Vampires are creatures of the night; they always have been creatures who, for whatever reason, can't walk in the sunlight, most of them anyway. The oldest and strongest of them can tolerate the sun. So that is where this story will begin. She was old, older than any who walked this earth save her brother. Her steel blue eyes looked around at her surroundings. Why had she chosen to go to London? That she didn't know. It had been a last-minute decision for her to come here.
Her lean frame moved silently along the empty street. She was looking for a bite to eat. The travel had been draining for her. She had to replenish what she had lost. She kept her senses open and alert to all that was around her. She was surprised to feel the presence of another vampire close to her. She wasn't sure if she should be surprised or startled. So she just kept walking for now.
She wasn't ready to let the other vampire know she was even aware of him. So she continued as if nothing was wrong. A smile curled the corners of her red-painted lips. She felt the other vampire grow closer to her. Her steel blue eyes were alert to everything around her. Small black booted feet carried her along the street. The long black skirt swirled around her ankles with each step.
She started to hum softly to herself.
"It has been a long time since I last heard a song from my homeland." A deep-set male voice came from behind her.
She stopped dead in her tracks to school her features so she looked like a frightened girl. Once she had done that, she turned to face the man who had spoken to her. Her steel blue eyes traveled up the length of the man, who was dressed in a long, blood-red trench coat with what appeared to be a charcoal suit under it. He was a good head and shoulders taller than her, so she had to cock her head to one side. She dropped the frightened schoolgirl act.
"Not many would even know that song or where it originated." She said easily.
Both stood eyeing each other as if they weren't sure what to make of the other. Neither one was in a mood to give an inch to the other.
"Ce aduce o floare atât de delicată în orașul meu minunat" He asked. (What brings such a delicate flower to my wonderful city)
She smiled softly as she understood him perfectly. She debated how to answer him if she should go to her native tongue. Which they shared, or should she act like she had no clue what he had said?
"O schimbare de peisaj este ceea ce m-a adus în orașul tău minunat." She responded easily. (A change in scenery is what brought me to your lovely city.)
The look on his face just about made her bust out laughing. She just barely managed to keep her composure. His look of shock was almost comical. She gave a slight shake to her head, causing long strands of onyx to shift and sway against her back. She wasn't about to back down or cower away from this new vampire. She was too old and tired to stand on much diplomacy.
"Dacă ați permite, domnule, că călătoria mea m-a lăsat obosit și înfometat, ați fi atât de amabil să-mi arătați unde aș putea mânca ceva?" She asked very softly. (If you would allow good Sir my traveling has left me tired and famished would you be as so kind as to show me where I might get a bite to eat?)
Her voice was pitched low with a very light mental push. All this earned her was a low warning growl and the flashing of razor-sharp fangs. She returned the growl with one of her own. She wasn't about to show any form of weakness.
"Nu sunt un simplu copil care poate fi împins." He growled to her (I'm no mere fledgling who can be pushed around.)
"Nu am spus niciodată că ești și nici nu am crezut că ești. Sunt doar obosit și nu am fost chiar diplomatic, deoarece acesta este orașul tău." She replied with a sigh. (Never said you were, nor did I think you were. I am just tired and wasn't exactly being diplomatic as this is your city.)
She took a deep breath and let it out very slowly as she gathered herself up. Once she had her emotions back under control, she spoke.
"Deoarece se pare că am început puțin prost, permiteți-mi să mă prezint. Eu sunt doamna D'Andra." She said easily. (As we seem to have gotten off to a bit of a bad start allow me to introduce myself. I am the Lady D'Andra.)
She had purposefully left out her last name as it carried a great deal of fear. She and her brother were the oldest living vampires. They were oddities, though, as they were born vampires, not turned.
"Mă numesc Alucard, bine ai venit la Londra, Lady D'Andra. Dacă mă vei urma, te voi duce într-un loc sigur pentru a te hrăni." He said. (I am called Alucard, welcome to London, Lady D'Andra. If you will follow me I will take you to a safe place to feed.)
