Once again, they walked through almost empty needlessly huge palace. During their walk they only passed by couple of women wearing a dark set of vampiric armor decorated by a winged sword crest. Both of them had a slightly curved sword on their hips and a spear in their hands.

When Julia under the lead of Mirei approached them, both women stepped aside of the hallway and with swift motion put their clenched fists at their heart, as they turned their sight at the ground. They said something to Julia but she had no idea of what they were saying. So, she just nodded and continued on.

As Julia walked  through the empty hallway a painting caught her eye. Julia glanced at a framed painting that was hanging on the wall of the hallway. It was visibly old painting maybe even few centuries old. The subject of the painting were two young silver haired, red eyed girls dressed in an outfit similar to the one that Loriam wore. they were standing side by side in what appeared to be the garden.

Both of them had similar height but there was still height difference between them. Shorter of the girls was clinging to the taller one with bright loving smile on her face. It almost looked like the girl was making sure that the taller one will not disappear. The other taller girl unlike the shorter one had silver hair with light noticeable shade of blond in them. She wore black dresses combined with black leather boots, on top of her head laid royal crown. Her smile was more elegant than that of the other girl. The girl looked very similar to the one on the bathroom mosaic

Julia’s eyes noticed something else in the painting, the girl with the crown held long slightly curved sword that was typical for vampires. However, the one she was holding had inscription in language that most definitely wasn’t vampiric, in fact Julia never saw language like that before.

“…Mirei. That painting… who is that?”

Julia was overcome with curiosity, mainly because the girl with the crown was similar to her current appearance though there were visible differences in their bodies. Mirei approached painting and examined plate that was under it.

“This one? That should be…. her majesty Alony Shil Leranpe, the 7^th queen of the blood clan and next to her should be… her highness princess Nika Shil Leranpe, her majesty’s younger sister.”

So, she was a queen, but why do I look like her? Julia wondered as she looked at the old painting in silence. Or more specifically she was looking at this princess Nika that according to Mirei was on the painting.

How lucky. Was what she thought about the two girls, more specifically the 7^th queen. Julia felt envious of her, of a vampire queen loved by her younger sibling. Julia longed for such experience for years ever since she could remember, she has always desired a little sister that she could spoil.

“Your excellency? Is something wrong?”

Mirei ask Julia who was staring at the painting. She was worried about Julia’s mood becoming even worse than before and based on Julia’s expression staring at the painting something was clearly bothering her.

“…It’s nothing let’s go.”

Julia however merely shook her head and denied Mirei’s worry as she continued to walk towards the dining room. Mirei took a quick glance at the painting wondering why was Julia looking at it so longingly but figured out nothing and quickly caught up with Julia.

After bit of walking in silence the two reached the stairs and descended to the first floor. Mirei lead Julia towards a double door, guarded by two guards. Who once they noticed Julia approaching the door, opened them for her.

Behind the door was spacious room lighten up by sunlight coming from the tall windows. The floor was covered by a dark red carpet and the walls were covered by an exotic wood. In the center of the room was long table with variety of dishes on it. But despise the length of the table there were only two chairs at one end.

Julia stood at the door slightly confused, she expected that Loriam would be here too but that didn’t seem to be…

 “Ah, here you are, did you managed to relax a bit?”

“Your majesty?!”

A voice from behind caused Julia to sigh, well I guess she is here… To Julia’s disappointment Loriam seemed to arrive. Contrary to what Julia expected however Loriam didn’t passed by her on her own. Instead, she was caried by Liora …over her shoulder like sack of potatoes. All the while she smiled and waved at Julia as if nothing weird was happening. Liora herself looked like she was considering a career change.

“What are you standing there for? Come on sit down.”

Loriam spoked happily after Liora unceremoniously dropped her on the chair at the front of a table and started to pour red liquid in to a Loriam’s wine glass. Loriam herself started to peel boiled egg as she urged Julia to sit on the chair close to hers.

Julia went and sat at the chair that was prepared for her, while Mirei moved to her side. Once Liora finished pouring Loriam her drink, she attempted to pour it for Julia too but Julia gestured her not to.

“You’re not thirsty, Julia?”

“…I don’t want to drink blood.”

Loriam had a complicated expression as she looked in her own glass. Mirei meanwhile offered Julia cup of hot tea instead, which Julia accepted.

