#librarydk

One worker in question allowed their curiosity to get the best of them, and the results felt more like a rite of passage than a punishment. When you come into the fold of the Hellsing service staff you lose your individuality, you don a bleak, colorless uniform and are referred to by your last name. The only thing that is your choice is the suffix of Ms, Mr, Mrs, or Ser. other than that you are just a body, humbled, and ready for work. When Ser. Reed came into the service staff, they noticed that most if not every donned a pair of gloves, but the practice wasn’t required in the employee rules and regulations. Out of all of the meticulous attentions to detail in their attire, one would assume that the higher ups would mandate that all that work the floor wear their gloves.

Reed stared at their bare hands, it felt scandalous, rebellious even, to go about their daily activities with naked fingers twitching about. Humor aside, this wasn’t the time to muse on such trivial things, gloves or no gloves there was work to be done. Going about their usual duties, Ser. Reed found a garment bag in the employee gathering room, hanging from a rack all by it’s lonesome. Normally the maid staff was responsible for delivering fresh laundry, but Reed seemed to be the only worker available as they had completed their previous task before their work mates. A small slip of paper was stapled to the outer covering with the letter “A” written on it which was odd. Any receipts or notes were required to have the full name of the recipient on them, no nicknames or shortcuts.

It’s addressed to the sub levels, another oddity, Reed had never ventured to the basement as they hadn’t had a reason to. No one did, and the staff was strictly permitted from doing so unless given permission, any delivery to the sub levels was usually tasked to the head of the house staff, Walter Dornez. If it was the last garment on the rack then it must have been here for some time, but Hellsing work staff did not doddle or lag behind in their duties, one failure meant everyone was responsible and everyone received punishment. Reluctantly, Ser. Reed took the bag and made their way to the entrance of the lower levels of the Hellsing mansion. Standing in front of that door was like staring down the underside of one’s bed in fear of the lurking danger that hid in the shadows. It was well hidden, but not impossible to find, workers were required to know the layout of the mansion, down to it’s secret passages and hidden entry point in case of emergency.

After fighting with the rusty door, Reed managed to fumble their way through the doorway and moved down the stairs with the over sized bag in tow. Whatever they were keeping down here, it was properly guarded, not because of the barricade like door, but due to the lengthy amount of stairs that seemed to disappear into complete darkness. The young worker left the door cracked, allowing light to filter through, from what they could see, the interior was vast with some walkways leading in different directions. A lone chair and side table sat in the middle of the floor, there didn’t appear to be a wardrobe or closet around so Reed began to wander. The hype that surrounded the infamous Hellsing sub levels began to seem lackluster and from the looks of it the place could use a good dusting.

All it took was a few long strides to reach that chair, since nothing else was around Reed went to lay the garment bag across the large seat. There, the deed was done, the big bag basement myth was officially debunked, no top secret government projects no boogeymen, no nothing. Yet not all stones were unturned, the mystery of the lonely garment bag still remained, it would likely be thrown into some trunk or box never to be seen again. Surely it would mean no harm to just take a peak, after all, Hellsing staff had an obligation to check for quality after all. Maybe there was still hope to uncover something, there was a small possibility that what lie inside that bag was something scandalous or controversial. With caution, Reed gripped the zipper of the bag, checking their surroundings before pulling down and revealing a long red coat. Although disappointed, the style of the piece was a bit odd, a little outdated, and after removing it from the bag and holding it up to themselves, quite long. Such an impractical coat to have, especially in the middle of summer, feeling bold, Reed stuck an arm in the sleeve, it was massive. It wasn’t until the room’s temperature dropped to near freezing and the light from the hallway faded that Reed knew they were no longer alone.

“Why are you stealing my clothes?”

Reed whipped their head around to come face to chest with a large man, he was quite tall and was probably the owner of that coat. Yet this was no normal man, his eyes were a glowing red and his skin was so pale that he could have been mistaken for a walking corpse. The words froze in their mouth as they went to frantically fold the coat, taking a step back and holding it out to the large figure.

“I’m sorry sir, I was just surveying the garment, please forgive me” sure they felt awful for being nosy, but that hardly counted as stealing. “I didn’t recognize this particular overcoat”

Seeing the man raise his hand made Reed flinch, but he did take the coat. Somehow, a candle on the table lit itself, illuminating a small amount of the space around them.

“You’re new” his voice was quite deep, nearly soothing.

Reed stuttered through their sentence, “It was delivered this morning but d-didn’t appear to make it to your….well, I-I’m not sure where-” they stopped and looked up at the man, “I’m not all that new sir, but I haven’t been here long no”

“You think she’d save the time, why launder something that will get torn to shreds and repair itself” he murmured and draped the jacket across his arm “Are you alone?” the man was intrigued.

It was a peculiar question, “Yes sir”

“That wasn’t very bright of you now was it?”

“May I ask why?” Reed’s voice was uneasy.

He strode toward the chair and took a seat, “You didn’t know what was down here, what if you saw something that you weren’t supposed to see?”

“I’d get in trouble, I suppose” there was a pause, “I’d like to, if I may, reiterate how sorry I am, I was just doing my job sir, I didn’t mean to pry I-”

“Enough of that, although I am now curious, what were you expecting to find down here?” the man cracked a smile, his mouth full of sharp, frightening teeth.

Reed flinched but voice enough voice to respond with, “I wasn’t looking for anything at all, just bringing the bag to it’s destination” they assured.

“And that you did, before opening it and wandering around in near darkness” he chuckled watching the unfortunate worker before him grow more tense and nervous.

