The sun was just creeping up the hillside casting a shimmering shadow over the Styrian mountain range when Hector emptied the wine bottle into the glasses. It had been a tumultuous couple of hours but he had never felt as liberated in life as he did now. Lenore however, he noticed was still reeling from the aftermath. He had kept her company for the past few hours after parting ways with Isaac. Maybe he ought to send her to bed, he decided.
He handed over a glass of wine, "It's nearly your bedtime".
"I'm not finished yet" Lenore raised her head from her clenched hands and accepted the glass gratefully.
Hector walked over to a nearby chair and gracelessly settled onto it, "You might not be, but the wine supply is definitely over"
"Oh" Lenore stated with an edge of bitterness "It's all over Hector".
Hector sighed and thought that maybe he ought to disabuse her of that notion, "It's really not" he said leaning forward "Things just changed, that's all".
Lenore seemed to be contemplating something before she answered "Vampires aren't big on change".
"Oh, someone should have told Carmilla that" He stated unkindly, taking a sip of the red wine. He knew that Lenore still harbored some degree of affection for her slain sister, despite her misgivings on Carmilla's despotic plans. However he couldn't bring himself to feel any sympathy for the vampire queen.
"You still misunderstand her" Lenore told him while giving him a pointed stare. He noticed that her cheeks were redder than usual from the wine, standing out against her pale complexion even more so than normal. It made her look younger, he thought.
"Oh come on" Hector scoffed. "Even you were horrified by what she turned into".
"The scale of it, maybe." Lenore reasoned, "And the chaos it would have introduced into our lives". Lenore seemed to curl onto herself before continuing "I'd still say at the root of it all was the vampire's virtue. We want everything to remain the same. To remain stable"
"Ugh.. the vampire's virtue. Bloody hell." Hector scoffed again. He couldn't comprehend how Lenore could justify her sister's maddeningly barbaric plans "There's an act of philosophical acrobatics for the ages."
"Oh, shush with you trying to be clever" Lenore chided gently "You people spend sixty years bumping into things and call it a life. We have to take a longer view".
"So we want stability" Lenore emphasized.
"And you're saying you had that".
"We did. As quartet my sisters and I had strength. The strength to enforce a stable environment." Lenore explained further, "Strength, can fight a war, yes. But it can also build shelter. Are you following me?"
"Just bumping into things along the way". He scratched his chin "Small shapes are stronger than big ones, Lenore." And he knew that Carmilla was never going to be satisfied with something small. Her greed for control and power, coupled with a strange itch to screw men in power over some perceived wrongdoing committed to her ages ago would not allow it. "And Carmilla wanted more than a weather proof shelter".
"In the end. But it all came from the virtue. Do you see?" Lenore agitated.
Hector shook his head. How can she not see that Carmilla had never aimed for stability? The vampire queen's insatiable need for more would always have led the sisters down on this path. "Strength and power are different. You wanted strength. Carmilla wanted power".
"In the end, yes." Lenore finally acquiesced, "That's what it turned into. Which is what ruined my life" Hector noticed her taking big gulps. She must be wasted.
"Power" Lenore cut through his train of thought. "Big, international, non-diplomatic, projected power is something else." She glanced at him to ensure that he was following, "It lends you more might, but it doesn't have the utilities of strength. It lays eggs in you. It becomes a parasite you have to feed. Power does nothing but eat."
She seemed despondent and Hector wanted to comfort her. But he knew she was right. Carmilla's avarice for power had ruined Lenore perceived vision of stability. Thinking back, he recalled that Carmilla had always reacted and responded with power that was inherent in a vampire. The violent vampiric nature within her must have further aggravated the worst of her tendencies. Perhaps it was not possible for her as a vampire to not reach for more power. Perhaps it is always in a vampire's nature to do so.
"Like a vampire", he noted grimly.
"Like a vampire" Lenore stated in grave acceptance and emptied her glass.
