The Blood Queen 61 (Patreon)

Chapter 61:

– Seras –

Seras Victoria paused in the corridor of Hellsing Manor, her keen senses immediately perking up at the distinct scent wafting through the air. A vibrant, youthful scent she'd never encountered before tantalized her senses. It was almost—divine.

She'd been informed by her master Alucard and Sir Integra about the arrival of new guests. Supposedly, they were demigods—children of Poseidon or something. 

The thought brought a curious smirk to her lips… Well, stranger things had certainly happened around here.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Seras followed the tantalizing aroma into one of the mansion’s elegantly decorated drawing rooms. Her crimson eyes landed immediately upon a striking figure sprawled moodily on the luxurious velvet couch.

The girl was unmistakably Greek, exotically beautiful with olive-toned skin that practically glowed under the soft lighting. Her long dark hair fell in waves around her delicate shoulders, catching the light in a mesmerizing way. Sea-green eyes shimmered with barely-contained irritation as the girl angrily muttered to herself. Seras's gaze traveled down appreciatively, taking note of the demigoddess’s slender curves, perfectly accentuated by the casual yet figure-hugging clothes she wore.

Seras sighed softly under her breath, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Oh bloody hell," she whispered, chuckling to herself. Valerie was going to have a field day with a beauty like this running around the mansion. She could practically hear her girlfriend’s delighted laughter and teasing already. Exotic, fiery, and stunning—this new girl was exactly Valerie’s type. Well, every pretty girl was Valerie’s type, but still.

No wonder the poor thing was already ranting angrily to herself, likely due to Valerie’s antics already. As Seras stepped quietly into the room, she caught snippets of the girl’s angry muttering. 

"Stupid, sexy, cheating blonde vampires," the girl hissed under her breath, dramatically tossing back her silky dark hair as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Who even needs a harem of girlfriends, anyway? I’ve never been so freaking embarrassed!"

Seras bit back an amused giggle, arching one eyebrow in curiosity. So that's what Valerie had done? Poor thing probably got blindsided by Valerie’s casual confession about her harem or something along those lines. Well, Valerie could be infuriatingly blunt at times. And apparently, the Greek beauty didn't take it particularly well.

Feeling mischievous, Seras decided to have a little fun. Her crimson eyes sparkled as she faded quietly into shadow form, moving swiftly and silently across the drawing room, undetectable by human senses. Apparently to demigod senses as well. 

The demigod girl continued muttering to herself, oblivious to Seras’s stealthy approach.

"Seriously," the Greek beauty grumbled, visibly pouting now as she glared down at the carpet. "Who does Valerie think she is, going around looking that gorgeous, flirting shamelessly, and then casually dropping that she has multiple girlfriends? As if I would want to share her. I mean, not that I want her or anything... it's just rude, that's all!"

Seras silently emerged from the shadows directly behind the couch, her head leaning casually over the girl's shoulder. With a mischievous grin spreading across her own face, she cleared her throat and announced herself cheerfully.

"Hello there!" Seras chimed brightly, eyes twinkling with playful delight. "So, what exactly has Valerie gone and done now, hm?"

The Greek beauty jumped a solid foot in the air, a startled shriek escaping her lips as she twisted violently in surprise. Unfortunately for her, the abrupt movement completely unbalanced her position on the couch. Arms flailing comically, she toppled backward over the couch’s backrest, landing on the plush carpeted floor with a graceless and adorable thud.

"Ow!" she whined pitifully, her pretty face now flushed bright red with embarrassment and irritation. She rubbed her sore backside, groaning softly as she glared upwards. Her sea-green eyes widened in surprise at the blonde vampire casually peering down at her with a clearly amused expression.

Seras couldn't hold back her laughter any longer, a lighthearted and bubbly giggle spilling out freely as she looked down at the sulking demigoddess. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry, love," Seras chuckled warmly. "I honestly didn't think you'd jump that much."

