#not the flower details i added agai-

[themeliona]

On the way to the Show🍕✨

[a-deadly-serenade]

The Shield and the Sword: Chapter 3: Blue Sheets & Family Mystique [Alucard/Reader]

You’re a witch that is skilled in herbology, one that has been persecuted by the church for practically your entire life. In spite of this, moving throughout different towns has allowed you to pick up some chatter about a woman in a village called Lupu. She is supposed to be a wonder when it comes to medicine, and this immediately perks up your interest. So after plucking up some courage, you’ve made it to her door… hoping that she takes you as her apprentice.

ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16724856

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“Here we are!”

Lisa pushed open the door to your bedroom, and your heart swelled at the sight.

It was almost as big as the family room of your childhood home, and it was covered in celeste blue wallpaper that had a pattern of tiny silver lily’s etched into it. Two large windows stood on either side of a beautiful antique desk, and a framed painting of a quaint countryside hung above.

A large ornate bed sat against the wall, and its dark wooden bed posts reached nearly to the ceiling, even the headboard took your breath away.

An intricate carving of a fairy brought a smile to your face. Her head rested against her forearms, eyes downcast and serene as she looked at the flowers and vines that spiraled and curled around her. You recognized them as plants that helped with sleeping, such as chamomile, english ivy, gardenia, and jasmine.

You reached out to touch the bed and were delighted to find a thick, blue cotton comforter with white satin sheets underneath. A frayed white bed skirt surrounded the entire frame, which made it look almost as if you were sleeping on a cloudy blue sky.

A thin, almost translucent veil fell from the tops of the bedposts at the end of the bed, and you guessed that the sheen would be able to obscure your sleeping form, if you chose to keep it closed.

There was a small, pitch colored nightstand to the right, and you gaped at the sight of the nearby armoire. It towered over you, and you admired the craftsmanship, the impressive curves and edges of the wood being quite the sight to behold.

It was absolutely lovely, and the thought passed through your mind that you were undeserving of such a lavish space. But you knew that Lisa, and now Vlad, would fight tooth and nail till you accepted it, so you swallowed your doubt.

“Well? What do you think?”

The discovery of a door hindered you from answering Lisa’s question, and when you pushed it open, you found that you had your own personal bathroom as well, and it was just as extravagant as the bedroom.

You turned back to Lisa, and wiped away a tear that had managed to escape (much to your chagrin). “This…. this is all so much Lisa, I can’t thank you enough.” your voice is slightly hoarse, and you melt under her touch as she walks over to give you a hug.

“Like I said, you are a part of my family now,” she stroked your hair and bopped the tip of your nose with her finger. “And my family deserves the best.”

She hummed softly to herself before she took a firm grip of your hand. “It’s getting late, darling. Why don’t you get some rest, and we can begin our studies in the morning?”

With all of the excitement that had happened in one day, it was only then that you realized how utterly exhausted you were. You rubbed your eyes with the back of your hands, and heard Lisa chuckle.

“See? Mother’s intuition,” she joked, and gave your hand one final reassuring squeeze before she started to trek towards your bedroom door.

She said one last goodnight, before you heard the door shut with a quiet click.

You let out a huff, and dug through the contents of your satchel, all the while mumbling of how much of a mess it was.

“Aha!”

Your elated cry rang out through the quiet room as you found what you had been looking for: a lavender scented candle, homemade, of course. You shrugged off your stuffy shawl and went to throw it on the floor, before you decided to not be a complete slob, and instead placed it inside the wardrobe.

“Huh… right,” you muttered, when greeted by a completely empty armoire. “I don’t actually have that many clothes….” an irritated sound rumbled in the back of your throat, but you settled to deal with that issue in the morning.

You crawled into bed, and your assumption from earlier had been right. It did feel like laying on clouds. With a snap of your fingers the candle was lit, and the waves of fresh lavender quickly lulled you to sleep.

Bright white light unexpectedly streaming into your room is what finally managed to rouse you from your deep slumber.

You let out a loud groan, and made quick haste to duck under the blankets to protect your sensitive eyes from the harsh morning glow of the sun.

“Rise and shine!”

Your head peeks out from under the sheets to find Lisa standing at the foot of your bed, hands on her hips.

She had a determined look in her eyes, and clapped her hands together. “Come on! It’s time to get up!”

You groggily sat up, slightly dazed from being woken up so abruptly. “What time is it?”

“The sun has been up for almost two hours now. It’s time for you to eat something so that we can get started on the day.”

Right. You were to begin studying today.

Lisa cleared her throat and brought your attention back to her, for she had moved to stand in the doorway. “Freshen up if you’d like, but you better be quick about it. I don’t want your breakfast getting cold.”

