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A Dark Lord *Should* Have A Harem (CH2)
🕑 Added 2024-05-19 01:11:40 +0000 UTCA lot of copy-pasting happened. If things seem disjointed, that might be why. I'd edit it but... I'm too fkn tired.
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Vlad's hands rested on the balcony railing; stone carved into stylish patterns. His gaze swept the surroundings. The lookout rose out of the mountain, towering over the land below. It provided an excellent vantage point. Due to Bloodchill castle's remote location—and it arguably was one, unlike the small manor in the game—there was little chance of being discovered.
Skyrim had a low population density, Winterhold being the least populated among the holds. It was difficult to overstate just how deserted the country was. In Earthling terms, Tamriel was a Pangea-like supercontinent, with Skyrim approximating the size of North America. The inhospitable climate and dangerous fauna had seen to it that massive stretches of land remained uninhabited.
He turned his head, brushing strands of long, black hair out of his face. He looked at Serana. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. His predecessor was, plainly speaking, a block of ice. It was very difficult for anything to move him. He wasn't the same, having a healthy appreciation for the female form.
"How long was I in seclusion?" He asked, meeting her golden eyes.
Serana shrugged. "Perhaps a year? I'm not sure."
"I see... Since that's the case, why don't we stretch out legs? I haven't taken you hunting yet. The game here makes for good eating."
She blinked, looking from him to the forest. Her gaze lingered there.
Not missing her faintly interested expression, Vlad nodded. "Then it's decided. We can spend the night out. I'll have a thrall accompany us with supplies."
Serana was silent, looking at him oddly. He wasn't acting like his usual self—he realized as much. The old Vlad wasn't so talkative.
They locked eyes for a moment. He said nothing, simply waiting for her answer. His personality had changed for good. There was nothing to be done about that.
"...I'd like that." She said. "But I wouldn't want to interrupt your studies."
He shook his head. "That matter's been settled. I'm, well... going to be around more. From now on."
"Is that so...?" She asked, wrapping her arms around herself. The wind was rather chilly.
Vlad drew closer, hugging her from behind. Her hair tickled his nose. She smelled like snowberries.
Serana stiffened. Her reaction was no surprise—they weren't actually a couple. When he'd proposed to her near the end of their adventure, she hadn't outright refused, but she hadn't agreed either. The result was some kind of weird co-habitation arrangement, without their relationship being precisely defined.
Taking advantage of her stunned state, he took an engraved mithril ring out of his pocket. He slipped it onto her finger. "It’ll help you resist the sun's effects. You don't have to go around wearing a robe and a cowl. Not if you don't want to." He said, gently holding her hand.
Serana looked at it. For a moment, she didn't say anything, but then she separated from him, heading back inside. "Excuse me. It's... a little cold here."
Vlad followed her. "I apologize." He said, closing the tall doors behind them. He reclaimed his seat across from her.
"I-... no, it's alright. Thank you... for the ring." She said, fiddling with it in her lap. She didn't look at him.
Vlad remained quiet. He didn't think he'd overstepped their boundaries. He had proposed to her before, and they were living together. His intentions were clear as day. If she disliked him that much, she'd not have agreed to live with him in the first place.
Serana raised her head a second later. She’d regained her composure. "When do you plan to leave? I'd like to change out of this dress before that. It's not suitable for riding."
"I'm in no hurry. Perhaps around noon. We can leave after eating something." Taking a small silver bell from his clothes, he shook it, producing a tinkling sound. He directed his attention toward the polished wooden door. It wasn't long before a knock sounded on the other side.
"You called, master?" The voice was raspy, with a dark tone.
Vlad struggled not to roll his eyes. "Bring us some sweetmeats from the pantry. I'll have some coffee too—that beverage we had imported from Hammerfell.” He glanced at Serana. “Anything to drink?”
“Blood. Body-temperature.” She said, staring into the flames.
“…as you wish, mistress. But my dear master, will that be enough to satiate you appetites? I would bring you the freshly-plucked heart of a virgin maiden, if you so desired-…”
“That will be all.” Vlad said, feeling an urge to rub his temples. His dremora butler had a rather weird personality, but his skills more than made up for it.
“Are you certain? Thinly sliced and with some mild seasoning, the flesh is quite delectable-…”
“I said no.”
There was a moment’s silence. The creature behind the door projected an aura of vague disappointment.
“…by your orders, my immortal master.” When it finished speaking, its presence disappeared. It came and went without making a sound.
Vlad’s gaze returned to Serana. Her expression hadn’t changed, but he could tell she was amused.
“Does he have a name?” She asked, glancing at Vlad.
He shook his head. “I’m sure you’re aware Dremora don’t bother with such things.”
“Indeed. But isn’t it a little… annoying? I don’t always know how to refer to him.”
“Give him a nickname then, if you’d like.”
She seemed to think about it. “What about… Wit?”
Vlad blinked. “’Witless’ might be more fitting. But I suppose that can work. It’ll depend on him, whether he accepts it or not.”
“I’ll talk to him later.” She said, reclining on the couch. She crossed her legs, exposing a stretch of tight wool stockings.
Awkwardly twiddling his shirt button, Vlad tried not to look. Serana was very much a classic beauty; perhaps ‘vintage’ was a better word. She wouldn’t look out of place in a black-and-white film, or on an old pin-up poster. She even dressed similarly.
She also had some serious gap-moe. Her being a vampire contrasted with her almost girl-next-door personality in the best possible way.
Fortunately, ‘he’ had Vlad’s old habits to fall back on. It wasn’t unusual for the vampire to brood silently for long stretches of time. Consequently, the current him didn’t have to embarrass himself by trying to make pointless small-talk.
