Chapter 112
Previously: The Rose of Whitby – Chapter 111
Having leaned in to follow along the calculations, Jack pulls back from where he was already doing his own calculations, probabilities of different approaches and likelihoods of what materials they could procure. “I believe that is part of the reason why you bring two hands for a minstrel. Art, am I right in assuming that every person gets a different version of the plan, and the one who knows the actual full picture stays behind?”
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With a nod, Art agrees, then wonders: “Minstrel leaning voivode… It could be that Lucy is physically stronger. If we can lure him with sugar doll above the trap then Lucy might be able to tackle him in.”
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Arthur waves his hand, not sure how much he likes that idea. “But how do we ensure he doesn’t pull either of them in with him? I mean, I know we’ll have few options, but…”
That thought breaks through his calm, makes him shudder. “I’d never forgive myself if he managed to take either of them down with him. And given that he’s insane, maybe he’d be vengeful enough to do it? …Uh, also, didn’t he render Lucy and even Mr Basarab unconscious when he went to help her?”
Could they use some kind of remote trigger, he wonders. An explosive? He could set off an explosive at a distance, but would it be enough of a distance? What is Radu’s range for reading thoughts? Maybe even sensing people’s presence? Longer or shorter than what Arthur would need to see his target for a spell?
“I’d prefer it being Dracula who goes in accidentally, too,” Art scoffs. “But of course he’s not helping.”
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Focusing on the more tactical point, also because he frankly doesn’t want to go search through the fog what he’s feeling about it, Jack nods. “Yes, apparently this Radu is a strong enough minstrel to shortly stun even our personal boogeyman of a vampire. Getting him into this deathtrap is the far more difficult part of any plan we can come up with.”
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“Some kind of remote trigger?” Arthur offers his thoughts. “It would be very helpful if we at least knew Radu’s range for mind-reading and mental attacks. Well, and his speed, that would help, too, to figure out if it’s feasible…”
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“Speed. On a voivode?” Scoffing again and taking a long drag on his cigar, Art doesn’t think that’s going to matter much. “If he’s slow you won’t be able to follow his movements as more than a blur, if he’s fast you’re dead before you notice he moved. That’s half the point why we really should hope the two damn voivodes get into a fight and they both fall into the acid trap. Two problems gone.”
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“Your disregard for our basic personhood speaks volumes as to your morals, hunter. Although, I cannot say that I was holding out high hopes there after you killed the woman you pretend to love twice.” Vlad suddenly stands right next to them, across the table from Art, fangs shown before he glares at Jack and Arthur.
“To answer your question, he is slower than I am, but even insane far too smart to go into your inhumane trap. Do not expect to survive such trickery. And then your wife and child would be as bereft as you wish mine to be.”
He didn’t want to threaten, he had told himself he would cooperate with these abominable murderers at the least until his grandchild is safe, but he should have known better than trust hunters to not scheme murder at any corner.
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Arthur shouldn’t, he really shouldn’t, he knows he shouldn’t- pissing off the voivode who’s kind of on their side who’s already showing fangs further is probably one of the worst ideas he’s ever had, and also, Dr Seward and Art don’t know yet… But he feels the back of his neck bristling and his nerves are wrecked and he’s kind of had it with these voivodes being scary and being stuck between them and feeling all gnawed with worry and fear and lack of information and helplessness, and so he crosses his arms and opens his mouth and snaps back:
“Like Radu respected Mr Harker’s basic personhood when he brutally tortured him to death to frame you? What, we’re supposed to hide out behind these wards for the rest of our lives and always look over our shoulders, waiting to see who of us he picks next to mind-rape and murder in whatever beef he has with you? You don’t want us to figure out how to kill him, well, come up with a solution!”
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That has Art jump to his feet and yell at Dracula that he doesn’t believe for a moment that was framing! Yes, suicidal seems to be the theme, but better to get the attention off Arthur.
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Jack, meanwhile, surprised and disturbed by that revelation as he may be, does the one sensible thing there is to do when you find yourself with a snarling voivode and two men eager to provoke him further. He mentally yells for his own voivode, ready to drag Arthur and Art behind her to safety if need be. If his calculations are right, Draculya seems reluctant to attack people of his own blood line, or people dear to Mina, so he hopes his estimate that Lucy can protect them is right.
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Alright, Arthur might be annoyed (yes, really rather annoyed), but… “No, that wasn’t him, that was Radu, I’m about 95% sure,” he tells Art, because… well, they should operate on good information, not assumptions.
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Going by what Art had only just said, Lucy appears to be slow, Jack can see her as a reddish blur before she comes into focus, right on the table between Art and the man. Good move on her, he finds himself thinking somewhat ridiculously, because he’s watching two full voivodes show fangs at each other. Never mind that his needs to stand on the coffee table to be able to be at eye level with her sire.