The demigod girl glowered, scrambling up slowly from the floor and straightening out her clothes with as much dignity as she could manage. "Yeah, well, maybe don't sneak up on people like some creepy shadow assassin next time!" she snapped, cheeks still flushed an adorable shade of pink.

Seras smiled apologetically, though amusement still danced vividly in her eyes. "Sorry, force of habit," she admitted with a playful shrug. She tilted her head curiously, offering a warm, genuine smile as she took a closer look at the embarrassed demigoddess. "My name’s Seras Victoria, by the way. I'm one of those 'stupid, sexy, blonde vampires' you were just mumbling about…"

The Greek girl’s entire face flushed an adorable shade of scarlet after Seras’s playful introduction. She shifted awkwardly on her feet, her sea-green eyes narrowing into an adorably annoyed glare aimed right at Seras.

“You left out the word ‘cheating’,” she muttered irritably, clearly trying—and failing—to sound confident through her embarrassment. She crossed her arms tightly beneath her ample chest, unknowingly emphasizing her figure in a way Seras couldn’t help but appreciate. “I specifically said ‘stupid sexy cheating blonde vampire.’”

Seras couldn't stop the amused smirk that crossed her lips. This girl was definitely cute, and fiery. She’d fit in great around here.

“Ah, my mistake. You did indeed say that,” Seras admitted playfully, tilting her head to the side. “It was such a mouthful, you know? ‘Stupid sexy cheating blonde vampire’ doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue easily, does it?”

The girl’s flush deepened even more, and she sputtered softly, visibly flustered by Seras’s teasing tone. Regaining some composure, she straightened up and eyed Seras suspiciously. “Why the hell were you spying on me anyway?” she asked accusingly, arching a delicate eyebrow. Despite her boldness, her cheeks stayed a vivid shade of pink, making her indignation seem far less intimidating and far more adorable than she probably intended.

Seras let out an easy laugh, holding up her hands in mock surrender. “Hey, calm down. I wasn’t spying on you. I just live here in the mansion.” She shrugged casually. “Besides, you were grumbling pretty loudly to yourself. I figured Valerie had done something stupid again. That tends to happen quite often around here.”

“Oh… yeah, sorry about that,” she muttered sheepishly. She took a breath and then hesitantly looked up at Seras again, a curious yet shy expression on her lovely face. “So… um… are you… I mean, are you one of Valerie’s girlfriends?”

Seras’s expression softened into a fond smile, her crimson eyes warming at the thought of the relationship she shared with Valerie and the others. “I sure am!” she replied cheerfully, genuinely amused by the shock and disbelief that immediately flashed across the girl’s pretty features.

The Greek girl’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion, clearly struggling to process the concept. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, clearly wrestling internally with herself before finally blurting out, “But… Why would you share Valerie with other girls? Doesn’t it upset you? Doesn’t it feel weird or something?”

Seras tilted her head thoughtfully, considering the question honestly before replying. “Maybe as a human, yeah, I probably would’ve been bothered. But it’s a lot different for us vampires,” she explained patiently, watching the girl’s reaction carefully. “Things like jealousy aren’t really the same. Honestly, Valerie has enough affection for all of us. And besides…” She giggled playfully, her pale cheeks hinting with color that might’ve been there if she were still human. “...I fully expect myself to enjoy sharing in Valerie’s harem too, you know? It’s not just her getting all the fun with beautiful women!”

At Seras’s candid response, the Greek girl’s lips parted in astonishment. She seemed utterly speechless for a long moment, her mouth hanging open adorably as she visibly struggled to form coherent words. Finally, after several stuttering attempts, she managed to mumble weakly, “This place… it’s… it’s so damn weird.”

Seras laughed again as she watched the girl try desperately to regain control over her embarrassment. “Well, weird or not, you’re here now,” Seras pointed out teasingly, deciding to press forward with her curiosity. “Speaking of which—where exactly did you come from before you ended up here? I heard something about a camp filled with abducted child slave soldiers or something equally disturbing?”

As usual and as expected, Alucard was incredibly vague with the details. 

