Everyone became silent, and Angelina was no exception. "Did he say his name was Vlad? There's two?" The man was as tall as the other Vlad, almost looking identical. The only difference was that the guest had a more prolonged mustache and beard, and his eyes were light brown. His face had a few wrinkles, making him look older.

"Isn't that the Voivode's older brother?"

"Truly? I thought Mircea and Radu were the only ones."

"I heard that his father sent him away before the Voivode and Radu were sent away as hostages since he was very disobedient."

Angelina heard some of the side conversations and became intrigued. "That is Vlad's brother!? I can't believe that they have the same name." She groaned in annoyance. "Great, will I have to deal with two Vlads, now?"

The men eyed one another as they walked toward each other. They stopped and inspected each other. "So, you are Voivode now."

"I am. I hear that many people call you Vlad the Monk due to your great deeds." The Voivode looked at him from head to toe. "You should have become a monk."

"If I have then I would be able to enjoy the feeling of the flesh...brother."

The brothers slowly smiled, chuckled, and hugged one another. Angelina and the guests were surprised by the scene. "So he is Vlad's brother. I didn't know he had another one."

The brothers separated from the hug and looked at the guests. "Honored guests, I have the pleasure of inviting my brother, Vlad the Monk."

The guests, except King Matthias, bowed. Vlad then instructed the musicians to continue playing music as the brothers walked toward the festivities. The Voivode noticed Angelina's surprise, and he motioned Vlad the Monk toward her. Angelina fixed herself as she bowed to him.

"Who is this young lady?"

"This is Angelina, who will perform for all of us. Angelina, this is my oldest brother, Vlad the Monk."

"Good evening, my Lord. I didn't know that Vla-I mean, the Voivode had another brother. It's adorable that you two have the same names!" Angelina giggled, but when neither of them said anything, she stopped. "Sorry, sometimes I get carried away."

"It is no trouble, you surprised me, that was all. I can tell you have a gentle spirit."

It was noticeable how Vlad the Monk spoke calmly and respectfully. He was the exact opposite of his younger brother, making her wonder how close they were. "Maybe Vlad looks up to his brother." She cleared her throat. "You noticed that about me?"

"My brother has a gift for noticing things about people. It was a gift that he always had. Angelina, I will announce that you will sing for us and afterward you will tell us a story." Vlad's eyes changed; Angelina knew what was to come after her story. "Now, let us go, brother."

The Vlads went away to the main table, while Angelina stayed in the center. She looked at Sorina, who nodded her good luck. Vlad the Monk took his seat while his brother clapped his hands; the music fell silent. "Honored guests, I have the pleasure of inviting talented singer and storyteller Angelina. Also, there is a surprise that I wish to show all of you."

It was silent, and all focus was on Angelina. In the days leading up to the party, planning a song was difficult because Angelina wanted to sing something special. However, it was challenging to think of a song. The idea eventually came to her. The song "Phantom of the Opera" was an obvious choice. It was one of her favorite songs and books. Angelina knew the lyrics by memory and decided to go along with it. She took a deep breath and began to sing.

Her voice echoed through the room as she sang; Angelina imagined herself and Vlad singing side by side. It confused her why she would imagine him. Was her heart and mind playing tricks on her? Angelina eyed Vlad as she sang; his eyes never wavered.

Once it was complete, everyone fell silent. She feared that no one liked her, but to her surprise, Vlad the Monk was the first one to clap. Slowly, everyone followed suit, clapping and cheering. Relief set in, and Angelina slowly bowed to the audience.

The cheers slowly died down, and Angelina knew it was time to take action on the next part of the plan.

"Thank you all, and I want to thank the Voivode for his invitation and this opportunity. As my last act for all of you, I wish to tell a story. This story is about my song, which holds more meaning than one might believe. A man who calls himself the Phantom of the Opera falls for a singer for her beauty and singing talent. He hides in the walls of an Opera House where talented singers live and work. Not only that, but the Phantom also wears a mask to hide his face."

Some of the guests murmured among themselves but kept listening.

"Why does the Phantom wear a mask if he hides in the walls? Is it to make himself look fearsome? Or is it because he doesn't want people, especially the woman he loves, to see who he truly is, a man? He finally showed himself to her but never took off the mask; the Phantom promised her the world by using her talent. Yet, it was not enough, for his love had love for another man."

"Oh how horrid."

"The Phantom promised her the world, who wouldn't want that?"

Whispers echoed. Vlad snapped his fingers, and everyone was silent again. He, his brother, and Matthias were engrossed in the story.

"I, too, thought about it, but the more I thought about this story, the more I wondered if the young lady knew who the Phantom indeed was. An incident happened when he no longer had the mask which exposed his true face; he had a corpse-like face. Out of desperation, he got his rival and threatened that if she does not choose the Phantom, her love would die."

Everyone looked eager to know what would happen next.

"The young lady accepted and did the unthinkable; she kissed him. The Phantom was shocked and moved by her gesture since he was born with a deformity that not even his mother would kiss him. The Phantom became emotional and decided to let the love of his life go be with the man she loved."

Angelina nodded at Vlad, making him slightly flinch since he was intrigued by the story. The Voivode motioned two guards as he whispered to them; the guards walked out of the room.

"The Phantom made her promise that when he dies, she would bury and visit him. When he died months later, the young lady kept her promise. Now, why did I sing and tell you all this story? It is simple..."

The doors were opened, and screams echoed, surprising everyone in attendance. Alexandrei and Minah were forced inside the festivities.

Angelina turned toward the screaming. "It is because behind the mask, one can always hide who one truly is."

