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BYOT - AMoS Chapter 4-5
Title: A Moment of Stupidity Part 4: 1476 - 1535
Rating: R for language, and mentions of RAPE and M/M SLASH. Don't like, then don't read.
Disclaimer: Castlevania and its characters and situations are the sole property of Konami. I am making no money or profit off of this fanfiction and no copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: AU. What if Joachim Armster had lived through his fight with Leon Belmont? What might have been different? Well hang on, because Joachim is going to tell you all about it. From his kidnapping and forced turning to his rescue from the ruins of Walter's castle, and from Trevor's birth and to Richter's death of old age, he tells all - and blames it all on Leon while he's at it.
Section Summary: Part 4 covers Dracula's Curse to Trevor's death.
5.
Rest
Jonathon was laid to rest in the family cemetery behind the newer chapel on the east side of the property to the surprise of some that expected him to be buried in the clearing with Leon and Kalina.
"He said he didn't want to be placed there." Trevor told me after the funeral. "He said it was a special place, and that it wouldn't right for him to be buried there. I wanted to put him there anyway; I think he's deserving of it, but I decided it was best to respect his wishes instead." He leaned over and rested his head on the table, and I gently reached out and squeezed his shoulder in support.
I sometimes found it hard to believe that the Jonathon that led the family with a steady hand and defied everyone in making Trevor his heir had been the same Jonathon that had rushed off to kill Mathias without stopping to think about what he might have been facing. He had grown up into a man I was proud of, and Trevor had loved him dearly. I sighed and drank deeply of my mead, surprised at how much Jonathon's death ached. I had seen multiple generations of Belmonts come and go, but Jonathon's death affected me the strongest since Leon's passing years ago. I glanced over at Trevor and was struck by something I had never really thought of.
Like his ancestors, Trevor was mortal. In time, the child that I had raised as my own would grow old and die like those before him. Eventually, I would be attending his funeral like I had for so many others. I felt a lump rise in my throat at the thought of it and firmly told myself that Trevor was only 35; he had many more years ahead of him yet.
I dropped my hand from his shoulder as he raised his head, and I smiled faintly at him, but that smile abruptly vanished when I felt an intrusion onto my territory from its northern border, where it butted up against Actose's territory.
I stood up from the table. "I'm being invaded." was all I said before I bolted for the door. I morphed into my wolf shape and ran out of the wards and into the trees. As I passed them, I felt the tingle across my skin of the wards being raised to full power, but I ignored that as I streaked across my territory. I could still sense the intrusion, but whomever it was did not seem to be moving any further in for some reason. I then felt a second person cross over, and as I neared their position they retreated and vanished suddenly beyond my range to detect. When I arrived at the spot, just inside my border, where I had sensed it, no one was there. I stepped into the path between the borders and looked around, but I saw no one.
I frowned in annoyance as I backed up back to within my own borders, having no desire to turn my back to Actose's lands when I was so close to them. I didn't know who had invaded; with the path between us, it could have been anyone, not just Actose, but he was my prime suspect. He never bothered me, but his behavior when he did encounter each other made it clear that he was still obsessed with me. I really did not want to deal with him if he started up trying to get his hands on me again. He hadn't actively tried anything since his failed attempt to claim me at my first council meeting after Walter's death, but that didn't mean that he wasn't scheming something.
I returned home, a bit worried about who had crossed into my territory, but I tried not to let my worry show. Trevor knew to be wary of Actose if he ever encountered him, but he did not know just why Actose was to be feared. I hoped he would never find out.
It seemed though, that someone was indeed scheming something, because over the next several years, my territory was invaded several times. Each time though, the persons responsible retreated as I closed in, and no one was ever there when I arrived. I was pretty sure that it was Actose or his children, but since I never caught them in the act, I couldn't prove it and thus nothing could be done.
******
Trevor's children grew quickly as the years skipped by. When Jacob was nine and Isaiah was eight, he started their training, as well as any other boy in the clan that was old enough. All boys received hunter's training, as it was possible for any of them to become the next family head, and even if they didn't, they could assist in protecting surrounding area when needed. Jacob also received magical learning from his mother. Isaiah had also started to display magic, though it was subtly different than his brother's. Sypha believed that he had inherited the Cronqvist family magic and lamented that the Cronqvist Family Grimoire had been lost when Mathias first left the area. As for Bridget she, even at the age of five, had magical power that rolled about her constantly. It was clear that she was going to be very powerful, even more so than her mother.
