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AMoS Chapter 8-5
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 8 covers from Christopher's death to well... that would be a spoiler, now wouldn't i?
5.
Uprising
In 1691, the Belmonts were gathering for an Easter celebration. Twenty-two year old Simon and 93 year old Desmond were in town, checking on a few details ahead of time. The region has prospered since Dracula's last defeat, and Desmond was treated as a hero. Christopher and Trevor were considered legends. Hector was in bed, and Silvanus, Kerwin and I were chatting through the bonds.
Hector came awake suddenly -
"Tată!"
- and a few seconds later, that dark power rolled through.
Bring Hector to me if you need to, Joachim. Silvanus said through the bond, and I nodded as I stood up from my chair and went to Hector. He was crying as I scooped him up in my arms and settled into the rocker to wait. Solaris settled down on the back of the chair and began to sing.
Within a few hours Desmond and Simon returned home, and Simon began getting ready to head towards the castle. Desmond wanted to go with him, he really did, but it was quickly pointed out to him that, at his age, he would only be a hindrance that Simon would have to waste energy protecting. I laid Hector down and did what I normally did. I sealed some of my blood in a crystal vial and gave it to Simon as he readied his horse in the stable. I hugged him tight and told him to come home safe, all the while trying not to think of the last godson that I had given my blood to. Alda and Anghel came in then, and I retreated back to my house so they could talk to their son in private.
I gathered Hector up into my arms and went back to the rocker. Simon would be fine, I told myself. Trevor had been fine (nearly died) Christopher had been okay (Had been forced to battle his son), Desmond had made it through in one piece (after his parents had been murdered). I shoved all of that to the side. Simon was a quarter breed. Simon was more powerful than the Belmonts before him. Simon would be fine.
At least, I consoled myself, I had Alda to tell me how he was doing. She might not be able to feel him over distance, but if he died, the breaking of the bond would let her know.
Simon rode out into the afternoon sun, and I watched him from a window and silently wished him well as he went.
Hours after Simon departed, the sun set for the night, and Hector tried to convince me that he wasn't thirsty, that I didn't need to go and hunt.
I tapped him on the nose. "Liar." His thirst was coming loud and clear through the bond, no matter how much he tried to deny it.
"I don't want you to go out there." he whispered as he looked down at his blanket covered lap. "What if you don't come back. What if Dracula goes after you to get to me or the Belmonts?"
"It's a risk that I have to take, little one." That thought had occurred to me, but I tried to shove it far into the back of my mind and ignore it. Grabbing the vampire that protected his most hated enemies, and that sheltered the one that had betrayed him would suit Dracula just fine, given the chance. I wasn't sure if he knew that I had adopted Hector, and I hoped that he didn't. With the stronger bond, any harm he inflicted on me would be impossible to hide from Hector, no matter where he was.
I left Hector sitting up in bed and slipped out to go hunt. Dracula's monsters were already stalking the night, and his power slapped into me like a wall of frigid water the instant I crossed the ward line. Hector's worry filled the bond as I headed to my hunting grounds. Monsters were already on the prowl, and I had to fight my way past several of them before I could feed. Hector was watching me through the bond, and his relief when I made it home safely nearly made me fall to my knees.
He leapt into my arms when I came through the bedroom door and clung to me tightly as he fed. He still refused to let go of me afterward, and I had to walk him into the library to pass the time until his nap. He curled up on my lap in a chair close to the fireplace and made no attempt to get interested in anything else.
When his normal nap time arrived, he refused to go to bed, even as I carried him there. He shook his head when I went to lie him down.
"M'not tired." he protested, even as he fought to hold back a yawn. "I don't need a nap."
"Yes you do, little one." I replied as I pulled his hands off of my clothes.
"I don't want to sleep."
I simply smoothed his hair back and tucked him under the quilt. "I know."
"Stay?"
"Of course, I will."
I laid down beside him, and he curled close as I draped one of my arms over him. He tucked his head under my chin like usual, but I could feel him fighting sleep through the bond. I began humming a lullaby and sent calming feelings through the bond. Solaris perched on the headboard and added her own song to mine, and the two of us finally managed to send Hector off to sleep.
