Forty-Two

Romania 1595 - 1600

“Where are your parents?” She giggled at me, pointing to the house close to us. “What’s your name?”
“Alessia,” she answered me, setting her hand on my left cheek, observing my face.
“One day I met a princess as beautiful as you and she had your name.” She opened a smile as bright as the sun.
“Did you save her, Vlad?” Her eyes widened, expectant. My heart raced so badly, beating hard against my rib cage, that it came to a backflip, and I thought it would explode. For a few seconds, I lost my words.
“Yes, I did,” I said, still numb. “And she had beautiful violet eyes just like yours.”
“I know!” My Liz was there, in the smile she gifted me, but she was only a little girl.
“Alessia, what are you doing bothering this gentleman?” A woman’s voice called to her, and laughing, she ran away to whom I supposed to be her mother. I stood up and followed her. Anton was still on his horse, looking at the entire scene suspicious, but he didn’t say a word.
“Excuse me, lady, my name is Vlad. Is your husband home?”
“He saved a princess, mom.” The little one couldn’t contain herself.
“Alessia! I’m Maria. Sorry sir, I live alone. My husband died last winter. It’s only me and my two children. Alessia and Petru. Did she do something to you?” The short woman asked between concern and fear.
“No, not at all. I want to offer you a job, and with that my total protection.” She gave me a skeptical look, and I understood her.
“I’m sorry, sir, but what’s the catch?”
“No second intentions at all, I’m looking for someone to run my house, while I’m in town.”
They moved in with me and Anton. Her mother was a hard-working woman and took good care of the house when I had to go on campaigns. Alessia was growing healthy, becoming a beautiful young lady, but always getting herself in trouble with her wild side.
After a year of many battles, Wallachia was declared independent under Mihai’s rule. It was such a glorious victory! Things were going very well, and maybe soon enough I would see my beloved land under the hands of only one ruler, so I had some time for myself at home.
“Can you teach me how to ride a horse?” The sweet voice came to me from the door in my study. She was there, twisting her fingers in front of her, wide eyes eagerly staring at me.
“Do you like horses?” She was still a girl, and I made sure to keep my distance.
“I do. They are beautiful animals.” Liz answered in excitement.
“Ok, young lady. Meet me by the stables in half an hour.” She nodded with a radiant smile dancing on her face and dashed out.
She loved horseback riding, and she had the skills for it. I would teach her every time I was home, and it was the only time I interacted with her, and I loved every minute of it. She got better every day and had no problems taking a horse under her control.
Three more years have gone by. Alessia was turning seventeen. But the news of Báthory resigning his throne in favor of his cousin Andrew came like a bomb, and I had to leave for quite some time. We didn’t count on this new threat. Andrew demanded Mihai to abandon his throne, so we attacked him to prevent his invasion, and in Şelimbăr we got our victory over him. We killed him when he was retreating from the battle.
We gave him a decent burial, then Mihai marched into the capital of Alba Iulia, and the nobles elected him as the prince of Transylvania. Business and politics were going perfectly. Victory was on our side. I have found Liz again by magic, and I couldn’t be happier with the path my life was taking. She was still too young, but I kept my distance, and in a few more years she would be a beautiful woman. Maybe fate decided I deserved a second chance.
Anton and I were traveling back home. We had one more hour to go when the pain hit me hard. I fell from my horse to the ground, and I swear I felt claws closing around my heart and squeezing it into a bloody pulp. I lost my breath and sweat coated my face. The pain got so intense, my demon roared. The horses got scared, standing on their hind legs, and Anton had a hard time holding them down.
“What is it, Vlad? What’s wrong?” he shouted at me.
“I don’t know, I don’t know. Pain, I can’t breathe!” ‘Vlad…’ I heard, very faint. “Alessia! Something is wrong with her.” I hissed, and my canines grew to full length. I didn’t wait, jumping on my horse and galloping away as fast as I could make him go. Once I got closer, I knew something was not right, as her mother and other workers wore distressed faces.
“Sir, sir, Alessia disappeared. She went for a ride, but something was wrong with the horse. The animal was nervous and sprinted away with her. We tried to follow, but until we got on our horses, they were gone!”
“I’ll find her!” I assured, closing my eyes and with a deep inhale, I felt for the energy she had left behind. A few seconds later I was already on her tracks, racing as I’ve never raced before.
Her horse was restless, near the fence which marked the end of my land by the stream. Right there, all the life vanished from my soul, and I heard when Anton approached.
Jumping from the horse’s back, I flew over the fence, landing on the other side. Her body was on the riverbank, blood flowing from her head, and half of her face covered by the water. No! Fate wouldn’t do this after giving her back to me! The demon in me took over. I saw red, and I wanted to kill someone right there, suck someone dry to appease the pain I was feeling.
Then the slightest of movements. I ran to her, taking Alessia into my arms and bringing her out of the water. I got soaked in her blood. Her horse just came to a halt, throwing her over the fence, and she hit her head on the river rocks.
“Dragă, open your eyes, please. Open your eyes,” I pleaded, muttering to her. She coughed, and water came out of her mouth. I was sure she had lost conscience when she hit the ground and drowned.
“Vlad!” She whispered, trying to raise her hand, and I got it, kissing all over her knuckles. Fingers so cold, her lips were blue.
“You can’t leave again, dragă. Please. Open your eyes, let me see the lavender in there, please.” I couldn’t stop pleading, my tears streaming down my face. Then those beautiful violets were on me, glassy.
“Vlad, it’s enough fighting, my love. You have done more than enough for our land.” She inhaled, her body convulsing in my arms. “I have little time. Alessia is gone.” She tried to reach my face, and I got her hand, putting it on my cheek. “You fought bravely, you did everything in your power, and did well. Now it’s up to the others to follow in your footsteps and finish the journey you’ve started. It’s time to care for yourself, love.”
“NO! NO! NO! Liz, dragă, wake up!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.
“Vlad, get her, and let’s get out of here. We have to go!” I heard Anton far away. I was in a haze, and I couldn’t get out of it. “Vlad! Snap out of it. There’s something here with us. I feel a strong, dark energy lurking around. Come, let’s go.” He shook me into my senses after a few minutes.
The next day, we buried her in the garden she liked so much. I gave her mother the papers of the ranch, a good amount of money, and Anton and I left. We still had one more enemy to bring down, and maybe then I could find my peace. Movilă, the Moldovan prince, was the one inciting Andrew Báthory to send Mihai the ultimatum demanding his abdication.
We were planning on taking over Moldova for some time already. Now it was time to deal with him. Mihai marched on Moldovan grounds, entering the territory from multiple routes. It didn’t matter where they looked at or ran; we were there waiting for them, there was no escape. Mihai forces captured Movilă, but he had his ass saved by one of his rear-guards, and took refuge in the castle of Khotyn, together with his family. Such a despicable coward.
My heart was crushed beyond repair at that moment, as once more I had lost Liz. But the pain gave place to a sense of fulfillment. My land got united as one for the first time in history, and under a great, honest ruler. I didn’t know for how long it would last, reigns arise and reigns fall, but if they managed this impressive feat, even if it will be for a short period, it made me realize we were on the right path to be great. Time for me to go has come… So I left.