Rotten Apple
Chapter Three: Sweet Emotion
Rosalia suddenly began to cry once the true reality of what she was told struck her like a ton of bricks. D pulled his horse to a halt, dismounted, and pulled Rosalia off into his embrace to comfort her.
"I can't believe it…I can't believe that you are my biological father," she sobbed as she tightened her hold onto the man who looked no older than herself.
The dhampir remained silent and allowed her to cry it out against him. Though he looked outwardly calm, the emotion with him was just as powerful as hers. It took several minuets for the young lady to get her emotions under control.
"Now I understand why everyone thought that I was different, I have vampire blood flowing through my veins," she sniffled.
"Are you all right now?" her father asked as he gently wiped away some of the tears from her eyes.
She nodded but continued to sniffle. The two resumed their journey. After about two hours of traveling, D could feel his daughter's weight become dead against his back before the sound of soft-snores grazed his ears.
"Well D, what do you plan to do now?" Left-Hand asked.
"I am still taking her to Krauhausen, she will be safe there," he told the parasite.
"Oh really? Are you sure? That is not what your heart tells me…" chuckled Left-Hand somewhat maniacally, "see once I showed you the truth about her, all's you wanted to do since then is keep her with you—yeah-see deep down you don't want to leave her. Deep-deep down you can't bring yourself to let her go-no-she's your family—your only family-your baby girl."
"That is enough!" snapped the dhampir.
Rosalia groaned behind him but did not wake up. All the crying and overwhelming emotion exhausted her. After about an hour of riding, the half-vampire decided to pitch camp. He gently pulled the sleeping teen off his horse and laid her down in a clearing. D made a small fire before placing himself next to his daughter, who was still softly snoring, and watched over her until he fell asleep.
Soon, the morning sun rose above the horizon and after several more hours of sleep, Rosalia had awoken. Her eyes were swollen from the tears she shed the previous day.
"Dad…Dad?" she whispered while gently shaking the dhampir's shoulder.
D opened his eyes before rising to his feet, "let's continue on our way to Krauhausen," he told the girl.
Her eyes became wide and suddenly a sinking feeling enveloped her, "Are you going to stay with me there?"
He looked down, "I could never conform to a normal life due to what I am…but you, you are human enough and should thrive in Krauhausen on your own just fine. Nobles and humans coexist there, and I know that you will be able to make a good life there."
"So…you're going to abandon me too, just like my mom did?" whispered the young girl in disbelief.
Her words tore deep within his psyche but he kept his typical emotionless stance, "Rosie, the life that I live is no life for you. You have a chance to live a normal life where I cannot and I could not bear to place you in danger."
"But you said that Vampires and humans coexisted there just fine, so why not? WHY NOT?! You are my biological father and I need you-I need you! Damnit!" cried the half-dhampir angrily.
"As you know, I am hated by both the Nobility and the humans for being a dhampir. But you look more human and would be more accepted into that society than I would be," he replied without emotion.
The girl was getting worked up, "have you NOT been listening to me when I told you about my experiences in the orphanage?! I am NOT wanted! Though I may look slightly more human than you doesn't mean shit or I would have been adopted many fucking years ago!" she was screaming in rage now.
The dhampir hunter kept his focus on the girl's face which was redder than a maraschino cherry as the veins in her temples were pultruding from beneath her soft, semi-porcelain colored flesh.
"I thought that you would have been happy to have actually gotten to know me! But I guess not, you just want to cast me aside like everyone else did! I guess that I am just too strange for you too even though you're a fucking half-vampire! Also, let me guess—you and mom-she was just meant to be a good fuck huh?! The town told me—you fucking pig—you left her after getting your nut off—were you afraid of the consequences?!"
Rosalia was livid and continued to scream at her father.
"THAT IS ENOUGH!" D snapped angrily.
His companion drew back from the sudden burst of anger. He maintained a stern look on his face, "I am taking you to Krauhausen because you will be safe there and I care for your safety. What happened between your mother and I does not matter now. All's that I care about is protecting you."
"Oh…I am sure-I am totally sure! You are just like all the others! You don't want me either!" she screamed before collapsing to her knees in a puddle of tears.
TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER FOUR
Note: I remember hearing that children who spend most of their lives in orphanages end up developing issues with emotional regulation as they get older, so that is why I am having Rosalia act the way that she is in the story.