So adopting an alternative universe of "VAN HELSING" where details relating to Count Dracula and the Valerious Family are much different to the backstory that is displayed in both the movie and game.
I chose in this story that Dracula was born in a different century that would make him older in vampiric age than being four-hundred years old because I feel that he should have way more experience in being a vampire though still conflicted to relate him to an historical figure. I did some changes to Richard Roxburgh's Dracula as in how old the vampire was and the exact year of the century he was born. I felt that four-hundred years as a vampire age was too young so I made a decision to make Dracula older, even if that does make him inconsistent with Vlad the Impaler's era. I was inspired by watching the game version of the Castlevania series called "Castlevania: Lords of Shadow".
The details relating to the Valerious family will be explained in a long paragraph as an introduction to my story. I will try to include details that were mentioned in the movie or game.
My character Clara has black hair that is a natural black colour and I have a photo of how that particular style looks with blue eyes and fair skin.
Dark Queen
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The Valerious Family were not always Gypsy Royalty. Their origins were traced as far back to the tenth century where their progenitor, Valerious the Elder was a member of the Knights of the Holy Order and only just a Knight. No royal blood. He was ranked high in their order and well-respected for his personality and for his combat skills. It was only natural for his son… Prince Vladislaus Valerious followed in his father's footsteps but neither father nor son ever got on well with each other due to their different personalities and would rather be estranged from each other until either one of them died. However, Vladislaus was not Valerious the Elder's only child. The Elder Knight had another child, another son who would lead the continuation of the Valerious Family for years with that particular son becoming a parent, then grandparent and lastly great-grandparent before eventually dying. More than nine generations were spawned over eight hundred years and most died in violent deaths with some only having the rare chance of dying naturally.
Meanwhile, Vladislaus was forsaken by his own family for what he became, never being given a choice to show his indifference and then faced further hurt than ever when he became hunted as a result, though this would instantly change over the centuries as he became the hunter of his own family who chose to not listen and instead; risk their own lives to destroy him when all he did was fight back after they attacked him first. He changed from trying to forgive them to becoming a cold-hearted man who decided to terrorise them and pick them off one-by-one. Whatever happiness he retained was destroyed and became more attuned with his eternal nature as an immortal vampire that began to sire his own race.
The Family married into Gypsy Royalty within the fourteenth century and have ruled over communities of Gypsies since that very century, whilst retaining some level of their heritage as potential Knights that are still connected in some way to the Knights of the Holy Order in Vatican City, Rome, Italy.
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1888, December.
Carfax Abbey, Central Europe.
A woman sat on the end of a dark settee with her arms and hands resting on the armrest. The tips of her dark-coloured, painted-nail fingers were spreaded out against the thick rough material, skin against. Her hair was long in length, parted down the middle, straight in texture and the shade that her hair sported was a naturally dark shade that could be considered black or a blackish-brown. Her hair was pulled off from resting against her body and manoeuvred into a headbun that seemed to greatly resemble flowers of varied sizes which was ironic since her name was Rosalie.. Or as she was often called "Rosa". She wore a simple dress to which the colour was a deep red that matched the life essence of what humans possessed through their veins and it had long sleeves with firm cuffs around her wrists along with a firm arched parting over the area of where her collar and the swells of her breasts were located. The area around her chest was form-fitted by the fabric that hugged the upper part of her body whilst the lower half of her body was loose-fitted and the skirt part of her dress was like a light-weighted, flowing cloth that hung freely off her body. However, she wore no shoes on her soft-skinned bare feet due to her background that signified being part of a community that relied on their environment strongly for resources.
Rosa was seated next to her lover and the man who sired her as his first sireling of his own bloodline. She was on his left. He was a tall man who had sharp facial features like sharp eyebrows and his lips were thin. His eyes seemed to be narrow though constantly alert to his surroundings at all times. Those eyes were a very dark shade of green. His hair was smoothed back from his face, but no substance was applied to keep it like that style, and it was a dark brown shade that could be considered black as well. He had a small moustache and beard that were trimmed thinly across his chin, side cheeks and round his mouth at the same time as matching his head hair's colour. His skin was like other vampires; pale and no chance of ever returning the shade that was granted by being in the cherishing sun. His attire was mostly black to which included his buttoned blazer jacket with buttons from his collar and down to his waist, his sturdy cotton vest top, trousers that clung to his body with the support of a belt and then his shoes that were laced and always shiny whilst being more ankle-based and not knee-length like some vampires. Any other pieces of clothing that was not black and only white were his long sleeved top that was not a shirt but more tunic with very few buttons at the top and around his wrists, along with sporting some kind of folded collar around the back of his neck and sides. He also wore sturdy-made gloves that fitted the size of his hands without fault. The man whose name is Duke Vidar had another woman seated next to him on his right.
