Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs to Kouta Hirano. Yep, that's the phrase that makes this story work. The others are: No money involved. Duke is mine :D
(Re) Building an Empire
Seven Months -Week Two-
She woke up with a sour metallic flavor on her mouth; however she couldn't put a finger on what it was. The morning sun's light was filtrating by the window through the curtains without minding her at all. Seras stretched out feeling a little tired and at the same time strangely refreshed. She looked around a little unaccustomed to wake up in a well lit room. It was one of the guest rooms in the mansion, and she was wondering who could have put her there when someone came in. A young woman with maid attire.
"Miss Mary?" Said woman jumped in surprise, almost letting go the clean sheets she was carrying. Immediately after, she regained the well known composure that had given her a privileged place among Sir Irons' servants.
"I see you have regained consciousness. Sir ordered me to get you whatever you wish, shall inform the doctor?"
"W-wait! I'm fine!" Seras jumped forward by instinct, a sharp pain along her low back told her something was wrong. She looked at her hands, they were heavily bandaged. How was it possible? She wasn't regenerating anymore.
"I was only offering you an example" Mary huffed, oblivious of the turmoil happening in Seras' mind. "Honestly, I'm relieved that you are the 'Lady in Red'."
Seras remembered that name; she heard the rumors about herself from the people hosted in Irons manor. The first telling them was that little boy, Barnabas Makube. She had to hide her presence from everybody for not causing panic, only that boy had noticed the diabolic aura the vampire emitted.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that Ann was driving me nuts with her theories that you were a vampire."
"Wh-what do you mean?" Seras was at lost, the maid was sure she wasn't a vampire? "Do you find me human?"
"You must have had severe brain injury too." Mary rolled the eyes with over marked sarcasm. "Anyway, is there something you want me to get you? Are you hungry?"
A stomach growl answered, and Seras was perplexed by the responses of her own organism. This wasn't the right person for demanding blood, and somehow her body was craving for something more solid. She muttered something, something that had been lacking her for a long time. In such a low voice that Mary had to lean forward to listen clearly.
"Uh?" Failing to do so, Seras looked at her with resolute eyes.
"I want CHOCOLATE!"
Taken aback for not so much time, Mary nodded and step back to abandon the piece. She stopped by the doorframe.
"Any type in special?"
"All the types, shapes and sizes you can find!" Seras pointed at her with her bandaged hand. The maid sighed, and with a pitiful smile left the room.
Once alone, Seras could check her injuries. She wasn't healing at all. Her left arm was again full of flesh and bone. She took efforts to stand up towards the full body mirror on the old wardrobe across the room. She couldn't believe her eyes, which in fact were again blue. She pinched her cheeks, and it hurt. Wasn't sure if that helped, since dream or reality, being an undead was a different way of feeling pain. Someone had changed her red uniform, or was it yellow? to her night clothes. She was about to get out when the door slammed on her nose.
"Miss Seras, you shouldn't wander around when you are not fully recovered yet." Mary argued in her defense after seeing the girl hunch with both hands on her nose. "Here" The maid pulled her to the bed where she placed a handful of chocolate bars of all sizes and colors on her lap. "I took them from the kitchen."
Like a starving pirate just rescued from marooning, Seras didn't listen a word of Mary as she tore off the wraps as once she had tore off ghouls. In seconds she had packed on her mouth an entire bar of milked chocolate and was giggling nonstop.
"It's soooo good." She was sure she would get an explanation later of what was happening, or maybe it was actually a dream. By the moment, she only wanted to enjoy the illusion of tasting the flavors again.
"Try this one; it has pieces of salty butter's caramel." Mary pulled a blue wrapped bar, she tried to look as uninterested as always "It's what we normally eat in my hometown in France."
"I didn't know you were from France, Miss Mary." Seras talked with the mouth stuffed, amused by the crispy texture of the bar. "In fact, I know French." She stated boastfully.
"Ah, bon?" The maid answer was evasive as ever, but saying it in her mother language was a signal that she wanted to continue the theme.
"Ouais, je…" The girl stopped. Suddenly, she realized she didn't know French, it was Pip who did. Neither she knew German; it was Elica and Isole who did. Suddenly, the ever existent presence of her Master had disappeared, and for the first time in years, Seras Victoria felt the deepest loneliness. She hugged herself trying to fill the void she was experiencing inside. Her tears were warm; they reached the corner of her lips. The drops were salty, not the red staining kind she once had felt coming out from her eyes. Soon she understood that metallic flavor inside her mouth, that one she was already missing over the sweet chocolate, it was blood.
"Hey… don't push yourself too much." At least she had discovered Mary had a kind side. "Sir Integra takes dinner with the other girl who was attacked in one hour. If you feel that bad being alone, I can take you to eat with them."
"The other girl…? Attacked?"
"You were attacked by a vampire. But it's fine if you don't remember…" Mary's sight was lost in a blind point in the window "there are things that it's better to forget."
It was true that she had lost her vampiric powers, as she could no longer manifest her clothing. Mary gave her a dress, even if she didn't like how her shape was with one of those; Seras had to admit that at least she felt comfortable with it. A casual black dress, no longer the short uniform she was accustomed to wear.
