Chapter 9 What's in the past?

After a good breakfast of lightly fried fish and vegetables, Alucard took Crina on the tour of the castle that he said he would give her, often times holding back his laughter at her different joyful outbursts. Although Crina had already seen a few places because of where that shadow led her earlier, she figured that it was better to keep those thoughts to herself and tell Alucard later. Soon they came across the areas where Alucard and Dracula fought each other.

"What…happened here, exactly? It almost looks like you were fighting off a minotaur or something…" Crina said, looking at the damage.

Alucard turned to her, "This was one of many places where my Father and I fought each other when I attempted to stop him from continuing his war" he explained. "There are several places that are like this, so I apologize if it's not to your liking" he added.

Crina shook her head, "No, no, I don't mind it. It's just that I wish I could have seen it before you fought your father" she said with a smile. "Weather before or after the fight, I find this place beautiful" she added.

Alucard returned her smile, "I'm glad you think so. I find your smile to be somewhat of a comfort, Miss Crina, so I hope this castle continues to keep that on your face" he said calmly.

Crina took in his words and the smile vanished a little, "Well, truth be told, it has been quite some time since I've smiled like this. Seeing this place and meeting you, it's been the best time that I have had in…oh, how long has it been now…five years I think?" she said, trying to think back, finger tapping her temple, speaking in a slightly sadder tone.

Alucard turned to her, curious, "Really? Why is that?" he asked.

Crina tensed a little, stopping herself in place, left arm crossing her torso to hold her right arm as she looked away a little, "I…don't really want to talk about it…but…I will say this" she said as she took a deep breath before looking Alucard in the eye, emotions of sadness and regret evident in her gaze, "Taka and Sumi…aren't my only victims. There was one other, one who I was very close to, but…it's my fault that he died, at my hand no less. And I have been carrying the burden of his murder ever since" she said, finishing with her gaze turned away from him.

Alucard's eyes widened a little at that. Here, this woman that was brightening up his life, was now confessing to him that she had committed an act of murder. For one who was kind and understanding as her, how could the act of murder be on her hands? It was then that Alucard figured that it had to do with her lineage, but he then quickly tossed that thought aside, as he knew better then to go with stereotypes.

'That does explain the sense she was hiding something' he said to himself.

"Again, I'm…not really comfortable talking about that time right now..." she said, feeling antsy. "But, I promise you, I have no intention of doing such again, Sir Alucard" she said, looking at him, speaking nothing but the truth. Silence filled the room as she began to feel panic rise in her being, "C-Can we move on to something else, please?" she asked, hands shaking a little in fear.

Alucard snapped out of his trance and then looked at Crina, nodding, "Of course. I won't press for details, but I do believe you won't do such harm to me, as you have told me many times. You can relax, Miss Crina" he said, trying to reassure her.

Crina looked at him and then nodded, taking a few deep breaths, "Sorry...I…I was starting to fear that you would revert back to how you were before if I told you this…" she said, as she knew that with any normal situation, the people she told this to would either kick her out for the act or question her more for details to see if she is guilty or not.

Alucard then turned to her fully and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, making her tense a little more than before, "Please. There is no need to fear about that. We're friends now, Miss Crina, and I for one do not see you as a murderer. Not then, not now" he said. He then recalled telling Taka and Sumi that he was not their enemy, but he hoped that Crina would believe him, unlike those two.

Crina looked at him, searching for any form of lie or fear, but she found none from his words, nor his gaze at her. For these five years, she had been isolating herself from society for many reasons, the biggest being murder of a fellow partner, but now, after meeting Alucard and spending time with him, she started to feel like she could return to her old self, the Crina that was forgotten for five years. She believed his words, but she wasn't sure if she could trust herself, even after five years of exile from the land that her former partner hailed from.

"Do you trust me?"

Crina was snapped from her thoughts as she heard Alucard's voice. "W-What?" she asked, confused by what she heard.

"Do you trust me?" Alucard repeated. He then softened his eyes a little, "Do you believe what I'm telling you?" he added, recalling what Crina said to him, but he wasn't going to go on a big speech like she did before. Since those words brought him a sense of comfort to him when she made her first proposal of healing, perhaps those same words could be a way of bringing her comfort, by having someone that she could believe in after such a time of isolation and exile.

And just as he hoped, Crina did feel a sense of comfort from those words. After so long of not really socializing with others as her way of protecting those she cared about, it felt nice to finally be near someone who she felt she could put her trust in. At first, all of this was just to try and help her Grandfather, but now, after spending time with him, she started to feel like she could also heal from the friendship she was forming with the young Dhampir. She turned her gaze away from him, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and slowly let out a sigh before turning to him again, giving him a smile, "Yes. I do trust you" she said, her eyes giving a sense of relief and happiness as she looked at him.

