Of Princes and Dragons: Book 2 (Lords and Commoners)

by Lynne Hill-Clark

  Vlad was glad there was work to be done. This way he would not think about the horrible meeting with Vallachia yesterday. “Very well, I will head to the Great Hall at once. Gather the twins and also send for the eunuch to escort Ilona back to the women’s quarters when she wakes.”

  With a nod Abdullah retreated. He was all too happy to leave the indecency of Vlad’s bedchamber.

  Vlad fastened his long chlamys at his right shoulder with a large jeweled broach fashioned as a dragon’s head. He paused to smile at Ilona. His soft conversation with Abdullah had not awoken her. Poor thing; she will have to sleep most of the day to recover from last night. Then he was gone.

  Once in the Hall he questioned the twins about the missing monks.

  They remained silent with their heads down, as if they were two small boys who had been caught stealing watermelons from a neighbor’s garden.

  “Please, tell me you two did not kill monks.” Vlad inquired.

  Not looking up, Cosmin answered, “Yes, Master, we did. They came to the front entrance seeking shelter — and to proselytize, no doubt.”

  “No doubt,” Vlad said through gritted teeth. “Need I remind you two of our mission here?” Vlad struggled to keep his voice calm. “We need Hungary on our side. If Hungarian monks turn up missing when they enter our lands, this will not help to win King Mathias’s support. We need him as an ally. The Ottomans will soon attack from the south. We only have sixty trained vampires at this time. Even with our abilities and the seven hundred or so human warriors we cannot fight a hundred thousand Ottoman troops while defending our northern borders from Hungary. The downfall of many a great empire has come when they had to fight on different fronts. This divides the troops and leaders, greatly weakening strong armies. Not to mention, it would not hurt to have the Hungarian army join us in the coming fight against the Ottomans. This will not happen if we continue to kill their monks. Do you understand?” Vlad felt as if he were a lecturing schoolteacher.

  The twins were silent. Vlad had lost them at some point during his diatribe. Politics was obviously beyond them, so Vlad tried another angle. “Very well. How about this; what happens when we feed off the riffraff?”

  “Ah, is this a trick question, Master? Because usually nothing happens.”

  “Yes! Exactly my point. Nothing happens. Their disappearance often goes unnoticed. Now, what happened when I killed the empress?”

  “All hell broke loose and we had to go into hiding for many years,” Cosmin answered and Costel laughed at the memory of their time in exile.

  “Correct again. You must remember that our goal here is to pretend to be human and not draw attention to our true nature. Do not ruin this for me. The point is, no more killing monks. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Master,” Cosmin answered.

  “Costel?” Vlad searched his face for a confirmation.

  “Yes, Master. No more monks.” He paused as if not wanting to anger Vlad further, then added quickly. “What about nuns?”

  “No! No nuns. That does not bode well either.”

  “But, Master, they are so delicious. Their blood is pure unlike the drunkards, slaves or whores we must usually feed on.”

  Cosmin gave his lesser brother a nudge, indicating for him to shut up.

  Vlad let out a frustrated groan. “The rule is simple; leave highly revered people alone.”

  Cosmin knew they had pushed Vlad as far as they could. He bowed. “Yes, Master.” He pulled his brother out by the arm.

  Once they were gone Vlad complained, “I swear, it is as if we are dealing with children at times. They are obedient to a fault but not the sharpest swords in the armory.”

  Sergiu and Abdullah chuckled and nodded in agreement.

  “So much for my assumption that becoming a vampire increases one’s intelligence,” Vlad said.

  “It appears that becoming a vampire only enhances what one already has,” Sergiu said.

  “Then apparently the twins did not have much going on upstairs to begin with,” Abdullah added.

  “And becoming a vampire only increased their lack of smarts,” Vlad said.

  The three old comrades laughed.

  Sergiu redirected them to the matter at hand. “We can send word to King Mathias that we found evidence that the monks were indeed foreign spies posing as holy men.”

  That was an excellent idea, Vlad thought. “But only if Mathias inquires about his monks. Otherwise we will not open ourselves up for accusation.”