It wasn't long before 'Wit' arrived with their snacks. After knocking once and receiving permission, he let himself in, balancing a tray on each hand. Gliding over to the circular tea-table, he set them down with a flourish. "For my dearest master and his mistress. If anything's to your dissatisfaction, don't hesitate to let me know. My purpose as a butler is to please you-..."
"That's fine. I'll ring if there's anything else." Vlad said, interrupting him with a handwave.
The Dremora bowed. "Of course. I wouldn't want to make a nuisance of myself. I'm aware that a newly-married couple wishes to enjoy their privacy." His gaze lingered on Serana, a smirk at the corner of his mouth.
"Please leave." She said, not taking the bait at all.
The wind taken out of his sails, 'Wit' slunk out of the room. "I'm a third-wheel, aren't I? I understand, yet it's still hard to accept. Aside from my beloved master and-..."
"Hush, you."
"...his mistress, I'm entirely without company. What, must I converse with mindless undead? Must I gaze into the dulled eyes of taxidermized, wall-mounted bears and foxes-...?"
With a flick of Vlad's wrist, the door suddenly swung shut, dulling the sound of the Dremora's inane babbling. He sent an apologetic glance toward Serana. "If he's going to keep doing... that, I might have to look for a new servant."
"Not at all. Don't inconvenience yourself on my behalf." She said, taking a sip of her 'beverage'.
Vlad analyzed her expression. She really didn't seem bothered. Well, he wouldn't make an issue out of it.
For a while, they sat in silence. The only sounds that could be heard was the clinking of cutlery and plates. Eventually, Serana broke the ice, her glowing eyes staring at him over the rim of her cup. "Now that you're research has concluded, do you have any plans?" Despite her nonchalant tone, she didn't entirely manage to hide her interest.
He took a moment to think about it. "Not exactly... however, I did hear something interesting recently. Maybe it's worth looking into—the appearance of a dragonborn."
"...that is interesting." Serana said, straightening in her seat.
Vlad idly tapped his fingers on the armrest. For some reason... she didn't seem all that surprised to him. "Were you aware of this?" He asked, trying his best not to sound suspicious. Had she left the manor while he was in seclusion?
Serana tilted her head. "I heard some rumors. The dragonborn hasn't exactly been maintaining a low profile."
"I see. It's just... you're a lot calmer than I expected. After thousands of years, dragons have re-emerged in Tamriel. Doesn't it excite you?" He asked, eyeing her curiously.
She returned his stare. "What about yourself? Your own response is no more vibrant than my own."
"..." He didn't quite know how to answer that. She was right. Though, the main reason for his lack of enthusiasm was their pest-like nature in the game. He didn't know if it
Not that he planned to ignore Skyrim's dragon invasion for such a menial reason. He wasn't much interested in saving the world—in the first place, Alduin wanted to conquer, not destroy—but the beasts were an excellent source of materials. It wasn't just their bones and scales; their flesh, blood were valuable alchemic ingredients. At least, if old records were to be believed.
"It's not that I'm indifferent, I'm just..." He started, hesitant to admit the truth: that he was just lazy. "...well, that doesn't matter. I am planning to take a look. Would you like to come with me?"
Serana nodded. "Of course." She slowly drained her cup before setting it on the table, a stain of red still visible on the rim. Wiping her lips with a handkerchief, she stood. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to prepare for our trip. I was glad to... see you again, Vlad. The mansion is quite comfortable, but it does leave one wanting for company." Walking over to the door and opening it, she glanced over her shoulder. "See you later."
He gave her a casual wave, watching her disappear down the stairs. The door closed on its own behind her. When she was gone, he breathed out slowly. It had been pretty nerve-wracking—an ancient vampire could feel nervous, apparently—for various reasons. Due to Vlad's character, he couldn't show any strong emotions. From beginning to end, he hadn't smiled, nor had he frowned. His voice was even, maintaining the the same slightly-bored tone. It was weird. Part of him found it entirely normal, while his other half felt... a little suffocated.
But, if he was being honest with himself, that wasn't the real reason for his stress. Serana was attractive. Very much so. He couldn't pick out any flaws, even with his enhanced eyesight. She definitely didn't get her looks from Harkon, that much was certain. It made him wonder what Valerica looked like. He vaguely recalled her being good-looking, but Vlad had barely paid attention to the woman. He couldn't remember her face in detail. If Serana hadn't popped out of Dimhollow crypt with an Elder Scroll, he'd probably have left the vampiress behind in that cavern. No, he'd have done it without a doubt.
Chuckling morosely, he ran a hand across his face. He'd really overstepped today, hadn't he? It wasn't that Serana actually felt anything for him—she was just too polite to make a scene. How could she, when Vlad's attitude toward her had been so indifferent. He had no idea how that proposal must've sounded to her. As a player, he did it because... well, he somehow felt his character would do it. With the background he concocted, Vlad had basically no-one. Not that he was shunned, he just preferred to cloister himself. He didn't like dealing with people.
However, Serana provoked his interest. She was the most interesting follower by a mile, and arguably the most interesting NPC on the whole. She was a daughter of Colharbor, carrying an Elder Scroll, and involved in an ancient prophecy. Not even ice-block Vlad would've overlooked her. That was how he roleplayed the character anyway.
It didn't exactly explain why he'd propose to her, but maybe he just wanted to keep her around. The new 'him' wasn't sure. He wasn't able to access the entirety of his predecessor's memories, and perhaps that was for the best. He didn't know if he could dig himself out from under thousands of years of experiences. How much of his human side would've been left?
Pushing such thoughts to the corner of his mind, he got up slowly. He took his cloak—Serana had left it behind—and draped it over his shoulders. He didn't really need to prepare for the hunt, but he wanted to look around his personal quarters anyway.
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