Trevor wanted the Cronqvist Family Grimoire as well, though for a completely different reason than his wife. The Cronqvist family had created the Crimson Stone, and the instructions on how to do so were likely in the book. If they were, then those instructions likely hinted at a way to destroy the stone. Sadly though, Mathias had likely either taken the book with him after Walter's death, or he had destroyed it, putting it out of our reach.
By then Jacob looked like a miniature version of his father. Isaiah's hair was a little lighter, and his blue eyes had a great deal of gray in him, while his body structure seemed to be a blend of both of his parents. Bridget was also a mix of her parents, and she was was smaller than her brothers, but in no way could she be considered delicate. She was an absolute tomboy, and at the age of seven, she browbeat her father into giving her similar training as to what he had given her brothers. Trevor did so reluctantly, hoping all the while that she would grow bored of it and give it up, but she did not. She was very much like her mother in personality, and she thrived under the demanding work, much to the scandalized shock of the rest of the family. Mind you, there was a chance, a small one but still a chance, that she would become the next head of the family, especially if Sara chose her wielder like she had with Trevor.
Trevor hoped that it wouldn't come to that. Part of it was a father's desire to not see his little girl put into such a dangerous position, but part of it was also simply because he knew the family would give her more hell than they had ever given him. He knew better than to say that a woman couldn't do the job; Sypha would have castrated him for it.
******
In the summer of 1491, Trevor and the boys were out training, and it was Jacob's turn to handle the Vampire Killer when he began to speak to it like his father had years before. Trevor then confirmed that Sara had chosen Jacob as the next Hunter. Isaiah was a little downcast, but he cheered up when Jacob informed him that they could still go hunting together. Trevor agreed with that sentiment, and that winter, on Jacob's 14th birthday, Trevor officially announced Jacob as his apprentice. He still took them both out for training though, and Isaiah began to use his magic more than a weapon to deal damage. The approached worked as well for them as it had for their parents, especially when Bridget got in on the act with her own magic. Sometimes all five of them, Trevor, Sypha, and all three children, went out for week long training expeditions, leaving me to mind things while they were gone.
I was still little worried about what Actose could be planning, even though the invasions from his direction had stopped the year before. Just to be on the safe side, they avoided his territory. Ladislas, who had the largest territory in the area, was the preferred place to go, as he had mountains, valleys, forests, and all manner of different terrain to practice in. Every now and then, I would join then and act as the quarry. I made things easier for the sake of the children, but as they grew up, I increased the difficulty to keep things challenging. None of the younger vampires that they would be chasing would be as powerful as me, but the extra work did wonders for their skills.
The romps through the wilderness also helped to keep the bonds of family tight. There were some that expected jealousy to flare up between Jacob and his siblings, but it never appeared. As grueling as the training was, all three of them enjoyed it immensely, and they often helped each other to track me down that much faster.
******
In 1495, while visiting the farmer's market in the nearby town with her mother, Bridget became smitten with the 19 year old apprentice of the town physician. With Trevor's permission, they began courting, and the relationship between them quickly bloomed into a thing of beauty. Trevor was worried at how things were moving so quickly, but Sypha was quick to reassure him there.
"It's her magic, Trevor," she explained one night after Bridget had come home from a courting call practically floating. "Her magic had touched her young man and told her that he is the one. How do you think I knew so quickly that you were the one for me?"
"I suppose that means that I should be happy for her that she doesn't have to go through the heartbreak of finding out she was wrong then?" he asked her.
Sypha gave him a patient smile. "No, her magic won't steer her wrong, now let her follow her heart. You'll get a deliriously happy daughter, plus another son out of it."
Trevor sighed in defeat and asked to speak to Bridget alone. Of course, I wasn't there for that conversation, but even I heard Bridget's happy squeal from my house, so I can imagine what Trevor had to say.
