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Here is the next chapter! Please enjoy! I welcome all new and returning readers!
Richard's hands trembled as he read the engraved invitation on his desk, tempted to tear the accursed thing to shreds.
You are cordially invited to the wedding of
Sir Arthur Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing & Miss Elonis Martha Lyons
On the day of 09 September 1942
At 12 o'clock noon
In Saint Paul's Cathedral
But what got his blood boiling was the note scrawled at the bottom:
The flower girl requests that Mister Richard Hellsing not vandalize anything or place his dirty hands on anyone. If he does, he will be removed from the premises by said flower girl.
Within seconds, the invitation was in pieces and he was pouring himself a glass of scotch.
Barely even two months after Olivia's presentation and Arthur and Martha had already set their wedding date for the following week.
"Boy, you really move fast don't you, Arthur?" Richard downed a shot before pouring himself another. "Are you in that much of a hurry to legally screw your maid?"
And what was worse was that he could hear his parents downstairs, calling all of London's social elite and gushing over Arthur's betrothal to 'such a lovely young woman'.
'He is marrying a fucking servant!' Richard wanted to bellow at the top of his lungs, but thought better of it.
Growing up, Richard vividly recalled Arthur prancing around the manor, soaking in all the praise and glory while Martha trailed behind him like some love-struck puppy. And when it came time for their father to retire and Arthur was named heir, she remained by his side while the rest of the family and staff moved to the Kensington estate.
And Marcius and Julianna Hellsing allowed Arthur to bed a maid and the greater half of London's female population because he was the favorite son—the rightful heir—while Richard was the disappointment. He could never live up to their parents' standards. Hell, they shipped him off to boarding school in Austria the moment he turned twelve, and they only brought him back because of the war.
Richard continued to drink shot after shot, his head pounding as the room began to swirl around him.
He didn't want to go. He didn't want to see Arthur flaunt his superiority to all of London's elite. He didn't want to hear about Arthur fathering a child, and having that brat possibly take his rightful place in line for the organization. But, mostly, he didn't want to see Olivia smirk at him as she guarded Arthur and Martha, daring him to make a move.
She was a thorn in his side.
And to add insult to injury, Olivia had inscribed that note on the bottom of every invitation.
"THAT BITCH!" He hurled the shot glass against the wall before crumbling to his knees, his vision blurring in and out of focus.
He should've been the heir to the organization, not Arthur who got away with everything by being deceitfully charming.
He wanted Arthur to die.
He wanted his slut of a fiancé to die.
And he wanted Olivia, his brother's obnoxious lap dog, to die most of all.
Seeing double, Richard crashed against the wall as he stumbled towards the door, summoning a butler through slurred speech.
"Tell Duval to meet me at the limo in three minutes. There is somewhere I need to go."
Hellsing was his and his alone.
And he would not let anyone take it away from him.
Especially not some half breed.
From the third floor balcony, Olivia and Walter spied on Arthur and Martha as they strolled through the rose garden hand in hand. Olivia was beaming from ear to ear, cupping her face in her hands while Walter just crossed his arms with a smile and cigarette between his lips.
For the past two months, this warm aura had engulfed the manor and the war seemed so far away. Yet the constant sirens and air raids reminded them of the harsh reality lurking outside the manor walls.
But, for right now, everyone was enjoying the rare tranquility.
Olivia squealed in delight when Martha pulled Arthur down for a sudden kiss, and Walter bit back a chuckle at how enamored Olivia looked.
'One would think she was the one getting married, and not Martha.' He mused, blowing out a smoke ring.
But even Walter couldn't deny he was happy for his lord to finally settle down, if only for the fact that he would not have to change Arthur's sheets every morning after his rendezvous with the ladies of the night.
Well, that and Olivia had been singing constantly for the past few weeks, unable to restrain her joy, and Walter enjoyed listening to her while he did his butler duties.
Of course he would rather eat shit than tell her so.
"Ah~!" Olivia shrieked, nearly sending Walter tumbling over the railing.
"What, you banshee?!" Walter clutched his chest, his heart pounding a mile a minute. "Scream louder next time, my heart is still beating!"
"I'm just so happy they are finally getting married! It is like a fairy tale ending!"
"You do remember this is a supernatural organization where we kill demons and vampires right? It is not exactly Cinderella, you know."
"Don't pop my bubble, Walter!" She stuck her tongue out at him with a cheeky grin. "But can you believe it?! Martha will be Lady Hellsing! The most powerful woman in all of England, besides the Queen!"
"I may vomit with pride." Walter rolled his eyes, stubbing out his cigarette and trudging back inside. "Have fun with your fairytales, Olivia. Maybe a prince will rise up from the ground and make all your wildest dreams come true."
