"If you are not going to tell her, I'll tell her myself."

Trevor makes a face at Sypha as he kicks aside a piece of glass with his boot. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You, Stela, quite obvious." The Speaker states as she prods him in the chest with each word. "Since we went into the tombs to hide, I've seen the way you've looked at her. When we all almost died fighting Dracula, you were practically clinging her to your chest and begging her to stay awake and close to crying."

"You and her brother were just as terrified as me!" Trevor retorts, looking away.

"Oh so you can be vocal to Alucard about your disdain towards him, but you can't even tell his sister you actually fancy her?" Sypha asks, giving her companion a knowing look. "Trevor, I've seen the way you are around her, it's kind of obvious."

"I've gotten protective of her since we met, that doesn't mean I like her the way you think I do."

"Oh really?" Sypha challenged. "Then explain why your cheeks just turned red after saying that?"

Trevor smacked his hands over his cheeks, glaring at Sypha as she gave him a smug grin. "Shut up." He mutters before walking away until he walks into a large room filled with strange instruments that Stela was in, trying to clean up the glass. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Shouldn't you?" She shoots back, leaning the broom she was using to clean against one of the tables. "You know what this place is?"

"Not a torture chamber, seeing how comfortable you seem to be around it."

"I practically lived in this room, I remember my father joking about how he should move my bed here because of how much time I spent reading here. When I was still learning to read and write, Dracula would bring me here to show me how the telescope worked, we bonded over astrology."

"And that's...what exactly?" Trevor asks as Sypha walks in to stand beside him.

"The study of the stars, the movement of the planets. Some of the books we had said that in other parts of the world, it was used to study the movements and relative positions of stars and interpreted as having an influence on human affairs and the natural world." Stela explains, gesturing to the whole room. "

"How exactly do stars have any influence over humans or the world? Aren't they just little lights in the sky?"

"I'm not sure, but I was more interested in observing comets, phases of the moon, and finding out when there would be an eclipse so we could all observe it."

"I'm guessing your love for studying the stars and everything up there is what resulted in the nickname your brother keeps calling you?" Sypha asks, earning a nod from Stela.

"Dracula was the one to call me that, eventually my mother and brother started using it as well." Her friend explains, a sad smile coming to her lips. "I guess now Arien will be the only one to call me that."

"You know, everything in here looks like the engines and such under Gresit." Sypha comments, looking around the room and hoping to change the subject. "It's very impressive."

"I've only seen the lit torches under the tombs, but Adrien mentioned that his resting area looked like one of the rooms we have in here with the machines, so I don't doubt it." Stela says with a small laugh.

"You and Alucard learned it all at your father's knee, it's incredible really." Trevor says as they leave the room.

"You should see the engine room, that's quite impressive."

"We won't be able too, Sypha melted it."

"I didn't melt anything." The Speaker states. "It must have been straining against the spell."

"Probably." Stela agrees with a shrug as they enter the main room near the entrance of the castle. "Well, I suppose the place had it's fun getting to move from place to place, and now it's time for it to rest."

"What are you two going to do now?" Sypha asks.

"I had a plan you know, I was going back to Gresit." They hear Alucard say and turn to see him walking down the stairs. "Return to my vault, go back to sleep."

"But?" Trevor asks as their friends draw close.

"If I leave the castle here, all his work is left here. All his libraries, hsi materials, his knowledge, what happens to all that if the structure is abandoned?" Alucard says as he reaches the bottom of the staircase. "I know my sister won't stay here long, and she wouldn't want to join me in Gresit. I can't just leave it here and I don't expect her to stay and look after it by herself if I am gone. It'll be a grave to be robbed."

"You do have a point, I wasn't even planning on staying." Stela admits. "I've been planning to maybe travel around, do what our mother wanted our father to do - use the knowledge of this place and spread it to maybe educate others and improve their lives. But you have a point about what may happen to this place if neither of us stays, father's work will be destroyed or stolen. I should stay as well, let it be my grave."

"So, let it be my grave as well." Alucard agrees firmly.

"No." Trevor suddenly says.

"No?" The dhampire asks in surprise.

"No, we can't move this thing, Sypha broke it."