Instantly, the Greek girl’s expression changed from embarrassed to defensive! “It wasn’t like that!” she immediately protested, shaking her head fiercely. However, even as the words left her lips, uncertainty flickered across her face.  After a few more seconds of tense silence, she exhaled heavily, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Or… okay, maybe it was kind of like that,” she reluctantly admitted. “I’m Persephone… Persephone Jackson.”

– Persephone –

A couple of hours had passed, and Persephone found herself awkwardly seated inside the cramped, dimly lit back of an armored van as it sped noisily through the winding streets of London. The van bounced roughly over potholes and uneven pavement, occasionally throwing her forward or sideways. The whole experience was new and oddly exhilarating.

She glanced to her right, where Seras Victoria sat comfortably, casually polishing the largest fucking anti-tank rifle Persephone had ever laid eyes on. Even in movies guns weren't supposed to be that big! Persephone couldn’t help but stare. 

The thing looked like it could take down a building, never mind a monster. As if noticing her amazement, Seras flashed a playful grin and gave the enormous gun a gentle pat. “Bitches love cannons,” Seras giggled, winking mischievously as if sharing some hilarious inside joke with herself.

Persephone blinked, momentarily speechless, and simply nodded dumbly. How exactly was someone even supposed to respond to that? This whole night had been one strange experience after another.

Thinking back, Persephone recalled the longer conversation she’d had with Seras earlier. It turned out that Seras had proven surprisingly easy to talk to, and she'd quickly warmed up to the vampire. Maybe a bit too much, given how easily Seras coaxed out of her the truth about why she’d been sulking so badly about Valerie. During that conversation, Persephone had learned things about Valerie’s past that made her heart sink. Apparently, Valerie hadn’t exactly had the easiest life. Most of her earlier years had been spent as some kind of prisoner and slave, completely isolated from all contact in a dirty cell underneath an evil castle. After escaping that horrible life and finally finding safety when Dracula—of all freaking people—adopted her, Valerie had apparently thrown herself headfirst into living her life to the fullest, determined to make up for all the lost time.

Knowing that now, Persephone couldn’t exactly fault Valerie anymore for having multiple girlfriends. Hell, after surviving something as traumatic as that, anyone deserved a little happiness, right? 

She found herself feeling guilty for getting so angry earlier, even if Valerie’s casual way of mentioning her other girlfriends had hurt her feelings at first.

“Oi, beautiful,” came a smooth, cheerful voice from across the cramped van, pulling Persephone from her thoughts. She turned her head slightly to meet the gaze of the mercenary captain sitting opposite her. The man wore a roguish grin on his face, accentuated by his unkempt red hair and rakish eye patch, making him look like some kind of pirate crossed with a special forces soldier. “The name’s Pip Bernadotte,” he introduced himself cheerfully, tipping an imaginary hat to her in greeting. “Leader of these fine gentlemen here—the Wild Geese mercenaries!”

Pip gestured grandly at the other mercenaries crammed into the back of the armored vehicle with them. They all gave her friendly, if slightly cocky, grins and nods of acknowledgment, their weapons resting comfortably in their laps or leaning against their shoulders.

“So, is this your first monster-hunting rodeo, lovely?” Pip asked playfully, leaning forward slightly as if genuinely interested. “I’ll be honest—I’m still kinda getting used to all this supernatural craziness myself.”

Persephone shook her head lightly, feeling oddly shy under the amused yet friendly attention of the seasoned fighters around her. “Not exactly. I mean, I’ve hunted plenty of monsters before,” she admitted hesitantly, fidgeting slightly under the curious eyes of Pip and his men. “But I’ve never really… had help from regular people before.”

As soon as the words left her lips, laughter and amused chuckles broke out among the mercenaries. Even Pip himself laughed warmly, clearly entertained by her innocent choice of words. “Oi, did you hear that, lads?” Pip joked cheerfully, dramatically pretending to wipe tears of laughter from his good eye. “She called us ‘regular people’! Been a while since anyone’s referred to us like that, eh boys?”