“Back off! You owe me!” Her bared fangs get slightly less visible as Lucy’s snarl turns mischievous grin, “Vladie!”
Oh dear, yes, that would be his wife, all 153 centimetres thereof, throwing social shade at the centuries-old war general. And maybe more ridiculously, he is rather sure he can interpret his emotions right when that cold clutch around his lungs settles down. The admiration he has for his wife apparently manages to overpower his very logical fear of death.
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Did she really just…? Vlad is not sure he has any chance of living this down should his wife hear about it, which he suspects she will, this is her best friend. And really, as much as he is still bristling at these buffoons she is around, look at her, no fear at all! He couldn’t be prouder of her and he has no illusions that he is not indeed in her debt after the horrors he put her through (unknowingly, but that won’t stop him from making it up to her).
So Vlad retracts his fangs and takes a half-step back. “I shall back off the threats and accusations, but your men are trying to hurt my family and I have long sworn to principles that include the protection of my family. I will not and I cannot bend them. I will not aid in any plans to murder my brother. And I will not open access to any information or help at the Court to do such a thing either. I am Principe and my word on that is final.”
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Now Arthur feels like growling himself again- not that he can, that’d just sound silly, but if he could, he would. Also show fangs, if he had any.
That’s all very well and good that Mr Basarab doesn’t want to hurt his family- except that family of his is hurting other family of his, and sitting back on his hands and blaming them for defending themselves is really quite rich. (Also, what’s a ‘principe’? Well, curiosity can wait.)
There are really a bunch of things to say stuck behind his teeth, but no one is paying attention to him or asking him, so he just about manages to not say them- just now, at least. Still, easy for the near-indestructible, immortal vampire to decide he won’t entertain any extreme measures, Arthur is not going to sacrifice his own life and family to the man’s principles.
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Oh, that’s the game they’re playing now? Big bad political man lording over the little woman of his house. Lucy lets him know exactly what she thinks of that, by way of rude gesture and taking a step after him.
“And you think that’s going to stop me from protecting my family? You think you can wave some kind of political power over me? I didn’t even fucking know I have a vampire house because a certain somebody left me in a crypt to rot! Don’t quote whatever that Principe position is at me! I’ve been running wild for twenty years and funnily enough, none of your lackeys picked me up for violation of whatever you do in your self-important role of big man! You listen here, you backwater prince! I was born and raised to be a noble in the greatest empire on the planet! And I would have been baroness if not for you! I would have been fucking double baroness from marrying Art! I could do a better job at that stupid title of yours than you ever did!”
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Vlad blinks, because yes, he’s still proud of her for standing up to him like this but… She just might have given him an idea. If she were to be Principe, she would be coiled into all the rules and laws. And she would see the history and the rumours as to why he won’t sell his brother out (again, never again). She may well rile the Court up against Radu politically though, and that, yes, that he would be more comfortable with.
An enthrallment and open murder is extreme even with merit and power-based laws, and so very much not like his brother. Vlad would like him to return to the Court, away from the dhampirs and the hunters, and having to focus on the politics. Especially with a young, a very young, vampire, on the Principe chair.
The other Houses just might jump on it, they vote for him because he is absent so much of the time, they would possibly vote for her because they think she would be easy to manipulate. And she would, were she alone, but Radu, insane as he might be, would never allow the other Houses to ruin their own House. He is too protective of the humans in it, too beholden to his own belief of noblesse oblige.
Yes, this might well work, but as it stands now, Lucy would never take the suggestion. But maybe her pride might lead her there yet, if just sufficiently pricked, so he lifts an eyebrow. “Would you? Well, then, why don’t we fight it out right now?”
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Lucy can all but feel her two men’s horror at Vlad’s words, but if she stands down now, she’ll admit that he is the bigger man, that he can lord over her, that she’s just the airheaded little girl her parents always thought she was, so no. No, fuck him! And fuck caution! He won’t be the last vampire who might have a problem with her hunter husbands or her dhampir child.
No, she is not backing down! Instead, she gets her claws out and searches for any more blood reserves in her, she should have gone hunting after that long flight, she doesn’t have enough for a good boost or a lot of healing, but then, she’s at a heavy disadvantage anyway. “Challenge accepted!”
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Unsheathing his own claws, just as he can hear Mina and Quincy enter the room as well, Vlad asks, voice suddenly calm (because that makes it easier not to sound smug that it worked,) “Do I have witnesses that I have been challenged for the right of Principe?”
