[Internally, Alucard flinches. Outwardly he is statue-esque, all the more so when he takes his place at the very front of this group. All eyes are on him, and in turn all of Alucard is tense. Watching and waiting for someone to say or do something. But that never comes, and only a few moments later?
Dracula is already mounted on his hellish steed, fire in it's eyes, it's flank the darkest night. The Headless Horseman could be so envious. There's a snarl in the creature's mouth that demands to escape, but Dracula keeps the thing in check.
He is dressed as a man of his office, dark blood reds and blacks with silver accents expressed in fur and detail. His crown is a simpler one than one used in court, and the reasons for it are obvious: one does not enter the land of the fae that kingly. But oh there is iron in that crown, just as there is on the rest of the horse. He's riding a weapon into their lands, ready and capable of defending himself.
Dracula lingers for only a moment before addressing the group.]
I will return with my wife. Should you defy my son, who speaks with my voice and acts with my authority while I am gone, you will beg me to let you meet the sun. For those of you from foreign lands, that very same threat holds.
You shall greet me as appropriate upon my return.
[There. That's it. The horse know to move forward and so it does. No lingering good byes. No knowing glances. Only cold focus on the goal at hand as Dracula departs into the night.]
[ And like that, he's gone. Trevor watches, face betraying nothing, as the nightmarish horse fades into the night. Dracula's most loyal go with him, leaving a court of whispers behind him.
What follows is long and agonising and frankly not really interesting enough to justify how awful it is. At least if someone tried something stupid something would have happened. Instead it's hours of watching Alucard twisted into a shape that he was never meant to be. People want answers about how things will be in his father's absence. He gives those answers, almost identical to the word to those that Dracula must have given to the same questions only days before. When it ends, he's the one to dismiss the crowd. A few remain at the castle for another day. Most set off for their own territories.
They leave last, and he holds the door for Alucard before following. ]
[Everything is a blur. The questions that are asked get stock answers, ones that have been prepared well ahead of this. Alucard's able to make them not sound route. Give them a moment or two of consideration before replying. It works.
It keeps working until the wee hours of the morning. To those who intend to depart in the daylight, Alucard takes care of farewells. There will be a small departure feast tomorrow evening, and then all things will settle into a more normal pace.
But there. His room. Alucard waits until the door is closed to let his shoulders slump forward, and to automatically shed the heavy cloak draped over his shoulders.]
It can't be this exhausting every day.
[The cloak gets draped over the chest at the foot of his bed.]
He removes the neck armour, once again without asking for help, and sets it aside. His own shoulders haven't sunk yet, still standing like a soldier. ]
[Alucard can feel the attempt at humor die on his lips. But he still tries. That must count for something.
The crown comes off first. It has to, and Alucard's only careful with how he places it back down because it'll look bad if the thing is damaged in any way. Once that happens, the vampire is quick to shed garments.]
What are your plans for our sleeping arrangements?
[ He picks up the clothes, folding them. Because of course he does. It's- well. Clothes need folding no matter what's happening in the wider world. It's nice to do something normal. ]
You'll be safer if I'm elsewhere, but-
[ He sighs. Alucard doesn't need to be safer, does he? Not really. ]
[Alucard reaches for his night clothes, having stripped down to just his tunic and trousers. He's done this around Trevor plenty of times. Shirt goes away, night shirt goes on, and then the trousers are shed.]
If it's best you sleep in your room or best that you stay here, I'll accept it.
[ He watches. God, does he watch. And it's that, the watching, that gives him second thoughts. He managed to talk himself into it, didn't he? Talked himself into thinking it would be better for Alucard to have company, that that would be more important than his safety.
There's a tiny, sharp stab of disgust at that. Look at him, talking himself into believing he's doing what's best when it's just putting Alucard at risk in order to- ugh. ]
Never mind. The chair. Let me sleep in my chair, always sleep lighter there.