I laid there beside him, watching his sleeping mind through the bond, and for a while all was quiet. I could feel Silvanus, Celia, and Kerwin watching as well, waiting to see if Dracula was going to do anything, and if he did, if the stronger bond Hector and I shared would be enough to stop him. A few hours into our wait, Solaris trilled in alarm, and I tensed as I felt something dark reaching out for Hector. Hector whimpered, and I – I'm not sure just how to describe it – just... surged down the bond between us and sent it bouncing back away from his mind. It was Dracula, and I felt sick as he reared back and regarded me. Well, if he hadn't known before that I had adopted Hector, he certainly found out in that instant. He seemed to stare at me for an endless moment, and I nearly sagged with relief when he retreated.
I felt a three part sigh from Kerwin, Celia, and Silvanus then, and I retreated back the direction I had come from, until I found myself lying in bed next to Hector once again. He was still sleeping, and Solaris was singing quietly.
Don't make me do this!
I raised my head from the pillow and looked around, even though I knew the voice had not been heard with my ears. Solaris trilled again, though it seemed to be more of a question than anything, and I laid my head back on the pillow.
No! I won't do this to him!
I sat up. "Walter?"
The tattered remains of the bond that Walter and I shared flared to life, and I gasped in shock at the torrent that came rushing through it.
I'm so sorry.. I heard Walter whimper just before I found myself back in his castle, in his bed. He was suddenly on top of me as my clothes vanished as though they had never been, his weight pressing me down into the mattress, and I felt my legs being wrenched apart. My heart lurched, and I grasped his shoulders to try and push him off of me, but I had no better success than I had all those centuries ago.
"This isn't real!" I shrieked as I tried again to shove him away. "You died! You aren't here!"
He raised his head and looked down at me, and I was shocked into silence to see tears running down his face, making him look absolutely miserable.
"He's forcing me to do this, Joachim." he whimpered again, and though our marriage bond was barely there, it was enough for me to feel the truth in his words. "I'm sorry. I've hurt you enough. I don't want to, but he's forcing me."
I closed my eyes, turned my head, and tried to will myself awake. This wasn't real. I was in bed with Hector, and...
Hector!
I reached out for the bond with my son and narrowed it down as much as I could. It was too powerful to fully close, but I would be damned if he would see what was about to happen. He was still asleep, too asleep to dream, so if I was lucky, he would sleep right through this.
"I'm sorry." I heard Walter whisper, and that was all the warning I got before he buried himself inside of me. I screamed as agony flooded my body, and I pushed all of my energy to keeping the bond with Hector closed down as much as I could. Doing so prevented me from shaking myself out of the nightmare, but I could deal with that. I'd been raped by Walter more times than I could count; I would live through it again.
Walter pulled back and then slammed back into me again, ripping another scream from me. Time had dulled my memories of just how much this hurt, and Walter hooked his arms under my knees and pushed my legs up and back. I tried to kick out at him, and he responded by slapping me, his claws leaving bloody scratches on my face as they went. I looked up at him through eyes that were filling with tears, and there was so much anguish in his eyes.
"I didn't want to hit you." he whispered as he grabbed my legs again and shifted his own position. "He wants me to hurt you, since he can't hurt your son with you in the way."
"Just get it over with!" I wailed through the tears as I squeezed my eyes shut again.
"I'm sorry." he said one last time before he began fucking me.
I have no idea how long it went on. It seemed like hours as I laid there beneath him, crying from it all, screaming with every thrust. Walter slapped and punched me repeatedly, and though the injury they left behind healed instantly, I felt the pain as if they had remained. He played with me, somehow bringing me to multiple orgasms, and flipped me over into different positions. I wailed and sobbed, tears pouring out of my eyes, while I held the bond with Hector firm. I kept my focus on that; I had to. Hector would not see what was being done to me, would not feel what I was feeling.
I wasn't the only one crying. I could hear Walter crying over my own wails and howls, and I could feel tears splashing down onto my skin. I could hear Dracula laughing as he watched, just as I could feel the power of the Crimson Stone pushing Walter to do what he was doing. Eventually I grew too tired to keep screaming, and then I became unable to summon the energy to cry. The room fell silent save for the rustling of the bedclothes and skin slapping against skin. I ran out of tears, and I could barely feel Walter still moving in and out of me as I struggled to keep Hector closed off from what was happening.
Finally Walter yanked me up to sit on his lap, and I slumped forward to lay against him as he bounced me a few times, and then he pulled me down hard. I cried out weakly as his own orgasm rocked through him and then echoed down to me. I felt his seed spurting out into me, and he bounced me a few more times before he finally stilled. He let go of me, and I caught one last look at his anguished face as I fell backward, too tired to hold myself up. I hit the mattress with a floof! of billowing covers, and I snapped back to reality instantly. I sat up in my darkened bedroom, eyes wide, and then I scrambled out of bed and to my feet.