He turned upon a booted heel and started walking away. D'Andra gave a small roll of her shoulders and opted to follow him. She was mindful of her surroundings. He was leading her away from the city. Now, this was odd to her, but she kept following him. She tipped her head as a massive mansion loomed in the distance. She was curious about why he was bringing her here. Did this place belong to him or someone else? Either way, she was working on being at the outer limits of her control.
She took note of how heavily guarded this place was. That was strange to her because there were few places that she knew that required this type of security. She did draw upon her last reserve of magic. When she entered the mansion, she found herself surrounded by guards. Her dark, steel blue eyes took on a cold deadliness to them. She slipped into a defensive posture. With a low warning growl, she quickly summoned up her family sword.
The broadsword appeared in her hand. There was a sudden gasp from somewhere near her. A low-born snarl came from her as her eyes began to change to a more blood-red color. She dropped the shields that had been hiding who and what she was. She heard the whistle of the wires before they ever reached her. She spun on a heel, lashing out with her sword, catching the wires around the blade. She snarled lowly, showing her now elongated fangs.
"You will find I won't be caught by your wires, Walter." She snarled.
Alucard looked up to the blonde-haired lady who stood on an overlooking balcony.
"Call them off unless you want everyone in the mansion to be wiped out. That is Lady D'Andra Caine, one of the ruling members of the Caine family. " Alucard said.
Walter's wires were still wrapped around the blade of her sword. She spun on a heel, jerking Walter off of his feet. The soldiers slowly backed away from her. She growled lowly as she kept a firm grip on her sword. Alucard was the one to approach her. She was on the defensive. A low, born snarl came from her as he approached her.
"Lady Caine, te rog, calmează-te. Nu am vrut să-ți vină vreun rău. Dacă aș fi știut cine ești, nu te-aș fi adus aici dacă aș fi știut." He said lowly to her. (My Lady Caine, please calm down. I didn't mean for any harm to come to you. Had I known who you were, I wouldn't have brought you here had I known.)
Her deadly steel blues locked onto Alucard. Her body was tense and still in a defensive posture.
"Atunci de ce să mă aduci aici, în primul rând, dacă știai că voi fi atacat de acești oameni?" She snarled in response. (Then why bring me here in the first place if you knew I would be attacked by these people?)
"Would you speak English. You are in England, and if you are any form of a proper lady, you would observe proper etiquette and speak the given language." A calm female voice came from above her.
Red-rimmed eyes snapped up to the blonde woman who remained on the balcony. She wanted to unleash the full strength of her powers and show Integra precisely who she was messing with. She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly as she reigned herself back in.
"Pull your people back, Integra. I am tired and in no mood to fight. If proper introductions are what you wish, then so be it. I am Lady D'Andra Caine, one of the ruling members of the Caine family. Younger sister to Laudric Von Caine." She finally said.
Alucard was the first one to bow to her respectfully. Integra didn't move at all save to arch a delicate eyebrow at Alucard's actions. She knew so little of vampire hierarchy, though she found Alucard's actions odd.
"It has been a known fact that any of the direct descendants of Cain were killed off long ago," Integra said.
D'Andra just blew out a breath of air as she flicked her sword to rid it of Walter's wires. She gave a small laugh as she finally dismissed her sword and began walking towards the stairs that led up to the balcony. One of the soldiers grabbed her arm, trying to stop her from getting to Integra. That was a bad idea because now the soldier had her full attention. She grabbed the soldier, draining him within a matter of seconds. She tossed aside the corpse.
Suddenly, a shot rang out, and D'Andra flinched as she felt the impact and burn of the holy bullet. She turned to see that Alucard had shot her. The blessed silver hurt, but it wouldn't kill her. She was far too old for that, not to mention the shot had hit her shoulder. Her fangs were elongated, showing her control was pretty much nonexistent.
"Vino la mine, regina mea, lasă-mă să te hrănesc. Lasă-mă să-ți potolesc foamea." Alucard spoke lowly to her. (Come to me my Queen, let me feed you. Let me sate your hunger.)