With that, she disappeared down the hallway and you fumbled out of bed to get ready as fast as possible.

As you stumbled into the bathroom, you were shocked to find anything and everything that you could ever need from a hairbrush to soap to fresh towels. When did those get there?

No matter. You splashed some water on your face and brushed through the tangles in your hair, trying your best to look at least presentable. A grimace formed on your lips when it dawned on you that none of the clothes you had brought were very clean, nor did they seem to fit the posh fashion everyone inside Castlevania sported.

You nervously nibbled on your thumbnail while you began to pace around the room. It wasn’t the end of the world if you asked Lisa to borrow some of her clothes. You doubted that she would be bothered by it… it would just be temporary, until you found the time to make them yourself.

Your footsteps came to a halt in front of your armoire, and you thought it best to take out your dirty clothes that you had shoved in there so that they could at least be washed.

You count yourself lucky that you were currently the only one in the room the moment you opened those doors, for the expression you made would certainly be one that any sensible person would never let you forget.

It was filled with vestments, and not just the extravagant dresses you assumed families of this stature would wear. You spotted an array of lovely tops and pants, and you thanked the stars that was the most common outfit inside. When you reached out to touch them, you assumed they were made of cotton, and discovered a few dresses amongst it all, alongside scarves, shawls, gloves, and several pairs of unworn shoes.

You were absolutely baffled . Where had all of this come from? You could only assume it had been Lisa, but it was impossible for you to fathom that she just happened to have such an assortment of unused garments.

Still in mild shock, you grabbed a pair of brown pants and a yellow long-sleeved shirt and gave them a curious sniff. They smelled of daisies and crisp, fresh water, with just the hint of grass. You remained in utter disbelief as you put it on, mind abuzz with so many questions that you hoped Lisa would answer over breakfast.

You shut your bedroom door with a gentle tug, and as you began to walk down the long hallway, you silently hoped that you’d be able to rely on your memory to make it back to the front entrance of the castle.

However, you found yourself getting distracted by the many paintings that hung on the walls. They were all encased in ornate gold frames, and a variety of motifs graced the canvases. Some were small portraits, some were of landscapes found around Romania, and others were of towering, detailed figures that you could only guess were relatives of the family.

One in particular made you stop in your tracks.

It was easy to recognize Vlad in the middle, but… you could tell that he looked slightly different, almost a little younger. You hadn’t the faintest clue who the women standing beside him were, although the woman to the right’s golden eyes caught your attention, and it was then that you realized she had been in the other painting you spotted on the way to the library yesterday evening.

Even though you weren’t one to make assumptions, you could only guess that she had to be related to Vlad somehow, seeing as she had long black hair, and golden eyes like Adrian. The dress she wore for the portrait was beautiful, a dark red that clung exquisitely to her form, and her long nails, painted a startling silver color, shimmered like knives in the morning light.

The other woman was much older, her hair the color of starlight and eyes as rich as the beryl’s adorned around her neck and fingers. A white sheer shawl was wrapped around her shoulders that accentuated the slim golden dress she wore, its long sleeves draping across the side of the chair that Vlad sat upon.

You noted, with some amusement, that despite her intimidating expression, golden wreaths dusted with sapphires danced amongst the strands of her long hair, adding just the right amount of whimsy to her depiction.

“I was beginning to wonder if you had gotten lost.”

A gasp trapped itself in your throat as the unexpected greeting caught you off guard, the palm of your hand pressed against your chest in an attempt to steady the erratic beating of your heart.

You felt your cheeks heat up as Adrian laughed, obviously finding your embarrassment entertaining. “I’m curious as to what you find so amusing.”

He wore a smirk on his lips and said nothing, his arms folded across his chest while he gazed up at the portrait. “They are quite the pair, are they not?”

“Was it presumptuous of me to assume that they’re all related?” His eyes glittered, a look of surprised satisfaction shining in the mirthy gold. “You’re quite astute. The woman with the black hair is my aunt, Stefana. She’s a rather spirited individual, but she’s always treated us kindly.”

“She’s very beautiful.” “Don’t tell her that,” Adrian chuckled. “She might snatch you up if you do.”

“Keen for compliments?”

“Let’s just say she has a soft spot for the female form.”

You smiled, happy that Adrian felt comfortable enough around you to talk about his family life. “And who’s on the left?”

“Father tells me that she is his cousin, so I believe she would be my first cousin once removed. It’s kind of a convoluted mess when I really think about it.”

“I know how that feels,” you replied. “Back home, my mother or grandmother would say that someone was related to us in a way, even though I’m positive they weren’t.”

“Why would they do that?”