I could almost feel Walter's seed running down my leg as I spun around, looking into every corner, every nook and cranny of the bedroom, but it was only me and Hector. Hector was still asleep, and a quick check of the bond showed that he was undisturbed. I gave a little sigh at that, even as I realized something else. I stuck my hand down into my trousers and confirmed that the pleasure Walter had brought me, despite the pain of the rape, had been real, and I felt my face burn with heat as I ran from the room. It seemed I had a bath ready in seconds, and I ripped my sticky clothes off and nearly dove into the steaming water, determined to wash it all away. I scrubbed myself nearly raw. I could feel Silvanus and Kerwin's puzzlement over my behavior, but I said nothing and worried about getting myself as clean as possible.
The water had cooled down to room temperature when I finally stepped out and began to dry myself. Silvanus asked me if something had happened, but I only shook my head and didn't answer him. I left my clothes for the maid to pick up in the morning. She wouldn't say anything about their condition. I returned to the bedroom to find Hector sleeping peacefully, and I slumped down in the rocker to watch him.
I didn't know... It shouldn't have been... How had that happened? I knew the power of the marriage bond, just as I knew that mine and Walter's had been forced upon me and had been very much a one sided thing and so not near as powerful as it could have been. When one added in Walter's death, the bond should not have allowed what had just happened. I ran my hands down my face and noted that they were shaking.
"Tată?" Hector slowly sat up in bed and looked around for me. I hadn't even felt him waking.
"Tată?" He climbed out of bed and onto my lap. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, little one." I said faintly, and I didn't need the bond to know that he didn't believe me. The look on his face said it all. At least, I thought, he knew noting of what had just happened. I could live with that.
"But -"
"Just leave it alone, Hector."
"Dracula did something, didn't he?"
"He tried, and I pushed him away."
He looked at me, gave me a long, searching look, but I said nothing. After a few minutes, he laid his head down and didn't ask any more questions. I could feel Kerwin and Silvanus' curiosity, but they also kept silent.
******
Simon was gone for nearly a month, far longer than any Belmont before him. Only Alda's assurance that the bond with him still existed kept me from worrying myself to pieces. She was also worried about him, as the bond between them weakened with distance, and so she only knew that he was alive. She knew nothing of his condition or health.
On day 21, Dracula's presence faded, and the people erupted in celebration. I did not join them. I stayed at home with Hector, tried not to worry about Simon and hoped that I wouldn't have any more visits from Walter. He'd come to me several more times, and each time it was more of the same. I hadn't admitted to anyone what Dracula was doing, but I knew that Silvanus would drag it out of me eventually. Hector knew something was wrong, but I refused to tell him what. He wouldn't be able to do anything about it, and finding out that Dracula was tormenting me because he couldn't get to him would only make him feel needless guilt.
Walter did not bother me as I waited for Simon to come home, and once again, Hector was quick to notice, and he clearly did not believe me when I said that I was just relieved that Dracula was gone. I was relieved, but not for the reasons I gave him, and he didn't need to know that.
Six days after Dracula fell, Alda announced that she could feel Simon coming closer, that he was well and unhurt. The celebrations started up all over again with that, but again, I did not join them. Neither did Anghel, Alda, or Desmond. I stayed with them in the lord's house during the day while Hector was asleep, waiting. Alda could barely sleep from excitement as she tracked Simon as he approached the Belmont lands.
But even half breeds must rest, and when Anghel finally convinced her to come to bed, she fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. Anghel followed her, and Desmond, due to his advanced age, had been asleep for several hours already. So I was the only one awake on the Belmont lands when Simon rode quietly through the gates just before after sunset.
He was slumped down in the saddle, his hands only loosely holding the reins. His clothes were filthy, ragged, and blood stained, the skin underneath riddled with bandaged wounds. Bags hung under his eyes, and his hair was greasy and tangled. I went up to him and helped him down from the saddle, and a mental nudge sent the horse trotting off towards the stable. He leaned on me as I led him towards the house.
"Is everyone asleep?" he asked quietly as we went through the door. I nodded, and he did the same in response. "Good. I'd rather have a little peace and quiet before everyone realizes I made it back." I gave him a strange look at his reluctance, and he waved off the question before I could voice it. "I will explain later. All I want right now is a hot bath and a meal."
