This was punishment from his own kind, for striking down a man of god. If you demand greater punishment, it will be done. But I would understand what the punishment is for.
[ He sighs. ]
I know nothing of the incident you are discussing. I heard only that the boy meant to pay a dowry. If he made an attempt to steal your son, I would hear about it.
I advise that you review any marriage proposals within your own House from here on out then.
[There's a weariness as Dracula explains the particulars. That weariness soon changes into a low anger as he details exactly what it took for Trevor to cease, what was left as a dowry, and how it is that his own home had to be coated in iron to finally put the matter to rest.
That he's only medium-annoyed is nothing short of a miracle.]
I am aware that the matter is now resolved due to his involvement with the Speaker, but I would have acknowledgement of the matter.
It is difficult, I admit, without the use of names.
[ Leon listens, he sighs a great deal, and he holds his hands neatly on the table. ]
You are accusing the boy of being a fool. Even under the old laws, that is not a crime. He took your son with him, but only when both of their hands were forced by one of your own kind. And then he released him. After which he gave you unwanted gifts. I will discuss compensation for the insult with your son if he wishes, but none of our laws were broken.
[ And, naturally, Leon proceeds to do his utmost best to get lost. He ignores the paths the house presents him with, going through doors he shouldn’t, up and down stairways that the castle meant to lead him away from and through at least two secret passages that he only knows of because four centuries ago Mathias once drunkenly told him about how cool it would be to hide a door in a bookcase. As soon as he is confident that he is out of Dracula’s earshot (oh, he will know. But he won’t know right away.) ]
Castle, if you show me to where the son is, I will leave you willingly once my business is done.
[The castle, naturally, fights this. Once it knows that the Belmont is straying from it's paths, it sends him down the darkest ones. It threatens to take back the candle it gave him, and oh the flame flickers from phantom winds. Dracula has retired to bed. It has it's own will now.
There's a rumble under Leon's feet that threatens to have the stones give way. No. The castle doesn't care what the Belmont wants. The castle is made to keep people safe, and Lisa and Adrian are the two it must keep safest.
Those are it's instructions and those have been ground into it's very being now.]
[Leon has made it into one of the spires, in truth. It means that to return to the doors, it is a very long walk indeed. But in returning to the doors, there is one kindness the castle does make an effort for: there are windows all along this route.
The other kindness is not calculated. Alucard crosses Leon's path by true fortune, the vampire carrying a carafe of water meant for Sypha's room and knowing it will be needed.
He stops when he sees Leon. Tenses entirely, because he does not know how to read the man's mood (his father is clearly exhausted, it shows in the castle) and because he absolutely just saw Leon take a sword to his own grandson.]
[There's another rumble, and Alucard knows that. It's going to crack in order to separate the two, because safe. He walks over immediately to the wall, and he puts his hand there. The castle's not a child. It's a creature, and it responds to touch and to will.
His sigh sounds an awful lot like one of Dracula's, and he keeps his hand against the wall for a few moments more. It means his response to Leon doesn't meet the man's eyes.]
[Well, that just makes Alucard deflate entirely. He didn't like dealing with that in the first place. Now talking about it with an absolute stranger? Nope. Not today.
He shakes his head, still not meeting Leon's gaze.]
It's in the past. The matter was explained and eventually understood. The most I could ever ask is that people are asked before someone else declares them to be a spouse.
[ He takes a moment to consider how best to explain their kind’s death and rebirth. ]
He is well protected, in here. He sleeps, for now, and will wake only when his new body is ready. It will find her, once it begins forming. But it will be only him, and not his experiences and memories. Once it is ready, this one will wake and join with it, and it will become complete.
It you insist. This is- improper, but then so is everything about this. I will leave him in the care of his sisters and send a messenger with it on the first night of winter. Have her gone from this place by then, unless you wish the messenger to come to your door.
[ A few months, yet. It's still late summer. ]
I will not be offering apologies to your father, but you have my sincerest apologies for all of this. I shall see that the laws are not broken again.
[ ...which does mean that if this situation happened again, Sypha would die. So not ideal. ]
Oh, plenty. Just very rarely by those who mean well. There is a reason that your father demands audience with me, and not with my queen. Any of this could be made right and proper through some loophole or another, or some exchange of insults and compensation.
[ He just sighs. He has had four centuries to get used to this bullshit, and the only way he has ever truly found is to accept it and do what good he can. ]
You may tell me what you intend, but I fear your intentions may be too good for our laws to bend around.
There will always be people involved by association. Even in saving this woman, we have given up our hunt. Many will die, who could have been saved. Were we to make such a vow, we would be both able to do nothing and bound to do all things.
We will strive to bring the most good we can, to leave the fewest people harmed, and this is all I can offer.
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If not, then he is the insulted party. Not you. If he wishes to discuss punishment or compensation with me, I will listen.
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You also know that by default, any dealings with fae are political matters, Belmont.
[It's a perk of being king of the vampires.]
Or are you finding ways to avoid this because rendering that boy into a single moth was a preemptive measure to shield him from worse reprisals?