"I did not!" Sypha protested.

"You kind of did." Alucard said with a nod.

"I do not break things!"

"So we agree that she broke it?" Trevor asked.

"Oh yes." Alucard agreed, earning a giggle from Stela.

"Come now, stop teasing poor Sypha. We all know that if it wasn't for her the castle wouldn't be here." Stela laughs and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "But really, what do you mean by that "no", Trevor?"

"The castle is staying right here, forever, right on top of the Belmont hold." The hunter explains. "Which is now also opened to the world. Up here, your father's collected knowledge. Down there, the collected knowledge of your mother's people. As above, so below. Both halves of you Alucard"

"I'm listening." Alucard says as Trevor moves to stand beside him and places a hand on his shoulder.

"Behold you sulky half vampire bastard, I bequieve you and your sister the Belmont hold. Make that and the castle your home, not your graves. Be it's last defenders." He says before moving to stand in front of them and bowed before rising.

"You're...giving us your home?" Alucard asks in surprise.

"My childhood home and your childhood home, protect it. Maybe make something out of it. Something better than a pile of ruins and a symbol of terror."

"Trevor, are you sure?" Stela asks. "Don't you need a place to rebuild and raise the next generation of Belmonts?"

"I can always find another place to rebuild." Trevor assures her with a smile. "I think it's probably time to move on from this place, Stardust."

"Only my little brother is allowed to use my nickname."

"I saved your life various times, didn't I earn that right?"

"No."

"Oh I am very much wounded." Trevor jokes, earning a laugh from the other two before he turns serious. "Stela, if it's not too much, can we talk...in private?"

Alucard's face soured and looks to Trevor in annoyance before looking at his sister. Stela gives him an annoyed look before looking to Sypha for help

"Hey Alucard, how about you show me that library your sister said you two practically lived in." Sypha suggested as she pulled her friend towards the stairs. "She mentioned there was a book in there that got my interest, something about old spells in... Swedish?"

"Adrien." Stela was once again giving her brother that look, and he sighed in defeat.

"Come on Sypha, let's go look in my father's library for that book." The half vampire mutters.

"Thank the Lord for good friends like Sypha." Stela murmured as her friend pulled her brother away before she turned to Trevor. "So, what did you wish to talk about?"

"You really had me worried, all of us, I mean." He said as he led her towards the doors of the castle. "I really...we really thought you were going to die, and that actually scared me. We were all so close to being killed, yet we somehow managed to win, but we almost lost you."

"Well I'm here, aren't I? Surprisingly I wasn't even scared, the first thing that crossed my mind was that I was probably going to see my mothers again." Stela admits as she looks to the wide vast field that sat before them. "A year ago I accepted the fact that I was probably going to die fighting my father to protect so many innocents, and that didn't bother me. I figured that even if I did manage to survive, I was going to carry on my mother's mission: to spread the knowledge of their scientific discoveries and teach the poor people how to heal themselves. No more useless tonics, or suggest you eat acorns wrapped in lettuce to cure a cough, real medicine that will heal them!"

"And you can now, you survived the battle-"

"Barely with a side wound you treated like I was impaled by a sword!"

"But you're still alive, and you can now complete your mother's dream of helping people, spreading your father's knowledge to the rest of Romania." Stela looked up at him, feeling a bit surprised to see his cheeks flushed slightly pink, but she decided to blame the lighting of the sun for that. But that gentle look in his eyes...what was that?

"So...what do you plan to do?" She finally asked, stepping away from the doors so she was now standing at the top of the stairs of the old castle before sitting down. "Now that this is over?"

"I don't know, probably carry out my family's work, if I feel motivated enough. Maybe find a way to weed out corruption in the church, eat, get horribly drunk, sleep and repeat." Trevor responds as he follows and sits down next to her. "Maybe try to rebuild the old house...and find a way to continue my family lineage, unless I get killed doing the other things first."

"Take it slow Trevor." Stela chuckles. "I don't think the world is ready for your children yet. And you need to find a wife first."

"Assuming I can find one who gives no shits about my bad habits and can put up with me, like you and Sypha."

"Oh very flattering Belmont, very flattering."