[Alucard moves to that chair first though, taking one of the thick furs from his bed and draping it over the side of the chair. It's a cold night, and for all that the castle is warm, there's something to be said for having a layer with some heft to it.
With that done, Alucard does climb into bed. Tucks himself in under all his blankets, only his head popping out,]
[ This is good. This is the ideal. The best balance between being close in case something happens but with enough distance to keep his head that he can manage.
And he still wishes that he could join Alucard. But- you know. If he wants to do something that's probably a good indication that that thing is wrong and he shouldn't be doing it. He lies back in his chair, pulling the blanket over himself. ]
[Morning comes. The guests depart, and in their wake, business begins anew. Alucard is already skilled enough at the practical daily challenges of leadership - administering harvests, deciding cases that local magistrates cannot agree over, and so it goes.
A number of cases involving priests starts to increase about a month in. Come the second month, it is a point of concern. A small one, but one of those things that could all too quickly become a real problem. Alucard has no time to tend to it either - winter stores are dwindling, and now the appropriate allocation of resources must take place.
Theodora's entrance into the castle is no particular thing of note. She is an ambassador, her comings and goings are not remarkable. The castle guides her up a flight of stairs to the room she knows very well as the intelligence office, and she knocks bracing herself for whatever lies within.
Dracula left his son's...Belmont...in charge. It will be interesting.]
[ Trantoul may well be his homeland, but he hasn't been there since he was very young. In dealings concerning their magical neighbours he has no more competence than the next man. The countries have a fraught history. Walter, the last king before Dracula's rule, was responsible for the death and eventual canonisation of Trantoul's young queen and Dracula's subsequent rise to power did little to prevent retaliation. The war between the countries has reached an uneasy peace in the last few generations, if one put at risk by Dracula's ban on the worship of Saint Sara.
The source of that fragile peace, the reason that it's survived Dracula's rage in the wake of Lisa's abduction, is the woman in this room.
He gestures to a seat, though he doesn't take one himself, and he knows that his body language is less calm than he'd like. Theodora is one of the few vampires who Dracula believed could be trusted absolutely, but she's also the matriarch of a family whose members span enough courts to make near anything happen Dracula is the mightier of them by far in terms of sheer power, but in terms of influence she could easily rival him. ]
[Theodora's one to enjoy sweeping into a room and commanding attention. She doesn't do that now, because there is time and place, and meeting the temporary head of intelligence is neither. It's why she's equally plain in her dress for the occasion - nothing more than a deep green dress with golden accents, her hair currently it's natural reddish blonde and hanging in a single loose braid draped over her shoulder. Best for riding.
There's a graceful smile at the correction, one she doesn't address before moving right into pleasant conversation. Her eyes flick about the room, curious to see what changes the Belmont has made.]
It never is. And of course this isn't a social call, so let's be seated and get down to business. [There is a pause there, and a very sly smile.]
Only after you tell me how you'd like to be addressed in your promotion.
[ He's a little taken aback at being asked that. Even in his current position, most people don't. He's not sure if he should take everyone else's just calling him the Belmont as a sign of disrespect now, and if he should take it as disrespect aimed at himself or at Alucard.
Most of the changes that have been made have been making the room more- human-appropriate. The castle has moved several more of it's electric lights into the room to compensate for Trevor's lack of vampire senses and compromised vision. The high-backed chair has been replaced with a less decorative one borrowed from a study, because a chair that's comfortable for Dracula to sit on is not a chair that Trevor can sit on and have his feet touch the ground.
Also, the dramatic skulls that had previously been on the desk have been put away in a box on the bookshelves. They were getting in the way. ]
There have been reports of priests of the Lady Sa - the Saint we do not acknowledge - close to the border. Our absent lord's law was that all worshippers of the Saint should be executed for crimes against the crown.
Our prince wishes to show mercy. [ That is to say, he doesn't want Alucard to be forced to carry out executions of innocents if he doesn't have to. ] But in order to do so, he needs to be able to trust that they truly are men of faith and not spies.
