Valdemar x Reader Fanfic

I will impress you

Valdemar's POV

Y/N was still there when I went back into the vivisection chamber and up the stage. I mean, not like she could go anywhere. I approached her cautiously and caressed her rosy cheeks with affection.
"Little rabbit... time is up", I muttered while fetching my bone saw.
She slowly opened her eyes and dedicated me one of her tenderest looks. Her eyes seemed to melt when in contact with mine. I wonder if her lips would do the same.
"I will speak, Val. But first, unbind me please, my extremities are almost dead", she replied defiantly.
Wait, had she just called me with a diminutive of my name? That is mostly unprofessional and abnormal for a human whose death sentence is almost signed. I lowered my bone saw in astonishment and freed her as she requested. She carefully sat on the table and I got to see the cuts she had occasionated to her skin in the desperation to escape.
"Been naughty, have we not?", I inquired, passing a finger around the infected cut. Her tranquil expression was replaced by a cry of pain.
"Oh, you infected yourself, silly rabbit", I chuckled lustfully. "You know what will happen to you if you do not speak, right?"
She nodded, tears streaming down her face.
"The same that will happen should I not be satisfied with your answer", I lifted her chin forcing her to drive her gaze to me.
"I know", Y/N answered shyly. "I need your help", she claimed.
"My help, little rabbit? Why would you be in need of my help?", I inquired, fixing her hair behind her ear and fetching the scalpel and the bone saw.
"I want to overthrone Lucio", she replied with no prelude.
"Oh", I stammered in delight, yet still not lowering my instruments. "Why is that so? You know? My loyalty to the count is such... duty obliges me to gently decline your charming offer", I said sarcastically. "Unless you impress me with your magnificent, and offer something better than the count... as they say... once the old king is dead... long live the queen", I bowed kissing her hand and lightly pressing the scalpel to her chest, making her lovely smile turn into an anguish frown.
"I will impress you... and you will be marvelled", she assured.
Marvelled? Me? I have heard weird proposals from humans. So arrogant, so vain, with no perspective in their visions... their greed is so predictable. Is she the same? Is she like all humans? Or is there something more? This feeling that haunts me, confuses me, plays me around like a carrousel... is it real? What does it mean? The word love roams my brain. Am I in love? My days have been different ever since her arrival... I feel... comfortable around her, I find warmth in her embrace, happiness in her smile... I cannot kill her. My ego fell as soon as I realized: Just as much as she needs me, I need her. I think I love her.

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Y/N POV

Waking up in Lucio's bed had almost become something routinal. I shove him off me and got up. I took a horrified glance at the mirror; my thighs seemed to have been attacked by a wild cat. Scratches and bruises were distributed all over my body. Anger_and the desire for a slaughter_ poisoned my heart the moment in which he got up and gripped me by the waist.
"Hey, Y/N, come back to bed, you slut".
"Why are you doing this to me? What fun do you find in hurting the most vulnerable? Oh... I bet it is your need to feel powerful, almighty, when you are nothing but a filthy rat. Are you expecting me to fear you? Well, those who have nothing fear nothing. Those who lost everything, lose nothing. So try this with someone else. I am done", I replied, freeing myself from his golden arm getting another scratch.
"They do not love you, Y/N", Lucio said, tackling me and pushing me to bed, pinning me down with his weight.
"Who?", I panicked. Did they not?
"Valdemar. Or did you think I would not notice the charming looks you give them? The smiles you dedicate to them? They are human killers. They are not human, almost none of my courtiers are, and they will never love you. They all see you as their playdoll, and I will hand you to them as soon as I am done with you".
I remained silent, a void forming in my heart. I knew there was something weird about my companions; Volta's extreme hunger, Vulgora's funny rage, Vlastomil's obsession with worms and Valdemar's... I could not express what was weird about them... I just found them perfect for me ever since the masquerade... if not romantically, at least as a partner in crime. Still, how much could I allow Lucio's words to manipulate me? He was the one I despised the most and trusted the least. And today, I was going to change my fate.

Lucio freed me at midday to have lunch with Valerius at the garden. Hereby, seeing myself able to roam around, I plunged myself into Lucio's huge baths, filled the water with his expensive salts and allowed myself to rest in there until it got cold. After drying myself up with one of his towels. I covered myself in a robe of his, which fitted loose and went down to my room.
There, I got dressed in a sober outfit and headed towards the garden, expecting to find all of the courtiers and have myself be invited to their states. If they were not human and still helped Lucio, I needed to know why so that I could make the most temptative offer and have them change sides. Were they incapable of love, as the count said, then they are incapable of loyalty as well. As long as they think they control us... they will be satisfied.

I found Valdemar last, they were enjoying the slight breeze of the afternoon at the centre of the maze.
"Good afternoon, Valdemar", I said sitting by their side.
"Hello, Y/N, how was your week?", they asked.
"Let's skip the pleasantries", I proposed chuckling.
"I could not agree more to that, Y/N. Pleasantries are the most difficult for me to unravel from the human world. Everyone hates them, yet everyone makes use of them".
"I could not agree more to that either".
"Why are you here, darling?", they said. "I have heard you were getting yourself invited to my companion's states. What is your motive?"
"Just, um, getting to know you is important, I think", I stuttered.
"Of course, Y/N, and I know you enough to tell you are lying... or are those marks on your collarbone lovebites from the staircase? I am really starting to believe it is haunted", they replied with a strong sarcasm. "What do you crave to unravel? What mystery is draining your energy? Why do we support Lucio? Simply, we are all bound to him, in a way. He gives us what we want and we give him what he claims", they answered in a calm tone.
"But... what does he give you?", I inquired desperately.
"Oh dear... some things are better unsaid. Ignorance is bliss for humans. I would highly advise you to stay out of that terrain... or else..."
"Or else?"
"You might go too far and fall", they returned to their calm expression and took my hand. "Anyways...", their voice turned tremulous. "I... really care for you... and I try to protect you... I... I would really be more than glad to hear you cease visiting Lucio's chambers", they confessed.
"Why?"
"He is torturing you, you do not even enjoy it. Despite all the privileges like being able to use his bath...", they chuckled "He is abusing you. And you know it! Please, I beg you, ask for my protection... I... offer it without a deal, nothing but your smile in exchange. Lucio will never set a finger on you again".
They seemed sincere, and, for their flustered expression, I could tell they said more than they wanted to reveal... Can they really not love, Lucio? I hugged them tightly and let tears of love roam down my face. They responded to the embrace harshly in the beginning, but let themselves melt into it as time went by.
We parted as the air turned chilly enough for me to shiver, and they escorted me to my room.
"Valdemar...", I said shyly.
"Say?"
"Could you?"
"With pleasure", they affirmed.