Hello!...Hello everyone!
Sorry for the delay everyone, this chapter was hell to finish!
I feel ashamed that we entered the new year and I still haven't finished this challenge!...LOL
30 AU challenge:
21 - Possessed AU
The Victorias are a well known upper-class family, anyone who met them would always say how they are the perfect family. They had power, wealth and beauty. Everyone wanted to be them and everyone wanted to be part of them. However, they can only reach that goal they had to be one of three things to the Victorias. First, become a business partner, who would need to have different meetings with the head of the family, whether it was through a simple office meeting or maybe through dinner. Second, become a very close friend with the Mrs. Who would invite you to all of her parties, social events and so on, and by that, you will be recognized by many because of your connection with them. The third and last thing you need to be is engaged to one of their offspring if you become that you will not be just some simple friend or a business partner but will be part of the great Victoria family.
And because of that many suitors came and asked for the hand of Seras Victoria, the only child of Henry and Madison Victoria. Seras had everything a female member of the Victoria family should have. Elegance, delicacy, and beauty. They saw that that was all what a woman needed to be and it was enough to attract to many men, young or old, single or widower it didn't matter as long as they were high enough to surpass or at least match the Victoria's power they would happily give their daughter to him.
Unfortunately, When the Victoria couple had finally found a suitable suitor for their daughter of 14 to a nobleman of 40, their daughter Seras fell sick. She was unable to move, eat and sometimes even talk, her skin became deathly pale that anyone who saw her would say that she is near death's doors, her beautiful young body started to thin from the lack of food, and her beauty slowly faded. Because of that, the nobleman broke off the engagement, stating how he doesn't want to be married to a corpse. News of her illness spread fast, those who claimed to be loyal business partners slowly broke off their partnership and those who called themselves friends cut contact, all in fear of catching Seras's mysterious disease. As for those who claimed to still love their daughter, they stopped coming once they saw the state that the poor girl was in.
They became an outcast almost to all, their business was dying and so was their social life. Because of that, the couple brought many and different time of doctors, from those who use western medicine to the alternative one. None of them succeded in curing their daughter even a little. In fact, their daughter's illness had become worst, which caused great fear. Henry and Madison Victoria were starting to give up all hope and began to prepare themselves in losing their daughter, that is until one strange doctor came along.
This doctor was different from the once before him, he looked young and not popular or even known, which made them assume that he might be new and inexperienced. He requested to examine their daughter in the chances of him healing her. Madison was about to kick him out having enough of wannabe doctors coming here only to tell them that Seras would die overnight, which only turn out false. However, Henry allowed him for he was desperate to save his daughter. After one private examination, the doctor told them that their daughter's illness was connected to her emotions, that she was so deep into negative emotions that her own body started to give up wanting death. When the couple heard that they kicked him out of their house stating how idiotic it was that suck deadly sickness was linked to feelings.
After a couple of days, Henry Victoria couldn't help but think about what the doctor had said. Could it be that their precious daughter was truly unhappy? He didn't think himself as a bad father, after all, he showered his daughter with many different gifts that any girl her age would love, he brought her the best teachers to turn her into the proper young lady that she is, he even picked the best choice of a suitor for his daughter just so she won't struggle with money in the future. So what did he do wrong? He really missed his little girl. He smiled when he remembered moments when she was a little girl, he would bring her many toys and play them with her, even if his wife disapproved to the once that were made for boys but he didn't care, he just wanted to see his only daughter's smile and hear her laughter. That was until she turned 8 years old, Madison took her away from her toys and started to teach her about being a woman, his stomach twisted when he remembered the night that he found his daughter cry because of those lessons and begged him to stop them, he would try to comfort her as best as he can but he always ends up telling her that she needs to take them so she will be a proper young lady like her mother. After that night his Seras stopped complaining about her lessons and did everything she was told to do. Then they started to drift apart, her mother began to take control over most of her time, from taking her shopping for new dresses, to going to women's tea parties, to teaching her about what she should do when she becomes a wife. He knows that these lessons were hard and tiring but she needed to go through them, after all, how would their daughter survive among such cruel people who only care and bout money and status.
He gave in and decided to try something, for the first time in years he decided to talk with his daughter, and not to talk about her future and what she should do, but to talk to her like they used to, as if she was that little 8-year-old girl once again. His wife thought he was going mad but didn't get in his way and let him be. He started to talk to Seras about the past and how fun they had playing and causing mischief that they drove her mother crazy sometimes, he promised her how when she gets better he would take her to all her favorite places again and would have the same fun again. After hours of talking and not getting any kind of response instead of his daughter's blank eyes looking at him, Henry was about to give up, but then something happened that made him actually believe that he went insane. He was looking down at his daughter who was smiling at him. After a whole year of nothing, his Seras finally responded to them through a weak smile. Henry cried of joy that day. He continued talking to Seras, which caused her health to become better, so better that after a couple of months she started to talk back, shortly after Madison joined them but she wasn't much help. When Seras was unable to eat again, he suspected something was wrong and his suspicions were right. Turns out whenever Madison spent time alone with Seras she would talk to her about how she will need to study and work hard to get her suitors back. He gave his wife a stern talking and forbid her to be alone with their daughter until she stops affecting her emotional health with talk of marriage.
