Ferne's Thoughts: So, it was really fun writing last chapter! I'm glad some people enjoyed it! So, since this is an alternate universe fic, Seras and Alucard (in his Vlad form) will have slightly different personalities, mainly Alucard since was never imprisoned and tortured by Hellsing. So he will have a more... playful personality. He's still cruel and violent and a monster, but he will be more playful. Does that make sense? And for a time reference, this takes place sometime between 1600-1700's, in an alternate universe, where some things exist, some other things do not. Many characters are OC's. Next to nothing will be canon in this fic, so if you could please take it as a 'Hellsing Inspired' fic, less of a 'Hellsing Canon' fic. There's no Mina, and he is in England not as a count, but as Vlad. Thanks! Hope you like it and sorry for the delay!
*** I don't own Hellsing. If you're selling it, hit me up fam. ***
Seras opened her eyes slowly, light assaulting her senses. She hissed slightly as they opened fully. She furrowed her brow, confused. Where am I? What happened? Oh, that's right. Somebody took me in. How… kind. There were voices, and pain. They must have been trying to help me. What are my injuries? She leaned up on one of her elbows, finding that she was placed in a large bed.
The bed was elegant, with smooth, dark, silk sheets. It was warm and comfortable despite the pounding pain throughout her body. Her head throbbed and she took a sharp breath at the pain. She whimpered slightly, moving herself to sit up in the soft bed. She looked around the room slowly, careful not to move her neck too quickly. My whole body is stiff. Everything hurts so badly. She looked over to her left shoulder and saw that it had been bandaged. They got the arrow out? I must have gone unconscious. They helped me… Nobody has ever done that. How am I going to repay them? I have no money, no wealth, no name. I have nothing worth anything.
She sighed and moved her stiff body to the edge of the bed. She let her feet dangle since she was too short for her feet to touch the floor. She was still wearing her dress, the once creamy white fabric of the skirt, now stained with mud and blood, tattered and ruined. Her blue bodice was still on as well, but the ribbon ties were loosened. She leaned down, lifting up the tattered hem of her skirt to peer at her legs.
Her pale flesh was barely showing through the layers of filth that covered it. She saw bruises, along with several deep cuts that had been stitched closed. A long one ran up the length of her calf, and she ran her finger over it. She flinched at the sudden burn that came with her touch, and pulled her finger away quickly. Her flesh was scraped and skinned on nearly every inch that she could see. She sighed and stood.
She wobbled for a few seconds, placing her hand on the bed quickly to catch her balance. She blinked quickly as her vision started to fade, her head pounding harder. She groaned and pushed herself from the bed, forcing her feet to walk. She wasn't wearing her shoes, and her feet were bruised and aching. The leg with the long cut hurt too much to walk on, causing her to limp slowly. She studied her surroundings to find that she was in a large bedroom, dimly lit by several candles on the walls. The walls were dark, a shade of red. The room was oddly unsettling, filled with what appeared to be antique furniture and expensive, if disturbing, art. The entire room was elegant, obviously belonging to that of a wealthy individual. A lord? Prince? She walked towards a large dresser and placed her hand on it, savoring the feeling of the cool wood on her heated flesh. She looked on it, finding a hand-held mirror sitting on it. She picked it up, fingering the ornate brass of the handle before turning it to peer at her own reflection.
Her face was sunken in, much thinner than the last time she'd seen herself. It has been a while since I've had a meal that consisted of anything more than a few apples. I would kill for a potato, or even some fresh bread. Mm. She turned her face around, watching the shadows move. She had dark circles under her eyes, and one of her cheeks were bruised. Her face wasn't as bad looking as she thought it would be, after hitting her head on that stone. She opened her mouth, baring her teeth to find that none had been knocked out. Thank goodness. She sighed, noticing her dirty hair hanging limply around her face. I need a bath. Seras sat the mirror back face down, and walked further into the room.
There were several chairs, as well as a large table sat against a wall, facing a window. She hobbled over to it, to find that the table was covered in documents. She thought to look at them, but didn't want to be caught snooping in her savior's home. Instead, she looked out the window. She saw that the ground was far below her. As she looked out, she saw lush green wild-life and beautiful forest. It was dark, but not night. The sun was setting, the sky turning grey. A storm must be coming. I'm glad I'm in doors. Hopefully, I will be allowed to stay the night. As she leaned closer into the window, she heard a door open and a voice call out.
"Oh! You're finally awake, dear!" Seras turned around slowly, finding a woman standing several feet from her. The woman was taller than her, and older. She wasn't old, perhaps in her thirties. She was rather beautiful, if slightly masculine in the face. She had curly ginger hair, clipped out of the way of her face. She wore what seemed like servants clothing, a dark blue jumper-skirt with a black, long sleeved blouse. Her skin was dark, tanned from labor, most likely. Her face was splattered with a light dusting of pale freckles, most on her cheeks and nose. Her eyes were kind and a dark brown. They almost appear red in this light. How odd… The woman smiled kindly and cocked her head. "See somethin' you like, Miss?" Seras' eyes widened slightly and she blushed before looking away.
"I'm sorry, ma'am." She heard the woman chuckle.
"Oh, no, dear. It's quite alright. I'm just glad you're finally awake!" Seras turned back to the woman and noticed she held clothing in her arms. How did I miss that? The woman walked over to the large bed and placed the pile of clothing on it. She came back, smoothing her skirt down. She turned to Seras and motioned for her to follow the woman to one of the large chairs in the room.
Seras sat and the woman came in close to her, pulling one of her sleeves down to look at the bandages on her shoulder. She placed her hand on it firmly pressing it down. Seras whimpered and moved away. "Oh, darling, I'm sorry! How are you feeling?" The woman's accent was different than hers, more loose. There was a hint of something foreign in her words as well, but Seras couldn't place it. She cleared her throat and looked back into the woman's dark eyes.
"Everything hurts. But it's bearable. I've felt worse, so I'm used to it." Her words sounded rude to her, so she quickly spoke again. "I just mean that I'm fine. I don't want to be any trouble to you." The woman smiled gently and leaned down, perching on her knees in front of Seras.
"Sweatheart, you're no trouble at all. Master has allowed us to take care of you."
"Your master? The master of the home?" The woman nodded. "Where is he? Where am I? I'm so confused, ma'am." Her voice was more emotion-filled than she had wanted, but she couldn't take the words back.
"Call me Maya. My Master has gone to a nearby village. He needed to collect a debt from a man that lives there. He'll be back shortly, he left several hours ago. You don't know where you are?" Seras shook her head. Maya frowned slightly. "Where are you from, love?"
"I was staying in a village called Adisham Kent." Maya stood and hummed in response.
"Ah, that's past the Cloresely Forest, right?" Seras furrowed her eyebrows. "You were found several kilometers past the edge of the forest."
"Oh, we just call it The Forbidden Wood."