[It's a nicer decor, if Theodora was to be honest. The skulls were always a little kitschy, she always thought they detracted from the space rather than add. But the chair across from the desk is the same as it ever was, and she settles into it quite comfortably.
Usually she dares to lounge in front of Dracula for these meetings, but Trevor? He deserves a little bit of respect and a sense of control. First time and all.]
Unfortunately the rumors about the border are true, but with a very helpful twist: they are just an inch or so on Trantoul's side of things. So, technically, they're doing nothing wrong and no reprimand can be given. The spaces are also frequently tension ridden areas, and so all of this, I'm afraid, is to see what the young Prince intends to do.
[Theodora sighs, clearly regretful.]
In so many words, they want to determine the limits of his mercy.
[ His shoulders fall in relief, much as he's trying to not show it. No executions needed, not for now. Thank goodness. Until it moves within their own borders, it doesn't require a response. And yet- ]
They're testing him. [ He doesn't like that one bit. And he doesn't like not knowing whether attacking means passing or failing. ] What reparations would they have demanded, had he taken action?
Don't sound so terribly happy, they'll cross the border eventually. However--
[Theodora springs up, and taps on the front of the desk. From seemingly no where, a drawer slides out of the bottom, revealing a black dossier with Dracula's royal seal. More than that? It's thick.
She offers it to Trevor.]
Vlad and myself spent a good week making up scenarios and responses for you both to rely on. The answer is in scenario 20-B, and you're looking at a prisoner exchange or some kind of trade thing.
They'll cross the border, and just because they're being used as pawns doesn't mean they're choosing to be so. There'll be innocents who just want to worship freely among them.
[ He sighs and tenses again a little. It's safe for now, but- ugh.
The book, though. The book is interesting. He takes it, opening it and looking over Dracula's writing. 20-B refers to a list later in the book, a list of peoples who Trantoul might demand in an exchange, and when he checks that-
There are other names there, of course. Political dissidents living among groups like the speakers who they'd see returned for trial. Prisoners who fled across the border. But there at the top of the list - Trevor Belmont.
To his credit, he doesn't react at all as he reads it. ]
I suppose that if you had a way of telling the innocents from the spies, you would have told our Lord long before now.
[ More names. Some he knows, others he doesn't. He scans over it before closing the book for the moment. He can read this without Theodora in the room. He doesn't need to waste her time like this. ]
What do- [ Another sigh, this one longer and heavier. ] -what do you think they will do, if they judge him to be more merciful than his father? I can't advise him to execute people I suspect to be innocent just because they got caught up in this. But if continuing his father's policies is the only way to keep him safe...
[Theodora's face finally grows serious. It was going to come to this question eventually, but even she didn't expect it to be so quick. So, with a noise of sympathy, she gives the truth.]
The long game will be to make incursions in already tense filled areas and start a few skirmishes to either take areas they believe should be theirs, or use those to start a longer war if Dracula remains away longer. This all predicates itself on Faerie's time not aligning correctly with our own.
The medium game will be to convert, and so if the Prince does nothing about the matter, Dracula will hvae to and it will be a bloodier spectacle - made worse by Her Majesty's return and the knowledge she'd be appalled by the action.
Short game? That's just to judge him. It's likely that if he maintains all of Dracula's policies, then our neighbors will not be inclined to play their longer games. Or if they are, they'll wait a little.
[It's unpleasant.]
Belmont, we all know the Prince isn't inclined to carry out these policies, Dracula included. It was one of the things we discussed at the outset of this quest, and he only did it because to appoint anyone who wasn't blood was to invite real revolution. The best thing I can advise right now is to create a small investigative group that keeps an eye on these things and can funnel trials through the courts in order to do more routine executions that have no need for royal interference.
[ That's the major takeaway from this. It shouldn't be, but so many things that should not be are. His face shouldn't light up as much as it does, especially considering the task he's setting himself. All that matters is that the work is carried out. ]
He need not even know, unless the matter gets out of hand.