The gun he had been holding disappeared. He rolled up a sleeve, cutting his wrist.
"Vino și ia ceea ce se oferă gratuit. Acest lucru vi-l ofer din propria mea voice." He said in a low-pitched voice. (Come and take what is freely offered. This I offer to you of my own free will.)
He watched as she stalked toward him; her eyes were almost entirely blood-red. He knew she needed blood if he wanted to save Integra and the others. His crimson eyes watched her as she finally reached him. Her eyes followed every drop of blood. She eventually took his offered wrist and began to drink. He felt himself growing weak from the blood loss. She let go of his wrist as she passed out. Alucard caught her before her body hit the ground.
"I will take her to the basement and then return." He said mainly to Integra.
He knew she would want an explanation of his actions. With that, he phased himself and D'Andra down to his basement room. He settled her in his coffin, leaving the lid partially open. Now comes the fun task of explaining this to Integra. He hoped this would go with no trouble. He returned to Integra's office, where she sat waiting with Walter.
"Who is that vampire, and how in the name of all things holy did she withstand getting shot by one of your holy bullets." Integra nearly yelled at him.
"She is who she said. We have Caine's granddaughter sleeping in the basement." He replied as he phased a few blood bags into his hand so he could replenish what she had taken.
"How is that even possible? Everything that has ever been written says all his descendants were destroyed." She shot back.
Alucard drained the blood bags quickly. Then, he seemed to ponder what Integra had said. He didn't rightly have an answer for that.
"I don't know, but the family crest upon her sword and the power that rolled off her told me she is indeed who she says she is." He replied.
Slowly, he let his senses stretch out to check on D'Andra. He found she was still sleeping in his coffin. He slowly pulled his senses back.
" We should let her stay here so we can keep an eye on her. She could make a needed ally." Alucard said.
Integra was considering the request. Alucard remained standing as he phased a couple more blood bags to himself. He drained the blood bags and tossed the empty bags aside so that they disappeared in the nearest shadow. He waited to see what Integra's answer would be.
"It might be pertinent to remember that she and her brother are the oldest and strongest living vampires known to any of us. She could level this entire place without a second thought." He added.
That seemed to catch Integra's attention. She cocked her head to one side in contemplation.
"She can stay if she wishes to, as I doubt you could make her do anything she didn't wish to do." She answered.
Alucard nodded, leaving her office, and returning to his basement room. His crimson eyes watched D'Andra as she slept. He knew things in the mansion wouldn't be the same if she agreed to stay. She began to stir and awaken. He sat down in his chair as she slowly sat up. Her steel blues looked around the room very slowly.
"Unde sunt și cum am ajuns aici?" She asked sleepily. (Where am I, and how did I get here?)
"Ești în camera mea privată din subsolul conacului Hellsing. Cât despre cum te-am adus aici după ce ai leșinat." He replied in a soft and easy tone. (You are in my private chamber in the basement of the Hellsing mansion. As to how I brought you down here after you passed out.)
She slowly stood up, brushing her long skirt down. Her dark eyes said she wasn't sure if she believed Alucard. He couldn't say that he blamed her after all. He had led her straight into a trap. He remained seated as she stepped out of his coffin and walked around. Her dark eyes were taking in everything. There was little her dark gaze missed.
"Ești binevenit să stai aici, la conac, dacă vrei așa." He told her softly. (You're welcome to stay here at the mansion if you so desire.)
She stopped her exploring and turned to look at him. She lifted a delicate black eyebrow in a questioning manner.
"I suppose Integra suggested the idea of me staying here." She replied.
"Actually, no, I was the one who suggested it, as your knowledge of the arcane arts is unmatched." He said.
They had both gone to English without really thinking about it. Granted, the native language D'Andra spoke was long forgotten. She had learned Romanian as she had spent so much time in that area. She stitched languages quickly, though. She seemed to think for a few moments about what Alucard said. She knew only one other could match her arcane skills: her brother.