Everyone was surprised by their forced entry and watched as the two were ushered into the center of the festivities, while Angelina moved to the side.  

Vlad stood from his seat and glared at his wife and Alexandrei.

"V-Voivode! What is the meaning of this? I have not betrayed you!" Alexandrei was in disarray, having been without food or water. Whenever he asked to speak with Vlad, he would be given a beating. He then noticed Minah; she looked unrecognizable. Her hair was in total disarray, and parts were tangled; there were bags under her eyes, looking as if she hadn't slept in days. Parts of the dress were torn and wrinkly; her beauty wasn't the same anymore. 

Vlad then slowly walked toward his wife and Alexandrei, stopping when he stood before them. "My honored guests, you are all curious about my wife and trusted adviser. I must say with great sadness that they are traitors! They have been having an affair!"

Gasps echoed within the halls; the guests had many questions. Some couldn't believe that the two would do such a thing. Alexandrei and Minah violently flinched. Minah tried to stand, but she was pushed down forcefully. "H-Husband! What nonsense are you speaking of!? I swore to God when we married that I would be a faithful wife! I-!"

"Silence!"

Minah's head was forced down to the floor. Vlad the Monk couldn't help feeling disturbed by how Minah was treated. He wasn't particularly close to his sister-in-law, but he disagreed with the way she treated her. Wives were not allowed to have affairs like their husbands since they gave birth to the next generation of Lords. He stood. "Brother, please let your wife have some dignity! This is more of a private matter and-"

"Why should this be a private matter, brother? Everyone will eventually be curious why my wife is not seen by my side. You all deserve to know the truth that these two traitors have been having an affair. Due to their affair, their child was born!"

"Please, Voivode! It is all a lie! A lie! We would never betray you in such a disgusting manner! Whatever you have heard are lies to destroy us!"

Vlad nodded at one of the guards, who then kicked Alexandrei's head, making him silent. "You still have the audacity to lie before me and my guests. Very well, it is time to bring in witnesses." 

The doors opened again, and Bioan entered the room. He wasn't alone. An elderly woman walked behind him, holding the sleeping infant in his arms. When Alexandrei saw Bioan, his heart skipped a beat. Bioan stood at the center, keeping his distance. 

"Introduce yourself."

"I am Bioan, Voivode. I was a soldier in your army until I was appointed a servant in your household. Before becoming your servant, I was imprisoned by Lord Alexandrei, suspected of being in league with the Ottomans, but I was found innocent. However, I knew the main reason I was imprisoned."

"Explain."

"One night, I entered your household. I am ashamed to say I wanted a bottle of wine, which I retrieved. Once, I tried to get out, but I got lost, and I found myself close to Lady Minah's quarters. That was when I found Lady Minah and Lord Alexandrei in the same room. I was caught and imprisoned. Lord Alexandrei hoped I would be given the death penalty. Thanks to you, my Voivode, I was found innocent; you gave me mercy."

"Is it true that you threw Bioan into the dungeon?" Alexandrei didn't respond, making the Voivode smirk. "He does not answer, a sign of guilt. Bring in the next witness."

Angelina nodded at Sorina, who then walked forward and stood beside Bioan. She glanced at the infant quickly and noticed some of his deformities. She felt pity for the child. "Voivode, I am your witness."

"Please explain your position and what you have witnessed."

"I am Sorina, Voivode. I am a lady-in-waiting for Lady Minah." Minah slowly glared at Sorina. Her glare was one of pure hatred and rage, as if she were trying to intimidate the young lady into keeping her mouth shut. Sorina noticed and remembered all the times her mistress mistreated and threatened her whenever she did wrong. For the first time, Sorina had the power. "My duty was to ensure that Lady Minah was taken care of. There were times when the other ladies-in-waiting and I noticed how much Lord Alexandrei visited Lady Minah. It was more than between a Lady and a servant. There have been instances where we were ordered to leave them alone in her room. We found it odd since she could not be alone with just any man. I once caught them alone together in Lady Minah's room at night. I, along with other servants, believed they were having an affair."

"YOU LIE! YOU FILTHY SERVANT! WHY WOULD YOU ALL BELIEVE IN A MERE SERVANT!? SHE IS WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!" Minah banged her head on the ground roughly until bits of blood dripped. She wasn't stopped; everyone kept watching her.

"Has she gone mad with guilt?"

"Lady Minah looks insane."

"Perhaps they are having an affair."

Vlad motioned for the elderly woman to walk closer with the infant. "God has also sent this child as proof of their guilt! Show them!"

The elderly woman nodded as she undid the blanket. Bioan was shocked when he saw the infant and the deformities. Gasps of horror and shock were felt throughout the festivities. King Matthias and Vlad the Monk looked horrified at the sight. 

Children born with a disability or deformation were believed to be made of sin and were a punishment from God. 

"That child is a monstrosity!"

"They truly had an affair!"

"This is an outrage!"

Minah screamed with insanity as she denied having given birth to the child. Alexandrei wanted to defend himself, but when everyone saw the child, they assumed he was guilty. Children with such a state were seen as proof of one's sins. He could deny everything, but no one would believe him. 

"There you have it, my honored guests. My wife and Alexandrei have not only betrayed me, but out Christian values. Put them back to the dungeon where I will decide their fates."

Aleaxndrei and Minah were forcibly taken as they pleaded for Vlad, but their pleas fell on empty ears. Angelina watched silently as they were taken away. She felt relieved that the threats to her life were going to be punished, but now, she had another difficult path ahead of her: Vlad.

His attention will solely be on her.