Welcome back! I would have had this chapter up last week, but personal circumstances happened like they usually do, so things got delayed. Thank you so much for your awesome reviews! I really appreciate the feedback! Also, thank you for the huge surge in followers! It makes me so happy that people are enjoying this story so far!
Chapter V – Vampire Privacy
Seras leaned back in her throne-like chair, resting one elbow against the arm rest while her hand supported her cheek, her expression one of boredom. She crossed one leg over the other, the sound of the leather boots rubbing over each other was one of the few sounds coming from the chamber. Straining her ears, she listened to the heartbeats of everyone in the building. The sound of the blood pumping through their veins made her mouth water slightly, and she swallowed, the back of her hands burning slightly as the thought of hunting crossed her mind.
She'd been sat down here for days, waiting. Always waiting. Her patience was wearing thin, but she had known from the start that this would be a very long game. But the time was drawing close – she could feel it. It caused excitement to bubble up inside her. This was the part she had been most looking forward to. How would things play out? Her fledgling had always been most unpredictable. It was what made her all the more desirable.
The intense need had only grown stronger over the decade. It burned her very core. It only served to further prove that she was the one. She had chosen wisely this time. This time, she would not make the same mistakes as she had in the past. This time, Hellsing would not get in her way. No matter how much respect she had for her master, she was still an obstacle. Her time at Hellsing had been fun, but that chapter was coming to an end. It was time for a new one to begin.
She was sad to see it end, but for the first time in centuries, she had something to look forward to. Something to fight for. Something to live for…
Sitting up straight and summoning her shadows, the small red shirt dropped in her lap and she gently took hold of it, running her gloved fingers over the fabric. It was so small in her grasp. So small and fragile. But she knew that the owner was anything but. Grinning, Seras brought the shirt closer to her face, pressing her nose against the fabric and letting the sweet scent wash over her. It had faded slightly over the years, but it was still there in all its mouth-watering potency. The rest of the blood in the building was filth compared to hers. Never had she encountered anything so exquisite.
It was almost time.
I'll be coming for you soon, my Seras Victoria.
Seras choked as she accidentally inhaled the bath water, slipping further into the tub as she lost her balance thanks to her jolting awake. She managed to grab hold of the sides and pull herself back up, coughing up water as she did so. Memories of a strange dream were beginning to fade away, but that wasn't exactly her main concern right now. She slammed her fist against her chest in an attempt to remove the rest of the water from her lungs. Falling asleep in the bath was a pretty stupid thing to do. But it had been so warm and relaxing…
"My lady?!" a panicked shriek came from behind her, and Seras would have flushed bright red if it wasn't for the fact that she felt like she hadn't eaten in weeks.
"Hey! I'm not decent!" Seras yelled, hastily covering herself with her arms in embarrassment.
"Are you okay?" Eva asked, seeming unfazed by Seras' humiliation.
"I-I'm fine!" Seras spluttered. "I just accidentally fell asleep. I'm fine. I'm done now."
Eva didn't seem to take the obvious hint as she made her way over to one of the cupboards that decorated the very grand looking bathroom. Seras watched the girl with wide eyes, seriously wondering if Eva had any notion of privacy. How was Eva not embarrassed right now? This was so weird and awkward. Here Seras was lying naked in a bath and Eva was just wandering around as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Did she not see how inappropriate this was?!
"Eva!" Seras could feel her face growing hotter. "I said I'm not decent!"
Eva turned back to look at her with confused eyes as she clutched a towel in her hand. "What do you mean?"
"Ummm, hello? I'm naked!" Seras squealed, pulling her arms tighter around herself.
"Would you like me to help you get dressed in here then?" Eva asked, still seemingly not getting it.
Seras groaned, sinking further into the hot water until it reached just under her nose. It really was starting to feel like Eva came from a different planet. Clearly if she didn't see the indecency of the situation, then what was the point in arguing further? But still, there was no way that she was getting out of this bath and getting dressed in front of her new companion. No way. That was just weird. Even if Seras was super confident about her body (which she wasn't), there is no way she would be getting dressed in front of a stranger.