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Is this bad? Arthur wonders. But, wait- something’s not right. Those are rather impressive-looking claws, but Mr Basarab’s demeanour has settled down again, he’s not as looming and tense and bristling as he was, and also… didn’t he just say he won’t hurt family?
Isn’t that what this argument is about in the first place? And isn’t Lucy his family?
He’s asking for witnesses- that means this is a formal sort of thing, doesn’t it? Some kind of political thing?
Meaning, Mr Basarab is up to something, and… and while he might be annoyed, Arthur finds he’s willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Because he’s annoyed with him over being protective of his brother, which, well, Arthur’s here willing to do whatever he has to to help Darcy, and… and he thinks he would even if she did something pretty bad. (Like, well, attacking Quincy and John- even if nobody died.)
So they’re kind of the same, they just ended up on sort-of-but-not-quite opposite sides of the debate. Well, and, on further thought, he’s annoyed at Mr Basarab accusing him of not considering the person-ness of vampires. Which the hunters do, and Arthur’s complained about often enough, so… so he’s kind of insulted to be lumped in with that.
He’s thinking about doing something awful if he has to despite Radu’s person-ness, not while denying it. Somehow, that matters, even if he’s not sure how and why. So he narrows his eyes, and purses his lips, and says: “Yes, I’m a witness.”
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“Thank you, young scholar.” Vlad nods at him before training his eyes on Lucy, feels his own wife’s eyes at the back of his neck, but he can hear the way she’s breathing, the slight chuckle so low it’s nothing more than air; and the rustle of clothes as she holds back their son.
His own pride and joy, who apparently again is poised to run in and try to prevent the violence. His own son, so much like his little brother all those centuries ago. Yes, this is for Radu.
When he hears Lucy move, so passionately and yet so slow to his senses now that he’s focusing on her, he dodges just about enough that all that hits him is one claw, leaving a scratch line if no cut on his cheek (and that it could even do that much makes his pride at his daughter flare again).
Reaching faster than Lucy could ever react, he gets a hold of her wrists and raises his voice before she has the idea to turn fog on him or kick him. “I was struck. I yield.”
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Arthur tilts his head, because this was a set-up if he ever saw one. But for what purpose?
“…Does that mean Lucy is Principe now?” Whatever that position means… but it’s one of power and access, and Mr Basarab said something about information from the Court, and also he got the information about the enthrallments from there.
So… he just removed himself from the power to stop them on planning against Radu without violating his principles? Is that what just happened? That seems like a really convoluted way to go about it.
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Wrists still held tight, Lucy hasn’t managed to retract her claws and her drac is all up in a hissy fit, ready to fight, but uh? She won?
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“Yes, Lucy is Principe. Until the last day of the century when the next election is held,” Vlad concedes and lets go, takes another step back and bows to Lucy, hears Mina’s footsteps come up next to him before she puts herself on his side, arms circling around his middle and whispering softly into his ear that he is her terrible, wonderful man of loopholes.
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Dr Seward and Art both crash backwards in their respective chairs with a long sigh of relief, and Quincy says: “So if I just got all my gossip and things I only half-heard right, my sis is vampire queen?”
But Arthur is stuck on, wait, the last day of the century? But that’s… “Until the week after next, anyway?” Arthur adds.
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“Indeed. Unless she runs for the position, and I would put my vote behind her.” The part of ‘as well might Radu’, he leaves unsaid, but he is sure his wife suspects him, with how she is looking at him. “So if my new vampire queen would indulge me, there is much to discuss about your new political power.” Extending a hand to her, he finds himself glared at again and adds with a sigh: “Very well, your humans may accompany you.”
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“…And this helps with the Radu situation how?” Arthur asks, because clearly, Radu isn’t the only brother who can scheme, and Mr Basarab just totally goaded Lucy into that challenge on purpose, which means it ought to have been pertinent to the situation they were discussing.
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Scholars always with the good-if-annoying questions. But Vlad sees not too much harm in revealing a bit more, if for no other reason than to get them off thinking about physical retribution on his brother. “Radu is the more politically inclined one between us. He is likely to shift his attention to the election and such a young contender, especially one who I turned against the rules. This is a perfect bait for him to use against me politically.”
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“So… baiting his attention away from us with Lucy? Is that dangerous for her?” Arthur gives her a concerned look. But at least she’s a vampire, so the sturdiest of them. And Mr Basarab said it’s a political gambit, not a physical sort of baiting…
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“I won’t lie and say that the Court is without its dangers, but vampires respect merit and that she has demonstrated amply.” This is about his daughter, and his wife’s best friend so no, Vlad is not hiding that smile as Lucy takes his offered hand. “She also shall not have to deal with any of it on her own. Going by the two hunters over there still glaring at me, it would appear that likely, she will have my support as much as that of her men. Which really are the only ones in direct physical danger should they parade around that they are hunters.”