This woman looked younger than Rosa, maybe nineteen or twenty-years-old, and had wild orange-coloured hair that strongly resembled the late bride of Dracula whose hair was also orange. Her hair was quite long in length, reaching her waist almost and had a curly-wavy texture to it whilst being mid-parted. The very young woman next to the Duke had pale skin like the others and her eyes were dark green. She wore an identical-looking dress that her "sister" wore though this woman's dress was the colour of an emerald-shaded green that suited her well. Her breasts looked to be less smaller in size than Rosa's but still noticeable. Additionally, unlike Rosa, this young woman wore fur-lined slippers that covered her soft-skinned bare feet completely. The fur and soles were black at the same time as the rest of the slippers were coloured dark green; matching the colour of her dress and her nicely-cleaned nails that were slightly longer than the tips of her fingers. The Duke's second sireling and lover was called "Anna" which was pronounced with an Eastern European accent and linked to her origins in the snowy part of the world.
All three vampires were sitting comfortable on the settee that stood to the right of the room's double doors. All three were leaned back into the cushions with their backs and snuggled together as a group but not tightly.
A small coffee table stood in the middle of the room which housed several ceramic cups which held blood within their circular insides, along with ceramic small plates and silver spoons, and just on the other side of that coffee table was an identical dark settee that had three other vampires seated there. One was a woman who wore dark robes that was a cross between a priest and a medical nurse attires'. Her outfit seemed to imply that she may have been involved in practising medicine when she was human, just prior to becoming Undead, and still continuing in that type of profession to this day. Her hair was tied back into a high ponytail with the colour being a pale blonde shade that seemed to contrast well against her pale skin tone. Her facial features were plump which seemed to point that when she was human, she may have been a constant smiling person who was filled with joy and not touched by depression that came from living in an deselet place. Her eyes and eyebrows were a lovely shade of brown that appeared as chocolate and she wore minimal make-up which meant that she is a natural beauty. Her nails were short in length, clean and well-maintained, whilst being white in colour.
The other two sitting beside the woman, were men and they were dressed in what could be described as military-type attires which suggested that they held potent positions in the Vampire Nation after their King and alongside other Vampire Court members. Their positions included being on his Court that often acted in his absence. If Dracula was not present to direct his people, then the Vampire Court would do so in his place; acting like his second-in-command. The men's attire were very dark green in colour with minor colours of red, blue, green, purple, silver and gold on one side which came from their many available medals that they had earned through various battles that both survived and even took command over via their armies. Both men's hair was smoothed back like the Duke's though their hair was much lighter in shade and their facial features showed to be rounder which signified their young adult age when they were turned.
Behind the settee of two men and one woman were several members of staff that carried out their duties in the very building that their sire and master was residing at this very moment. Some were men and very few were women, standing with their backs to the wall along with their hands to their sides and waiting for orders. They all stood straight, staring ahead into nothing and saying nothing as well. They wore a type of staffing uniform that was mostly dark with minor white colours and were dressed as smart as they could be. Their skin tones were pale which was to be expected.
At the far back of the room, positioned between the two matching settees was a much larger single armchair that was completely black with minor tints of very dark red mixed into the black colour. Where the dark brown wooden parts were displayed, had a golden tint colour to the shine. The larger armchair was occupied by one man who was dressed in all black ranging from his jacket, waistcoat and shirt to his trousers and boots, along with his cloak and gloves that were folded into a pile on a nearby seat not far from where he was sitting. His raven, mid-parted hair is pulled mostly out of his face through a golden hair clip though those few strands of hair that refused to be tied back are seen to be framing his face that has partly swayed many immortal and mortal women over the centuries. The only colour that stood out was his pale skin, his blue eyes and the silver hoop earrings that he wears in both ears. The Romanian Count, in his raven-coloured attire, had gained something new when it was actually an old piece of sentimental jewellery that had been stolen from him by someone he had once trusted with his life and it was that decision in trust that had led to him completing his transition into an immortal creature of the night. On his fourth finger, he was wearing an distinct ring that fitted perfectly around the digit and displayed an slightly-raised siginia of a silver serpent that had wings of a bat against a black background which meant the siginia is supposed to be a dragon which makes sense as the Count has always been considered "a son of the dragon" or "the dragon". The King of all vampires sat with one leg crossed over his other leg and his hands rested flatly on each sided armrest of the very chair he was sitting in as he waited patiently for one more person who was on her way apparently and should be here any second.