  Sergiu smiled with pride. “You have come a long way. You also seem to have a knack for politics. As long as you are not plotting to take on the High Court of Elders, I suppose, I should be content — better the Ottomans over the Court.”

  “The Court of Elders is not my enemy.” If for no other reason than Vallachia is one of them, Vlad thought.

  “For that I am grateful,” Sergiu replied.

  Chapter 51 Copenhagen 1457 A.D

  Elijah’s entourage flew swiftly back to Denmark after the horrible meeting with Prince Vlad of Wallachia. When they landed on Elijah’s balcony, Mary gave Vallachia a quick hug and a weak smile that said she was sorry. Mary swiftly retreated, undoubtedly to check on Elizabeth. Elijah ordered the others to go to the Great Hall to update his father on all that had taken place. Elijah glared at Riddick as he left the room.

  “Please, Elijah, don’t blame Riddick. I commanded them to leave. It was my fault, not his,” Vallachia pled.

  Elijah put his arms around her. “I’m aware of that, however it is easier to be mad at him rather than you.”

  “That is not fair. Please don’t take it out on Riddick.” Val wanted to be sure to keep her promise to Riddick that she would answer to Elijah.

  “I specifically ordered him not to leave your side. Yet he did and it got you into trouble,” Elijah said.

  Val shivered at the memory of her recent encounter with Teller. She buried her head in Elijah’s chest and let his arms comfort her. “I don’t understand. That was not Teller. He was out of control. At first I thought he was completely void of emotion but in actuality he was entirely controlled by his emotions. He had no restraint — no control. He goes wherever his feelings and desires take him.” She shook her head as if that would somehow help her to understand. “He has gone mad.”

  Val thought of Teller’s father, Ivan, for the first time in a long time. It is as if becoming a vampire brought out his father’s tyrannical characteristics in Teller and amplified them tenfold. Her thoughts turned to Riddick and his lust for power when he was a younger vampire. For many years Riddick let his humanity fade — or perhaps forced it out. He cared only for power and wealth. Perhaps this is what happened to Teller as well.

  “I am very sorry, Val.” Elijah gazed deep into her eye. “I truly am.”

  She could see that he spoke the truth. I am hurting and it hurts him in return.

  “Your room is occupied with Mary and Elizabeth. Why don’t you get some rest?” Elijah gestured to his bed.

  It was all she could do to crawl into his bed. She wrapped herself tight in his chlamys and let herself slip into oblivion.

  Val woke with a start to the same dream of Teller transforming into a red dragon and devouring her. It was not entirely a nightmare, it was real, she thought. Recent events flooded back into consciousness. The dream makes perfect sense.

  She was surrounded by Elijah’s scent, his clothes, his bed, him. It was the smell of comfort, protection and love. She could easily forget her nightmare when Elijah was near. She carefully rolled over. Elijah was still asleep, so she simply watched him. He looked peaceful in his sleep, with no trace of worry or sadness. Elijah would never hurt me. He has always been there for me. We only want what was best for each other. Now that she finally knew where Teller was and that it was worse than she could have ever imagined; she allowed herself to think that maybe Elijah was whom she'd been meant to be with all along. We would be happy together. Maybe now we finally could be.

  Elijah mus
t have felt Val’s stare. His eyes opened slightly and he smiled. “Yes?” His voice was full of sleep.

  “Nothing, just watching you sleep.” Val issued a warm smile.

  His eyes widened. “You seem as if you are doing well ... considering.”

  Val was in high spirits or maybe simply feeling different. She was not entirely sure what came over her. She slid out of his chlamys and threw her leg over him — startling him. Wrapping her fingers in his, she held his arms to the bed. She brushed her lips against his neck before ever so gently kissing it. Her mouth slowly worked its way to his. When his mouth returned her kiss, she thought he had given into her touch. Joy and longing filled her entire body.

  Elijah gave her a long hard kiss before he pushed her away with his hands still in hers. “What are you doing?”

  “What do you mean?” Val smiled down at him. “You know exactly what I am doing.”