“I suppose it was just so I could feel closer to them, give me a reason not to shy away from those I was unfamiliar with in my coven. It worked, we all held each other in our hearts… as though we were just a large family…” your voice trailed off as melancholy drew its wings around you, saddened by the connection you had just made.

A jolt travelled through your body as Adrian placed a hand on your shoulder, almost as if you had been shocked. The action was so sudden, and so unexpected, that you almost drew away from him, but you managed to stop yourself.

“I apologize if this discussion upset you in any way. You looked as though you desired answers while you gazed upon this painting, so, I thought–”

“No! It’s alright!” you blurted out. “I was interested! I just… I just got a little caught up in the past is all, don’t worry about it.” you gave the hand on your shoulder a reassuring squeeze, bemused at his almost flustered reaction.

“Yes… well, like I was saying,” he drew his hand back, opting to put the both of them behind him as he resumed his explanation. “She is my first cousin once removed. Her name is Dumitra, and she is… how can I put this delicately?”

“An absolute horror?”

The both of you whipped around to find Lisa at the end of the hallway, her hair up in a high bun and sporting a white apron dotted with stains.

“Honestly, I leave you alone for ten minutes, expecting you to make your way down to eat some breakfast, and where do I find you? Musing over some paintings.” she gave an exasperated sigh, before a smile slowly found its way back onto her visage. “Well, I suppose it’s not a total loss,” she joined the two of you under the towering stares of the three vampires. “This is a beautiful painting. Look how handsome my husband looks.”

Her comment caused her son to let out an annoyed groan, to which she just laughed at in response.

“You interrupt me to gush over father?”

“Why shouldn’t I? He looks dashing in this portrait.”

You could not help the giggles that managed to escape you at the charming display between Adrian and Lisa. It was innocuous moments like this that you had missed since living on your own.

“Stefana looks wonderful here too. It’s been a mo’ since she’s come ‘round to visit.”

“You know how busy she is, having to look after Caliacra. Not to mention, father tells me that she’s found a new beau.”

“Really?” Lisa gave a delighted little hum. “It’s about time. I thought that other woman she’d been with was simply dreadful.”

“As dreadful as Dumitra?”

“Oh no,” she scoffed. “It’s impossible for anyone to be as unbearable as her.”

“Lisa,” you interjected. “Why do you hate Dumitra so much?”

She froze for a moment, as if collecting her thoughts, before she tried to wave off the question. “Oh, darling, I do not wish to bore you with familial semantics.”

“That’s unfair, mother.” Adrian said.

“How so?”

“You said that she’d be a part of the family now, isn’t that right?” Adrian’s fangs gleamed in the sunlight as his voice lilted with a teasing tone.

“I… yes, I suppose you’re correct–” “So shouldn’t she know why Dumitra is so insufferable?”

“Since you’re so eager to talk to her, maybe you should explain?” Lisa challenged back, her own smirk finding refuge on her face when she saw Adrian’s cheeks tinge a slight pink.

He quickly regained composure however, and turned his attention back to you. “Dumitra is… an ancient vampire. I remember asking her when I was much younger how old she really was, and father had to intervene before she gave me a right good slap.”

“Yes, I remember that,” Lisa muttered to herself, mouth contorted into a grimace.

“Did you get an answer?” you joked, and Adrian gave you a playful look in return.

“My father has lead me to believe that she’s even older than he is, which I find exceptionally terrifying.”

“I was told that Dracula was where all vampires came from?” you question. “At least, that’s what I’ve read in some books.”

Lisa shook her head. “No, my husband is simply a vampire–albeit a very well lived and powerful one.”

“Dumitra could have beaten my father during her glory days,” Adrian mused, and moved his hand to point at her. “They are not visible here, but she has an array of scars on her back that she displays proudly. She totes them as a trophy of surviving one of the first vampire hunters.”

“Vampire hunters? I never knew such a thing existed.”

Adrian nodded. “Oh yes. There’s a particular clan that tends to give our kind some trouble. Even Stefana has scars on her arms from holy water burns. Although, I believe they’ve been covered up by some lovely henna work done by one of father’s generals. What was her name?”

Lisa bit her lip in contemplation before her face lit up. “Raman! Oh she is such a sweetheart. I saw her a few weeks ago!”

“You don’t say? Nevertheless, being such an… old fashioned woman, Dumitra has had a problem with not only me, but my mother as well.”

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, wondering how anyone could possibly dislike Lisa in any sort of capacity. “Why is that?”

“Well,” Lisa replied, before she shrugged her shoulders. “She is not exactly a fan of the fact that I am human.”

“Is that bad?”

“Certain vampires,” Adrian interjected. “No, let me amend that: most vampires only see humans as fodder, food for the supposed superior race to feast on.”