This person, who was obviously a woman, had not been seen by Dracula for over four hundred years and the last time they did see each other was the day that they ended their courtship between each other. They had originally met when it had been fifty years after Dracula became a vampire and had begun to sire his own race. He had mistaken her as prey and at the moment of executing an attack on her; she caught him easily and overpowered him at the same time as she showed herself to be like him in nature. It was from that very night that they became fast friends and then one-hundred years later, they entered a relationship of courting which lasted until the early fourteenth hundred. After their courtship ended, they went their separate ways and have not seen each other since. Dracula has never stopped thinking about her since that very day and has always spared a thought in what she could be doing and where she might be. "Clara," Her name came to his mind as he thought of her. None of his late brides knew about her, of her importance to him and he preferred it that way. There were some things that they had no idea about in regards to his personal life before he sired them as his first, second and third brides', and Katarina was one of those facts that he kept hidden within his heart.
At the very moment that her name popped up in his mind and both ears on any sounds that could be heard; the room's double doors opened and the one they had all been waiting for had arrived.
"I am dreadfully sorry for my lateness. It is non-excusable." She said softly as she came through the door which she closed behind her without turning her back onto the filled room. Clara Van Hellsing was dressed in a Victorian-style buttoned coat that was a very dark shade of blue that could be mistaken for black. It was buttoned from where the top of her breasts were located underneath her clothes and ending at the area above her pelvis. There were pockets which were located on her left front and right front, highlighted by a thin line that was a light shade of her coat's colour. There were identical lines down her front and around the back of her neck which highlighted her folded collar and lines around her wrists. The colour of her buttons and the inside of her coat were a shade between the dark of her coat outsideness and the light of the coat's lining. Underneath her Victorian coat, she wore a long sleeved, high-collar black dress that hugged the upper part of her body and hung off the lower part of her body like wrapped drapes. The length of her dresses' skirt reached a few inches off the ground, barely touching it unless she knelt down on her knees. Clara additionally wore black ankle laced shoes that fitted her feet perfectly and displayed a small heel on the bottom of the soles which affected her height but not much. She really liked wearing low heels shoes but wearing high heels was something she really hated with a passion because they limited the movement of one's feet when being worn. Her mid-parted, natural black hair came to rest just above her shoulders in the texture of being completely straight at the same time as being perfectly levelled, and contrasting well against her fair skin tone and her blue-green eyes, despite her nature as an immortal creature of the night that feeds on blood. Her appearance could allow her to easily pass off as a weak human to the most skilled vampire hunters on Earth; looks can be really deceiving.
The door closed softly behind her with a light thud. "Ah, Miss Clara. It's lovely to see you again, after so many centuries." Spoke the Duke Vidar in his strong Central European accent. His lips moved into a welcoming smile as he continued to speak, "Lateness? Who cares when a beautiful woman has caught every man in this room when she arrives." He finished with a chuckle that was followed by other chuckles from the others, which were not being rude but displaying their appreciation of her being here. The only person who did not make any noise was Count Vladislaus Dracula who proceeded to keep his gaze on her as she moved from her spot and headed towards the settee that Rosa, Anna and Duke Vidar were sitting. Clara did not sit down beside them as there was no space so she moved to stand behind the settee; resting the palm of her blue-shaded, leather glove hands on the upper cushions. Clara did not seem to notice the Count's gaze on her but then again, she did not seem to show it that she knew. The meeting was now complete as their final guest had arrived and taken her seat which was actually her spot in standing. There were other vampires that stood near Clara, just on her right and in the background. These vampires were low-ranking members of their coven who had travelled to be here with their elders in response to answering their King's command of speaking to his people on important matters. Important matters that regard their sworn enemy; the Knights of Holy Order. After almost being killed a second time, Dracula had truly had enough of their existence. He had lost things that mattered to him; his brides, his children, some of his servants - both vampire and werewolf - and damage to his homes' which could be restored in seconds. Enough was enough!
"Now that we are truly gathered, the meeting can commence at last." Spoke the German-sired vampire with his two lovers on either side of him, clapping his gloved hands together gently.