  In an eye blink, he rolled over on top of her, pinning her to the bed. “Not like this.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it is not me you want.”

  There was only sadness in his stormy grey eyes. This shattered what was left of Val’s heart. Her joy and longing dissipated, leaving only pain. The pain that she was still hurting Elijah, the pain of seeing Teller as Vlad the Impaler.

  Val pushed Elijah off and let out a moan of frustration. She was beginning to see that it was Elijah she wanted. Yet, he was right — as always — not like this. We should not be together under these circumstances. Not when he is convinced that I would be thinking of another. But I had not been thinking of Teller.

  Over the next couple of months Vallachia fell into a dark cloud of sickness. She felt as if she were perpetually falling into nothingness. Locking herself in her chambers, she refused to see anyone. She did not know which was worse: finally finding Teller only to discover that he had become a monster or Elijah’s refusal. Have I lost them both? All those years I kept Elijah at arm’s length because of another. The length of an arm was the perfect distance, close but not too close. He could almost have me but not truly. Elijah deserves far better than that. She fell into a trap of self-loathing.

  Her friends often tried to coax her out of her self-made prison. One such time Mari begged her to open the door. “Please, Val, let us help you.”

  Val did not respond.

  Elijah’s voice could be heard, “Val, are you there?”

  Silence. The sound of his voice caused Val’s eyes to sting as they filled with tears. She stifled a sob in her throat.

  “Maybe she has left?” Sonia said.

  “Do you want me to kick the door down?” Riddick asked.

  “No.” Val’s voice was barely loud enough for them to hear. “I’m here. I wish to be alone.”

  “Come,” Elijah said. “Let us give her more time.”

  “She has been alone for far too long already,” Mari protested. “She does not need more time, she needs us!” Nevertheless, Val heard Mari’s voice fade away as they retreated.

  The weeks continued to pass and Val’s friends became increasingly worried that she had not fed. Surely they thought she was upset over Teller but in truth Val’s thoughts were of Elijah. She had loved him as a friend for a long time. Perhaps more than a friend ... now that she fully admitted that she wanted him. She longed to be with him. But I can’t. I do not deserve him.

  Even worse than this was the darkness that settled deep within Val when she thought of Teller. There was no longing. She did not even know if there was love. I created the most wretched creature to ever exist. How many has he killed? How many has he turned into killers? It is all my fault. I can no longer live with myself. Death cannot come soon enough.

  Her friends continued to beg her to at least feed, even if she continued to refuse to see anyone.

  After two months of this, Elijah’s voice came from outside her door, “Val, if you don’t feed, we will bring you someone and you will most likely kill her. You will be too hungry.”

  “I’m not hungry.” This was the same thing as saying that she did not want to live. Val was, of course, starving. Her throat was constantly on fire. She enjoyed it because it kept the emotional pain away. Her body had grown weak and stiff.

  All had grown silent outside her door. Val was relieved that they were leaving her alone ... again.

  Her balcony doors flew open. The tall elegantly carved doors hit the adjacent wall and shattered. Splintered wood scattered across the floor. Val was too weak to move. Riddick stepped into the room carrying a human figure in his arms. Elijah was directly behind him.

  “The girl is alive,” Elijah explained. “She has been given a heavy dose of herbs to render her unconscious.”

  The sweet scent of the human hit Val with the force of a thirty-foot wave. She instantly lost control. In a fraction of a second the monster was in control. She didn’t remember standing and moving to the girl. All she was aware of was the sweet blood as it ran down her sore throat —soothing the pain. She felt strength flow back into her body.

  “Val, stop. You are going to kill her,” Elijah said.

  His voice sounded distant and muffled. The monster did not care. It had to have more.

  With his arm around her waist, Elijah pulled while Riddick pushed her off the woman with his hand on Val’s chest. It took both their efforts but she released the poor girl.

  Vallachia took a couple of deep breaths and let her eyeteeth recede. She had to shake her head to fully get the monster out. “Oh God, did I kill her?” She put her ear on the woman’s chest. There remained the faintest heartbeat.

