For days, Gwendolyna sat alone in their chamber with the door locked and nothing to do but worry about Richter.  She wished she had stopped by the library to grab a few books to occupy her, but she had no idea this would go on for so long.  Each sound she heard kept her on edge.

With no distractions, her mind wandered.  It drew the worst possible conclusions.  Of all the things Richter had done to her, she did not believe he had ever lied to her.  She fully expected him to come back to her.  Since he did not, her assumption was that he may not have been able to return.  Though she did not doubt his ability, she found herself concerned that something was wrong.

Gwen intended to keep her promise to Richter.  She truly did.  After days of painful solitude, she could not take it any longer.  She needed to see him.  Just a glance at him to calm her nerves, then she would return to hiding.  She would stick to the shadows.  If she came across the intruder, she would not try to challenge him.  She’d be as careful as possible just as she promised him.  Once she justified this to herself, she left the safety of the bedroom in search for him.

As she crept through the castle, she found herself getting increasingly worried.  The evidence that the intruder had been around was everywhere.  Corpses of beasts slain littered the corridors.  She wanted to see Richter, but prayed she would not see him among the dead.

The sound of blade slicing through flesh and cries of monsters could be heard not too far from her current location.  Though it was almost certain this must have been the outsider rather than the man she sought, she found herself following the noise.  Richter did have a sword, she reminded herself.  Though he preferred his whip, perhaps he could have been using that instead.

She slipped into the next open door she encountered and ducked behind a column.  It was no surprise to her that the man inside causing the uproar was not Richter.  She couldn’t get a good look at him from her current position at the far side of the gallery; all she could really make out was a cape and long blonde hair.  She crept between columns when he was distracted until she was close enough to observe him.  The hunter did not look fully human, yet the way he slayed Dracula’s forces, she did not expect him to be one of her kind.  His fortitude was truly fearsome.  He would definitely give her lord something more interesting than a chandelier to strike.

Once all of his opponents had been defeated, he moved on to the next room.  Instead of fleeing in the opposite direction to seek Richter and warn him of this threat, she found herself keeping her distance as she tried to keep up with him.  He seemed determined, like he had a clear sense of direction.  Perhaps if she followed, he could lead her to Richter.  This continued for a few rooms before the man spun around, pointing his sword in Gwen’s direction.

“Show yourself.”

The hunter’s sudden acknowledgment of her was startling.  Of course, her luck had been too good to be true.  The thought that she would never again see Richter because of this crossed her mind, but at the same time, something he had once said came back to her.  He considered her to be one of the more formidable monsters of this castle.  Not in spite of her unassuming nature, but because of it.  He, a legendary vampire hunter who had faced all sorts of creatures, believed that her docility was in fact a terrifying strength.  She decided if there was ever a time to prove him right, it would be in this moment.  She just needed to win this man’s trust enough for him to let her walk free.  It did not even require her to act; she was indeed frightened enough to beg for mercy.  All she had to do was be herself.  Holding her hands up, she stepped out of the shadows.

He sized her up the moment she revealed herself.  She did the same, but tried not to make it as obvious.  She kept her gaze low as she felt him stare her down.  Now that she was close enough to sense it, the scent of his blood was bizarre.  It seemed only faintly human.  She felt like she vaguely recognized him, but she had not seen anyone outside this castle in forever.  Who was this man?

“Please, forgive me for startling you,” she pleaded.  “I mean no harm.”

“You… Who are you?” he asked her.

“I am Gwendolyna,” she said while keeping her head bowed. 

“Gwendolyna,” he repeated.  Her plan appeared to work.  The man lowered his sword, and in turn, she lowered her hands.  “Are you of this castle?”

“Perhaps you could say that.  I have been trapped here many years.”

“I see,” he said.  “If that is the case, have you seen a Belmont around here?”

“… Richter Belmont?”

“Yes,” he confirmed.  “Do you know where he can be found?”

“For what reason do you seek him?” she blurted out before she could stop herself.  Afterwards, she bit the inside of her cheek as she mentally swore at herself.

“He claims himself the lord of this castle,” said the man.  “I must put a stop to him.”

She held her arms behind her back, hiding her fists as they balled.  Instincts she had done well to suppress for years were surfacing with the threat this man possibly posed to Richter.  She had seen what he was capable of, but did not mean she wouldn’t put up a fight on Richter’s behalf if necessary.

