Chapter#18: The princess bride: revelations

IMPORTANT NOTES:

Väl Apple here! I'm so sorry for the late update, but this year has been interesting to say the least. I got covid, then I dislocated my knee and, after I recovered from both, I signed up for a government exam so I could, with any luck, get a better job. I'm still studying for it as it's in November, so I was quite busy and couldn't work on any fic of mine.

This chapter is not one of my favorites and I'm not sure if you, my lovely readers, like this new route the fic is taking. So I would really appreciate some input on the matter. Please, REVIEW AND TELL ME YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS NEW ARC AND PLOT.

Enjoy reading and stay safe, my lovely readers! ;)

The vampire woke up to a wall of darkness and dust in front of him. Disoriented by the sudden change in scenery, Alucard looked around, trying to locate his surroundings. He was alone and, after further investigation and a short walk through the place, he concluded he was underground as well.

A muffled song could be heard from outside, among the screams, bullets and occasional explosions that shook the earth. Frowning, his right arm reached for the only source of light—a small and decrepit-looking wooden door—, only to stop and stare at his wrist. White fabric; an old but familiar coat he had worn a long time ago*. He squinted at the peculiar piece of clothing, lost in thought.

The last thing he remembered was falling asleep on that noisy contraption the humans called a bus, so this must be another of his recurrent dreams and, judging by the ruckus outside as well as his appearance, he could guess which one. Stepping out of what he now identified as a trench, the vampire walked into a familiar battlefield. He had been there time ago. Over half a century ago, to be more precise.

The smell of gunpowder and blood permeated one of the many battles of WWII, where Alucard and a younger Walter had fought. Mangled bodies littered the ground, discarded weapons and uneven field. Yes, this was War.

As it happened with the rest of his recurring dreams, the vampire knew how this one unfolded: it was the last fight he'd been involved in before being called back to England. The only thing that he couldn't place was the odd music, still coming from somewhere in the battlefield. It sounded like some of the old songs his last master, Arthur Hellsing, liked to listen to.

CRACK!

At the noise of a hard surface breaking under his foot, the vampire jolted, then bent down to pick it up. It was a phone—a small device. Her phone. Blood-red eyes narrowed at one thought: this wasn't supposed to be here either. Absentmindedly pocketing the cracked thing, Alucard kept walking.

Searching for the origin of the music, he sidestepped the blurred soldiers. There was no point in killing them, since they were mere manifestations of his imagination, many of them faceless and half-transparent, as though his mind couldn't bother to remember them. Alucard strained his ears trying to locate what he now recognized as a radio. He could hear Walter's wires cutting through air and flesh in the distance and the screams of those unfortunate souls who were in his way. He heard the marching tanks and the planes slashing across the air.

In the end, he just gave up trying to find the source when a small helicopter landed in front of him, carrying Walter and one other soldier. With some difficulty due to his height and to the cramped interior of the aircraft, he sat down on one of the side benches, his hand brushing the pocket containing the phone. Why had he kept it? Angry at himself for doing such a foolish action, he yanked it out of his coat, ready to throw it over the edge.

"Oh… You found it."

Startled by the voice of the person who he was sure shouldn't be in this dream, the device slipped from his hand, only to be caught by a small feminine one. A couple of giggles and some shuffle of clothes later had Inés—or his dream version of her—sitting next to him.

"I really thought you would have thrown it away the moment you found it." Her voice was breezy and calm and, oddly, it filled him with a feeling of tranquility, despite their surroundings and the on-going gunfight.

"I believed it too…" Alucard answered, a bit lost in thought. Wondering why on earth he would want to keep anything of hers. The girl was clearly annoying at best and, although it provided him with an amusing distraction, he didn't think any more of her… Did he?

"Did you?" The vampire quickly rose his head and made eye contact with the girl for the first time. The rest of the space was foggy, and even Walter's face was unrecognizable. She seemed so bright and sharp by contrast, the smile on her face wrinkling the skin around her eyes. "Liar." Her smirk widened even more, if that was even possible.

It was distracting to say the least. So distracting he didn't hear the falling bomb over the muffled radio until it was too late. The projectile hit the helicopter and the only thing he was fast enough for was standing up and reaching out for her.

He missed her bloodied hand and the Spanish girl fell to the void.

"INÉS!"

Alucard woke up with a start and breathing quite heavily for someone who didn't need to. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair and face. If he could, he was sure he'd be sweating. What did that dream mean? He cared for the girl now? So what? He'd definitely felt his gut clench when she'd fallen all bloody and—

Alucard shook his head. No, he didn't want to think about it.

He looked around and found he was in yet another familiar place (not the real world, though), as he could recognize the ruined and decaying castle walls, covered in cobwebs and dust.