Reeds line of sight dropped down to the floor, “I apologize”

His laugh echoed through the stone enclosure “Luckily for you I’m not much for gossip, but if asked by the right person, I cannot hide this information. The best that I can manage is letting you leave here unnoticed.” he tilted his head, “But that comes at a small cost”

Reed swallowed in fear, “I’m not sure I understand…I’m not sure what I have to offer you”

He simply motioned the worker over, and they came forward with little resistance. Reed’s body felt relaxed and their previous nervousness made way for a childish curiosity and a desire to please. Before they knew it, everything went silent and they found themselves staggering in the hallway near the servants quarters. What happened exactly, Reed did not remember, their memory felt fractured, all of the pieces were out of order and some parts were missing. They could recall a pain that was raw and agonizing, then a numbness followed by helplessness. Reed remembered their body going limp, but being hoisted up before they could hit the ground and bash their head.

Making their way to their living area, Reed attempted to piece together what they could but resigned to falling onto their bed face first. As their vision came into focus, they could make out the sight of dried blood that was caked on their hand. Maybe they had fainted due to stress and hurt themselves, but that didn’t make any sense, the injury looked violent and where those teeth marks? The lost memory was never truly recovered, forever drowned in a hazy fog that never seemed to thin, but one thing was for certain. The scar that this left behind would be unsightly, perhaps they would need those gloves after all.

The italian man smiled modestly, “I may not be much for vampire slaying, but I’m sure that I can find time to call you a whore after we complete our assignment”

She cut her eyes at his grinning face, “I’ll hold you to that” every one here had the ability to look sincere while being blatantly rude.

The vatican archive was astounding, her curious eyes roamed the labyrinth of shelves packed with books and scrolls. How long would it take her to consume this entire library? She could barely contain her composure as she waited for the bishop to set up a table for them. Integra thrived on knowledge, it took a lot of research to combat the vampiric threat that constantly loomed over her, and reading gave her security. She had to finish highschool and college early, and on top of that had to present herself as competent in front of a slew of much older and experienced individuals. The two leaders were tasked with preparing a sophisticated report of the year's activity that was joint, that way there would be a collective source of summary rather than two scattered assessments. In other words, both sides were known for being so reluctant in sharing information, that their efforts to inconvenience the other became outright petty, which helped no one when the undead were on the loose. She would have to spend a couple of days here and wanted to take advantage of the archive during her stay.

“Let us move to the records room, it is small but, will remain quiet and unacessed during our work time” he paused to glance at her, “And eliminate any….distractions”

She rolled her eyes, “lead the way”

The head of the Hellsing family was a perplexing woman to Enrico, she was young but her tongue was sharp, he found himself on the receiving end of many lethal rebuttals. He learned very early on in their work relationship to never, ever underestimate Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing but he would not cower in her presence. His pride flowed through blood in thick clots, and he would not be bested by this dragon of a woman, but the banter was welcome in his virtuous life. In a way, Enrico looked forward to their meetings in the same way a fighter eagerly awaited their opponent, she challenged him and he appreciated that. As a child he dreamed of world where he’d rule over nations and his subjects would scramble to bow to him, prostrating themselves at his feet as if he were their god. Admittedly, he accepted that he’d only be a vehicle of god, striving to be divine was foolish and unrealistic, but he still liked the idea. In his current position, he was given the utmost respect by his peers, he spoke directly with the Pope and delegated on the behalf of his holiness. It grew boring after a while, until he was presented with such a fierce opponent and in some lights she wasn’t too visually appauling. His motive to work was heightened knowing that she’d be there to pick his corpse to bones if he were ever to fail.

The room grew sweltering under the mediterranean sun, the small space coupled with the poor ventilation made it difficult to concentrate. Both had removed their blazers and Integra went as far as taking off her shoes and socks, unconcerned with formality at the moment. Regardless of the environment, Integra quickly drafted up pages of reports, vividly recalling the details of every incident that she was responsible for. These incidents plagued her dreams, in day and night, the screams and stench of blood occupied her thoughts relentlessly, regardless of how much effort she put in to repress them. Her memory was frighteningly photographic, Enrico stopped to watch her compose page after page with no pause, in slight awe. It was when her pen ran out of ink that her steely concentration was broken, she blinked her eyes flicking upward when she heard snapping. Frowning she tossed the pen to the side and looked up, “How much time as passed?”

“Only an hour, but you’ve gotten...a lot done, I suggest we take a break and get some fresh air” he wiped the sweat from his forehead before heading towards the door.

Integra wiped at her neck and face with the sleeve of her shirt, she stood and heard a jamming noise as Enrico attempted to open the door. “Is there a problem”

He cursed under his breath and her chastising tone didn’t help, “The door is jammed Integra”

“Do you carry a gun with you?”she moved to sit on the floor, bringing her materials with her.

“No I do not, and what on earth are you doing?” His patience was wearing thin, he was surprised he had made it this far without an argument. In their future meetings he’d try to shut her up more with a deliberately placed cross puzzle or a rare book strewn in the gathering room.

“I have a gun, we could just shoot the knob off and open the door” she said matter of factly and began to write again.

“Then give me the gun so I can do just that”

She ignored him and continued to work, hearing him groan brought a smile to her face, “You sound upset, maybe you should sit” she patted the space next to her.

Storming towards her, Enrico went to rip the papers from her hands only for her to snatch him out of his grasp and continue to write. “Do that again and I’ll kick you to death, we’re alone and no one saw me come in here, they’ll never find you wedged between the bookshelves” she murmured.

Crouching to meet her eye level his voice grew deep, “The moment you flex your leg out to kick him, I’ll grab you neck and squeeze until every puff of air is forced out of your body”

She responded by crossing her legs, “My my, you’re not even going to take me to dinner first”

“You have a vile mouth” he gave up and sat next to her, the heat beating down on him.

“You should’ve met my father, he’d have you red faced within seconds”

There was a drawn out silence before they began exchanging verbal blows, “Your father should’ve raised you better, had you been brought up Catholic you would’ve been less infuriating”

“My father raised me just fine, granted I had one to raise me”

“Wasn’t your father a drunk Miss Hellsing?”

