The days blurred together, chained to one another by passionate nights.  The guilt Gwendolyna initially felt about fornicating with the Belmont passed with time.  It felt not like a sin to be with him each evening, nor did it feel like punishment.  She found herself less paranoid about Dracula’s return; her sire crossed her mind less often.  She was too distracted by Richter to worry about him.

Gwen barely paid attention as she wandered through the castle one afternoon following an especially satisfying evening.  The lady’s head was in the clouds, occupied only by thoughts of her lord.  It mattered not if all of this was a game; it was a game that she was enjoying.  His feelings may not have been real, but the way he touched her was, as was the way he made her feel.  With lifted spirits, she hummed a fugue she faintly remembered.  Between this and her day-dreaming, she did not realize she had been being followed.

“Well, well…”

Gwen turned to face the voice she had heard.  One of the succubi had manifested behind her.  Her lighthearted mood quickly soured.  Envy flickered deep within upon the recollection that this creature had tempted Richter.  She was not given long to dwell on this anger before the demon began to circle the vampiress.

“What would our Lord say should he know his darling fledgling has betrayed him?”

“I’ve not betrayed Lord Dracula.”

“No?” the succubus said.  She stopped her pacing, looking down at Gwen with her arms folded in front of her bare chest.  “Allowing the Belmont to take your innocence isn’t a betrayal?  In the master’s own bed, no less!  Even my sisters and I did not stoop that low.  Who knew you were capable of being so bawdy?”

Had her blood not already run cold, it would have turned to ice.  Her heart sunk with the knowledge that others were aware of her evenings with Richter.  Word traveled fast in the castle.  If her actions weren’t a secret, they’d make their way to Dracula as soon as he was resurrected.  Instead of allowing her distress to show, she opted to counter the other woman’s words.

“What know you of innocence?”

Haughty laughter was the initial response to Gwen’s retort.

“My, my!  The timid vampire is feisty today.  Emboldened now that you have gotten a taste of prick, Lady Gwendolyna?  Are you sure you’re not also a succubus?”

She scoffed in disgust.  “I am in no way a demon like you.”

“Oh, do forgive me, my lady!”  The demon’s words were drenched in sarcasm.  “You are correct; you’re nothing like me.  You’re merely a pathetic excuse for a vampire.  A pitiful, ungrateful little disappointment to the one who was generous enough to take you in when you were unwanted,” she taunted.  “You’re no better than that deceitful Alucard.  You should pray to that God of yours that the Belmont slays you before Lord Dracula learns of your treachery, if it’s even listening to a soul as damned as yours.”

Tears of frustration welled in her eyes.  Her fists clenched and she could feel her claws digging into her own flesh.  An internal debate over whether to walk away or lash out occupied her mind.  Before she could come to a decision, the crack of a whip startled both women.  Gwen spun around, and her heart leapt at the sight of Richter.

“Ah…  Lovely to see you again, Lord Belmont…”

The way the demon purred his name could have made Gwendolyna’s blood boil. 

“Begone, demon,” Richter said, raising the whip once more as a threat.  “I’ve taken the vampire as my pet, and you shall not cause her harm.”

“Your pet?” the succubus questioned as Gwen stood astonished by his defense of her.  She tittered behind her hand before sauntering over to the vampire hunter.  Richter’s cold stare did not falter as she drew closer.  Once by his side, hands smoothed over the man’s broad chest, teasing beneath the white fabric of his top.  Her tongue flicked the shell of her ear in an attempt to further rouse Gwen.

“Tell me, Lord Belmont,” she whispered, pressing her cheek to his as she eyed the other woman.  “What is it you see in that meek little vampiress?”

Richter’s eyes flicked over to Gwen.  She bowed her head, fearing what his answer may be.  He chose not to dignify the demon with a response.

“If it’s her homely looks… I could accommodate.”

In the blink of an eye, the succubus transformed.  Black hair faded to auburn.  Green eyes lightened to amber.  Her stature shortened, figure softened, and skin paled.  The skimpy excuse for an outfit that barely covered her body had been replaced with a pale turquoise gown identical to the one that the vampire was in at that moment.

“Does this suit your fancy, Lord Belmont?”

The vampiress was stunned and enraged.  A mirror image of herself now stood beside Richter.  The other creature had perfectly replicated her voice as well, losing the sultry edge to a much more diminutive tone.  The man did not appear to be fazed by the transformation.  His expression remained unamused, but a wicked smile curled on the faint pink lips of her imposter. 