So, still dreaming? When was the last time I slept this much?

With that thought, the vampire rose from his coffin and walked out into the lower parts of the building where the dining room was located.

The radio song was still present. How odd.

Not two steps into the dining room, he met the figure of a woman in a gown. The obviously young adult had her back to him, but Alucard somehow knew who it was. Gritting his teeth in an attempt to get a grip on his still raging emotions, the old-looking vampire approached who could not be anyone else but Inés. He had to admit that the evening gown he had come up with was beautiful, its fabric a cream-like colour, straplessly wrapped around her, which complemented her quite nicely.

She turned around at the sound of his echoing footsteps, and he could see the rest of her. The fashion of the late 1800s suited her just fine. Although if she was going to feature in this particular dreamscape, he would rather see her in a different state of… dress. Particularly what one of his harem brides used to wear. He could feel a smirk creeping onto his face, so he coughed and sat down at the otherwise empty table.

Seeing as the Spanish girl didn't move an inch, Alucard frowned and nervously fiddled with his hairy hands. God, he hated this ancient and ugly form, why had he chosen it while at Transylvania?*

"Are you not going to invite me to sit at your table, my Lord?" Coughing awkwardly and a bit annoyed at her attitude, he motioned for the chair closest to him.

"Sit." It came out more like an order than a request. "And, please, drop the formalities, we know each other."

He smirked and let his eyes roam her silhouette as she sat, lingering on the exposed cleavage and neck. He quickly averted his gaze when it made contact with hers. It surprised the vampire to find she was not offended or had become violent, as he was sure she'd have if they were in the real world.

She smirked while taking out some papers out of a suitcase.

"I'm not offended as long as you don't want me to be." The young woman said, bored. "I'm just playing a role here. 1800s. Me the demure and coquette woman, and you the lord of the castle. Come on, Vlad, you know you love these little fantasies you come up with." Inés waved her hands around for emphasis. "So let's roll with it, shall we?" She placed the papers in front of him. "This is the property you were interested in, Whitby Abbey."

"So that's what you are now? The solicitor from England who came to aid me in my business?" It was uttered as sarcastically as Alucard could muster, as he exasperatedly let himself fall against the back of the chair.

"I'm what you want me to be, love." The tension that followed that statement could be cut with a knife, although Inés didn't seem to notice.

Laughing. Alucard was laughing as hard as he could, unable to believe his ears.

"Whoring yourself out to me is not going to get you on my good graces." he said, showing pearly white fangs in a vicious snarl.

"I don't need to 'get on your good graces', Vlad. I'm not even real, just a figment of your imagination, like everything else here. So, in a way, I'm you."

The papers were forgotten now, as well as anything else on that room, excepting the girl that sat in front of him.

"Are you implying, perhaps, that I am flirting with myself?" The vampire's voice had taken a dangerous tone.

She shrugged.

"You keep telling yourself that instead of confronting the reality of your thoughts." And with that, dream-Inés stood up and walked towards the exit.

"Don't you dare leave, Inés!"

Alucard quickly followed her, but no matter how much he run, he couldn't reach her. His vision started fading, the image of her oddly tantalizing hips, swaying as she walked away, burned into his brain.

He woke up in darkness again and wondered when this would end. Alucard didn't understand why he was dreaming Inés into his memories. He would be lying if he said he didn't find her attractive, but enough to affect his dreams?

He could feel himself moving in the real world, and the edges of his surroundings were starting to blur, signifying he was close to waking up. But, for now, he focused on the heavy footsteps approaching his room. The door to the basement of Hellsing Manor opened to reveal a familiar woman in an even more familiar suit, followed by that incessant radio music.

"Why are you dressed like my master, girl?" Alucard said in a threatening voice. He was getting quite tired of all this nonsense.

"I don't know, you have some weird fantasies, Vlad," Inés said, lowering herself to the ground to sit cross-legged, her cheek resting on her closed fist.

"Why do you appear in my memories?" he said at the same time, followed by a burst of laughter from the Spanish girl.

"I'm in your head, remember?" Dream-Inés felt the need to explain after receiving the scolding glare of the vampire. "I guess you are just projecting something new and confusing into something familiar in order to approach it more comfortably? I don't know, I'm not Freud," she said mockingly.

"Yes, and you are becoming more and more daring by the second, you cunning little minx," Alucard answered between clenched teeth.

"Maybe it's a way to tell yourself to hurry and figure things out, you emotional constipated leech," dream Inés growled as she got up from the cold stone ground.

Alucard was seething. Dream or not, real or not, no one spoke to him this way. He would teach the girl to respect him, even if it was all in his head. He was losing himself in his own violent thoughts when he felt thin and warm arms surround him.

