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

by Lynne Hill-Clark

  Val could not stand to see the pain that consumed Teller’s face.

  He reached for her but she pulled away.

  “Please don’t do this. Don’t marry Elijah. Give me a chance to ... win you back. Wallachia is your home, come back with me.”

  “It is not my home anymore.”

  “If you were to rule by my side, we could restore the Roman Empire — our empire. You could become the Empress of the East.”

  Rather than a queen in the West. The queen of vampires. For the blink of an eye Val could see it — Teller by her side as they ruled the great empire of the East. That is his dream — one I do not share — or do I? A queen or an empress? A choice between the West and the East. She shook her head. “You need to leave.”

  “Please.” He stepped toward her.

  “Leave!” Val yelled so that Elijah would easily hear it across the hall. She glanced toward the door. Then back to Teller. His emerald eyes were full of agony that cut her. It felt as if a knife scraped across her heart.

  Teller disappeared as her door flew open.

  Val fell to her knees and Elijah was at her side. “What is the matter?”

  With her hand over her heart, she tried to rub away the pain. She wiped the tears away with the other hand. Pull yourself together, she thought, for Elijah’s sake. She stood. “All is well.” She tried to reassure him with a smile.

  “He was here wasn’t he?” Anger raged in Elijah’s eyes. He glanced toward the balcony where Teller had recently disappeared. Elijah moved to follow him.

  Val grabbed his arm. “No, Elijah, don’t. Let him go. I did my part, now you need to do yours. We promised your father.”

  “He has the audacity to come into your chambers, in my home!” Elijah’s eyes burned with fury.

  Val wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. “He is gone. It is over.”

  Elijah took a deep breath. “I hope you’re right.” He wrapped his arms around her.

  This helped to calm her. The pain eased as it was replaced with Elijah’s love. She could feel Elijah’s body relax as well. As long as I am with him, I will be fine — we will be fine.

  Chapter 67 Holy Roman Empire 1462 A.D

  On the other side of Europe, Ramdasha and his new bride, Elda, plotted.

  “The Court will not find us before we are ready, as I can see them coming long before they can find us,” Elda said. “You no longer need sentries. I can keep us hidden. Our armies will not meet until we say so. That much I can assure you, my love.”

  “How can you be so sure of this, darling? Your sight can be limited at times. You have said so yourself,” Ramdasha said.

  “My sight is clear on this. Sometimes images of the future are blurry and other times they are vivid. This one is vivid. Even as a human I could foresee important events in my life. It appears that as a vampire my visions are even more precise.”

  Upon his return from yet another disastrous encounter with Vallachia, Teller instructed the twins to head back to Targoviste. “Make sure Abdullah is faring well.”

  “It is not Abdullah Pasha who I am worried about, Master.” Cosmin wore a deep frown.

  “I will be fine. Allow me some time to myself.”

  The faithful brothers reluctantly headed for Targoviste without their leader.

  Teller needed Sergiu. Landing by the two mounded graves outside the Poienari castle, he knelt by Sergiu’s final resting place. “I have lost her, Serg. I waited too long. If only I had listened to you. Then none of this would have happened; you would still be here and she would not be marrying another.”

  Eventually, Teller fell asleep using Sergiu’s grave as a backrest. That was how Abdullah found him. He kicked Teller’s leg to wake him. Teller moaned and rolled over to try to force himself back to sleep; yet he knew it would not work. Unfortunately, he was awake.

  “I take it that it did not go well in Denmark?” Abdullah spoke to Teller’s back.

  “One might say that,” Teller mumbled. Teller knew Abdullah would not leave him alone so he begrudgingly sat up.

  Abdullah plopped his mass down beside Teller. They gazed at the mountain valley below.

  “I have lost everything, Abdullah.”

  “Oh, come now, you still have us. For many years your men were all you needed. We will continue to be all you need.”

  “Wonderful, I am stuck with you lot.” Teller gave Abdullah a nudge with his shoulder.

  “I am afraid so, Master. Your men need you. You are our Maker. And Wallachia needs you as well. You have freed your country from the boyars and now the Ottomans. They need your guidance more than ever.”

  “I can’t.” Teller lowered his head and shook it. “You know I cannot rule a country without Sergiu.”

  “Yes you can and you must — we must. You are not alone.”

  That was how Teller had felt — alone. Yet, Abdullah was right, he did have faithful companions and people who counted on him. “Come. There is work to be done.” He stood. “And my name is Teller.”

  “Teller?”

  “That was my given name and I wish to leave Vlad behind.”

  “You want me to call you ... Teller?”

  Teller nodded.

  Abdullah frowned. “Very well.”

  Giving up Vlad was a task he did not know how to accomplish. But he must try to find himself. He longed to start a new life. Taking his true name back seemed like the place to start.

  The members of Teller’s court in Targoviste were relieved to see their fearless prince return. They worried that the fragile hold they had on Wallachia would easily slip away without Vlad.

  “It is time for me to abdicate the throne,” Teller announced. “My son is to be crowned the ruler of Wallachia.”

  “But, Master, he is only five years old,” the new chamberlain said. He appeared all too happy to step up as chamberlain. Which he might not have been so eager to do, had he known how his predecessor had died.