"Why's that?" Seras' eyes looked around for a second before shrugging.
"It's forbidden, I suppose." Maya laughed.
"Makes sense!"
"You said I was found." The woman nodded. "By who? And how?"
"That was Wren. He was chasing after one of the Master's dogs and followed him to the clearing. The beast was whining, sitting next to you. Wren says the damned thing kept nudging you with its nose, patting your face with its paws. Tryin' to wake you up, I 'spose. As soon he saw you, he checked to make sure you were breathing. He saw your wounds and figured you needed assistance. He was right. Master said that if we hadn't found you and helped, you likely would have died. Either from infection, starvation… well, you get it. Wren brought you back all the way here." Seras' mouth hung agape slightly.
"I deeply apologize! I didn't mean to put you all out so much! You honestly didn't have to help me. I'll do whatever I can to repay you."
"No, dear. You needn't owe use anything."
"I insist. I shall do whatever I can to repay you all." Maya smiled and rolled her eyes. "What does Wren do?"
"Oh, he does anything and everything. He cleans, cooks, accompanies Master on trips and journeys. He'll do anything he can. Doesn't like being idle, I suppose." Seras nodded.
"What of your master? If it's not too much, who is he? What does he do? If I'm correct, when I fell from the cliff, as I hit my head, I thought I saw a large castle in the distance. Is this it?"
"Aye. You say you fell from that ledge? Makes sense. You did seem to have hit your head rather nasty." She placed her palm to Seras forehead before putting a finger in front of her face. "Follow my finger." Seras did. "You don't seem to have any serious damage. But only time can tell. Now, I'm sure Master will tell you everything he feels is necessary on his return. As many questions we all have for you, we won't pry. You can tell what you want, we won't force the details." She paused for a second as if thinking. "Well, I won't. My Master may. But don't worry, he's not too cruel to guests. There is one thing I'd like to know, dear."
"Yes?"
"What's your name?" Seras smiled slightly.
"Seras Victoria." Maya nodded appreciatively.
"Beautiful name. Unique. I don't think I've heard one like that before." Seras felt herself blush.
"Thank you… Maya." The woman nodded before pointing to Seras' body.
"Surely you'd like to get washed up? Why don't a run you a bath before supper, then you can change into those clothes. They should fit you." Seras nodded vigorously, ready to be cleaned.
"Oh, please, that would be wonderful." Maya smiled wide and ushered for Seras to follow her as she took off and opened a door Seras hadn't noticed.
Well, I hadn't noticed the bedroom door either. She stood and walked slowly, hissing in pain with each step. Maya stood in the door way, holding the door for Seras. As she walked in, she realized that it was a room, specifically for bathing. Cor, the master must really be wealthy. I've heard about these, but only the most wealthy and noble of people have them. Amazing… Her eyes widened as she took in the gorgeous room.
In the center of the room was a large porcelain tub, the body white with the feet in gold claws. The floor was of carpet in here as well, the deep burgundy standing out against the white tub. She walked in further and saw a large mirror leaning against the wall. The large glass sheet was framed by elegant gold in a beautiful twirling pattern. She stared at her reflection, seeing her bruised and beaten body. She looked away quickly.
"You wait here as I go to heat up some water. It'll only be a moment, Miss Victoria." Seras nodded and stood.
She waited for several minutes, counting the scraped and bruises she saw. Underneath the filth, she counted 27 bruises and 15 cuts, not counting the ones that were stitched. There's probably more without the grime. Ugh, I feel disgusting. Maya came back into the bathing room, multiple large buckets in tow. She held a large wooden pole on her shoulders, buckets full of steaming water hanging from it. Seras smiled at the woman and she placed the pole down, setting buckets on the ground.
"Now, there should be some soap in the basket over there," she pointed to a woven basket in the corner of the room, "and supper should be ready by the time you're dried and dressed. I'll come get you when it is, so don't go anywhere." She stood up, having filled the tub. She looked to Seras and walked to her. She placed her hand on Seras' shoulder. "Don't go wondering. You might get lost, especially since you've never even been out of this room. Can you do that?" Seras nodded, though she was interested in searching through the large estate.
"I can." Maya smiled and nodded, taking her leave.
Seras was left alone in the bathing room, and she watched the steam pour from the tub. She sighed turned to the large mirror and undressed. She untied her bodice and peeled the light blue fabric from her body gently. Every movement sent waves of pain through her, and she felt tears threatening to spill. She finally stripped all of her clothing and stared at her naked body.
There were dark purple marks all over her torso, and on her breasts. She noticed how thin she actually was. Her thighs had a large gap between them, and her hip bones jutted out, so unlike the once healthy figure she once had. She turned to the side and saw her spine also cast shadows on her body. She sighed. I look sickly. I suppose I can understand why some people think I'm a witch. Well, they're not wrong. She decided to peel off the bandages from her shoulder. Blood stained each layer, and she winced as the last layer was peeled from her wound.
Beneath the bandages was a large, partially healed wound, surrounded by bruising. She turned to see nearly the same wound on the other side of her shoulder, bruises traveling down her back. She touched it, running her hand over it lightly and feeling the pain pulse through her. She whimpered. I'll be lucky if it ever heals correctly. I'll be even luckier if all it does is leave a scar. It's not as if I didn't ask for this though. It's my fault. I should have ran faster. She ran her hand through her dirty hair before walking and picking up a bar of sweet smelling soap from the basket.
As she walked to the bath, she stuck a finger in to the water to test the heat. Satisfied with the heat, she brought herself into it, fully submerging herself. She hummed at the feeling of the warm water surrounding her body. She stretched out her legs, not even touching the end of the large tub. Gently, she started to scrub at her flesh, watching the grime leave her milky skin. "Too bad I can't wash away these ugly bruises." She chuckled. "Since when have you cared about beauty, Seras?"
She made her way up to her shoulder wound, gently running the soap over it. She cringed and let a throaty, pained moan escape her lips. Satisfied with her body's cleanliness, she submerged her head in the water, getting her hair wet. She washed her hair under the water until she was sure that it was completely clean.
She smiled and lifted herself out of the bath. She saw a pile of towels sitting in a corner behind her. She walked to them and picked one up, drying herself off. She walked back over to the floor-length mirror and looked at her now clean self.
"It's an improvement, but I'm still bruised and skinny. At least my face looks better." She examined her body before smiling and feeling in higher spirits. Seras wrapped the towel around her body before walking back into the bedroom. She went to the clothes on the bed to find that they were rather nice. There was a dark, short sleeved dress and a blue bodice, similar to her own. There was a pair of beautiful black knickers and Seras giggled quietly. "Black knickers? How indecent, how whore-like!"
