Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula Page #4

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just as each of her survivors

should be willing

to toil for her sake.

And so, we will persevere

to the very end."'

You need me

to look after Vlad now?

No. I sent for you because

I want your forgiveness.

You are so pure and so good.

But you must understand

that everything I've done in my life

I know I was meant to do.

Without you, I am so lost.

I never stopped loving you.

He's not dead.

My Prince.

Rise now.

Wake up!

We need you.

Take a message

to the princess.

Bruno.

Have I not told you

I was indestructible?

Your men

actually believed that you had

returned from the dead.

Some of

the weaker minded, yes.

You were dreaming.

Lidia,

listen to me now.

We must go away

tonight.

The Turkish army

will be here.

I have come back

for you and Vlad.

We must leave the castle

before daybreak.

You're dead.

What?

You've risen

from the dead.

No, they thought.

- They thought I was.

- Your soul...

unable to enter heaven.

Or hell.

Do you hear them?

Hear what?

The voices.

The voices?

They're calling to us.

I love you.

Lidia!

Lidia!

Lidia, wait!

Lidia!

No!

No.

Please.

Lidia.

Come walk with me.

I will always

walk with you.

No!

Lidia.

No!

My Prince,

what are you doing?

She killed herself,

Bruno.

That means her soul

is in danger,

therefore a mirror...

can steal it.

Is that not what they say?

I did not know

you were a believer.

She was.

She was.

The Turks are rolling out

the cannon.

We must go.

People say

I'm a saviour.

I couldn't even save

my own wife.

I'm going to trust you

with my son's life.

It is my honor,

my Prince.

Come now.

She has gone.

Could the river

have taken her?

It's not strong enough.

I need you to be strong for me.

Can you do that, Vlad?

Yes, Father.

I'm going to get help.

But I will come back.

I will come back.

- You understand?

- Yes, Father.

Yes?

I begged to see you.

I know where

the Impaler is going.

And I know how to stop him

once he gets there.

Who are you?

My name is Aron.

I once owned property

in this country.

A man of privilege.

Is that why you wish

to hurt Vlad Dracula?

That,

and he destroyed

my daughter.

Arrange to have

this intercepted.

So, once again,

Romania is under the Sultan's thumb.

Your Majesty,

I beg of you,

- give me your support.

- My support?

You come here asking

for my support?

These are in your hand,

I believe?

No.

I never signed these documents.

What are they?

Promises

to your brother, Radu

to wage war

against my kingdom.

- These are forgeries.

- Was this also foretold at your birth?

That you would stab your one

and only ally in the back?

I never wrote

these letters.

Blood is thicker

than water, Vlad Dracula.

- No.

- Remove him!

I never signed these letters.

I never saw these papers.

These are forgeries.

And how many years passed

in the dungeons

of King Janos of Hungary?

I'm afraid

I lost count.

The light,

it bothers your eyes?

Too much time

in the dark.

I'm sorry

to have to tell you

that it's a sickness

of the blood.

Your father

suffered from it.

And I'm sad to say

it worsens with age.

So,

are you ready to become

Prince of Romania again?

What?

When you were arrested,

you said those papers

were forgeries.

Well, I have

recently discovered

that your allegations

were correct.

A mutual acquaintance

of the guilty party.

Your father-in-law.

However,

there is...

one...

small condition

for my support.

You must marry

my daughter.

She's a Roman Catholic,

as am I.

If you convert,

the Pope has pledged

to send money

to help you regain

your princedom,

in the name of

the Holy Roman Church.

Of course,

the Orthodox priests

will curse you for it.

You have a moment

to make up your mind

and consider the situation

as it presents itself.

Stefan:

And how did the situation

finally present itself,

Prince Vlad?

I accepted

the Pope's money,

- but never his religion.

- You swear that to be the truth?

Yes.

I need an answer.

Whose banner

I fight under

is of no concern to me.

I will take that

as a "yes."

My Prince.

- Bruno.

- At last. You have returned.

How could you raise

so many men so quickly?

You are their hope.

You've always been there.

This is nothing.

Many more are coming.

How's my son?

You will be

very proud of him.

Tell me.

Tell me everything.

Radu has been Prince

ever since

your arrest in Hungary.

The first thing

that he did

was give the nobles

back their estates

and privileges.

He made Aron

his chief advisor.

It was as though everything

for which we had fought

disappeared in a moment.

How strong

is the Turk force?

After Radu took control,

the main army returned

to Constantinople.

The garrison remains.

Good.

We attack tonight.

Or did you have

other plans?

And so you've

come back to Romania

with the Pope's

blessing and support?

The people do not care

about these things.

They all rallied

to my side at once.

The Messiah returned.

I am no Messiah.

What news

of your brother?

For all I know,

he's fled to the Sultan.

Why would your brother

give up so easily?

Perhaps he fears me,

as all of you seem to.

- We all have reason to fear you.

- Why?

Because of the sheer magnitude

of your atrocities.

Skinning people alive,

forcing mothers to devour

their own children.

According to your own census,

you killed over 100,000 people.

Forgeries and lies.

Do you deny that

you murdered your own people?

Those who broke

the law were punished.

They were Romanian.

They were Orthodox.

You are now a Papist.

We all live

under the same God.

All but the godless.

I will leave theology

to the theologians.

I have far

more pressing business.

I have yet

to see my son.

I await your decision.

Father.

My son.

I'm sorry.

Do you regret it,

Father?

Do I regret what?

Mother always said

you should have left

vengeance to God.

That was never

for me to judge.

Time will tell.

Vlad.

This is now yours.

Sit, Father.

- The priests have deliberated?

- Yes.

Their decision?

The Orthodox Church

has denounced you.

Thank you, Father.

Thank you for all that

you've done on my behalf.

Do you understand the consequences

of excommunication?

My immortal

soul unredeemed,

doomed to remain

"incorrupt and entire."

Neither

in heaven, nor in hell.

Your only salvation

is to renounce

Catholicism.

What good

would that really do...

if I should abandon

the Roman Church and repent?

Then the Pope and Hungary

will withdraw their support.

And I will be

driven out of my own land.

It's almost ironic,

isn't it?

Two days ago,

I win the great battle,

and just now, with the utterance

of one single word-

excommunication-

I lose the war.

What if I were to lead you

to your brother?

Why, Father?

Because if he joined you,

instead of serving the Sultan,

together you would

no longer need Hungary,

nor Rome.

I have tried.

After you humiliated him?

After you defeated him,

how could he capitulate?

But time has a remarkable way

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