"Oh hush!" Olivia laughed, waiting for him to move out of sight before focusing back on Arthur and Martha.
Now the two of them were sitting on a bench near the fountain. Martha had Arthur's head on her lap, tracing her fingers over his nose and lips while Arthur stared at her with such adoration.
"Please, God." Olivia clasped her hands together in prayer and got on her knees. "Please let them be happy. Let my family be happy until the end of time and beyond."
The sound of a twig snapping caught Olivia's attention and she crawled over to the left side of the balcony to find Richard staggering around the corner of the manor, his movements clumsy and his eyes half-lidded.
"What is that pervert doing here?" She scoffed, leaping onto the drainpipe nearby and sliding down to the ground. "Hey! I don't recall Sir Hellsing inviting you here today!"
Richard's glassy eyes zeroed in on Olivia, and he pointed a trembling finger in her direction while tottering forward.
"Are you the one responsible for the invitations?" He slurred, and Olivia gagged at the alcoholic stench he was marinated in.
"Yeah, did you like my note?" She smirked, grasping the ends of her white dress and curtsying. "And I meant every wor-."
Richard's fist collided with her cheek before he hoisted her up by the front of her dress, his pupils dilated and his eyes blood shot.
"Doyouenjoymakingafoolofme?" The words tumbled out of his mouth in a rush of barely distinguishable syllables, and Olivia's eyes watered at the foul stench invading her senses.
"Every day of my life." She laughed, spitting in his face. "And you deserve it for being the scum of the Earth."
With a growl, Richard shoved her up against the brick wall, her feet hovering above the ground.
"I'm going to kill you!" He was practically foaming at the mouth now, much like some rabid dog backed into a corner.
"You have been saying that a lot recently." She laughed, adding more fuel to the fire. "No wonder you aren't the leader of Hellsing! All you do is fire off your big mouth and drink scotch!"
"SHUT UP!" He slammed her against the wall again. "I'm going to skin you from head to toe!"
"Psh! Really?" Olivia snorted, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I'd love to see you try."
Then she jammed her knee between his legs, resulting in him doubling over in agony and releasing her. Seizing the opportunity, Olivia kicked him to the ground and pinned him in place by digging the heel of her foot into his chest.
Richard could only scream as Olivia applied more pressure, the pain mixed in with the effect of the scotch causing his lungs to feel like they were on the verge of exploding.
"But let me warn you, nothing you can do will kill me, Richard Hellsing." She glowered down at him, blood dribbling down her chin and onto his face. "Nothing. So be a good boy and stay the hell away from my family. If you do not," She bent down and hoisted him up by his collar. "I will not hesitate to break every bone in your miserable body. Got it?"
Richard didn't get a chance to reply since Arthur called out to her in the distance and Olivia immediately dropped him and raced over to where his voice was coming from, leaving Richard to crawl over to the wall and weakly lift himself up onto his quivering legs. He heard Olivia's laughter and peered up to see Olivia standing in front of Arthur and Martha, her hands clasped behind her back as she bounced on her heels. Martha fretted over the bruise on her cheek while Arthur laughed at Olivia's reply and ruffled her hair.
What a hideous sight.
"You think I'm unable to kill you?" Richard growled, seeing red as he limped away. "You underestimate me, Olivia Emese Song. I will ensure your death will be a slow and agonizing one!"
His limo soon came into sight and Richard's driver, Jonathan Duval, raced to his side and bowed.
"Mister Hellsing! Are you alright?!" His aged blue eyes scanned the battered and still heavily intoxicated young man from top to bottom. "Shall I take you to the clinic?! I warned you not to go out in such a condi-!"
"Shut up," Richard mumbled, his vision starting to clear up. "Take me to Primrose Hill. I need to see an old friend."
"B-But, Mister Hellsing, isn't that where-?"
"Did I ask for your input?" Richard's glare was cold to freeze Hell over. "Do as I command!"
"Y-Yes, Mister Hellsing…"
"For a scumbag, he sure hits pretty hard." Olivia grumbled later that night, tending to her injured cheek in front of her vanity.
When Arthur and Martha had confronted her about it, she claimed to have gotten it from the punching bag in the training room.
Regardless of her negative feelings, Arthur wanted his brother at the wedding, so Olivia was willing to let this slide for the sake of his and Martha's happiness.
"Ugh, where is the antiseptic cream?!" Olivia rummaged through her med-kit, so sure she had re-stocked it earlier that month. "I couldn't have gone through it that qui-AH!"
She jerked her hand back, blood bubbling over from a cut on her finger, courtesy of a pair of sharp forceps.
