It had been days since Jonathan saw Maria, but, thanks to teaching her how to use her new phone, the pair had been keeping in touch ever since. They both missed each other, but were just happy to have found a way to still talk to each other.

   Obviously, such an old castle could never have electricity, so he remembered to include a solar charger with the items that he got for Maria. He just wondered if the sun would be favorable during the winter.

   It’s just a couple of hours before noon, with Jonathan deciding to check up on each of the nearby sheep.

   “Jonathan,” bellowed his father from the house’s  entrance, “come in for a minute!”

   “Okay, dad,” bellowed John.

   Jonathan got into the house and, much to his confusion, both parents, with concerned faces, sat around the dining table.

   “Sit,” Nicolae instructed his son.

   Jonathan then sat down, facing both parents.

   “So, son,” said Nicolae, “we just want to ask you a few things. Dear?”

   With Nicolae facing his wife, Sorina brought out a few things, and dropped them over the table. They were the gold coins that Jonathan was planning to sell at the village, and what looked like receipts for Maria’s items.

   “We found these in your room,” Sorina said to her son, “and we saw that your savings have gone missing. What’s going on?”

   “We’re not mad,” Nicolae assured his son. “We’re just confused. And”, he added, while lifting one of the coins, “these gold coins seemed to be from the Medieval era, and probably worth more than your savings. You can tell us anything, son. Were the coins from the castle?”

   Jonathan, both nervous and lost in words, wasn’t sure what to tell his parents. He had Maria’s privacy in mind, and wasn’t really ready to talk to them about her just yet. On the other hand, it was part of the Fier family’s tradition to always be truthful, and Jonathan needed help in fulfilling Maria’s destiny. Thus, he proceeded.

   “Mom, dad, remember the legend of the sleeping heir of the castle?” Both parents nodded. “I found her. But, it turned out that she wasn’t human; she’s a vampire. I’d been looking after her ever since. It was she who gave me the coins, to buy clothes and stuff I got her.”

   Both parents, with raised eyebrows, gave Jonathan a funny stare.

   “I’m sorry,” Jonathan apologized, attempting to cover up his truth. “I understand if you guys want to ground me for lying....”

   “We believe you,” said both parents, leaving Jonathan a bit stunned.

   “I think it’s time we should tell him the full story behind the legend,” Nicolae said to his wife. “I’ll go get the scroll.”

   “Okay, dear,” said Sorina.

   “Scroll? What scroll?” wondered Jonathan.

   “You’ll see, Jonathan,” Sorina said to him.

   Moments later, Nicolae returned with a large, ancient scroll in his hands.

   “When your mother was still pregnant,” he said to his son, “I too ventured off into the castle. I was looking for the sleeping heir, and maybe a gold or two to support our business, but I found this instead.”

   He then spread the scroll over the dining table. 

   “Judging from its age and texture,” he said, “this may be from Medieval times, probably around the time of the heir. When your mother and I read through it, it filled  a lot of blanks with information that was lost to the descendants of the fallen kingdom: the nomads. How the princess was given vampire blood was key to putting her in a centuries-long sleep, and what she needs to do to conclude the prophecy, validating her legitimacy.”   “Which reminds me,” exclaimed Sorina. “Jonathan, do you also remember that, with the princess’ return, the castle rebuilding itself will be how the prophecy will be complete?” she asked her son.

   “Honestly, I forgot about that last part,” admitted Jonathan.

   “Come around and look at this,” Nicolae instructed his son, with his finger pointing at a portrait. “Is this what the girl you saw looks like?”

   “Yes, that’s her!” exclaimed Jonathan. “But, it’s not an accurate portrayal; her hair is much redder than that. It’s as red as the cloak.”

   “Good enough,” said Nicolae. “The hair color is from the effects of the vampire blood.”

   “Really?” exclaimed Jonathan, previously oblivious to why Maria’s hair was so red.

   “Yes,” said his father. “Let me read out the entry.”

   As the information on the scroll was written, Nicolae read out the following:

“Princess Maria, heiress to the Kingdom of Iacob Mihaianu, daughter of proud King Victor and Queen Gabriela, suffered from a grave ailment one winter. Death was certain, the princess to soon leave the monarchy without an heir.

   “But, by the forbidden craft of black magic, the rival King Marcu, brother of King Victor, offered his blood for the princess’ medicine. Maria was saved from her ailment, ending her fever, but she fell into deep sleep and never got up. After King Marcu slew the monarchs, and ended our kingdom, the princess was left undisturbed in her ancestors‘ tomb where she remained.

   ”But don’t lose hope for I bring good news. I write this declaring that she will rise, and reclaim her kingdom. The blood of King Marcu shall make her black hair red, and her teeth of a vampire. She shall be part-vampire, but her heart shall remain pure. We gift to her the Vampiress’ Staff in the tomb. Only by using it to rebuild the castle shall she mark her triumphant return. I just pray that she shall bring justice to her uncle and his wicked ways, or she shall be controlled, by blood, to do his bidding, and bring doom to our living descendants.”

“Wait,” said Jonathan. “Maria would need to fight her uncle? Is he alive?”

   “I think we need not worry about that just yet, son,” said his father, folding the scroll. “We’ll try and learn more about it later.”

   “Jonathan, you saw what the princess was holding on the portrait?” asked Sonira.

   “Yes,” said Jonathan. “Do you guys think that that could be the Vampiress’ Staff being mentioned?”

   “I think it is,” said Nicolae. “I also tried looking for it, in case the princess returns in our time. I still believe that it’s in the castle. We couldn’t find the princess before and, yet, she’s there now. Maybe, she may know something about its whereabouts. She must find it.”

   “Dear,” Sorina said to Nicolae, “we should set off to the castle. How soon can we go?”

   “Around four o’ clock,” suggested Nicolae. “I can close early.”

   “And Jonathan”, Sorina said to her son, “I guess the princess is living in the castle all alone? Does she still need essentials?”

   “Just food to eat,” said Jonathan.

   Sorina then lifted one of the receipts from the table, and read through it.

   “This phone you bought, is she using it,” she asked,  “and does she have a phone number?”

   “Yeah, she does,” said Jonathan.

   “Call her, and tell her we’ll be coming over for a visit,” said Sorina. “I’ll cook her something nice to eat.”