“It’s not pure blood you know? It’s mixed with wine, so would you try some?”

“…I don’t want anything …with blood in it.”

Julia took sip of her tea as both Loriam and Mirei scanned the dishes at the table with a worried expression. After a bit Loriam started to peel more eggs and piling them in the small bowl in front of her.

“Your hig- Your excellency you should eat something.”

“…As long as it doesn’t have blood in it.”

Mirei scanned the dishes again and after bit of thinking placed few pieces of toast on Julia’s plate, worried about Julia’s reaction to mere toast.

“…thank you.”

Julia, however merely thanked Mirei and took a bite of the toast. To Mirei’s relief, she seemed to enjoy it. However, Julia stopped eating when a small bowl filed with peeled eggs was placed in front of her by Loriam.

“…this is?”

“Boiled eggs, I peeled them for you sweetie.”

Julia looked from the eggs at Loriam who was looking at her with an innocent motherly gaze. She sighed and took a bite of one egg.

“…Thanks, also could you… not call me that?”

As Julia ate her breakfast Loriam also took few small dishes and started to eat, while glancing at Julia occasionally.

“So… are you and Mirei getting along?”

“…Yes…why are you even asking?”

Julia looked at Loriam questioningly while Loriam smiled back at her.

“I just heard that she was rude to you.”

“…Rude?”

After hearing Loriam’s accusation Julia looked at Mirei who was visibly panicked. Was she really rude to me? Julia tried to think of any moment when she interacted with Mirei. However, all she could remember was Mirei being polite with her.

“Yea…supposedly she had the audacity to be surprised when your regeneration was stronger than her half-sister’s.”

Loriam’s expression darkened as she spoke, Mirei trembled under Loriam’s stare that was aimed at her.

“…Is that even rude to say?... I don’t mind it.”

“Your Highness….”

Julia questioned Loriam as she glanced at the trembling Mirei who seemed touched by Julia’s words. Loriam looked at both of them before leaving out a sigh.

“If you say so then I guess it’s okay this time.”

Mirei relaxed as she heard her queen’s words, but most of all she felt special to be saved by a princess. Mirei couldn’t help but look at Julia with light smile, while Julia continued eating her blood-free breakfast.

“…Mirei, could you go to the library and prepare a language lecture? I need you to teach Julia proper language and manners before the party.”

“As you wish you majesty.”

Mirei hesitated for a moment but in the end, she exited the room with a light bow. Once Mirei was out of the room Loriam turned to Liora and said something in vampiric. Liora just like Mirei before her bowed and went out of the room. Leaving Julia and Loriam alone.

“…Why did you send them away.”

Julia expected that Loriam would force her to learn vampiric especially since she agreed to go with her to that stupid party. But why send Liora away too? Did Mirei perhaps needed some assistance or something?

“I wanted to talk with you …alone.”

Loriam looked hesitant as she answered Julia’s question. To Julia’s surprise there were no traces of that clingy Loriam that would call herself Julia’s mother with bright smile on her face. Instead Loriam looked bothered by something.

“…talk with me? About what? That I refuse to drink blood?”

Regardless Julia asked Loriam with fierce essentially emotionless voice. Loriam shook her head in response and looked at Julia.

“No, I don’t want to talk about that now…Julia what am I to you?”

Julia was taken aback by Loriam’s question wondering if Loriam is being serious but she looked like she was. So, Julia responded.

“…A vampire queen that kidnaped me and turned me in to a little vampiric girl and pretended to be my mother for her own amusement.”

What else would you be to me? Julia thought without hesitation. Loriam lowered her head slightly fiddling with her heart shaped pendant.

“I don’t pretend anything. I really am your mother…”

Loriam said dejectedly while Julia merely snickered.

“Yea right you are, a vampire queen gave birth to a human. Oh, maybe that is why I had to be adopted in the first place. You were ashamed of me.”

Julia looked at Loriam as if she had said the best joke in the world. But Loriam wasn’t willing to give up yet.

“You were born as a part of a blood-clan, this is who you really are. Not that human you lived as but even if you really were one, I could never be ashamed of you being my child.”

“If I really were born as a goddam vampire then why did I grow up as a human?”

Julia retorted Loriam’s claim, to which Loriam didn’t seem to have anything to say, as Julia chuckled.

“And besides, if you claim to be my mom then do you have any proof? Mother.”

