Chapter 6 MORE PIECES
OF THE PUZZLE
"I don't get it," said Pip. "Now that
he's broken the seal, Alucard's a free man, I mean vampire right?
So what would he still want with Sir Integra? If I were him, I would
be out of here as fast I could. Why complicate things by taking her
along?"
Seras raised an eyebrow as Pip continued his
ranting, barely resisting the urge to thump the mercenary on the
head.
"For the life of me, I can't think of any good
reason he would take her away."
Seras groaned inwardly. Pip
could be so dense at times. "And they call me a bimbo," she
muttered under her breath.
"What was that Lady Seras?"
asked Walter, looking up tiredly. While still remarkably fit for a
man of his age, the strain and worry of the last few days was
beginning to show on the butler's face.
"Oh nothing really
... as you were saying, Walter before this oaf interrupted?"
prodded Seras embarrassedly while Pip scowled.
"As I was
saying, my belief is that Sir Integra's disappearance is connected
to this engagement arranged by the Queen. We had received her
Majesty's envoys at two earlier that day. Sir Harold and Sir
Randolph were highly secretive about the whole matter, merely
indicating that Sir Integra would be receiving the Queen's summons
later in the evening, after which she was to see the Queen
immediately. From the state of things, I don't believe Sir Integra
knew of this engagement before her disappearance."
Walter's
pained expression at the word 'engagement' invoked an involuntary
chuckle from Pip. Noticing the look of seriousness on his companions'
faces, he immediately tried to hide it as a cough. "I doubt Sir
Integra would appreciate being married off just like that."
Walter
sighed softly as he got up from his seat. As he slowly opened the
windows in the southern end of the room, he said gravely, "Pip, you
must understand that archaic as they are, arranged marriages are a
way of life for the nobility. None of us have a choice in this
matter."
Seras was thoughtful as she noticed the tinge of
sadness in Walter's voice and his choice of words. "'Us,'
Walter had used us," she mused.
"But why the Duke of
Ellington?" Walter muttered, furrowing his brow.
"Is there
something we should know?" asked Seras gently.
Walter
replied hesitantly, "I doubt either of you know of the old feud
between the previous Lord Hellsing, Alucard and the previous
Duke."
"The previous Duke? The father of the present Duke
of Ellington?" questioned Pip curiously.
"Well suffice to
say there is a past between the two families, details of which you
need not concern yourself now. The families are related but it is
safe to say that Alucard still blames the death of the previous Lady
Hellsing on her cousin. He has never quite forgotten that incident
and ..."
"Her cousin?" mouthed Pip in disbelief. "The
rumour is that the Duke is the next in line for the throne since the
Crown Prince's abdication. So if this engagement goes through, our
Sir Integra could possibly be the next queen of England?"
Seras
gasped, surprised as she recalled the reputation of the present Duke
of Ellington. The man was a renowned playboy, his romantic escapades
providing constant headlines for the tabloids. How in the world could
the Queen have conceived such an incompatible match - even if
Integra's mother had been cousin to his father?
"Now wait
a minute Walter, I know her Majesty is fond of Sir Integra but this
is incredulous. What next? Don't tell me she is actually Alucard's
or your daughter ..."
"Pip be serious!"
"Hey,
I'm just citing an example ..." said Pip. Even as he threw what
he hoped was a suitably contrite look at Seras, Pip could not help
but catch sight of the disconcerted look on Walter's face. "It's
not possible right, old boy?"
"Pip, stop interrupting and
let Walter brief us!" chided Seras, finally losing her temper and
giving the mercenary a death glare - not unlike one frequently seen
on Integra's face when reprimanding Alucard.
Still gazing
out of the windows uneasily, Walter continued. "My theory is that
Alucard had intercepted the Queen's letter and has taken matters in
his own hands. However, even if he acted in honor of the late Lady,
namely to prevent marriage of her only daughter to the man whose
father he believes to be Lady Amelia's murderer, I cannot condone
his kidnap of Integra ..."
"Seras ... Walter
..."
Pip gave a cry as he noticed Seras suddenly
collapsed on the floor. Her face was frightfully pale.
"I'm
alright," called out Seras haltingly as the mercenary rushed to her
side. "It was just a dizzy spell."
"What happened? Are
you alright child?" quizzed Walter as he dashed over, his face full
of concern at her pallor. "Vampires don't faint unless," he
paused, "have you been refusing your rations again child?"
"No,"
replied Seras slowly. Pale as vampires were, it was of great concern
to Walter and Pip to see her ashen white. "Walter," she said,
suddenly clutching his hand excitedly, "I think I saw her Lordship.
