In The Dungeons (Valdemar x reader Oneshots) REQUESTS ARE CLOSED!

Judging a Book by its Cover (valdemar x reader)

Hello! It's been a hot minute since I've updated, and I honestly do not remember who requested this, but I have a valdemar x reader with a very bubbly and happy reader who's actually really obsessed with death and apprentices under Valdemar. I loved this idea and I had to do it! I may add more later for a more relationshippy kind of thing, but this could be taken platonically or romantically, whichever you like :) thank you to the person who requested this!
Ps, this is sort of more from Valdemar's perspective and is a bit short, so bear with me there. Also gore descriptions obvi
---------💖💖💖💖💖💖

"Quaestor. I'm so pleased you could make it." Countess Nadia gracefully sat down at and armchair in the library. You sat down besides her, a big smile in your face.

"Countess." Valdemar's expression was unfathomable beneath their surgical mask. "You said there was an individual interested in becoming my...apprentice?" They were honestly surprised anyone would actually want to apprentice under them. Very few had the stomach for it, and the plague had only brought assistants because of necessity.

"That is correct. This is MC. They expressed an interest of assisting and apprenticing under you." Nadia gestured to you. Valdemar couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

You were the least intimidating person they'd ever seen.

You gave them an even bigger smile, if that was even possible. "I'd really love to work under you, quaestor. I've always really wanted to be a doctor, and I figure that I might as well learn from the best!" You clasped your hands together enthusiastically. Valdemar gave Nadia a skeptical look.

"And you're...quite sure this is who you meant?" Valdemar's doubt was clear in their tone. Their previous assistants had often been quiet, reserved. They were certainly not as bubbly and cheerful as you.

"Quite sure. I believe that MC may surprise you." Nadia offered nothing but a mysterious smile as explanation and stood. "I will leave the both of you to discuss. You may find me in the salon." She left the room in a breeze of lavender perfume.

Valdemar was still not so sure about this. But, they figured, a little tour of the dungeons would definitely allow them to fathom what you were made of. After all, they were fairly sure they had a corpse or two left on the tables.

Valdemar stood up, making their way to the bookshelf.

"Come here. Before I make my decision, I must test you."

"Ooh, okay!" You eagerly joined them at the bookshelf. Valdemar pulled out the familiar combination of books and waited patiently for the shelf to slide completely into the wall.
You were shocked. "Wow! A secret passage!"

"Yes, yes, yes. Come along, and watch your step. If you fall I won't help you." They started down the stairs, with you trotting behind them like an energetic puppy.

As they'd predicted, there was still a cadaver on the operating table, sliced open from throat to abdomen with its ribs and organs fully exposed. Valdemar honestly expected you to be horrified. Why wouldn't you be? A dead body was enough to scare most away, but one about to be gutted like a fish could make anyone's stomach turn.

Your response was one of the more remarkable ones they'd seen in centuries.

"Oh, cool!" For some unknown reason, you hurried over to gape at the cadaver. "Were you still working on this? What were you testing on it?"

Valdemar found themself unable to answer for a moment. They recognized that spark in your eyes. It was the same gleam of morbid p curiosity that they felt every time they were about to test something new, no matter what the results would be. It was pure desire for knowledge, something they'd rarely seen even in the millennia they'd lived.

They cleared their throat. "I believe it was an experiment on the effects of certain illness on the lungs. I would back away until you can get proper equipment."

You obeyed, that ecstatic grin still on your face. Clearing their throat again, they fumbled with the closet door and yanked out a doctor's mask for you to wear. "Here."

The second you got the mask on, you were back at the corpse's side. "So, did you figure out the results yet? How did this person die? What illness was it?"

Valdemar appreciated your curiosity, but your endless flood of questions made their head spin. "The results will take weeks at best. I do not know how this person met their end, and I'm testing a mild strain of the plague so if you would please avoid putting your face so close to the corpse, MC!" Their arm flew over your chest, barring you from getting any closer. You laughed.

"Sorry, I'm just really curious about this! I've never seen the inside of a person before. I thought apprenticing under a doctor would be a good place to find out." Valdemar could hear the smile in your voice behind the beaked mask.

They stared at you. "May I ask what your reasons are for wanting to become a doctor?"

Your demeanor changed from cheerful to sheepish. You shifted from one foot to the other, gesturing vaguely to the corpse. "Well...part of it is because I want to help people. Really, I do. But..." you paused. "Hey, promise not to tell anyone, okay? I don't tell people this...but I like you. I think you won't mind."

"I will not tell anyone." This was getting more intriguing by the minute.

"Well...I find death interesting. I want to learn everything about it. Finding how, and when, and every gory detail in between is what I love to do. And that's...really the main reason why I want to become a doctor. I want to study everything about it." You shrugged awkwardly. "You don't...mind that, do you?"

Valdemar was rendered speechless for a moment. In four brief sentences, somehow, you'd managed to sum up why they had dedicated their existence to what they did.

"I...I certainly do not mind." They turned away from you, still completely astounded. "MC, I believe I will consider taking you as my apprentice."

You beamed. "Really?!"
"Yes." Valdemar was beginning to compose themself now. Such a kindred spirit would be fascinating to have around.

"I'm so glad! Thank you so much!" You grabbed their hands without really thinking about it, oblivious to the shock that rippled through them at the gesture.

"You are quite welcome." They tugged their hands out of your grasp. A echo of warmth from your skin on theirs remained, and they tried to shake it off. "I have one rule for you now: keep this area secret. I require utmost confidentiality on your part."

"Got it! I won't tell a soul, I promise." You gushed, pulling off your doctor's mask as the two I'd you ascended the dark stairway. Even in the dark, Valdemar could see your bright eyes and your even brighter smile, filled with a hunger for knowledge that they just had to admire.

"Alright." You couldn't see it in the dark, but they grinned. "MC, I believe you and I are going to get along marvelously."

This was going to be very entertaining.

-----------------
Thanks for reading! I'm gonna close requests for a bit because y'all have given me so many ideas that idk what to do with them!
Also happy almost 14k reads to me! Thank you all for your support 🥳🥳🥳

Edit: this story was requested by embu65! Thanks for your request!