  “Take her to the infirmary to ensure that she will make it,” Elijah said.

  Riddick left with the unconscious woman still in his arms.

  Mari appeared at Val’s side and threw her arms around Val.

  Val hugged her in return and laid her head on Mari’s shoulder. Val felt as if she were a child who had been lost and finally found her mother.

  “No more of this, you hear?” Mari whispered.

  Val nodded. She forced herself to face Elijah, his eyes were iron grey and full of pain. He thinks I am this upset over Teller. Teller can go to hell. Elijah does not know how I truly feel. How can I fix this? Should I even try to win him back, when I am not worthy of him?

  Sonia ran into Val’s chambers, followed by Mary and Elizabeth.

  Elijah gave Val one last icy glance before leaving.

  Val went to the washbasin and splashed her face with the cool water. The water in the basin turned bright red. She looked at herself in the mirror for quite some time. Her gaze moved to her friends’ reflections. “Look at us. Look at what we have become. We are all killers. Killers of Vampires, killers of humans, it doesn’t matter.”

  Val’s girlfriends exchanged worried looks with one another at her cryptic words. Teller was right — she had turned him into a killer. Then he had killed her father, which was justice, she supposed. How many deaths was she responsible for because she had created him, including that of her own beloved father? At that moment she vowed to never turn anyone again.

  Chapter 52 Wallachia 1458 A.D

  Over the next year, most of Vlad’s construction projects were completed. Government buildings in Targoviste and Bucharest were reinforced to withstand a long siege from the Ottomans. Wells were dug in the atriums and the cellars were stockpiled with grains, dried meats and wine. This was for the people of Wallachia, to keep them alive and safe when the time of war fell upon them. The castle at Poienari was also well supplied with provisions and made ready to protect Vlad’s people while his soldiers fought the endless horde of Ottoman warriors in the valley below. He would often spend nights making weapons for his troops. He was almost ready.

  Only two years into his reign Vlad decided it was time to stop paying the annual tribute to the sultan. In order to buy more time, Vlad sent a letter to Mehmed requesting a three-month leeway on this year’s payment. This the sultan granted, for an extra fee, of course. Next Vlad reques
ted that the sultan come to Wallachia to collect his money as opposed to it being delivered to their border town of Giurgiu, as was customary. It came as no surprise that Mehmed refused to come in person but he did state that he would send men to Targoviste to collect the tax. This was an indication that the sultan was willing to compromise as long as he received his annual tribute.

  Vlad instated a law that made it illegal for Wallachians to offer their boys to the sultan to be educated and trained as Janissaries. When he made this decree to the people, he delivered an overly zealous speech — which Sergiu had written — about no longer providing soldiers to the infidel. Vlad spoke passionately about standing up to God’s enemies and that it was a Christian’s divine duty to fight for their own true religion — not Islam. It was a bunch of bollock, none of which Vlad actually believed, but the people rallied behind him. Soon every Bishop and Deacon around was preaching Vlad’s — or Sergiu’s — propaganda. The people were ready for another crusade against the nonbelievers.

  After this speech, many men came forward volunteering for the army. They were untrained and Vlad was not sure how much use they would be. It took a lot of time and effort to train the ever-growing human army that Vlad already commanded. There was not enough time to properly train all these men who were offering to fight for God.

  Not to mention, Vlad planned to rely mostly on his Janissaries. They would be all he truly needed to defeat the sultan. The humans were largely for show — to make it more plausible that Vlad’s small yet elite army could defeat the mighty Ottomans.

  Nevertheless, the morale of the people was excellent and this would help when one hundred thousand troops marched their way.

  The night before Sultan Mehmed’s men were to collect the nonexistent gold coins, Vlad decided to summon Jusztina to his bedchamber. She was one of the concubines whom he rarely called upon. She did not seem to enjoy his affections so he largely left her alone. But this night was an exception, after all Jusztina was quite attractive. When she entered his bedchambers, she kept her head down. Her face was rounder than he had remembered. This was not unusual. A concubine’s life was one of leisure with servants to wait on their every need. Many of them grew plump.