Hey Everyone! Big Castlevania fan here so I thought I'd try my hand in writing my first Fan Fiction about one of my favorite dynamics of The Castlevania Series Season 3 and something I felt that Season 4 lacked- Hector, Lenore, and Isaac. This is a work in progress that really tries to flesh out Hector and Lenore's psyche in a way that's logical and cohesive, and develop a good story arc for Isaac. I've watched their scenes multiple times and really tried to understand the motivations/ thought processes of both characters. I'd say that 60% of this is something I think is within the realm of possibilities for the show, and with their arcs in Curse of Darkness, 20% of nerding out about their dynamic, and 20% of random plot twists I put in there for giggles.
This is also for viewers who wanted an alternative script of Season 4.
Let me know what your thoughts are!
Chapter 1: Shockwave/King
Immediately after Lenore leaves the council chamber with Hector (End of Season 3 Castlevania)
Day 1
Lenore pulled Hector back on feet and took his hand once more, dragging the shell shocked forge master through the icy corridors of the castle. After a couple minutes of twisting and turning through the dark corridors of the labyrinth, Lenore stopped in front of an 8 foot tall mahogany double door and pushed her tiny, delicate left hand through, revealing a furnished bedroom half the size of the conference room they came from. It was a classic set up. In the center, a king bed stood proudly beside the wooden dresser and desk. The large window to the right displayed the room's content to the icy mountains of Styria. Through the corner, away from the crowd, stood an inconspicuous corridor that lead to the bathroom. A simple steel chandelier hung from the ceiling, reflecting its cold flames against the marble floor. A red velvet carpet covered most of the floor, a contrast of ivory and blood.
"You made me into a slave..."
"I made you into my pet..."
Those words were the only thing that rang through Hector's mind as he was escorted to his new chambers. Time and space seemed disjointed. Velvet and crimson flashed through his eyes as Lenore dragged him through the bedroom. The marble fireplace rest against the opposite of the bed, its fire emitting a sense of false warmth and security. He assumed that this was her room.
"I'm afraid your chambers will take a couple of days to renovate. The mason is a talented man, but we want to make sure you're given quality"
She explained as she rummaged through the dresser searching for a suitable tunic for Hector to wear. Her movements were graceful, as if she knew its location all along.
Hector stood in silence, still dumbstruck by the chain of events that unfolded. Only now was the room beginning to materialize.
"There!"
She blushed as she took out a black and red tunic from the dresser, similar to the one Isaac wore in Dracula's court. She couldn't have known this, but it gave Hector a sense of familiarity. He wondered if Isaac had survived the battle, or had perished defending Dracula. I should have been there he lamented, his face blank as she playfully showed off the shirt's craftsmanship. Lenore was oblivious of his sentiments, she was too preoccupied with trying to impress him.
"Well I suppose you don't expect me to dress you too, or do you?" Lenore giggled as Hector failed to register the uniform being thrown at him. Irritation began to creep up on her as she impatiently waited for the man to show some indication of lucidity.
"I suppose I don't have a choice anymore, do I?" He finally muttered beneath his breath, loud enough for Lenore to hear him. What a fucking aristocrat she pouted as she crossed her arms.
"Nonsense! These are silk trousers. They're far more comfortable than the rags you've been wearing. Plus they'll make your walks warmer in case you'd be interested in another one"
"Prepping me to show off to your sisters?" he hissed back. Lenore had finally lost her patience with the forge master. She had hoped that the room, bed, clothes, anything would impress him and make him forget about last night. Instead she received a few snide remarks, and an aloof sense of attitude. She pulled out her last diplomatic trick before she gave up on salvaging the night.
"Again, so dramatic. Keep your tunic if you'd like. But you would like to be warmer, wouldn't you?" She wore the same smile she had when she had coerced him to go on the walk earlier.