His men laughed again, louder this time, broad grins spreading across their rough, battle-hardened faces. A few playfully brandished their guns and knives, obviously relishing their tough-guy image, yet there was genuine friendliness in their teasing.

Seras chuckled softly beside Persephone, bumping her shoulder lightly with a gentle nudge. “Don’t mind them,” she reassured warmly, giving Persephone an affectionate smile. “The Wild Geese might look like your typical tough-guy mercs, but trust me—I’ve gone on plenty of missions with them. Underneath all the swagger and jokes, they're actually good guys. Brave, honorable types.”

Pip groaned dramatically at Seras’s affectionate praise, feigning distress. “Ah, come on now, gorgeous. Don’t ruin our mystique in front of our lovely new friend here!” he complained playfully, shooting Seras a flirtatious wink.

Seras simply laughed lightly. “Sorry, suave guy,” she teased back cheerfully, waving her hand dismissively. “But you know I’m already taken…”

For some reason, Persephone couldn't help the quick thought of Seras and Valerie naked cuddling up in bed together… It was a very nice thought but it was cut short. 

The armored van jerked sharply to a halt, tires crunching against the rough pavement as it stopped abruptly. Persephone stumbled slightly from the sudden stop, gripping the seat beside her to steady herself. 

"Alright, everyone, let's go kill some vampires!" Seras shouted cheerfully, swinging open the back door and hopping out effortlessly, her ridiculously huge anti-tank rifle casually slung across one shoulder like it weighed absolutely nothing.

Persephone watched Seras leave with an odd mix of admiration and disbelief. That cheerful, curvy blonde vampire really acted as if slaughtering supernatural monsters was just a regular day job. Which, Persephone supposed, was exactly what it was for her. 

And now it was Persephone’s job as well. Because she had signed a very binding employment contract with Integra Hellsing after the stern woman had distracted Persephone with thoughts of Valerie Tepes. It wasn’t really like she could read the contract that well anyways since demigods like herself all had dyslexia.

Persephone was still shocked with herself that she had basically betrayed the Gods by signing up to work for Hellsing. And obviously it hadn't been long enough for her to know whether she'd regret that decision or not, but she tended to trust her instincts, and her instincts had never pointed her wrong so far. 

As Persephone hesitated briefly inside the van, the rugged mercenaries around her rose to their feet, exchanging confident grins and nods with each other. 

"Don't worry, beautiful," Pip said smoothly. "You'll do fine out there, eh? Just stick close to us if you feel nervous. We won't let anything nasty get too close."

The other mercenaries chuckled knowingly, their expressions filled with friendly amusement and confidence as they gathered up their guns and knives. 

She wasn't about to let these mercenaries think she was some delicate flower who needed protection. Persephone lifted her chin proudly. "Hmph! As if the daughter of Poseidon would be nervous facing down a few measly vampires," Persephone retorted confidently, tossing her silky black hair back dramatically over one shoulder.

To punctuate her bold words, she effortlessly summoned her celestial bronze sword into her waiting palm. 

The mercenaries whistled appreciatively.

Seras poked her head back into the van, having overheard Persephone's bold proclamation. 

Her crimson eyes sparkled with amusement as she offered Persephone an encouraging thumbs-up. "Now that's the spirit!" Seras said cheerfully. But then her expression shifted to something more thoughtful and serious, and she tilted her head slightly in consideration. "But you might want to remember—quite a few of these vampires will probably be carrying guns. So, tell me, exactly how bulletproof are you?"

Persephone froze. Well… shit. She hesitated awkwardly, her bravado deflating noticeably. A faint blush colored her cheeks in embarrassment as she sheepishly mumbled her response, unable to meet Seras's amused gaze directly. "Um, you know… now that you mention it, that's a really good question," Persephone admitted quietly, shifting nervously on her feet. "I've never actually faced monsters who… you know… had guns and shot bullets at me."

She felt her earlier confidence crumbling rapidly. Especially when she remembered how easily Valerie had defeated her.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Persephone cleared her throat awkwardly and spoke again, this time even quieter, her earlier pride all but gone now. "Maybe… maybe I'll stick a little closer to the Wild Geese at first. Just to be safe."