“Wasn’t your mother a whore bishop?”

He squinted at her, damn this woman’s mind was quick, “You’re a whore”

“You do make good on your promises after all, you Catholics are really as disciplined as you boast” her words trailed off as she focused on his blazer pocket. The black garment was hanging on the back of a chair, she spotted something very familiar to her, jutting out of his pocket.

“I can call you a bitch if you’d like that better” she better not be ignoring him again.

“Are those cigarettes?”

He made a face similar to that of a child after being caught his their hand elbow deep in the cookie jar right before dinner time. “Yes”

“Good” she leaned up to pull his blazer from the chair, looking over the table she noticed an open box with some electronics in them. She could make out what appeared to be a portable, table top fan jutting out of the box, walking across the room to grab it she plugged it in. Sitting back down, she retrieved the cigarettes and packed them against her wrist, she was no stranger to these cartons. Cigarette became her vice long before she upgraded to fine cigars, patting the other pocket she found it empty. Integra was about to gripe until she heard the click of a lighter next to her face, she took a cigarette out of the pack and stuck it between her lips, allowing him to light it. “I’m not sure if you’re being considerate or trying to set my hair on fire”

“Sinners burn slow and sink fast, burning you would take days by that logic”  

She let out a short chuckle, “I’ll open the door after we finish working, until then you can burn with the sinners”

He laughed in return, taking his work off of the table and began to write again, Integra handed him his cigarettes and he snatched them from her. Lighting one, he took a drag and let the smoke billow out of his nose, they’d be right back at it again, the same time tomorrow. He watched as she pushed her hair out of her face and all over one shoulder, she needed a good slap.

“How fitting” she snickered, her hand remained outstretched and she clicked her teeth at the horse, urging him to come forward. He did not move, Balam only continued to stare at Integra, his eyes bore into her, ready to rear back at any instant. Slowly, she touched the side of his face, not even pausing to blink but maintained constant eye contact with the beast. His ears twitched and he began to emit a low warning growl, Integra responded by slightly tilting her head. “Such a handsome boy, will you behave for me?” he turned his head away from her touch, “Now now, don’t be rude, there is a lady in the room won’t you let me see you” she presented her hands for the creature once more and tried to touch his face. Giving him gentle strokes, the horse leaned down, and Integra responded by using both of her hands to comfort the animal. “Now was that so hard, you have everyone here petrified, such a naughty boy. Does your master condone your actions when your handlers only wish to take care of you?” she gestured to one of the men, snapping to get their attention. “Bring some vegetables that the horse prefers” she instructed.

Another, older man spoke up “We only bring him dry foods and water, only our Master feeds him from the hand so only he knows Balam’s preferences...forgive us Mistress” he bowed his head.

“No need to apologize, just bring me some standard vegetable and fruits” she scratched the horse’s left ear and earned a light knicker. “From the kitchen, something fresh” she added.

The young stable boy came to her with a wooden bucket filled with treats for the creature, Integra pulled out a head of cabbage. “How about this hmm?” she held it near Balam who began to smell it but refused to eat. “Picky, but I have plenty of time to get acquainted, let’s try this” she picked out a sweet onion, Balam accepted this treat and began to bite at it. “Carefull, no nipping” with a light laugh she fed him another onion and he gave her a playful nip, “None of that” she flicked his nose to calm him. “I’ll need him all dressed up and prepared for travel, if the Count inquires tell him that I took his horse and will return before sundown”

They all gazed at her in disbelief and hesitated before doing as told, while waiting Integra took some time to lead the horse along and better observe him. His muscular build was magnificent, there was no doubt that his kick could possibly kill a man. Riding him would be no easy task, one simple buck would be enough to send her flying so she would have to keep him comfortable and perhaps spoil him a bit. In the next stable she could hear her poor mare reacting to hearing her master’s voice, it made Integra’s heart ache to be unable to soothe her. Vanhi was her birthday present nine years ago, the sprightly cream white mare was moody and quite aggressive but Integra managed to tame her. Having bared no offspring, her horse was very protective of Integra, she charged one of her caretakers several years back when they playfully scared the girl, causing her to scream out. There was another occasion in which Vanhi attempted to fight another horse, a gelding that Integra was tending to. She feared that her mare was giving the stable hands trouble alongside her fiance’s stallion, they must be absolutely miserable.

She mounted him with no issue, but getting him to move took some effort, she then leaned forward to comfort to horse and whisper gently to him. “I will return to you all shortly” snapping the reins she took off, greeted by a light misty rain she carried on and into town. This land held a subtle beauty in all of it’s raw features and fertile earth as all structures appeared to be reclaimed by their surroundings. Wearing a modest low ponytail and plain navy riding gown she looked more like a commoner with high standing than royalty. Reaching the gates of the first city, she dismounted her horse and approached it’s keeper, “I would like to gain access, I will not be staying long as the weather continues to worsen.”

The man nearly scoffed, “You speak a foreign language, all outsiders require proper documents that allow passage”

Without taking her eyes away from the gate keeper she reached into a satchel on the saddle and pulled out a sheet of creased paper and held it out for him to view. “I am to be wed to your lord and master Count Tepes, to add I am also the Princess of the Eastern realm. It would give me great pleasure to look upon my future people, hear their grievances, and gain knowledge about the customs here.”

As soon as his eyes met with the royal seal the worn gentlemen began to scramble to open the gate, whispering apologies in the country’s language. She only knew enough of the Western tongue to hold simple conversations and navigate the area but was not yet fluent. The gates creaked loudly as they parted, flakes of rust littering the soft, wet ground and staining the hands of the keeper.