"Look… errr… you don't have to be in here. I can take care of myself," Seras began trying to explain as patiently as she could. Her hunger really wasn't helping her grumpiness. But she didn't want to frighten the poor girl again, so she tried her best to remain calm, no matter how embarrassed she felt right now.
Eva tilted her head to one side. "I don't understand? It's my job to look after you."
"And you're doing a great job!" Seras smiled shakily as she rose her head further out of the water. "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me so far, but I really don't need help getting dry and getting changed. I'd like to do that myself… in privacy."
"Oh… ummm… okay?" It looked like Eva's brain had completely crashed. Regardless though, she seemed to be trying to go along with whatever Seras wanted. Had she never been told she didn't need to help before? Had she never had to serve someone who was more independent? That thought troubled Seras a lot. The young girl really seemed to know nothing other than servitude. It made Seras feel even guiltier for even remotely going along with this.
"Is privacy just not a thing for you guys?" Seras asked. Was this some new vampire thing she was going to have to get used to? The thought made her shudder.
Eva chuckled. "Of course, but not for a lady in waiting like myself. It's my job to serve your every need, no matter what. It's my job to help you wash, dress and look after yourself."
"And standing in a room with me while I'm naked doesn't bother you at all?"
Eva shook her head. "Why? Should it?"
"Yes!" Seras hissed out before she could stop herself. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Where I come from, we don't have servants and people value their privacy…"
Eva looked intrigued. "You don't have servants? How does that work?"
"People look after themselves," Seras explained. "Having servants… well… it's very old fashioned and only really rich people tend to have them."
"I suppose a lot has changed over the centuries," Eva mused. "The vampire world tends to stand still and is as it was when it all began."
"So… nothing has changed in centuries?"
"Not much, no."
How boring, Seras thought to herself. That was probably why she felt like she was living on an alien planet right now. Everyone and everything was frozen as it was centuries ago. Customs, cultures, ideas, attitudes… all of it preserved and frozen in time just like a vampire's body was. She'd often heard the expression that the past was like a different country, and now here she was, seeing it in action. It was both fascinating, confusing and frightening at the same time. Seras wished that she'd paid better attention in history class now.
"My lady, if I may, what exactly do you know about vampire culture?" Eva asked.
Seras frowned, sinking into the water again. "Nothing."
"Nothing at all?"
"Nope."
Eva didn't seem to know what to say to that.
"I know – it's stupid," Seras sighed out.
"No, not at all!" Eva quickly reassured her. "We all started where you are right now. There's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Did you not understand things?"
"Of course not," Eva explained. "When I was changed, I was completely alone."
"What happened?" Seras couldn't fight off her curiosity. "But if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine!" she quickly added.
"It's okay, my lady." Eva smiled, her eyes growing distant. "I don't remember much because it was so long ago now. I'm not sure when I was born. We peasants didn't have much of a grasp on time, and because so many people died before reaching the age of three, many didn't see fit to note down dates of birth since you were so unlikely to survive. But what I do know is that I was born in the Kingdom of Bohemia while Ferdinand I ruled."
This information didn't help a clueless Seras in the slightest.
"My parents died of the pox when I was very young and no one wanted to take me in due to the fear that I also had the disease. I finally found work on a farm where I remained until I was twelve. The master of the land had tried to marry me to another one of the servants so that we could produce children and more serfs, but I ran away. I stayed in a nearby town as a beggar for a number of years until I was attacked by a vampire and changed. He was interrupted before he could finish me off, and because I was a virgin, I became a vampire rather than a ghoul," Eva told.
"You were twelve? And they tried to make you get married?" Seras felt disgusted.
"That was pretty normal, my lady. But I didn't want that. I had watched so many other girls die giving birth that I panicked and fled. I didn't want to die like they had."