“Pardon my inquiry,” she began, trying her hardest to mask her disdain.  She could not allow her defensiveness over Richter to be the reason she never saw him again.  “But who are you that you believe you can best a Belmont?  Surely, if you know of his family, you know of his ability.”

“I am Alucard.”

“Alucard?”  Her eyes widened in disbelief.  Now that she looked, she did notice the resemblance to the portraits of Lord Dracula’s beloved that hung around the castle.  Could this really be the son she had heard so many whispers about?  “Son of Dracula?  The same Alucard one who allied with the Belmont centuries ago?”

Alucard raised a brow.

“Who exactly are you to know so much about my affairs, Gwendolyna?”

“I… have lived as a fledgling of Dracula for over two centuries,” she confessed.

“So, you too are a vampire?”

“Yes, but think not that means I am loyal to him,” she quickly clarified.  “Like I’ve heard of you, I do not wish harm upon the innocent.  I do not share my sire’s hatred of humans.  ‘Tis why I refuse to allow you to hurt Richter Belmont.”

“Yet if you seek to shelter him in this state, you are merely another pawn in this scheme to resurrect my wicked father.  Surely, you understand this man must be stopped to put an end to this treachery against mankind.”

Though she did not want to accept it, what Alucard had said was true.  Her heart felt heavy; she knew not what to do.  Vexed by evil or not, Richter Belmont had given her more happiness than she had ever felt, and she did not want that to end.  He had become to her so much more than her master.  She swore there was something far more profound to the days and nights they spent together than mere captivity.  The way he kissed her when she saw him last was not how one treated a disposable thrall.

“I apologize for being difficult, Alucard,” she said.  “I have a question, if you have the time.”

“What is your inquiry?”

Despite what he had once said about vampires being unable to do so, Gwen knew she loved Richter and that love had only grown stronger over their months together.  Before her stood proof that vampires were in fact capable of love.  Dracula had not said much to her of his family, but over the years, she’d learned enough for her to know that he loved Alucard’s mother so much it drove him mad.  Though, she had only heard one side of the story.  She wanted to believe this love was mutual, just as she wanted to believe what she felt with Richter was reciprocated.

“I truly have no ill intentions by asking this, but I do understand if it is out of line,” she prefaced.  She then paused, choosing her next words carefully before proceeding.  “Your mother…  Did she love Lord Dracula willingly?”

A brief flash of grief was present on his features, before he nodded with absolution.

“She did…  Very much so.  Until her dying breath,” he said.  “But what reason could you possibly have to ask such a thing?”

“Forgive me.  I…  I just needed to know if humans could ever possibly love our kind.”

Gwen remembered her vow in the chapel the day after her first night with Richter; she swore to God that she would do right by him.  She reminded herself that her initial goal was to find a way to rid him of the curse that consumed him.  Allowing Alucard to stop him would be for his own good.  Even if she never saw him again, she knew it was what must be done out of respect of their love for each other.  Gripping the sleeve of her gown, she spoke again.

“Richter Belmont is likely in the castle keep.”

Alucard appeared to be taken aback by this unprompted confession.

“You’re sure of this?” he asked.

“That is where I was headed to look for him before I spotted you.  It is where he spends much of his time,” she said.

After receiving this information, Alucard turned to leave.  Before he could go, Gwen called out to him.

“Alucard!”  She took a step closer.  “Wait!”

He stopped and turned to look back at her.

“Do what you must to stop this madness, but I beg of you, do not harm him.  Though cursed, there is still humanity inside of him, Alucard.  I believe he can be saved.”

Alucard studied the face of the vampiress.

“You… have fallen for this Belmont.  Haven’t you?”

Her silence spoke volumes.  She averted her gaze from Alucard and blinked away the tears that began to form.

“Gwendolyna, I will do what I can,” he said to her.  “But I make no promises, for I do not know the extent of this curse you speak of.”

“I…  I understand.  Good luck, Alucard.  I shall pray for you.”

He turned away again to leave, but not before he said to her one final thing.

“Save your prayers for your Belmont, that you may be with him again.”

With those words, Alucard left to go challenge Richter.

The moment he was out of sight, Gwendolyna choked up and burst into tears.  She wanted to follow, but she could not endure for the rest of her immortal life with the vision of Richter being defeated should that happen.  She instead turned back in the direction from whence she came, now seeking a place to be alone.