Pip and his mercenaries all laughed warmly, clearly amused by her sudden humility. Yet their laughter was good-natured rather than mocking.

"No worries, mademoiselle," Pip said with another playful grin, clapping her shoulder reassuringly. "We'll look out for you, eh? You just keep that fancy magic sword ready and stay close to us until you get used to the bullets flying around…"

– Valerie –

I'd lost track of how many targets Dad and I obliterated by the time we finally ran out of explosive ammo. The backyard of Hellsing Manor looked more like a warzone now, littered with chunks of wood, blasted earth, and scattered debris. 

Honestly, it was kind of beautiful—in a violent, destructive way that really suited the whole Dracula-and-daughter vibe.

Eventually, even after tossing around some flashy magical blasts for a while, we both decided we'd had enough. Well, mostly we just got tired and hungry-thirsty for some blood. 

We strolled leisurely back inside, laughing and joking, still riding the adrenaline high from all the explosive mayhem. But my laughter quickly died the second I stepped into the manor and found Sir Integra and Walter standing there, practically blocking our path and clearly waiting specifically for us. 

Uh oh…? She usually made me come to her, not the other way around. That usually wasn't a good sign. 

Her cold, ice-blue eyes scanned me from head to toe, taking in my thoroughly disheveled appearance—my slightly scattered hair, my dusty face, and my once-pristine clothing now streaked with dirt, soot, and gunpowder residue. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and I instinctively shifted nervously from one foot to the other.

“Valerie,” Sir Integra started in that sharply clipped tone she always used whenever she wanted something done immediately—meaning yesterday. “You look like you've been rolling around in a battlefield all day.”

“Well, technically, I kinda have,” I replied with a nervous grin, brushing at the layer of dust clinging stubbornly to my shirt. 

She was totally not amused.

She exhaled sharply, clearly biting back several comments she desperately wanted to unleash. Instead, she simply gestured sharply towards the grand staircase behind her. “Get up to your room and get yourself cleaned up—immediately. You have an important meeting in less than an hour with someone extremely significant, and you can't look like you just crawled out of a foxhole!”

My curiosity sparked instantly. “Important? Like, how important are we talking here?” I asked eagerly, raising an eyebrow with intrigue.

“Less questions, more movement. Get freaking moving!” she shouted at me!

“Y-You got it, boss!” I squeaked immediately, realizing that arguing—or stalling—would only piss her off more. Without another word, I hurried up the stairs. When I finally reached my bedroom, slightly breathless from my sprint upstairs, I shoved open the door and nearly jumped out of my skin when I found Narcissa standing calmly in the center of the room, her hands folded demurely in front of her and a soft smile on her gorgeous lips. “Holy shit, Narcissa!” I gasped, pressing a hand over my racing half undead heart. “Could you stop doing the whole ‘perfectly poised maid waiting silently in my room’ thing? You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days.” Technically, I was in perpetually perfect health and that wasn't possible, but still! 

She merely giggled softly, stepping forward gracefully and beginning to tug gently at my dirty red jacket. “I'm simply fulfilling my duties as your maid, Mistress Valerie,” she replied innocently, her soft eyes twinkling with playful mischief. “And that includes assisting you in undressing.”

I smirked wickedly, leaning closer and giving her a teasing wink. “You know, normally I’d absolutely jump at the chance to let you help me out of these dirty clothes and have some fun,” I teased lightly, running a finger lightly along her cheek. “But judging by the intensity in Sir Integra’s eyes downstairs, I doubt we’ll have time for fooling around right now. Unfortunately...”

Narcissa’s lips curled into a soft, amused smile, and she giggled again. But then, suddenly, her expression turned much more serious, her lovely eyes narrowing slightly with genuine concern.

“...Of course we don't have time for any fooling around, Valerie,” she said softly, her tone strangely grave. She carefully removed my jacket and folded it neatly over her arm, then looked straight into my eyes. “After all, you're going to meet the Queen.”