For a moment, I heard her voice and then I saw it, through her
eyes."
"What? Where is she?"
"I think she was
in an old castle," said Seras uncertainly as Pip supported her into
a seating position. "She was in a very large room. It was full of
banners and I think there was a strange insignia on the chair in
which she was seated ..."
"Lady Seras, about the insignia,
was it one of a dragon entwined around a lion?" pressed Walter
urgently, recalling the details in his own nightmare.
She
nodded gingerly.
And then it all made sense: the butler
shuddered at the sudden realisation that he should have known all
along where the castle was – had it not been but 40 years ago that
he had visited that accursed castle?
"I think so although I
first thought of it as a winged snake fighting with a big cat
..."
"The sign of Dracul," mouthed Walter slowly. "His
family insignia."
"Can someone fill me in on this? Are you
saying she's in Alucard's castle? In Romania?" asked Pip
hesitantly.
"But Walter, if the previous Duke had harmed the
late Lady Hellsing ..." stammered Seras.
"A
misunderstanding," replied Walter nervously. "Now if you excuse
me, I must consult the Hellsing journals for the exact location of
the castle. I do believe we are all overdue for a small chat with
Alucard. Pip, do prepare yourself for a long journey and brief one or
two of the men whom we can trust to take care of matters here at the
mansion while we are away. Lady Seras, are you with us on
this?"
Seras nodded mutely as Walter turned to leave, unable
to shake off the nagging feeling that there was something in the
puzzle he was not telling them.
----------
"Vlad? He
is not Dracula, is he? That means he is Alucard?" thought Integra,
confused even as her mind quickly made the connections. "No this
cannot be, I must still be asleep. This is a dream and no more,"
said Integra to herself before closing her eyes again.
"Who
are you madam?" she heard the child repeat curiously. He was now
tugging more urgently at her dress. "I have never seen you in this
castle before."
Fearful and somewhat resigned to the fact
that she was not merely dreaming as she hoped, Integra rose quickly
to curtsey. She prayed she could pass off as an inhabitant of the
castle, hoping that perhaps the way of the Romanian nobility was not
too unlike her own.
"My name is Integra Hel-," Integra
said cautiously, biting back a cry of surprise as the child stared
intently at her. It was then she noticed that although the child's
eyes were red from crying, his pupils were of a striking shade of ice
blue like hers. "Where am I, my little lord?"
"I am not
little," replied the child strangely reminiscent of her own usual
retort to Alucard. "And you are in the ceremonial banquet hall. Now
before I call the guards, you should tell me who you are," said the
child, arms akimbo.
Integra pursed her lips nervously as the
young child studied her – his expression was one of distrust and
yet great curiousity. She had no idea what was happening to it. Had
she somehow travelled with time? The notion seemed implausible and
yet there was no other rationale explanation for all of this. What
was she to do if this was no dream?
"Perchance, are you my
new English nurse?" asked young Vlad. "Father mentioned getting
me a foreign nurse to ensure that I learn more about other kingdoms.
Would you be her?"
"Yes my Lord. Forgive me, it is as you
have guessed. My name is Integra Helens and I have just arrived from
England to serve your family," she lied uncomfortably. "I'm
still not feeling too well from the sea journey and so I beg your
pardon for my discourtesy."
Even before the words were out
of her mouth, she felt annoyed. The idea of being in servitude to
Alucard's family greatly rankled the Hellsing spirit in her but she
could think of no better story at the moment.
"What madness
is this?" Integra thought. "Have I by some strange spell gone
back in time? This is crazy!" she screamed internally. "What do I
do now? If this is no dream, I am in deep trouble ..."
"Well
then nurse, let us make haste from here," Vlad said, the urgency in
his voice breaking her thoughts. "Father has strictly forbidden
unauthorised entry to the ceremonial banquet hall. He would punish
you if he found you here without permission," the young Vlad said
as he walked to the door, motioning for her to follow. "Quickly
nurse," he urged. "I have lessons with my tutor in the afternoon
and father will be greatly displeased if he learns that I am
tardy."
For a moment, she thought to ask the young child
what he was doing in the hall himself if no one was to enter, but
thought the better of it. Deciding to play along until she could
better grasp her circumstances and figure out a solution - having no
other options at the moment, Integra obediently followed the child.
"I beg my Lord's forgiveness. I was lost and too tired from the
journey," said Integra, smarting at the young prince's
reprimand.
The child said nothing but walked quickly, forcing
Integra to struggle with her skirts, in an effort to keep up with
him. Noticing her discomfort, he giggled and walked on
faster.