  “I will not leave him to rule on his own — not yet. He is to be well educated and trained in the art of combat, while we run the country until he is ready to take an active role in the matters of state. I shall rule from behind the throne. I will be here to guide and protect my country. But Vlad IV will be the crowned prince.” Teller planned to remove himself from the public’s eye. It would not be long before his agelessness became a topic of much discussion. Originally, he had planned to wait a couple of decades or so and then come back as Vlad V but now everything had changed. He would not be coming back. He would see to it that Little Vlad would rule Wallachia until his death.

  Teller could see that his chamberlain was concerned, so he continued, “Many a ruler has crowned their predecessors while they were young. Mehmed the Conqueror was made the ruler of the Ottoman Empire when he was twelve. It is rumored that he was given decision-making powers, as well. My son will not have such power until I deem that he is ready.” He had explained himself enough. Teller’s mind was made up and it was time to move on to other matters. “Did the concubines find their way safely to Moldova?”

  “Yes, Master. Safe and sound,” the chamberlain said.

  “Good. Were you able to find him — the man I asked you to retrieve from his exile in Moldova?”

  “Yes, Master. He is here.”

  “He is alone — he has no family?”

  “He never married.”

  “Excellent. Have him brought to me, then fetch Jusztina and my son.” It was time for the boy to meet his true father. Of course, the chamberlain would not do this himself he would send servants to fetch them. This was how nobility worked, send someone to send someone else and eventually the job would get done — usually.

  When Jusztina and her son entered the Great Hall, Vlad took the excited boy in his arms. “I have a surprise for you,” Teller announced to Jusztina. “It is time you married.”

  She put her head down in sorrow. “You will have me marry you then, My Lord?”

  “No. Not to me, to him.” Teller
gestured to a large tapestry and the man he had instructed to wait there stepped out from behind it. “If it pleases you,” Teller added.

  Jusztina’s mouth fell open. “You are here and you are alive!” She looked to Teller as if for permission.

  “Go,” Teller said.

  Jusztina ran to her love and threw her arms around his neck. “I never thought I would see you again.”

  The man wrapped his arms around her waist. “I knew we would be together someday, somehow.”

  Teller could hear their private whispers as clear as day.

  “Who is that man?” little Vlad asked.

  “You are a very lucky boy. Do you know why?”

  “Because I am a prince,” he sang in his sweet childish voice.

  Teller laughed. “Yes and because you have two fathers. Not every boy is so lucky.” The boy was glorious in his innocence. Teller wished that he could remain this way forever. He did not want the beautiful child to experience the many horrors of the world.

  The boy frowned. “That man is my father?”

  “Aye.”

  He buried his tiny head in Teller’s large shoulder and hugged him tightly. “No. You are my baba.”

  “Yes. That is true as well. I love you and guide you and I provide for you; that makes me your father. You will now have us both by your side. We will be here to make sure you are ready to rule Wallachia on your own someday.” Teller raised the boy’s head with his thumb and finger on his chin, so he could see his son’s eyes. “Perhaps you will have baby brothers and sisters.”

  The boy’s face lit up. “I have always wanted a baby sister.”

  “You see? Things will be even better now.”

  Jusztina was all smiles and her eyes were full of tears threatening to spill down her face. She clung to her man as if he might disappear forever if she let go.

  “He is so big. What a beautiful boy,” little Vlad’s father said.

  Teller set the boy down. “Come meet your other father.”

  The boy shook his head no and hid behind Teller’s leg holding on tight.

  “We will give him some time. He will come around as he gets to know you,” Teller said.

  Little Vlad held his arms up for Teller to hold him. Teller threw him high in the air and his father gasped in terror. Little Vlad laughed with delight as he landed safely in Teller’s arms — as always.

  “You two are free to marry, if you wish. Within the month I will crown Vlad Dracula IV as Voivode. At which point I will rule from behind the throne. We,” Teller gestured to the three adults, “as well as my court, will see to it that the kingdom runs smoothly until little Vlad is ready to take over.” To the small boy Teller added, “This is an enormous responsibility and you have much to learn if you are to become a great ruler.”

  “Yes, baba. I will be a great ruler, like you.”

  “No, you will be better than me.” Teller wanted him to be like Sergiu — merciful and kind, firm only when it was needed.

  Jusztina threw her arms around her son and Teller. “Thank you,” she whispered as tears of joy fell on Teller’s shoulder.

  Chapter 68 Copenhagen 1462 A.D

  Lord Chastellain’s castle was abuzz. The excitement was palpable — nothing but high spirits to be found. No one spoke about politics or impending war. All of that was forgotten as everyone turned their attention to the upcoming royal wedding. Allies and friends from afar arrived and the castle was once again crowded.

  Every corner of the castle was cleaned; chandeliers were washed, thousands of pieces of the Court’s finest cutlery was scrubbed and the silver was polished. Not a single cobweb could be found. The Great Hall was transformed with modern — and very expensive — décor.