"That's awful…"
"But things got better for me after a while," Eva reassured. "I had many masters and mistresses over the years take me in; some of them kind; others… not so much. One of my best times was serving at the royal court."
Seras' eyes widened. "What? You mean…?"
Eva giggled. "Yes, I was once a servant in the king's court."
"What was he like?" Seras couldn't help but ask. She so rarely heard about her master's past, and no matter how much thinking about him pained her, she couldn't shake off her curiosity. Learning this information… knowing that Eva had once been in the presence of her master… it almost made her feel close to him again. The longing in her chest twisted itself into a large knot, almost choking her. No matter what he had done to her, she always found herself pining for him. She was pathetic.
"I didn't see him very often; he was always so busy. Then he had left to go travelling and I haven't seen him since. I worked as a lady in waiting for Anastasia, and that sometimes meant that I was in his presence."
"Anastasia was there too?"
Eva nodded. "All powerful vampires stay at the king's court at some point. The king came back very briefly after travelling, but I didn't see him. That was the night the castle was attacked and most of us were slaughtered. I only survived because I was knocked unconscious as everyone fled and went to battle. When I woke up, I was alone and all my friends were nothing but ashes. The king had disappeared. Anastasia finally found me, though she was in pretty bad shape. Luckily, I'm a very talented healer, even when it comes to vampires."
Seras eyes widened. "So you're the one who took care of me the whole time I was out cold?"
"That's right, my lady."
"Thank you…" Seras didn't really know what else to say. "I probably would have died if it wasn't for you guys."
"We're just doing our duty, my lady." Eva beamed.
"Huh?"
The bathroom door suddenly opened and Seras shrieked again, once more making sure that she covered herself. She had been so engrossed in Eva's story that she had almost forgotten where she was and what she was doing. The bright red hair immediately captured Seras' attention as she all but sank fully into the water, the woman's presence immediately having her on edge. Didn't anybody knock around here? Add that to the list under not respecting privacy.
"Ah, there you are, draculina," Anastasia spoke with a grin.
"Seras," was all she responded with. Was she going to have to go through this whole name thing again?
"Get ready, and quick." She clapped her hands. "We have much to do this night."
Then with that, the woman in red disappeared, leaving Seras and Eva alone again.
"Oh my gosh, she's right!" Eva exclaimed, walking over to Seras with a towel. "This is my fault, my lady, I am so sorry for keeping you."
The young girl reached her hand down as if trying to help Seras from the bath tub, but the blonde vampire merely flushed and took the towel out of Eva's other hand instead. She draped the towel over the top of herself as she stood up, preventing Eva from getting an eyeful. She wrapped the thick cotton tightly around herself, the chilly air almost stinging against her skin as she left the protective warmth of the bath water. Seras then shook herself slightly, using her shadows to drain the water from her skin, leaving her completely dry. A handy little trick she had managed to teach herself over the years.
Despite her nervousness and awkwardness, Seras felt brighter and better already. Her body felt fresh and new. Muscles no longer ached, and her skin no longer felt grimy with caked on mud and dry blood. The cuts on her body were healed as were her bones from her encounter with that barbaric vampire. Memories of him made her shudder both in fear and repulsion, and the scar on her neck stung slightly, a dull echo of the pain she had felt when he had touched her there.
Quickly shaking her head, Seras followed Eva back into the – her – bedroom where she was led to another set of doors that she hadn't noticed before. Eva opened them and Seras' eyes widened to see a massive walk-in wardrobe. It could have been its own room! She was speechless as she slowly stepped inside, her eyes scanning and taking everything in. A giddiness bubbled up inside her as she thought about how much she had fantasised over the years about owning something like this.