The following summer, in 1496, Bridget married in the Belmont chapel. To Sypha's delight, her new son-in-law, Edwin, happily took Belnades as his name, and Bridget dropped the Belmont from her own name. Trevor tried to hide his damp eyes during the ceremony, especially as he walked his daughter down the isle, but Bridget spotted them, and I heard her whisper something to her father when he brought her to the altar to stand beside Edwin. Whatever she said made him smile, and he stood to the side, ignoring the occasional tear that slipped down his cheek.
Sypha made no attempt to hide her own tears, but she smiled through then during the entire ceremony, and she made sure to catch a dance with her new son-in-law during the reception that followed. After the party was over, Bridget and Edwin retired to a house that had been built for them, while Trevor and Sypha tried to ignore how empty the house seemed without her.
Eleven months later, Bridget gave birth to a daughter that she and Edwin named Helen. It was clear that Helen had inherited her mother and grandmother's power when she blew out every candle in the birthing room after taking her first breath. Sypha assured us it was simply the stress of being born and that outbursts like that would be rare.
Trevor of course was over the moon at being a grandfather, and when he held Helen for the first time, he had announced that he had a new love in his life, which had made the rest of us laugh. I then was able to hold my great-granddaughter, and I found myself lost in her soft hazel eyes. I then announced that I also had a new love in my life, to the laughter of everyone else.
When Helen began teething two months later, Bridget was quick to spot that her canine teeth were a normal size for humans, but they still had a nasty little point on them. Trevor's vampiric ancestry would be hanging about for a bit longer, it seemed.
******
At the turn of the new century, Jacob also married in the Belmont chapel, and his new wife Claudia slotted right in with the family quickly. She could often be found at Bridget and Edwin's home, helping with chores and sharing gossip. At the end of the year, she and Jacob had a son that was named Liron, which prompted a huge celebration, as he was the heir apparent of the heir.
Trevor had turned 50 that summer, and age was beginning to slow him down, something that stabbed me right in the heart whenever I saw hints of it. Not long after Liron's birth, he retired and turned the headship of the family over to Jacob. Jacob and Isaiah still went out hunting together, occasionally accompanied by their sister, and it was during one such hunt, when Claudia and Liron were staying over with Bridget and Helen, that I asked Trevor a serious question.
Sypha had gone over to visit her daughter, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren, while Trevor relaxed in the family room with a book. With his two sons, and now a grandson sharing the house, it was rare that he had a quiet moment. He looked up from the book and smiled at me when I sat down next to him, and he shifted slightly in his chair. Years of swinging a whip had worn down his shoulders, and he often found it uncomfortable to sit without moving his arms for too long. Sips of my blood could help, but they were only slowing the inevitable.
I waited for him to put his book aside, and then I asked him.
"Trevor, have you..." I hesitated for a moment, and then decided to just forge on ahead. "Would you like to be turned?"
He blinked at me in surprise, and I actually heard his eyelids move in the silent room, and then he gave me a sad smile. "Sypha and I are bonded, Uncle Joachim. I can't live without her."
"The offer extends to Sypha as well. I would never ask you to go on without your wife."
He gave me another said smile. "I will ask her, but I think you already what our answer will be."
I sighed and looked down at the floor. It was true, I knew. I felt him place a hand on my shoulder, which prompted me to look back up at him.
"I've had a good life, Uncle Joachim." he said quietly. "I had a rough start, but things have been good since then, most of which I have you to thank for. Besides, I may be getting old and slow, but I think I have a number of years left in me. I intend to enjoy them."
"Trevor, it's just..."
"I understand. I think if it were me facing the prospect of outliving one of my children, I would be asking the same thing." He took his hand away and picked his book back up. "I'm happy with how things are, Uncle Joachim. I don't want to change anything."
I sighed in defeat; he didn't want it. I then stood up from my chair and did something that I hadn't done since Trevor was small. I scooped him out of his chair and sat back down on the couch, holding him on my lap. He smiled faintly and allowed it, perhaps sensing that I needed it. He closed his eyes and laid his head against my shoulder, and we sat that way until Sypha returned an hour later.