Alucard returned her smile, "I'm glad to hear it" he said. He then realized that his hand was still on her shoulder, awkwardly moving it off her. "Oh, uh, sorry" he said, looking away a little.

Crina looked a little away too, blushing a little, "No, no. It's fine" she said. "Um…shall we…continue the tour?" she suggested, figuring that it was better to distract themselves with something.

Alucard nodded, "Yes. Let us go" he said, feeling his own cheeks growing a little warm.

However, Crina then recalled what she thought of before. "Oh, before I forget, I think you should know something" she said. She then went on to explain to Alucard what happened that morning with her encounter with the shadow.

"A shadow?" Alucard asked, eyebrow raised.

Crina then nodded, "Yes. It had a long black train right behind it, dragging a little across the floor as we walked. It turned its head a few times but I couldn't make out a face. But it didn't feel threatening. It was rather tall too. Maybe about a head taller than you?" she said, unsure if that was right or not.

Alucard thought about it, "Hmmm, I can't think of-" but then he stopped, recalling the first time he entered the castle alone after the battle with his father. The tall appearance, the way his cloak flowed down the stairs when he walked, it started to make sense to Alucard. He just couldn't believe that it would be possible for-

"Look! There it is! At the end of the hallway!" Crina's voice called out, pointing down the hall behind him.

Alucard immediately snapped out of his thoughts and turned with a jerk to see where she was pointing where there indeed was a tall transparent figure looking at them, the Illuminated back hall entrance lighting the area enough for them to see the figure. However, it was hard to make out a face, especially from the distance the two of them were standing. Alucard, however, definitely recognized the silhouette, but before he could say anything, the figured turned and walked to the left from where they stood.

"Wait! Come back!" Crina called out as she impulsively ran down the hall to where the figure was, trying to find him.

Alucard called out to her as she rushed down the hallway, but soon followed after her.

Once the two were at the location the figure was, both were shocked to see the room it turned to, Alucard's childhood bedroom.

Crina, who was already in the door, walked inside and looked around, staying silent. However, soon her gaze focused on one thing in the room, the portrait of Dracula, Lisa and the infant Adrian. She was about to step closer when Alucard called out.

"Don't!" he said, moving his hand out to her, but he didn't need to as she lifted her leg and froze in place, looking like a jester from a child's story book if only she had the hat for it. "Just…walk around the rug" he added, pointing down to the ground.

Crina looked down at her feet and saw the burned out section where a single silver ring laid before them. She then moved around the area and went to the painting at last. She reached out her hand and gently touched the painting, fingers lightly tracing the outer edges of the portrait. She recognized the style of the painting, one that she had not seen in a long time.

"This painting….my grandfather made it, didn't he?" she asked, turning her gaze to Alucard.

Alucard hesitated a bit but then nodded, "Yes. He was quite the artist. He did a lot of paintings of my mother and father. I think he did one of me, but I can't find it anywhere in the castle" he said, recalling his memories.

Crina nodded a little and then looked back at the painting, gently removing her fingers. She took a good look at the subjects of the painting, but her eyes fell mostly on Dracula. While Lisa was indeed as beautiful and kind hearted as her grandfather said she was, and the fact that Alucard as a baby was one of the cutest things she had seen in a while, the father of the child, Dracula, had her full attention.

"This…this was your father? Master Dracula?" she asked out loud.

Alucard slowly made his way to her as he spoke. "Yes. This was him…long before mother died" he said, coming to a stop beside her as they looked at the painting together.

Crina glanced at Alucard before going back to the painting. "What was…what was your father like?" she asked him.

Alucard gave a sigh, looking down a little. "He was…a man of science. He knew things that were forgotten by humans throughout the millennia. A repository of knowledge that would've span over centuries. If Mother hadn't died, he could've changed the world for the better, if only the worst of humanity didn't take her away from us" he said, a hint of bitterness in his voice as he recalled that time.

"You mean…the religious inquisition?" Crina asked him, unsure of what he meant.

Alucard turned to her and nodded, "Yes" he said simply.

"I see...It is a shame that he chose what he chose. I wish I could've met the man before all that" she said, sounding a little depressed at that. "However, I have an inkling that he wouldn't like me very much, what with how we first met and such" she said.

"Hmmm, I wouldn't be too sure. I think he would've warmed up to you, over time for sure" Alucard said, thinking about his father.

