Andrea stood up and embraced her mother. In the warm embrace of a mother's arms, she felt no greater peace.
It was more than a show of affection; it was a hopeful embrace between the duo. Andrea hugged her mother every morning before her sixteenth birthday, and after, she was doing the same thing to show that their relationship hadn't changed at all.
They pulled away from each other, and Andre gave her a wide grin, which made her mother happy.
"It's so great to see you, Mom," Andrea said.
"I know, dear; I'm sorry I haven't been coming as often. You know the rules. Your father can't risk anything happening to his wife, and as the leader, we have to obey him and follow his wishes because his word is the law, " Andrea's mother said.
Andrea understood everything she said and scoffed as she knew that her mother loved her father too much and respected him more than normal because he was her husband.
It didn't bother her as she knew that it was a natural phenomenon of nature between couples who managed to stay in love with each other after long years of marriage.
However, she was still unhappy with her father as she knew it didn't have to be taken as seriously as he was taking it. It must have hurt him that she was to become someone to be feared and not the sweet daughter that he had raised.
On the day that she had been prophesied about, he had felt pain and was very sad that she was going to be the one that would carry the last of the count's seals.
Count Dracula had shared his distinctive powers with his offspring, and it was said that whoever would possess them was among the purest of vampires ever to live.
To be the purest among them to want a good thing meant that the individual would possess some of his characteristics, which included his evil nature and desire to satisfy his needs and excite his sensitivities.
Dracula was known to get excited by the smell of death and fear, and over the years, those who awakened his powers have also exhibited the same traits.
Andrea could not believe that she, of all people, would be affected by this, but she was told that it would happen when she least expected it
It was also something that was out of her control, and it killed her to know that all she had to do was wait for it to happen.
Everything about her that was special would have to come to her naturally. Waiting was hard and would only keep getting harder.
"I know, but I don't wish to speak about that. It gladdens me that you are here with me despite everything they say. It gets lonely here, and it's nice to have you here, however short the time you may spend," Andrea responded.
"Yeah, you know when I came to visit you. It's always very hard as it usually leaves me guilty. It's so pathetic, Andrea. The only thing I can do is tell you about myself and the things happening outside. There's not a single question I can ask you that you would have the answer to, and we will not be able even to have a meaningful conversation," Andrea's Mother replied.
"I'm sorry," Andrea said.
"Don't be. I know that the others may treat you like you have a curse, but I want you to. I know that you will always be my daughter, and that's it. I'm not even scared to see you go mad or go crazy. If I lose my life loving you, I'm okay with it," Andrea's mother said.
"Mom, no one is dying. I thought you already stopped worrying about me. You know your daughter and that I would never do anything to hurt you, and as long as I live, it will always be my goal to try and protect you from danger," Andrea replied.
Andrea's mother brought her head down, and the tears flowed. Andrea knew that her mother was even more angry than she was about how she was living.
It was another thing that had kept Andrea together. Andrea couldn't afford to let her mother feel pain just because of her, so she decided she would stay alive and fight with her till the end.
Andrea smiled and gave her mother a big hug. Andrea's mother hugged her, too, and they stayed that way long. Andrea tried to comfort her mother as she cried her eyes out.
Andrea's mother was also a strong warrior, and it was shocking that she had melted that easily. To Andrea, it was too much.
It was rare for her to shed tears even after losing any of her colleagues. However, the situation of her child forced out the feminine weakness in her.
So many times, Andrea had cried too on her own, knowing that she was causing her mother pain.
Andrea eventually broke off from her and gave her a napkin to wipe away the tears from her gorgeous face.
Although she was no longer young, Andrea's mother was still a very beautiful woman. It was because of this that Andrea had also grown to become very beautiful.
Although Andrea was now a lady, she was still nowhere near as beautiful as her mother was. It was clear, and even her friends agreed on that.
"I'm sorry, we are not supposed to spend this much time together. Maybe one of these days, I'll try to convince your dad again to let you have a day outside in the open to have as much fun as you want," Andrea's mother said.
"I know, but you don't have to go just because you show a part of your weakness. It's natural to want to weep in this situation. I'm trying to remain positive, but if you make me doubt, I might lose myself in the process," Andrea said.
"Don't talk that way. As long as we are together, we will be strong for each other. When the war comes eventually, I want you to know that it's either we both survive or none do," Andrea's mother said before giving her a quick hug and leaving.