For a second, the words didn’t even register. Then my brain caught up, and my eyes widened dramatically in shock, my mouth falling open as I sputtered helplessly. “Wait… what?! The freaking Queen?!” I practically shouted, nearly choking on air.

“Yes, Valerie…” Narcissa’s gentle hands quickly and expertly peeled off the rest of my dirty clothes.

Completely naked now, I let Narcissa lead me hurriedly into my adjoining bathroom, glancing longingly at my oversized luxurious bathtub. Sadly, tonight I wouldn’t have the time to indulge.

Instead, Narcissa gently pushed me towards the shower stall. “Sorry, Valerie,” she said, her voice gently teasing as she carefully turned the knobs, adjusting the water to just the right temperature for me. “No time for one of your famously long, luxurious baths tonight.”

I sighed dramatically, stepping under the steaming shower spray and immediately feeling the hot water cascading down my skin, washing away layers of dirt and grime accumulated from hours spent blowing things up outside. Grabbing my favorite scented shampoo, I quickly began washing my long blonde hair, working the lather deep into the roots and down through my tangled locks.

As I scrubbed my hair and the grime from my pale, flawless skin, Narcissa stood patiently just outside the shower glass, a soft smile gracing her lips as she began explaining tonight’s unusual situation more fully.

“So,” Narcissa started casually, her voice carrying fine over the noise of the running water, “the Queen herself specifically requested a meeting with Sir Integra, Alucard, and apparently… Alucard’s new children, You and Gasper, and his new vampire creation, Seras.”

I paused mid-rinse, blinking water from my eyes in surprise. “Wait, seriously? The Queen specifically asked for us? Like, by name?”

Narcissa nodded seriously. “Yes, specifically by name. According to Walter, apparently your father and the Queen actually go way back—further back than even the Second World War.”

I nearly dropped the soap bar in my hands, my mind momentarily thrown into utter disbelief. “Hold on—Dad and the freaking Queen of England? Friends? You’re telling me my socially unhinged, crazy vampire father is friends with the Queen herself? Since before World War freaking Two?”

She nodded at my question.

Shaking my head incredulously, I quickly rinsed off the rest of the soap suds from my body, letting the steaming water run over my curves and wash everything away. Honestly—friendship—was one of the last words I’d ever associate with Dad. The image of Alucard having polite tea with the Queen seemed utterly ridiculous.

Finally finishing up, I quickly shut off the water and stepped out of the shower stall, grabbing a plush towel from Narcissa and beginning to dry myself hurriedly. Narcissa carefully stepped forward, silently helping me pat down my hair and gently drying the harder-to-reach spots along my back and shoulders. Her touch was always comforting, even if we didn’t have time to linger tonight.

She gently took the towel from me, eyes briefly lingering appreciatively over my still-bare body, but stayed focused enough to slip my fresh undergarments onto my figure first. “It’s unfortunate timing though—Seras just got sent out on that emergency vampire extermination mission with the new girl, Persephone Jackson. So, she won't be able to join. That means more scrutiny will be upon you and your brother with one less vampire there.”

“So… it’s just me and Gasper then, huh?” Damn, Seras lucked out. I was so freaking nervous!

Narcissa smiled sweetly as she finished helping me get dressed, carefully buttoning up my tailored blouse with nimble fingers. “Exactly. But don't worry, Valerie. You and Gasper will both be perfectly presentable and proper,” she said sternly, giving me a gentle but firm look to emphasize the point. “I’m sure you’ll both do fine.”

I slipped into my favorite clean red leather jacket, tugging it into place around my shoulders. Yet even as I adjusted my clothes, a sudden wave of concern crept into my mind, and I paused, biting my lower lip anxiously.

“Um… Narcissa?” I hesitated, glancing over to her uncertainly.

“Yes, Valerie?” She tilted her head softly, noticing my sudden nervousness.