"Really?" Crina asked, receiving a nod from Alucard.

Once again, silence filled the room, both caught up in their own individual thoughts before Alucard spoke again.

"So, back to the tour?" he suggested.

Crina nodded, "Yes, lets. Then once we're done, maybe we can head out to see Grandfather. What do you think?" she suggested to him.

Alucard gave a smile at that, "I like that. And I'm looking forward to it" he said, leading the way out of his old room.

Crina returned his smile and nodded, "Me too" she said, following him close behind.

_*v*v*v*v*v*v*v*v*v*_

Hours passed and it was late afternoon when both Crina and Alucard packed up the wagon to head out to the Lupo homestead.

As they finished loading everything, Alucard looked at both the Castle and the Belmont Hold, feeling a little uneasy about leaving both places for a certain period of time, fearing that robbers who pass through these woods would see the places as easy pickings.

Crina sensed his fear and turned to him, "Afraid of leaving the property unattended?" she asked.

Alucard turned to her and nodded a bit, "This will be the first time in a long while that I would be far away from the castle, but the first time being away from the Belmont Hold" he said.

Crina nodded, "It's hard leaving the first time. But the more you do it, the easier it becomes. However, if you're that nervous about the castle being harmed, I do have an idea" she said. She then walked a little from the wagon, pulled out a small tin whistle and blew on it. For a moment, nothing happened. But then the flattering of wings started to fill the sky and soon enough a flock of black birds fill the sky and surround the castle before the pair.

"I have a special connection to Jackdaws. This whistle allows me to give them orders. They will alert me of anything weird that happens anywhere I go, serving as my second eyes" Crina explained, "They will watch over the castle and alert us of any danger that approaches the property" she said, hoping to reassure Alucard. "It's safe. I promise" she added.

Alucard looked at the birds and then back to Crina, still a little hesitant, but he trusted her, so he went with it. "Very well. Shall we get going then?" he asked.

Crina nodded, turning to go back to the wagon with Alucard before heading off with him to her home.

_*v*v*v*v*v*v*v*v*v*_

After an hour of traveling down a dirt road via covered wagon and horses, both Crina and Alucard arrive at what appeared to be a very dense brush of trees, so dense that it wasn't easy to see the land beyond. It gave an uneasy feeling, but regardless, the pair rode through the brush. Alucard looked around, trying to see about possible danger that could be stalking them, but he sensed nothing from it all. There was no sound except for the light howl of the wind that passed through the brush. However, soon a light appeared in the brush, blinding Alucard for a brief moment, making him cover his eyes with his arm, as the wagon pushed on. When it was clear enough for him to open his eyes, they revealed a sight that the young Dhampir had only heard about in books.

Here was an opening well over 100 acres wide, all surrounded by trees to make a perfect hiding border. All around the front border of dense trees and brush was a very large and well maintained garden consisting of different fruit bearing trees, shrubs and plants. Further along the path, Alucard soon spotted the house at the center of it all, and it was not at all what he expected. What he originally thought was a regular farm house in the middle of the woods turned out to be a very large stone manor covered in greenery and vines, almost like a castle out of the old books he recalled reading in his father's library as a boy. The light grey of the stone matched with the light grey the sky was giving off for what has been a day where it could rain but has yet to do so, despite the vines covering different areas of said home. The size of the manor was only a fourth smaller than the Belmont Ruins, but it didn't bear too much resemblance to it, besides it being complete and well maintained. The windows were all fastened by metal and glass, some even containing what Alucard thought was stained glass. As Alucard looked on, the wagon kept moving until they were behind the manor, which was where a stable and what appeared to be an empty spot for the wagon in the back. The back wasn't as impressive as the front, but the outdoor area had a deck that stretched along the back door at least 5 meters long and 4 meters wide, making it perfect for an outdoor gathering.

"Crina...I thought we were going to your home. Why are we stopping at the home of a high class socialite?" Alucard asked, feeling a little uneasy.

Crina gave a chuckle, "This is my home, Sir Alucard. A manor once owned by a Duke of Wallachia who had no heirs. Long story short, my father helped the duke in a political scandal and in return for his good deed, the duke bequeathed this manor to my family and we have been owning it ever since. And truth be told, when you have 10 siblings and now with them growing their own families, you need the extra room to put beds to sleep in" she said, explaining the story of her home. Crina then had Gabi and Fane do a little work to move the wagon around the area and stopped the traveling station at a particular place. "Best to go ahead and get off. Parking this thing won't take long, but no point in riding it all the way" she said. She then jumped off and offered a hand to Alucard, who raised an eyebrow and waved it off.