******
The following year, Isaiah married, and he and his new bride moved into their own home, leaving his parents, his brother and sister-in-law, and nephew in the main house. Try as they might though, they were unable to conceive a child. Some told Isaiah to annul his marriage and find a different wife, but he refused. Instead the pair adopted the orphaned son of a peasant couple. The mother had died in childbirth, and her husband had refused to claim the child as his. The newly named Carmen Belmont was welcomed to the family by Jacob, who told the objectors to keep their mouths shut if they knew what was good for them.
Jacob really seemed to take after Trevor at times.
Trevor and Sypha of course didn't mind at all that Carmen was no blood relation; they happily accepted him as another grandchild to spoil, which they proceeded to do with gusto. Carmen was also welcomed by his cousins: eight year old Helen, five year old Liron, and two year old Jonas, Bridget and Edwin's second born. The entire family often gathered at Trevor and Sypha's for dinners and get togethers, and the children seemed to really enjoy climbing me like a tree whenever they caught me sitting or standing still for too long.
Helen was the complete opposite of her mother and showed no interest in hunter's training, though she still received magical lessons from her mother and grandmother. Her brother Jonas displayed no signs of magic at all, neither did Liron. Jacob and Claudia had stopped at one child, so when Liron was old enough to start training, Jacob often took some of his cousins' children with him, as well as Isaiah's son, once Carmen was old enough. It was quickly noticed though, that while the other children could sense the Vampire Killer's power and use it easily, Carmen got nothing from it. To him, it was no different than an ordinary whip. That sent Sypha into a flurry of research, plus a nice chat with Silvanus.
The two of them researched the ritual Leon had used to bind Sara's soul to the whip and came to the conclusion that in doing so, Leon had blood bound the whip to him and his descendants. Even worse they learned that someone close enough to the main line to get some power from it, but not from the main line itself, could actually have their life shortened by overuse. Apparently, getting full power from it required that the whip drain power from them first, to make said power flow easily. They weren't sure just how far from the main line one could go, but since Trevor had been twice removed from it, they figured that thrice removed was a safe distance. Sypha, Trevor, and Jacob then altered the family tree that was painted in the antechamber in the hall then, using different colored inks to mark the main line and the various offshoots. The main line was redone is a bright red, Bridget's branch was done in green, and the rest of the family was left black. A spell was then cast on the tree, to preserve the colors and prevent them from darkening or fading with time.
It was hoped that since Sara had chosen her wielder twice, that she would continue to do so, and that she would always pick someone close enough to not be in any danger.
After that discovery, Jacob gathered the entire clan together and announced what his mother and Silvanus had discovered. So far they had been lucky in that the whip had stayed with the main line thus far, but from then on, anyone more than three times removed would not be considered for the family head. Children further away from that could still get most of the training, but they would never be an option for the next heir. No one complained.
******
In 1522, Liron married, and the following year, his wife bore a son that was named Adrian, and Jacob, who was by then 44 years old, gleefully added his grandson's name to the family tree in red ink.
Seven years later, in 1529, he too retired and passed the headship down to Liron. He and Trevor often spent long hours by the fire, drinking mead and telling stories of their adventures to anyone that cared to listen. They often could be found surrounded by children, all listening wide eyed to their tales.
Trevor was 80 years old then, and he rarely moved from his chair once he was up for the day. Occasionally, he would nod off wherever he was sitting, and I would carry him to bed for a nap. I stayed in his house nearly constantly, not wanting to be away from him for an instant. The arthritis in his shoulders had worsened to the point that his arms were nearly useless due to pain and stiffness, and he needed assistance with bathing, eating, and dressing. I took care of him like I had years before when he was small, and he never once complained. His hair had gone completely gray, wrinkles lined his face, and his deep blue eyes had faded with time. All of that still didn't stop him from enjoying his remaining years, and he and Sypha seemed to feed off of the bond that they shared. With her high magic levels, Sypha was aging better than her husband, but she too had slowed down a great deal and preferred to stay close to home and hearth at Trevor's side.