The room was circular and seemed to be an extension of the tower. Racks stretched all the way up to the ceiling, each of them holding hundreds of different fabrics, dresses, shirts, skirts… everything! A large shoe rack leaned against the far wall, appearing to contain a shoe from every era of history for every occasion. There were dark wood drawers and tables that displayed fine jewels. One individual accessory was probably worth more than Seras had ever earned in her entire duration as a police officer. Hell, even Sir Integra probably wouldn't be able to afford these items!
"It's not much, but it should be enough for the duration of your stay," Eva explained.
"Not… much…?" Seras squeaked. She would probably faint if she ever saw what was classed as 'a lot'.
"Especially for someone of your status," Eva continued explaining, seemingly unaware of the currently hyperventilating vampire beside her. "Most of it is from mistress Anastasia's collection. She loves fashion and has collected all of these through the centuries so you should be able to find something to fit your taste."
"Ummm… okay…" Seras continued to squeak.
"I'll help you find something and get changed," Eva offered, but Seras quickly stopped her.
"Err no, it's okay, thanks. I can do this myself." Seras then realised that this probably wasn't enough to give herself some privacy. "Umm, maybe you should go and tell Anastasia that I'll be down in a moment?"
Eva nodded as she smiled and curtsied before leaving Seras alone once again.
Seras let out a breath that she didn't realise she was holding, grateful to be alone once again. She already liked Eva a great deal, but there was obviously some culture differences that they were going to have to work on. No more naked bath time chats. Granted that had partly been her fault, but Eva had been the one to burst in and then couldn't take the obvious hint that Seras found the situation awkward. She couldn't handle being fussed over like this. It felt weird.
Pushing that thought to one side, Seras couldn't help but let out a high pitched squeal as she ran around the closet, looking at everything. As cool and beautiful as many of these outfits were, they really weren't her style and didn't seem practical in the slightest. Some of the dresses seemed fit for a queen and the draculina couldn't bring herself to touch them with her own peasant hands. Even though she had just bathed, she felt dirty and unworthy of them. Just like how she had been afraid to touch anything when she had first been brought to Hellsing manor.
Seras really had been thrown into a different world. At that thought, she couldn't help but think about her time in the orphanage. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would be standing where she stood right now. She had never experienced riches like this in her life. Her family hadn't been poor by any means, but they were still very much working class, living in a small terraced house in relative comfort. Orphanages didn't exactly get all the funding that they needed. The nuns who had looked after them did the best they could, but Seras was always restricted to hand-me-downs that were often already worn with age, having probably already had ten owners before herself. She hadn't really minded, but she did mind when the other children at school had teased her about it. Their school uniforms were always smart and pristine while Seras' was always slightly on the scruffier side.
After leaving secondary school at sixteen, she had worked multiple jobs just to make ends meet before joining the police academy. She hadn't exactly gotten the best GCSE results, which had almost cost herself her dream career, but perhaps thanks to a little bit of nepotism due to a lot of them having known her father, they managed to squeeze her in. The starting salary of a police woman wasn't exactly the best, but Seras had been happy. Sure, she had often dreamed of luxuries like most people did, but she was content.
So this was an experience that Seras had never expected to have.
Giggling to herself, the young vampire continued to browse, though she was still mindful that Anastasia was expecting her. She wasn't exactly sure what the powerful vampire wanted to talk to her about, but Seras was sure that it was within relation to her training. Searching high and low, Seras finally stumbled across some black jeans and matched them with a white blouse and some black leather boots. Smart casual seemed to be a safe option.
Having quickly gotten dressed, Seras then left the closet, hoping that sometime soon she would have the time to explore it further. But right now she was starting to regret sending Eva away since she had no idea where to even begin looking for Anastasia. This castle was like a maze and she knew that she would end up getting lost.
Third eye it was then, Seras thought to herself as she closed her eyes in concentration. She hoped that one day she wouldn't have to focus so hard on using this power. All the other vampires seemed to use it without even thinking about it. But Seras needed to close her eyes and focus most of her energy on the task. Apart from in moments of great peril when her instincts took over.
