Dracula went out on one of his favourite trails. The dangers did not concern him as he knew he could defend himself against any man; or any group of men. He rode along the river for a few miles. From there, he turned into a dense forested area. The path through it rose up into the nearby hills to a stunning waterfall.
He liked to come here and lie in the tall grass. There, he would watch the water drop into the pool below for hours. He loved the peace it gave him to think. The eyes that watched his every move in Giurgiu could not reach him here.
With his horse tied, he lay down in the grass. A healthy sun sat prostrate in the early afternoon sky. Its warmth fell invitingly on his face and encouraged him to remove his coat.
It was his idea to spend the day there. He liked to lie and doze in the afternoon sun. These moments of solitude were the only times he felt at peace. He had a tough decision to make and could think of no better way. But his blissful peace was not to last.
“So what shall you do?” a voice asked him.
He did not open his eyes. His instincts had sensed Lucy there before she even spoke.
She prodded him with a toe. “Have you lost the use of your ears since last we met? Do not ignore me when I speak to you.”
He gave her a look to convey he did not appreciate what she had done. “I am trying to think of what best to do. It is easier to do so when I am not disturbed. I have not as yet decided.”
His brazen tone amused her. “Then I shall enjoy hearing of it when you do. You are full of surprises of late.”
He sat up, looking a little perplexed. “What are you speaking of?”
“You know exactly what I mean,” she said. “Why even allude otherwise?”
He looked into her black eyes. Over time, he had grown used to the darkness in them, but today it unnerved him. He could never read her thoughts or guess at what she was thinking. Her eyes offered no insight. Today, they seemed blacker than ever and he knew she was annoyed. “You mean the woman?”
“You cannot say her name to me? I hear you whisper it often enough.”
“You have been watching me?”
“I always watch you. Who do you think looked out for you in Persia? Of course, it was I again. Who else could care so much for your welfare?”
Her words took him aback. “You said you did not care what I did. That I was free to do as I pleased.”
She looked beyond him to the trees. “I lied.”
“How often do you do this where I am concerned?”
“I do not like to see you with another.”
“Then look elsewhere. You harangue me on any occasion I am content with a woman. Pray tell me why that is so? I do not ask you to spy on me in my private affairs.”
“I am your private affairs. I guide you through everything you do.”
“Do I ask for this?”
He waited for an answer. When she did not respond he said it for her. “No, I do not. All you do is of your own volition. It is for your gain and to serve your own ends.”
“You would not go so far without me.”
“Do you think not?”
“I know it,” she hissed, narrowing her eyes. “Who tended to you the night you were flogged? It was I. Who inspired you a year ago when you were on the verge of despair and lacking any sense or purpose? It was I again.”
He looked skywards to show he did not care. It did not deter her.
“Who retrieved the Fier Negru and gave it to you? It was I. Who diverted the arrows aimed at your body on the field near Baghdad? As always, it was I.”
She got his attention at last. He had no idea before today that she oversaw his exploits in Persia.
“Who in the world could ever take care of your interests as I do?” she continued. “The answer is no one. Would you still like me to leave you to your own devices?”
“Who are you really, Lucy?” he asked. “Tell me. I want to know.”
“I am the one who loves you the most.”
“But you are not real.”
“We have travelled down this road before. I am real.”
“Then what is the motive in this for you? I doubt it is out of the goodness of your heart that you watch over me.”
“I was there the night Murad flogged you, do you not remember?” she pointed out. “I heard how you cursed him. Even though you are in bed with him at the moment, I know you despise him still.”
He growled under his breath.
“I want to guide you to fulfil your destiny and become voivode like your father before you and his father before him. I want to be there when you drive the Turks from all the lands to the west of the Black Sea.”
“Why do you want this for me? I would care to know.”
“You are destined for greatness. I would like to have a hand in you achieving it.”
“Then do you have issue with me using Murad to get to where I want to be?”
“No, I am pleased that you are so resourceful. Use all means necessary to achieve your ends. Make good use of him, too, while that avenue is open to you. There is one thing I have issue with.”
“And what might that be?”
“The woman.”
“Do we have to speak of that? I do not wish to discuss her.”
“Yes. You have to cut your ties with her.”
“You say this without any good cause.”
“This union with her shall bring nothing good to you.”
“What is so wrong with it? She is good to me. I like how I feel when I am around her.”
“She is thinking only of herself. You killed her daughter and yet she gives her body to you. Do you not think that she might slit your throat one night while you sleep? You are affording her the opportunity. She might well seize on it when you least suspect it.”
“When I wanted to be with Ayshe you gave many reasons then, too, why I should not. You did not care for the burden it left on my heart.”
“If you were to let your heart rule your head, you would achieve nothing in this life. It is not your heart that is leading you, but that which dangles between your legs. Fornication is a good thing, if you see it for what it is. When you allow it to come in the way of the future that awaits you, then you shall not go far.”