"Until this I was still unsure if he was indeed the
arrogant bastard I know," she thought as she raised one eyebrow
involuntarily in disbelief.
"Oh please let this be a dream;
wake up Integra," she repeated in her mind, part of her still
hoping in vain to wake from what she prayed was a dream. She was so
focused on her intent that she did not realise how quickly nor how
long they had walked along the passageways until they came to a
familiar oaken door. Throwing aside the door, the young prince ran
eagerly into the room. Integra looked about in surprise as she
recognised herself to be in the very chambers Alucard had assigned to
her in her own time.
"Read it," cried the young prince
eagerly as he pointed to a leather bound book lying on a reading desk
in the middle of the room. With detached amusement, Integra noted his
childlike excitement. "Read the second chapter to me, nurse.
Quickly. My tutor will be here soon and I would like to finish the
story first. That is if I may assume you can read. My last nurse
could not. I hope you are not like her."
Suppressing her
mild annoyance at taking commands from Alucard (to be), Integra
noticed the deep scratches on the back of his hand. She had noticed
the wounds for the first time when he had lifted his hand to point to
the book on the table. Despite herself, she found herself feeling
extremely sorry for the child. Instinctively walking up to him and
cradling his hand gently in her own, she asked sadly, "Who did
this?"
Vlad said nothing but merely stared at the floor.
Integra felt her heart ache as she saw the pain and frustration in
the child's eyes.
"Shall I dress your hand my Lord?"
Integra asked, disbelieving her own sympathy and affection for the
child that would grow up to be her kidnapper and whom she must have
threatened a hundred times to stake.
The young prince shook
his head before answering very quietly, "No, thank you
nurse."
"Well, my Lord," she asked, unsure of her next
move. "Shall we begin reading?"
Vlad nodded, looking
happier.
Walking to the reading table, Integra opened the book
quickly. The young child sat down excitedly on one of the stools
beside the table. However, even before she had the chance to read the
first word, Integra saw a frightful darkness escape from the pages –
it quickly enveloped her and then consumed the rest of the
room.
----------
"Wake up Integra, wake up my child,"
came a long forgotten voice in the darkness. "Sleep no more. Open
your eyes and see what you have feared to acknowledge ..."
"Mother?"
she cried out, recognising the voice. Opening her eyes slowly, she
was somewhat disappointed to find herself alone and seated against a
huge apple tree.
"Where did this tree come from?" Integra
thought as she began examining the tree carefully. Integra blinked as
she noticed a mark carved on its trunk. A queer feeling came over her
as she recognised the mark: it was a rough depiction of her family
insignia, the Hellsing crest.
"What madness is this?" she
said as she held her head, frustrated. "Where am I now? Is this a
never-ending dream? Where is this place? When will I wake up?"
As
if in response, a deep laugher broke out above her.
Startled,
Integra glanced around, eager to discover the source of the sound.
"Who are you? How dare you mock Hellsing? Come down here
you knave," she yelled angrily. "Come down now before I make
you."
"Foolish woman," mocked a woman's voice. "Are
the eyes of Hellsing mere decoration? Do you not recognise who I am
and can you truly make me do what I do not wish little
girl?"
Looking up, Integra caught sight of a crow perched up
on the branches, by which great apples also hung.
"Who are
you?" Integra questioned just as she got a terrible shock of
watching the crow disappear, leaving in its place ...
"Rip
van Winkle," Integra said disgustedly. "I thought Alucard had
disposed of you. No, this cannot be real. This is just a dream."
Rip
smiled cruelly as she looked down amusedly at Integra. Plucking an
apple, she bit into it before replying, "You think this is all but
a dream? Foolish humans, how long will you ignore what is so
blatantly before you? No matter, I assure you this is no ordinary
dream even if you cannot fathom how it is possible we are meeting
again Miss Hellsing." The vampire laughed again as if amused by
Integra's quizzed look. "Nevertheless, I am glad you remember my
name."
"What do you want vampire?" said Integra,
fighting the unexplainable horror inside herself at the sight of the
stain of the dark juice. It was much too remarkably similar to blood
and the manner in which it was staining Rip's mouth, as the vampire
deliberately bit into the fruit again, was nauseating.
"Nothing,"
replied Rip, grinning triumphantly, her fangs glistening with her
face deadly white, white as salt. "Nothing but you, nothing but you
child," she said as she licked her lips cruelly.
Without
further hesitation, Integra took to her heels, running as fast as she
could (dream or no dream, dress or no dress she did not like where
this conversation was going); Rip after her.