Seras could then feel her senses beginning to expand, granting her a mental map of the castle. Different auras overwhelmed her senses, many of them of servants milling around and doing their jobs. Stronger auras pulsed out at her, almost overpowering Seras' sense of all the others in the castle. She guessed that these were Anastasia, Levi and Edmund. Their scents filled her nose, but Seras focused primarily on Anastasia and getting her rough location. She seemed to be in some sort of study, and Eva had just left the room.
Re-focusing her energy, Seras could feel her shadows pooling around her, though she was already feeling exhausted from the lack of blood in her system. But at least this method of travel would spare her the humiliation of getting lost and keeping Anastasia waiting any longer.
Seras' eyes then snapped open as the ground beneath her disappeared, a wooden floor filling her vision as it came barrelling towards her face.
"Shit! Ouch!" she cried out as her whole body slammed against the floor. What the fuck?
A chuckle then filled her ears. "Quite the unique entrance, I must say."
Seras gasped and bolted upright, sitting on the floor where she had landed. Red eyes met each other from over the desk, Anastasia's holding a glimmer of amusement while Seras no doubt looked like a deer caught in headlights. Her face was throbbing slightly from her crash landing, and the young vampire bit her lip and avoided further eye contact. She was an embarrassment to vampires and she knew it.
"And someone of your status should not sit on the floor in the presence of others," Anastasia then added, her tone growing more firm and irate.
"Yes, miss," Seras quickly managed to squeak out before sitting in the chair on the other side of the desk, clasping her hands together in her lap as she stared down at her pale, intertwined digits. She held her breath, terrified over what was coming next. If she had wanted to make a good impression, this definitely wasn't the best way to start.
However, her head quickly snapped up again when the rich, metallic scent of blood filled the air, and her nostrils flared instinctively. She swallowed as she watched Anastasia pour the life giving liquid from a bottle and into two wine glasses before pushing the second glass towards Seras. She eyed it somewhat apprehensively, despite her instincts screaming at her to gulp it all down. She couldn't smell if anything had been added to it, but she wasn't sure if she should take her chances.
Anastasia sighed impatiently. "Drink," she ordered.
Seras obediently grabbed the glass, sloshing the red liquid around slightly before slowly bringing it to her lips. The aroma was completely overpowering and the young vampire had to fight back a growl that was brewing within her chest. Her stomach and throat burned with hunger, and without another cautious thought, Seras downed the glass.
The warm liquid soothed the intense ache and desire that had now travelled around her entire body. It tasted so much better when warm compared to the cold blood she was served back in Hellsing. Part of her wondered how fresh this stuff was and where it had come from, but she pushed that thought aside for now. The less she knew, the better. Otherwise the guilt would consume her.
Anastasia poured her another glass, to which Seras quickly shook her head at the gesture.
"You've been asleep for two weeks. You need it," Anastasia flatly responded, pushing the glass towards her again before taking a small, casual sip from her own glass.
"Two weeks?!" Seras yelped, almost smashing her glass in her tight grip.
Anastasia nodded, letting out another chuckle as she pointed down to the small calendar she kept on her desk. Seras' chest then clenched tightly when she caught site of something else on the calendar.
"Wait… is that correct?" Seras pointed towards the year.
"Yes," responded Anastasia, watching the younger vampire carefully.
23 July 2053.
She'd… she'd been gone from Hellsing… for over ten years?
How was that possible? Had she really lost track of time during her exile that badly? In some ways, it felt shorter. In others, it felt like she had been aimlessly wandering for an eternity. Ten years. A whole decade had passed her by and she hadn't even noticed. A whole decade she had been on her own. A whole decade she had been without her master.
If Seras' long dead heart could have stopped again, she was sure that it would have in that moment.
"This is news to you?" Anastasia raised an eyebrow, taking another sip of blood.
"I'm sorry… I…" Seras choked out. "It just… took me off guard… that's all."
