By The Grace Of God

{9: A Dragon And A Dame}

{Alucard}

I woke up to the feeling of little hands playing with my hair, and it made me smile. 

" Good morning, my princess." 

My voice startled me, and I lift the lid to find that in my sleep, I had indeed shifted back. I was back to normal, dressed in my artisan's shirt and a pair of leather trousers from back in the day. Alex was sleeping in the throne again, his feet propped up on a footstool, head lolled forward as his glasses rested on the collar of his shirt. I sent a tendril to gently caress his face, and he looked up sleepily, a smile growing fast. 

" Well then, I guess it was a matter of time, huh? How do you feel?" 

" Like a brand new man, thanks to you and our dear Dria." 

" You know, I just realized something." 

" What's that, my dear?" 

" I missed this. Your voice, your form, I missed it." 

" Well, it is here to stay. I'm not going into that form again for a long ass time If I can help it." 

" Hehe, fair enough. We got things to do, Dria is going to the nursery where Walter said he'd stand vigil." 

" Right, the ceremony. I almost forgot." 

Alex picked up Dria, and her eyes were what surprised me, and apparently, they surprised Alex too. 

" She has heterochromia." 

" What's that?" 

" She has a mismatched pair of eyes, is the short answer. She has your red and my blue." 

I looked her over, and saw that in deed she had one perfect robin egg blue eye and one sunset red eye, as Alex called them. She smiled, and sure enough, two tiny pin prick fangs. She was a damphyr, through and through, and she was princess regent to an entire nation of vampires worldwide. I remove a glove and bite my finger, and carefully place it in her mouth, instantly her hunger showing through when her eyes flashed violet. 

" The first feed of a damphyr has to be from the mother's blood. To deny it is to drive a child straight to matricide." 

"Will she be a biter?" 

" Yes, but as she gets older, we can teach her not to be. Schooling will make it easier to have her not be biting her classmates." 

" True." 

Alex gives me Dria, and as we walk up to Master's office, I let Dria eat until her heart was content, eventually falling asleep with a hand on her food source. She is a blessing, and I don't regret her name. We get there, and Alex doesn't even knock, just walks in. 

" Do either of you know how to knock, I swear! Oh, wow, she's, she's definitely yours, Alucard, down to the hair and teeth." 

" She has heterochromia, so her left eye is blue, but that doesn't bother me in the slightest, just means she is even more special." 

" Are you sure this is what you want?" 

" I've wanted nothing more for the last 100 years. My daughter will not be raised in this house. I want my freedom, I have more than earned it as a slave hound for your bloodline." 

" Yes, right. I know my kin in the past weren't exactly nice to you." 

" Nice?! NICE!? Your fucking ancestor robbed him of everything, down to his fucking dignity!"

" Walter, get Dria out of here, Alex, love, calm down, please." 

" Will do." 

" Alex, love, please, calm down, I'm begging you, keep what little peace there is."

" No, I won't! You don't know how much hell this man, this poor fucking bastard went through, but I do! I read the fucking notes! I know the truth! Your ancestor did unthinkable shit to my husband, and I will not allow you the damnable opportunity to repeat history with my fucking daughter!" 

" If you think I want to torture a infant, you really don't know me, do you, Anderson!?"

" So you admit it's torture!" 

" I'm only doing this because if I'm going to die, I'll do it going down swinging! My grandfather wrote down in his journal about the vow. I'm the last of the Hellsing bloodline! It all ends with me!" 

I paused, and I knew something was off. I never told Abraham of my vow. He couldn't read my journals because I kept them on me until they were finished, and I put them in a sealed chest only one of my own could open, or if you made a blood sacrifice to the seal. The paddle lock was an extra measure after Abraham's death. 

" I never told Abraham of my vow. How do you know?" 

" I have security cameras everywhere, except for bedrooms and bathrooms. I watched Anderson go into the library, lock it, and vanish for damn near 12 hours into a secret door in my own house. So I did some snooping, and found the chest. It opened after I let a good portion of my hand bleed on it." 

She pulled off a glove, and sure enough, it was bandaged for a serious cut. 

" I read every single one. I paid extra special to the one where you came into Hellsing custody. You were branded. I can't break a brand seal, not like this one. There is only one way to break it...and that's if I die. Only my death can set you free. But I'll be damned I go down without a fight!" 

She pulled out her lance and stood her ground. She was dead serious. 

" Alex, get Dria and go into the basement. Hide in my coffin. I'll get you when I'm done. If it's a fight you want, Master, then order it, order me to end your life, to fight you no hold barred!" 

I changed my garb, a dress shirt was tighter to the body, and my dress slacks allowed better movement, and pulled my sword from the shadows. I loved my longsword, and missed using it. 

" Order it! Your dragon is here, Knight! Now call the order to rain hellfire down on you!" 

" Alucard, drop to art restriction one! Fight me with your all! Earn your freedom!"

I felt the seals do as ordered, and felt more myself than I have in months. I give her the same smile all my prey got, and let out a laugh that felt so freeing. 

" Now, Integra, hit me with your best shot!"