Alucard then jumped off the other side and looked around, taking in the site of the manor before him while Crina went to put the horses away. It wasn't as grand as his castle, but it was grand in its own way. Of course, being the home of a former duke, it shouldn't be that big of a surprise that it would be grand. However, there was also something about it that gave a humble aura, unlike most castles that were built to show power, this home, once meant for power, now seems more…settled. Regardless, the place did seem welcoming and Alucard soaked up the warming atmosphere the building gave off. He looked around and noticed a small garden off to the far left corner of the back entrance, showing off hearty looking vegetables and beautiful flowers. Alucard started to wonder if there were servants who took care of the castle, but if that was indeed the case, he would have spotted at least one of them by now. Yet there was no one, at least not at the moment other than himself and Crina, who he saw approaching in the corner of his eye.

"Alright, the door over here leads to the kitchen. Knowing Mother, she's probably preparing the morning's harvest for dinner right now, so we should see her inside" Crina said as she made her way to the nearby deck area with Alucard right behind her. She then reached for the door, but then a thundering sound of multiple feet could be heard on the other side of the door.

Alucard raised an eyebrow, "What was that? I thought you weren't expecting company?" he asked.

Crina gave an amused huff, "No. No guests. That was the dogs coming to the door" she said.

"Dogs?" Alucard asked.

Crina nodded, "Yep, we have two dogs, both of which are rather big. You're not afraid of them are you?" she asked, wanting to make sure that he felt safe in some way.

Alucard shook his head, "No, I'm not afraid of dogs. It's just, my father had a foragemaster who was able to bring animals back from death, so I was often surrounded by dead animals walking about. So I'm just…tolerant of them, I suppose" he said, explaining himself.

"I see. Well, I think you'll like these two. But just be prepared, they do tend to slobber a bit. However, they make up for it in personality and gentleness" Crina said as she started to open the door. Sure enough, the moment she opened the door, two very big dogs came out. Both were colored with an even balance of reddish brown and white while both of their faces were covered in a shade of black with a white mark going from the bottom of their jaws to the center point where the muzzle met the face. To Alucard, they were the size of two adolescent bears and just as big in mass size, yet when they came close to him, they were both so gentle with licking his hands and moving them to try and get him to give them both a pet on the head, which he hesitantly obliged to do.

"See? Nothing to worry about, well, except the slobber on their mouths, but they are both just as loving and sweet. Wouldn't you say?" Crina said as she scratched the smaller of the two dogs.

Alucard scratched the ear of the larger dog and nodded with a small smile, "Yes, they are very gentle. More than what I expected, especially from animals this size" he said, scrunching his face a little when the gentle giant decided to give him a sloppy lick on the cheek.

Crina chuckled and handed him a small handkerchief she had in her pocket. "Yeah, but it's the truth. The larger dog is Maximus, the male, and the smaller one, the female, is Anna. Both were gifts from my sister Wendy who is currently traveling in both Switzerland and Italy to expand her knowledge" she said.

Just then a figure appeared in the door. It was a woman who appeared to be in her early 50's wearing a simple purple blouse with rolled up sleeves, a light grey-brown skirt that reached the floor, an apron that was off white due to being used so much and a simple pair of black shoes. Her hair was a reddish brown with hints of grey due to her age yet her face had a form of youthfulness about her, despite the signs of age. Eyes of emerald green, which Crina inherited, looked at the pair before her with both confusion and surprise.

"I was wondering when you would get home, Crina, but I wasn't expecting a new face" the woman said as she turned to Alucard, "And who may this be?" she asked, speaking in a tone that was cautious but yet welcoming at the same time.

"Mother, this is Sir Alucard, the man that Trevor Belmont told me about and the one who Grandfather has been trying to find through his distance mirror" Crina said, explaining the new face to her mother.

Alucard gave a smile and a polite bow, "You must be Maria, Edmund's daughter. It's an honor to meet you, ma'am. Your father has told me much about you when I was a boy and spoke highly of you in my final days with him" he said as he looked at the woman with a warm smile.

The woman, now known as Maria, looked at Alucard with widened eyes, now recognizing the man before her.

"Oh my god, it is you. You are alive!" she said with a smile, "Father will be so happy to see you after these long years. I think he may even cry tears of joy at seeing you, young man" she added.

Crina smiled, "Sir Alucard wishes to see Grandfather. Is he awake?" she asked.