"Shit, that is what I get for not paying attention…." Olivia placed her finger to her lips to suck the blood up. But even so, the wound throbbed painfully and Olivia recalled her mother telling her such injuries were bad omens.
'Nonsense.' She quickly shook the horrible thought away. 'Everything is perfect for once. It is just a silly superstition. Nothing more!'
"Something on your mind?" A familiar deep voice drifted from below her.
Olivia's heart jumped out of her chest as Alucard rose up from the ground, his trademark glasses and hat on his head along with that cocky smirk.
"N-No," Olivia coughed, trying to compose herself. "Why do you ask?"
"Your blood smells bitter, like it always does when you are worrying over something." Alucard crossed his arms and leaned against the wall to the right of her vanity. "Frankly it gives me a headache from such a nauseating stench."
"You can smell my blood from the dungeon?" She inquired, choosing to ignore his insults in favor of this new information. "Is a vampire's nose that sensitive?"
"Once I've tasted someone's blood, I am able to detect their scent from anywhere."
"So if I get hurt, you will always show up?"
"Only if I get a treat in return." He replied honestly with an eerie chuckle.
"I was expecting that." Olivia laughed, inspecting her cut and huffing under her breath to see it was still bleeding. "So….I take it you are here for a midnight snack?"
"Your intellect never ceases to amaze me." Alucard laughed as Olivia glared daggers at him. "Ah, I love it when you get angry. It allows me to see the warrior hidden underneath the rabbit skin."
"Why do you make me sound like some matryoshka doll?" She groaned, staring at her reflection in the mirror before allowing her gaze to stray to her cheek. "….Wait, did you see what happened in the garden today?"
"Of course I did. I am surprised you allowed him to hit you like that."
"Well, to be honest, I wasn't expecting it." Olivia confessed, finally finding the antiseptic cream and spreading it on her cheek. "And I don't expect him to actually harm Sir Hellsing and Martha, but you won't let Richard come near them, right?"
"You have to ask? No harm will ever come to my master, and the same protection will be given to his bride." Alucard reached out and grabbed Olivia's comb, picking at the teeth. "And I would not mind eliminating that boy, if my master ordered me too."
"But Richard is of Hellsing blood." Olivia hopped up and down, trying to snatch the comb out of Alucard's hands as he dangled it out of her reach.
"Your point?" Alucard grinned, raising the comb higher whenever her fingers grazed the handle.
"Well, aren't you supposed to serve and protect the Hellsings?!" Olivia huffed, dragging her vanity stool over and standing on top of it.
"That boy is not the master of this house nor will he ever be. His blood is too rotten, and I would never allow a pathetic piece of dog shit to be my master." Alucard explained plainly, allowing her to snatch the comb from him without any resistance.
Cradling the comb to her chest, Olivia blinked in surprise before suddenly laughing, causing Alucard to stare at her in utter confusion.
"And just what is so amusing?"
"It's nothing. I'm just glad we are of one mind in that sense." She giggled before holding her hand out. "For that remark, I will allow you to have a midnight snack."
Alucard grinned widely at that and reached out to grasp her wrist when Olivia suddenly pulled it away.
"Not in your normal form!" She winced, her cheeks turning red. "Please be Baskerville or some other animal!"
"Still so bashful, Little Rabbit?" Alucard snickered as her cheeks flushed a cherry red.
"Oh shut up, Alucard!" She covered her face, wishing she had a bottle of Holy Water to pour on him. "Hurry up and change before I shoot an arrow into your smug face!"
"Now, now, no need to get flustered." He chuckled before turning into Baskerville. "Better?"
"Much." Then she let her finger hover over his open mouth and watched as drop after drop landed on his tongue. She would never understand how someone could enjoy the taste of blood. But then again, Alucard wasn't human, so the coppery taste was probably like fine wine to him.
"Alright, alright, that is enough." Olivia retracted her hand and hopped off the stool. "Eating too much before your bedtime will cause stomachaches."
"You spoil me." Alucard licked the excess off his lips before turning back into his normal form. "You always indulge me whenever I ask, even when it makes you feel uncomfortable. Why is that?"
"Well, I figure it is better than the blood bags Sir Hellsing gives you." Olivia replied, bandaging her finger up and rubbing her eyes. "I can't imagine you get all your nutrients from sheep's blood alone."
"It sustains me." Alucard nodded, watching her rub her eyes again. "But you are correct. Nothing compares to fresh human blood, especially when it gushes into my mouth after biting at the-."
"Alright, alright!" Olivia slammed her palms over her ears. "I don't need the vivid description!"
Alucard threw his head back and laughed, ignoring Olivia's death glare.