Your stomach turned at the thought, but it made you remember how much some of your coven hated vampires. A specific memory came to the forefront of your mind, of some younger girls expressing their outright fear towards them. They had shown you the amulets and charm bags that they had created for the sole purpose of repelling these creatures of the night, and that their mothers had even gone so far to inscribe magical runes onto the walls of their home.

“You appear as though you’ve had experience with these types of vampires.” Lisa said, which snapped you out of your train of thought.

You shook your head no. “Fortunately I have not, but I do recall several younger witches being deathly afraid of them. I am always one to judge something myself, especially when it comes to supernatural beings; they must be treated with respect. But I cannot deny being especially careful when it came to walking through the nearby woods on my own.”

Adrian let out a delighted little hum as you said this. “Your intuition is quite remarkable, mother. I cannot think of a more suited person to work with you.”

The compliment caused you to blush, and your eyes darted back to the painting to refrain from looking at the both of them.

“Look how flustered you made her, Adrian!” Lisa jokingly chastised, before she wrapped her hand around yours and gave it a gentle tug.

As you looked up at her with wide eyes, she gave you a delighted smile before she leaned down to whisper, “He’s right you know.”

“Lisa,” you whined, and she burst into laughter.

“Alright, alright, I’ll spare you from any further embarrassment,” she began leading the way down the hallway, both you and Adrian following her long strides.

It was only slightly humiliating that the distance between your bedroom and the kitchen was not only in the opposite direction that you had initially walked, but that it was insurmountably closer than you had originally anticipated.

The kitchen was equally as beautiful and wondrous as the rest of the house, with large windows that allowed for the sunlight to warm even the most northern brick that dotted along the floor. A large wooden table with plenty of luxurious plush chairs around its perimeter stood in the middle of the room and it was covered in a decadent array of food, from eggs to sausages, to bread and the finest local cheeses, to a very delicate tea set steaming with a fresh batch of what smelled like lavender tea.

Even the tea cups were magical, the most delicate of porcelain that had hand painted watercolor roses as their motif. A thin line of gold graced the rim, and made up the handle, a tiny plate with tiny pink roses lining the outside being its accompanying piece.

You were awestruck, your eyes as wide as the saucers in front of you. This looked like a feast fit for kings, and it was merely breakfast!

Lisa pushed you down into one of the chairs before you could begin berating her with thanks and telling her that she, “shouldn’t have done all this for you!”

The meal was as delicious as it looked, but something that surprised you more than the bountiful breakfast in your plate, was that Vlad was enjoying food with them as well, albeit, a much smaller amount than his wife and son.

You were a bit puzzled to say the least, as you had always heard that Dracula could not bare to be the sunlight, and you thought it was common knowledge that vampires get sick eating regular human food.

Vlad appeared to read your thoughts, a devilish smirk on his face as he took a sip of his golden goblet. “You seem to have several questions buzzing around in that head of yours, little one.”

You flushed, and averted your gaze, as you shoved a piece of bread into your mouth.

“There’s no need to be so bashful. I enjoy a curious mind.”

You looked over at Lisa for reassurance, and she gave you a kind smile and a nod of her head. Swallowing the bread you nearly choked down your throat, you took your attention instead to the bright morning sun that grazed his sharp features.

“I read that vampires cannot stand being in the sunlight?”

He hummed to himself. “Ah yes, a particularly popular rumor… I think Helsing had something to do with that,” he mused, but turned back to you after his moment to himself. “I can say that spending too much time in the sun could be harmful, but, sitting here, just barely out of its direct rays will not harm me.”

“I see,” you mumbled, and then focused on Adrian. “So, since you’re a dhampir, you can go in direct sunlight thanks to your mother, yes?”

“Exactly.” Vlad answered. “I like this one. She’s keen to pick up things.”

“I told you that she was a worthy apprentice!” Lisa sang as she gathered up the empty plates and cups. She placed them the large sink, using a large pump to get water to start running across them.

You walked over to her, offering your assistance, which Lisa greatly accepted. She decided to clean all of the dishes, and then hand them to you to dry.

As she held out a dripping plate for you, she gave you a nudge and a playful smile. “Once this is all cleaned up,” her eyes twinkled with excitement. “It’s about time that we head to the library and start studying, don’t you think?”

author’s note: hello everyone!! i’m BACK. i did not plan on having such a long break between chapters, but spring semester kicked my ass. but guess what? i Graduated Y'ALL. so guess who has time to work on a fic? this bitch. anyways, tysm to all of the new followers this has garnered in the past couple months. it really helps me stay encouraged to work on this, knowing that people like it so much!! i hope this chapter was worth the wait <3