[ And shit again, because he shoudn't be swearing at the ambassador. Oops. ]
-you didn't hear that.
[ Nailed it. He takes a deep breath, looks at the closer book, then pushes it to one side. ]
If he needs to know, then Dracula's policies will be coming to an end. We replace them with exile and a brand. Execution will be the punishment dealt only to those who are found to be already branded when caught.
And you tell them this upon your return. Let them know that we don't consider our Prince's mercy a weakness to be hidden.
[Theodora considers all of this. But her response is not to any of Trevor's proposals, but to something she doubts he's considered before.]
Belmont. I am sure you have already given extensive thought to what this position will demand of the Prince. But have you thought about what it is going to demand of you, and turn you into? Especially this one?
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Dracula is already mounted on his hellish steed, fire in it's eyes, it's flank the darkest night. The Headless Horseman could be so envious. There's a snarl in the creature's mouth that demands to escape, but Dracula keeps the thing in check.
He is dressed as a man of his office, dark blood reds and blacks with silver accents expressed in fur and detail. His crown is a simpler one than one used in court, and the reasons for it are obvious: one does not enter the land of the fae that kingly. But oh there is iron in that crown, just as there is on the rest of the horse. He's riding a weapon into their lands, ready and capable of defending himself.
Dracula lingers for only a moment before addressing the group.]
I will return with my wife. Should you defy my son, who speaks with my voice and acts with my authority while I am gone, you will beg me to let you meet the sun. For those of you from foreign lands, that very same threat holds.
You shall greet me as appropriate upon my return.
[There. That's it. The horse know to move forward and so it does. No lingering good byes. No knowing glances. Only cold focus on the goal at hand as Dracula departs into the night.]
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What follows is long and agonising and frankly not really interesting enough to justify how awful it is. At least if someone tried something stupid something would have happened. Instead it's hours of watching Alucard twisted into a shape that he was never meant to be. People want answers about how things will be in his father's absence. He gives those answers, almost identical to the word to those that Dracula must have given to the same questions only days before. When it ends, he's the one to dismiss the crowd. A few remain at the castle for another day. Most set off for their own territories.
They leave last, and he holds the door for Alucard before following. ]
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It keeps working until the wee hours of the morning. To those who intend to depart in the daylight, Alucard takes care of farewells. There will be a small departure feast tomorrow evening, and then all things will settle into a more normal pace.
But there. His room. Alucard waits until the door is closed to let his shoulders slump forward, and to automatically shed the heavy cloak draped over his shoulders.]
It can't be this exhausting every day.
[The cloak gets draped over the chest at the foot of his bed.]
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[ Please let it get easier.
He removes the neck armour, once again without asking for help, and sets it aside. His own shoulders haven't sunk yet, still standing like a soldier. ]
Tell me what to do.
[ How can I make this better? ]
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[Alucard can feel the attempt at humor die on his lips. But he still tries. That must count for something.
The crown comes off first. It has to, and Alucard's only careful with how he places it back down because it'll look bad if the thing is damaged in any way. Once that happens, the vampire is quick to shed garments.]
What are your plans for our sleeping arrangements?
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You'll be safer if I'm elsewhere, but-
[ He sighs. Alucard doesn't need to be safer, does he? Not really. ]
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[Alucard reaches for his night clothes, having stripped down to just his tunic and trousers. He's done this around Trevor plenty of times. Shirt goes away, night shirt goes on, and then the trousers are shed.]
If it's best you sleep in your room or best that you stay here, I'll accept it.
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There's a tiny, sharp stab of disgust at that. Look at him, talking himself into believing he's doing what's best when it's just putting Alucard at risk in order to- ugh. ]
Never mind. The chair. Let me sleep in my chair, always sleep lighter there.
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[Alucard moves to that chair first though, taking one of the thick furs from his bed and draping it over the side of the chair. It's a cold night, and for all that the castle is warm, there's something to be said for having a layer with some heft to it.