“I do request that you speak to no one of my presence here, in order to gain a true understanding of this land I must do so impartially. Also, do not apologize for doing your job, had I been without the proper paperwork I would expect you to turn me away.” she smiled, trying to to find amusement in his nervousness.

“Yes, Mistress...forgive me Mistress” his head hung low as he spoke.

“Is it common for people here to not look each other in the eye?” she started Balam forward.

“To look into the face of our supreme lords is to challenge them, and when not permitted is a sign of disrespect.”

“Well you are permitted, and enough of calling me Mistress, Lady Integra will do nicely” she gave a nod before continuing on.

The town's inhabitants were busy going about their daily task regardless of the weather, such a resilient and stoic people. Their faces bore no grins and the crowds produced no chatter, only a dull murmuring and the sound of moving feet and carts. Even as the rain began to pick up her body remained at peace, eager to begin to journey into this unknown land. She spotted a woman struggling with a cart of goods, with a limp she lumbered along an uncombed path of dirt and grass. Riding up to her, Integra dismounted her horse and put to use what little of their language she knew, “Let me help you.” Integra startled the woman upon approaching her, but was able to help her onto Balam and then pull her cart to it’s intended destination.

In the East, homes for the old and poor were constructed with funds from taxes and donations from various nobles. If not built from the ground up, they were maintained once every year for no charge to assure the safety of the weaker and less fortunate citizens. Horses, dogs and cattle all required shelter in her domain, however this unstable hut wouldn’t shield rats from the elements. With a frown Integra opened the door only to have it break off of it’s already weak and rusty hinges. Had there been time and the day more pleasant, she would’ve mended to door herself but it would have to wait for another day. As for the elderly woman she took a seat on the floor near a pitiful fire, content with her settings and sighed with relief.

“Your bags are on your table” that was until a leg gave way, and the entire table collapsed.

Hearty laughter filled the air, the old woman slapped her leg and muttered to herself, “Yesterday I stubbed my toe on that thing, how fitting that it falls to pieces! Only if life was like that, that rude brute that nearly ran me over yesterday would meet his end and fall to the ground, broken, just like my shabby table.”

“Forgive me madam, this language is not my first, may you speak slowly please” Integra went to try and fix the table.

“Ha! Madam? So respectful, and you haven’t tried to harm me or steal my stuff” she turned to look at the younger woman whose face held an expression of confusion. “Ah, you can’t speak well, thank you for helping me” she paused to watch Integra mess around with the remains of the fallen structure. “Don’t fix that, it is broken….let it stay that way….come sit here and warm yourself” she patted the ground next to her.

From what she could understand the woman wanted her to sit next to her instead of fixing the table. As she took a seat near the woman, “I can fix your table for you madam” she glanced at the woman in the low light of the room.

Her hair although grey was thick and long, and her features were wrinkled and her skin was deathly pale. Reaching in her damp robes, Integra’s company retrieved a pipe and began to stuff it with tobacco. “You don't need to fix it, I don't need it”

Integra watched the flames dance in the small stone fireplace and felt comfort in this humble space. “It is no burden to fix...I broke it” she rubbed her hands together to warm them.

“It is a burden….I will die soon...very very soon” she offered a shrug and lit her pipe with the fire in front of them. “I will die here...in my home i pray” taking a drag from the instrument she let the smoke billow out of her nose. “I am just waiting, what good is a rickety table to a dead woman”

The rain came down in buckets, leaking through the window and causing the floor to puddle a bit. “I'm do not understand” Integra was a bit embarrassed by her inability to communicate properly.

This response caused the woman to guffaw and pat Integra’s back. “You are a nice girl...very pretty girl...learn the language” she tried to speak as clearly as she could.

“I need to learn more of the language, I agree”

“What brings you here…..or why are you away from home?” bracing herself on the top of the fireplace she began to stand. Integra followed suit and began to help her, she could feel various bones strain and joints crack.

“I am getting married to a man here” her voice was quiet.

“You don't sound like a happy bride”

“I am happy”

“I may be old, but not senile…..not yet. Me and the table had words yesterday but that's a normal occurrence.” the house was like one big room, the kitchen, bedroom, and living room all in one space. With stiff and pained hands she rummaged through one of her bags for a skinned rabbit. “Help me heat the stove” she pointed at it with a trembling arm.

Glad that she could make herself of some use, Integra gathered some discarded wood on the ground and kneeled in front of the stove. Her age may give her aches and limit her but she chopped the head off of the rabbit with ease. Watching Integra she smiled, “I want to make you a deal, I want to help you...do you understand?”

“Yes I do...you would like to help me”

“I will help you learn the language. You can come to my home anytime….not on Sunday. You will help me with chores in return….is that ok?”

It was a matter of days before she was to be married so keeping her identity a secret may become difficult. However this woman and her home could serve as a safe haven for her inquiries. She would learn the language and culture as well as the history of this land dating back decades. “Yes...I would like that very much. I cannot come everyday….my husband…” she tried to find the words.

“I understand, come when you can.” A storm trashed outside, and a violent shook the raggedy home.

“Can I mend your roof” Integra’s words came out more aggressive as intended. “That sounded bad...I just want to-”

“Say no more….do as you please. Such a hard working girl! You pull my cart all the way here and now want to mend my roof, I feel as if your father prayed for a son. I wish my children were like you, how fruitful my house would be. I wouldn't be soaked by the rain or getting into arguments with tables”

“What is your name ma'am?” it was too hard for Integra to keep up with the woman when she rambled like that.

“You can call me Bunica… After all I am old and many people call me that. My name is Clara...and what is yours young lady?”

“Integra…..may I fix your roof now?” she laughed, her limited speech caused her to sound repetitive and unintelligent. These people would not take her seriously is she maintained the speech patterns of a child, but soon she would be fluent enough to keep up with Clara.

