Angelina trembled seeing Ioana lying on the floor as blood dripped from her head. "IOANA!"  She ran toward Sorina and an unconscious Ioana and fell onto the floor. "What happened to her!?"

Sorina trembled as she tried to regain her composure. "I-I don't know! I heard some noises, and when I decided to go see what was going on." The adolescent eyed Ioana with horror. "I found her like this! I didn't see anything else! I swear it!"

More people left their rooms to see what had happened; they were horrified by the sight. Vlad eventually left his room, enraged that his chance with Angelina had been disrupted. "What is with the ruckus!?" Everyone bowed as they stepped aside. The enraged Vlad noticed Angelina and Sorina kneeling on the ground, and a small pool of blood. His eyes and lips slowly widened at the sight. "I-Ioana?" His heart beat rapidly; the back of his neck got sweaty. Vlad immediately knelt and held her.

 Everyone watched, shocked by his actions.

Angelina watched quietly as Vlad gently shook Ioana, urging her to wake. It was the first time she saw Vlad concerned and frightened. "I wonder..."

"What happened to her! Who did this!?"

Everyone cringed, but Angelina answered, "Sorina said that she heard a noise, and when checking to see what it was, she found Ioana to be like this!"

Vlad glared at Sorina, who bowed her head down, terrified of facing his wrath. "Did you see who did this!?"

"N-No, V-Voivode! I swear it!"

Angelina immediately went to the terrified adolescent, trying to comfort her. "Sorina, what noise did you hear?" Asking while gently putting her arms around Sorina to comfort her. "Don't worry, we just want to know what you heard," Angelina whispered.

 The reassurance slowly eased Sorina and said, "A-All I heard was a loud thud and a faint whisper."

"Whisper?"

"It sounded as if Ioana was speaking to someone, but she and whoever she spoke to sounded so faint. I didn't that it was Lady Ioana who spoke at the beginning. I woke from my slumber to ask for silence to. When I got to where I heard the whisper, I found Ioana in this state. I'm sorry that I am not much help."

Angelina gently patted her shoulders; Vlad stood, Ioana in his arms. "Everyone, go back to your rooms, and no one gets out without my permission. I will order all the guards to interview every single one of you. Anyone who is not where they should be will be assumed to be the guilty one. Now go."

 Everyone heeded Vlad's order; Sorina and Angelina looked at one another.  "Go, I need to tend Ioana."

The adolescent nodded and immediately returned to the female servants' quarters. Angelina and Vlad were eventually left alone. "I'm going to take her to a room that is close to mine, so I can keep an eye on her."

"May, I be with her? I don't want her to be alone."

Vlad merely nodded. They walked toward Vlad's room using the public way. During which time he stopped and ordered a couple of guards to address the situation and inform the others. One of them was ordered to fetch the physician to report to the specific room where Ioana would stay. 

The guards understood and carried out their orders. 

Angelina and Vlad eventually arrived at a vacant room. Ioana was gently placed on a bed, and the bed covers were drawn over her. Vlad then put two fingers on the side of her neck, where he felt her pulse. "She still lives."

"Thank goodness." Angelina immediately sat beside Ioana. "I should clean the blood off and-"

"No, the physician will be responsible for it. He will find out what wound Ioana has." Vlad walked closer to the bed and gently touched the older woman's hair. 

Angelina was stunned by his gentle gestures. A moment ago, he tried to force himself upon her, and then showed an act of kindness. "I wonder if he's bipolar..." She then held onto Ioana's hand and said, "This was no accident. I have a feeling someone hurt her on purpose."

"I know. However, I must find proof before I have the traitor killed. 

The duo was silent as they watched Ioana, but Angelina couldn't help but feel curious about something. "Why are you doing this for Ioana? I don't mean it disrespectfully, but you tend to be cruel to those around you. Yet, you display kindness for her."

Vlad eventually stopped touching Ioana's hair, putting his hands behind his back. His light blue eyes softened. "I have so much to be thankful for her. She was always there for me and my brothers to protect us from our father's cruelties."

"I see. Ioana is courageous.

"When I finally returned to my home after my captivity with Ottomans, most of my family perished; my older brother was away, while the youngest was still in captivity. Ioana was the first one to welcome me back. All the anger and hurt disappeared when she wrapped me in her arms." Vlad massaged his forehead. "There were many times I spoke and treated her terribly due to my hatred for the Ottomans, but the guilt always settled in my heart." Vlad then looked at Angelina. "She told you, did she not?"

"About your past, yeah, she did."

"Not that specifically. That she is my actual mother."

Angela felt that someone punched her in the gut. "Y-You knew!? How!?"

"There's no need to yell. Before I was taken to captivity, my stepmother, was on her deathbed and told me everything. I felt ashamed and angry to be the son of a peasant woman. My other older brother or Radu would have been the one to inherit the throne since he is more of noble birth. However, when I discovered everything that had happened to Ioana, I realized she had done everything to have me by her side. She wanted me to have a better life."

"You knew all this time. Why didn't you tell Ioana?"

"She would be put in danger. My enemies could use her against me and I also didn't want her to be harmed. I owe so much to her since she sacrificed her sanity and virtue just to be by my side."

Tears dripped from Angelina's eyes; the emotions were too much. "Nothing can compare to a mother's love, Vlad. I know that your mother loves you very much."

A pang shot through Vlad's heart when Ioana was called his mother. He was too preoccupied with his rule to notice who Ioana was to him. "Yet, I wonder if all her suffering was in vain. You me made me realize that I am no different from my father, the man who caused everyone pain."

 It was shocking that Vlad expressed himself. A man with such a reputation looked...vulnerable. "Y-You don't have to be like him, Vlad. You could do much better." 

The Voivode stood up. "The physician will arrive at any moment. Swear that you will not speak of this to anyone."

"Yes, I swear."

"The festivities will occur soon, and I have a plan, but I will need your help. I know you, and I have a common enemy."

Angelina wasn't confident enough to trust him. However, he told her many things that he probably never told anyone. "Alright, I'll help you, but I have my conditions."

"What conditions?"

"You will not force me to do something uncomfortable, and you will try to help your people. You will apologize for your actions." Vlad's eyes widened, and Angelina stood and glared at him. "You need to learn to own up to your mistakes! The nobles and the people already hate you! You have to show some compromise! Also, one last thing: I want to have time out of this castle. I want to go and explore, with your supervision, of course."

Vlad was silent; he couldn't believe a leader like himself would be asked to do everything. He grunted. "Very well, I shall agree to your terms. We have much to plan."