With that done, Alucard does climb into bed. Tucks himself in under all his blankets, only his head popping out,]
Good night, Trevor.
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And he still wishes that he could join Alucard. But- you know. If he wants to do something that's probably a good indication that that thing is wrong and he shouldn't be doing it. He lies back in his chair, pulling the blanket over himself. ]
Sleep well.
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[Morning comes. The guests depart, and in their wake, business begins anew. Alucard is already skilled enough at the practical daily challenges of leadership - administering harvests, deciding cases that local magistrates cannot agree over, and so it goes.
A number of cases involving priests starts to increase about a month in. Come the second month, it is a point of concern. A small one, but one of those things that could all too quickly become a real problem. Alucard has no time to tend to it either - winter stores are dwindling, and now the appropriate allocation of resources must take place.
Theodora's entrance into the castle is no particular thing of note. She is an ambassador, her comings and goings are not remarkable. The castle guides her up a flight of stairs to the room she knows very well as the intelligence office, and she knocks bracing herself for whatever lies within.
Dracula left his son's...Belmont...in charge. It will be interesting.]
You called upon your ambassador?
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[ Trantoul may well be his homeland, but he hasn't been there since he was very young. In dealings concerning their magical neighbours he has no more competence than the next man. The countries have a fraught history. Walter, the last king before Dracula's rule, was responsible for the death and eventual canonisation of Trantoul's young queen and Dracula's subsequent rise to power did little to prevent retaliation. The war between the countries has reached an uneasy peace in the last few generations, if one put at risk by Dracula's ban on the worship of Saint Sara.
The source of that fragile peace, the reason that it's survived Dracula's rage in the wake of Lisa's abduction, is the woman in this room.
He gestures to a seat, though he doesn't take one himself, and he knows that his body language is less calm than he'd like. Theodora is one of the few vampires who Dracula believed could be trusted absolutely, but she's also the matriarch of a family whose members span enough courts to make near anything happen Dracula is the mightier of them by far in terms of sheer power, but in terms of influence she could easily rival him. ]
The trip wasn't too much trouble, I hope.
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There's a graceful smile at the correction, one she doesn't address before moving right into pleasant conversation. Her eyes flick about the room, curious to see what changes the Belmont has made.]
It never is. And of course this isn't a social call, so let's be seated and get down to business. [There is a pause there, and a very sly smile.]
Only after you tell me how you'd like to be addressed in your promotion.
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[ He's a little taken aback at being asked that. Even in his current position, most people don't. He's not sure if he should take everyone else's just calling him the Belmont as a sign of disrespect now, and if he should take it as disrespect aimed at himself or at Alucard.
Most of the changes that have been made have been making the room more- human-appropriate. The castle has moved several more of it's electric lights into the room to compensate for Trevor's lack of vampire senses and compromised vision. The high-backed chair has been replaced with a less decorative one borrowed from a study, because a chair that's comfortable for Dracula to sit on is not a chair that Trevor can sit on and have his feet touch the ground.
Also, the dramatic skulls that had previously been on the desk have been put away in a box on the bookshelves. They were getting in the way. ]
There have been reports of priests of the Lady Sa - the Saint we do not acknowledge - close to the border. Our absent lord's law was that all worshippers of the Saint should be executed for crimes against the crown.
Our prince wishes to show mercy. [ That is to say, he doesn't want Alucard to be forced to carry out executions of innocents if he doesn't have to. ] But in order to do so, he needs to be able to trust that they truly are men of faith and not spies.
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Usually she dares to lounge in front of Dracula for these meetings, but Trevor? He deserves a little bit of respect and a sense of control. First time and all.]
Unfortunately the rumors about the border are true, but with a very helpful twist: they are just an inch or so on Trantoul's side of things. So, technically, they're doing nothing wrong and no reprimand can be given. The spaces are also frequently tension ridden areas, and so all of this, I'm afraid, is to see what the young Prince intends to do.