Hector blinked. He had not meant that. He had not meant her.
Lenore flung the wine glass towards the study wall. It shattered loudly, littering the carpet with glimmering crystal shards. Hector tried to will himself to say something. Perhaps this was not the time to be discussing these things; both of them were beyond the point of drunk, Lenore more so than him.
"Therefore having been shown what I am" Lenore waved her arms for emphasis. "Having found that I have been living a lie.. here I sit in a cage, like a dangerous animal.. with King Isaac, the happy bastard, keeping a very watchful eye on me."
Hector smiled, Lenore seemed to be prone to a melodramatic flourish when drunk. He liked that, he decided. Isaac had allowed both Lenore and him to live their lives without his interference or expectations. While Isaac had misgivings that Lenore perhaps might follow her sister's footsteps, Hector knew that neither her nature nor her inclinations were aligned towards any violent rebellion. Also since the last time he met him at Dracula's castle, Isaac had developed a new but not entirely unwelcome perspective towards life. And was more than willing to spare Lenore without any judgement to her vampiric nature.
"I've never known him so fucking cheerful. It's bizarre", he stated trying to lighten the mood. There was no need for Lenore to worry about Isaac; he was not a threat to her.
"But he won't harm you". He had made sure of it.
"No. He is just going to keep me in a cage. But I am not going to sit in a cage Hector" Lenore declared. Hector stared, confused; while Isaac had indicated that he would be making sure that Lenore doesn't start a coup d'état against him, he had agreed to allow her to live her life as she otherwise saw fit.
Lenore rose from the chair, her dress pearls swaying with her motion. "I'm sorry for everything you went through". Hector felt a strange clenching deep inside him while Lenore carried on with a sad finality, "And I'm sorry I can't be here to help you through whatever comes next"
What is she talking about? He fumed, but somewhere within him a growing realization dawned bringing along with it an ever rising dread.
"But I refuse to exist like this". He observed that Lenore was beautiful even when shrouded by despair.
"And I want to see what is so special about the sun you keep talking about", Lenore started towards the door. Hector finally felt himself react; he reached and grasped her hand almost involuntarily. It felt colder than usual.
"Lenore don't".
"Hector. It's fine". She smiled kindly, "It's what I want to do".
Lenore tried disengaging from his hand but he held on. "Perhaps this is not the time to make such a decision. You have been drinking all night" he beseeched.
"I am sure this is what I shall want to do even if I am given time Hector".
He finally rose from the chair stepping closer towards her, wrapping her hand in both of his. "Lenore your sister was just murdered. Her regime was overthrown. And you are wasted!"
Lenore must have been startled by his agitated state, "What is this about really?" She tilted her head, her auburn curls reframing her face.
Hector willed himself to calm down, "Isaac has no intention of keeping you imprisoned within this house. He only wants to ensure that you don't become another Carmilla.. To that end he may perhaps spy on you.. Because he is a fucking weirdo. But that would be the extent of his interference".
"That may very well be the case Hector. But what would I do, my place in Styria is no more. You were right earlier; being a vampire is like an ever widening sinkhole. We only take.. and take.. I am two hundred years old. I have overstayed my welcome".
"That is not true. You know that it is not true. You introduced me to vampire culture and philosophy. You taught me the value and the beauty of the beings that live longer that me… How can you now say that vampires are parasitic and only take? Sure most of you may be predisposed to violence out of bloodlust. But you are not that. You told me you were a child of war but you despised killing people… you are not Carmilla! You are not Dracula!" He had slowly raised his voice and was almost screaming at end, spit flying from his mouth.
Hector was self-aware of his continuing affections for her. He knew that it was the reason why he currently felt as if his windpipe was being pressed by an enormous load. He also knew that Lenore was aware of it; he had after all requested that Lenore be spared from Isaac's wrath in exchange for him surrendering without a fight. They had however not spoken of it, in a mutual need of not wanting to broach that topic.