+

Her heart raced as she tried to move through the heavy rain. To make matters worse, the sun began to set and lightning flashed unpredictably across the sky. Riding into the castle gates, she spotted the stable hands all waiting to escort her inside. While trying to rush into the castle, the cut on her foot began to bleed again as well as her hands which were covered in cuts from mending Clara’s roof. Integra peppered the floor with crimson footprints while the shuffled down the seemingly endless and quiet hallway. This castle was like a labyrinth, hallways led to other hallways and it took an exhausting amount of memory to remember where the wash room was. Unfortunately, she ran into the firm, broad chest of her loving fiance, face first, and nearly fell backwards. If it weren’t for his firm grip on her upper arm she would’ve met his eyes from the floor instead at a semi-standing position.

He leaned down, his nose mere inches away from hers, his eyes although emotionless, held a silent rage. She could feel his steady breaths ghost across her face as he slowly squeezed her arm, causing a great deal of discomfort. It was then that Integra could fathom how strong this man was, her poor arm was going numb in his clutch. Any harder and he would snap the bone, and with little effort he could render her entire arm useless. As he began to twist Integra let out an audible gasp, but she refused to shudder away or cower at his feet. If he was going to rip her arm from her body so be it, he would have to choke on her blood afterwards.

“I gave your father my word that I would transport you here safely, what happens to you inside these walls however, is completely within my jurisdiction”

She smiled through the pain, “Are you afraid of me Count?”

HIs grip tightened, “You were given clear instructions, you disobey me and then insist that I regard you with fear? Are you aware of who you are speaking to?”

“I do, I am speaking to the man who I am cursed to spend my life with, a man who delegates through the voice of a mere girl” planting her feet on the ground, she straightened her posture and met his eyes. “Did you lose your nerve when we spoke with each other in the bedroom, where were these instructions then? I can’t follow the orders from a voice that I cannot hear, if you’d like to command me do it with your own tongue. Yes, I heard what your workers had to say, but I’d much rather hear them from you. Afterall, I am your loyal wife, who desires nothing more than your guidance, I crave your judgement as you are my lord and master”

She could hear a low growl emit from his chest, if or when he released her, her arm would be out of commission for any laborious tasks. Never had he encountered such an infuriating woman, this arrangement began as a victory and now it seemed he’d done the East a favor. No one spoke to him that way and her mocking tone dressed up with pleasantries pricked at his fragile pride. Something within him began to stir, he expected no objections, no challenge, but he was mistaken and it excited him.

“Please….Oblige me” her discomfort was evident, her other hand balling into a fist to distract her from the agony she was experiencing.

He drew her in and pressed her close to his chest, she grew stiff in his arms, the contact a bit disorienting. He leaned down to kiss her forehead, she flinched, “Very Well”

“Are you hurting Mistress?”

“We must mend your wound Mistress”

“Please come and rest Mistress”

The chorus of voices made it hard to resist being escorted down the hallway and towards the bathroom. Before she knew it, she was stripped, ushered into a steaming bath, and scrubbed to the bone by capable hands.Thankfully, all of the maids accompanying her were female or this whole ordeal would have been vastly inappropriate. Her waist length hair was loosened from its braid and thoroughly detangled and cleansed, they even tended to her fingernails and cuticles. Carefully, they rubbed her skin with oil and wrapped her foot with a clean linen bandage, the robes and sleeping gown provided were not her own but dark purple garments made of velvet. She was taken to a large room with a bed that could easily fit four people, a stark contrast to her simple twin bed against a modest bay window. Integra’s bedroom was a fourth of the size of this massive space, occupied by thick blankets and storage furniture for her weapons and books. A body didn’t take up much space, especially when laid horizontal for sleeping, how could anyone rest in something the size of a living room?

The house staff was a little odd, aside from looking down at their feet when speaking to her, they all wore black and waited on her hand and foot. They brought her a simple tomato salad with some slices of meat, as she ate they watched her intently all kneeling in a line by her bedside. The servant woman holding the wine trembled, she kept glancing at Integra’s glass awaiting the order to fill it. The blonde sat down her plate and surveyed the room, the moment she looked up they all looked down, this was beyond ridiculous! Workers served as an added structure for any household, she loved interacting with her housestaff and helping them with their tasks. Her father encouraged her to treat the workers with respect and heed their instruction, she would then learn how to provide for herself and resonate better with her people. Placing her hands on her lap the blonde cleared her throat and then stood, she needed to ease their minds, it was painful to watch them react to her with fear.

“I would like to thank you all for tending to me today with such-” she searched for a polite word, “Diligence, but I assure you that I will not scold you or have you put in harm's way for looking at me when you speak or for making simple mistakes. If anything, I prefer you look me in the eye and express yourselves to me, afterall I plan on doing some good while I’m here, so I will need you all to cooperate with me...understood”

Before she could say more the doors opened to the bedroom and the Count stepped inside, Integra immediately felt the ease she instilled in these women dissipate instantly. Giving a tired smile to her new group of workers she handed one of them her empty plate and cup.

“You all get some rest, I expect a full tour of this castle and it’s grounds tomorrow as well as a small sit down with each of you to learn your names and anything personal you wish to share.” she watched them all stand, bow then leave in unison.

Inside she felt slightly accomplished, the girls looked at her when speaking as instructed and some of their initial nervousness lessened. However, she developed her own sense of unease as she began to realize that she was in a room with a man who was the enemy of her family and kingdom. Not only were they alone, but they would have to share a bed, a very large bed, but not large enough to be comfortable. Whereas she was apprehensive about the situation, Vlad didn’t appear to care, instead going on about his nightly routine as if she wasn’t in the room. Sitting on the edge of the bed she turned to face him, his back was to her and he began putting out the candles that sat on his nightstand with his fingers. With every hiss of the dying flames she grimaced, everything about this man was beastly, even his idle breathing was monstrous. The Count wore only a pair of black cotton slacks to bed, healing wounds decorated his back, most of them still patched, the exposed injuries were visibly aggravated and red. It brought her mild satisfaction to see that he was injured, it would’ve been more insulting to her knights if he bared no scars while breaching their defenses.