“I suppose I will have to keep my lack of attachment to that title in mind then,” Jack answers as he gets up, pulls slightly on Art’s sleeve. “Her political advisor and secretary at the ready here.”
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Arthur will take some vague, unspecified danger over direct physical danger at this point. Though he has to point out: “Nobody here thinks vampires are bad just for being vampires.” Slants a look at Art, because, yes, for some of them, that’s more recent a conclusion than for others, but maybe it helps Art to be reminded of it.
Art glances back at him, and makes a noise that’s somewhere between a grunt and a scoff, which… Well, Arthur knows what the hunters think from the books he read, and Art did spend a long time with them, and also thought Lucy was dead, or rather, that they had to kill her again for becoming a vampire… Which, well, he gets being scared and unsure, but the evidence clearly shows the hunters are wrong.
He crosses his arms again, frowns at Art. “Really? Saying vampires are somehow bad and evil just for being vampires is irrational nonsense. If they’re bad, it’s because they are people, not because they aren’t!”
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Not having expected Arthur to speak up like that, Jack turns slowly, because yes, rationally he agrees, and he is personally very glad that he could find enough data to convince himself of it really being the correct conclusion, but he knows Art’s beliefs don’t budge so easily. They are based on emotions, after all, and those are about as strong with Art as they are vague with Jack. Still, he isn’t sure how many more arguments in one day he can deal with, so he’s about to remind Art that he likes the boy when it’s Quincy who jumps in.
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“And isn’t that look on his face for being called out just the perfect reason why he should go to the Court? Lots of vampires there! He gets exposure to enough of them, he can start disliking them on a personal basis for individual reasons.” Sashaying over, because yes, now he feels personally miffed, Quincy puts himself right next to Arthur, and yes, he’s not blind, he can see Basarab hiding a grin.
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Having everybody kind of glare at him is really not what Art signed up for, he still has his fight readiness cruising through him, his wife just fucking duelled with Dracula. No, just because she and sugar doll apparently are not lost souls and damned to hurt others doesn’t mean that all of the damn bloodsuckers are okay, and he’s not going to have that shouting match with Arthur right now, so he sticks his hands in his pockets and grunts again while starting to walk. He doesn’t have the energy for this; can he please just collapse and hear how he now apparently needs to advise his vampire queen of a wife?
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Arthur really hadn’t expected that comment from Quincy, or the way it makes him want to snicker, so he just about manages to bite that laugh down- and he hasn’t had a lot to laugh about recently.
He nods, and concurs: “Yeah, that’s fine.” Because it is. As far as Arthur’s limited experience goes, being powerful in some way does lend itself to people being assholes, and what with vampires being quite powerful, he’s sure there’s plenty of assholes among them.
But saying all vampires are evil is just the same as saying all aberrations are evil- or all mages and all magic is evil, and, well. He knows what that’s like. And Art knows better in those cases, so probably it’s just that he needs to get over his first bad impression of vampires.
Which isn’t going to happen overnight. And they really have enough to worry about without more fighting amongst themselves. So…
“Um. So, what, you’re going to the Court… now?” he asks. “And I’m out of something to work on again?” Because he’d really kind of like something constructive to work on, but it’s not like he can research the ritual if Llew doesn’t tell them anything about it except it’s a ritual.
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“Much as I would like to indulge my son’s excellent suggestion, no, it would not be a wise idea to bring them to the Court right away.” Inclining his head, definitely not still grinning and using his moustache for all its worth, Vlad explains. “I may well travel with Lucy later this night if her watchdogs permit, as there is some paperwork I have to fill out for her existence. That should also immediately get the rumours going, and my brother is likely to hear those. As to leaving you without something to work on, I am afraid I cannot alleviate that problem. My apologies.”
Then he thinks better of it. “However, maybe you could start reading into fey rituals?”
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“If there’s any books on it, I can,” Arthur agrees immediately. Maybe some general fey ritual research would be helpful, after all…
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Seeing where her husband is going with this, Mina proposes that she and Arthur can do that for a few hours or until Llew shows back up.
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Great, now Quincy feels superfluous, but really, he said he didn’t really feel refreshed after the last round of sleep he had, so he supposes he can do the unthinkable, retire early to bed.
That would have been too nice to be true, of course.
He manages just fine to get through checking up one more time on John and contemplating for a moment if he should cuddle up into that bed with him and deal with the consequences if John finds him there, but then decides against it. But the moment he has made it back to his own room, he can’t even get through bloody brushing his teeth without a yammering-again Gregory popping in on him.