Bridgeport

Andrei slunk up the path to the castle. For certain, he didn't have to. He was the undisputed master of the great stone hall after all- but he slid quietly and gently through the massive wooden door and carefully shut it so as not to alert anyone to his passing there.

He sighed deeply. The numbness that had followed the severing of the psychic bonds that held him to Gilgamesh had subsided but now felt oddly empty. Like hunger. Like a room that was too quiet. He supposed there would be a bit of a grieving process over it. The sooner it passed the better.

Food and wine and sleep would cure it. He made his way to the kitchen and begin mixing a foul broth of blood and wine and drank it down in ugly gulps.

"Andrei?"

He spun around. Ana leaned against the doorframe. "What's wrong, dear?"

He had drops of red in his beard. He wiped his mouth messily. "The deed is done, Ana. I set the boy free. He is a thrall no more."

"I see." She paused, feeling the weight of his words. "That is quite a feat. I've never known any vampire to free their own thrall so willingly."

"That is because he is not a thrall. He is my son." Andrei began to put away the remains of his rations. "I figured that... those of my family who can have freedom deserve it."

"Andrei."

"You know that I would give it to you and Dimitrius too. If I could." He said sadly and avoided her gaze.

"I know." She came up behind him and wrapped her arms around her husband. "Even if you tried, dear, I wouldn't allow it. I'm not here because I am forced to be."

"You say that, but maybe I have just so thoroughly enslaved you, you don't know better." He joked.

"Please. We all know who is really in charge in this home. But it was a nice thing to do for him. You are a good papa."

She kissed him on the cheek, then paused, turned his face towards her, and kissed him again on the lips. If any doubt existed about Ana's affection, they wouldn't survive the night.