Castlevania Nocturne: A Sneak Peak

Sneak Peak: Mother and Daughter

Emma rarely went into town. She didn't see the purpose of it, she had everything she needed at her mother's cottage, and it wasn't as if she was a social recluse either. She had her family to talk to. Tera and the children who soon wouldn't be children anymore. And Vance too. She never felt alone.

But her mother was insistent she accompany her on her home calls in town. She appreciated an assistant, and it would be good for the people to see her out and about and not resign to just their cottage. "Fine." Emma relented. "But let me keep my sword, these are turbulent times and you never know when you might need it."

At least the day was sunny, and it was nice to be out with her mother, even on business. She stopped at a couple homes, seeing the ill and injured who could not make it to her cottage. An arthritic old man, a prenatal check up to a mother about to pop any day, a teething baby with a sore tooth, a stable-boy who was kicked by one of the knight's horses and landed a good bruise. All treated and on the right road to recovery.

Emma didn't speak with the patients unless they spoke to her at first, and she was polite to them in her naturally sweet demeanor. The people of Machecoul were ever curious about the doctor's sisters from America, and they asked about her old life there, especially her experiences living in a country during a revolt.

"They were trying times, but people still lived their lives." Emma responded casually. "Many, including me, took up the rebellion, but fighting wasn't the only way...."

She was certainly comfortable around children. During the prenatal exam one of the patient's younger children came up to Emma and showed her his toy soldiers, essentially pulling her in to play with him. His mother scolded him to let the doctor's assistant work, but Amalie assured her that it was fine. Emma played with the young boy and his dolls, pretending the figurines were hunting monsters on horseback.

"Your sister has a natural way with children." The pregnant patient fondly observed. "She does." Amalie gazed warmly at her daughter. "She really does."

"It grieves me that she didn't get the chance to have children before her husband died." The woman responded in sympathy. "She would have made a good mother, I can tell." She spoke lower, addressing Amalie in a lower voice. "I have a nephew who is coming of age and looking for a wife, if she is interested......"

Amalie politely declined on her daughter's behalf. "Emma is still mourning him, it will take time before she can open her heart to love again."

"That was.......weirdly nice of her." Emma said afterwards when they finished her appointment, the last home visit for the day. "But I'm not interested. Never again, I can't go through that pain again."

"I know honey. I'm sorry." Amalie comforted.

"Thanks Mom." Emma smiled. " Sometimes it's hard, being what I am. If by the extremely slim chance I was ready to take another partner , it would be an earthy angel or a dhampir, an immortal like us."

"Dhampirs are complicated." Amalie remarked. "They are amazing partners, but very complicated, and they bite a lot."

"I bite back." Emma smirked.

"Emma!" Amalie laughed. Emma couldn't explain how much she missed her mother's laugh after all these decades. The sun shone brightly in the town of Machecoul, and Emma relished the sunny day, walking alongside her mother. She may have been introverted outside of her family, but she enjoyed being in the quiet provincial town scene once urged into it.

While Amalie stopped and spoke with the blacksmith's wife, Emma caught a small ball bouncing to her feet.

"Thank you ma'am." The boy caught it when she threw it over to him. "Nice throw! Wanna catch?"