She dressed herself stretched her back. She sat for a while, feeling her hair dry. I shouldn't leave a mess. Sighing, walked back into the bathing room to fold up her filthy clothes. She pushed them into a neat pile. She looked at her reflection. "This isn't much different than what I usually wear, just darker." She noticed that with the cut of the dress, she could see her shoulder wound. She narrowed her eyes, wishing she had kept the bandage on. She looked to her feet. "Where are my shoes?" A knock came at the door, making her jump. She walked out of the bathing room and opened the main door.
Maya stood there smiling. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in Seras' form. Her smile widened. "You look beautiful!" Seras laughed.
"Oh? You mean underneath all the bruises? I'm sure." Maya shook her head, entering the room. She looked to Seras' shoulder.
"You removed the bandage! Thank god, now I don't have to do it." The woman chuckled. "We just have to put a smaller bandage on you, and then we can get some food in you." Seras smiled and the woman pulled two large gauze pads from a pocket in her dress. "Can I move your sleeve?" Seras nodded and allowed the woman to place the square bandages on her wound. After she'd finished, she cocked her head at Seras. "All done! Let's get you fed." Seras looked to her bare feet and spoke.
"Where are my shoes?" Maya blinked quickly, before looking around the room.
"Uh, I believe they're by the bed. Stay here, I'll go look." The woman bolted to the bed before Seras could say otherwise. "Aha! Right here!" The woman came back into view, Seras' black slippers in hand. I'm lucky they didn't break, and that I didn't lose one.
Seras followed Maya as she led her down winding hallways and staircases, each step of which pained her. Seras had several questions floating in her brain, but she had learned long ago to just go with things. She decided to ask one question, however.
"Is your master back?"
"Yes, he's been back for a while."
Seras nodded and murmured an 'oh'. She felt nervous at the thought of meeting the mysterious man. What if he's like the villagers? What if he runs me out of here, too? No, I can't run. He'd just kill me. Maybe he's not like them. Maya stopped walking halfway through the hallway they were in. She turned to Seras, face slightly nervous.
"Master can be intimidating, I want to warn you. He won't hurt you, but you may feel that way." Seras cocked her head. "He's not from England, so his ways and mannerisms may be a little odd to you. He doesn't speak much either. Like I said, he can be intimidating. He's not used to guests."
"You said earlier that he was collecting some sort of debt from somebody? What does he do?" Maya blinked for a moment before answering.
"Master does lots of things. Nothing that would concern you much." As Maya spoke, Seras noticed her teeth. They seem sharp. Maybe my eyes have been damaged? "Past here is the dining quarters. We've prepared -"
"Oh, I hope you didn't go to too much trouble!" Maya waved her hand dismissively.
"Don't worry, it's not often we have guests. It made us feel more useful."
"Oh? Do you not cook often?" Maya cleared her throat slightly before turning back around.
"Not much, no." Seras furrowed her brow and started walking behind Maya. As they walked closer to a large door at the end of the hall, she could hear voices. They were men, and she could barely make out their words.
"Master, he was positively shaking in his boots!"
"I don't understand why humans make deals just to shirk their debts." This voice was deeper, an accent present in the words.
"Oh, but I think being offered a man's virgin daughter is a good settlement, sir." One of them laughed, probably the one with the accent. Didn't Maya say that he was foreign?
"Wren, she wasn't even attractive."
"Not even a little?"
"No. Besides, I don't like taking people as payment."
"Why?"
"It's not their life to give."
Seras stopped as Maya opened the large doors, allowing her to enter a room. She saw a large wooden table, the top of which was covered in food. Dishes of food, potatoes, carrots, bread and meat sat on top of it. Seras' mouth fell open slightly at the sight and she spoke in awe. "I don't think I've ever seen so much food in my life." Maya chuckled. Seras heard the voices from before quiet before one exclaimed.
"Would you look at that! She doesn't look half bad all cleaned up! Rather pretty actually." She looked to the voice and saw a young man, around her age standing by the head of the table. He was tall and pale. His eyes were light, green. His hair was a dark brown, falling just to his shoulders. He was smiling at her before a hand went out and hit his stomach, causing him to double over and cough. The hand belonged to an older man, sitting at the head of the table. He had long, ebony hair falling down his back. It was wavy, almost curly. She looked to his face for a moment, taking in his features quickly. He was incredibly handsome, but Maya was right, he did look intimidating. He seemed tall, his head reaching far over the chair he sat in. His eyes were dark and red. Perhaps that's normal where he's from? Or maybe he's the devil. Seras wanted to laugh at her own silent joke, but continued studying his face. The man had a mustache, but it wasn't thick. He seemed to have slight stubble on his jawline, but it only added further to his attractiveness. The man was looking to the younger one as he spoke.
"Now, Wren. Don't speak about our guest that way. It's rude." Did he just punch that boy?
"Are you alright?" Seras stepped forward, walking closer to the pair of men. The younger one, Wren, looked up to Seras' worried face before coughing once more and standing back up straight. He ruffled his hair, trying to play off the pain he felt.
"Me? You're the one who just got back from some sort of war. Look at your leg!" She did, seeing the long stitched cut on her calf. She shrugged.
"It's nothing. My fault." The older man cocked his head slightly, looking at her. He spoke, his voice silky and deep.
"What's your name?" She turned to him and pushed some hair from her face.
"Seras Victoria." He hummed and brought a goblet to his lips, sipping something from it.
"Quite a beautiful name." Seras blushed and looked away. "Well, why don't you have a seat? This food isn't all for nothing, you know." She looked back up to him and nodded quickly, hurting her neck. She looked around her to see that Maya had left. She walked to a seat near the pair of men and sat. She was sat right in front of a wide array of vegetables and started placing them on her plate.
She had carrots, potatoes, and bread on her plate. She started eating, taking small bites. I am so hungry. But I have to make this last in case anything happens. She scoped out the room to find two doors, other than the one she came in from. In case anything happens, I have to choose one of these doors to run to. Always choose left. She heard the two men conversing, but they weren't speaking English. She listened, but didn't look. She didn't want to be caught snooping. Perhaps it's German? No, German sounds different. I remember hearing some of the merchants that went through town speaking German and it was… not this. A voice brought her from her thoughts.
"We're speaking Romanian." Her head jerked up and she turned to the men. Wren had sat down next to the older man, and looked between him and Seras. Seras blinked at him for a moment before clearing her throat.
"It's none of my business." He smirked slightly and nodded.
"You were wondering, though."
"That's true." The man leaned forward in his chair slightly, lacing his fingers and placing his hands on the table.
"So what happened to you? Where are you from? Seras is quite a unique name, isn't it?" She sat down the bread she was nibbling on and turned her body to the man.
"I've never met another person with my name, so I suppose you're right. I'm from Adisham Kent. I was…" She cleared her throat and looked away, "I was forced to leave." She motioned to her shoulder. "Obviously." She chuckled quietly. The man's eyebrow arched. Lord, he's really attractive.
