Dracula's Enchantress - Alucard x OC (Hellsing: Ultimate)

III

"For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of men as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower of thereof falleth away. But my words will endure forever."

It happened almost a century ago, but memory was still clear in his mind. Dawn was the time he had lost everything; his power had been stripped from him, his soldiers had fallen, and he was forbade from having the woman he desired. The moment the wooden stake drove into his heart, he knew that he couldn't deny it anymore. The title of the notorious Count Dracula had been destroyed by the hands of Abraham Van Helsing.

"Have I been... defeated?" he asked quietly. Weak and tired; he no longer had the energy to stand up and continue the battle. A pathetic sight it was.

"That's right, you have been defeated." declared the man hovering over him. "This is no nightmare from which you'll soon awaken. Gone is your castle and principality. Your loyal minions - dead to the last. The Host's mark, too, leaves her precious flesh. She shall never become yours." With his clenched fish raised up high, Van Helsing threw a punch at the stake wedged into Dracula's chest, causing him to cry out in agony. The victor of the battle grabbed the collar of the vampire's cape, forcing him to face him as he shouted, "Count, you have nothing left! You pathetic No Life King! You've nothing! Nothing!"

The disgraced vampire, too weak and too tired, could only take in whatever words thrown at him, as he felt his eyes shut, letting himself be consumed by the darkness and his bitter loss.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and stared ahead blankly as the vivid nightmare began to fade away, clearing up his mind. One of his gloved hands reached up to his eyes that shed bloody tears, staining the tips as a tear rolled down his cheeks before dripping onto his palm.

"A dream?" he muttered to himself with disbelief. "I was dreaming?" He clenched his teeth and let out a low growl when he realised that he had remembered the past. "How absurd."

"Then why do you weep if it seems nothing to you?" came a soft, silvery voice.

He quickly looked towards the source, and his eyes slightly widened with surprise, for he wasn't expecting her to visit him. No matter how long they'd been together, and had seen each other's worst state of themselves, he didn't like the fact that he had shown this side of him to his lover. He didn't want her to see him as a weakling who had let his past haunt him in his sleep. He was the No Life King, and Kings never show weakness to their Queens.

But he knew better than to lie to his lover. And so, he looked into her worried eyes, and lowly said, "Forgive me, my Queen. I didn't mean to worry you."

Frida, in her dark purple long-sleeved gown, gave him a small smile before making her way towards him. As soon as she was close to him, he let her to sit on his lap as his arms wrapped around her back, and she reached up to wipe away the crimson tears on his cheeks. "You have nothing to apologise, my King." she assured tenderly. "But I wish to know what dream had made you shed tears, and if there's anything I can do to ease your broken heart."

Alucard may had had the entire world condemning his very existence, but being able to feel her warmth in this cold, accursed world was more than enough for him to continue his immortal life. No, it wasn't only because she cared about him and wanted to make him feel better. It was mainly because she loved him, unconditionally. It was completely different than his relationship with the other women in the past, for it was all about lust over love. Besides their beauty, their intoxicating blood was the only thing that attracted him. Nothing else.

But with Frida, even though she had both traits that attracted him, he was able to be emotionally naked. From the deep conversations they had during their night strolls, he found himself sharing more things than he shouldn't have, being able to show her the weaker side of him, treating her more gently and tenderly, and soon, he realised that he loved her not because of her blood or beauty or both, but it was because he was able to find someone who was able to understand and accept him as a whole.