Memoirs of an Immortal Life (4 page)

Chapter Four

Vladimir Dracul’s Journal

Targsor

10 February 1448

The son of the innkeeper, Loki Morelastai, is delayed in his return. I fear the Boyars have intercepted him. I have no doubt in the faith I have placed in Vedesti; for a man so long devoted to God such as he would not betray his Viovode. The Boyars, however, I have little trust or faith in their behavior especially given the manner, in which they betrayed my father and my brother. Should Vedesti, unbeknownst to him, with misguidedly placed trust in one of those merciless dogs, I fear the young Loki dead. I pray to God this not be what I suspect.

Many men have been secured to begin clearing the forest. I have ordered construction of a
larger mill to be put in place. The small mill which supports Targsor is insufficient. I have also sent word to Hunyadi of my re-instatement as Viovode and my intention to hold the Ottomans at bay. I hope to gain with him an allegiance as Hungary and Wallachia once had. If I cannot persuade him then perhaps his son Matthias will lend his ear to my cause. I have informed him in my correspondence of my intention to reinstate trade with outside countries to three cities only through which they may import goods.

Easter soon will be upon us. I find that in the coming celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior a great dinner should be held. I will return at this time to Poenari to begin the arrangements. The celebration, I will hold at Targoviste, and will invite all the Boyars who are now in places of position and their families to celebrate my placement as their Prince and Viovode. I will charge Ahbrim with having the Nuns at the Snagov Convent and Monastery begin the work of creating the invitations for delivery. There are many Boyars. It will no doubt be a time-consuming task.

Near Dark

Praise God, Loki has arrived, letter in hand with the seal intact and unharmed. His health I fear poor but his spirits are high. He says the Archbishop sends twenty wagons filled with grain and provisions. Now the true testament of my people will be revealed for should they be lazy, unwilling to work hard, should they lie, should they harbor deceit, should they steal, or should their women be unclean and behave as whores then they shall be punished, for I will tolerate no such behaviors in my kingdom. The moral code will be enforced with a stern hand and so shall the will of God.

11 February 1448

The rebuilding of Targsor moves at a greater pace than even I anticipated. I find those in my charge more ample in their skills than I could have prayed. They are hard-working, determined, and Godly in their reserve, which pleases me greatly. Most of the Saxons have fled the village, for which I am grateful; they are leftover remnants of invaders and the heathen offspring they left behind.

Orislov and his son, Loki, have proved to be dedicated and loyal servants who wish to remain in my service. Loki is much improved in his condition. I sent for my personal physician to come from Targoviste to tend to him and his ailing health upon his return from Sighisoara. I fear he slept little and ate even less for fear of being captured by the Boyars. He is a fine example of what a Wallachian should strive to be. He exemplifies strength and courage in the face of adversity. He shall be well rewarded for his loyalty as will his father.

It will be perhaps another two weeks before the completion of the mill. Then the men will increase the pace at which they work, and Targsor will rival any small village en route to Buda-Pesth.

In the Spring, I shall begin recruiting men from the surrounding villages to restore work in the mines to bring ore and silver from the mountain. New Ducats must be commissioned. I will resume the undertaking of Mircea and fortify the treasury.

I have entrusted Mordecai Vedesti with the task of overseeing the Boyars. With
him, they are more likely to be less guarded than in my presence. It is a two-fold deception on my part, for while Mordecai occupies them, I began rebuilding Wallachia’s army. I will not rely on that which is now in existence, for they cannot be trusted. Their loyalty lies not with their Viovode, as it should, but with the Boyars. I have, after many hours of contemplation and asking God for guidance, come to an enlightened decision. I shall do what no Viovode before me has done. I will comprise an army entirely of Mercenaries. Men well paid who will place their loyalty where it rightfully belongs: in hands of the one who pays them well. The wages of a soldier are meager when in the care of the court. The wages of the Mercenary are nearly thrice. What man of sensible disposition would turn down a proposition such as this? By doing so I also afford myself and Wallachia the best soldiers in all the land. My Soldiers of God shall be undefeatable.

Ahbrim now expresses concerns that I should seek a wife. He says no Viovode should be without an heir. I have not yet secured the kingdom and he considers that I have not a yet a wife or a son. He is a curious creature. I tell him I have not the time while Wallachia is in such a state of disrepair. He responds that should a king fall in battle the line must continue and a wife should be considered, one who is pious who would provide good sons. A Viovode must have an heir. My kingdom sha
ll not fall to the sons of Radu despite my focus and resolve to see Wallachia returned to its former glory, it is known in my heart that Ahbrim speaks the truth and seeks only to protect and care for my welfare as any trusted man of God would.

I have sent one emissary to Hunyadi and Matthias with no response. Another shall be sent in an act of good faith and again state my intentions to reunite the House of Dracul and House of Corvinus. Perhaps they can arrange a marriage that would again unite our families.

