Still damp hair had stuck itself to the back of Seras's neck. Clean and redressed in civilian attire she walked purposefully, if not a little nervously towards her master's chambers. Spending time with Alucard was both something she very much desired and intensely dreaded. She didn't exactly know whether this was a result of the sire-childe bond and her human side rebelling in the face of it...or if she truly cared for the elder vampire and simply feared his rejection. It was probably a complicated mixture of those things and more. God why couldn't her unlife be easier?
Upon arriving at his door she bowed her head and examined the floor. Hesitantly she brought her knuckles into contact with the wood, knocking twice. She didn't need to knock, in fact she knew it was largely a formality.
"Enter police girl, your thoughts are so loud it would be impossible to miss you."
Seras sheepishly opened the large door and stepped across the threshold into her master's presence. She knew the light was dim even though she could see perfectly. Alucard sat with his legs propped up on a table.
"Your next lesson," he brought his feet to the ground smoothly, "will concern basic sire-childe etiquette." He motioned her over to him with his hand.
When at first she didn't move, he snapped at her impatiently. "When I gesture for you to come to me, you will come."
Slowly she advanced to her master's side. He held out his hand for her to take which she did with some trepidation. He spun her around slowly until she was standing at the back of his chair. He placed her hand upon his shoulder.
"When you walk into a room with me and I seat myself you will take this position. That is unless I indicate otherwise. Depending on your behavior and my mood I may let you take a seat next to me," He then pulled her back around the chair and forcibly sat her in his lap, "or I may allow you to sit thus, a subservient position to be sure, but seen as a typical reward for the childe nonetheless."
With an unexpected movement Alucard shoved Seras rudely to the floor. "And if I am displeased I may have you here, at my feet in supplication. Somehow I see you in this position more often than any of the others, given your past inability to please me. However, you may yet surprise me." Almost gently he pulled the stunned girl back up onto his lap, and commenced to petting her hair like she was a favorite cat.
"I trust you will endeavor not to annoy me."
"Yes master." She whispered.
"I can tell that you still fear me, this is good. Other vampires will expect it of you."
Alucard swept some of Seras's hair away from her neck, scrutinizing the marks he had made there, not long ago. "You will notice some of the manner in which I treat you from this point on will differ drastically to the attention, or lack there of I have shown you up til now. These are not my ways, at least I had not thought I would ever again choose to comply with the expectations of 'polite' vampire society."
Memories of a time when he had doted on his childer resurfaced in Alucard's mind. He had been too lenient with his brides and as the saying goes, if you give an inch, they'll take a mile. He refused to let Seras turn out the same way. True, she was not the usual stock from which he had chosen his childer. She was of tougher mettle, not simply a pretty, devious little creature as the others had been. They all began as innocents and he had corrupted them easily, Seras had not given in. In truth he wasn't sure that she would. It seemed he had been correct in choosing to parent her in a harsher fashion. He hoped these new orders from Integra didn't end up interfering, he was uncertain if his police girl was ready for what was to come. Her penchant for speaking her mind was a liability.
"I think it goes without saying that I expect you to curb that wicked tongue of yours, police girl. Do you think you can handle not speaking unless spoken to?"
She turned to look at him, an angry glint in her eyes. "So I'm supposed to act like your obedient little doll, is that it? If I had any doubts whether vampires were monstrous and oppressive, your explanation of their culture put them to rest."
"Ah, childe. It is exactly that kind of talk that will not be tolerated. Yes you will play the part of my obedient progeny, for the duration of our mission. Maybe it'll help you learn proper respect for your master." A low chuckle passed his lips when he observed her stiff, indignant posture.
"Furthermore you may notice that not every other vampire will expect the same behavior from their childer, but I am a Tzimisce of ancient lineage and this is how it was done in my time. Of course, I believe a lot more public humiliation and visceral torture may have been part of the custom as well. Aren't you glad that I was never particularly fond of that practice? That sort of thing ought to be kept private."
Seras chose to ignore the last few comments and craned her neck around so she could look directly up into the dark gaze of her master. "You mean you were treated with such indignity?"
He smiled wickedly. "No, of course not. I was not sired, not in the usual way at least. You could say I sired myself."
She didn't rightly understand how one could sire themselves but he didn't seem willing to give up more information on the subject of his turning.
"Well I think you have grasped the basics, you shall act with respect, avert your eyes to those who outrank you, and follow slightly behind when we walk together. Now a short description of the clans and government are in order. Are you comfortable?"
She had been shifting nervously in his lap since he had placed her there, which was more than a little distracting. "Not really."