She began to braid her slightly damp hair, “I plan on venturing out into the town tomorrow, I want to see the main city and some of the smaller villages. I need to acquaint myself with the people here.” she paused, he didn’t respond to her so she continued. “I will take my horse out tomorrow, I don’t know when I’ll be back but-”

He held up a hand, using his other one to extinguish the last flame, thereby snuffing out the last light source and throwing the room into pure darkness. The only illumination provided was the from the moonlight bleeding through the curtains, “What is it that you think you’re doing?” his voice was low and even.

She turned to face him fully, her legs now on the bed, “I am going about this situation hoping to spread diplomacy, you want part of my land and in turn I now belong to this one. Do you expect me to be your hostage?”

He turned to face her, his eyes able to find hers in the darkness, his imposing weight creaking the bed as the moved. He observed her with his gaze before laying back on the bed, “Very well” he crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. Vlad laid flat on his back like a body prepared for burial, he made absolutely no noise save for the steady sounds of his breathing.

Integra chose to lay on her side, and settle herself near the edge of the bed to put as much distance in between them as possible. She drew her knees up to her chest and clutched her pillow, she deeply missed her own bed. This room was hollow and cold, unlike her quaint yet heavily decorated quarters, there was no life in here only a bleak mash of grey and black. It was like falling asleep in a tomb, every sound echoed and every shadow casted looked elongated and grim. Although, the opportunity to explore a new land excited her, her movements were limited at home and she rarely traveled. By all means she should be welcoming this opportunity but she couldn’t let her guard down around the Count. It was like sleeping next to a hungry wolf that threatened to rip her apart at any moment, but fatigue overrode fear and she soon fell asleep.

She woke up lying on her stomach, her soon to be husband absent and a mysterious blonde girl standing by her bedside. Integra grew alert upon being greeted by an eager smile and bright eyes, the girl turned to reach for something and Integra tensed up. Presented with a glass Integra moved to sit and straighten out her gown, as she accepted the glass the girl dropped to one knee and held up a pitcher of water. Sighing, Integra reached out and placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, “There is no need for that, you may stand if you like” she stopped to yawn, “Or sit, whichever you prefer”

“Oh ok um..” the servant girl stood and began to fill Integra’s glass. “Is there anything else you require mistress?”

Integra gestured to a chair near the dresser next to her side of the bed, “Sit, I would like to have a word with you” she took a quick drink of the water to soothe her dry throat. “You seem more jovial than the other girls I’ve seen, what is your name?”

“Seras ma’am” her accent was similar to those of the North, who were close relatives to Easterners. Her hair was a honey blonde and quite short, she too wore all black and appeared to be a tab bit younger than Integra. “It has been quite sometime since we’ve had a lady in the house, I just want to assure that you are comfortable”  she took a seat as instructed, placing the pitcher on the dresser and awaiting Integra’s next order.

“Well it’s good to finally have some energy around here” she took a small pause to drink the rest of her water.

“I’m glad I make for good company mistress, we will be seeing much more of each other as I am your personal servant.” she looked down at her hands and began to fidget nervously. “I also act as messenger between you and the Count, if you have anything to tell him I will be sure to relay it for you” her happy, observant eyes began to dart around for something to focus on.

Integra arched an eyebrow and sat her cup down, “You are withholding, speak freely Seras”

“I am to tell you that your request to venture out into the country may be postponed as your horse is now being occupied” her voice was quiet and reluctant.

Integra squinted her eyes in displeasure, “I do not remember requesting anything” she grumbled through clenched teeth, “I told him what I was going to do and-” Integra stopped to calm herself. “Go on child”

“He has told me to inform you, that in honor of your union to him, your horse will be made the broodmare of his stables. She will first mate with his personal horse, she will be given the best care and soon he will send an escort to-”

Integra held up a hand, “I see” her scowl turned into a bitter smirk, “what else does the Count say?”

“He will not be able to join you for your morning meal but assures that he will dine with you in the evening”

“Will he accompany me to Mass on Sunday?” Integra turned to look out of the small window between them.

Seras paused to digest the question before answering, “The Count does not attend Mass, he gives all of time to his kingdom and chooses to worship whenever he is not busy”

“Then I will go by myself” Integra stated simply.

The poor girl caught between the two warring minds swallowed in discomfort, “He has told me that you shall remain here in fear for your health, he will consider allowing you to attend church in the spring”

“My health” Integra drawled, giving a light chuckle, “What about my health prevents me from leaving this house in any fashion?”

“He fears that your body may not be used to the climate and terrain of the new country, seeing as your foot was injured during your travels he states that it would be negligent to allow anymore harm to come to you. He promised your father that upon your arrival here you would be well in body and soul” the girl either had an excellent memory or she was extending his true words to be more pleasant than what was actually uttered. The way she flinched at every small movement Integra made and at the various sounds and creaks that echoed throughout the room emphasized this fact. It was as if she was replaying the memory of his restrictive demands while she translated them into a respectable message.

Integra stood and Seras reacted by bowing her head, “I will skip my morning meal and every meal from this point on. If the Count is so concerned for my health I would hope that he joins me as his great presence would bring me to nourish myself. Tell him that I will speak with him in private before we retire for the night, then I will formally discuss with him the issue of my mobility. As for now I have taken it upon myself to venture out on my own against his wishes, as a young woman I am eager and full of energy I need to expel, had he been here to entertain me I might have been able to contain myself.” she gave a half hearted shrug watching Seras grow uneasy and nervous with every word.

