The mention of her mom made Diana freeze. But, as if fully aware that he gained her interest, the vampire was not in a hurry to explain further. Her lips, blood red and soft, sipped from the cup slowly.

"And?"

Her voice was too impatient than she would like to reveal, but Diana could not help it. Her mother was her only caretaker as a kid, and the earliest memories were of that gentle ice spirit.

"Your mother was the sole human I liked," said the vampire. "It makes me laugh that the warmest person humans had was an ice spirit. Of course, you were very young at that time, but you have grown so well." 

"My mother was an acquaintance of many," replied Diana, reassuming her cold demeanor. "You are not doing so well to keep me entertained," grinned the princess.

"You..." froze the doll, "are so beautiful," smiled the vampire sweetly. "I feel nostalgic that the ugly baby is now so gorgeous. You can ruin kingdoms with this beauty."

Diana simply glared at her with displeasure. Flattery was the only thing she heard growing up, even though she was blind, so appearances made very little for her.

"The ice spirits wounded me after entering their mountains, and your mother sheltered me, lied to protect me. That woman lied to protect a monster who devours humans as snacks. I lived for countless years but have yet to believe it."

"My mother was not the most logical person, and that is why I was born. But, for a chance to end the war, she wanted to birth a powerful child that will bring peace for her people."

"This leads me to believe that the true saboteurs of the world are those righteous people. Kindness brings nothing but pain, if not toward others, then toward yourself. Your mother was too kind, but it made me survive."

"I thought vampires regenerate," interjected Diana.

"We are hot creatures," the doll flirtingly said while leaning forward. "Ice does not work well with us. However, I am sure that the two of us will be fine."

"Thank you for the advice. Now, I know that I can kill you."

"I am sure you will change your mind by the end of this conversation," the vampire said. "I have a message from your mother."

"...you are lying," glared Diana, but the vampire shrugged with indifference.

"I am almost an immortal, and your mom figured that out. I wanted to repay her for her foolishness, as much as that sounds like a threat, but it was due to gratitude. I was amazed when she asked me to tell you a message."

"My mother would have never trusted you for that," objected Diana as her hand rested on the table. "Tell me the truth, vampire."

"You are losing control, sweetheart," pointed the doll at the table clothes beneath Dia's hands, and it was slowly freezing. "Your mother foresaw this."

"...what?" the princess froze while retracting her hand. "Are you saying that my mother... knew?"

"Let me continue my story. My wounds did not heal easily, but your mother was there for me for a month, and every day, she would feed me from her body and talk to me as I rested. It was too much for me to handle. That woman is insane."

"Answer my questions, vampire," Diana stood up from her seat, knocking the chair away. "You said that my mother knew about my condition?"

"We grew closer with each passing day, and with time, I felt a tingling in my heart every time I saw her walk into the room. At first, I thought I was craving her flesh, but when she got close, I just got flustered. Tell me what this feeling is, sweetheart. I am sure you experienced it too."

Diana did not reply and simply glared at the vampire. Her thoughts were in shambles as countless questions fired in her head, one after the other. However, she knew that the vampire would reveal everything only if Diana entertained her.

"You were in love with my mother," replied Diana as she sat down. "And then what happened?"

"I healed, but I lied and said that I did not. Then, late at night, I dug through my wounds to tear them open again, just to stay next to her. I refused to ask her, but I feel like she knew that I wanted to stay, and she did not say anything, only slitting her wrist for me to drink from."

"This is not what you do to someone you love."

"I knew that, by instinct, too. But, it was the first time I was disgusted by the taste of blood, all because I was hurting the person I loved. So, that day was the last time I drank blood, and I never did, to this day."

As the vampire revealed, she used her index finger to tear the dress apart and expose her neck. A hideous wound ran from the side of her neck across her chest and then to her belly.

"I never healed."

This revelation shook Diana because she knew that loving someone could turn monsters into humans with a beating heart. Arthur did the same to her, and even now, she wanted to be a better person for him.

"I know that you cannot believe someone who works with the enemy," said the vampire with a sad smile. "I was shaken too when I saw you after you came to Freda because I thought it was her."

Diana was silent as she realized that the other looks of love and desire were not directed toward her, but toward her mother, from a person who never stopped loving her.

"What do you want me to say? That I would replace my mother for you?" Diana furrowed her brows.

"There is no human who can replace her, not even you, because the Duke of Fire defiled you. You think that you ran away from him, but he lives within you, controlling every little action of yours."

"A few more words, and I will kill you."

"You are a lot more confident now that you know I stopped drinking blood," laughed the vampire. "You are cold, and she was never like that. Your mother wanted you to be kinder than anyone."

"I am to blame for how I turned out to be?" laughed Diana as her hand tightened into a fist, and the floor beneath her started to freeze. "I was left alone with that man for years, with his hand around my neck, ready to kill me if I was anything like my mother."

"I never said you are to blame, but you are not her, and I didn't want you to be. I just want to relay her message to you."

"...what message?"

"I am sorry."

The words made the ice melt, and Diana flinched as tears gathered in her eyes. The scene in front of her distorted as a memory resurfaced from the bottom of the well, bypassing the seal that she placed upon them.

It was her mother's tearful eyes as they slowly lost life from within them. Her chest was pierced by a spear of fire that destroyed what was within, and she was reaching out toward Diana.

Her mother said those words to her, apologizing for things Diana did not understand. Those were her last words before she died. Her mother did not tell her that she loved her but only said sorry.

"I am sorry that I gave birth to you," the vampire repeated, and the hammer of truth struck her heart stronger, wanting to shatter.

A sob leaked out as her knees gave away, and Diana fell to the floor, which was slowly freezing around her. Her mother regretted bringing her to this world as if her existence was a mistake.

"Your mother told me the truth on the night before I left. She knew that she could trust me, and she was right because I never told a soul about the truth until now. I carry her not her regret to you, but her guilt, because she knew that she has cursed you with a cruel fate."

Diana did not need to hear these words to realize the truth. There was only one reason for her mother to feel sorry: the knowledge that she would die for the prophet's son.

"How foolish it is for her to trust the one person she should not have trusted, a slave of Kar. However, she did, and I was foolish too because I never betrayed her."

The doll walked toward Diana and did not care about the ice energy freezing her blood dress. As she crouched in front of the unstable princess, the vampire gave a sweet smile.

"I am grateful because you gave me a chance to fulfill my promise. Your mother knew that you would be here against Kar, here to bring back the prophet's son, whom you love. However, the decision was made before she loved you, and it could never be stopped."

The vampire's words grew slower as the ice began to cover her, freezing her already weakened body. However, she did not run away, choosing to smile until the last second, until she turned into an ice sculpture.

"I am so lucky... to die while... staring at the face of my beloved."

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