Note: Now onto Season 4
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Cristine
For most of these past weeks or months or so, Adrien(or Alucard rather) and I had been doing almost nothing more than making love. We've been starting to talk again like we used to. Even though we became closer, I felt like something was missing in our new life or something that wasn't right. It felt like something was happening soon, something big. Possibly more than one thing. But it wasn't just that either, recently I have been getting strange dreams. Not like nightmares as terrifying as they would be to anyone, but it was more like someone was calling me or telling me something. I was at a loss at this point. I have been wanting to tell Alucard about these things but I could never really find the words to describe them.
However, I still enjoyed the things as they are now with Alucard. It was almost enough to distract me from those thoughts.
But as time passed, the thoughts became worse, they were even becoming nightmares.
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One night, after "performing" one of our little intimate rituals, we lay together in his bed in our usual positions. I would lay my head on his chest and place my hand on his heart, while he had his arm around my waist and held my hand with his free one.
Normally, I would just fall asleep then and there, but I couldn't. I was too troubled with the many thoughts going through my head. I didn't want to see them in my dreams again.
" What's wrong?", I heard a familiar voice say that brought me back to reality.
" Hm?", I looked up to where I heard the voice. Of course, the voice belonged to my darling Alucard, who was currently looking down at me with a serious but concerned look on his face.
" Something's on your mind, I can tell.", he responded.
" How can you tell?", I asked him with my head slightly tilted to the side.
" Well for starters, you haven't been smiling as often as you used to; even though it was likely caused back when Taka and Sumi were still breathing, you have been up at night longer than usual, and you're not eating as much, not to mention that you've been talking in your sleep recently.", he told me," You've been doing that for a while now."
The corner of my lips turned to a frown as I laid my head on his chest again. I could already feel that he was looking at me with more concern as I felt his hand grasp a little more tightly on my own but he still was gentle with me as he always was with me.
" A lot of things have been going through my head. I have been feeling strangely a little scared...", I told him truthfully as I turned my head to him," Like something coming soon... Possibly a lot of things. Even my dreams are telling me."
" Describe them to me if you can.", he told me in his usual gentle tone," Or at least one of them, I don't like it when you are troubled."
" Well, one of them was like this: I was back at the cottage, but as before I was alone. I was just getting out of my bed and wearing nothing but white as if I was about to be married, only there was no ring nor anything floral. You weren't even there, nobody was.," I started in a gentle tone but also tried to think of the words to describe it," The sky was all dark outside, not even stars were out. But there was a fire in the distance. I walked out of the cottage to investigate, but when I did the forest was decaying; turning into ashes and blood into the air as I got closer."
" And what was going on when you found the location?", he asked as we repositioned ourselves. I sat myself up before he followed suit. He scooted himself back until his back was against the bedframe. He pulled me in and held me in his arms.
I leaned into him and rubbed my cheek against his chest. I smiled a little after feeling him peck my forehead. It made it easier to find the words to describe the rest of my nightmare.
" When I got to the location... It was where the castle was located, only the castle wasn't there... Only the fire from the distance, but it wasn't just one.", I continued.
" How many were there?", he asked," Were they burning stakes?"
" Yes, many burning stakes. There were many people tied to them too, they were all turning into a crisp. But somehow, none of them were screaming... It was like they gave up on that, even looking like they accepted their fate.", I continued," But strangely, there were seven that were very close together, but they were so burnt that I couldn't tell what their last moments were. I couldn't tell if they screamed, struggled, or anything in that matter. Then, I heard strange chanting from behind me. When I looked back there was a hooded figure in bright red with a veil covering its face. It stopped chanting once in front of me. I asked who the figure was but I was not answered. Instead, it reached its black-boney hand out to me and then only said one word."
" What was it?", he asked me.
" Come.", I answered.
" 'Come'? Just that?", he responded," What else happened? Did you take the hand?".
I shook my head a no, gently against his scarred but still broad chest." I woke up after that.", I answered. I then heard an "ah" come from him in response. We were then silent again for the next moment.
" What a grim dream, but I am sure that it was only a dream rather than anything more.", he stated," But if not, then I will do whatever in my power to end it or at least make it easier."
A smile was brought to my face after hearing that. Lifted my head to face him then placed a hand on his cheek to turn his direction towards mine.
" You don't always have to look out for me, what happened to me before is gone.", I whispered," But I am glad to know that you care."
Alucard smiled back as he took the hand on his cheek and said," I'd make a poor excuse of a lover otherwise.". His lips pressed against the palm of my hand gently before being placed on his chest above his heart.
Leaning forward, I pressed my lips against his. I could have sworn that I could feel him smiling underneath it. Not that it mattered, besides I was smiling too.
My eyelids were half-closed after only pulling away slightly, and his eyes were half-closed as well. I playfully nuzzled my nose against his. I then laid my head on his chest, hearing the steady rhythm of his beating heart. His fingers were lightly stroking my hair, my shoulder, and down my waist. I could be in that position with him forever if we could.
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Next morning...
I was by the river with Alucard, collecting some berries and vegetables while he collected the water. We both unspokenly decided to share the burden of survival since it we both knew it was unfair for one to do everything while the other did either nothing or almost nothing.
As I was just about finished collecting the food, I glanced over at Alucard. I couldn't help but smile at him, even just the mere sight of him brought me a sense of joy.