Hector couldn't argue, these were nice trousers. But he'd been fed poisoned apples from her this entire time. To him, the tunics were another symbol of his domestication. The mere thought of it sent a chill down his spine, a reminder of his failure as Dracula's trusted advisor, and a slave to the whims of others. Lenore was wrong, Carmilla had tricked him. And now she tricked him too. How foolish was he to even believe her when she said she wanted to be with him? Nobody had ever wanted to, why was she any different? He wasn't going to let her manipulate him this time. He stood in silent defiance as he glared at the floor.
"Fine. I'll lay them on the bed in case you change your mind"
Lenore sighed in a defeated tone as she took the trousers from him and laid them on the bed.
"I'm off to do real people things. Be a good boy and wait for me?"
Hector found himself staring at the same crimson eyes that had beguiled him after their first walk, peering into his soul with seemingly innocent affection, temporarily melting the icy mask his face wore. For a moment he was affectionately reminded of the heated passion they shared the night before. His eyes had betrayed him though, for in that exact same moment, Lenore blushed "Thank you" and left the room, leaving Hector alone once more.
Lenore had to admit, she had enjoyed earning Hector's affection. While diplomacy was her craft, she felt an attraction to him that was rare for her. His silver hair was a curious facet, but what drew her were the eyes. She always loved the night, and the shade of navy reminded her of the twilight before the darkness. They were her little jewels now, a luxury that separated her from the sisters. But today, he was more of a nuisance than anything. She couldn't grasp why he'd been so unappreciative. After all, she saved him. Did he really think that Carmilla would have given him better treatment? In the past week, when she wasn't with him or the sisters, she was diligently designing Hector's house and working tirelessly to make it perfect. While she seemed playful and upbeat, in reality she was exhausted from the sleepless days spent from overseeing the construction of his new residence- and Hector couldn't even stifle a thank you. She wanted Hector to realize, wanted him to realize any one of the hundred sacrifices she put in to make sure this would work. Sacrifices nobody else would have taken. However, doing so would only convince him that this arrangement was even more premeditated than it already was, and she knew this. To her frustration, she'd have to start from square one again. Luckily, he wasn't going anywhere, and convincing him was never a particularly difficult task. An idea popped up in her mind as she passed the kitchens, the aroma of turkey playfully caressing her nose "I'll bring him something he can't resist" she smiled as she walked into the conference chamber. The invasion of Braila was looming, and there was no time to waste.
Hector sat on the bed as more coherent thoughts began to form. His mind was assaulted with a mixture of emotions, all powerful yet contradictory. Betrayal, affection, hatred, dependence, scorn, understanding. It was hard to get a grasp. In retrospect, it was obvious this was orchestrated, but what he felt with her was real. He had never slept with a woman before, let alone kissed one. How could his heart have been so monumentally wrong? He knew the answer: vampires. She wouldn't have cared for him if not for his forge master skills. She wouldn't have taken the time to walk with him, spend nights talking to him, if he didn't play some vital role to their plans. Deep down he knew this, but he wanted her to be the person she told him she was.
~~Several hours later~~
Hours passed as Hector sat on the bed, letting his emotions crash through him like a series of shock waves. He couldn't ignore them now. After the storm of emotions began to temper from what seemed to be an eternity, a conclusion finally came to him: he had to get out of here. How though? He was bound by a vampire ring in a remote castle. He juggled with a series of ideas until a clear one with a feasible purpose formed in his mind: I will-
His train of thought was cut short
Lenore entered the room with a silver platter that attempted to cover an aroma of roast turkey, cheese, and pastries
"I brought some dinner"
She smiled affectionately as a vampire soldier scurried past her to set up a makeshift dinner table in the center of the room, in front of the fire place.
Hector remembered how hungry he was and his attention drifted to the plate. His plan was already set. He knew what he had to do.
What could my rule be like?
Isaac thought as he gazed at the starry sky, his body resting against the stone floor of the tower.
Despite the bloodshed, it was a calm night. The moon had shone her pale light across the deserted streets of the metropolis Isaac had razed.
After a long moment of contemplation, Isaac slowly retreated back to the Wizard's tower, up the stairs, and into the Study in which the old man's corpse still lay. Isaac coldly withdrew his dagger and plunged it into the Wizard's stomach once more. A flash of red illuminated the room and ceased as quickly as it came. What remained was another night creature.