Henry was happy that he finally got his daughter back but there was another problem he needs to worry about and that was his finance. Losing business partners forced to make big changes and take risky deals. When Seras got better he tried to reconnect with his old partners who agreed to make deals with him but he will have to be at the bottom of the chain. Henry refused at first, he was enraged because he was the one who picked those men when they were nothing and now they repay him by humiliating him, but the growing debt on his back almost made him give in to them until he met a foreigner by the name of "Vlad Dracula". He explained to him how he came from Romania to try and expand his business, which Henry took advantage of by extending a helping hand and becoming partners. The opportunity of partnering up with Mrs. Dracula, who Henry later finds out that he is a Count made his business grow even bigger than before, which made some of his old partners try to join in, but he ignored them, deciding to no longer partner with such greedy and disloyal men.
With all his debts gone and his daughter's health returning, Henry decided to celebrate. He invited Count Dracula and a few of his friends and family who were there when he needed them. That night Henry introduced his wife and daughter to the count for the first time. He greeted his wife by only shaking her hand but when the turn was on Seras the Count lifted her hand, which looked compared to his and kissed the back of his and complimented her beauty. The way his daughter blushed at his compliment made his eyes twitch, he could remember how his wife was pulling on his sleeve with excitement, making sure that he was seeing what she was seeing but everything else was fading in the background. It's true that he used to want his daughter to marry a rich man like him to keep her happy but now after a year of watching his Seras die slowly before him and another helping her recover, he felt overprotective. His wife was angry at him for every time he separated their daughter and Count Dracula or included himself in whatever they were talking about.
However, his efforts were failed because the Count started to show up more in his house even when they didn't have any business to discuss. He would join him and his family for tea and sometimes dinner, but he and his wife could tell that most of his attention was on Seras, he would ask her questions about herself and what she liked and disliked. He suspected that the Count fancied his daughter and was confirmed when the Count came to him one night asking him the permeation to follow the English customs and court Seras in hopes of marrying her. Henry refused him immediately, not wanting to make the same mistake of giving his daughter to a man who would not love her.
The Count continued to press, making it clear how he is truly interested in taking Seras as a wife and just wishes the chance to know her more before that. Henry ended up agreeing not only because he was afraid of losing a great interested partner but also because of how sincere Count Dracula was when talking about his daughter. He did notice how the count had a cruel and even terrifying side at times, but when it came to Seras that side of him seems to disappear. Henry knew that his wife would be ecstatic by the news but he feard of Seras's reaction to it, for the last time he came to her of new of marriage she ended up at death's bed for a year, so he was quite surprised when he saw her face turn red with embarrassment and agreed to consider him.
16-year-old Seras started to meet Count Dracula, with him or his wife present of course and to his delight, the Count was different than all the men who came asking for Seras's hand before him. Henry knows of Seras's habit of being…talkative when is met when a subject she interested or passionate about, the other men used to interrupt or voice their displeasure when they noticed it, even her mother scolded her and made her press such "Flaw". But Count Dracula was different, he let Seras talk and expresse herself and when Seras realized herself and apologized he would shake his had and admits that he enjoys hearing her talk.
After months of Seras being courted other men started to come forward asking to try and court Seras as well, which wasn't a surprise since she started to go out again and of course like before her beauty attracted many men. Count Dracula was displeased by that and demanded that henry refuse all other suitors. Henry would have gladly done so, but his wife had to make it difficult. She demanded that the count should marry their daughter already if he wanted her so bad, which Vlad responded to it by saying how Seras was still a child and he wishes to take her as a woman, precisely when she becomes 20 years old. Madison refused to, thinking that it is inappropriate for a girl to be married at that age and how they will become a scandal, but unlike her, Henry agreed to that and because his word was finally Madison did not say anything more but she still pressed the marriage once in a while when her husband wasn't around, which was ignored by both Dracula and Seras.
As his wife said, people did start talking about how they are waiting for their daughter to be an older woman to wed to the noble foreigner, but he didn't care for them. For most almost all his life Henry cared too much to what the world had to say to him and it almost caused him to lose his daughter for good. He learned from his mistake and promised himself to never get between Seras and what makes her happy, and now as he looked upon her radiating smile while she spoke to her fiancé, he is confident to say that he made the right decision.