"Is that so?" Seras nodded. "And why would an entire village force such a beautiful girl to leave?"
"Well, they didn't quite tell me to leave. It was either run away or get tortured and killed." Wren gasped.
"They wanted to kill you? Why? What did you do?" The older man looked quickly to Wren and said something in Romanian again, silencing the boy. Seras answered his questions anyway.
"They said I was a witch. They were going to torture me, then burn me like firewood. I had to run from them. I didn't do anything. Or at least, I didn't do anything wrong." The man nodded.
"Why would they assume such a thing about you?" Seras shrugged.
"I suppose it's partly because I don't follow any of the churches path's. I don't worship their god, so I must be against him. Partly because I'm educated. Girls aren't supposed to read or write, but I can. Those two things add up to heresy." The man with the mustache grinned, red eyes full of humor.
"Oh? If you don't believe in god, what do you believe in?"
"I didn't say I don't believe in god, I just don't worship their god. I don't think that our universe and all that exists in it can be created and watched over by one being. I don't agree with the teachings of the bible, either. There is very little to Christianity that I agree with. I suppose that if I were actually a witch, I'd do very well at it." The man laughed, the sound pleasing to Seras' ears. She smiled at him.
"Yes, I believe you're a heretic! Tell me, does your family know of your situation?" She shook her head.
"I'm an orphan. I've never had a family, and wasn't allowed into any of the orphanages. So I've lived on the generosity of others, and on what I could find for my whole life. I haven't got anybody that cares for me, never have." The boy looked at her with pity as he spoke.
"That must have been hard." Seras laughed.
"Don't pity me, please. Pity is for the dead. I'm still very much alive, thanks to the kindness of you all. Besides, when one has to, they grow up fast. I learned quick how to sneak about, find safe places to sleep, find good food. It wasn't all that hard, to be honest. But perhaps that's just because it's all I've known." She thought she saw a look of admiration flash in the man's eyes but when she looked again, it was gone.
"Is that why you're so skinny?" The older man clucked his tongue and glared at Wren. Seras giggled softly.
"Actually, I've only recently become this size. The past few weeks, I've spent hiding and running from people who wanted my head. I'm usually not quite as sickly looking, I assure you." The younger man smiled and waved as he introduced himself.
"Well, Miss Seras Victoria, my name is Wren Wagner, nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you." She turned to the older man. "And you? What's your name?" He stared at her for a moment, as if he wasn't sure if he should tell her, then he spoke.
"My name is Vlad. I am the master of the castle." She smiled and played the name back in her mind a few times.
"That's a nice name. Do you have a last?" He shook his head slowly.
"Just Vlad. You can call me that." Wren looked to his master in surprise and spoke in Romanian. Vlad looked over to him and replied, his tone warning. Wren quieted and drank from his own cup, eyes looking away. Vlad leaned back in his seat, examining his long nails. "Wren, why don't you tell us about your day? Surely something exciting happened."
Wren spoke for several minutes, allowing Seras to finish her plate. She jumped slightly as Vlad suddenly arose from his chair and came over to her. He pulled out the chair next to her and turned it towards her. He sat in it and leaned over to her. Wren stopped talking immediately. Seras looked to him.
"Yes?" He reached his hand forward and touched her shoulder. She flinched at the motion, but realized that he wasn't hurting her. His hand felt like little more than a feather on her. He brought his face towards hers, his eyes roaming her face. "Is there something you need?" His eyes moved to hers quickly, and he smiled warmly.
"How is your shoulder? It didn't look very good when I saw you."
"Oh?" He nodded.
"Mm. You lost consciousness before the arrow was removed."
"I was exhausted."
"You thought you were dying."
"Yes." She couldn't stop looking into his eyes. They're amazing.
"You lost much blood. Ruined a perfectly good tablecloth. And the table." He smirked at her and she chuckled lightly.
"Well I'm sorry. I can't quite force myself to stop bleeding." His eyes crinkled as he laughed. He brushed his hand against her cheek, moving hair behind her ear.
"I think my hands are still stained from it." She cocked her head.
"What?"
"Neither Maya nor Wren know how to remove an arrow from somebody. Without causing lasting damage, at least. They've never been in a war. I, on the other hand, have knowledge of such things. They were sitting there trying to pull it out of you like a sliver. If I hadn't come back when I did, you might have lost most of your mobility in that arm."
"Oh." He helped me? He didn't seem the type to help somebody. Most lords only about themselves. He sat upright again, a large grin on his face.
"Most people would be thanking me right now."
"Oh! I'm sorry. I just… I didn't know. Thank you." She smiled at him. He raised his eyebrows and nodded slowly, the grin still present.
"How did you sleep?"
"I think I slept well. I didn't dream or anything. Which is fine. But I don't remember anything, so I suppose I slept fine."
"How was my bed?" She froze, her eyes open wide. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.
"Your… what?"
"My bed. I took you to my room, placed you in my bed. Don't worry, I didn't sleep in it while you were there, draga mea." She could feel the heat in her cheeks and heard Wren laughing.
"Well. Um. Your bed was fine. Thank you." She cleared her throat. She looked up to see him grinning still. "Um, I suppose you're going to want your room back, now that I'm awake." His grin slipped a bit.
"No, you can stay there as long as you'd like. From what I've heard, it's not as if you have anywhere else to go."
"I don't feel right about it. Surely, I can stay in another room?" He blinked for a moment before looking away and nodding.
"I'd like it if you stayed in a room close to mine. I'll take you to one after this." She nodded, then furrowed her brow as a thought came to her head.
"Aren't you going to eat?"
"Hm?" He looked to her, his face showing only confusion.
"I haven't seen you eat anything. Are… You going to?" His face seemed to light up with some sort of understanding and he spoke.
"Oh, no. I don't eat… much." She nodded. "Surely you must be thirsty. Here." He lifted a large bottle and poured it into a cup. He passed the cup to her and she looked to find it was a dark liquid.
"Is that wine?" He looked at her and smirked.
"What else?" She cleared her throat.
"I've never, well, I don't, um, oh." He laughed and pushed it farther towards her.
"Go on. Don't tell me you've never drank wine before."
"It's not that, it's just that I'm not much of a wine drinker. I mean, I'm only 19 so I haven't had much experience with wine."
"No?"
"No." She looked away for a second before turning back to him and smirking. "I'm more of a whiskey drinker." Vlad laughed deeply, hitting his knee.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Master?" Wren called out to Vlad. He turned to the boy.
"Hm?" Seras sipped the wine in her cup, wrinkly her nose at the taste.
"You don't plan on-"
"No. Hush." Seras didn't pay their exchange any mind, instead focused on drinking the liquid in her cup. She finished it after several minutes and turned to see Vlad sitting back in the chair next to her, his eyes closed. He looks peaceful. He really is attractive. Handsome. I wonder how old he is? He's at least in his thirties.