That was easily arranged, and a few of the servants were roused and sent to do what was needed, while having strict instructions not to wake anyone else. Simon went off the bathe as soon as the water was ready, and when he was finished with that, he ate him meal without a complaint. He'd redressed his wounds, I noticed, but he ignored me when I offered to take care of them for me. He then wandered off to the parlor, where he plopped down in a chair by the fire, which one of the servants had built back up, and began to clean and oil the Vampire Killer.
"Simon, that can wait until morning." I said as I sat down nearby. "You've had a long trip, so why don't you go on to bed?"
He shook his head, and after a few moments, the motion of his hands stilled, and he looked up to stare into the fire.
"Simon?"
"I learned the stories, you know," he said in a low tone, "from Grandfather, about his and the others' encounters with Dracula."
He paused, and I leaned back in my chair and waited for him to continue, which took a few minutes.
"He was so powerful, Uncle Joachim. Grandfather described him as looking like a white haired old man, but that's not what I encountered. He looked just like he had as a human, only with any wrinkles washed away. He seemed to suck the light out of the throne room when I went up there to meet him. He rose up out of that coffin like some creature from the depths of Hell itself. He didn't speak or taunt me. He just smiled and then he started to teleport around the room and throw fireballs at me nearly constantly. It was all I could do to dodge them. That was all he did for the first half of the battle. He did none of the other things that everyone else experienced. He just threw fireballs around." He went back to work on the Vampire Killer for a moment. "And then I knocked his head off."
I jumped slightly in the chair. "Pardon?"
"I somehow managed to knock his head off, hard enough to send it flying across the room. He seemed to crumble into dust right in front of me, and I thought that it was done, but... He reappeared, in the form of some kind of demon" Simon paused again. "I'm not sure how I made it out of there."
I stared at him in silence. Decapitating a vampire, any vampire, no matter how old or powerful, was always a fatal injury. For Dracula to not only survive it, but manage to transform into another shape implied things that I didn't want to think about. I would have to bring this up with Silvanus later.
Simon finished cleaning the whip, and then he gave me a hug without a word, before he went off to find his bed. I watched him disappear into the back of the house, and then I returned to my own home, where I found Hector awake and waiting on me.
In the morning, the Belmonts welcomed Simon home, and he joined in the celebration of his victory without complaint. He did tell his grandfather of Dracula's power, which had Desmond very concerned, especially since we didn't know what caused him to gain so much more so quickly. I also made sure to pass on the information to Silvanus and Kerwin, who passed it on to other vampires in the area. Dracula was a danger to everyone, not just humans.
To my relief, Silvanus did not ask me what had happened during Dracula's resurrection, and I had no intention of telling him. Though Walter had not allowed Silvanus to adopt him, Silvanus still saw Walter as one of his own children. It was enough that he knew of Walter's fate. He did not need to know what Walter had been forced to do. I hoped it would never come up again, just as I knew that it was a foolish hope. I was certain that the next time, Dracula would try again to get to Hector, and failing that, would attack me instead. Hector did not know about it, and that was what was important to me.
Chapter 8-4 -- Chapter 8-6
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Poor Joachim! :(
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And hey! on a different note, Blood Is is being translated into French by Gallanodele: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12391164/1/Blood-Is This is the second time a fic of mine has been translated, and it just tickles me to death. XD
So, my friend Lita is urging me to get an Ao3 account, so I can get more readers, since people are leaving ff.net at a steady trickle. I'm still thinking about it. Part of it is because it looks like that site uses livejournal's source code, an older version of it, which gave me all ten kinds of hell years ago before they fixed it. Thoughts?
Thanks for reading. :)
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On AMoS, it's strange how pieces of writing can do that, and once you're through that hurdle I think things ease up and the road to the end gets better. I found that with my final university thesis, it felt like I was never going to get to the end at numerous points. I hope that things stop dragging soon for you. :)
I've found that the quality of AO3 fics has a lot more range than ff.net. I'm not sure about coding stuff, but when not logged in, the size of text on AO3 is a pain on some computer formats, way too small. ff.net at least has that option. I'm seeing a lot more high quality CV fics on AO3, but also a lot more questionable fics at the same time. AO3 doesn't have the same ratings limitations that ff.net has. I have noticed though the slow exodus away from ff.net though, although some are posting to both sites. I think it's up to you though at the end of the day.