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Of Hellsing BloodChapter One: A Show of Emotion
The wind was cool against her skin, caressing it gently with its soft and silken fingers. It seemed to reach out and catch her hair, lifting it up and making it undulate in gentle waves across her face. Stray strands fell across her half-lidded blue eyes as they stared out into the darkness. Her spectacles flashed as she sighed and leaned into the night breeze, willing it to blow away all of her troubles.
In two days time, Integra Hellsing's life would change forever. No longer would she have the true independence she had enjoyed for the past twenty two years. At the age of thirty-five, she was well past marriageable age. Being a recluse and constantly refusing to attend the many parties where the upper class socialized, she had inadvertently been left out in the arena of romance. But then again, she had never been one to prim and parade herself in front of those stuck-up males. Integra had sworn early in life never to give up her freedom for the shackles of marriage. All this was now going to change.
The Queen had been anxious for the past few years, worried about the future of Hellsing. In her eyes, only those of noble blood could most effectively safeguard her kingdom. It was ironic, Integra thought. Were we not all equal in the eyes of God? She wondered how strongly religion could hold up against social norms. It seemed to change with every century. Just a hundred years ago, Integra doubted a woman like her would ever have been able to rise to the rank of Hellsing Director.
Her thoughts and musings were interrupted, however, by a long familiar tingling on the back of her neck. Without even bothering to turn, she knew that her servant vampire had arrived. Even though he had the power to appear out of nowhere at any point in time, Integra was always attuned to the subtle changes in the atmosphere that preceded it.
Alucard appeared out of the wall, gliding out of it in a swirl of black mist. He liked to show off his powers like that, constantly reminding those around him of his true nature. The vampire gazed up at his Master. She was standing without her coat on, leaning against the balcony wall and staring at the night scene. The view was breathtaking. The lights of London glowed like a millions fireflies in the dark. Their only competition was the magnificent brilliance of the London sky on a clear night, coupled with a full moon.
"It is a beautiful night," he mused as he proceeded to stand beside her. Even now, he still kept a respectful distance.
"What do you want, Alucard?" she asked in a stern voice. The last thing she needed now were the taunts of her vampire.
"Nothing. I just want to stand here and watch it. The night sings to me. It speaks of secret desires and wistful dreams," the vampire leaned against the balcony railings as well, mirroring Integra's posture.
"And what do you know of that?" Integra turned towards him only then. Her eyes were cold as usual, her manner brusque.
"Enough, Master, to tell that you are not happy with the union at all," the vampire could not help but smile. The white of his teeth shining in the light from the hallway.
"Why would I be unhappy? After all, though I am Sir Kingsley's wife in name, I am not in mind or body. This marriage is nothing more than a charade to make the Queen happy, and perhaps to produce an heir." Integra did not hesitate over that last point. It was nothing more than the truth. To try to put it delicately would be trying to hide it.
The vampire said nothing. Integra waited, hoping that he would go away. Alucard refused to budge. He had to say what was on his mind, even though Integra would hate to hear it. To allow her to continue with this foolishness was an insult to her character. After a few minutes of debating with himself, he finally decided to go straight to the point.
"I do not think it is wise to proceed with something that makes you unhappy," he said in a voice, serious and without a trace of mockery. His eyes, usually expressive, seemed strangely blank for once.
"Oh, and what do you know, Alucard? Unlike you vampires, humans often have to do things they dislike. I have my duty to uphold, and even if it means doing something I deem unsavoury, I will still go on with it," she said. There was a hint of bitterness in her voice that was difficult to hide.
Alucard stared. Integra's shoulders were slightly slumped, as if in defeat or despair. She had returned her attention to the view outside, and most of her face was hidden by a curtain of pale blond hair. He had sensed that she was unhappy, but it was only now that he knew she was quite near breaking. He had to stop her from falling into a trap others had built for her.
"Your thoughts betray your every word and action. For once, you are lying, to me and to yourself," he said bluntly.
She turned, her face stony. They stared at each other for a while, red eyes against blue. Two domineering personalities constantly in conflict with one another. Both knew that was the only thing that kept them going. Both did not want it to end. But neither would bow down to admit it.
"And what do you know of what I want?" she asked, her eyes sliding sideways to the lights of the city. Her voice was neither angry nor impatient, just questioning.
He did not answer. Instead, he moved closer towards her, less than an arm's length away. Integra did not order him to back off, but simply tilted her head slightly to meet his gaze. His crimson eyes retained that same blank expression.
"You are not a normal woman, one who allows herself to be chained to a husband and marriage. You are like a lioness, one that deserves to live by her own rules as she roams her domain. To force you to do something against your will… is to kill you."
Integra said nothing. What could a person say to another who knew her so well, who could read her like an open book. She wondered why he bothered to. She was nothing more than his Master, the person who stood between him and freedom.
"Say what you wish, Alucard. I will walk down the aisle anyway," she broke eye contact with him and turned her head to look out towards the night sky, though her body still faced him. Let him see what's in my mind. He can't do anything anyway.
Alucard inwardly sighed. Foolish woman, he thought. Why did he even want to put up with her? But he already knew the answer. She was smart, proud, brave and beautiful. These were attributes he had not seen in another human for the past hundreds of years. To allow her to share a bed with a man for the sole purpose of procreation was unthinkable. He could not help but reach out and stroke her hair, parting it gently to reveal more of her face.
The effect was not what he expected. Integra reached out and grabbed his wrist, shoving his hand roughly aside. Her face shifted from quiet contemplation to a mask of fury. She stepped back from him, putting more distance between them.
"What do you think you're doing, vampire?" she yelled at him. Anger and frustration rolled off her in waves. Alucard tensed, then descended on one knee, his head slightly bowed.
"I am sorry, Master. I did not mean to offend you," he spoke, his voice tinged with sincerity.
She did not answer for a while, struggling to control the emotions swirling inside her. Why did he have to do this to her? She had everything under control, and he had just come along and messed everything up again. Why did he have to press her on the doubts that were already in her mind? Knowing them would only make the decision more painful for her. Didn't he know that?
She tried to keep her voice calm, but failed. She knew that she was showing more emotion then she liked even as she spoke next.
"You crossed a line tonight, Alucard." Integra realized that her voice was trembling. It was far from the cool tone that she used on him, whatever the situation.
Alucard looked up, clearly surprised. Even through the dim light, he could see that her eyes were unusually shiny. She flinched slightly at his gaze, then broke eye contact as she turned away. He watched her storm off the balcony and into the hallway, not bothering to dismiss him or look back.
He got up slowly from the floor. Cursing himself for falling to temptation and failing to dissuade her, he leaned on the balcony railing and looked up at the moon. He remembered doing this the night he had become one of its Creatures, swearing never to be entangled in the trappings of human emotion again.
"It is beautiful night," he said to no one in particular. "A nice one to be alone."