The meeting commenced at once and the discussion turned immediately towards the Knights of the Holy Order. They had been a thorn in Dracula's side for so long that he just wanted to watch them burn for eternity in Hell. The Count had always retained a distinct memory from his human days of when he was last at their Italian-based stronghold and from what he could remember of their layout; he had a massive idea of where everything was to an extent though whether parts of the buildings were still the same was unknown unless they had a spy to confirm the layout for sure. All attending parties were given a chance to speak and voice their opinion, though Clara chose to remain silent. All she did was watch the person speaking before moving her focus onto the next speaking person. The discussion brought forth potential ways of storming the religious city and taking their ultimate revenge against the Holy Seal, but they had to be sure in their planning down to a letter that nothing went wrong or everything that they lived and worked for would go up in flames when the sun would rise over the Roman-built city.
One idea that was proposed was that they just storm the city at night in massive droves, massacring any living human in sight and then light the buildings with fire to watch it burn, but many opposed the idea as soon as it was mentioned because the last thing that the Vampire Nation wanted to be was be exposed further than they should. That idea was shut down instantly by Count Dracula.
A second idea was sent scouts into the city, humans who had been serving vampires for years in hopes of becoming immortal, as people who are looking for sanctuary and then once inside; the humans would do whatever they could do in ways of helping their vampire masters like learning the layout of the beloved Church and what action the Knights would take if the city was invaded by supernatural creatures. What weapons were made and where those particular weapons were stored exactly. If the information that the humans supplied to them was useful to be relied on and the plan went well, the vampires would not have to worry about losing their numbers and be more confident in their attack against the Knights. This idea sounded appealing to most including Dracula and Clara, so it was kept as a high option.
In the end, the second option was chosen after a vote and selected to be the one plan that would serve their action in fighting the Knights of the Holy Order by Dracula. With the plan now in action, none would oppose their King on his final word. The next thing to do was gather the rest of their covens at a hidden location for training so there were no mistakes that their mortal enemies could use against them and prepare their humans for conning their way into the Church by what they say and what they do. Dracula did not have to worry about one thing indeed which is Gabriel Van Helsing. The vampire had already dealt with the monster hunter in a personal one-on-one scenario of action. He was not going to allow his former brother-in-arms to flee Romania in a third attempt. He was going to pay, one way or another. He had made sure that Gabriel felt every ounce of pain that Dracula himself had gone through in his centuries of living death. There was a reason why Dracula had been known as "Vlad the Impaler" since the fourteenth century. The end result was sweet and satisfying for the Romanian Count. His archenemy was gone for good and the Church was without their act-in-the-hole.
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The training lasted months from December 1888 to 1889 June and for several days, the Vampire Nation gathered all their covens together with their King and stormed the city of the Vatican Church. Most had the intention of feeding until they could not drink anymore blood. Some had the intention of going after a specific person that they wanted revenge from and some were just there as backup, and to aid their loved ones. The common saying "the streets ran red with blood" came true on that very terrifying day as the streets did run red with blood and flesh combined indeed. Any witnesses were dealt with immediately, having their memories suppressed or erased. Women and children were left unconscious and alive, but every man encountered was slaughtered because they refused to back down from a fight that they would not have survived at all or just barely.
Clara was part of Dracula's personal group as they stormed directly into the stronghold of the Vatican and slaughtered every Knight that came to try and kill them, which was useless since they could not be killed through the traditional methods of vampire slaying due to their advanced healing abilities. The high ranking members that included the Cardinals with Cardinal Jinette were dealt with quickly. They were quickly captured and then punished. Many Friars, Priests and Nuns were also captured and punished. Any weaponry that was deemed to be too dangerous to exist against their loved ones was destroyed and any written notes on the strengths and weaknesses of their kind was erased. Any information left around would only lead to more trouble from their surviving mortal enemies and no vampire would allow that to happen so the rooms were ransacked for anything that could and would be used against them. No stone was left unturned. At the end of the great battle with the Knights of the Holy Order and the Vampire Nation; the vampires did not lose any members of their covens, but some did sustain serious injuries that slowed their healing abilities quite down that they needed to feast on blood to be able to heal quickly again.
Prior to those two weeks and in the previous months. In the days of Dracula's near second death, he became filled with great rage that he had never possessed before, and grief over the loss of his brides and children that he left his beloved hidden Castle and flew to the village Vasaria. Once he had arrived, he made short work of the town that included the Valerious Castle and the residence that belonged to Doctor Victor Frankenstein being burned to the ground completely and the villagers were put in their place for good. The promises he swore to any villager that tried to attack him would be carried out swiftly. From that day onwards, Dracula promised that he would not allow himself to lose anything else from his grasp of focus that included the one person whom he had never forgotten about in all the centuries of his immortal existence.
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