The two stood there for a while, Stela admiring the view where she could see the ruins of the Belmont estate before she felt Trevor take her hand.

"You know, I really think I'm going to miss you three, you especially." He finally says, breaking the silence. "You're honestly the first person I've met who didn't even mind being around me even after finding out who my family was."

"Us excommunicates have to stick together." Stela says, glancing down at their joined hands. "You alright? You're normally not this sentimental."

"I'm fine!" Trevor says quickly, releasing her hand and tucked his away. "I'm just...a bit emotional because I'm not sure if I'm ever going to see any of you again, you know?"

"Well... that's true. Sypha will be rejoining her family, Adrien will be staying here looking after the castle and your family library, you'll be off wandering around the countryside doing whatever you want, and I'll...either be here with my brother or wandering the countryside spreading knowledge and aid like a Speaker."

She gives a sigh and shifts so she's now leaning against him. "I'm going to miss you as well."

Trevor feels his cheeks warm up slightly before looking away awkwardly. Fucking hell Stela...I think I actually do like you.

"We...we should probably head back inside now." He says quietly, but makes no move to get up. Stela makes no move to stand either, but she gives a nod of acknowledgement.

"In a bit."

---

"And here's another blanket, it gets pretty cold at night." Stela says as she hands her friends another folded blanket. "Sorry we don't have any fur cloaks that could fit either of you."

"It's fine, we can manage since it won't be too cold." Sypha assures her with a laugh as Trevor takes the blankets to toss them into the wagon. "You two take care of yourselves."

"We will, and do keep our Belmont out of trouble." Stela laughs as she gives her friend one last hug. "And make sure he gets hugged once in a while, he looks like he could use a few."

It was already late in the afternoon, Trevor and Sypha had announced they were going to travel together through the country instead of parting ways like they had planned earlier. Alucard had insisted they fix up the wagon first and see them off with plenty of supplies just in case, not wanting his friends to go empty handed while Stela insisted they take a bunch of medicine as well just in cse.

"So, where's my hug?" Trevor asks jokingly as he approaches. "Or do I not get one this time?"

"Fine, you get a hug." Stela laughed as she released Sypha and hugged him around the chest. "You're too tall to hug around the neck."

"It's enough." The hunter assures her as he hugs her back, ignoring the slightly annoyed look from the dhampire. "If you are so sour about the hug, how about I give you one, Alucard?"

"No thanks." Alucard responds. "You all have everything, right?"

"We do, don't worry." Sypha assures him before taking his hands. "Be well my friend. And you take good care of your sister, promise?"

"Don't let that idiot get you into too much trouble." The dhampire says with a soft smile, glancing at their friend to see him trying to put something into the wagon that had fallen out. "Of all the human men I know, I think Trevor is the only one I can actually trust around her."

"All human men or just the only one you know?" Sypha asks with a laugh. "I think Trevor is just a bit too shy to tell her how he feels, maybe when we come back he'll tell her himself."

Once the wagon was ready and Trevor and Syoha had boarded, the two Tepes siblings gave them one final wave of goodbye. Well, Alucard flipped his middle finger at Trevor while Stela waved, before they departed.

"They're not even that far from the estate and I already miss them." Stela chuckles as they watch the wagon before she turns back to the castle. "Well, time to clean up this mess. You think we should also tidy up the -"

"Stela wait!" Stela stops and turns to see the wagon stop and Trevor leap out before running back to them.

"Trevor? What is it?" She asks as the hunter manages to reach them, out of breath. "Did you forget something?"

"Yeah, I forgot to give you this."

"Give me wha-" Stela was cut off when Trevor bent down to press his lips against hers. For a moment she feels like everything had gone still until he pulled away, his cheeks slightly flushed.

"That." He says and gives her a small smile before turning to hurry back to the wagon.

"Did...did he just kiss you?" Alucard asks in surprise as Stela raises a hand to her lips and she turns to him. "Oh you are looking flushed."

"You saw that too, right?" She asks softly. "He...he ran back to kiss me."

"Stardust, I saw the whole thing."

"Oh my god pinch me."

Alucard gives a laugh. "Maybe later. Come on, we have cleaning to do."