Lenore touched his shoulder with her free hand in a gesture of comfort. "But what would I really do now Hector. I have no place in this new order."
"What would you like to do?" He whispered.
Lenore started rubbing soothing small circles on his shoulder. "I'm a negotiator and a diplomat".
"Maybe you can help Isaac with pacifying relationship between Styria and the wolf people of the North… negotiate with the armies of the west.. Lord knows he needs someone who knows this land".
Lenore chuckled, "I don't think Isaac would be too keen on my help, I am the enemy remember. A vampire".
Hector recalled his conversation with Isaac during the night. "I don't think he bodes any ill will towards you because you are a vampire. He was after all Dracula's forgemaster and he seemed to have gained a new respect for creatures regardless of their perceived nature. He only harbours some caution… because you were Carmilla's ruling council"
"What if that bastard refuses?"
"What if Carmilla had succeeded and made your job a relic of the past. What would you have done then?" he countered.
"I would've just stayed with them. They were still my sisters… They would've still protected me".
"You are still protected Lenore".
Lenore stared at him, eyes wide, as if trying to somehow read his mind. "I know" she conceded, "Or perhaps I might have liked to have travelled. I always wished to see the Mediterranean Sea. I have read that it's waters are warm year round."
Hector smiled at her wistful tone, "Then you can travel", he said squeezing her hand.
Lenore lowered her eyes, "Forever seems like a long time to be travelling.. or for being a diplomat.. a vampire's curse".
Hector lifted her chin using his index and said softly, "Then perhaps not forever..." he hesitated, "How about.. one lifetime".
"One Lifetime" Lenore breathed, her eyes widening at the implication.
"Okay maybe not an entire lifetime. Perhaps thirty or forty years at the maximum" he tried alleviating the mood, embarrassed.
Lenore stepped closer, tracing his arm from his shoulder with her left hand in a slow gentle caress and finally coming to clasp at his hands that were still clenched around her other hand. "Why would you want me around now? You are free now, Hector. You can go wherever you want.. be whoever you want".
"I want to be with you.. I want to think… I want to read.. I want to write.. and I want to be with you.. As a free man".
"And also because there is no one else that would want me around", he added in a teasing tone.
"What about Isaac" Lenore questioned, her lips curling in a suggestion of a smile.
"I don't want to be around him" He stated as a matter of fact.
Lenore laughed in a musical tone that always reminded him of church bells. It brought a smile to his own face, "That bastard has changed and all.. But he is still weird and I heard he keeps company with the undead...", he had leaned in closer towards her at the end as if telling her a secret.
Lenore raised one eyebrow as a form of childish impertinence. He always thought she looked charming when she did that. "You are a forgemaster too".
He scoffed, "My creatures are far more sentient than his."
"Don't let King Isaac hear that".
"Yes" he agreed.
They stood for some time in a comfortable silence with their hands clasped. "So one lifetime uh..." , Lenore murmured breaking the quiet.
He felt the pressure pressing on his chest release slowly as he whispered, "Yes".
Lenore smiled with affection and a genuine warmth, " I think I'd like that".
When he brought his forehead to rest on hers, he noticed that the sun was out of the mountains; flooding the Styrian countryside outside the windows in a brilliant pale light. As they stood inside the room cast with shadows Hector realized that there were no more shadows between them.
NOTES:
While the scene itself was poetic, I did not understand Lenore's logic for committing suicide and Hector's reaction to it. So I have tried to explain the whole scene in episode ten, along with changing the ending while at the same time being true to the characters as much as possible.
I would like to receive some reviews and comments on it in order to improve my writing.
This alternate ending is continued in my 'A Nation Under Siege' fiction, dealing with the story of Lenore, Hector and Isaac as they learn to work together to keep Styria afloat.
A prequel of sorts to this story is also covered in my 'Six Seasons' fiction, covering the gap in plot between seasons 3 & 4.