He found himself being hugged and comforted.

"Or maybe it's your own way of reassuring yourself. It's fine, it's been quite a long time, let it go and take a chance." She kissed the top of his head as he felt himself slipping from the dream, the radio music getting louder and louder.

A pair of red eyes opened in a solitary room. Wide awake and panting, trying to calm his breath, although unnecessary for the owner of said eyes. He turned, his hand looking for a body beside him that clearly was not there. Confused, he glanced around.

This time the bed was soft but small, wooden and with stiff sheets; the floors creaked and the stained-glass window rattled from the storm. A jug of water had been placed on a pathetic-looking nightstand. It all painted a rather ancient picture in the mind of the vampire. The only thing that stood out from the medieval set-up was a little radio that kept playing that infernal song! He quickly turned it off with a relieved sigh. Remembering his most recent drea—nightmare, it was a nightmare—, Alucard clutched at his chest, above his non-beating heart. Startled, he looked down to notice his change of clothing: a loose linen off-white shirt and dark brown breeches.

"Where the hell am I?!"

He got up and approached the window. It was still nighttime, and he could see the few people that still roamed the streets retire for the night. Long hairdos and hair pieces adorned the women, boots and tights the men. Was he still dreaming?

The vampire quickly turned when he heard noise outside the room. The door slowly opened as if the person behind it was afraid of what lay inside.

"We are NEVER speaking of this to ANYONE!"

Two heads nodded emphatically at the Spanish girl's statement while trying to remove the feathers and 'other things' attached to their clothes and skin as best as they could.

The trip to the fair encampment, after the bus had driven off and left them stranded in the middle of nowhere, had been an adventure to the three of them. First, they had tried to clean and hide to the best of their abilities all the mess the ghouls and vampire had made. Then they had tried to walk towards the village, only for Seras to fall over due to lack of nourishment—which she had apologized for profusely after she had woken up. Finally, their salvation came in the form of one of the trucks headed towards the medieval fair. A truck transporting all the animals. With no other option at hand, and in need of assistance, they had accepted the help. A 30-minute trip surrounded by chickens, pigs and a horse later, they arrived at their destination.

"I stink of shit and farm!" A French-accented voice swore. The two girls glared at him as he tried to get off the vehicle without touching anything else.

"We all stink, Captain! I need a shower, I feel so gross!" Seras complained, taking off her mustard jacket and holding it away from her.

"We could take a shower together, my cherie, I could scrub your back."

A slap was heard, breaking the silence of the night. The fuming Draculina stomped away from the perverted Frenchman, coming closer to Inés.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just don't want to see a chicken ever again," Inés answered, taking yet another feather off her hair. Seras whispered something that sounded like 'me too' before smiling at her and clapping her back reassuringly.

"Hey, girls! I've just spoken with the bosses here," shouted Pip as he approached, pointing his thumb at Miguel and Jolene, who had come to greet them and to make sure they were okay. "They told me we can stay at a small cabin not far from here. They took Alucard there too after they couldn't wake him. The man sleeps like the dead." He cackled, but seeing as no one laughed at his bad joke, the blushing captain of the Wild Geese took their bags, turned around and instructed them to follow him to the cabin.

The night was quiet, save for a few actors and shopkeepers going about the village, adding the finishing touches to the set and costumes. Tomorrow, this would be filled with tourists. It was nice and cosy. Inés smiled, she really like the countryside and small villages over big cities and the bustling of millions of people.

"Hello again, there." She turned around to find that Miguel and Jolene had joined her. "Sorry about the bus thing, Jolene told me the man saw some spooky animal out there and panicked. She was so worried about you—I mean, all of you. I'm glad you are okay." He smiled at her and picked up his pace to lead the way, leaving her alone with the silent redhead.

"Here. A change of clothes." Smiling widely, Jolene handed her a bundle of clean medieval-looking clothes. "Each one is labelled with the role you have to play. Call me if you need any help putting them on." And with that, she said her goodbyes and left.

Inés found her a bit odd, but nice nonetheless, so she shrugged and kept walking towards that promised shower and change of clothes. She grimaced, remembering the current state of hers. As a second thought, the teen wondered if Alucard was alright.

Refreshed, rested, and most importantly, clean. Inés took a long breath, stretching her sore arms and legs. That shower had done miracles on her and she was just grateful the facilities in this village were 21st-century-approved. She just didn't see herself bathing in a basin with lukewarm water and a cloth to scrub herself with. She shivered at the thought.