She looked to Wren to find him staring at the man as well. He met her gaze and smiled. "I think he's tired."
"I'm fine." Wren rolled his eyes and mouthed his previous statement once more, causing Seras to giggle. Vlad opened his eyes and turned to her.
"Why don't we find you a room?"
"Oh, yes, alright." She smiled and stood as he did. Standing next to him, she realized just how tall he actually was. He's at least a foot taller than me. He's like a giant! He stretched a bit as he stood. He turned to Wren.
"Once I get her into a room, I'm retiring for the night as well. Make sure nobody bothers me." Wren nodded.
As Seras followed Vlad through the castle, she realized how dark it had become. Candles lit up the halls and staircases brightly, the flames casting long shadows. During supper, she hadn't paid too much attention to what the man wore, but now, as she walked behind him, she did. He appeared to be wearing a suit of armor, a red cape draped around his shoulders. She didn't want to be caught staring at either of the men during supper, so now, with his back turned, she stared. That armor looks heavy. He must be strong. And he said he was in a war didn't he? Why is he wearing armor now? It's a bit strange… Even so, I can't help but notice it adds to his appearance. Perhaps that's why? She was brought out of her examination of his appearance by his deep voice speaking to her.
"You may take the room to the right of mine. I'll have Maya come and bring you anything you may have left in my room." They had reached the hall that his room was in, and he brought her to her new one. She nodded and smiled up at him.
"This really isn't necessary, sir. You needn't give me shelter, I'll do fine on my own." He chuckled and leaned against the door of her room.
"Nonsense. You may stay here until you have fully recovered. Until then, you are welcome in my home. Now," he stood back up and started walking to his room. "If you require anything, come and get me." Seras shook her head quickly.
"No, I don't want to be any-"
"You're none at all. Good evening, Seras Victoria." Her let her name slip out silkily and slow, sending shivers down her spine.
"Good evening." She walked into her room, noticing the similarities to Vlad's. It was smaller, and had less furniture. It didn't appear that anybody had stayed in this room for a very long time, but it was clean, so Seras wasn't quite sure. This doesn't quite seem like the type of home that sees many visitors. Vlad seems friendly enough, though. There's something about him though… About this place… She sat on the bed placed in the far end of the room and sighed, setting her head on the pillow after a moment.
Something about him is so…different. Most men I've met have instantly tried to bed me, or touch me. He seemed interested only in my condition. It was… nice. His eyes though, there's something in them. I don't know what it is, but… I think I can almost understand it. Oh, here I am, analyzing a man who so graciously allowed me respite in his amazing home. How rude of me. I wonder, do I fancy him? She looked up at the stone ceiling, marveling at the craftsmanship. She could hear the wind howling outside, thunder and lightning dancing outside the window of her room.
She turned and got back up, walking to it. She stood, looking through the finely crafted glass. It was the darkest black she had ever seen, as though the land was covered in a heavy blanket. The only time she saw the details of the forestry and land surrounding the estate was when the lightning flashed by quickly. She turned around, placing her hands on the windowsill and leaning back. She pushed out a deep breath and looked to the clock. 11:00. I've been in here for what? Ten minutes? I can't tell if the time moved quickly or slowly. I suppose I'll lay down and try to sleep.
As Seras lay in the bed, she found herself unable to sleep. She had counted to 1000, twice. She was counting a third time, but stopped at 672. She opened her eyes and sighed. The storm was still raging, and she sat up in the blankets. Scratching her head, she placed her feet on the carpeted floor. "I'm not tired yet. What am I supposed to do?" She stood, making her way slowly through the darkness of her room. "With the candles out, it sure is bloody dark in here."
Every so often, a bright flash of lightening lit up her surroundings, giving her easier ability to move about. She made her way to a box of matches she had found during a quick inspection of the room, and lit a nearby candle. She sighed happily as her eyes adjusted to the sudden light. She carried the candle to one of the finely crafted chairs in the room, setting it on the floor by her feet. She sat there a while, just listening to the rough winds.
After a while, she turned to the large wall-clock to see that it was an hour past midnight. She shifted in the seat, impatiently, before standing. He said that I could go and get him for anything. I can't sleep. That's something. She opened the door to the hallway to find that candles were still lit. Far towards the left side of the hallway, she saw what seemed to be Maya walking out of her view. She still appeared to be wearing her work clothes. They must be more night oriented people. Leaving her door open, she went back into her room and blew out the candle on her floor, not wanting to start a blaze.
She crept out into the hallway quietly. She didn't think she needed to sneak about, but she was all but conditioned to be quiet at night. She moved over to Vlad's door and pressed her ear to it. She heard sounds coming from inside. Is he speaking to somebody? I hadn't heard anybody in the hall from my room. Perhaps I shouldn't interrupt them. As she was about to go back to her room, she sighed at the thought of laying in her bed, bored and alone until dawn. She turned back and knocked lightly at his door. The speaking sounds from inside stopped and she heard heavy footsteps coming to the door.
The door opened and she looked up from the ground to see Vlad standing there. He no longer wore his armor, now in a plain white shirt and dark trousers. His hair seemed messier, as if he was laying down. Did I interrupt his sleep? Then who was he talking to? She met his eyes and his widened slightly before he spoke.
"Seras… Is something the matter?" She saw his eyes travel the expanse of her body and realized that she was only wearing a thin shift that barely reached her calves. She saw his face shift slightly, an eyebrow arching and his eyes narrowing slightly as he made his way back up to her eyes. She smiled embarrassingly and moved her body noncommittally. His eyes stayed on hers and she spoke, rubbing her shoulder across her chest.
"Oh, no, nothing incredibly important. I've just come to the realization that I am unable to sleep. I've been counting for the past few hours, and have noticed that I've nothing else to do. I was wondering if I could, perhaps, pass the time with… you?" Her eyes widened as she realized how her words could be misinterpreted, a blush rising over her cheeks. "I didn't mean like, you know, oh lord." She looked away from his gaze quickly.
Vlad started chuckling, causing Seras to look back to him. He was grinning at her as he laughed. "Come in, Miss Victoria." He moved from the door, letting her into his brightly lit room. She smiled again, inwardly sighing at his kind response. As she walked in, she noticed that there was another man sitting on one of the settee's. He called out.
"Well, well! Vlad, I didn't know you had a lover! Quite young though, isn't she?" The man winked at Seras and she cleared her throat. Vlad closed the door and came to sit on the settee opposite the man.
"Sebastian, this is my guest, Seras Victoria. Seras," he turned to her, motioning for her to sit by him, "this is Sebastian Armand. He is a… an acquaintance of mine." Sebastian looked to Vlad, seemingly insulted. Seras sat down next to Vlad as Sebastian spoke.