Ahbrim Baserab’s Journal

Targsor

11 February 1448

Vladimir is diligent in his quest to ensure those in his keep stay to the will of God and feels it is his responsibility as their Viovode to instill within them a strong faith. I praise God for the fortitude he gave Vladimir during his imprisonment to keep close to his heart his faith, to give him the strength
and the courage he needed to face the dark days before him. His devotion has not waivered and has grown deeper since arriving at Targsor. His methods may be viewed as harsh, but are delivered with the word of God and scripture. He must learn temperance and kindness, but such manners will come in time so must I in turn exercise patience as I am quick to forget what it was he endured. My heart cries for him and prays for him as well.

Targsor is a village reborn under his guidance. Wallachia again shall return to the splendor once known under the rule of the Baserab when Mircea was Viovode.

I spoke at length with Vladimir this morn. He should consider a wife. It is perhaps the furthest most consideration from his thoughts. Vladimir believes it a preposterous undertaking with what he feels he must accomplish, but, should he fall in battle, there must be an heir. With no Viovode successor, an enemy could take the throne with great ease. I cannot, with clear devotion to Vladimir, avoid voicing my concerns to him. I, as well as Mordecai, will not allow our beloved home to fall to the hands of those Godless heathens. We have suffered greatly, fought and lost many, and given our lives freely to keep our home in the hands of the rightful heirs.  Vladimir must marry, even if I must intercede and arrange the marriage myself.

His condition is a difficult one for even I to grasp. In one moment he behaves brashly, even horridly, and in another, his overwhelming concern for the condition of others he will put before himself. He is a man of complicated depths that I,
myself, may never truly understand, no matter how deeply I try. In the time we awaited young Master Loki’s return, I scarcely believe he slept but a few hours. I could not discern if it was because he feared Loki had betrayed him or if some unforeseen ill had befallen him. When Loki returned ill and weakened, Vladimir left his side only once, orchestrated all that was to take place in Targsor from his bedside, and sent for his own personal childhood physician from Targoviste to care for the ailing Loki. It was not until Vladimir saw improvement in his condition that he returned to directly overseeing the rebuilding. Loyalty is a value he holds in very high regard.

He has requested that I remain at his side both day and night recording all that I see as a testament of his reign and as record for the Order to be secured in the Vatican at the time of his death. For reasons I have yet to understand, he believes his life will be one of short length but of glorious deeds.

13 February 1448

Word came early this morning to Vladimir of the condition of Poenari, his childhood home lying in ruins.

“My first vestige will be her reconstruction as soon as Targsor, Campulung, and Targoviste are complete. I anticipate Targsor to be finished by the spring thaw. What say you, Ahbrim?” He asked me.

I found his lack of anger about the condition of Poenari to be frightening. I was certain he would be enraged the Turks had destroyed the home of his youth yet he seemed at peace about the information given to him, which I found I could not understand.

“What do I have to say about which, Vladimir, the state in which Poenari lies or the spring thaw?”

He laughed. I found his spirits to be high.

“Targoviste shall be next. I should like for you to send word to my Uncle Bodgin in Moldavia as we await word from Hunyadi and Matthias. Their support is crucial to what we begin here. I pray they will see with the aid of God that a loyal Dracul has been returned as Viovode to Wallachia.”

“I am certain, Vladimir, that God will allow them to see the heart of the man who has returned to them.”

I attempted to reassure him. I knew as I looked at him he was greatly concerned in their lack of reply. Perhaps the second letter we had sent with the emissary requesting their aid in arranging a marriage would hasten the manner in which they replied.

Vladimir was pleased for most of the day until an act of thievery was discovered. A man unknown to the village came, poor and hungry, worn from the cold and desolate winter. He stole bread from Orislov, clothing from another villager, and then attempted to steal a horse. As what the man had done was told to Vladimir, I watched his mood darken to a level I had not witnessed before. He sent for the man then bade me to fetch his gold
chalice and come to the center of Targsor with my records. He had told me I would record all that I saw with no detail left unwritten.

I watched as Vladimir called each villager from their home till he had gathered the entire village in the center square.

“Thievery I cannot abide. Taking an offense against God I will not tolerate. Not one among you is Godless. Not one among you is a heathen. A man must work in the eyes of God to be a man. He must not steal. He must not covet what is not his. If he is downtrodden, he must then ask for what he can do to lift himself from this place, but he must never take from another that which does not belong to him. What should become of a man who steals, who boldly commits an affront to God?” Vladimir asked.

Orislov was the first one and only one to speak, stepping forward next to Vladimir.

“He should be punished as such a man should, for when a man steals he not only breaks a commandment as set by God himself and takes from a man who worked hard to secure it, he also steals from the Viovode of the country. He steals from you Prince Vladimir. For what is ours is yours. Any man who steals breaks the written word of God.”