Julia asked Loriam purposedly saying that last part as mockingly as possibly. Loriam thought to herself for a bit before taking her pendant off her neck and placing it on the table in front of Julia.

“This is…?”

“The proof that you ask for.”

Julia took the heart shaped pendant and opened it. Inside were two pictures, one was picture of a sleeping baby cuddling a cat plushie that looked awfully familiar to Julia and the second one was picture of smiling Loriam holding said baby in her arms as the baby dressed in pink dresses stared curiously, most likely at the person that was making the picture. But to Julia’s perplexion neither picture was painted they resembled more of an old photos.

“What do you say, do you believe me now?”

“Believe you? You literally gave me no prove that you are my actual mother, all I see is old picture of you with baby vampire girl that has similar toy as I did.”

Julia was annoyed as she took another look at the pictures. There was nothing to prove that the baby was Julia, other than the cat plushie in one of them. Julia opted to give Loriam’s claim a chance and searched for indications that her claim could be real and Julia just changed a lot during her childhood. And just as Julia thought there really were no indication that the baby was in fact Julia, only indication was the similar plushie. Only thing those pictures proved was that Loriam in fact had a child at some point. Julia started to wonder was Loriam delusional?

“If you want another prove then…. what about that necklace I gave you?”

“What about it?”

Julia looked from the pictures at Loriam and then looked down at the golden necklace around her neck. Unsure of how it served as a proof of Loriam’s claim.

“Didn’t I told you that it is prove of you being part of Leranpe clan? It will only display your name if you are born as an Leranpe, so is this enough prove for you?”

Loriam looked at Julia with a hopeful expression. Julia thought for a bit as she looked at the necklace that supposedly proved that she was vampire princess since the day of her birth. But still.

“You say that but then…how was I not here with you? How was I a human man my entire life?

Julia was looking at Loriam expecting her answer. Loriam looked at Julia and meet her expecting gaze, Loriam looked unsure of what to say. If she is telling the true than she should know. Depending on her answer I will…

“I am not sure…but I think it had something to do with that seal on your back.”

“Oh? So, an Ittenian seal appeared on my back turned me in to a human and you kicked me out?”

Julia looked at Loriam, who shook her head in denial. What Julia said seemed to hurt her.

“No, I would never kick out my own child no matter what…”

“Then what happened? Are you going to explain it to me or not?”

Julia started to be impatient, was Loriam actually even saying the truth?

“Well, you see…on that day…twenty-five years ago I was rather busy you see and Liora…your maid at the time was on vacation. I was working in the room next to yours so…I was sure that there was nothing to worry about…”

Loriam began her tale as Julia listened carefully. In short, Loriam left her new born daughter napping in her crib while Loriam herself worked on paperwork. When Loriam went to check on her daughter wondering why wasn’t her daughter making any sound at all. Once Loriam entered the room only thing she could see was an empty crib. Overcome by dread that her child was in danger Loriam ordered to seal off entire city and mobilize entirety of royal guard to search for the missing child but found nothing.

“I was getting desperate…we couldn’t find you anywhere, as if you just disappeared from the world itself. So only other possibility was…”

“That a foreign spy kidnaped your child and so you started the war…because of one baby?”

Loriam lightly nodded and looked at Julia with tearful eyes.

“I didn’t want it, it was just… the more time passed you were being taken further away from me. I was so scared…I was so worried about you.”

You started a war, you killed tens of thousands just because you were worried?! Julia started to tremble as she felt anger building up inside her.

“So, you’re saying that you waged war for over twenty years, just because you were worried about one baby!?”

Julia shook her head after a while and looked at Loriam coldly.

“No let’s rephrase that…you saying that I am your one and only child, right? So that means if I didn’t exist than the war wouldn’t started at all?”

Loriam was taken aback by Julia’s coldness, and lowered her head slightly.

“…No, it isn’t your fault. It is the one that kidnaped you that are responsible for all the soldiers that died- “

“Soldiers!? Are you serious!? Do you have slightest idea how many people have died because of the war?! Or do you thing that everyone in Itten were soldiers?!”

“Julia I…”

Julia started to shout at Loriam unable to contain her anger any longer. Loriam wanted to say something but before she could Julia stormed out of the dining room and slammed the door behind her. Leaving Loriam alone in the dining room with her head hung down.

“Did something happen, your majesty?”

