The Last Embrace 43 The Queen

"M-Mother! You're here-?" a surprised Prince Zain asked.

The vampires who were holding Nana Aida quickly untie the rope from her wrist. As soon as she was free, she runs towards the Queen and hides behind her back.

"All of you get out!" The queen motioned all the vampires to get out of the living room and closed the room behind them. They followed her command right away.

What was left in the room are Prince Zain, The Queen, Adam's coffin and Nana Aida.

"B-but Mother! That woman you just protected tolerated Adam and Jessy's relationship. My brother and my future wife were having an affair behind my back!" he explained in an exasperated voice.

The Queen's eyes widened in shocked! She turned around and faced Nana Aida. "Is it true-Aida?"

Nana Aida nodded, with fresh tears emerging in her eyes. "I tried to prevent them from entering into a relationship but I failed. I'm so sorry-my Queen."

The Queen's eyes soften upon seeing the terrified look on Nana Aida's face. "It's okay, I didn't blame you. Please calm down and don't cry..."

Nana Aida sat on the sofa. She let out a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you for your understanding, my Queen."

Prince Zain's face darkened. "Mother, why you easily have forgiven that woman?" he was bewildered.

The Queen answered. "Because it's not easy to prevent two people from falling in love with each other. Nana Aida has no real power to control the young lovers. Adam and Jessy must have truly loved each other that is why they don't mind doing the unforgivable," she sighed.

"But Mother, are you tolerating what Adam and Jessy have done behind my back?" he grumbled.

The Queen looked at his eldest son with a mixture of impatience and sadness in her eyes.

"Am not...but what can you do with it? Are you going to kill your already dead brother because of his betrayal? Are you going to punish Jessy because she falls in love with your brother? You know better... that...what is done is already done. We can't change things as they are. We can only deal with things rationally..."

Prince Zain shook his head vigorously in anger.

A few moments of silence encompa.s.sed them...

Nana Aida took the chance to speak."My Queen, Adam specifically requested that his dead body will be buried outside the mansion, besides Jess' rose garden."

Prince Zain brows furrowed. "No, that can't be! Father instructed me to bring Adam's body to be buried in the Facility."

"I will make the final decision. I will bury Adam's body beside Jess' rose garden as per requested by the deceased. I want to honor my dead son's request," said the Queen in a firm voice.

"B-but Mother...Father will be angry at me!" he complained.

"Don't worry son, I will explain to him myself," she said.

Frustrated and angry, Prince Zain stormed out of the living room.

"Instruct your men to dig a hole beside the rose garden at the back of the mansion," her voice trailed behind his son's retreating back.

He nodded while closing the main door behind him. Blowing his anger outside.

The Queen approached Adam's coffin and open the lid with trembling hands.

Her eyes waters instantly and soon fresh torrents of tears were streaming down her face. She cupped Adam's cold cheeks, then she lifted his stiff head and kissed his forehead, then she gently let go. "My son! My son!" she wept openly, her heart felt like it's exploding. The shocking appearance of his son was enough to send any mother's heart to utter desolation and sadness. She just can't accept the fact that the son she barely sees, yet she loves unconditionally is already dead. They only have few memories together but it's worth a lifetime of happiness and sadness.

Nana Aida rubs the Queen's back. She also struggled to keep her tears from falling, yet no matter how hard she tried they keep falling. She openly weeps side by side with the Queen. The mother's grieving heart and continues sobbing reinforce the gloomy atmosphere that is circulating inside the living room. It's too much to bear.

A few minutes later...

The Queen was already finished with her grieving, with one final kiss of his son's forehead, she gently closed the lid of the coffin. She turned around and face Nana Aida with a total seriousness in her eyes.

"Aida, did you follow my instruction?" she asked in an audible voice.

Nana Aida nodded. It was an instruction mentioned by the Queen a long time ago, but she still remembers it clearly, she exactly followed the instruction earlier while Jessy is undergoing her vampire transformation. The instruction is simple, feed Adam with Jess's blood, but she is not sure with the amount of blood though...if it's enough or too much. She just followed her instinct way back earlier.

"Good!" a little smile showed in the Queen's face.

"B-but my Queen, Adam is still dead? I don't understand," said Nana Aida.

The look of weariness and sadness is back on the Queen's face. "Aidwe are just trying to save him. But to be honest there is no guarantee that Jess' blood can bring a dead person back to life. It's just an idea that came into my mind. I don't know how powerful Jess' blood is. Am actually hoping her blood can bring back my son's life. Maybe am just wishing for the impossible, call me crazy or what, am just a mother and all mothers will do crazy things to save their children from death."

Nana Aida's shoulder fell back to her side. So, there is no guarantee...she feels sad again.

"Thank you so much, Nana Aida for taking good care of Adam, you have no idea how thankful I am that you've been a good mother to my son through the years," she took a small pouch and give it to Nana Aida. "My gift for you!"

When Nana Aida opened the pouch, lot's of shiny yellowish stone was inside of the pouch, it's gold! Nana Aida tried to give it back to the Queen, but the Queen refused to take it back.

"Don't tell our secrets to anyone, okay?" she whispered into Nana Aida's ear.

"I Promised," Nana Aida replied.

A ray of hope shimmered in the Queen's eyes.

"My Queen, how long do I have to wait of Adam to return back to life," Nana Aida asked excitedly.

"If it's meant to be...within 24 hours, worst...wait until three days. If Adam won't come back after three days then he will stay dead forever," the sadness is back in the Queen's eyes.

The Queen walk towards the main door and open it wide. "Time to bury my son..."

The vampires entered the living room and lifted the coffin and proceed outside, they sauntered towards the back of the mansion where the rose garden is located.

Nana Aida and the Queen followed them in silence.

Once they were already in the rose garden. Nana Aida grabs some roses and held it in her hand.

The Queen opened the lid of the coffin once again and kissed Adam's forehead.

"Goodbye my son," a single tear fell from her eye.

The vampires are now preparing to lower the coffin in the freshly dug grave.

"Lower the coffin now..." said the Queen in a dismal voice.

The single tear now becomes floods of tears, Nana Aida also joins in with her lamenting and weepings. The two mothers clung to each other for support.

When the coffin was already lowered successfully in the grave. Nana Aida and the Queen throw the roses into the coffin.

"Cover it now..." the Queen said in a brave voice.

The freshly dug earth was slowly thrown back into the coffin by the vampires who are on standby mode waiting for the Queen's instruction.

More fresh earth was thrown into the grave until the surface of the coffin can no longer be seen.

A few minutes of silence ensued...

Until the Queen has spoken. "Zain, get Jessy upstairs and bring her to the Facility, I will go home first."

The Prince obeyed and his men entered the mansion to retrieve Jessy.

The Queen took a deep breath and grasp Nana Aida's hands tightly. "I will go back to the Facility now. You take care of yourself, Aida. We will see each other again, soon, hopefully."

After the two woman bid goodbye to each other, the Queen suddenly disappears from Nana Aida's sight.

Nana Aida stood still in front of Adam's grave. Soon Jessy will be gone too. She felt emptiness so profound she cried again.

She remained at Adam's grave for several minutes even after all the vampires were already gone bringing the unconscious Jessy along with them.