Who would have thought that I'd update this story, ne? Well, my roommate and I watched the new remastered Beauty and the Beast a few nights ago and I got inspired.
(Insert "I don't know Beauty and the Beast/Hellsing" disclaimer here.)
So, yes. Enjoy!
When Arthur arrived at his London home, he found his daughter casually sipping tea and reading a book, unaware of her fate. Arthur's daughter, a tall woman in her early twenties by the name of Integral, was beautiful by some standards – she had long pale blond hair and blue eyes that matched her father's and lightly tanned skin, a product of her deceased mother's heritage. Despite this, she had never married, though it was customary for women her age to have been married already. Most likely it had something to do with the fact that she was an educated, opinionated, and independent woman. She often made it a point to reject suitors she disliked, much to her father's dismay.
"Ah, father," said Integral as her father entered the sitting room. She uncurled herself from her position in the chair and set her book down next to her tea on the side table. "You're back later than expected. What kept you?" she inquired.
"Integral," started her father after a pause to collect his thoughts. "I met the devil on the road as I journeyed home."
Integral stared at her father. "Are you mad?" she asked.
Arthur shook his head. "I made a bargain with him for my life," he said sadly. "You must go to him."
"How could you agree to that?" exclaimed Integral angrily.
"He left me no choice," said her father. "A horse awaits you outside; you must leave soon, or I fear he will come and hunt down the both of us."
Sighing, Integral stood. She accepted her fate. "Very well. I'll pack my things and be back in a bit."
True to her word, it only took Integral a few minutes to pack her bags. She traveled light; most of the weight in her bags was books. As she mounted the midnight black horse, her father strapped her bags to the saddle.
"I'm sorry," he said as he stepped back from the horse.
The minute he was clear, the horse set off at a breakneck pace that nearly unseated Integral. The horse continued at that speed for hours, far beyond what any normal horse was capable of, causing Integral to wonder if the horse was of the devil as well.
Rarely did the horse stop; however, it seemed to know when Integral needed off to stretch her legs, eat, or sleep. It would slow to a stop and allow her off, but it would always watch her closely, as if it expected her to run away given the chance.
It made her wonder which of them was the animal, sometimes.
In shorter of a span of time than Integral thought possible, but plausible given their pace, she and the horse reached a very large and very old castle. Despite its age, however, it was in fairly good condition. While the walls showed a few obvious signs of age, none were crumbling. The castle was not in disrepair, but it was not well-kept, either.
The horse slowed to a walk as it entered the gates and made its way through the courtyard.
Integral took in the view of overgrown grass, weeds, and vines. The devil was obviously not a gardener.
As they reached the door to the castle, it swung open and the horse trotted right in. While Integral found this strange, she made no comment. Once the horse stopped, she dismounted and removed her bags. She was glad there was a bit of sunlight left streaming through tall windows in the entry hall for her to see by.
For a moment, she turned from the horse to admire the hall. For a castle that looked neglected on the outside, it was quite nice on the inside. Much more well-kept than the courtyard – the floors and rugs were clean, tapestries hung on the walls, and the furniture, while outdated, was not in any disrepair.
When she turned back, the horse was gone. She was alone with her things in the devil's castle. For some reason, this didn't concern Integral as much as it should have.
Leaving her things in the entry hall, Integral set off to explore.