The Vampire's Trophy

Mother

An old woman who looked scared and shaken was at the airport. She was fidgeting for her stuff and fumbling about with her papers and seemed to be in a hurry.

One of the staff there, stopped her, took her aside and offered her drink. He told her to calm down and then proceeded to check her papers and put them in the right order. She seemed a little less fraught and so he escorted her to taxi stand where she could hire herself a cab and go to her daughter.

She thanked him, blessed him heartily and waved at him as the taxi started to move.

Czarina called Grace hurriedly.

Come on. Your mother is on her way. Tell me who among the three is yours.

She was mocking her. It was as if she knew Grace was tricking her.
But Grace simply ran towards the women as Czarina stared at her. She hugged a woman and was almost hysterical at her sight. She then brought her to her room.

She told Czarina to wait outside. She wanted to tell her mother everything. She wanted to empty her heart out. Yet Czarina seemed too eager to be left out and came barging in. She settled in to a chair and began observing the two women.

Grace was still crying uncontrollably, her mother was just not able to calm her down.
Czarina got really impatient and left the room slamming the door behind her with a loud thud. The little room shook slightly and Grace seemed to come to her senses.
I'm sorry ma. I just couldn't control myself. I never even allowed you to breathe. I'm sure you'll be tired. I'll order some tea and something to eat.

She was still sobbing. Her mother was patting her back when Czarina came in again.

Oh, now that you have settled, can we talk.

The two women stared at each other and the older woman cried out, "Good Lord! Who is she, she lacks manners."

Czarina wanted to snap right back at her but refrained. She ignored the comment and said. We need to talk, eh.

Grace looked at her mother and sat on the couch.

Are you sure this is your mother?

What do you mean?
She seemed a bit shocked but composed herself rather quickly.
You want to test her? Hmm go ahead.

Nah! Just kidding. Fine. You know what, you can go and cry all you want. Call me when you are done and would like to know what to do next.

She left like a breeze.
Grace told her mother everything. She showed her the freezer too. Her mother seemed very proud of her. She kissed her forehead and whispered, "this is my worst nightmare." A tear trickled down her eyes and over Grace's neck.

The next day, Grace and her mother seemed a bit relaxed and so they went over to one of Czarina's usual haunts.

She wasn't there. Grace searched all over the ship, below, on the deck, even the kitchen. No sign of her. Sweat was trickling down her spine, tears were filling her eyes, she was anxious, desperate and now even breathless. Her only thought, Czarina had left and she didn't know how to get her son back. She did not give up easily, so she wiped her tears and went back to every place she could think of. She went to the camera room on the pretext that Troy was missing. She saw every public space, Czarina was indeed gone.

It was around tea time that she headed back to her room, her heart full of dispair, her eyes holding on to her tears, and her head sunk low. She turned the key resolving to not look so lost for her mother's sake.

Her mother was sitting at the edge of the bed with her hands supporting her chin, leaning on a table. The room was cold, and smelt of Czarina's favorite cigar, cinnamon. She turned around at the sound of a lighter. Czarina had been in her room all along, with her mother, who was now motionless.

What have you done to my ma?
Ma, maaaa. Nooo don't do this to me.

Hahaha. Now you definitely know how it feels to be in my shoes.
Hahaha.
Righty right, you have a lot to talk. Bye. My dinner would be waiting for me.

Grace fell on her knees and her mother who still appeared to be in a state of shock picked her up and sat her on a sofa.

Ma, you are alive aren't you? Did she bite you?

Grace, I'm fine. Czarina came in almost right after you left. We had a long discussion. I asked one of the servers to tell you, didn't you meet anyone?

No. No one told me. I was worried sick. I searched all over and when I couldn't find her I thought I had lost Troy forever.
She told me how to save Troy.
Really she did?

Yes. Taking him out of here is the easy part.
Keeping him hidden for a year is also no big deal.

So what is the problem?

The problem is to make him human he will need a Queen's blood.

What?

Yes, that too every full moon.

You mean Czarina's blood?

Yes and no.

What? Why are you telling me like this?

Like what?

All in bits and pieces. Tell me everything at once. This suspended death sentence is killing me. Please I beg of you Greg.

Shush love. She's still around.

Just kill me already.

I'll tell you all that she told me. Her time as a queen is nearly up. She's around a menopause like stage for vampires. She needs to create a queen among her children. I've, hmmm Greg has killed all her babies so to keep her entire race from annihilation, she needs to make a queen. To keep our baby alive we need a queen.

The answer to our problem is a queen. So what's so difficult?