Vlad walked through the halls of his castle, passing servants who bowed to their Voivode. They noticed that their Voivode fumed in anger, and they shivered in fear. One of the servants was Bioan, who had just finished his duties in the horse stables. It was a duty he hated, but he didn't complain, as he didn't want to suffer going to the dungeon. Once Vlad left, he and the other servants sighed in relief or murmured to one another.
"The Voivode has been getting worse by the day! I saw Lord Radu in the castle. I must think that this worsened the Voivode's mood," said a male servant.
Bioan couldn't help but overhear the conversation. He knew little about Vlad's personal life and what had happened in the castle since he had once been a mere soldier. Bioan didn't know that Vlad had a brother; he approached the two male servants. "Pardon, I couldn't help but overhear about the Voivode's brother. I did not know that he had one."
"Everyone knows that he has a brother. However, perhaps you are new to this household. Anyway, the Voivode has a younger brother, Radu. From what I have heard, the brothers were close, but when they were kept hostage by the Sultan, their relationship changed." The male servant looked around him to ensure no one else was listening. He motioned the other servant and Bioan closer. "There are rumors that say Radu is working along with Sultan Mehmed II to try to overthrow the Voivode."
The other male servant looked uneasy as he scanned the surroundings. "We mustn't say more or we will be the next victims of impalement. I cannot even imagine the pain of what the boyars and their wives went through."
Bioan was intrigued by the development, but then he heard another conversation. "I heard that Lady Minah has gone mad, but no one is saying why."
"I heard some yelling a while ago and another woman was almost killed by Lady Minah. It is said that this woman is a witch who seems to have the Voivode's interest."
Bion raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, could this woman be Angelina?" It would have made sense since she was the one who was invited to the festivities with the boyars and their wives. No mere servant would be invited unless they had a high rank. "I must go see Angelina. I want to see if she knows more of what is happening."
Meanwhile, Vlad went to the horse tables, surprising the stablehands. They knew that Vlad wanted his horse, so they immediately retrieved it, put on the saddle, and attached the reins. Vlad stood as he watched his favorite horse get ready for him. He felt an array of emotions that wanted to explode, but he believed horse riding might soothe his mind. Once the horse was ready, Vlad got on it and rode off.
The castle gates opened as Vlad rode away. From afar, he was greeted by beautiful green hills and mountains. Birds flew over the blue skies, and a soft, cold wind touched his being. His anger slowly subsided; some guards were on their horses. When they saw their Voivode, they bowed and followed suit to protect him.
Vlad usually cast his guards away when riding horseback, enjoying the peace and quiet. However, since his brother's visit, Vlad couldn't ignore the possibility that Radu might have people who wanted him dead. As he rode away from his castle, Vlad decided to visit Târgoviște to assess the conditions. Vlad had to see how his ruling was affecting the people. Upon arriving in the city, the people continued their daily lives. When some of the people noticed their Voivode, they bowed.
Among them was a four-year-old girl offering Vlad a sunflower she had picked from her family's garden. Vlad would never take a gift from someone he didn't know; there was a possibility that it was a way to get rid of him. When the child noticed that he didn't take the flower, the mother went to her daughter, telling her not to bother him. However, to everyone's surprise, Vlad got off his horse and knelt before the child. "Thank you, young one. I will take care of it." He gently grabbed the flower as the little girl squealed in joy. The mother bowed and thanked Vlad for his kindness.
Vlad watched the mother and child walk away, and it was then that he remembered his child. Ioana had given him to a family that would care for him, but he didn't know which family. "I must stop thinking such nonsense." Since Vlad was off his horse, he decided to take a walk to see the people. One of the guards dismounted from his horse to ensure that both his and Vlad's horses wouldn't stray.
As the Voivode walked, he noticed a middle-aged man who was gaunt and thin-looking. He had a disheveled appearance and dirty clothing, and the stench was pungent. The man sat beside the house, begging for money; some people gave him while others didn't. It was something Vlad hated to see: beggars. The more he walked within the city, the more he noticed beggars in the streets, and his anger slowly returned.
The sight of beggars fueled his anger and disgust. He believed such people were lazy and incompetent. He hated that responsible people who worked hard daily had to live with those who asked for things for free while lying around doing nothing. It was expected within the city and other cities, and Vlad believed it was time for him to take action.
That was when an idea hit him; he snapped his fingers, and one of the guards went to him. Vlad then gave him some instructions, and the guard went to inform the others, alerting the other guards within the city about the plan. Some went to inform their fellow guards, while others sought out every beggar within the city.
The beggars who were found were told that the Voivode had ordered a banquet for all beggars to enjoy, to bring hope and prosperity. The banquet would be held in the city's meeting hall building, and all the beggars were overjoyed at the thought of food and alcohol being served. Gathering all the beggars in the street took an hour and a half; there were thirty-five. Many beggars immediately went to or were led to the meeting hall building. The doors were closed, but many guards surrounded the building; many of the city's people watched in confusion or curiosity. Vlad stood on top of a church's roof and watched everything unfold.
The building doors were opened, and the beggars were motioned to go inside. One by one, the beggars, men, and women went inside excitedly. Vlad smirked as he imagined the beggars' surprised expressions when they realized nothing was inside the building. Once everyone was inside, the guards immediately closed the doors, got wood, and nailed them to the doors. When that was done, three guards lit torches and threw them onto the building. The flames slowly engulfed the building, and the city people watched in horror and shock at what was happening. Then, screams were heard within the building as they pleaded for release.
It did not happen.
The flames progressed quickly until they fully engulfed the building and everyone inside. The screams echoed throughout the city. Vlad watched, and all his anger dissipated; he got rid of people who brought nothing but a bother. Vlad then looked at the sunflower that was given to him and smiled. "Who would have thought that something so small can hold such beauty."
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