[Theodora sighs, clearly regretful.]
In so many words, they want to determine the limits of his mercy.
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They're testing him. [ He doesn't like that one bit. And he doesn't like not knowing whether attacking means passing or failing. ] What reparations would they have demanded, had he taken action?
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[Theodora springs up, and taps on the front of the desk. From seemingly no where, a drawer slides out of the bottom, revealing a black dossier with Dracula's royal seal. More than that? It's thick.
She offers it to Trevor.]
Vlad and myself spent a good week making up scenarios and responses for you both to rely on. The answer is in scenario 20-B, and you're looking at a prisoner exchange or some kind of trade thing.
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[ He sighs and tenses again a little. It's safe for now, but- ugh.
The book, though. The book is interesting. He takes it, opening it and looking over Dracula's writing. 20-B refers to a list later in the book, a list of peoples who Trantoul might demand in an exchange, and when he checks that-
There are other names there, of course. Political dissidents living among groups like the speakers who they'd see returned for trial. Prisoners who fled across the border. But there at the top of the list - Trevor Belmont.
To his credit, he doesn't react at all as he reads it. ]
I suppose that if you had a way of telling the innocents from the spies, you would have told our Lord long before now.
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[Theodora watches as Trevor leafs through the book. Hums softly. Lets him read because some of the things in there are a little personal. Raw.
That he doesn't react is absolutely commendable.]
Check the appendix for scenario 20, the list of likely suspects is there, along with their identities.
[She smiles, satisfied.]
We did try and anticipate.
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[ More names. Some he knows, others he doesn't. He scans over it before closing the book for the moment. He can read this without Theodora in the room. He doesn't need to waste her time like this. ]
What do- [ Another sigh, this one longer and heavier. ] -what do you think they will do, if they judge him to be more merciful than his father? I can't advise him to execute people I suspect to be innocent just because they got caught up in this. But if continuing his father's policies is the only way to keep him safe...
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The long game will be to make incursions in already tense filled areas and start a few skirmishes to either take areas they believe should be theirs, or use those to start a longer war if Dracula remains away longer. This all predicates itself on Faerie's time not aligning correctly with our own.
The medium game will be to convert, and so if the Prince does nothing about the matter, Dracula will hvae to and it will be a bloodier spectacle - made worse by Her Majesty's return and the knowledge she'd be appalled by the action.
Short game? That's just to judge him. It's likely that if he maintains all of Dracula's policies, then our neighbors will not be inclined to play their longer games. Or if they are, they'll wait a little.
[It's unpleasant.]
Belmont, we all know the Prince isn't inclined to carry out these policies, Dracula included. It was one of the things we discussed at the outset of this quest, and he only did it because to appoint anyone who wasn't blood was to invite real revolution. The best thing I can advise right now is to create a small investigative group that keeps an eye on these things and can funnel trials through the courts in order to do more routine executions that have no need for royal interference.
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[ That's the major takeaway from this. It shouldn't be, but so many things that should not be are. His face shouldn't light up as much as it does, especially considering the task he's setting himself. All that matters is that the work is carried out. ]
He need not even know, unless the matter gets out of hand.
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[Theodora is firm on that.]
He cannot be ignorant of anything in this kingdom.
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[ And shit again, because he shoudn't be swearing at the ambassador. Oops. ]
-you didn't hear that.
[ Nailed it. He takes a deep breath, looks at the closer book, then pushes it to one side. ]
If he needs to know, then Dracula's policies will be coming to an end. We replace them with exile and a brand. Execution will be the punishment dealt only to those who are found to be already branded when caught.
And you tell them this upon your return. Let them know that we don't consider our Prince's mercy a weakness to be hidden.
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[Theodora considers all of this. But her response is not to any of Trevor's proposals, but to something she doubts he's considered before.]
Belmont. I am sure you have already given extensive thought to what this position will demand of the Prince. But have you thought about what it is going to demand of you, and turn you into? Especially this one?
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