed Walter stir in place but tried to relax under the warmth of the fire. "That is a shame." Walter mused. "Though it does not surprise me your father abstained from remarrying…" Walter's voice was barely audible, though it was strained by something Joachim could not comprehend. Walter sighed as Joachim leaned forward to catch a closer glimpse of the lord's downcast expression. However, Joachim pressed his back against, realizing that Walter was not unaware of the fact he was watching him closely.

"What do you mean?" Joachim was reluctant to admit that his unexpected guest spoke in a very eloquent manner. Walter broke their mutual gaze with a sort of reluctance, his eyes at the portrait of Lord Armster.

"Lord Zaeviean and I did not always see eye to eye on certain matters. Nevertheless..." Another silence filled the room. Joachim found that words were useless whenever he discussed his father. As far as he was concerned, Lord Zaeviean was dead – what did the past matter now? The armor covering Walter's body blocked the fire's light as he turned and looked upon the young heir to the Armster name, his form shadowing Joachim, whose fingers clung firmly to the arms of the chair.

A renewed sting of loathing coursed through Joachim while Walter's glinting eyes surveyed him carefully. "You are the very image of your father." His voice softened, but Joachim still could find nothing to say when the man began to walk toward him. The light from the fire no longer cast the warm glow across his features, and the young lord felt his breath leave his lungs. Walter's flesh was so pale in color it made the glint in his eyes adopt an ominous magnetism. Joachim had not noticed the man's paleness in the tavern, but when he sawWalter in the dark the previous night, the image of glowing red eyes consumed his thoughts. The other lord approached him a sort of predatory-like fashion, his steps stealthy and cautious. Joachim tried to dismiss such wild thoughts. The longer he gazed at Walter's majestic countenance, the less he believed that what he saw could have been real. Of course it wasn't! Perhaps was overcome with fatigue and hallucinated. Considering how ill he felt at the time…

Walter came within a few inches of the young lord sitting in the chair. Every nerve within Joachim's body turned to ice as one of Walter's gauntlet-covered hands touched his cheek. A flood of anxiety filled him, yet he could not pull away, even as Walter gently took his chin in his hand and raised his head. Before he could gasp in surprise, his eyes locked with Walter's. The other lord's fine lips formed a slight smile, his deep voice fading into a whisper. "If I did not know otherwise, I would say your father created you in his own image. Lord Zaeviean was an attractive man - a man who coveted only what rivaled his beauty. You inherited his blood and yet you remain in solitude...which was so very like him." Walter's hand slid slowly down his face until it pranced across the tender flesh of his neck. Joachim dare not move as the other lord's fingers lingered upon the most tender region of his neck where his pulse thumped rapidly beneath a veil of pallid flesh.

Walter's face drew so close that Joachim barely felt the light touch of the man's lips playing across his own. "I did not lie when I spoke of your beauty. Have you no knowledge of your own magnificence? Has not a single woman dared to try and lure your gorgeous body into bed?"

"…No. Throughout my life, I have refused to fall into the trap of lust, and I refuse to fall into yours. Such lustful actions produce nothing." Joachim shifted his face away from the touch, shivering at the mere prospect of what the lord implied.

"So you have kept that enviable body pure all this time." He sensed Walter's eyes probing him, watching the way his lips became taut in growing discomfort. "You are already twenty years of age, and your body has become of age along with your mind. Purity is a virtue that cannot be retained forever. If you consider yourself a true lord, the legacy of your family must continue on. It surprises me that Lord Zaeviean produced an heir…considering his cold disposition-"

"Be silent!" Joachim snapped, his temper rising from the man's implication. The young man's hands clenched into fists, his body trembling as he continued. "I will not hear you speak such disrespectful lies! My father loved my mother, and I wish to discuss no more of this with you!" Joachim's lips made a downward curve of repugnance, but already the ideas presented through the topic began to seep into his thoughts. All his life he had been alone denying his body his desires, or perhaps, withholding them secretly. Although he loathed Walter, he could not hide the fact that he was ensnared in the man's trap.

A knowing smile resumed to cross Walter's lips from the uneasy silence he received. "Perhaps, Lord Zaeviean loved her, if love is possessive. If rape is the only way of expressing love-"

"You despicable bas-" A blaze of fury reflected in Joachim's eyes, but as quick as his fist rose to strike it was caught within the powerful grip of the other lord. Walter's hold was vice-like, like the talon of a great eagle snatching its prey. Joachim emitted only a gasp from feeling every bone in his hand threaten to snap like twigs under the man's restraint. Indeed, Walter could have broken his wrist without a second thought, for a mere twist of his powerful arm could have produced unbearable pain. Yet, somehow, the other lord remained eerily composed despite Joachim's ostentatious remarks. His gauntlet-covered fingers wound between the young man's, in a gentle display of affection, though also to secure him.

Before Joachim could try pulling away, a loud laugh escaped Walter's throat as his dark, glittering eyes gazed upon him in amusement. "You are very protective of your father, despite how your eyes betray your fear of him. A woman like your mother could never have married him willingly."

"Get out!" Joachim croaked, feeling his throat tighten, his breaths quickening until Walter's hand slipped away from his. "If you refuse to leave this moment I will rip your throat out with my bare hands!"

