Angelina was invited to one of the taverns, where she surprisingly earned the people's respect. She was served a drink of mead and a plate of meat, cheese, honey, bread, and other vegetables.

Angelina wasn't hungry but didn't want to be rude and reject their hospitality. Many men tried speaking with her. It wasn't easy to converse when one's mind was elsewhere. Angelina noticed the guards standing outside the tavern. They hadn't left, meaning Vlad was still in the area.

It was slowly getting dark, and there was still no sign of Vlad. 

Excusing herself, she retrieved her backpack and approached the guards, who stood stoically. "Where is the Voivode? Did he leave?"

"No, he ordered us to be back in the city; he sits by the lake."

"Where is the lake?"

One of them pointed her in the direction. Thanking them, Angelina picked up a lit torch hanging outside the tavern and went on her way. The streets seemed endless, but she kept on the path that eventually led her to the city's outskirts, where the lake was seen from afar.

Angelina tightly gripped the torch as she continued her journey, only to notice what seemed like a light and a person sitting before it; Vlad was there. 

She slowly continued onward, drawing closer to Vlad. Her steps made the grass scuffle, ensuring Vlad would hear her approach. 

When Angelina and the others stood a few feet apart, she stopped. The crackles of the fire echoed in the night. Neither said anything, but Angelina's mind scrambled to find the right words. 

Should she beg for his forgiveness? 

Give him what he truly wanted?

The back of her neck and the palm of her hands sweated profusely; Angelina took a deep breath and spoke, "Vlad. I-I-I-I'm so sorry. I didn't know what came over me to do what I did. I shouldn't have forced you to apologize to them! You w-w-weren't ready, and I should have respected that!" Angelina stuttered, making her want to slap her face. "I-!"

"Do you remember what the child said?"

Angelina gurgled in her speech; his response was unexpected. "Huh? The child?" The memory of the little girl returned to her. The child's words seemed to affect Vlad. "I do. What about it?"

"Why would she say that? Even after all I have done."

Slowly approaching him, Angelina sat beside him,  "I don't know, Vlad. What that girl saw was your humanity."

Humanity. 

He wondered if they laughed at him because he had been made a fool of or because he had exposed a side of himself they believed didn't exist.

"Vlad." He wouldn't look at her. "You can be angry and hateful towards me; I will take it. I realize that people who maintain their pride often feel powerless in their past." Seeing Vlad slightly flinch, she knew she had hit a nerve. "Vlad, the key to overcoming pride is to be honest with yourself and others. You can start by telling me about your...past." 

Vlad continued to gaze at the fire, reminiscing about his childhood. "When my father broke the trust of Sultan Murad II, my father abandoned me and my younger brother, Radu, as hostages."

He was opening up to her. Angelina felt relieved. "It must have felt awful. I can't imagine being given to someone and be away from everything and everyone I know." 

"Even as a mere boy, I understood the gravity of the situation. I despised my father for being a coward."

"Were you actually surprised by his actions?"

Vlad let out a humorless chuckle. "I had some hope that my father could change his ways." He sounded sincere. He still wanted to earn his father's love. It was a tragic thing to hear. "But after what my father did, I finally accepted the reality that he was never capable of love. My hope back then was Radu; he was still such an innocent young child. I wanted to protect his innocence and for him to never forget the way of our culture." 

"You gave yourself the responsibility to not only protect your brother, but seems that everything didn't go everything as you had hoped. How did Sultan Murad II treat you?" She noticed Vlad's shoulders tense; she knew that his trauma was reacting. The young woman slowly motioned her left hand onto his shoulder, gently patting him. "If you want to tell or not is your decision and yours alone."

Her touch made Vlad less tense. It was the first time that he told anyone more about what happened during his captivity. He held shame from what he experienced, but the trauma always made him angry. It was something Vlad hated feeling; he wanted to feel normal. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "It was turbulent. There were times when I was treated kindly, other times, not so well. Radu and I were educated in different subjects and languages, but I have never forgotten my beliefs and culture. The Sultan and courtiers saw that as problematic; I was beaten and shackled until I submitted. I refused since it wasn't my choice to be held hostage. I was also forced to see the torture and execution of prisoners and supposed sinners. "

His tone was slightly hesitant; Vlad was hiding something else. "Vlad, what else happened to you?"

"..."

"I can tell something else happened that you are trying to suppress." Angelina felt her heart beating rapidly. She knew what had happened to Vlad, but he needed to tell the truth to feel free, finally. "Whatever we speak about will stay between us. No matter what you tell me, I will not judge you. This is your chance to let it all out. Please."

Vlad's entire body shook as the memories resurfaced. Angelina wanted him to speak more about his experience as a hostage, but whenever he tried, his mind tried to repress everything, making him angry. "I-I-I-"

"Say it, Vlad. Give yourself the strength to say it. You can trust me."

The memories spiraled in his mind, making Vlad feel insane—the beatings, the lashes, the laughs of the Ottomans and their children. "I-I-I beat one of the teachers! He mocked my family, my culture! I could not take it any longer take it! I fought back!" Vlad closed his eyes as he gripped parts of his hair. "That day, when Murad returned from one of his campaigns, he was told what I did. He beat and whipped me until I bled."

"Oh, Vlad..."

"He took me to his chambers where he-! GRRRRR!!!" Vlad screamed while he lowered his head and face. His eyes were closed as the memories of that day came to him. That day, when Murad forced Vlad into his chambers, he took off his clothing with the help of some of the Janissary guards. "HE FORCED HIMSELF ON ME! HE DID IT TO ME! MY HONOR, MY SELF-RESPECT, MY DIGNITY! THE SULTAN TOOK IT ALL AWAY!" Vlad let out a sob. He gathered all his courage and strength to tell someone the truth of his trauma. The emotions and memories were overwhelming to the point that the Voivode couldn't contain them. Tears formed and dripped from his eyes as he remembered the pain and the shame he endured.

Angelina's lips quivered when she saw Vlad in his state. He finally admitted what had happened to him. 

Everything made sense about why he became Vlad the Impaler. 

It was a mask to disguise his secrets and vulnerability. 

Angelina hugged Vlad with all her might. 

He finally revealed what he had been all along: vulnerable. "You should never have gone through what you did, but you shouldn't let it define your character! You can do better than your father and all those who have wronged you! You have courage and strength that not many, not even I, have." She then motioned him to look at her. "You can make a difference, Vlad. I want to help you achieve that difference, that new beginning."

Vlad thought he would push her away and command her to stay away from seeing his vulnerable state. He was tired of hiding his pain. 

He finally felt free. Vlad always wanted to be assured that everything would be okay, that there was someone who cared for him, and that he would show him a hint of kindness and love. He deepened himself in Angelina's embrace.