Anastasia nodded. "That can happen when a vampire is alone. Especially a fledgling. Eternity can be quite the notion to adjust to."
Seras held her breath as she placed the glass against her lips, drinking at a much more leisurely and lady-like pace. Her mind still couldn't comprehend what it had just seen. It filled her with an unbearable sorrow that she couldn't quite explain. It… hurt her. To know that she had been gone all this time and not once had anyone seemed to care. How and why had Sir Integra allowed this to happen to one of her soldiers and – dare Seras say it – her friend?
"I've drawn up a plan for your education," Anastasia interrupted Seras' thoughts. "I shall teach you how to use and control your powers, and how to hunt and feed more… discreetly."
Seras fought off tears at the memory.
"Levi will be teaching you how to fight, both defensively and offensively," the glamorous vampire continued. "He will be teaching you the art of battle, the use of weapons, as well as hand-to-hand combat."
Seras gulped. That sounded pretty intense. But she guessed this is what she signed up for.
"And finally, Edmund will oversee your cultural education."
"Huh?" Seras blinked in surprise.
"He will be teaching you all about vampire history, our customs, geography, politics and etiquette."
"Why?"
Anastasia frowned. "You are a vampire, are you not, Seras Victoria?"
"Well, yes, but –"
"So you should learn all about your heritage, don't you agree?"
"Yes, but… all I want to do is learn how to defend myself… I don't see how manners and politics are going to matter," Seras tried to explain as politely as possible. Why would all that stuff matter? She had no intentions of living among other vampires. She was just going to keep to herself for the rest of time. Besides, she was no good at politics and geography and all that rubbish. Now she had to learn it all again from scratch because she was a different species now? No thanks.
"Seras," Anastasia spoke firmly as she placed her glass down on the desk, "as I said before, I have taken guardianship over you, so you will do as you're told."
"I just don't understand why I have to learn all of that stuff, that's all," Seras replied, trying to de-escalate the situation. The last thing she wanted to do was get into a fight with whom seemed to be her only ally right now.
"You will learn these subjects and you will learn them well. You'll be surprised by what can mean the difference between life and death sometimes. Fighting is not all about using your powers and your strength. Sometimes it's about using your mind," Anastasia responded. "You are a true Nosferatu – more so than even I am. All of this will be vital to you."
Seras wasn't quite sure what Anastasia meant, but she supposed that she could go along with it if it meant that she could still learn how to defend herself. Perhaps she could get away with not paying attention during those lessons. Edmund didn't seem to like her anyway, so maybe he would be less interested in the lessons that she was. Seras guessed that she could humour Anastasia on this one. At least the older vampire seemed to be taking all of this seriously.
"So, draculina, do we have an understanding?" Anastasia smiled that calculating smile that sent a shiver down Seras' spine. There was something unhinged about the woman's red eyes that never ceased to make her feel uncomfortable.
"Yes, miss," Seras replied, not really having much choice in the matter.
"Very good," the older vampire purred. "Now that you're back on your feet, your first lesson with me will begin. We're going to go on a little outing together."
"An outing?" inquired Seras.
"Indeed. I believe it's best for you to first observe the skills you will be learning." Anastasia stood up from her chair, leaving her empty glass sat on the desk as she looked down at the draculina.
Seras followed, placing her half empty glass down, her whole body stiff and on guard.
Anastasia picked up her skirts and walked around the desk, creating a dark portal with the wave of her wrist before hooking her arm through Seras'.
"Where are we going?" the draculina asked worriedly.
"You shall see, Seras Victoria. You shall see," Anastasia replied as she pulled her new student into the darkness.
Thank you so much for reading! Where do you think Anastasia is taking her? There was quite the information dump in this chapter, and I hope it didn't feel too much like filler. We'll finally be getting some more intense action in the next chapter. I hope that you're all doing okay and please feel free to leave a review to let me know your thoughts and opinions. Take care out there and I'll see you again soon!