"If my words disgust you, it is simply because you are avoiding the truth." Walter answered before allowing a quiet sigh to escape from his lips. Despite his calm expression, the downward curl of his lips revealed that he was no longer amused by the young man's defensiveness."There is someone else who fills you with more disgust than I. Someone you know quite well, whom lights your soul afire with sinful thoughts and desires. I know your feelings for her bring you to the brink of your self-restraint. You would never act upon your desires, of course, for you are ill. Though…if you bed with her, your blood will become hers. Perhaps, it is inevitable."

"Shut up! You say nothing except lies!" Joachim's voice to nearly rose a scream when he bolted from his chair and attempted to strike Walter across the face. However, the moment he drew his hand back, he found himself unable to move under the man's alluring gaze. Whether the fire's light was playing tricks on him, he could not say, except that a strange red flicker appeared in the man's eyes at that precise moment. A surge of weakness overcame the young man and his vision became unfocused, forcing him to retreat to his chair. Despite his failure to harm the other lord, a spark of indignation flickered in his hardened blue eyes when Walter spoke.

"You prove to be the image of a great lord – just like your father." Walter replied casually, ignoring the young man's failed attempt to subdue him as if he were merely a fly. "The only aspect that makes you far easier to break is the fact your emotions are brittle. Especially concerning that gypsy, Catherine-"

"Get out. Now." Walter did not even bat an eyelid as Joachim rose out of his chair, his eyes glinting like daggers under the dim glow of the fire. His voice became deathly quiet. "My village is in danger – and it is rather odd that it all began the night you arrived." He cocked his head, maintaining the suspicious look in his eyes as the corners of Walter returned it with a bemused grin. When they stood face-to-face, the contrast between Walter's strong, armored form and Joachim's pale and feeble one was extremely telling.

Joachim remembered that if Walter was in fact the murderer, the man was capable of breaking his neck as easily as a chicken's if it suited him. It also occurred to him, though only fleetingly, that whenever Walter smiled his teeth were never visible. Walter's lips had curved into a mocking grin, his dark eyes delighting in his success at angering him. Nevertheless, the young nobleman lifted his head and held it high. Joachim was slender and graceful - pale but also gracious and proud, determined to uphold the nobility he inherited on day of his birth. "You can't turn me into your marionette, Walter." He hissed. "I am Lord Zaeviean's son, and no one will tell me what to do in my own manor. I will uphold the safety of this village and if you are the one harming people, I will ensure you are punished severely for it. The villagers are fools for believing in nonsense like vampires. The only things they have to fear are their fellow man – and perhaps that man is you." Joachim could see a glimmer of rage appear within Walter's dark eyes. "Human lore is so primitive! One way or another; the truth will be known. I look forward to hanging you if my suspicions are proven correct."

"So you assume, young lord." Walter scoffed, huffing under his breath when he added confidently. "The truth is not always easy to accept. Jumping to conclusions is a precarious method of seeking answers. You forget that, unlike you, the villagers hold me in high esteem. You best hold your tongue unless you have evidence to confirm my guilt." The red-haired lord swept so close Joachim felt his body shudder when his fingers touched his face. By then his voice was so dark not even the shadows could match the eerie way it filled the room. "Vampires are as real as you are. If you were wise, you would not dismiss the warnings of your subjects. Vampires should be taken very seriously – considering that many vampire clans have a long history in this region. If a vampire desired it, someone as weak as yourself would be as easy to slaughter as a lamb. However…a body like yours, possessing grace and form unlike any other, would make an ideal immortal."

"I will have my servants escort you out." Joachim jerked his head back and ushered to the open door; however, the lord turned away before he could even reach for the servant's bell on the table.

"That is unnecessary." Walter snarled under his breath, making his way toward the doorway. Seconds before the soles of his armored boots echoed beyond the room, he paused. "Joachim – our conversation is not over. For now I merely leave you in peace to contemplate how you intend to resolve the deaths plaguing your village. Very soon, you will realize that what you are dealing with exceeds your insignificant power on every level. Until then, I bid you good morrow, Lord Armster."

Joachim eyes followed Walter as he departed out of sight. So many things had been discussed in such a short period of time, and he could barely grasp what had just happened before Walter left. Perhaps Walter's eccentric suggestions about his father were true? Lord Zaeviean had always been cruel to him, and the darkest part of his soul dared to think his father had forced his mother to have his child. That thought alone made the fragile young man shudder with humiliation.

With a heavy sigh, Joachim paced around the room until suddenly halting in front of a small mirror hanging on the wall near the fireplace. The despondent lord dared to steal a glance at his reflection in the mirror, though even his fleeting gaze confirmed the fear and shame in his eyes.

Walter was right.

Despite his youth, Joachim's face was sickly white and his pale blue irises exposed his ill and weakened state. It was not surprising that his subjects thought so little of him. A profound sadness flickered in his eyes, whilst his lips curled and his shoulders sank back, allowing his weakened state to show despite his regal armour and robes. If it were not for his wealth – which financed the extensive medical attention he required – he was certain that he would have died during infancy. The young man's lips tried to smile, attempting to thank God for the fact he still lived, however he grimaced instead, his voice shaking as he said to himself. "Tis' no wonder why father was embarrassed to admit he had a son. How he must have dismayed every time he looked upon my face, knowing I could never become a great knight or even a worthy lord. No woman would ever desire to carry my seed in her womb – the progeny of an ill, weak, abomination…"

The frown he wore deepened when he touched a hand against his cheek. No matter how hard he tried, he would never be his father. The hope of his family line would be doomed.

"Forgive me for failing you, father."