It was dark, and trees surrounded Angelina. The moon was her only light, but seeing her surroundings was still difficult. Her feet and legs were sore, feeling as if she had run for an eternity.

"Angelina!"

The voice sounded so close yet far away. She was about to walk when the voice was heard again: "Angelina!" The echo grew louder and closer, but after listening, it sounded familiar.

Angelina looked around to see who was calling her. "H-Hello!? Anyone there!?" There was no response, and as she was about to call out again, she felt a painful sensation in her stomach. "Wh-What the hell is going on!?"

Seeing any part of her body in the dark was difficult, but she felt something when she touched her stomach. Angelina also felt something heavy; her eyes widened in horror. "N-No way, am I..."

"ANGELINA!"

"Gaahh!" Angelina woke up breathing heavily. Her eyes fully opened, and she saw Sorina standing beside her. "S-Sorina!? Y-You scared me!" Angelina slowly sat up in her bed and noticed the empty servants' room. "I guess I overslept."

"Yes, you have. I wanted to give you more time to sleep since you went through much after the festivities." Sorina sat beside Angelina. "You were having a nightmare. It must have been terrible." She motioned for some servants' clothes to be brought to Angelina.

Angelina wiped some sweat from the back of her neck. "Yeah, it felt so real."

Sorina listened intently and then remembered when Vlad had ordered Angelina to go to his room. "What happened when you went to the Voivode's room? Did he-?"

"No! No! No! No! No! Nothing happened between us! I was able to convince him to..." Angelina realized she was saying too much; Sorina looked amused.

"You are his mistress. Many servants questioned why the Voivode gives you his attention. Why do you refuse to give yourself to him?"

Sorina's tone suggested disappointment, which was difficult to ignore. "Well, I have something called dignity and self-respect. I would only do so if I have feelings for someone."

"If I may ask, have you given yourself to any man?"

"S-Sorina, this isn't appropriate. I-"

"I am no longer a child. I feel I cannot ask anyone else but you. I can ask and speak of anything freely without fearing punishment."

Angelina remembered how much she and her grandparents argued about her dating guys as a teenager. She believed that Sorina saw her as a guide toward womanhood. "Alright, I've been with a man once, and it wasn't good, to be honest. There was no love between us, only curiosity. That is why, only give yourself to someone you love and who loves you back."

"Even if you are not married? Is that not a crime against God?"

"Men and women lay with one another even without marriage. Men like Vlad can sleep with as many women as they please, even if they are married. It's nothing but hypocrisy. People use the notion of God because it goes with their beliefs."

Sorina raised her eyebrows, amused, and couldn't help but smile. "You called the Voivode by his name. It would seem you hold feelings for him."

Angelina blushed while shaking her head. "It's nothing like that! He ordered me to call him by his name in private!"

"In private, really?" Sorina smirked in amusement while Angelina got her clothes, stood, and was about to change, but Sorina cleared her throat. "You can express yourself freely; I envy you.

The two heard a scream outside and rushed out of the room. Seeing a woman scream. "Lady Ioana! She is awake! She is awake!"

Ioana was finally awake, and Angelina couldn't contain her excitement. 

 The two ran to Ioana's room, and as they drew closer, another woman stood outside. "Lady Ioana, you must return to your room! You are healing!" 

"I-I must go see..."

Angelina ran toward the room's entrance. She couldn't believe Ioana was out of bed. "Ioana!" Ioana had difficulty standing. Angelina immediately went into the room, held Ioana, and motioned her back to bed. Ioana quietly protested; she wanted to speak with Vlad. Angelina looked at Sorina and the other woman and asked them to inform Vlad. They went to follow through with the order. 

Sorina and the other woman nodded and went on their way; the guards walked out, closing the door behind them. Ioana's eyes were half-opened, as her breathing was slightly ragged. "How long...?"

"A couple days, but we ensured that you were protected and provided for; Vlad was worried."

Ioana coughed. "He was? For me?"

"He has a soft side that he won't allow others to see." She wanted to tell Ioana that Vlad knew the truth about his parentage, but believed that it wasn't her place to tell her. It was Vlad's responsibility. "He ensured that guards stood outside to keep you safe."

Ioana's eyes softened. "Vlad...my son. There is still goodness in him." She smiled at Angelina. "You are making him express the goodness he locked away. Thank you." 

"Ioana, do you remember what happened to you?"

"My mind is vague, but from what I can remember, it was Daciana."

"I knew it!" Angelina then gently squeezed Ioana's hand. "Well, you will be happy to know that Alexandrei was branded a traitor. Vlad suspected his and Minah's affair. Alexandrei has been imprisoned and will await his fate."

The older woman remained quiet, gazing up at the ceiling. She was relieved that Alexandrei was seen for who he was, and she hoped that Daciana would face her consequences. "Angelina, while I was unconscious, I had constant dreams. Perhaps visions."

Angelina raised an eyebrow, feeling intrigued. "Really? Maybe you can tell me another time. You need res-"

"It was about you."

The response was unexpected. Ioana had dreamed about her. "You were in a dark forest alone. The night skies made it difficult to see you, but I knew. I felt it." Ioana's dream sounded similar to hers, making Angelina anxious. "I called out to you, but you wouldn't answer me. As I was about to call you again, I saw a light in the darkness. The light felt different, dangerous. It was as if whatever the light was, it was going in your direction. I wanted to run to you but couldn't move; the ground held my feet to it. I called out to you, and I heard a cry. It ended when I finally awakened."

Angelina was astounded by the dream because it bore a resemblance to hers. Was it possible to call it a dream? Was it possible for them to be a premonition? It was easy to forget the whole thing, but under eerily similar circumstances, Angelina would have difficulty forgetting it.