  Elijah dragged Val out of his bed to show her the Great Hall. When he uncovered her eyes she could hardly recognize where she was — even though she had been there a million times. Bright new paintings and tapestries stood out the most, as they were in stark contrast to the old dingy ones they had replaced. Intricate statues — some marble, some bronze — stood in corners or acted as sentinels on either side of doorways. New, even larger thrones sat at the far end of the Great Hall.

  “It is beautiful,” Val said, “but I don’t need any of this.”

  “I know, yet we must humor father,” Elijah said. “This is his display of wealth. It is for him more than for us.”

  She put her arms around him. A bright light danced in his light blue eyes. She had never seen him so carefree. He spun her around and they danced to imaginary music.

  The night before the wedding their friends pulled Elijah and Val apart.

  “There will be plenty of time for that later,” Samuel said.

  The men carried Elijah out of the room — literally. They held him over their heads as they disappeared from sight.

  Val could not help but laugh. “What is going on?”

  “The men thought they should be with Elijah on the last night before he is married. Therefore, we are here to entertain you in his absence,” Elizabeth explained.

  This makes sense, Val thought. I should be with my girlfriends on the night before my wedding.

  “It is good to see you happy!” Sonia said. “In fact, I have never seen you like this.”

  It was good to be in such high spirits. Val had not felt like this since becoming a vampire. The last time she had felt this alive was when she and Teller had made plans to marry. This thought, however, caused her to frown.

  “Well,” Mari said, “what shall we do on your last night of being unattached?”

  “I am spoken for,” Val corrected. “Though at times I did not think I would ever marry. I cannot believe this is actually happening.”

  “Aye, we can’t believe it either,” Elizabeth said.

  “It is going to be odd — you being yoked and all. I do not like it,” Mary said. “I don’t understand why anyone would want to commit herself to a man. I mean, to give up all the precious freedom we have as vampires. Now you will only be able to do what your husband bids you.” Mary’s face twisted, as if the thought tasted bad.

  “You know Elijah is not like that.”

  “That is what they all say. The point is that you had better enjoy tonight,” Mary said.

  “I know, let’s take to the sky,” Val said. It seemed that they only flew when traveling on Court business. It would be nice to stretch her wings and float in the clouds simply for fun, with no specific destination in mind.

  “Great! You lead the way,” Sonia said.

  In a flash, Val stood on the balcony rail. She looked back at her girlfriends briefly then did a backflip, spinning completely around. She let herself fall a couple stories before spreading her wings — taking flight only moments before hitting the ground. It was not long before the vampires landed on a snowy mountaintop in Norway overlooking the jagged coastline of the endless fjords. Glacier water formed pale green pools far below. Beyond the mountains nothing but ocean could be seen. Moonlight reflected on the water like diamonds.

  “This place is wonderful.” Mari was breathless.

  “You truly should get out of the castle more often,” Val teased. Val had traveled through Norway on several occasions but Mari still preferred to stay behind most of the time.

  Mari grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it in Val’s face. As Val brushed the snow away a snowball hit the back of her neck. She turned to find Mary and Elizabeth pointing at each other in blame.

  “What is this — pick on the bride?” Val said. “Well, if that is how it is ... ” She kicked snow onto Mari and quickly threw two snowballs at Mary and Elizabeth. Soon all five ladies were covered in snow and laughing.

  Mary stood with the toes of her boots over the ledge of the cliff. To her right a small stream spilled over the edge. She pointed to a handful of lights in the distance. “Let’s have a drink.” Mary gave them a mischievous smile before she stepped off the ledge.

  “This could be trouble,” Val said.

  Sonia frow
ned and nodded her agreement.

  Yet they followed. They let themselves free-fall for a time. The five friends raced the water as it made its way to the fjord many lengths below. The sound of sails catching the wind could be heard as their wings unfolded. They glided toward the lights of the isolated fishing village.

  Inside the small tavern were a half-dozen men sitting about. Most of them had grey hair and lined faces. Their mouths hung open as they stared at the group of strange young women who entered. Mary, Elizabeth and Val were dressed in breeches, of course. Mari and Sonia were dressed as if they were royalty. Either way, women in this village did not wear such clothes.

  “What are young ladies such as yourselves doing in these parts?” the innkeeper asked.

  “We are celebrating the fact that this lady is getting married tomorrow.” Mary slapped Val’s shoulder — hard.

  It actually stung.

  The innkeeper studied Vallachia. “Well, the groom is a lucky man.”

  “No,” Val corrected. “I’m the lucky one.” Val gave the man a broad smile and a wink.

  It appeared that the poor fellow's knees might give way.

  “Let’s liven this place up, shall we.” Mari turned to the men whose mouths remained agape. “Do any of you fine gentlemen play an instrument?”

  One man reached for a small lute and began to strum a melody. The singing began slowly but soon most of the men were singing and tapping their feet to the beat.

  “Lovely,” Mari said.

  Mary ordered ale for herself and a couple flagons of wine for the others. They danced traditional circle dances and tried to learn some of the local songs. Val grabbed one of the old men and literally pulled him up to join the dance. He seemed delighted.

  When the men were too tired to stand and the ladies had drunk most of the wine supply, Mari said, “We had better be getting back. We still have to get Val ready for her big day.”