His hands grasped her hips and pulled her backwards into his chest so his mouth was level with her ear. "Well you had better get used to it, and quickly." She bit back a growl.
"When we arrive in Paris our first matter of business will be to introduce ourselves to the city's prince. It is crucial to be on his good side as he carries the most influence in the Camarilla of France."
"So it's like a monarchy?"
"The Camarilla is a bit more democratic than that, the prince is not meant to be the ruler so much as to attend to diplomatic and governmental issues alongside the city's primogen, who are individuals selected to head each of the clans. There isn't just one prince, and they can be male or female. Most of the major cities of the world have one. A prince does not have absolute power, they just see to it that the rules are obeyed and give dispensation for things like siring childer and ordering blood hunts, the latter of which must be agreed upon by the majority of the primogen. You do not want to be on the receiving end of a bloodhunt, police girl."
Alucard grew deadly serious. "If you violate the masquerade enough, you will be hunted by every vampire within traveling distance of Paris. The prince of Paris is also the prince of France, it is required that all local vampires attend but there are always thrill seekers. I do not believe you would enjoy that many powerful kindred hunting you for sport. So do not let humans know we exist. No feeding where mortals can see you, no powers either. Fortunately Integra already enforces similar rules."
Seras imagined a mob of angry Alucards chasing her around the Eiffel Tower and couldn't stifle her giggle. She must be getting sleepy.
"Something funny?"
"No...no. Uh, go on."
"You had better be listening, childe." He admonished. "Moving on now. It has been my experience that the Ventrue are the individuals that usually hold the position of prince. This is because the clan is largely made up of royalty, government officials, and heads of corporations turned vampire. Though I believe Paris has a Toreador prince. That's because it has long been considered a seat of the arts. Toreadors are a clan of fops, artists, and romantics. They must have inspired Anne Rice and Bram Stoker to write all that ridiculously romanticized tripe about kindred."
"I always liked Lestat and I saw Dracula once or twice, it wasn't bad."
"Ugh. You have disgusting taste, if you ogle any Toreadors during our stay I will be forced to eviscerate them." A nauseated look appeared on Alucard's face at the mere thought of lovey dovey eyes between the police girl and some amorous ninny. "In fact I rather hope a Nosferatu takes a liking to you, now that would be amusing."
"Nosferatu, now that doesn't sound like a clan I'd wanna get involved with."
"Oh they are invaluable when it comes to information. I'm sure we will be spending time with them most of all, but their appearances are best endured on an empty stomach. To be turned by a Nosferatu is to be cursed to an eternity of grotesque disfigurement."
"Sounds delightful, I look forward to meeting them." Was her dry response.
Alucard was coming to enjoy their easy banter. "I think you would get along with the Brujah, trouble makers, the lot of them. I sometimes wonder if one sired you whilst I was not paying attention."
"And who do you prefer to associate with? Whichever is the pyscho clan, I'm sure."
"No jest police girl, the Malkavians are the mad vampires and I do so enjoy a conversation with them, because it is most engaging trying to decypher what the hell it is they are talking about."
"Are you sure you aren't that clan then? Because I see the similarities."
"Insult me all you want, I am Tzimisce antitribu, that is to say they are my bloodline but I don't necessarily agree or ally myself with them. However, that will be little consolation to the Camarilla, we will be seen as most unusual as well as regarded with intense suspicion because of it. I have a feeling the Gangrel may be more willing to accept us, they are a bit more laid back. Perhaps it is their animalistic natures but they aren't nearly as stuck up as the rest of the Camarilla clans. The Tremere, the mages... oh, they will prove difficult. They truly hate our clan, and our clan hates theirs. I could care less about the feud, I'm apathetic about the situation. Still, it will make our standing rather tenuous with those kindred."
"Its all rather complicated master, I hope I can keep the clans straight." She rubbed her temples, wishing for the lecture to end.
"And those are only the major Camarilla clans, there are countless independent clans, those in the Sabbat, and those that break off from the originals. But you will not learn of them tonight, no not until much later for they aren't the important ones, we must worry about these seven I have taught you."
Alucard stood, lifting Seras's body along with his own. She wobbled a bit when she was once again upright but steadied herself. Sunrise was approaching and she was exhausted. Strong hands led her towards the chamber door.
"Go now, get some sleep, the crash course has concluded for now. I will discuss the matter more with you over the next few days."
Back in her room, Seras curled up in her coffin-bed and closed herself in its cocoon for the night. Her dreams were strangely filled with the Cheshire grin of her master above her, a leash in his unseen hand. The chain ended at her neck... and she found that dream-Alucard quite enjoyed tugging on it.