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[ He sighs. ]
I know nothing of the incident you are discussing. I heard only that the boy meant to pay a dowry. If he made an attempt to steal your son, I would hear about it.
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[There's a weariness as Dracula explains the particulars. That weariness soon changes into a low anger as he details exactly what it took for Trevor to cease, what was left as a dowry, and how it is that his own home had to be coated in iron to finally put the matter to rest.
That he's only medium-annoyed is nothing short of a miracle.]
I am aware that the matter is now resolved due to his involvement with the Speaker, but I would have acknowledgement of the matter.
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[ Leon listens, he sighs a great deal, and he holds his hands neatly on the table. ]
You are accusing the boy of being a fool. Even under the old laws, that is not a crime. He took your son with him, but only when both of their hands were forced by one of your own kind. And then he released him. After which he gave you unwanted gifts. I will discuss compensation for the insult with your son if he wishes, but none of our laws were broken.
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[He is a fool, Dracula does not say. Who did not understand rebuffs and requires too much effort to get information through his head.
His eyes narrow. True. No laws were broken. But it still rankles that anything would make a move on his son, nevermind a Belmont.]
Then at the very least, see that future generations know better than to approach this House with such thought.
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[ okay so maybe even the purest soul can act like a little shit sometimes. ]
The Belmont party will not participate in the next great hunt. Was there anything else you wished?
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[Hey. Leon. Fuck you.]
No. Our business is concluded. I trust that you can see yourself out, for the obvious reasons.
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[ And, naturally, Leon proceeds to do his utmost best to get lost. He ignores the paths the house presents him with, going through doors he shouldn’t, up and down stairways that the castle meant to lead him away from and through at least two secret passages that he only knows of because four centuries ago Mathias once drunkenly told him about how cool it would be to hide a door in a bookcase. As soon as he is confident that he is out of Dracula’s earshot (oh, he will know. But he won’t know right away.) ]
Castle, if you show me to where the son is, I will leave you willingly once my business is done.
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There's a rumble under Leon's feet that threatens to have the stones give way. No. The castle doesn't care what the Belmont wants. The castle is made to keep people safe, and Lisa and Adrian are the two it must keep safest.
Those are it's instructions and those have been ground into it's very being now.]
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I mean no harm. But I understand. Your task is your task, and I cannot fault you your loyalty. Lead me to your doors.
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The other kindness is not calculated. Alucard crosses Leon's path by true fortune, the vampire carrying a carafe of water meant for Sypha's room and knowing it will be needed.
He stops when he sees Leon. Tenses entirely, because he does not know how to read the man's mood (his father is clearly exhausted, it shows in the castle) and because he absolutely just saw Leon take a sword to his own grandson.]
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[ Yes it was accidental. But you gotta say thank you when someone is good to you. ]
Son of Dracula, would you speak with me?
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His sigh sounds an awful lot like one of Dracula's, and he keeps his hand against the wall for a few moments more. It means his response to Leon doesn't meet the man's eyes.]
On what matter?
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[ He bows his head in respect. ]
Your father informed me of a grave insult done to you by my own house. I with to know what compensation you would ask of me.
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He shakes his head, still not meeting Leon's gaze.]
It's in the past. The matter was explained and eventually understood. The most I could ever ask is that people are asked before someone else declares them to be a spouse.
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[ he holds out the box, attached to the end of a cord to be worn as a necklace. ]
For the girl.
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I can't take fae gifts.
[He understands what's being given. At least, he thinks he does, he did not see the single moth that went into the box.]
Or accept something that needs better protection in a fragile state.
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[ He takes a moment to consider how best to explain their kind’s death and rebirth. ]
He is well protected, in here. He sleeps, for now, and will wake only when his new body is ready. It will find her, once it begins forming. But it will be only him, and not his experiences and memories. Once it is ready, this one will wake and join with it, and it will become complete.
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[It is extremely clear that Alucard's problem is not the particulars of fae body morphology. He could care less.
It's Dracula. Obviously.]
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[ A few months, yet. It's still late summer. ]
I will not be offering apologies to your father, but you have my sincerest apologies for all of this. I shall see that the laws are not broken again.
[ ...which does mean that if this situation happened again, Sypha would die. So not ideal. ]
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[Sypha won't want to be here for that long. She probably won't want to be here at all, once she wakes and is told what has happened.
Alucard brings his hand off of the castle wall finally, and he rubs the bridge of his nose.]
Do your laws allow for nuance and interpretation?
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[ He just sighs. He has had four centuries to get used to this bullshit, and the only way he has ever truly found is to accept it and do what good he can. ]
You may tell me what you intend, but I fear your intentions may be too good for our laws to bend around.
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Don't hurt anyone who is only involved by association, even if that harm is the easiest and even the most legal solution.
[He means Sypha. Because she doesn't deserve any of this.]
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There will always be people involved by association. Even in saving this woman, we have given up our hunt. Many will die, who could have been saved. Were we to make such a vow, we would be both able to do nothing and bound to do all things.
We will strive to bring the most good we can, to leave the fewest people harmed, and this is all I can offer.
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