She lightly turned her head, eyeing me.

“Hmmm, I suppose it is your turn. How thoughtless of me,” she said, plainly.

She let go of her motherly embrace, taking a step back towards the first chair on the right side of the long table. Slowly, she pulled the chair out and effortlessly lifted it up off the ground. Just a moment later she had sat it down very close to my own.

She took a seat, saying, “Go ahead then, I’m listening,” with an ever so sly grin.

And the spotlight was back on me, well, it was with every question. While I had a lot of questions about a lot of specific things, such as how often I need to drink blood or where we even are, I couldn’t really pinpoint one among them like my previous outlying questions.

Then it hit me.

“If you’re my mother now, then who is- AH!”

She had her hands on my sides, tickling me with ruthless vigor.

“Ahaha, w-who is- hahaha!” I tried asking again in a fit of giggling.

“Oh? What’s wrong? Not going to ask a question? I could have sworn it was your turn though~” she teased as innocently as a kitten.

“Hahaha, s-stop, heehee!” I hopelessly begged.

“Hmmmm, maybe if it was my turn I would be too busy thinking of a question.”

Determined to break through the onslaught of tickling, I mustered every ounce of strength I had to finish the question.

“Hahaha, w-who is- ahaha,” I attempted saying once again.

But then her tickling halted for just a moment and I quickly finished the question.

“…my father?”

Caught off guard by the question, she froze in place, opening and closing her mouth as if to say something.

“I’m not.. Sorry, but, you do not have a father. Just one mother. No siblings either, for that matter.”

“Oh.”

I was disappointed, of course, but if I could come to really believe I have a loving, caring mother, then I couldn’t ask for more.

“Sorry,” I said, afraid I had asked something I shouldn’t have.

“Oh, no honey, it just surprised me is all, don’t you worry,” she said reassuringly.

The look on my face convinced her that she failed to persuade me. Unsatisfied with my response, she slowly crept her fingers towards my sides to re-engage the tickling.

But before she could, I repeated myself.

“I’m sorry. Not just for that but… I haven’t been able to answer any of your questions either.”

I didn’t know why I was shackled. I didn’t know who my parents were AND I couldn’t describe them. I didn’t know my age. I didn’t really even have a name to give her.

I failed every question.

“That’s not true,” she stated matter of fact.

“What? What did I…”

“Pink. Your favorite color,” she sweetly smiled.

“That doesn’t count,” I whined.

“Well, I asked the question, so yes, it does,” she countered.

“But-”

“No more buts. Or I’ll have to spank yours.” she calmly threatened.

That quickly got me to agree.

“O-ok.”

She took notice of my startled reaction.

“I jest, of course. I would never spank my beautiful child over this,” she said with a nostalgic smile. “Neither did my father. Your grandfather. He only ever spanked me once, and, well, I might have deserved it.”

“I have a grandfather?” I asked in earnest.

Her smile didn’t fade.

“No. He passed away recently.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

I was more disappointed than finding out I didn’t have a father. I’ve never thought about family beyond parents, but the way her smile beamed made me want to meet him.

But I never would.

“If there is anything you shouldn’t be sorry for, it would be his death.”

She gave me another affectionate squeeze, locking her deep, scarlet eyes with mine.

“Never be sorry for that.”

“Ok…” I responded.

Another awkward silence fell upon us until she thought of a question.

“Would you like to know why my father spanked me?”

I had to admit I was curious what this elegant lady, my mother, could ever do to result in a punishment.

“How?” I asked.

She practically radiated with glee as she started recounting her mischief.

“Well, it was about ten years after father had turned me.”

“Into a vampire? You were human?” I asked in astonishment.

“Yes, I was, as was our entire bloodline, but that’s a story for another time. Now, as I mentioned earlier, there are Four Great Vampire Houses. Our House, O’Sang, is one of them.”

I nodded as she continued.

“When one House is struggling, there is often a political marriage with another House to strengthen both.”

I could almost see where this is going.

“And, well… I was arranged into one. With my best friend.”

“Oh!” I exclaimed.

“His name was Cyrus B’Krov, a member of House B’Krov. He was one of the first friends I made at The Academy. We were friends, nothing more, nothing less. But when our House started slacking behind the others, my father reluctantly agreed to the marriage. I did too, actually. I figured if I needed to be married for the sake of our House then my own best friend would best suit that role. Except…”

I leaned forward in anticipation.

“…he started looking forward to the marriage. Too much. I think he started falling for me, but the feeling wasn’t mutual. The wedding day had come and I had made no indication of rejecting him. I mean, even if he did feel for me he was still my best friend. Still the best option. But…”

I nearly fell out of my chair as she reached the conclusion of her story.

“…when it was my turn to say ‘I do,’ I may have punched him in the face instead.”

“Y-you punched your best friend in the face?”

“Yep,” she chuckled. “Father wasn’t very happy about it. Not because I ruined the marriage, he only really agreed to it because I was willing. It was because I destroyed my friendship in a moment of weakness and refused to speak to Cyrus afterwards. I was too ashamed to look my friend in the face after that. I’m sure he hates me, but that was 90 years ago. It’s history now. Oh, and I may have gotten into a heated argument with father about it, but that’s not the point.”

“Wow,” was all I could say in response.

I paused for a moment, taking it in.

“After all the preparation, why did you decide against the marriage in the end?” I curiously asked.

“I realized I just couldn’t be in a marriage. Not with him or any man. The punch was just a panicked reflex… he didn’t deserve it.”

“You should apologize to him then,” I suggested nonchalantly.

She paused for a moment with her mouth open until it returned to a warm, motherly smile.

“I’m glad I turned you.”

I don’t know where that came from, but it made me feel warm and fuzzy.

“Thanks,” I smiled.

The chandelier’s dim flames flickered as a moment passed by. It was getting late and she could tell.

“Well, I believe you enjoyed your first dinner, haven’t you?” she questioned.

I liked the emphasis she put on the word first.

“I have!” I said, maybe a bit too excitedly.

“Good. And, one last question.”

Was it even her turn? I don’t know, but I got the feeling we were moving past that.

“Have you ever had a warm bath before?”

I shook my head. I’ll assume rain on a sunny summer day doesn’t count.

“Well,” she smiled, “I’m sure you’ll love one.”

Would I? Food is great, everyone knows that. But sitting in some hot water? Sounds a bit painful actually…

She snapped her fingers and the sturdy oak door split down the middle once again. Several maids, all dressed in the same black and white outfit, came in and lined up, courteously bowing before us.

One maid, the tallest of them, stepped forward and spoke.

“My lady?”

“Just a moment,” my new mother told me as she pat my head.

She and the maids vanished into the hallway.

I relaxed back into the chair, rubbing my full belly and smiling.

“A vampire, huh…” I mumbled to myself.

Before I could fall deep into thought, two maids came back inside and surrounded me on both sides.

They both gave a deep bow and spoke in unison.

“If you would come with us, sir.”

I looked around the room a bit confused until it dawned on me.

With a finger pointing to myself, I asked.

“M-me?