"An acquaintance of yours? Is that all? I thought we were friends." Vlad chuckled and grabbed a bottle of alcohol from the table, drinking from it. Sebastian was attractive, Seras noticed. He was blonde, his hair little past his ears, and wavy. He ran a pale hand through it as he turned back to Seras. His eyes were red, like Vlad's, but a lighter shade, almost magenta-like. He smiled warmly at her, highlighting his gorgeous bone structure. "Seras, is it?"
"Yes, sir." Sebastian cocked his head slightly at her before shaking it slowly.
"Oh, no, just call me Sebastian." He pointed at her, moving the finger over her form. "What happened to you? Vlad didn't beat you did he?" The man chuckled and Seras saw Vlad narrow his eyes at the man.
"I was running from my village, and ended up getting shot with an arrow, rolling down some extremely uncomfortable steep terrain, falling off of some sort of ledge, and hitting my head on a large rock. I fell unconscious after the hit, and woke up here. Everybody has been so kind." She shrugged her good shoulder. Sebastian hummed and nodded.
"Shouldn't you be resting then?"
"I can't seem to sleep, so I thought Vlad could keep me some company." The blond man mouthed 'oh' and smiled at Vlad.
"Should I leave then, Vlad?" As she looked between the two men, she noticed that Sebastian wasn't as old as Vlad. Sebastian looked as though he was in his twenties, while Vlad looked at least in his thirties.
Vlad took a drink from the large bottle in his hand before replying. "Mm, if you want to. We can speak more about your situation tomorrow." The way the man spoke made Seras think that he was telling the man to leave, even though he hadn't said such.
Sebastian nodded, standing. He walked to the door before turning and smiling at Seras. "I suppose I'll see you tomorrow then. Good night." Seras smiled back.
"Good night!" After the man left, Seras turned to Vlad and tapped him on the knee. He turned to her as well. "What are you drinking?" He smiled.
"Nothing you would like." She cocked her head.
"Are you sure?" He nodded and put the bottle back on the table.
"Absolutely." Seras stood up and looked around, walking over to the window. She leaned over the table like she had when she first woke up.
"How do you know Sebastian?" She heard him walk over to her. He leaned against the wall.
"I suppose our paths just crossed at some point. He's entertaining to have around, and I've found he's much more knowledgeable than he seems." Seras nodded and looked to him.
"He's very attractive." She saw his eye twitch a bit before he looked away and clucked his tongue.
"Is he?" I think I struck a nerve. Let's try and make things better, shall we? Seras turned back to the window.
"He is, but I'm not much of a fan of blondes." She saw him look to her from the corner of her eye. "I much prefer dark hair. You're more my type than him, anyway."
"Hm." She saw a slight smile on his face before she turned to him.
"Where are you from?" He looked to her, brow furrowed.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you have an accent. And your eyes… I've never seen eyes like yours. Sebastian's were like yours too. I've never met anybody with red eyes." He stared at her for a moment, eyes narrowed slightly before sighing.
"I'm from Romania." That explains why he was speaking Romanian. But what about-
"Is Wren from there as well?" He nodded. "But isn't that an English name?"
"His birth name was Ovidiu. When we came here, he found that he was fond of the names Wren and Wagner. So he took them."
"How long have you been here? In this country?"
"A decade or so." She hummed as she ran her finger along the cool wood of the desk.
"What of your family? Where are they?"
"I haven't any."
"None? Not even a wife, or children?" He looked to her, cocking his head and furrowing his brow.
"No. I haven't a wife, nor children. How about you?" She laughed.
"Oh, I'd hope I haven't any children running around. And as far as I know, I haven't ever had a wife." Vlad chuckled, his voice flowing smoothly throughout the room. "But what about your eyes? Wren's eyes weren't that color, so it isn't because you're Romanian. And Sebastian's eyes were red as well. Maya's eyes seemed red, too. Are you demons or something?" She smiled widely at him and he returned the gesture.
"Oh, yes. I'm Satan himself. Pleasure to meet you." She took a few steps closer to him, leaning in close. Even on the tips of her toes, she didn't reach his face, so she looked up.
"Really, there's something different about you." She gasped jokingly. "Oh, I've got it! You're a vampire! A blood-sucking creature of the night, right? That's why your eyes are that color." She chuckled and he stared at her, a slight smirk on his face.
"That is quite the astute observation, draga mea." Her eyes widened slightly and she backed up.
"You're joking, right?" He arched an eyebrow and his smirk widened.
"Not at all." She stared at him for several seconds before speaking.
"Oh. That's all well and good, but I'm not quite sure I believe you."
"Oh?" He grinned now, taking a step forward. She nodded.
"Mhm. You'll have to prove it to me somehow." He laughed, throwing his head back.
"You meet a vampire and you want him to prove his power to you?" She nodded. "If I drank your blood, would that be proof enough?" She shook her head.
"Oh, anybody could just bite me and drink my blood. Mosquitos do that. If you're a real vampire, aren't you supposed to have demonic powers or something?" He nodded, chuckling.
"I suppose." She tapped his chest with her hand.
"Then show me." He hummed for a moment, before nodding.
Suddenly, the room went black as all the candles were blown out by some strong gust of wind. "What was that?" She turned around, trying to look about, when she was pushed roughly against the wall behind her. She grunted in pain as her aching body hit the rough surface. Before she could blink, the room was lit once more. She found Vlad was holding her to the wall, grinning. He lifted a hand from her injured shoulder, tapping her nose gently before his gaze traveled to her shoulder.
"Look at that. You're bleeding." He took his finger from her face back down to her shoulder, swiping it gently across her bandaged wound. He brought it back up to her face to show the blood dropping down his finger. He licked his lips. "You know, I really had to control myself while I was tending to your injuries." Seras' heart was beating fast, and her breathing shallow.
"Is that so?" She was looking into his eyes as they narrowed.
"Mm. It smelled so… Intoxicating. Sweet. Certainly you don't mind if I just…" He brought his finger to his lips and licked the long trail of crimson from his pale flesh. His eyes closed and his face took on a mask of euphoria for a moment, before he opened his eyes again. "Thank you." He grinned at her as he let her go. He took a step back and arched his eyebrow. Seras held onto the wall, afraid she would collapse if she didn't. She blinked slowly.
"So… you weren't joking." He shook his head. "But you're not going to kill me."
"Oh, no, I like to play with my food." She chuckled softly.
"You know, I don't think I've ever met a man as intriguing as you." His grin fell and his face became a mask of confusion.
"I beg your pardon?" She simply shook her head and walked towards him.
"I should probably be afraid of you, but I'm not. I don't think I've ever been afraid, and I don't think I'll start just because some handsome man might end up drinking my blood." His eyebrows raised high.
"So my being a monster intrigues you? You're obviously insane, girl." Seras nodded.
"Perhaps. But since when has a monster been able to say who and who isn't sane? That seems to be a bit out of your expertise." Vlad was quiet a moment before cackling.