“B-But surely without your horse it would be most difficult to travel, the rains are still heavy at times and your injury has not yet healed”

“I will be using his horse, after all if our horses are now in our joint property the Count should find no issue with the changes in his stallion's occupation” she turned to walk out of the bedroom and towards the bath area. Her ladies who all waited outside of the room turned to follow her and aid her in preparing for the morning.

Seras trotted after her urgently, “What I am to tell the Count about his horse?”

She walked towards the servant girl and cupped her face in her hands and presented her with a gentle and loving smile “Tell him that I hope that he can find it within his heart, and with all the love that he holds for my person-” her voice and expression went flat, “To get over it”

Seras gasped, but nodded to acknowledge Integra’s words, “But Mistress I must warn you that his stallion is most unruly, he only seems to yield to the Count's hand!”

Integra gave the girls cheek a light pat and continued on her way “I do not fear the beast for he is an animal who can be tamed, after all I need all the practice I can get for the future”

She had to make this meeting quick while the sun was still up, she didn’t like keeping this from Alucard but she had no choice given the request in the letter. She gave him an order too never read her mind unless the circumstances called for him to do so in order to save her live or the lives of others. Yet with this bothering her it would be difficult to hide from him or the others in the house and she didn’t want to risk giving anything away. The moment she set foot out of her office she felt a chill crawl up her spine then quickly glanced over her shoulder. There was no one there, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched but continued about her business, and prepared herself for the conversation to come.

Alucard awoke to silence, his master was out of the house, her heart beat was faint due to distance rather than condition. As the sun neared the horizon the vampire could hear the beats increase, his master being the homebody she was her absence made him curious. Two hours passed before he sensed her person drawing near then finally back into the house, he would ask where she went but wouldn’t get an answer. His master was now making her way to her bedroom, but her footsteps were hesitant as if she didn’t want to draw attention. Traveling through the solid walls he stood behind her as she navigated through the darkness, she immediately froze a couple seconds after he had appeared.

“How long have you been standing there” she spoke, not bothering to look behind her.

“Not long, just seeking to greet my master who's had a long day” he wanted to bait her into revealing more information.

“That I have and as much as I would like to stay and chat but I’m tired, you know from my long day” she cocked an eyebrow, catching onto his prodding.

Now in front of her he tilted his head to the side, “What made it so long I wonder?” he had to choose his words carefully, if he offended her she would shut down and his curiosity would only grow.

“Come out with it, what are you getting at Alucard?” she on the other hand needed to present her monster with a plausible enough excuse what would bore him and thus dissuade him from further questioning.

“Well” he leaned over her shoulder, now behind her and nearly face to face. “When you’re not traveling for business you typically remain home, you can imagine that your sudden departure was odd if not suspect”

“Unless you have a concrete question I’ll be retiring and leaving you to your nonspecific speculation” this time she turned to face him on her left the moment he appeared there.

“Fair enough, where did you go?”

“None of your business” her tone suggested that she gave him an answer suitable for the question, even though she didn’t.

He laughed, “How trite, if the information was sensitive you’d include a decent jibe along with dismissal” he didn’t need to read her mind to get information out of her, he just needed words, small slips of the tongue to build up a suitable assumption.

She cut her eyes at him in the darkness, “I took a walk, I went to the store, I visited my uncle, I was at the gym, I was on a date, I went to a book club meeting” she turned to walk away from him. “Choose which ever one sounds believable to you” reaching her room she walked in and closed the door with a sigh.

Integra was already stressed, her meeting went fine but it raised so many questions and as much as she wanted to ask Alucard she needed more time to assess the situation. She did feel uneasy about keeping this information from him, so much of it involved his past and having his input would probably aid her decision. However, she had stumbled across something so noteworthy that it could cause Alucard to act out before she could neutralize the situation. Normally, the vampire maintained exceptional stability, being as old as he was he no longer relied on emotion only instinct and instruction. When told to do something he did it with little to no question, and from what she gathered from Abraham’s journal, his emotions only made him more volatile and harder to control.  

As for now she would have to quell these thoughts, even though Alucard could not read her mind by order he could not help it if her mind was literally screaming at him. When this rule was first established she was informed by her pet that if her own thoughts became too loud he would hear them regardless. Lazily she moved over to her bed and collapsed onto it and let out a well deserved groan, her conversation this afternoon was a lot to take in at once. Not to mention that she would have to leave the house for another ‘secret meeting’ and now with her servant’s interest peaked she had no doubt that he’d pester her even more. If only she hadn’t read that stupid letter, today would have been a normal one filled with paper work and simple obligation. For now a good nights rest would have to soothe her mind, she could only wait for what tomorrow might bring, what she may learn next.

Alucard stalked the halls and came to gaze at the closed door of his master’s office, this room has served as the workplace of all of his masters. The same dark mahogany door and blessed silver door handle, it would not keep him out but other lesser creatures may find entering difficult. He passed through the walls and inspected the vacant space, with Seras patrolling the outer grounds Alucard was left with guarding the main asset. What kind of guard dog would he be if he ignored the most important room in the house aside from Integra’s bedroom? Nearing her desk he frowned, the desk cabinet was ajar, she must have been in a hurry to attend that book club. Flicking his wrist the door opened revealing a disheveled collection of once organized documents and books. He spotted the corner of a particular item sticking out under a book, you don’t slip paper under a book unless you don’t want it found.

He plucked the sheet free from it’s hiding place and instantly felt a surge of unease upon laying eyes on the writing. He needed to put this paper back immediately, his master obviously wanted to maintain a sense of privacy and his snooping wouldn’t end well for him. This consideration slowly dissolved as he read the letter, his vision became more and more distorted with every word, every comma and serif. Alucard slid the letter back in it’s place in fear that he may char the damn thing and take matters into his own hands. Did she think him completely incompetent, or perhaps assuming that his age obstructed his memory? It was difficult to place this feeling, was he actually angry with his master?

