Angelina slowly stood up from the floor; her legs wobbled from the shock. Looking at Minah, Angelina knew that she was not in the right state of mind since her newborn had deformities. Children with disabilities were seen as outcasts and monsters. People in the past didn't understand how genetic workers work, but Angelina didn't want an innocent child to die. "L-Lady Minah?". Angelina slowly walked toward her. When she gently touched Minah's shoulder, the noblewoman glared at her. Then, Minah slapped Angelina across the face so hard that it made her trip and fall to the floor. "Wh-Wha...?"

"Y-You cursed wench! Why would you dare beg for the life of that monstrosity!? That thing wasn't supposed to live!"

"Wh-Why are you saying these things!? That thing you're talking about is your son! Your child! He is innocent!"

 "Innocent! Bah! That thing is the devil itself!" Minah breathed heavily as she grabbed chunks of her hair and pulled parts so hard that some strands were ripped off her scalp. Angelina gasped in horror at the sight. "Why has god condemned me!? Have I suffered enough!? Must I suffer more!? All I wanted was to please my husband and give him the heir he wanted! Is it for my sins!?"

Angelina crawled away from Minah until she hit the wall; Minah was slowly having a mental breakdown. "Someone! Please help! Lady Minah is unwell!" She hoped that the ladies-in-waiting or midwives would enter the room; anyone. Minah widened her eyes as she focused on the frightened young woman. "Y-You're in shock! Please believe me that it will pass!"

"You foreign wench! Since arriving in this castle, you have caused a stir within me! My hatred for you made me give birth to that monster!" Minah slowly got off the bed with blood stains on her dress. "You think you know everything! You think you are special!" Suddenly, Minah ran to Angelina, jumped on her, grabbed her neck with both hands, and squeezed her. 

The women struggled on the floor; Angelina couldn't believe how insanely strong Minah was. She struggled to breathe and tried moving side to side to make Minah lose a bit of her grip; it was pointless. Hope faded away as everything became dark.

"LADY MINAH! PLEASE STOP THIS!?" Sorina entered as she heard Angelina scream for help. She immediately went to Minah and tried to get her away from her friend. When the noblewoman didn't budge, Sorina screamed for the guards, who entered. They immediately ran to their mistress and pulled her off Angelina. Minah screamed at her guards to let her go, but they didn't listen. Sorina went to her friend and shook her. "Angelina, please take deep breaths!" Angelina felt Sorina's voice sounded like a faraway echo. Parts of her oxygen were stuck in her chest, but when Sorina squeezed her chest, she coughed, regaining her breathing. "Oh, thank be to god! We must take you away from here!" The adolescent assisted her friend to stand and exit the room; Minah's screams echoed behind them.

After leaving Minah's chamber, they decided to go outside for some air. Once outside, Angelina put her back on the castle wall as she touched her neck. "Th-Thank you, Sorina. You saved my life."

Sorina sighed in relief. "How could I not help you? Lady Minah has gone mad!"

"She had a mental breakdown, Sorina. I can't fault her entirely. I imagine Lady Minah was given too much pressure to marry Vlad and give him a healthy child." 

"I only caught a glimpse of the newborn when Ioana took him away; poor boy. He will have a miserable life. It would have been best to end his misery."

Angelina glared at her friend; Sorina noticed and cleared her throat. "Forgive me, but you must understand, my friend, a child with such deformities is looked down upon. He will forever be seen as a demon from hell. If the people found out that Vlad sired such a son, he will be mocked and his enemies would use the child to ruin his reputation."

No matter how much Angelina hated to admit it, she was stuck in the 15th century, when people didn't understand that people with disabilities were capable of living normally with the proper support. However, there was no current support, and people with special needs in her time were still looked down upon and misunderstood. Sorina reminded her of the realities of what the newborn could bring, but she refused to fall into societal pressures. Angelina was determined to keep the child safe and show Vlad that his son could live an everyday life.

Meanwhile, Vlad entered his throne room, fuming. When his wife became pregnant, he felt his stress dissipate, as he would have an heir for Wallachia. When the child was born, he was enraged that the boy was born deformed. His hopes for an heir were dashed. Alexandrei gave the Voivode space; he was stunned when he saw the newborn. "Cursed woman! I knew marrying her was a terrible choice. I should have listened to the other council instead of your advice!" Vlad yelled as he glared at Alexandrei.

"V-Voivode, Lady Minah is more than capable of giving you another heir. Please be patient for I believe this is a test of god."

"Test of god? Bah! I have endured the destruction of my family and my home! I have endured being hostage by those scoundrels!" Vlad speed-walked toward Alexandrei, who tried walking back, but his back touched the wall. "You dare to say that this is god's test!?"

"F-Forgive me, Voivode. I was only trying to make sense of the possibilities!"

Vlad breathed heavily as he tried to calm himself down, walking toward his throne chair. "Call the council, for we must continue with the meetings. Alexandrei bowed and followed his order. Vlad sat silently, contemplating his next move and knowing that Angelina would visit him tonight.