"And what is your interest in my arcane knowledge?" She asked.
"Am vrut să știu dacă există vreo modalitate de a rupe această vrajă obligatorie. Îmi doresc să fiu liber de familia Hellsing." He answered truthfully. (I wished to know if there was any way to break this binding spell. I wish to be free of the Hellsing family.)
She tipped her head slightly as if in thought. She took the time to tap into her magic to create a chair to sit down. She settled into the simple chair, crossing her left leg over her right. He watched her as her hands came to rest on her knee.
"Există întotdeauna o modalitate de a rupe vrăjile obligatorii, totul este să știi cum a fost aruncată vraja originală." She responded. (There is always a way to break binding spells, is all in knowing how the original spell was cast.)
He lifted a gloved hand and tapped his temple lightly.
"Castingul original este încă în capul meu. Mi-ai luat sângele, așa că ar trebui să poți vedea acele amintiri." He said with a slight growl. (The original casting is still in my head. You took my blood so you should be able to see those memories.)
She thought for a bit. Alucard was right in that she could access the blood memories. It was something she rarely did as she saw it as an invasion of privacy. Okay, so she was somewhat archaic in her views. Basically, she was old-fashioned. But that was neither here nor there.
So, the question now was whether she would access the blood memories. She looked to Alucard from where she sat in her created chair. Her head tipped as she continued thinking about what Alucard had offered her. It showed great trust to allow another vampire to see blood memories.
"De ce mi-ai permite de bunăvoie mie, un străin perfect pentru tine, acces la amintirile tale de sânge?" She asked curiously. (Why would you willingly allow me, a perfect stranger to you, access to your blood memories?)
Alucard seemed a bit taken aback by her question. He saw her point as he knew nothing about her, just as she knew nothing about him. They both needed to get to know each other.
"Atunci ne vom face timp să ne cunoaștem înainte de a merge mai departe cu această discuție?" He suggested. (Then shall we take the time to get to know each other before we go any further with this discussion?)
She nodded her head in agreement with what Alucard was saying. They needed to know each other better before she would be willing to go any further with this particular discussion. The more challenging or exciting part came of him getting to know her. How much of her past was she willing to share? There were things in her past that even her brother didn't know about.
D'Andra finally shifted in her chair a little to get more comfortable. Her dark gaze traveled around the room once more before resting on Alucard.
"You can ask whatever questions I know have to be running through your head. I will answer you to the best of my ability. Just be mindful that there are a few things I won't talk about." She said evenly.
Alucard listened to her. For some odd reason, he found her presence to be somewhat calming. Her presence quieted the voices in his head. He didn't feel like a constant battle was happening inside his head.
"Why does so much of the information say that the direct descents of Cain were destroyed?" He asked.
Well, now she knew that question would come up. She didn't think it would be the first question asked. Now came the fun part of figuring out how to answer the question. Did she tell him the truth or make something up? The truth was generally the best thing, though only sometimes the easiest.
"Well, the historians didn't know that my brother and I existed. We were hidden away as children for our protection." She replied.
That made Alucard sit back and think for a bit. He had no reason to doubt what she was telling him. She had no reason to lie to him.
"That makes some sense, as you and your brother are the only known-born vampires. I am curious as to how you two were born?" He asked.
Her head quizzically tipped to one side. Now, did she want to go into a lot of detail about the magic that had been used or just give a simple explanation? For now, she was going to opt for simple.
"To put it as simply as possible, there was a lot of magic involved in our births." She replied.
Alucard growled lowly, which took her by surprise. She gave a tiny flick of her wrist as she quickly prepared a defensive spell. Alucard caught the small move she had made.
"My apologies. I wasn't growling at you, Lady Caine, but rather at the summons I just got." He told her quickly.
She gave him a quizzical look. He just chuckled as he lightly tapped his temple. Now she understood it had been a mental summons. She wrinkled her nose as she stood up, dismissing the chair.
