Sorina took a deep breath as she told Vlad the good news: Angelina was alive. The adolescent was worried about her friend's survival. Seeing the arrow plunged in Angelina's chest made her mind spiral. Before meeting Angelina, Sorina had always lived and thought about her survival, staying away from the prying eyes of men and Lady Minah. When Angelina arrived, heard her story, and observed her courage and outlook on life, Sorina gained a different perspective on life and could express herself more effectively. 

When she told Vlad the news, she thought he would be ecstatic, but he wasn't. Vlad looked pale, and his mind was elsewhere. "Perhaps he is still processing the news," Sorina thought. V-Voivode?"

"She will live?" Vlad asked in a monotone.

"Y-Yes, V-Voivode! She will live!"

Vlad walked forward without speaking to her; Sorina followed. Vlad felt relieved that Angelina was alive. He wanted to make the assassin pay for his crime, but after getting to know him, the assassin was revealed to be but a mere boy. A boy whose father fought alongside Vlad's army got nothing in return; Vlad killed a fellow soldier who fought for him to keep his throne. Vlad felt his emotions were out of control; he was the cause of Angelina possibly dying before him.

He didn't know whether to execute the adolescent, but for now, he had to see Angelina. The two arrived outside the door where Ioana, the physician, and his assistant stood. They bowed to the Voivode. "How is she?"

"She is doing well, Voivode. Praise be to god that the arrow was not poisoned. She is also awake."

"Very well, you may both leave. Both of you will be paid handsomely."

The physician and his assistant bowed and left with their materials. Vlad looked at Ioana, who looked relieved. "Voivode, what of the assassin?"

Vlad was silent; he didn't have much energy to explain everything. The Voivode wanted to see Angelina. "I will speak of this later; you two go along with your duties." Vlad entered the room before the women could speak and closed the door behind him. 

Ioana and Sorina looked at one another. "It is strange, is it not, Lady Ioana? I imagined the Voivode would show more emotion but he looks exhausted." 

The older woman did notice the change in Vlad. Something must have happened when meeting with the assassin, but Ioana believed there was another reason for Vlad's sudden temperament change. A small smile slowly made way to her lips. "Vlad...you are changing. Angelina, you are changing him..."

"Lady Ioana? Are you well?" Sorina asked, concerned. 

"Yes, I am well. Now we must go on. We shall visit Angelina later."

Meanwhile, Vlad was at the door as he saw Angelina lying on the bed; her chest was bandaged. He realized that the physician and his apprentice may have seen her breasts, which made his anger slowly rise.

He was deeply thoughtful and didn't realize that Angelina slowly looked at him with half-opened eyes. "Vlad?" She saw him flinch. "If you're thinking what I am thinking, then don't. He didn't see anything. I made sure of that." 

Vlad huffed and shook his head. Slowly, he walked toward her, then got a chair and sat beside her. Vlad carefully looked at her. Her skin was slightly pale, her lips were chapped, and her hair was in disarray. Seeing her in such a state pained his heart. He never felt that way for anyone, not even Ioana. "Why?" he hoarsely whispered.

Angelina looked confused. "Why what?"

The Voivode scoffed, feeling frustrated about everything. "Why did you push me away!? The assassin was after me, not you! There was no need for you to act so foolish!" Vlad scrunched his hair. He felt terrified that Angelina could have died because of him. 

"Because...it's what you do when you have someone precious to protect."

Vlad slowly widened his eyes. "Precious?" He couldn't believe what he was told. Angelina protected him because he was precious? To her? "Bah!" He stood while pacing back and forth. "You jest! You pity me, a monster! I impale my enemies! I hate the Ottomans! My people fear me! Yet, you protected me because I am precious!? You always have to jest!"

Angelina felt the urge to yell, but her injury prevented her from doing so. "If you believe I jest, then why haven't you turned me away?" She noticed him flinching at the question; he couldn't think of an answer. She continued, "It's because you want someone to believe you are. You want someone to make you believe that you are just a man, not a monster, as you try to persuade yourself to believe."

"Grrr! You frustrate me so! You made me speak of things that no one else knows! You made me stand before the people! You-"

"You did that yourself, Vlad! It was your strength!" Angelina felt pain in her chest, and she put her hand over her bandaged wound. "I'm tired, Vlad." Her lips trembled, and her eyes slowly watered. "I'm tired of seeing you denying yourself the change you want. Look at all the changes you have done for yourself. Look what you have done for me." A tear slowly trailed down her right eye. "Would a monster take the time to save me?"

Vlad's mouth was slightly open. Her question echoed in his mind. All his life, he had thought of himself as a monster. He always held this belief in high regard, which was why his enemies and the ordinary people feared and respected him. However, did they respect him? Was being a monster worth the respect? He was used to being abused and seen as weak, which Vlad despised. His anger and suffering made Vlad almost forget about his humanity; Angelina slowly reminded him of it. She tried to make him bring his humanity back to the light. 

Vlad was also tired.

Tired of being a monster.

He slowly walked and sat back in the chair. "It was a boy, who wanted to kill me," Vlad explained everything that he was told. Angelina listened. She was shocked that a teen would have the gall to try to assassinate the Impaler. 

Angelina wasn't too surprised, as Vlad had killed and used many of his people for revenge and to fight for his throne. "So, what will you do now? Will you kill him?"

"I-I don't know." Vlad massaged his eyes and forehead. He couldn't believe that he was unable to decide whether to kill someone who tried to kill him and almost succeeded in killing Angelina. "I will let you decide."

"No, please don't kill him. You may not realize it, but you and that boy are more similar than you think." Vlad looked as if he was going to question her logic, but she gently put a finger on his lip. "There's no point in trying to argue against. Please, spare him. Let him see you still have the humanity you have repressed for so long."

Angelina then gently touched his face. Her hand was slightly cold but soft and reassuring. She gently smiled at him, making his heart skip a few beats. Vlad slowly put his hand over hers and looked at her gentle eyes. "Very well. The boy will be spared."