Dracula shrugged to indicate he did not care for what she said about Natalia.
Lucy felt her temper rising. “She is a Basarab. You must cut your ties with her.”
It hardly crossed his mind these days. “She is his sister, but not a Basarab.”
Lucy ignored his comment. “It shall send the wrong message to the boyars in Wallachia that you hope to have on your side.”
“There should not be so many boyars left alive when I am done.”
“That may be so. But to have a monarchy you must have landed gentry. So the boyars shall always be there.”
“I do not care for the boyars, nor for what they say or what they think.”
“You fraternising with the sister of your enemy? And a woman who is more than twice your age? It does not reflect so well on you.”
He knew she was right. She was always right. In frustration, he rolled over in the grass and turned his back to her. She materialised before him in a second.
“You have had your amusement,” she said. “Take what you want from it, but it is time to let her go. Cut her loose. Lest it shall be your undoing.”
Dracula thought about what Lucy said. He had grown deeply fond of the woman and enjoyed very much having sex with her. Not only did it feel great, but she had taught him a lot. It had also helped dim the pain he felt when he thought of Ayshe. Indeed, he did not think of her as often as before. He thought now of Natalia. Perhaps that was her purpose and her reason for entering my life; to educate me in such matters. But he knew Lucy was right. As loath as he was to admit it, he would have to let her go. He decided she would return to her brother.
“That is the first wise decision you have made in some time,” Lucy said.
“Stop reading my thoughts.”
“And what of the other decision you need to make?”
“You should already know what I intend to do.”
“Good. Serbia is pleasant this time of year. I shall watch over you as always.”
With that she disappeared. The light was fading fast and he thought it wise to return to the fortress. No sooner had he dismounted from his horse, then Natalia was there. He did not stop to talk so she ran after him.
“Where were you?” she asked.
He stopped and turned. “Why does it concern you?”
“You do not have to be curt with me. I was worried over you. The talk is all about a war with Hunyadi.”
“You are not my mother. Please refrain from acting as though you are.”
“I do not profess to be.”
He began pacing again. “Yes, there is to be a war with Hunyadi. And Basarab.”
“Are you going to be a part of it?”
“Basarab is my enemy. I would do as well to meet him in Serbia as I would on home soil.”
“Then I fear for you.”
“You have no cause to.”
“I do. I love you, Vlad.”
He stopped again. “Do not say that. Do not ever say that.”
“But it is the truth. I cannot deny my heart.”
“You cannot love me. I shall not allow it.”
“I do not think there is so much you can do to prevent it, Vlad. My feelings are my own. I hoped you might feel the same way. I thought we had grown close over time.”
Dracula stopped to look at her. He wanted to tell her he did feel the same way; that he did feel as close to her as she did to him. Something happened to him inside every time he saw her and he really wanted to tell her that. But Lucy’s logic was stronger than his need. “You are talking nonsense, woman.”
“I am not,” she argued, a tear trickling from her eye.
“I am less than half your age.”
“That seems to be of little consequence when we share the same bed. You show me enough love then.”
“I am freeing you from my custody,” he said. He kept his tone cold and devoid of emotion. “You are to be liberated at last.”
The words stung her hard. She did not want to leave his side or to begin a new life without him. Her future would most likely be a marriage to some boyar to benefit her brother.
“I shall arrange for your safe return to your brother. That is, if he returns from Serbia. Still, you are free to go.”
She put a hand to her mouth, tears streaming down her face. “What if I do not want to go?”
“You do not have a choice. It is settled.”
She dropped to her knees as the tears continued to flow. He walked away and left her there without looking back.
WALLACHIA.
THE FORTRESS AT GIURGIU.
SEPTEMBER, 1448.
Giurgiu buzzed with activity throughout the night. Many of Hassan’s officers shouted orders to citizens who stocked wagons with provisions. The soldiers worked to replenish the armouries and groomed the horses.
At first light, the large army marched out of the fortress. Dracula and his seven thousand men rode with it. His lover watched him leave from a window, sensing she would never see him again.
They moved west along the Danube. The garrisons from other fortresses joined them as they passed each one and stopped for more water. By the time it turned south, Hassan’s force numbered over fifty thousand.
His superb spy network gave him the precise location of his enemy. Once deep into Serbian territory, he ordered Dracula to branch off. It was his role to block any escape route the Christians might have. The bulk of Hassan’s army marched on, and found Hunyadi’s force camped at Kosovo Polje. This was the site of Sultan Bayezid’s famous victory over the Serbs in 1389.
THE White Knight did not have as grand a plan here as he had at Varna. He intended to link up with Skanderbeg. From there, the two armies would conquer Macedonia and the southern part of Serbia. He did not expect to encounter any force that could dent his ambitions.
Doing this would split the European domain of the Ottoman Empire in half. He marched across the Danube with an army of twenty thousand men. Basarab added ten thousand to this number.