“It’s just… I’m a bit worried about Gasper,” I admitted quietly. “I mean… he’s incredibly sweet and I love him to death, but he’s also insanely shy and socially anxious. And now he’s suddenly supposed to meet the literal Queen of England, the most powerful woman in the whole country?” I grimaced slightly at the thought. “How the hell is he going to handle something like that?”

—

Well, the answer was pretty obvious…

I stood there feeling completely helpless, cringing internally as Gasper awkwardly shuffled forward, visibly trembling, his cheeks flaming scarlet as he tried his hardest to force out a coherent greeting. 

“H–Hi y–your maj–majesty. My–my name is G-Gasper Vla– I mean T–Tepes…”

He kept tugging anxiously at the hem of his dress—a beautifully elegant number that Narcissa and Selene had carefully chosen for him—trying and failing miserably to keep eye contact with the Queen as she patiently watched from her throne. 

The enormous hall was filled with an intimidating audience of guards standing stiffly at attention, nobles looking curious, and the modern Knights of the Round Table standing nearby.

With my heightened vampire senses, there was no way I could miss their not-so-subtle comments, drifting through the air straight into my sensitive ears.

"Why exactly is that monster Alucard's son dressed like a girl?"

"Doesn't he understand how disrespectful that is in front of the Royal family?"

Their murmuring made my blood boil, a wave of protective anger rising up inside me. I glared sharply in their direction, letting my eyes flash a brighter, more menacing shade of crimson. My fangs itched with the urge to teach them some manners the hard way. At least two of the gossipers visibly gulped, their eyes widening nervously as they immediately shut their mouths, properly intimidated by my warning glare. 

Good, they damn well should be.

But just as I was feeling some small measure of satisfaction, a sharp smack hit me right on the back of my head, almost making me jump out of my boots in surprise. I spun around quickly, knowing exactly who was behind me and finding myself staring straight into Sir Integra's stern, icy-blue eyes. 

She gave me a withering look, her mouth silently shaping a single, unmistakable word. 

"Behave."

I winced sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head where she'd hit me, and gave her my best apologetic look. Fine, fine, I knew I had to behave in front of the freaking Queen, but damn, it was tough not to jump to Gasper’s defense. 

Integra simply rolled her eyes slightly, shaking her head with mild annoyance. Thankfully, though, she turned her attention back toward Gasper and the Queen, probably to make sure we didn't cause any more scenes. At least not immediately.

As it turned out, though, the Queen herself didn’t seem to care one bit about Gasper’s choice of attire or his stuttering. In fact, once he managed to finish sputtering his awkward introduction, stumbling adorably over his words and bowing clumsily, she offered him a genuinely warm and gentle smile.

"You are absolutely adorable, young Gasper," she said warmly, completely free of any judgment. Her gaze shifted slightly, catching mine as well for a brief instant. "It seems that Alucard truly does have some fine children."

The instant she said it, my heart swelled with pride, and I felt the irritation from earlier fade away. Gasper, meanwhile, flushed an even deeper shade of scarlet, practically glowing with embarrassment and shy delight from the unexpected compliment.

Of course, at that exact moment, my dear father had to open his mouth, completely ignoring all rules of etiquette or decorum. Alucard’s deep, smug voice echoed through the chamber loud enough to make several nobles jump slightly.

"Of course I do!" Alucard declared proudly, entirely unbothered by the formal setting or the disapproving stares now being shot his way. "They're my children, after all—and I'm obviously the best!"

…The best at what?

An awkward hush settled across the hall. Several of the Queen’s guards exchanged uncomfortable glances, and Integra visibly tensed beside me, clearly trying to resist the urge to smack him even harder than she’d smacked me.

The Queen, however, just chuckled softly, her amused laughter filling the tense silence and instantly putting the entire room at ease once more. "You’re certainly as humble as ever, Alucard," she said dryly.

I nearly choked trying to hold back my laughter. Oh, I definitely liked her.

The Queen calmly gestured for Alucard to approach her throne, her eyes watching him carefully, like someone sizing up an old friend they hadn't seen in a while. Dad obeyed without his usual smug dramatics, which honestly surprised me a little. He smoothly dropped down onto one knee before her, his red coat pooling dramatically around him.