"I suppose you're right!" Seras walked to the bed and sat.
"So what of Maya and Sebastian? I presume they're vampires as well?"
"Yes, my servant, while she is of the undead, she is certainly not the most purest of Nosferatu. Sebastian is of purer blood, and is therefore of a different variety than her. Neither are equal to me though." She watched as he came closer to her.
"Is that so? How is that?"
"They were bitten. I was not." She cocked her head.
"So, you just became a vampire? Is that it?" He nodded.
"Essentially."
"Intriguing." He smiled at her and sat next to her.
"And what of you, Seras Victoria? Who are you? What are you?" She thought for a moment.
"I'm alone. According to my village, I'm a witch. But I'm almost positive that if I were a witch, I'd conjure up a bit more wealth than I currently have, now wouldn't I?" Vlad chuckled. "I'd probably be living like you, Vlad!"
"Oh?" She turned to him.
"Definitely. An enormous castle, servants to clean everything, beautiful furniture." He was smiling at her and she continued. "How did you ever come across such wealth anyway? Don't tell me all vampires just amass wealth and luxurious castles."
"That, draga mea, is my secret. Now, how about you tell me why exactly your village thought you for a witch and so rudely chased you away?" Seras sighed and laid back on the bed.
"It's a rather long story."
"If there's one thing I've got, it's time."
"Well, I suppose it started when I was a young girl. As you know, I'm an orphan. My family, my mother and father, were murdered when I was very young. After they died, I was sent to one of the orphanages in the village. Soon after I arrived, many tragic things happened. A fire started, killing several children, a young girl killed herself, food and supplies ran low. They blamed it on me, and I was thrown out. Rumors started circulating that I was cursed, and soon, that I was a witch. As I grew, I lived on my own, sleeping where I could, eating the food I could find. I befriended animals quickly and easily. I helped them, they helped me, and the villagers noticed. They said I could command the animals to do my bidding, or something ridiculous like that.
I befriended passing merchants, who would help me by giving me food and drink. Sometimes, they gave me more valuable things, such as clothing, books, shoes. I taught myself to read, write. I had to do such things in seclusion, for if the villagers caught me, I'd be flogged and beaten. That didn't matter to me though. I enjoyed reading, learning. I didn't even mind being homeless. Nature is beautiful, and being in it made me feel safe.
Occasionally, some people would give me shelter for a night or two, but more often, I had to sleep in barns and vacant lots. I remember, men would always try and buy me, as if I were some sort of whore. Sometimes, they would try and force themselves on me, but I could run much faster than them and kick much harder than they thought. I would never allow myself to be taken advantage of, especially by such filthy, disgusting men. Before I learned how to get away from such things, I remember I used to scream, call for help as loudly as I could. People would pass by, looking at the man on top of me as I cried and screamed. I remember thinking, 'Why won't they help me? I haven't done anything wrong'. I was so stupid.
Of course nobody would help me, a poor, homeless heretic. I didn't need anybody to help me, though. I'm strong, I learned how to defend myself. I used to be afraid, but not anymore. I haven't been afraid in years. I wasn't even afraid when I was being chased, threatened with death and torture. I just knew I had to escape, if I wanted to live.
All right, so, the village tolerated me. They didn't all want to kill me until recently. A few weeks ago, people were finding animals torn and ripped open, killed and dying. The killing continued for several days, and people came said they had witnessed a wolf stalking through the grounds. The men decided to hunt it.
For several nights, the men took to the woods, searching for the wolf. One night, I was asleep in a vacant barn when I heard footsteps and the sound of water being lapped up. I opened my eyes and left the spot I was sleeping in. I saw a large, black wolf drinking from one of the full water barrels in the barn. I approached him slowly, and called out to him, saying something like 'Oh, hello, Mr. Wolfe.' He turned, growling. I dropped down to my knees slowly, and pulled out one of the loaves of bread in my pocket. I pulled off a piece and held it out to him. He paused slightly and stopped growling as he came close to me.
He sniffed at the bread, oh it was so adorable, and he took it gently. I couldn't help but smile at him. He wasn't violent, just hungry and confused. I moved out slowly and pat him on the head, scratching behind his ears. He licked my palm. We became friends, sleeping together, finding food and shelter together. I protected him and he protected me. He would still eat animals though, so the men were still hunting him.
One night, I was awoken by growling and barking by my head. The men had found us. The wolf was standing in front of them, growling and afraid. I stood and confronted the men, telling the wolf to get behind me. They saw that the wolf listened to me and threatened me. They said I was commanding the wolf to kill the animals. I tried telling them that he was just scared and lost and hungry, and that he was friendly, but they didn't listen. One of them grabbed me, putting a dagger to my throat.
The wolf attacked the man, setting me free. He ripped out the man's throat, leaving him choking and bleeding in the hay. The other men came towards us and I grabbed the dagger that the dying one held against me. I stabbed a man in the stomach until he fell to the ground as well. The wolf slashed and clawed at the other man. I called out to the wolf, telling him to run away with me.
I heard the remaining man calling out to others, getting help as the wolf and I dashed throughout the village. We made our way into the woods, hiding amongst a patch of tall grass. I held the wolf close to me, trying to calm him down. He was so afraid, and we sat there, him in my arms for a long while. Soon, we heard the sound of men yelling for us, the flames of torches coming closer to us. I whispered to him, telling him how much I loved him. He licked my face and I kissed his nose. I told him to run, to never come back. He didn't go until I kissed him again. He ran away, into the darkness.
The men found me, only a few moments after the wolf ran. They grabbed me by my arms, yelling and beating me, asking about the wolf. I only told them that he got away. They dragged me back through the woods and into the village. I was forced into a holding room, locked in there. I could hear a man yelling to the villagers, saying I was a witch, that I had ordered the wolf to kill animals and men, that I myself had killed a man. That I had planned on killing the whole village, damning them to hell. That all the tragic events, deaths, fires, sickness, droughts, were my fault. I tried screaming to them, telling them they were wrong. They took my words and said that I was trying to trick them, a demon trying to deceive a village under the ruse of a young girl.
The man spoke of how I didn't belong to the church, how I stole food and slept where I wasn't permitted to. They called me a murderer, a devil, a witch that needed to be burned. The man riled up the villagers, and I could hear their shouts and calls as they shouted violent vulgarities at me. I stayed there until the next night, when a man came into the holding room. It was the man the wolf clawed, the marks deep and healing on his cheek. I was sat on the ground, head on my knees and looked up. The man told me that I was going to be tortured, questioned, and then burned at the stake. He leaned down to me, running his hand across my cheek. He then told me that he was going to rape me, that I was a whore who needed to be fucked.
