Chapter 188: Heir of the County

"Come and give your old man a hug." The look on his face was of a scary man trying his best to look cool in front of his granddaughters, yet the effort was a failed one. The look on both me and my sister was... well, blank and out of place.

"Go on," my father shook his head before nudging the two of us, smiling.

"Okay," Victoria nodded and began walking towards the old man. I, on the other hand, waited to see how things played out.

The moment the little girl got close to the old man, he stretched his arms and brought her into a tight hug.

"My, my, what a beautiful and lovely girl," the old man said. The tone of his voice was gentle and kind. "Just like your mother."

"Thank you," Victoria replied, blushing and smiling at the old man.

"You must be Victoria. How old are you?" he said with a smile, guessing right.

Me and my sister were a true twin—the same hair and eyes and the same face. No one would be able to know who was who. The only thing that could be used was that my hair was longer than Victoria's, but that was it.

"Yes, I'm twelve years old," she said, raising her head and showing the old man a smile.

"Hmmm, you'll make a great bride when you're older, haha," the old man chuckled, ruffling the young girl's hair. "I'm jealous of your future husband."

"Please, Dad," my mother sighed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "She's too young to talk about marriage."

'Oh, he's the father of my mother, not father?'

"Alright, alright, I'll stop," the old man laughed, and the look on his face was a warm one. He gave Victoria another tight hug before sending her off.

"Now, who is this shy and cutie?" he said, letting go of my sister and turning to me with open arms.

'Sigh.' Not wanting to seem rude or an idiot, I did as Victoria did and went in for a hug. However…

"!!!" Suddenly my senses screamed danger, and out of instinct, I jumped back, avoiding my grandfather's arm, and took a defensive stance.

'Shit,' I cursed. My action had attracted everyone's attention, and the silence was deafening. The only sound that broke the silence was the chuckle coming from the old man.

"I see that you have great instincts, Morgana," the old man said. A smile was on his face. However, his eyes were cold and sharp. "Your reflexes and the way you avoided my arm… they were good, even for your age."

BONK!

"DAD!" my mother shouted, slamming the man on the head with a spoon. "Don't scare the kids; you almost gave them a heart attack."

"Sorry, dear," the old man said, rubbing his head, and the look on his face was an apologetic one. Yet the cold and dangerous feeling didn't vanish.

"You're fine?" Victoria asked, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"I'm okay," I said, smiling at her, trying my best not to look scared, which, in fact, I was. I had no idea what the old man did, but it freaked me out.

"Well done, Morgi," my father said with a proud smile, giving me a thumbs up.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Haha, very good, Morgana. Come sit; I won't do anything, I promise," the old man said, gesturing for me to join him.

"Sure."

"We never met, but I'm your grandfather, and this is my name, Dmitri Tepes, Count of Wallachia. Please feel free to call me Grandpa."

"Nice to meet you, Grandpa," I said, trying to look as innocent and cute as possible.

"Here, take a seat," my grandfather said, pulling two chairs and helping me and my sister to sit. Once everyone took a seat, my mother placed some plates and cups and poured the tea.

"What's the purpose of your visit, Lord Dmitri?" my father said, taking the cup and sipping the tea. The look on his face was tense.

"Sigh... you and your serious self," my grandfather said, rolling his eyes. The tone of his voice was one that sounded like he was talking to an old friend. "Can't you just accept the fact that I wanted to see my granddaughters?"

"..."

"No," my father replied instantly.

"Fine," the old man sighed. His hand moved to the inside of his fancy white coat, and he took out a rolled paper and gave it to my father.

"The king asked me to appoint an heir for Wallachia," he said, taking the cup and sipping the tea. "And your two daughters are the only ones from my blood."

"What?" my mother and father spoke at the same time, their eyes wide open, and the shock was evident.

"What does that mean?" Victoria asked, looking confused.

"It means that the two of you are princesses. Well, you are princesses by birth; we just have to make it official," the old man said, smiling proudly.

"WHAT?" the two of us shouted at the same time.

"DAD!" My mother glared at the old man. The look on her face was one that would scare any man and make him wish he was dead—the fierce mother.