After he collected the water, I immediately turned away from him with a shy smile since I felt like he would have caught me staring at him. I then began to walk back to the castle with the basket of berries and vegetables. I could hear his footsteps catching up to mine.
" You seem happy.", I hear him state.
" Hm?", I hummed looking up at him," Oh, I am happy. This the happiest I have ever been."
He looked down at me and chuckled with one of his sweetest smiles." I've been happier too.", he told me.
As we got to the castle, my smile disappeared when I saw those impaled creatures and corpses. I averted my eyes from them by looking down as I walked. Though Adrien did do this to keep other intruders from coming here, I still felt frightened of them even the two human corpses still affected me." I know they frighten you, my love.", I heard Alucard say as we walked the steps and stop at the door," But this to keep outsiders from getting the wrong idea. I don't want what happened before to happen again."
" I know.", I responded with a nod. He set the two buckets of water aside he placed a hand on my shoulder while the other held my cheek, making me look up at him. " Besides, we need to be more cautious in times like these.", he added before giving me a gentle kiss on the forehead," I promise you that soon I will take them down and neither of us would ever have to see them again."
I leaned into his touch more and held his hand." I hope so.", she responded.
Just when we are about to kiss each other's lips, we hear something in the distance approaching. As we turn our heads to look, Alucard removed his hand from my cheek and wrapped his arm around me from behind. For a moment, I thought it was a night creature. But I was relieved when proven wrong when a horse approaches with something laying on its' back.
" What's that?", I asked, pointing to the limp form on the horse's back.
" Not a 'what', love. A 'who'.", he corrected me before answering," And I am not sure who.".
He went down the steps and approached the panicked horse. He stroked its mane before observing the body.
I gasped when I saw the blood and when I saw that the body was missing a few parts. It was an awful sight to see.
Alucard didn't have a problem with it, he was used to sights like these. He picked up a hand of the body which had something tied to it. Alucard slips it out of the strings that tied it to the hand and unfolds it.
" To the Alucard of the castle,", he began to read before commenting," God sakes, why am I 'the Alucard' now?"
I tilted my head a little, wondering the same thing. Why 'THE'? "Alucard" is not even a title.
" To the Alucard of the castle,", he repeated before continuing to read," We the people of Denasti, beg your aid. Night creatures, vampires, and terrible demons assault us and we know not why. Our defenses weaken and our numbers dwindle. Please, sir, save our souls."
This was a desperate message. The fellow died just to deliver it. I began to feel sorry for the soul after hearing what it said.
He turned the letter and muttered something I couldn't hear." Perhaps we should bury him.", he turned his head towards me after I made the suggestion.
" And we will, he shouldn't be rotting on this poor creature.", he responded as he turned his attention back to the body and removes it from the horse," Do get the shovel, love.". I gave him a nod and then rushed inside to get one.
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An hour and a half later...
We were just about done burying the man, upon a hill by a tree. We thought it would be more suitable for him.
We headed back inside the castle. I followed him to the armory and watched him by the door as he searched for his sword and shield.
" How long will you be gone?", I asked him.
" The village is about ten miles from here, so it will likely take a few hours there and back.", he responded as he keeps searching.
" So, not until tomorrow then?", I asked even though I already knew the answer.
" Yes.", he answered, though I am sure he knew that he didn't need to. I frowned a little and turned my head away from him.
" Cristine...", his steps towards me echoed in the room a bit as he called out to me in a gentle tone," It will be alright.".
He turned my head towards him by grabbing my chin between his thumb and index finger." They need someone who knows how to fight creatures.", he added.
" It's not that... I just...", I tried to find the words to explain my worries to him," What if it takes longer than that? What if you're dead or taken away? What if--?".
" Cristine.", he interrupted in his usually calm tone and held both sides of my face," It will be alright. Let me show you something."
He removed his hands from my face and took one of my hands. He led me out of the armory. He took me from hallway to hallway until we found a strange-looking room in the castle. It looked like some sort of study for magic, but I wasn't too sure. But in the center of the room was a large stone put and floating shards of glass. That was until it formed into a mirror.
He pointed to the mirror and told me," This mirror will show whatever it is you ask. If I return by morning, you will not need it. If I do not return in two days or more, then something is wrong or something else has happened. You may use this mirror to see. Understand?".
I nodded my head a yes as my answer. I then wrapped my arms around him to embrace him, he hugged me back. I nuzzled into his chest to hear his heart. It still was at a steady rhythm. It soothed me to hear it. I was even more soothed when I felt his arms around me and stroking my long dark Auburn hair.
He then pulled away from the embrace and kissed my lips. Our foreheads then touched for a small bit. I lift a hand and then stroked his cheek.
" I promise you that I will return to you by tomorrow.", he told me in a gentle tone.
" How can you be sure?", I asked, still worried over how he would.
" There will be nothing in this world or any other world that can keep me from you. No temptress, no mountain, no sea, nor demon ever will keep me from you.", he told me before placing his hand on mine that held his cheek," You are the only one who will own my heart. This I promise, my love."
He then tugged me into another kiss, only this one was deeper. I leaned into the kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck.
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I stood by the front door as I watched him depart. Just before entering the woods, he turned back to me. I waved a farewell to him and tried to smile for him. He waved back at me as well. I could easily tell that he was trying to smile too, even from afar. He then turned back to the woods before walking away again. That's when my smile disappeared and then went back inside the castle. I felt alone again even after only a short amount of time when Alucard departed. I was worried about him again already. I guess that's just what love does to a person.