"Foolish
woman," snarled Rip viciously, materialising suddenly in front of
Integra and cutting off her route of flight. "Do you not know there
is no escaping fate?"
"Stay away from me vampire," cried
Integra, reaching instinctively for her revolver only to remember
that it lay abandoned by her bedside.
Rip grinned cruelly as
she grabbed Integra's chin with one hand. Her other hand ran the
half eaten apple against Integra's lips. Integra shuddered, Rip's
hand and the fruit were deathly cold.
"Have an apple dear?"
said Rip speaking sweetly as she allowed some juice to drip into
Integra's mouth, her voice sounding strangely and horribly to
Integra like her mother's.
"I-I don't think so,"
gasped Integra. The juice tasted sweet and yet horribly sickening as
if mixed with blood. As the juice flowed down her throat, Integra
felt as if a knife had been plunged into her stomach. She put her one
hand painfully to her abdomen, the other vainly attempting to push
Rip away. "No, I-I don't want ..."
Rip laughed cruelly.
She ran one hand roughly over Integra's breasts. "You simpleton.
Do you know what this is? Don't you want to know what really
happened to your mother? Who you really are? This fruit will allow
you to know ..."
Integra shook despite her best efforts not
to. "Don't," she cried. "I don't want ..."
"Because
living with the truth is more fearsome than living in a beautiful lie
isn't it? Don't you want to know who your father really is?"
Rip tempted. "You know it as well as I do ... it isn't Arthur is
it?"
"Look at your wanton body," mocked the vampire as
she ran her hands against Integra's stomach. "Exactly like the
slut I knew you would grow up to be. But it is no wonder, look at the
commoner you had for a father."
Integra stared, ashen faced
in horror. "Lies, keep your lies and devilish fruit away from me
witch."
"Witch?" repeated Rip with a strange smirk
crossing her face. "Integra, where are your manners? Is this any
way to greet your mother?"
"Mother?" gasped Integra
reviled at the idea. "Damn you monster!" she cursed, struggling
once more to push Rip away.
"No it was not possible. It had
to be a lie ... Mother was not a vampire. I'm going to kill this
bitch!" cursed Integra silently under her breath as she studied her
opponent quietly, hoping to find some weakness to her
advantage.
"Monster? Bitch?" questioned Rip amusedly as
she bit once more into the apple. "Yes, a monster. However, moulded
from your mother, Hellsing," she snarled. Integra grimaced in
disgust, fighting the impulse to gag at the sight of the dark juice
flowing down the vampire's chin as she spoke.
"An unholy
alliance between the professor's genius, her body stolen from the
grave and /his/ dark blood. Don't you see the resemblance? You and
me ... we are perfect sides of the same coin, one striving for the
darkness, one striving for the light. But in the end, you know we are
the same."
"You lie," Integra winced as Rip's hold on
her chin tightened, forcing her to open her mouth a little more. "You
..."
"Lies? No matter," Rip said before suddenly taking
Integra's mouth with her own. Integra struggled but it was of no
use. Slowly, the vampire forced the remainder of the sickly fluid
down her throat.
Integra fought the urge to swallow futilely;
the liquid burned horribly, causing her vision to blur and her head
to hurt. After what seemed an eternity, Rip finally released her. She
was laughing in morbid satisfaction as Integra crumpled at her
feet.
"What have you fed me?" demanded Integra, struggling
to fight the pounding migraine that was threatening to overwhelm
her.
She received no answer, only a malicious laughter. It
rang painfully in her ears, even as her surroundings were engulfed in
silent darkness again.
----------
Choking, she spat out
the awful, coppery tasting liquid within her mouth.
Integra
opened her eyelids slowly. A voice in her head told her that she was
back in her time but she knew with a dreadful foreboding that
something terrible had happened.
"Voices? Was I hearing
voices?" she wondered with uncertainty. "Was it a nightmare or a
foreshadowing of the horrors to come?"
As her head cleared
and her vision slowly came into focus, Integra recognised with
disgust that the sticky liquid she had spat out, and with which her
dress was covered, was blood.
"Am I bleeding?" she
wondered, inspecting herself for signs of injury but finding none.
While the knowledge that she was not wounded was usually welcomed
news, the lack of hurt in her body was now, on the contrary, most
terrifying and disconcerting. And then she realised what her body had
found so amiss - her vision was strangely clear but her glasses were
most certainly lying broken underneath her own feet.
She took
one look at Alucard who was standing at the other end of the hall
before she screamed.