I kicked against him, punched and slapped, but he grabbed my wrists in his hand, pushing me to the ground. He pushed my legs open and I kicked at him, hitting him in the gut. He slapped me across the face, hard. I looked at him as he pushed my dress up and started to undo his trousers. He stopped though, and let go of my arms and looking at me for a moment. He smiled and kissed me on the mouth, roughly. It was disgusting, and he forced his tongue into my mouth. I kept still, trying to think of a way out of the situation. He leaned back up, and I noticed a large knife on his belt. As he went to take his trousers off, I leaned up quickly. I grabbed it and stabbed into him, right in the groin. He screamed, and I brought the blade up, slicing through his flesh. I cut him, right up to his throat, blood and guts falling from him. I pushed his body from mine, and I continued to stab him. I stabbed into his face, the blade cutting through his skull. I don't know why, but I did. I suppose I was just angry. I stopped, exhausted, and stood. I dropped the blade, and walked over to the door to find that he had left it unlocked when he entered.
I escaped and hid nearby for several hours, until I head the calls. Somebody had found the bastard's body, and that I was gone. They called to the village, telling them to arm themselves. That they were going to hunt the witch. They acted as though what I did, everything I ever did, was wrong. Was the wrong thing. I never did anything that I didn't think was necessary. But that didn't matter. I was a killer and a witch to them, an evil demon that needed to be purged and eradicated.
A man found me, and alerted the other villagers. I ran, and I ran through the village, coming to the forest. I ran as fast as I could, hearing people yell and scream and chase me. I heard horses and saw arrows flying past me. Women, men, even children were after me. People who had once helped me, once shown me generosity, were now hunting me, wanted my head. I ran hard, pushing through the pain rising in my body as the minutes passed. I never stopped running and I knew that all I had to do was get out of the forest, pass the threshold.
The villagers believed that past the forest, the land was cursed, was evil. I knew they wouldn't dare follow me there. And I made it, but not before I was shot by an arrow. It didn't stop me, though. I fell for a moment, no more than a second, before I started running again. Then I fell, and now I'm here. Alive, thanks to you and your servants." Seras felt emotion rising in her chest, wanting to cry. She sighed deeply. "I hope the wolf is as lucky as me."
Vlad hadn't made a sound during her story, so she sat back up, looking to him. His crimson eyes were soft as he looked to her. She spoke to him. "Are you alright?" He nodded.
"You're strong. You never gave up, you fought for your life. I admire that." She paused for a moment before smiling.
"Thank you. You don't think that I'm bad, do you? For killing those people?" He laughed and placed a hand on her good shoulder.
"Seras, I've killed more people than you could ever imagine, for much less than you did. You were threatened. If you didn't fight back, you would have died. Fighting back is courageous. It shows strength. You deserve life, and you've earned it." He leaned in closer to her. "So no, you're not bad." She nodded. They were both silent a moment before he spoke again. "If anybody here is intriguing, it's you, Seras Victoria." She blinked for a moment, looking and seeing a slight smile on his face.
"I'd like to know more about you, Vlad." His eyes widened slightly and he sighed.
"You'll have to wait for another time, my dear."
"Oh?" She pouted at him, noticing his face shift slightly. "What a shame. I'd at least like to know something about the kind man who saved me." Vlad laughed.
"Now I know you're not referring to me."
"Why? You're kind. You've never given me any reason to believe otherwise." He scoffed.
"I'll have to change that then, won't I?" His tone was playful, making her smile.
"For a vampire, you're not very scary." He arched an eyebrow.
"That's disappointing. Many people would disagree with you." She smirked.
"Well, intimidating perhaps. But I think I like that about you." He cleared his throat as she ran her finger lazily along his hand. I must be getting sleepy. I hope he doesn't think I'm being forward. I'm not trying to be. She looked at his hands, noticing the numerous scars. She ran her finger over the scars. "You said you've been in a war? Is that how you got these scars?" She looked into his eyes to see that he was staring at his hand as well.
"Not all of them, no." She nodded, admiring his features. Best to not push.
"So what were you out doing today?"
"Hm?"
"Maya said you were out collecting some debt. What was it?" He hummed for a moment before answering.
"A man asked me for a favor a while ago, and hadn't owned up to his side of the deal. I simply went to collect what was owed to me."
"Did you get it?"
"Not yet, no. I've given him three more days to repay me."
"And if he doesn't?"
"He dies." Her finger stopped brushing his hand and he looked into her eyes. "What?"
"Isn't that a bit cruel?" He grinned and moved his hand away from hers.
"I'm a cruel man." For some reason, his statement made her smile. "Have I said something amusing to you?" She shook her head.
"No. I just think that if you were as cruel as you said you were, you would have killed me and drank my blood already." His grin widened as he leaned in, pushing his face into the crook of her neck. She could feel his warm breath on her flesh and goosebumps crawled over her body. She thought she could feel his mouth brush against her, but she wasn't sure. Oh god. What's he doing?
"I've told you. I like to play with my food." At that, she felt his tongue dart out and lick the length of her neck and he chuckled. He leaned back up. "Now that you know what I am, I suppose I'll give you a few days before I eat you." Seras smirked.
"How generous of you." He nodded, grin ever present. He stretched his back, and Seras heard popping come from it. He rolled his head on his shoulders and Seras scooted closer to him. Why do I feel so safe around him? He's a monster, who has repeatedly threatened my life. No, he wasn't being serious. He was only teasing. But still, he is a monster. So why do I feel so secure? "Are you tired?" He looked at her for a second before returning his gaze in front of him.
"Yes. I haven't slept more than an hour in the past few days." She scooted back, crawling into the bed. With the blankets on her body, she tapped him on the shoulder.
"Let's go to sleep then." He turned around, facing her, and arched an eyebrow.
"You're in my bed."
"Yes." Now, he furrowed his brow, cocking his head.
"Surely you don't mean for me to sleep with you in my bed?" She smiled.
"That, Vlad, is exactly what I mean. I like your bed much better than the one in my room. And I figure you can keep me warm." He stared at her for a moment before his face softened and he smiled. He nodded.
"As you wish, Seras Victoria."
He moved to the opposite side of the bed and sat on the edge to take off his boots. She laid down, placing her head on a pillow. She turned and laid on her side, taking care to not put pressure on her bad shoulder. She felt him get under the blankets and move close to her. Her eyes were fluttering closed and the candles started to blow out. She sighed contently but opened her eyes wide as she felt arms wrap around her and her body being cradled.
"What are you doing?" she asked. A deep voice replied silkily from behind her head.
"I'm getting comfortable." For emphasis, he pushed himself closer against her, his body meeting hers.
"Don't you think that's a bit rude? I am a lady." He's very nice to lay against though.
"Well, according to an entire village, you're a witch." He must have felt her body tense because he allowed his hand to rub the spot on her waist where it was placed. She felt her skin tingle at the sensation and let her head fall back, slightly bumping into his.
"Good night, Vlad."
"Good day, Seras."