SWNOVELS Chapter Choices Taken on Faith
Purebloods posses the ability to see a person’s memories thru their blood. This ability is multiplied when passing blood from one Pureblood to another and if desired that person can reveal their entire life. Alucard had offered this to Eona and with Adam by her side they patiently waited for her awakening.
“How do we know what you are showing her is the truth?” Adam stood beside the sleeping queen with his arms crossed.
Alucard chuckled, 'Memories can be forgotten, lost, and erased, but they cannot be fabricated. They are experiences connected by the emotions of the owner.'
Many of those emotions Alucard had become numb too and thus he forgot those memories. Being with Elisabeth however...helped him feel them once again. Adam felt the same though he never thought he would see the day where he understood Alucard in a sense. Both of them have lived very long lives and cast aside many feelings--their reasons were their own, but should they have done so? Isn’t feeling ‘all’ emotions the cost of living, isn’t it what makes life worth living?
“Is that what happened to Kira?” Adam rubbed Eona’s head and pulled the blanket over her shoulder.
'I don’t know what happened to her. I did everything to ensure she followed the path I laid before her; calculated every single step for her mentally to be just as I needed it to.' Alucard sat in the chair beside the fireplace, 'Every single choice that was presented to her, not a single one was what I thought she would take.'
Adam laughed at the king. He still believes he everything is under his control, that Kira was a tool that failed. Why are all Purebloods so arrogant that they believe a life is for them to manipulate as they choose? People create their own demons. Some of them try to become their friends while others try to drown them. That is what Alucard did, he tried to drown the demon he created all-the-while Eona tried to be friends with it.
He says this was all part of his plan, that he created the ‘eventually’. That is like stepping on the history and dreams of all those before him. No one controls everything, its an illusion that person creates if they think they do. Kira was free, free to make the choices she wanted, to do what ‘she’ wanted not what everyone else told her. Even now Alucard admits Kira was not under his complete control. He may have pushed for the circumstance, but after he started what happened after was not his doing. No matter what he says Adam refuses to believe that the Kira he knew was not the genuine one. She was the one and only, the person she was is everything she had been unto her death.
'That is how I see it though...' The Frenchmen was caught by surprise, 'As a man who has only ever walked a single path, I do not know what lies on the one less traveled.'
Alucard’s gaze turned to the sleeping Eona, a sleeping beauty. She is one woman he was never able to lay a hand on, someone who is indefinably beyond his reach; a child of the warm and light Mina once stood in.
'Once everything is over, I will certainly vanish from all knowledge in this world.' Alucard let out a content sigh, 'The only reason I have lived on is for the sake of completing the task my mother and brother entrusted me with.'
As much as he did not like the king Adam could not help, but sympathize, “How do you know that’s what they wanted?” He looked to the floor, already angry that he wanted to say this, “Elisabeth, she would be sad if you died.”
'Once she finds out about what I have done, that I allowed her own sister to kill their mother...she will want me gone--'
Adam shouted, “How do you know if you’ve never asked!?” He clenched his fists speaking hypocritically, “You say memories are connected by experiences and emotions, but that’s also what connects people to each other!”
Adam hated this man because he was exactly like himself. They were people who passed judgements onto others without making any effort to understand them. Now things were different, neither of them can afford to bear everything by themselves. Alucard was surprised, Adam had never voiced his opinion to this extent...maybe people can change.
'In all my wanderings of this world I’ve always thought the notion of ‘choice’ was an illusion. I believed we were bound by the chains known as ‘fate’ and ‘destiny’ to follow the path laid before us.' Alucard curled his fingers repeatedly, recalling the feeling of it being torn off back then.
'Once everything is over...perhaps something new will come about, but until then nothing changes.'
Eona awoke and was silent for many hours. On occasion she would ask a question and intently listen to the answer, returning once more to her silence. Alucard was not the man she thought he was, not a man who simply wanted to enslave or eradicate humans, but one who held a great love for them. Against his own wishes he took on his family’s will because that is what it meant to be family. Even after they passed from their world, after a long history of watching humans continue the path of destruction he condemned them for still he fought.
Perhaps it wasn’t just for humans, maybe Alucard was willing to let them die if it meant the world continuing on. Now things were different, Alucard had something worth fighting for. He wanted to protect the world, the one his daughter existed in, his granddaughter lived in, even if it meant being hated.
Eona traced her fingers along the scarlet scarf feeling the weavings with each bump and the occasional starched stiffness that hardened with the blood. She continued to ponder the answers Alucard and reflected on her own choices and the choices of the one who had already departed from this world. She remembered those sunny days back then.
Kira would come in, greeting her with breakfast and the paper. Eona always remembered the servant keeping to the shadows, staying away from the light of the room even though her smile was as bright as the sun. She would brush her master’s hair, weaving it into different styles, normally what she wanted seeing as Eona had no care.
These were how their days were, for years and gradually as Kira grew so did her affection toward her master. It was obvious to Eona because those emotions were mutual, but she never admitted them and refused to act on them. Kira always made a point to keep those feelings locked away, but they would always find their way--the vampire forced them out. As a human Kira rested her head on Eona’s lap and the entire world seemed to stop. Even when sleeping she wore a light smile on her face, she belonged there, at Eona’s side. Though she was content with standing behind the scenes; a servant in the shadow, Kira was happy to have Eona to herself in these moments.
Fighting to protect her, for her to be safe and happy no matter what. That’s the Kira Eona knew; a spoiled girl who tried to stay out of people’s way, but sneakily coiled around the affection her master provided. She was kind, but rash, thoughtful, yet inconsiderate and at all times a lier.
Alucard and Adam jumped to their feet when Eona entered the room, surprised at her appearance and strong-presence. Adam, unwillingly and with much protest, left the room. Eona wasted none in answering him, they were out of time. His words and memories were no lies and within them imprints of Natas’s own memories also gave proof to these.
Eona breathed, “You are sure this will work?”
The Ancestor’s expression became weary. Ten thousand years of planning and the false mask of faith placed into it suddenly was removed. He was not sure if it would work, he had been running on lies and with none left he did not know how else to answer.
“No.” He spoke in mortal tongue, “There is no guarantee, but it is a chance.”