The two of them leaned in close, whispering quietly to each other in hushed voices. I could’ve easily eavesdropped with my enhanced vampire hearing, but I pointedly tuned them out instead. Whatever they were talking about felt private and personal—way above my pay grade and definitely none of my business. Besides, Sir Integra would have my head if she thought I was intentionally listening in to secret conversations between my vampire dad and the freaking Queen of England.

After what felt like an awkwardly long minute or two, Alucard finally rose smoothly to his feet and stepped back, his expression calm but unreadable. The Queen watched him go before smoothly turning her piercing eyes towards Sir Integra this time, instantly switching back to professional mode.

"Sir Integra," she began seriously, her voice firm and authoritative now. "I require a full and thorough report on all these vampire outbreaks plaguing my country lately. These monsters have grown increasingly bold, attacking innocent citizens and wreaking havoc across England. What precisely is Hellsing’s plan to deal with this rising threat?"

Integra straightened immediately, her expression hardening into pure professionalism. But just as she opened her mouth to reply, the massive windows behind the Queen's throne suddenly rattled violently, a loud crack of thunder echoing harshly through the room and causing several people around me to jump nervously.

Outside, heavy rain abruptly pelted against the windows, pouring down from what had previously been a perfectly clear sky. I glanced sideways in surprise, watching streams of water slide quickly down the glass panes. 

What the hell? I frowned, mentally complaining to myself. Weren't the forecasts supposed to promise clear skies all night? Freaking weathermen—they were always wrong.

After the initial surprise faded, however, everyone quickly seemed to ignore the abrupt weather change, regaining their composure and refocusing back onto Integra. 

Integra began giving her detailed and impressively precise report to the Queen, calmly outlining exactly what Hellsing was doing to track, hunt, and eliminate the growing vampire threats that had been cropping up recently.

As Integra spoke, though, something else suddenly caught my attention. My nose twitched involuntarily.

Why was I suddenly smelling a cat…?

I spun around sharply as the strange scent suddenly got stronger, almost as if the source had moved right behind me. My senses went on high alert, and I quickly scanned the room to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from.

Sitting casually at one of the tables nearby was someone I was absolutely certain hadn't been there a moment ago. A guy who, for some reason, no one else seemed to have even noticed yet. And he definitely wasn't normal. Not even close. 

The intruder was a genuine, real-life catboy. He had bright blonde hair, neatly brushed and falling slightly into his eyes, and two perky, golden-furred cat ears stood out clearly from the top of his head, twitching and turning gently as if taking in every sound. He lounged comfortably in his seat, one leg crossed casually over the other, looking completely relaxed as he smiled directly at me and gave a playful, friendly wave.

Under literally any other circumstances, I probably would've smiled right back. Hell, I would've waved enthusiastically—because honestly, who in their right mind doesn't love adorable catboys? Unfortunately, these weren't normal circumstances at all. There was one major, incredibly alarming issue about this catboy that stopped my friendly response dead in its tracks. It was the uniform he was wearing.

He was wearing a full-on Nazi uniform… 

My stomach twisted immediately into a knot. Was he an enemy? He had to be an enemy, right? 

All of my vampire instincts kicked into gear immediately. Before anyone around me could even blink, my hand shot behind my back and reached under my jacket, grabbing the high-caliber revolver Walter had recently gifted me. My fingers closed firmly around the grip as I drew the heavy weapon out in one smooth motion. Without wasting even half a second to reconsider, I aimed it directly at the Nazi catboy and squeezed the trigger multiple times in rapid succession!

The sound of my gunshots cracked sharply through the room. Each bullet struck the catboy squarely in his chest, creating spurts of bright red blood that splashed out over his bright uniform and onto the table behind him. His body jerked back violently from the impacts, his expression shifting from friendly amusement to shocked pain.

And as to be expected, instantly, the room erupted into chaos around me…

XXX