Alucard
It was midnight and the moon shone bright, the silent breeze moved around and the night walkers came alive. Alucard sat limply on his horse as he arrived at the manor, the guards opened the gates and Salvador welcomed him.
He was tired from his travels and hadn't had a good rest for weeks. After the wedding he was summoned for a council meeting with the war lords and his father. There was a war coming, said to be a rebellion by their sister kingdom, Redwood. He never thought they'd decide to go against his father, he was their king after all, but greed always led to dangerous terms.
They had sat together gathering tribal alis and planning the war. It could happen anytime, in months or years, but being prepared was crucial.
He sighed and sat quietly on the bed, making sure not to wake her. He looked at her for a moment, he hadn't seen her since the wedding. She looked calm and innocent, her brows furrowed slightly, maybe she was having a dream. Her hair was the first thing he spotted when he walked in, it was like it shone together with the moon. Pure, unstained, righteous.
Seeing her reminded him of his father's words after their last meeting.
"Come to Noctis, we have important matters to discuss"
He knew what he was going to talk about, Kaitlyn. It had been almost a month and time was running out, he knew that, but fulfilling a duty wasn't as easy as the old man thought. He sighed in frustration, confused on what to do, how to start. He could only watch her, taking peace from her calm state. He watched her quietly till morning.
****
As morning came, he and Salvador began their journey to Noctis. As they sat quietly in the carriage, Alucard remembered the shocked expression on Kaitlyn's face and chuckled, it was priceless.
" You seem amused about something.. or someone?" Salvador said " penny for your thoughts?" He asked, smiling.
" Telling you my thoughts will be my misery." Alucard smirked.
" She looked really upset, you know, you only came back last night and now you're out again."
" It's important, besides, I'll be back this evening." Alucard sighed.
" what are you going to tell him, when you get there?"
" I'm not sure. I just wish he'd give me more time."
" You've already let a month pass by Alucard, time is running out."
" I know, but it's not as easy as you think. But I only wasted time so she'd get comfortable, but it still takes time. She's too fragile and delicate, she's human, and she already hates me. She doesn't even know who we are yet, or what her destiny is…"
" I know you're frustrated about this.. but the people aren't as considerate as you are. It is your duty and it'll make the people respect you more when you become king."
" So you're saying I should just do it without thinking?, what if she doesn't die, she'll only despise us even more." Salvador sighed and turned to Alucard,
" You know I'll always support you, Alucard, and your consideration is good. But I will not choose a preference when it comes to your duty. If you think you can convince your father for more time then you'll have to make good use of it. You might be his son, but Balthazar has the patience of a tiger."
Alucard sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. Doing his duty wasn't as easy as they thought. He had to choose between his people and the girl who seemed too good to be broken.
They soon arrived at Noctis and the carriage stopped at the palace. Alucard stared at his home with mixed feelings. He wasn't exactly happy, it was more of frustration and anxiety, he was exhausted.
" Let's go in?" Salvador asked,
" Yeah" He nodded and walked inside the palace.
The place had stood for centuries, a relic and a home passed down the Veynar bloodline. It stood tall to the clouds, the dark walls had scraped paint and little growing weeds on the tiles. Old but considered a monument, Veynar's citadel.
It had been his home for as long as he remembered, and was supposed to be a home for his family and the families of his brothers. The citadel was never too small, they said it grew as the families grew.
Maids welcomed them and they immediately went up the spiral stairs to the top room where Balthazar was. He had told the maids not to inform anyone about their arrival, he wasn't in the mood to see his brothers.
As they reached the top room, he knocked and waited. A lady soon came out of the room and bowed politely to them before walking away. He immediately knew what was going on inside, he didn't miss the dazed expression in the lady's eyes.
" I'll be down stairs when you're done." Salvador said to him and walked away. Sighing he walked into the room to see his father sitting on a chair and wiping his hands with a napkin. Alucard made himself comfortable on a chair opposite his father's and smiled faintly,
" She looked innocent," he said. The old man dropped the napkin on a small stool and adjusted his seat. He looked straight at Alucard with no expression,
" aren't they all?." He asked. Alucard shook his head and took a better look at his father. He was old, white streaks had almost taken most of his dark mane, his skin even paler and his posture a little slouched. The only thing prominent were his blood red eyes, although they looked tired.
" I thought you'd stopped tormenting the innocent"
" Tormenting is a rather harsh word don't you think?. All I do is make them surrender to my terms… I'm a king after all." Balthazar smiled coyly and Alucard chuckled. He hadn't changed at all. Balthazar Veynar, god of torment and temptation.
The old man relaxed on his chair, the smile on his face, disappeared as his eyes locked on Alucard.
" I did not ask you here for jokes, Alucard."