Everything was going wrong. 

The last hint of hope of maintaining peace came to an end. Seeing Vlad the Monk's tired eyes, Angelina knew his hope had also vanished. There was nothing else that could be done. Angelina felt so tired that she would drop to the floor. Vlad the Monk noticed and immediately went to her. "I am sorry. Sorry that you have been through so much. Seeing Minah's death and now hearing this. A woman with a child shouldn't have to go through so many troubles. However, you would have eventually found out when my brother..."

Angelina noticed that Vlad the Monk's voice was slightly hesitant. He was hiding something. "What did he do?" When there was no response, she turned to look at him, pleadingly. "Tell me, god damn it!"

Vlad the Monk sighed. "I returned as fast as I could from training the army because he wishes to send you out sooner than anticipated. Especially what he has planned. My brother is going to attack Bulgaria."

"What? Attack Bulgaria? I don't understand. Why attack Bulgaria?"

"It is because Bulgaria is part of the Ottoman territory. If my brother attacks any part of the Sultan's territory, then he will be sending the Sultan a message. If he goes through with the attack, then the Sultan will have no other choice but to intervene. No matter what we do, nothing will stop the beginning of war. I am sorry, Angelina, I did everything I could." Vlad the Monk gently patted her right shoulder. "You did everything you could for my brother. You have changed him so much. You brought back love to his heart. You-"

Angelina walked away from Vlad and paced. Her hands were sweaty with the news. So many emotions ran through her; her anxiety was slowly getting the best of her. "N-No. This...This is not happening. War can't happen." Tears formed and dripped from her eyes. "You have to try again! I-I can send the letter to the Sultan and-"

"Angelina, you cannot stop this. Not even I could stop this. It will be more painful the more you refuse to accept the cruel reality of what is to transpire. Also, it will not be safe for you to be here. The Sultan and the Ottomans may arrive here and kill anyone who refuse to kneel before them."

Touching her stomach, a slight kick was felt. The life that she and Vlad had made was becoming known. "I-I don't want my baby not to know who Vlad is. How can your brother be so inherently selfish to not live with his family." Angelina cried.

Vlad the Monk couldn't help but feel terrible for the young woman. It warmed and tore his heart that Angelina loved his brother. It frustrated him that his brother chose hatred over peace. "I'm sorry. You must rest and-"

"So you went behind back," said a masculine voice.

The two flinched when they realized someone heard them. They looked in the direction the voice came from, and Vlad stood, his armor and sword ready. Sweat was evident from training with his men. 

The brothers looked at one another; neither wavered. Vlad the Monk looked at Angelina and said, "Go and rest. My brother and I need to speak alone."

"But, I-"

"Go, Angelina!" Vlad ordered.

Angelina flinched. It had been a while since he raised his voice at her. She looked at Vlad the Monk, who reassuringly looked at her. Not wanting to create more tension, she slowly returned to her room, hoping for the best. 

The brothers were left alone, neither moving nor making a sound. Vlad slowly walked toward his brother, his eyes never leaving him. The Voivode stopped; his eyes were emotionless, but Vlad the Monk felt his brother's anger. "You heard everything."

"Every last word. To think that you, my older brother, betrayed me."

"Betrayed you? That is how you see it." Vlad the Monk asked. "You have never changed, brother. You always find ways to misinterpret everything that goes against your ideas. I did the only thing to try to make peace that you never wanted."

"Bah! Do you think I don't want peace? Our family, country, and people have never known peace, brother! Even if there were peace among our countries, it would be short-lived. Boyars would try to kill me, Angelina, and our child! Mehmed would not be so trusting, especially with his advisers by his side! I would not live long, brother!"

Vlad the Monk remained silent, knowing that his brother spoke the truth. Neither of them could remember a day when they had known peace. Their father, Vlad II, was abusive, cruel, and paranoid. Their father, grandfather, and all their fathers before them always had to be cautious or were killed. Vlad understood the fate and risk that came with becoming Voivode. "I only did this as a last resort for peace and for you to be happy with Angelina. I know that she doesn't care if you are Voivode or not. She is in love with the man, not the title. Brother, I know you love her, I know you want a family and peace. Give me the chance to grant you that. Let me be Voivode."

Vlad struggled to speak; his brother. He didn't expect his brother to propose such a thing to him. "Are you-?"

"It's not that I wish for power, brother. I haven't been there for you and our brothers since I was sent away. I could have done more to return and save you and Radu from the Ottomans. I have much to blame for your anger and suffering." Vlad the Monk put his hands on his brother's shoulders, gently squeezing them as if pleadingly. "I will take responsibility for everything, I will pay for your debts, gain the Sultan and Radu's trust."

"Alexandrei is still alive. He will view you as a threat since Radu is easier to manipulate. There will be no peace with Alexandrei still being alive."

"You worry for not, brother. I am certain that the Sultan is no fool; he will not trust a man who betrayed his own. Now, what do you say? Let me take away all of your burdens. I want you to live happy and peacefully with your family."

Silence reigned, and Vlad stood thoughtfully. He remembered declaring to himself and his God that he would live and die as Voivode. That was what Vlad thought he wanted until Angelina came into his life. The Voivode saw her as one of the many women he bedded, but when she defended and kept rejecting him, she made him question himself. Angelina made him question his true purpose.

He didn't want to tell her, but there was some resentment that she was making him want to break the promise he had made to God, that she had made him a changed man. Still, his army was behind him, ready to follow his orders. Vlad was about to speak, but then a scream echoed, making the brothers violently flinch.

"That sounded like-"

Vlad didn't let his brother finish; he knew who it was, "ANGELINA!?" The Voivode ran toward her room, which was not far away. He immediately opened the door and went inside, seeing Angelina clenching onto her stomach and parts of the bedsheets. "What is-!?"

"Vlad! The baby! The baby is coming!"