“Oh?  The way your heart races when I speak to you, Richter…  Do you like that?  I could tell you things your pious little pet would never dare utter.”

While her hands trailed further down his body, she began to whisper the vilest things in Richter’s ear, knowing that Gwen’s sensitive hearing could pick up each word.  It took every fiber of her being not to attack.  If she had more confidence in her ability to defend herself, she would have lunged at the demon far before Richter appeared.

“My, you seem to be enjoying this attention much more than you did last time,” the succubus noted.  “If we only knew this was what you desired, we likely could have had more fun.”

The succubus guided his face so that she could kiss him.  It was a surprise to both women when Richter gripped the wrist of the hand that graced his cheek and backhanded her with his other one the moment her lips touched his.  The force knocked the creature to the ground and out of disguise.  She stared up at him in disdain, baring teeth as she rubbed her cheek.

“I have no use for you, demon,” he spat as he reached for his sword.  Before she could pull herself off the ground, Richter’s boot rested on her neck, pinning her to the marble.  “Say what you will about the vampire, but as far as monsters go, at least that one knows her place.”

As the succubus clawed at his boot, he cut eyes over to Gwen, who was watching in reverence.  She’d seen him slay offending creatures, but never up close.  Morbid curiosity got the better of her.

“Run along,” he said to her upon noticing she had no intentions of leaving.

Though part of her wanted to watch this wicked one’s demise, her unwavering obedience to Richter took precedence.  Not wanting to lose his favor, she turned away and left the hall as quickly as she could. 

The moment she was out of sight, she heard a dreadful shriek that all but confirmed that he had vanquished the demon.  She couldn’t help but smile in spite of herself.  Not only had such an awful creature been dealt with, but Richter…

Pet.

He called her his pet.  That, and he came to her defense.  She held her hand over her heart and let out a wistful sigh, thinking perhaps he enjoyed her company more than he let on.  Comforted by this, her merriness returned and she practically skipped along on her way.

Meanwhile, in that very corridor that she had just left, Richter’s mood was less jovial.  After the monster had been slain, his own hand drifted over his heart.  He grit his teeth as fingertips brushed the place where that succubus had touched him moments before, rage boiling inside of him at the insolence he just endured.

‘What a foolish imp,’ he thought to himself with a scoff as his cheeks grew hot.  He knew not what the succubus was attempting to accomplish with that audacious display.  How could she claim that his pulse raced upon hearing that voice speak his name?  Dare she imply that the vampiress was something more than just a plaything to him?  She was likely just envious that the little vampire was better at her job than her, unable to fathom that another creature of the castle could be more seductive without even trying.  However, he hoped that same vampire didn’t get it in her head that the fact he enjoyed using her body meant he had feelings for her, as if a vampire slayer such as himself could fall victim to the wiles of her kind.

Richter had meant what he said.  The one thing he could appreciate about Gwendolyna was that she knew her place.  Perhaps his rewarding her for that could be misconstrued as favoritism, or affection, as ridiculous as that sounded to him.  It was no secret that he was spending more time with her as the days passed.  What else was he to do while he waited for the resurrection of his opponent?  Though he had been assured that it would only be a matter of time, Richter was getting impatient.  He sought distraction from the itch to battle, lest he take his frustrations out on the denizens of the castle.  It was not like there was anyone better to socialize with; the majority of the other underlings in Castlevania lacked intelligence, and those who did have a decent head on their shoulders he did not trust.  Though they served him, their loyalty could have still lied with their former master.

But the vampiress…

It pained Richter to admit that it had begun to drive him mad when she was not around.  He didn’t understand his compulsion to seek her out, like he did moments ago when he found her with the succubus.  Perhaps it was suspicion, or perhaps curiosity, but he wished he could command her never to leave his side.  He knew he very well could, yet he found himself reluctant to control her.  He wanted her to come to him willingly.  He reasoned that keeping her on a tight leash could cause his plan to backfire.  If he was too demanding, she could flee back to Dracula the moment he was revived.  He’d done well to lure her in.  Keeping her content was the best way to keep her devotion.  Thankfully, she was easy to satisfy.  Taking that foolish girl to bed sealed her allegiance.  As long as he let her read and kept her well-fucked, Richter had her wrapped around his finger.  Should every creature in the castle turn on him, her little crush would keep her by his side.  He had come to realize he could benefit from having an ally like her, and he intended to use that to his advantage.  He’d made his motive perfectly clear to her.  There was nothing more to it.