Maria nodded, "Yes, I think he may be in his study. I'll see if I can bring him to the meeting room. Please, Sir Alucard, make yourself at home" she said with a bow and a smile.

Alucard returned the bow as she left to go and get Edmund. Soon he followed Crina and the dogs inside, taking in the interior and the sites before him. Inside, the manor was well maintained despite the lack of staff on hand. However, he did take note of the different alchemy circles that were placed throughout the home as he walked through the hallowed halls with Crina. First through the kitchen, then to the dining hall, eventually passing many rooms and passageways until finally the pair made their way into the meeting room. It reminded Alucard a little of the room where his father's private room was, where his large red chair and private fireplace remained. Instead, this cherry wood decorated room consisted of at least four different couches, one large table in the middle, a large ornate fireplace off to the far back of the room, a few different book cases that housed at least one hundred different books, all behind doors of glass and wood, all surrounded by walls that held different tapestries and paintings that Edmund surely painted in his time with his family. One picture in particular caught Alucard's eye, a large picture over the fireplace that consisted of at least 14 different people.

"Crina…this painting, is this…your full family?" Alucard asked, looking closer at the painting.

"Indeed it is. This is our family portrait. Of course, Grandfather was added later by my sister Naomi, who is a talented painter right now, and it's been here ever since" Crina said. She then motioned to a smaller painting that was near the fireplace, "And those two, who my brother Orlando drew, are my half siblings, the first real Hunyadi's, Petre and Stela. They are the ones who died long before I was born that I told you about" she added. She then moved to the other side of the fireplace and pointed toward another portrait. "You said before that you couldn't find the portrait my Grandfather made of you. I believe that this painting is said portrait" she said.

Alucard looked closer at the painting she was motioning to and sure enough it was indeed the portrait of his adolescent years. He couldn't believe that it was here all along. Figuring that this was a way to keep the young Dhampir close to him on his journey to find his family, Edmund took this painting to at least remember the boy that he cared about for the time he worked for Dracula. Alucard could only imagine the pain Edmund must have felt when he witnessed Dracula striking his own son down, it surprised him that the man was still alive and did not die of a broken heart, as Alucard recalled hearing deaths of the sort happening. However, the thought of seeing Edmund again after so long made Alucard question if he was in fact ready to meet Old Grand again. In truth, he wanted to see the man again, but what would Edmund think of Alucard once they made contact? Would he really believe that Alucard was alive? What if he didn't believe any of it and thought that Alucard was a fake? What could Alucard do then? What memory would be only known to Edmund that both he and Alucard shared? These thoughts ran through Alucard's mind, distracting him from the presence that was now coming in to the room. But only a single word snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Adie?" a voice called from behind Alucard.

Immediately Alucard tensed and felt a warmth in his chest as he recognized the voice. Even though it had been a long time since anyone had called him that, his heart leapt when he heard that voice call out to him after these years. He took a deep breath and swallowed his nerve before slowly turning around to see the man who he grew so close to in his youth.

A/N:

Aaaaaaaand cliffhanger! Sorry guys for the wait. I was struggling a little with this in trying to make things make sense. I apologize if the descriptive detail isn't the best in this chapter, but I will try to work things out better in future chapters. I wanted to do a scene with both Crina and Alucard looking at the portrait of Dracula, but I couldn't find a good place to do it, so I squeezed it in here. Hopefully it makes sense, but if there are any problems, please let me know. I can't guarantee what will be for the next chapter, save for spoilers, but hopefully you all stay with me on this journey as I plan to include a lot of things, big plans! But while waiting for the next chapter, I do have some questions for you guys and this can be either fact or opinion but they are essential to the story.

Question 1: When do you think Alucard's Birthday is? After going through this site newreadings/birthday_ I decided to go with December 22nd as his birthday based on the personality that is mentioned on that particular day. Feel free to look at it while you wait for the next chapter.

Question 2: Do you think Alucard is religious? Or would he be atheist or agnostic (believe god exists but doesn't worship him)?

Fun Facts!

-The dogs in this chapter are St. Bernard dogs. They did exist around the 11th century, so I figured that these would be good dogs to have in a large house like the Lupo's home.

-Originally I had planned to have the family live in a small house, but considering that there were once 11 children in the house, I figured that every kid needed a room, so lo and behold, Crina lives in a mansion. But nothing compared to Dracula's castle you know. ^^

-May want to pay attention to the Jackdaws, as they too are an important symbol in this story. But you'll have to wait and see to find out what that is.

That's all for now! I'll try to update as soon as I can. Until then, let me know what you guys think! See you all real soon and stay safe during these hard times!