Mihály Szilágy and János Székely rode with him. They joined their forces with his main army. Franco Talotsi also donated his Hungarian cavalry and rode at their front. He was a lord in Hungary now as well as the Ban of all Croatia.
They made quick progress through Serbia. Hunyadi hoped to recruit many Serbs along the way. With no support from George Branković, this number amounted to very few. He stopped at Kosovo Polje to rest his troops and await the arrival of his ally from Albania.
SERBIA.
THE PLAINS NEAR KOSOVO POLJE.
OCTOBER 17, 1448.
Hunyadi and his commanders sat around a fire outside his tent. They laughed and joked over their recollections of past battles.
“Do you remember how Sihabeddin dressed for battle, John?” Székely asked him, unable to stifle a laugh.
“You mean the array of colours he wore?” Szilágy cut in.
“Yes, that is what springs to mind. I recall someone commented at the time that he looked like an odalisque from the seraglio.”
“That was I,” Talotsi admitted.
Hunyadi grinned at his friends. “Yes, I did not know whether it was best to fight him or fuck him.”
The men broke into fits of laughter once again.
“Did you not do the both?”
He grinned again. “But of course. Sihabeddin is no more.”
“Wait,” Szilágy said, holding up a hand. “What is this?”
They looked to see what had caught his eye. A dust cloud rose up in the distance as a group of riders raced towards them at full gallop.
Hunyadi tossed the venison joint he had been chewing into the fire. He walked through his friends and stood alone, waiting for the riders to approach. The others joined him, anxious to hear the news they had to share.
“What is so urgent that you ride as though your lives are about to end?” he asked his scouts.
“My Lord!” the lead rider shouted. “We have spotted large detachments of Ottoman troops across the plain to the north!”
“What! How can that be?”
“I do not know, my Lord. But they are there.”
He turned to his friends. “Our sources said the Turks were occupied in Anatolia still. Is this not so?”
“That is true,” Szilágy confirmed, looking as confused as his closest friend.
They all looked and felt embarrassed. Hunyadi marched into Serbia after assurances he had received from them.
“How the hell am I supposed to succeed?” he stormed, clenching both his fists. “When I cannot even rely on those I trust.”
“Rest easy, John,” Szilágy said. “We shall achieve nothing by losing our heads. You taught me that much.”
“He is right,” Basarab cut in. “We must assess the situation and make the best of it that we can.”
Hunyadi grunted, still aggrieved that fate had compromised his plans once again. He did need to calm down. Losing his temper would not help. “Very well,” he told them. “Get all our scouts mobile to try and find out what size force we are pitted against.”
“What should we do?” Székely asked.
“We shall fight them!” Basarab declared, boldly.
His comment annoyed Székely. “Do you know anything of the Turks?”
“What are you implying?”
“If they are there, and they are, it means they have been watching us.”
Szilágy nodded to concur. “I am sure they know our position and our number.”
“And they shall have superior numbers. They always have an army larger than the one they are looking to fight.”
“So what should we do?” Basarab asked, repeating Székely’s question.
“We have two choices,” Hunyadi said, looking off into the distance.
“What are t
hose, John?” Székely asked.
“We can march deeper into Serbian territory or we can stay and fight.”
“But we cannot continue as we had intended,” Szilágy said, debating the issue. “We shall face attacks on our marching army. The impetus would be in their favour.”
“If we stay and fight,” Talotsi said. “They shall far outnumber us again.”
“Yes, those are our options.”
“You are in command, John,” Szilágy pointed out. “What is it you want to do?”
Hunyadi took some time to scan the horizon on every side. He studied the landscape in detail, looking for a location that might help to even the odds. “We shall stay and fight. Our men have scouted this plain well. It is our best option.”
The others nodded to show they agreed. They would support him to the death.
“What are you thinking, John?” Szilágy asked him.
He pointed to a hill further south. “We should move our camp to that hill. It is an easier location to defend.”
“It shall also give us a better view of the plain.”
“We can fortify it halfway down with our supply wagons. Position the artillery in behind it. Come,” he urged them. “We have no time to waste.”
His men followed his orders to the letter. They placed his artillery batteries in a strong line just behind. He knew at once the formation he would deploy.
He placed his light cavalry on the right flank. Benedict Losonczi sat at the head of this group and on the left flank, Basarab. Székely and Talotsi occupied the front line in the centre with their heavy cavalry. Hunyadi dropped just behind a little higher on the incline with a long second line of heavy cavalry. Stephan Banffy commanded the heavy cavalry on the left flank. Losonczi controlled the heavy cavalry on the right flank as well as his light horsemen. Hunyadi positioned his lines of infantry in behind. Szilágy took command of these men.
Hassan set up camp on the north bank of the River Lab. The Sicnita River protected him to the right and a steep ridge to the left. On the south bank he deployed the army to face his enemy. The Anatolian Spahis always occupied the left flank in a Turkish line of attack. This time Hassan placed them on the right.
The Dracula Chronicles: The Path To Decay Page 14