The curious sound of music filling the typical silence of the castle tore Richter from his brooding.  He allowed his hand to drop as he cocked his head.  ‘Twas a pipe organ, he identified.  He associated the rich sound with sermons, holidays, weddings and funerals, but this song was no hymn.  The melancholic melody tugged at his interest, steering him in its direction.

As he drew closer, the music reverberated around him.  If he recalled, this was the same way the vampire had scurried off to earlier.  Out of all the possible culprits, surely, she could not be the one behind this tune.  There were all sorts of strange spirits and beings within the castle walls, and no reason to justify that she would be the one he found at the source.

Richter’s ears led him to a pair of intricate doors.  Pushing them open both amplified the song and revealed to him a sort of chapel.  The light of the setting sun seeping through the stained glass created an atmosphere far more colorful than Richter had seen in any other area of the castle.  He quirked a brow at the setting, amused to see religious imagery inside of Dracula’s dwelling.  Knowing from the legends that the count had long renounced God, he could only assume this room existed as a farce.  At the far end of the chapel, the instrument he sought was located.  A large pipe organ spanned the wall behind the altar.  Perched in front of it was none other than that peculiar little vampire.

Though the heels of his boots scuffed the marble as he strolled closer, it could not be heard over the music that she continued to play.  Soon, Richter stood behind her.  He did not interrupt, instead opting to listen intently while allowing her to play in peace. 

The faint light pouring through the stained glass was gradually replaced by the warm flicker of countless candles as the sun sunk lower in the sky.  Richter found himself enraptured by Gwendolyna’s recital.  She performed the toccata flawlessly.  He felt the rumbling of each note in his chest, rattling his heart inside of its cage.  Both eerie and ethereal, it moved him in a way he feared was impossible to describe.  It was not long before no more keys were pressed.  The final note lingered in the air before tapering off to silence. 

“… How did I know I would find you at the source of this?”

Richter’s voice startled Gwen so badly that she shot an inch up off of the bench.

“Lord Belmont!” she exclaimed when she spun around.  “Forgive me… Have I disturbed you?  You’re… You’re usually in the keep around this time, and I-I’d been told the sound doesn’t make it to that part of the castle.”

“Worry not; I’m unbothered,” he assured her.  “I must say, I found it impressive.  You play well.”

“Oh…”  Her hand rested over her heart as she ducked her head.  “Thank you, my lord.”

Richter seated himself beside her on the bench, prompting her to scoot over to give him ample space.

“And um, thank you… for earlier…”

It took Richter a moment to grasp what she was referring to, but when he did, he felt hot all over again.

“Do not mention it,” he said, averting his attention to the keys of the organ.  “A fitting end for such an audacious creature…  I should have dealt with her sooner.”  Her hand had rested on the bench between them.  Before thinking better of it, Richter’s hand rested atop it.  “And do not allow that useless drivel from lesser beings to get under your skin.  It just means our act is convincing, does it not?  If we can fool enough of them, word will surely reach Dracula when he returns.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gwen nod as she looked upon him so fondly.  He donned a smile of his own before cutting eyes back in her direction.

“So, was this meant as a serenade?” he teased.

A laugh escaped her as she shook her head.

“Truthfully, had I known you could hear me, I likely would not have played.”

“Why’s that?”  He feigned a frown as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with his other hand.  “You don’t wish to play for me?”

Gwen’s eyes went wide as she choked on her response.

“Oh!  No, no, my lord!  I-I’d be honored to do so!” she stammered out.  “If… you wanted me to, that is.”

“I believe I would,” Richter replied.  “Have you another song you can play?”

She nodded her head.

“Let’s hear it,” he said.  “Should I move?”

“No, you may stay there if you wish,” Gwen replied. 

She inched over, closing the small gap between the two of them before bringing her hands to the keys.  Unsure of what to do with his hand now that the space between them had been filled, he found it most comfortable to sit it on the bench behind her.  He was now acutely aware of how close their bodies were to each other.  If any other creature in the castle could see the two of them in that moment, they’d no doubt come to their own conclusions.  Their interpretation mattered not.  As Gwen began to play, filling the chapel with breathtaking music once again, Richter told himself he did not care if others believed he had gotten attached.  Moments like this just made his scheme appear more authentic.