The three sat together in the lounge room, as they waited for dinner to be served. It was known that you should not leave a suitor and a lady alone, they need to have one of the lady's parents around or at least a servant, like a butler or a maid, to make sure that the meetings are going swiftly. But Henry didn't mind leaving them alone once in a while, not only because they were engaged already but also because he trusts the Count. And besides the image of his Seras being… wooed by a man, even if the man was her fiancé…disturbed him.
"I will take my leave to check on the dinner preparation." Said Henry as he stood up from a nearby sofa.
He turned to look at the Count who gave him a nod of understanding, then to Seras to gave him a sweet smile as she petted the black cat which was a gift from Dracula. With a smile and a nod, he left them alone. A silent pause filled the room as they waited for Henry to leave after he closed the door after him the silence was broken.
"I thought he would never leave!" Said the black cat as he jumped from Seras's lap to set on the space next to her. His comment made The Count Chuckle.
"I am so sorry that you have to go through this everyday Sebastian." Seras said with an apologetic look even through he could till that she too was enjoying this.
Sebastian sighed before letting himself being engulfed by mass darkness, the mass kept growing until it took the shape of a young man, whose legs were crossed and gloved hand-stretched to rest behind Seras, who didn't mind the closeness.
"It's alright my dear, at least I didn't have to turn into a dog in order to be close to you." He joked making Seras laugh at the idea of him turning into his most hated animal.
"At least you get to be in her arms during both day and night, while I have to hold back and treat her as if she wasn't already my bride and mate." Vlad gave an annoyed grunt at how he always needs to keep his distance when anyone was around.
He has pulled out of his thoughts when Seras reached out to hold his gloved hand, she lifted it and kissed his palm before resting her cheek on it, which Vlad didn't mind. His red eyes became soft and gentle, losing all anger that once held as he stroked her cheek with his thump.
"I am sorry, that you have to Indore this…" Seras then pulled away to look at Sebastian bother holding his hand too. "Both of you."
"There is no need to apologize, my love." Purred the demon as he squeezed her hand.
Sebastian then came closer to Seras and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug, Seras returned the hug with a smile.
"This feels almost like how you hugged me back then…"
"I'm not sure if it was really a hug since he living inside you." Vlad stated, which Seras just rolled her eyes too.
Vlad Dracula, king of the undead and Sebastian Michaelis, his true demon name is anonymous but his title is the prince of hell. And unknown to her family, everything that happened in the past 4 years of pain, hardship, and struggle was all a staged play created by her and her two dark lovers, so that in the end Seras would become theirs alone.
It all started when Seras was a 9 year old, she was getting stressed from her mother's classed and endless berating to her, she would yell at her, saying how she would never be a respected lady among society and how she would never find a man who would want her as a wife if she didn't change. The lesson and her mother's words hurt her greatly, that's why one night she tried to run away from home, only to end up crying under a tree, The night scared her but she preferred the darkness over returning to her home.
That was when she met them.
She was afraid of them at first, anyone would be if two strange men come out of nowhere in the middle of the night when you are all alone. However, their calm and gentle words made all her fears melt away and before she knew it Seras found herself burying her face on Sebastian's chest while crying her heart out. And between gasps of air and sniffles, she would tell them of how tired she is from her home and her mother, how she just wants to play with her friends like she used to. The two comforted her the best they could. They apologized for having to go through all that and for not being here sooner to help her, they praised her for being strong all this time and even for standing up to her mother, even if it was only a few times. Seras was happy that night that she was shown true kindness and care for the first time in a long time.
Of course, Seras was disappointed when she woke up in the morning to find herself back to her dreaded home and mother. She almost thought that all that happened was a dream, that those two kind men were just a figment of her imagination. But when night fell that same day when she was alone in her bedroom, they showed up again, and she was ecstatic that she hugged them to make sure that they were real. And from then on, Vlad and Sebastian were her two salvation from the cruel world. When her mother would starve her to maintain a slim figure, Sebastian was there to give her a proper and full meal. When her teachers forced her to read boring and write boring poetry, Vlad was there to teach her of the true great history. Whenever her mother belittled her and made her feel like she had no choice but to be a lady, both Vlad and Sebastian were there to reassure her that she can become whatever kind of person she desires and that they will still be by her side to love her till the end.
And that was her life for 5 years, in the morning she would endure the cruel world but at night she would throw herself at the arms of her lovers with no care of the world, that was until her parents shared the news of her engagement to a man who was the same age as her father if not older. Saying that Vlad and Sebastian were enraged by the news was an understatement, they were ready to not only kill her "Fiance" but also her parents for allowing such a thing. Of course, the image of seeing her parents all bloodied and mangled filled her with fear she didn't know she had before. Seras by then knew who they truly were, but didn't fear them. She begged them not to cause harm in any way or to anyone, even if she too hated that person with all her heart. They got into an argument on how she is accepting this so easily, not only because of how she would be the one wronged in that whole arrangement but also because she was already theirs and how she belonged to no one but them.