"You allow a human in your head?" She asked; there was a touch of disdain in her voice.
"It's part of the binding spell that allows Integra to be in my head. I can keep her out of my thoughts. She can only talk to me, not read my mind." He explained.
That put her at ease. Alucard rose to his full height and offered his hand to her. She gave him a questioning look.
"Would you join me, Lady Caine? I believe you will find the information to be, at best, amusing." He said.
She nodded her head and took his hand. Her hand looked tiny in his larger, gloved hand. She wasn't exactly ready for the shadow phase. So she was slightly wobbly when they phased into Integra's office. She kept a hold of Alucard while she composed herself. Once she was steady, she let go of his hand and stood beside him.
"I suppose Alucard has told you of the offer to stay here?" Integra asked.
D'Andra could tell she wasn't happy about it. She couldn't blame her, to be honest. Given that they now knew exactly who she was, there would be the fear of what she might do or not do.
"Yes, he has told me of the offer, and I will accept the offer." She replied easily.
She watched as Integra tensed up a little. She was curious if she had hoped D'Andra would turn the offer so she could try to send Alucard after her.
"Then I will expect you to be of some sort of help to us." Integra snapped.
This made D'Andra openly laugh. Her dark steel blue eyes flashed to red as she straightened herself up. She saw and smelled the fear that now rolled off of Walter and Integra. She glanced over to Alucard to find he was lounging against one of his shadows. Her attention quickly went back to Integra.
"Do not presume that I will blindly follow orders. I am willing to help, but my help will be my choosing." She growled at Integra.
She blew out a breath of air as her eyes returned to their standard color. Integra nodded as she slid a folder across her desk towards D'Andra and Alucard. D'Andra picked the folder up and started to read through the information. She let out a soft warning growl when Alucard loomed above her, blocking her reading light.
"Ai crede că, având în vedere vârsta ta, ai avea niște maniere de bază." She growled softly. (You would think, given your age, you would have some basic manners.)
He just laughed as he moved out of her light so she could finish reading. Once she was done, she handed the folder over to him.
"Le-am avut cu mult timp în urmă, dar le-am pierdut undeva de-a lungul liniei." He chuckled. (Had them long ago but lost them somewhere along the line.)
"Se pare că va trebui să te învăț despre ele acum, nu-i așa?" She grumbled. (Seems like I will have to teach you about them now won't I?)
In truth, she was far from being upset; she was enjoying having someone she could banter back and forth with. She looked over to Integra as Alucard was reading the file.
"If you want my help with this insect problem that Cheddar Village seems to be having, I would happily offer my assistance." She said in a soft and easy tone.
Integra nodded to show she accepted the help she was offered. D'Andra turned her attention to Alucard, who had just finished reading the file.
"Are you willing to accept my help on this little excursion?" She asked him.
"Yes, I am accepting the help you're offering." He replied.
With that, Alucard held his gloved hand out to her. She took his offered hand as he phased them both down to the basement. Integra looked at Walter and visibly relaxed in her chair.
"Walter, do you know what she was saying to Alucard?" She asked
"She was getting on to him about his lack of manners," Walter replied with a chuckle.
Perhaps having the old vampire in the mansion wasn't a bad idea. Maybe she could rein in some of his antics. Walter wasn't about to say that out loud.
"Would you like your evening tea, Ma'am?" He asked.
"Yes, I would like some tea before we set out on the mission." She replied.
Walter left her to make the tea. She pulled out an old leather-bound journal. She flipped through the pages till an emblem caught her attention. It was the same emblem she had seen on D'Andra's sword. Had her father come across this family before? She started reading what her father had written about the brother and sister. He noted that the brother was more violent than the sister.
The notes mentioned that no one has surpassed their arcane knowledge so far. She wondered what her father would think about the sister being here in the mansion. When Walter returned, she quickly closed the journal and stuffed it in the drawer. She watched as Walter poured her tea. He put the cup and saucer on the desk in front of her. He left her to enjoy her tea while he made the needed preparations for the coming mission.