witchbottle [castlevania x reader]

“I see you have already become well acquainted with Lenore”.

Is the only greeting you give to the beaten forgemaster before shooing the guards away. He only spares you a glance before going back to looking at the floor- You wonder if he even has the strength to keep his head lifted any longer. You shift into the cell with ease, you notice right away that Lenore had even left her chair meaning she stayed even more frequently than you realized.

“I imagine she mentioned me at least once in her talks with you. The brilliant witch that caught the eye of Carmilla during her raid on the lycans”. You say before smiling knowingly. Lenore mentioned you frequently during her visits to his cell. But the image he had in his head of Lenore's musings of you needless to say didn’t match to you in the slightest. It didn’t help that she refused to say your name in Hector's presence either. Lenore, while she held great respect and pride for you there also was a slight pity that he wasn’t sure what to make of. You offer something to him- he can't be sure of what it is entirely however thanks to the swelling near his eyes.

“I'm not like Lenore, I promise there's no poisonous berries to be found here”. You joke trying to calm his nerves. It seems to do the opposite however. Hector sneers at you before tossing away what you had brought him.

“For insisting you aren’t like her you certainly seem fond of using food as a gift”. He tells you and for a moment you loose your temper. “Lenore brought you berries and expected you to eat out of her hand like a dog-”.

You say angrily as if being compared to her was beneath you. “I bring you water because I am the only one who cares to remember how important it is for a human's survival”. You bend to pick up the canteen before any more of it can spill. The atmosphere so tense Hector expectantly awaits for the inevitable of you showing your true colors. Instead of laying your hand on him you instead pick up canteen and offer it to Hector once more.

This time he accepts your gift slightly ashamed of himself. How far had he fallen to be a scared dog that bit every hand that reached out to help him he briefly wondered. You sit on the floor at the other end of the cell and have no shame in lowering yourself to his current level. “You don’t have to trust me, you just have to know that I want them all dead”.

You say so vacantly that Hector wonders for a moment if it’s just his imagination or if you truly just said that. “And why is that?”.

He asks so quietly, and afraid that he may be overheard and beheaded for conversing with you on such a matter. During his stay here even the guards who beat him like a dog kept silent around the sister’s quartet. It was obvious even one word spoken out of turn had deadly consequences. You do not hesitate despite the fact someone can walk in at any moment. “There’s a country along the border that Carmilla and her sisters rule. I was born there and lived with my family until they were killed like cattle. I only survived due to my gifts...” You trail off. “Why are you telling me this? I could just let Carmilla know of your true intentions and they would let me go”. It was a weak bluff and you didn't doubt that even Hector was aware of that fact.

“Hasn’t Carmilla betrayed you enough already Hector? Besides, she trusts me more than anyone else here. I would just need to tell her I made up an asinine story to gain your trust and she’d believe me. As far as they are aware I grew up in a powerful family that secretly worshipped the occult”. “You could be lying, they call you a witch with many names for a reason. You worship fallen gods after all”. You laugh partially because you are certain you've successfully swayed him enough to trust you, but mainly you laugh because of his naive understanding of your magic. If there was such a thing as fallen gods you wouldn't dare try worshiping them.

Hector reminds himself, trusting others had gotten his sorry ass into this situation. Logically not trusting you certainly seemed like the right choice. However your words were giving him hope that he may actually not die in this cold and unforgiving place. Was it wrong for hope for salvation after he betrayed Dracula? Even if there was a chance with his luck you could be closer to Carmilla then you claimed to be.

“That’s true but there's always a chance that what I say is not a lie. And that would mean you have one ally whose goal matches yours. And even if I am lying, I wouldn’t be forcing you into anything you don’t wish. Believe it or not you do have a choice in this matter”. You pause before revealing something you hadn’t planned to share so soon with Hector. “I saw the ring she plans to give you that allows her and her sisters to control you entirely. Even if you don’t alline with me I suggest you never utter a single promise to her once she gives it to you”. There was surprisingly a line you drew on how far you’d use those around you. You hadn’t even thought you had one until you met Lenore. Hector is quiet after that. For a moment you think that your talk is over so you turn and begin to leave.

“What’s your name?”. He asks in a strange tone. “Mina-”.

You begin to tell him but you immediately stop. He looks at you with knowing eyes and you feel sick almost. You’ve never once been caught in a lie. How much had you underestimated him? “I want to know your real name”. He says to you as if simply knowing will give him the answer to understanding your true intentions. It won’t. You have been called many names over the years, but never once has it been your truly given name. You doubt now you could ever tell anyone your real name without feeling complete shame at this point. To give him another name would be a lie as well. But you would prefer he call you something else than the name that she calls you. Even if doing so leaves you vulnerable in a way that is terrifying and unfamiliar.

“You can call me Triss, and Hector I expect your answer soon or else Lenore will just continue to come and I’d prefer you to be intact and whole for the things I have planned”. You say before disappearing down the hallway leaving Hector to weigh his options for the remainder of the evening.

It's not until you are back in your empty chambers do you realize that if you stayed any longer you would have been late to the meeting of the quartet. Which is something you unfortunately cannot miss.