They tried to convince Seras to let them kill that man or to at least run away with them to her real home, where she can be herself without judgment, a home where she can feel truly loved without expecting to give anything in return. Seras was almost tempted to leave with them but she refused. In the end, she didn't wish to leave her parents behind, even if they did make such big, yet wrong decision for her, but they did it thinking it was the best for her, out of love and that if she was going to love this mortal world to a life in darkness she wishes to spend them with her parents as much as she could. Vlad and Sebastian didn't agree at first but the idea of having to share Seras for only a few more years before being theirs for eternity made them submit. They then tried to think of a way to break off the engagement without causing a scene that would bring shame or disappoint her parents forever. That's when Sebastian came forward with an idea.
The idea was to possess Seras to make her see deathly ill, which will make her beauty fade away temporarily and by that, they will chase the nobleman away. At first, Seras was scared by the idea but when Sebastian promised her that she shall feel no amount of pain made her agree. And for a couple of months, Seras fill ill or so it appeared. Sebastian's powers weakened her body, making her grow pale and lose appetite which caused her to lose wight. True to his words, Seras felt no pain what so ever, but she still felt lightheaded and whenever she felt uncomfrtble, she would feel sudden warmth spreading through her body, a warmth that comforted her, a warmth that was equal to Sebastian's embrace. When they finally chased the nobleman away, showing him for the true pig he is, Seras and Sebastian were about to end the act but then Vlad stopped them saying how more suitors were baking away and how they should keep going until all of them are gone.
And so Sebastian still kept possessing Seras occasionally leaving her body to she can feed and feel lively again, to leave her bed and walk around freely, but he would return again.
However, even though the act made her suitors leave it made curios doctors come to examine her. Seras was greatly annoyed when some doctor came saying how she should take a disgusting medicine ot another saying that she should rub a smelly oil on her body every night. Of course, Sebastian being the gentlemen that he is he would help Seras wash the smell or the taste away, unlike Vlad who would tease her for it.
Then there was another problem they needed to solve, and that was Seras's parents. When Seras was told that she would seem deathly ill, she thought her parents would try to spend more time with her, to show her the love they never showed before. But instead of trying to care for their daughter on her "Final Days" in life, they spent it on planning her funeral. Seras spent that night crying silently in her pillow and not even her lover's kind words or touches made her feel any better. They were furious that mere mortals would dare make their beloved mate cry, they wished to kill them, but they know doing that will only make their own mate hate them, so they came up with another plan.
Seras was very surprised the next morning when Sebastian showed up in her room with her parents behind him, disguised as a doctor. It took all her will power not to break into a laugh or even show a simple smile. After "Examining" her, Sebastian left with her parents to tell them her "Diagnosis". Sebastian didn't tell Seras what he did or said, but she was grateful to whatever kind of lie he told them because it made father talk to her like a true father for the first time since she was a little. She told Sebastian to stop possessing her, that she wanted to be better for at least her father's sake. Months went by and Seras was finally able to leave the bed and walk around the house, she even admitted on how she missed her classes but thanks to her father the classes were with new teachers who are kinder and more patient than the once her mother hired much to her mother's displeasure, but Seras didn't care, she was finally living the life she wanted. But when she heard of her father's financial problems she begged Sebastian and Vlad to help him in anyway they can.
And that's when a brilliant idea struck Vlad, to help her father by doing some big business deal with him but also play the role of a noble suitor for Seras that her parents can never refuse. Seras was both excited and embarrassed to play such a game, but Sebastian wasn't so excited because the plan did not include him what so ever, he tried to add himself by playing the rule of that doctor again, but Vlad shot him down when he made it clear how her parents would never choose a doctor over a rich nobleman. Seras would laugh every time she remembered how Sebastian was sulking, obviously jealous of how he can't be with Seras in both day and night, but she would repay him by giving him twice the attention she gives Vlad at night. Eventually, he found a way to join them in the day in the form of a cat but it still irritated him how he can't say anything because of her parents' constant watch
"Anyway…" Said Seras shaking her head then smiled. "I'm really happy that we no longer have to worry about the suitors of my parents' approval."
"There is still your mother." Pointed out Sebastian.
"I swear if she came up to me saying how it is inappropriate for Seras to marry at the age of 20 again I will snap." Groaned Vlad as he massaged the bridge of his nose.
"It doesn't matter." Said Seras with a shruge before looking away shyly. "It's only 3 more years before…I'm yours."
Her words made both beings smirk with excitement. Sebastian wrapped his arms around her left side of her waist but when she felt an arm wrap around her right side she jumped and looked to her left to see Vlad who was already by her side and then leaned in and whispered.
"Who said that you are not already are?"
I hope you guys liked this story and please don't forget to check out "Oxford Not Brogues" version of this AU!
Bye!...Bye!
Next story: Hunt AU