******
In the summer of 1535, Trevor turned 85, but he refused a party or gathering. He was content to sit by the fire and enjoy the quiet. I was always nearby, as was Sypha, but Sypha could still get around under his own power with little assistance. Trevor by this point had to be carried nearly everywhere, otherwise his legs would wobble and buckle, sending him tumbling to the floor. People respected their desire for quiet solitude and left them alone, with mealtimes being the only times they really interacted with their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
One night, about a month after Trevor's birthday, I helped him eat his supper, and then I bathed him, dressed him for bed, carried him to his room, and tucked him in. As I went to stand up and leave the room, he reached up to me, which prompted me to take his withered hand in my own and gently squeeze it.
"I love you." he said quietly in the darkened bedroom.
I knew then, and my heart broke. Tears pooled in my eyes, but I blinked them back. "Is it time, Trevor?" I asked with a trembling voice.
He gave me a sad smile and nodded. "The bond between Sypha and I has been weakening for days, and at this point, it's the only thing keeping me alive. You know what that means."
I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them, I laid his hand down on the bed beside him, leaned down, and kissed him on the forehead. I knelt down on the floor beside the bed. "I love you too." I whispered. "I don't want to say goodbye."
He smiled at me, a wide, beautiful smile that I hadn't seen in years. "Then don't. Tell me that you'll see me sometime in the future. You raised me to question everything, including religious teachings, but I do believe that reincarnation is real. We could meet again, maybe tomorrow, maybe years from now."
I ran my fingers through his hair, like I had years ago when I had found him lying seriously hurt, in Julia LaForeze's shop, and I managed a watery smile. "I'll see you soon then, Trevor." I said quietly, and he smiled at me again. "I'll be waiting for you."
Trevor squeezed my hand for a brief moment, and then he let go as the door opened and Sypha came in. I kissed Trevor one last time and stood up. I let my gaze linger on him for a bit, but he was too busy watching Sypha to notice. I then stepped quietly from the room, as tears spilled from my eyes. I dashed to the study so no one would see me fall apart, and I flopped down into the desk chair, buried my face in my arms and cried. I listened to Trevor's heartbeat, expecting it to slow and stop, but instead it accelerated, and I could faintly hear the ropes that supported their bed creaking. I managed to laugh through my tears; Trevor certainly intended to go out with a smile.
I stayed huddled in the study long after the rest of the house had gone to bed, listening to Trevor's heartbeat. After he and Sypha were done, it settled down to normal rhythm, though it was considerably slower than it had been. He was sleeping deeply, as was Sypha, and sometime just after midnight, I left the study and wandered into their bedroom. The two of them were curled up together under the blankets, with Trevor held protectively in Sypha's arms. I knelt down on Trevor's side of the bed and rested my head on my arms on the mattress. I wanted to gather Trevor into my arms and hold him, try to keep him here, as futile as it would be, but I didn't want to disturb them. If Trevor wished to die in his wife's arms, who was I to prevent it? Instead I only brushed Trevor's hair out of his face and tucked the blankets securely around them. Then I settled down to wait.
Through the night, Trevor's heart continued on steadily, and I hoped that it meant that he was wrong, that he would live a little longer, but at some time, just as dawn was breaking and bathing the room in soft pink light, Sypha whimpered quietly in her slept and held Trevor tighter. And then a second later, Trevor's heart stopped.
It didn't slow and stop, it didn't falter like Jonathon's had, it just stopped, and his last breath left him with a sigh.
I was unprepared for the agony that hit me then, centered around my heart, and it forced my own breath out with a pained gasp. I forced myself to stand up, and I looked at Trevor's face to see that he was wearing a contented smile.
He's dead. I thought, barely able to comprehend it, despite seeing him there in front of me. He's dead, he's dead, he's dead!
My legs suddenly gave way under me then, and I collapsed to the floor as I fainted.
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Oh yeah, that he's been able to relax again a bit and still has some 'Trevor' left in him, as much as he claims that he died a long time ago, is lovely. I adored the start of Revelations where he and Marie embrace.
I think that a lot of my fiction writing problem is patience in letting a story develop on paper, wben it plays out like a film in my head.
I liked the having to alternate powers aspect of the first fight. I also felt cheated a little considering that you don't actually fight him in his own body.