"It's a shame this one is silent" Isaac thought as he directed it outside the room. He scavenged for signs of a bedroom or a place to sleep- the night was long and fighting was tiring work. He managed to find a bedroom connected to the central study, its oak bed frame riddled with dusk, and the desk crowded with scraps of what seemed to be magical tomes far too removed from Isaac's experience. "He must have not slept here often" he mused as he inspected the dusty furniture that rot against the stone floors. His close encounter with mental slavery had left his mind exhausted, and his thoughts muddled. He laid on the bed and quickly fell asleep- for he was used to sleeping on more questionable covers.
The morning came quicker than the night ended.
Isaac awoke feeling better than he had the night before. He was worried that the magician's spell would leave him impaired, and was relieved to find his wits sharper than ever. Isaac retreated to the basement of the tower, where the distance mirror was. On his way, he motioned to a night creature to bring him the philosopher that had entertained him several nights ago- "perhaps his wisdom will be of use to me" Isaac thought as he coolly concentrated the mirror to Styria. He heard small, coordinated footsteps plop against the marble flooring.
"You wished to see me?" The demon inquired
"I do, I am grateful to see that you are still alive"
"As am I, we lost a lot of us the night before. What are these mountains?" The demon asked as he stared at the display of Carmilla's castle, its icy towers piercing the pale blue sky.
"This is Styria, our next location. It is ruled by a vengeful vampire woman who must be shown justice."
Isaac explained, his voice displaying a degree of malice that was unusual even for the night creature. His blood boiled as he remembered the battle at Dracula's castle, the faces of his men as they were slaughtered by the queen's soldiers. He reflexively tightened his grip on the dagger, compelled to strike the mirror as if doing so would shatter the castle.
"Shall I gather the rest, forge master?"
A note of silence hung in the air, his rage tempered; his thoughts cooled as he began to devise a strategy.
"No. This is no ordinary castle, I wish to proceed with a plan. I need your wisdom to help me create one."
The demon peered back at Isaac in surprise. A forge master asking me what to do?
"Me? What could a resurrected philosopher do?"
"Maybe nothing at all. But you are loyal to me, and what is better than wisdom from one with loyalty?"
"Very well, forge master"
Silence filled the air one more, a sense of mutual understanding was met between the man and demon.
"Good. I may not have the army to take Styria now, but we have bodies. How many did you count amongst the ashes?"
"Hundreds. If you could convert them. You may be able to take the castle."
"May be?"
"May be. But you have a city, forge master. You are surrounded by other cities. Many can resist an army, but few can withstand an empire."
It took a minute for Isaac to finally register what the demon was implying.
"They have no misdeeds to atone for."
Isaac couldn't believe those words came out of his mouth. For years he had been merciless in punishing humanity for its deeds and mishaps, yet in this crucial moment his defense for it came instinctually. Perhaps the captain's words made a larger impact on him than he had thought. Or perhaps deep down, he had always wanted to have hope for humanity, always wanted his hatred to be proven wrong. Time and time again it wouldn't be, but he always found himself subconsciously giving them the benefit of the doubt, before he reactively killed them all.
For the demon, the rashness in Isaac's voice told him that he was treading on thin ice. He had to structure his next sentence carefully.
"Are they innocent if they failed to help their neighbors? They will be used for a purpose, forge master. Their souls will be used as instruments of justice. Is that not a better use of their lives?"
A decisive moment of contemplation permeated the air. The question was a conflicting one. He was never one to deal death without justice. However, the demon's logic could not have been argued. He needed to avenge Dracula. He did not have the resources to do so. How likely would it be that he would encounter another city of vengeful humans in Styria? If he teleported to Carmilla tonight and failed, what would become of Dracula's legacy? He had almost failed last night, and that was with a single wizard. There were four vampire warlords in that castle, and a forge master. The contrasts wrestled within him for what seemed to be ages, until a conclusion materialized in his mind.
"I will build an empire."