"We talked about this before."

"I know, sweetie, but you are my only child, and you gave away your noble right to marry your husband," the old man said, sighing.

"Yes, and I'm happy with it," my mother's voice was filled with venom, yet the old man was unbothered.

"I know, and I'm happy for you. However, the county must have an heir, and the only ones that fit this role are Morgana and Victoria," the old man said, his tone soft and gentle.

"I really don't have a choice. Without an heir, the king will take the land."

"I know... but," my mother bit her lips, staring down at the table. She knew that the old man was telling the truth; the county needed an heir.

"Calm down, honey," my father, Vladimir, placed his hand on her shoulder. His face was gentle, and a warm smile was on his face. "We knew this day would come."

"But not this soon," my mother said, placing her hand over her mouth, and the tears in her eyes were glistening.

'Do you really have to make it so emotional? It's not like we're going to die,' I thought, rolling my eyes, understanding the situation.

My parents were probably related since they have the same last name. Or that my father was just a commoner, but I'm guessing he was a soldier who rose in ranks based on the deep bow of the knight and the term 'Lord.' However, that may not have been enough to give him the right to marry my mother, so she had to give away her noble right to be with him.

'Pure and honest love,' I thought, happy and proud to have such parents.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I'll take care of them," my grandfather stood up and took my mother in his arms. "They will become fine young ladies and princesses."

"Dad, you won't force them to marry someone," the look on her face was full of worries and concern.

"Of course not. The two can choose whom they want to marry," the old man said, ruffling her hair, "just like you."

"Good," my mother sighed, leaning her head on the man's chest, and the look on her face was relieved.

"Don't worry, Mom," Victoria said, standing up and giving her a hug. "I'll protect my big sis. No one is going to marry her."

"..."

'Kid, do you want me to stay single forever?'

"Haha," the old man laughed, patting the little girl's head. Then he turned to my father, saying, "I'll be back in a week to pick up the girls."

"Understood," my father nodded his head. The look on his face was serious.

"Well then, I'll take my leave," the old man said, and with a small bow, he walked out of the door.

...

That evening, Victoria never stopped bombarding my mother with questions about life in a big castle, royalty, and many other things. Yet my mind was elsewhere. I was lying on the bed and staring at the ceiling. The moonlight was peeking from the window, and the room was silent.

Knock Knock.

"Yes."

"May I come in?" my father's voice came from behind the door.

"Yeah."

The door opened, and his tall figure stepped in. In his hand was a thin and long wooden box—a case.

"Dad?"

"Here," the tall man took a seat next to me, handing me the box.

"What's this?"

"Open it," he said, nodding.

I did as he asked, opening the box and revealing the beauty inside. The blade was long and wide. It was covered in a black cloth, yet the shine of the silver was bright and clear, especially the crimson diamond at the bottom of the handle.

"Beautiful," I muttered. The sword was a work of art.

"This is an ancient weapon called Nosferat, handed down for generations in our family," my father spoke, and the look on his face was serious. "I was planning to give it to you after you turned eighteen, but with what happened today, I thought that you should have it now."

"Thank you, Dad," I smiled, taking the sword out and feeling the weight. It was heavy, yet I felt the strength in it.

"You'll need to get strong to protect your sister, Morgana," the father said, placing his hand on my head.

"I will."

"Good. Here," he handed me something, and it was a book.

"What is it?"

"An ancient book—a collection of swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat," he replied, smiling. "It was my only teacher when I joined the knights. I hope it will be of good use to you."

"Thank you, Dad," I said, feeling an uncontrollable urge to hug the man, my father, so I did.

He said nothing, only hugging me back, and for a long time, we just stayed like that until he broke the silence with some words that I'll remember till the day I die.

"Morgana, the road ahead is tough, and you'll face a lot of trials, but I believe in you," he said, patting my head. The tone of his voice was gentle, and the look on his face was kind.

"Remember, the family is everything, and besides me, your mother, your sister, and your grandfather, don't trust anyone else—no one. And don't show mercy."

"I'll make you and Mother proud."

"I know," he smiled, a bright and warm one, giving me another hug. "You're my daughter, after all."

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