No not with her, she did not know any better in this case, but there was someone who’d be receiving the business end of his pistol very soon.

She could practically hear the smirk in the tone of his voice, she rolled her eyes in response. “The thought hadn’t even passed my mind, speaking of which you better not be reading it”

He let out a dark chuckle, “I’d think that you’d trust me by now not to invade your thoughts my master” he sat up with little effort the second Integra placed a card in the pile after drawing from the deck.

“My trust fluctuates along with your sincerity” she murmured watching him hit her twice, and accrue more points. “May I be frank?”

“You fucking hate me?” he announced through a laugh.

“Alucard-” she began to warn.

“That thought was obvious, there was no need to read your mind”

No argument there, Integra had a way with her facial expressions, her emotions a range of calm to rage. His statement was true, his winning streak was insufferable, and if it wasn’t apparent the current head of the Hellsing family loathed defeat.  “I’m glad I’m not placing bets, all you want is my blood and I fear I’d find in debt with the way this game is going”

“Are you that afraid of losing an innocent wager” his eyes grew a deeper red at the mention of blood.

Her upper lip twitched and she ran her hand through her hair to move it out of her face. “There’s nothing about you that displays innocence” she paused to pull a card from the deck, “And there’s nothing I’m afraid of”

There was a short pause, “I don’t believe you” he glanced at her with a mischievous smile.

She cut her blue eyes at him, squinting slightly to further illustrate her displeasure at his comment. Her particular brand of scowl was very unique, more similar to Abraham’s than Arthur’s, and still her frown was more tenacious. Without any manipulation he could practically peer into her mind and witness the inner workings, a storm was brewing behind such delicate features. She tilted her head to the side, “What was that?”

“I don’t believe you” he repeated, drawing out each word. “In fact now I’m curious, every mortal has fear, it is within your nature. Self preservation has no meaning without caution, you are afraid of something Integra”

The blonde woman responded by gently setting down her cards, and continued to stare down the vampire in front of her. She leaned forward, “And what am I supposed to be afraid of, the dark, dying, the monster sitting on my bed?”

“Seeing that I’m not allowed to read your mind I cannot say” he locked eyes with her “But I can still find out in a different way”

Suddenly the lights went out leaving Integra in complete darkness save for the moonlight filtering in through the unobstructed window. Alucard disappeared the moment the room grew dark enough for him to disperse into the shadows. She let out a hard groan that was on the border of becoming a frustrated scream. Most pets did quirky yet harmless things like use your shoes for playthings or paw at your door seconds after being let out of the room. Her pet preferred being a complete and unrelenting pain in her ass, saying hell to conventional methods of teasing in lieu of more elaborate schemes. There was one instance in which the beast in question locked her in his coffin and another time where he filled her bath tub with centipedes. Now she could only wonder what he had in store for her, as time went on she became more and more desensitised by his teasing. It would take an act of god to stir her interest, in this case she felt that more devilish forces will be at play.

Making her way out into the hallway she instantly felt a shiver crawl up her spine, the hallway was freezing. She held herself as she walked, trying every light switch in the long dark hallway in hopes of finding one that worked or drawing out Alucard by appearing unsuspecting.

“I’m going to find him and I’m going to take his unlife, then I’m going to bring him back to life, kill him again and bring him back to life as the undead just to slap the piss out of him” she murmured to herself. She felt a breath on her neck but didn’t dare turn around, if she ignored him long enough he’d get bored and appear in a chair somewhere. Something really close to a hand grabbed her ankle causing her to stumble and trip face first onto the floor. The thin red carpet didn’t provide any comfort as her knees skid against it during her fall, she tried to get up but felt a heavy weight on her back. There was no one around, no one that she could see or sense, so whatever force she was currently experiencing had to be supernatural. Integra finally went limp on the floor, just waiting for something else to happen, she even took the time to strum her fingers against the floor.

Alucard didn’t respond well to being ignored, especially by her, he constantly pushed boundaries and somehow managed to avoid overstepping. On the other hand Integra was stubborn and didn’t like admitting defeat, no matter what happened she’d always endure Alucard’s wickedness. Eventually he would be punished for his actions by her personally, oftenly by surprise she’d address his inappropriate and unprofessional ways. As she thought of ways to enact her revenge Integra felt herself lifting off of the ground and flung upwards to the ceiling. With her back pressed firmly to the ceiling, she clutched desperately at her gown trying to prevent it from exposing her underwear. She was going to throttle Alucard the second she got her hands and sword and gun on him, not necessarily in that order.

“I saw that I was boring you” Alucard stood under Integra watching her squirm at the sudden change in gravity.

“You want to know what I’m afraid of?” Integra spoke while stuffing her gown between her legs to prevent it from slipping away from her.

Alucard smiled in the darkness awaiting her answer.

“I’m afraid that I won’t have the energy to cram my entire fist down your gullet” her tone was sincere yet her facial expression was one that would inspire hellfire.

He threw his head back and laughed, “You can stop me at anytime” he reminded her as if she needed to know. Knowing her she wouldn’t give up until wearing him down with her iron will, he had to get creative to get a rise out of her.

“No really, I’m not sure who’s going to be able to dislodge my entire fist from your throat, I imagine it would be uncomfortable for a time” she paused to try and take control of her hair that curtained around her face. “I wake up in the middle of the night, in a cold sweat and completely shaken by my nightmares of me just-” she slapped at her arms for emphasis, “desecrating your airway with my entire arm!”

“Sounds inviting, but you’ll have to get down first to present me with such a treat” he turned and walked away leaving her stuck on the ceiling.