Loriam’s brief solitude was interrupted by a voice from behind her. Loriam lifted her head as she glanced at the owner of the voice while wiping tears from corner of her eyes.

“Is it that obvious Liora?”

Liora who just returned back in to the room nodded to Loriam’s words. After all, just few minutes ago the queen was having breakfast with the princess but then her majesty sends Mirei away and informed Liora that she wishes to have private conversation with her daughter.

“May I inquire as to what happened?”

But when Liora returned she was meet a sight that she thought she saw for a last time twenty years ago. Her queen was looking down at the ground while suppressing tears.

“She hates me doesn’t she…”

“Your majesty?”

Loriam’s words surprised Liora but when she glanced around the room the lack of the princess’s presence was more than obvious. When Liora thought carefully about it, all reasons her queen would ever cry were related to the princess.

“I was trying to talk with her and explain everything to her but… looks like I chose wrong words to do it…”

Liora listened to her queen’s words and was getting confused.

“Excuse me your majesty but…there is something that would require explanation to her highness? I mean…”

Liora was confused as far as she was concerned her highness only needed to learn her mother’s tongue and proper noble etiquette, but that was all. The idea that there was more that the princess didn’t know never crossed Liora’s mind.

“She grew up among humans, you know that right?”

Liora nodded her head, she was fully aware of that. It was after all her main reason for disliking humans in the first place.

“You see, she wasn’t aware that she is my daughter…no she wasn’t even aware that she is a part of the blood-clan…”

Liora gasped as she heard what her queen said with a sigh.

“Does it mean that…her highness…”

Loriam nodded at Liora’s shaking voice.

“She grown up believing that she is a human, in fact that battle in Liden forest week ago? She was there and I almost… with my own hands.”

Few drops of tears run down Loriam’s cheeks as she looked at her shaking hands. Clenching them as she remembered her “reunion” with Julia. Liora watched her queen as she tried to sort her thoughts, before opening her mouth.

“But wouldn’t her highness notice that she was different from humans? I mean how could they even hide that from her?”

Liora wondered, even though illusion magic existed it was only able to camouflage one’s real appearance. There was simply no way to change someone’s biology. Therefore, no matter what the urge to drink blood should have made her highness aware that she isn’t human. However, the queen shook her head in response.

“Those who kidnapped her seems to have find way to turn her in to one. When I saw her in Liden… not even I realized who she actually was until I…”

Loriam turned to face Liora as she spoke, lightly blushing at the end. Liora noticed that and shocked expression appeared on her face.

“Y-your majesty. You don’t mean…. that you and her highness did…that you did that to her.”

“As I said, I didn’t know it was her I just thought she was random human noble and I was little thirsty…”

Loriam attempted to protect her honor in front of now blushing Liora. But seeing that she was essentially digging her own grave by making excuses she stopped.

“So…. How could humans find a way to alter her highness’s biology to such degree?”

In order to get rid of the awkward silence between them Liora returned to previous less taboo topic.

“Well, there was a seal on her back and when I removed it, she changed back to normal. She said thar the seal had something to do with kingdom of Itten.”

Not wishing to discuss her embarrassing “reunion” Loriam was more than happy to change the topic.

“The kingdom…of Itten?”

“Yes, that was what she said…. Also, she was angry because of it somehow?”

Liora looked nervous as she heard her queen’s word. She never expected to hear Itten being mentioned by the queen, especially not in connection to her daughter’s anger.

“May I ask what was her highness angry about?”

“Um? Well, she said if I know how many people died or if I think that everyone in Itten were soldiers. Do you perhaps know what she meant by it?”

Liora nodded lightly. How could she not know? She was there all those year ago. But for the queen to ask like this did she…

“Your majesty, you didn’t read those reports that were submitted to you?”

“…no.”

Liora sighed but she should have expected it. The queen was in no condition to rule after the princess disappeared, the prime minister Dale had to take over temporary. The Itten incident most likely got buried in mountain of papers during those chaotic weeks.

“Since her highness mentioned Itten and if I take her highness’s human upbringing in to account then…is more than obvious that she would dislike you.”

Loriam thought about what Liora said and then nodded, her face filled with determination. As she started to leave.

“If those reports are going to help me get closer to Julia than I will find them. Liora, would you help me?”

“Of course, your majesty.”

Liora said with a smile and followed after her queen, hoping that the mother and daughter will reconcile soon.