When she went downstairs at dinner time, she wasn't sure of what she was expecting. Perhaps it was only an insight that this was just a dream and that the sealing ceremony was still taking place, and that she had to get out of it as she had surfaced from that nightmare with the werewolves. She really wished so upon seeing the large table before her. Ann, Sir Irons' maid, glanced at her with distrust from her place behind Sir Integra's chair.
"How are you feeling, Captain Seras?" Integra's voice was even, despite that the girl could feel the cordiality that made her feel warm and cherished.
"Uhm, better… I think." Seras noticed the girl sitting the other side of the table, she was probably older than her for a couple of years, wearing a one piece dress with large a city pattern on the front. The dishes before her rested untouched and she leaned her chin on the hand, resting the elbow on the surface with boredom. "Sir, what is happening?"
"Take a seat, Seras." Ann pulled the chair next to Integra, and placed a soup plate on the table. "Walter once told me that you loved brown Windsor soup, I asked them to cook it for you."
The girl was baffled, she sat by her boss in silence, waiting that someone could tell her what was going on but not daring to ask herself. "That's all Miss Ann; you can inform Sir Irons that these girls are safely under my tutoring."
"As you wish, Sir." Ann made a little bow and left the piece almost relieved that her work was over. Seras contemplated the steaming soup, unsecure if it was safe to eat something else out of that chocolate. There was a bottle of wine nearby; she contemplated it wondering if it could calm the thirst she was starting to experience.
"Sir-" She started to talk but Integra cut her up.
"Duke, you won't get any better if you don't eat at least once." Her boss was referring to the brunette girl across the table, which was absent-mindedly rolling the spoon in the dish. Seras couldn't believe her ears; Integra had just called that small framed girl like the elder vampire!
"I don't like Windsor soup..." she hissed leaving the spoon alone, she crossed her arms defiantly; then smiled mischievously at Integra "unless you add a little flavor to it." Until that moment Seras noticed the girl's hands were also bandaged.
"Duke? What's happening here? Isn't this a dream!?" For the first time in years Seras Victoria was feeling the hard beats of her heart.
"I'd wish it could be a dream…" Duke mumbled.
"You are already under my orders but, the sealing ceremony wasn't exactly a success." Integra took a sip of the wine. "Seras, stopping Duke took much more of your energy than expected. Nevertheless you are still alive, I'm glad to have you with us tonight."
"Alive? Am I human again?" Seras looked at the soup that was getting cold.
"Not exactly." Duke pushed his (her?) dish aside. Integra stood up from her place while pulling something from her pocket; it was a lancet like the ones used for testing the sugar levels. With a sole pinch on the Sir's finger the air filled with an essence that flooded Sera's nostrils. "We are on the verge of dying, so weak that our bodies had regained their human form. A deep cut, a single bullet shot, and we are done for". Their boss pushed a single drop of her red fluid in Duke's soup. The ex male vampire seemed pleased and pulled the dish towards her with a grateful nod.
"You don't need more than small portion of blood from time to time. That way you can live as a human as much as you want". The only sound in the room was the elder vampire's spoon hitting the bottom of the porcelain dish; Integra offered her still open injury to Seras. The girl didn't think twice for licking the wound. So it was what she was lacking? She didn't feel any regained power though. Integra moved away her hand, put on her glove, and sat back at her chair where the soup remained intact. "But you are no longer of use for the organization."
Listening to this statement sent some electric shiver went from the back of Seras' head.
"Wha-why is that?"
"As I assume you already know, my family name's power comes directly from owning Alucard. The Round Table members presume the Nazis were aiming at Alucard and not exactly at England when they attacked London. Do you understand that in this situation they would be happy to dispose both No Life King's bloodline for our country's sake? You will leave this manor in a couple of days, this is me putting my heritage in the line for you… this is the option I give you."
Seras was lost at words. Is she firing me? True was that they haven't fought more vampires than the hidden Nazis from months ago; true they didn't have enough money for paying more troops or for buying weapons; true that Hellsing's name had lost power since Master was gone but, the Draculina still wanted to fight alongside with Integra, she wanted to still be useful to her country!
"Why?" Integra missed the point of the question; Seras had to continue as much as it anguished her. "Why are you telling me this? You are our Master now; you should know what to do with us more than the Round Table! I'm not leaving your side; I won't let you to fight those men all by yourself."
"You told me some days ago that I never let you to get involved in the decisions about this family." Integra said nonchalantly while giving another sip at her glass of wine. It didn't pass off Seras how the Sir had said they were family. Duke's dark chuckling edged the conversation with a tremor that was inappropriate for a young lady.
"I told you she wouldn't like the idea." She leaned forward with that hint of malice that hasn't gotten lost in her hazel eyes. "Mind if I tell her the plan B?"
"Not at all, I was expecting you to tell her anyway." Integra started with her soup not minding the following conversation.
"This is quite simple for me," Duke pointed at himself "the only way of recovering our no life... is taking again someone else's life."
Author's Note: Oh noes! Why did I leave this in cliffhanger? I hesitated A LOT for posting this chapter, even considered to erase it at all. I hope it's not too far-fetched since I can't relate a similar case in manga nor anime.
This time huge thanks to LordTicky for the awesome comment :D Also I've gotten several followings, thank you.