"How cruel! Do you think this is-?!" Olivia's rant was interrupted by a big yawn and she rubbed her eyes once more.
"Why force yourself to stay awake when your body craves slumber?" Alucard reached out and brushed a stubborn lock of hair away from her face. "I shall leave so you can sleep."
He was about to retract his hand when Olivia suddenly grabbed him by the sleeve.
"Hey, if….if anything happens to Sir Hellsing, Martha, or Walter, I will never forgive you." Despite how tired she was, Alucard could see the fire still burning in her eyes. "Make sure to keep your word and protect them."
Alucard stared at her from behind his glasses before that arrogant smile graced his features once more.
"But of course. What other use is there for a guard dog other than protection?"
"You know what I mean, Alucard." Olivia sighed before releasing him and stepping back. "Well, I bid you goodnight then."
He stared at her again for a moment longer before nodding and stepping back into the shadows.
"Sweet dreams, Little Rabbit."
And then, he was gone and Olivia retreated to her bed, her wound still throbbing painfully.
'Nothing will happen. Nothing.' She cradled her hand to her chest and curled into the fetal position. "It is just a superstition, Olivia. Just a silly superstition…..'
"Well, to what do I owe the pleasure?" William Cowart inquired as he took a seat across from Richard Hellsing, placing two cups of tea in front of him and his guest.
Richard's appearance was still disheveled and he still reeked of alcohol, but he was completely sober now and addressed William in a matter of fact tone.
"I require your services."
The room's temperature immediately dropped twenty degrees and the smile melted off William's face, now replaced with an expression of apprehension.
"…Why?" He fiddled with the cuffs of his shirt. "You know I left that life behind me years ago. I-I-I don't deal with that kind of business anymore. I have moved on to a peaceful life, Richard."
"And do you remember who gave you that chance at a new life?" Richard fired back, his tone low and raspy. "Who erased your 'unsavory' past and allowed you to live in London without worrying about your former enemies tracking you down?! Who?!"
William said nothing and continued to fiddle with his shirt cuffs, bile rising in his throat.
"Unbelievable." Richard scoffed, shaking his head. "I give you a new life and this is how you replay me? I should've let those Austrian spies execute you. I saved your life and yet you can't do the same for me?"
"….I always wondered why you helped me that day, going out of your way to give me a new house and name." William closed his eyes for a moment before peering back up at Richard. "I'm not an assassin anymore, Richard. I left that life behind the moment you gave me a new name, so please, ask me to repay my debt in any other way but that."
Richard just smirked and rose to his feet, calmly walking to the portraits on the wall.
"What a beautiful wife and son you have, 'William'." He hummed, reaching out and dragging his nails down over the family portrait. "It would be a shame if they found out their darling husband and father was once one of the world's most ruthless and brutal assassins who killed anyone, whether they were a child or a pregnant woman, as long as he was compensated properly."
"You…You wouldn't dare…" William rose to his feet, his eyes wide and his fists trembling.
"Or maybe I can have my guards pay them a visit." Richard laughed, staring at the petrified man over his shoulder. "And maybe they can have some fun with your wife. Such beautiful blue eyes and long, black hair, just like your son. And maybe I can give him to some…older 'friends' who enjoy the company of such young-."
"ENOUGH!" William threw the table aside, causing the tea cups and tea pot to shatter on the ground. Then, very slowly, he walked over to Richard and got down on his knees. "If I do this, will you leave my family and me in peace?"
"If you complete this 'request', I will place your family under my protection and ensure they will live comfortably for the rest of their days. As long as you eliminate the target and ensure nothing can be traced back to me."
William balled his hands into fists, convincing himself that this was for the safety of his family and their future together. Besides….Richard was from the Hellsing family, the same one that serves the Royal Family, so whomever he needed to eliminate was probably a threat to the crown.
He told himself that over and over until his desperation to protect his family outweighed his guilt for going back on his vow to live a clean life.
"It shall be done, my lord." William kowtowed, abandoning his loving husband-father persona for his once cold and callous one. "Now, who is my target?"
A/N: *bangs pots and pans louder* A very big storm is coming! What will happen now?! I know but you will have to wait until the next chapter to find out. Lol! And this chapter was basically a kind of dive into Richard's character and his family life. I always figured Arthur was the favorite child and Richard's mental state revolved around trying to best his brother and take what he thought was rightfully his. And I just enjoy writing about Olivia kicking Richard's ass. But has she gone too far now? He has sent an assassin on her now...
And Walter was right. A 'prince' did rise up from the ground and all he was take her comb. Lol.
I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Please leave a review! I love them so much!
See you guys in the next chapter! Please look forward to it! :D