The teen looked at her reflection on the small bathroom mirror as she dressed and made herself presentable. Her hair was still a bit damp, so she opted for a simple long braid. With a bit of luck, it would be wavy when she let it loose. As for the clothes Jolene had given her, it was an unassuming but pretty floor-length red dress with long sleeves and a wide, round neckline that showed a bit of the shoulders. The outfit was completed with a big belt that almost reached the hem of the dress and some sort of veil, but minding her wet hair, Inés opted to leave that last piece be.

When she felt she was ready, the Spanish girl came out of the bathroom to meet the already cleaned and dressed Seras and Pip. The Draculina was wearing an austere, thick, bluish brown dress that reached over the ankles, showing a pair of sturdy boots, and the mercenary wore a similar outfit, replacing the dress for a shorter, loose tunic fitted at the waist by a belt. None of them were particularly pleased with it, if their faces were any confirmation. Pip was already complaining about itchy materials and ridiculous looks to a resigned Seras. Shaking her head, Inés guessed they were supposed to be some type of villagers… Peasants?

"Oh my god! You look beautiful," the blonde exclaimed happily, drawing the attention of the braided man to the girl.

"Quoi?! Ce n'est pas juste! You get to wear the nice clothes!" He pouted and snatched the paper out of her hand. "Princess. Of course. Well, you do look good in a dress, mon amie." He smirked as he made an overly exaggerated bow towards the vampire. "But none as beautiful as my cherie." The mercenary-turned-peasant kissed her hand, grinning widely when a pretty blush made way into her face.

The teen laughed at their old ways. They were so made for each other, and her fangirl side shipped it so much! Righting herself, Inés reached for the only closed door in their little cabin: Alucard's door. She opened it slowly. After all, she didn't know if The Angry King of Vampires was sleeping or not. Peeking through the small opening, she released the breath she didn't know was stuck in her throat.

He was awake.

Well, not going back now, the Spanish thought as she cautiously entered the room. But before she could say anything, she found herself engulfed in a hug. She tensed up as his hands roamed her body until they reached her face, tilting her head up. And then he kissed her.

What the hell is happening?! Inés panicked. His lips were cold, but so soft. I guess the healing abilities work on chapped lips too.

She jumped a bit when his beard scratched her face as he deepened the kiss. She felt alarmed, what was going on? Then she felt giddy and happy? Her fictional crush was kissing her after smiling—oh so sweetly—at her. But, finally, she settled for feeling angry. Who did he think he was? First he ignores and lectures me about my feelings, then he takes it as some sort of game and now he's acting like a lovesick fool!

She didn't know what to do, she panicked and, like any other person receiving unsolicited advances, she just reacted and bit down. Hard. Alucard withdrew with a muffled shout of surprise and a hand covering the now-bleeding lip. Inés, on the other hand, tried to spit the warm, red liquid now coating her mouth to no avail.

"¿Cuál es tu puto problema, tío?" The teen screamed at him, red as a tomato from a blush that travelled down her neck. "Primero me odias, luego te ríes de mí y ahora, ¿esto? ¡Decídete! ¿Qué quieres de mí? What. Do. You. Want. From. Me?" She was panting and close to tears. It was so frustrating. This world, this situation, the curse and HIM.

"I…" The vampire looked at her with an unreadable expression on his pale face. He licked his already healed lip and in two long strides was back in front of her. Alucard was tall and, up close, looking down at you, he cut an imposing, intimidating figure. So intimidating that Inés didn't expect the next words that came out of his mouth.

"I care for you."

WHAT?

"I've been thinking about our situation."

OUR situation? We don't have a situation.

"During my sleep, I came to know some things about you. And I got a revelation of sorts."

He dreams about me?!

"I came to the conclusion that your advice was acceptable and I'm willing to let go of the past. I accept your proposal."

"What proposal?" she just blurted out dumbly, quite aware of the gasps of surprise from the two other occupants of the room. "You're making it sound like I asked for your hand in marriage." The teen laughed awkwardly, looking at Seras and Pip out from the corner of her eye; they seemed way too excited about this. Especially Seras, who she could swear had stars dancing in her eyes as she pressed her hands together.

"Your proposal for courting" He grinned smugly to himself. "I accept it."

"Vale." she squeaked, and then fainted.

* Alucard is referring to the Girlycard form he took to fight at WWII

*This is a reference to the original book. When Johnathan Harker arrives at Dracula's castle, the vampire appears before him looking like an old man with white hair and moustache and hairy palms.

Translation:

French:

Quoi?! Ce n'est pas juste! à What?! That's not fair!

mon amie à My friend

Spanish:

¿Cuál es tu puto problema, tío? à What's your fucking problem, dude?

Primero me odias, luego te ríes de mí y ahora, ¿esto? ¡Decídete! ¿Qué quieres de mí? à First you hate me, then you mock me and now this? Make up your mind! What do you want from me?