Kevin,
Your opinion of the boyars matches my own. For all that they are greedy and self-centered, do not forget that they have long experience at intrigue, guile and retaining power. When I was Prince, some of the boyars had seen a dozen Princes come and go…
The war seems to have gone well for Wallachia. You may not have known, but the Turks were also fighting a bitter war in eastern Asia Minor. I am gladdened to see the proud sons of Osman brought low. It does seem that Wallachia must now have a navy, or good relations with the Byzantines, or both.
Do not accept any regional post. Andru will be impatient to return home; go with him and seek a position in the Prince’s household.
Your humble & obedient servant,
Vlad
Letter #3
Spring, 1458
Vlad,
I have done as you suggested. Andru’s recommendation got me a post with Prince Vlad and I’ve become a general-purpose gopher – go fer this and go fer that.
I have been having odd dreams of people and places I seem to remember but cannot name. I do remember when I recognized one dream-couple as my mother and father – it was as if I had never seen them before, but then I did recognize them somehow and I could not believe I had not known them. The best I can explain it is that sometimes I see a word, and I know I know it but it does not make sense to me – it looks strange. And then I do recognize it and feel silly for having been at a loss.
Prince Vlad is eerily like you and yet very unlike. Even physically, there are noticeable differences – more striking differences between him and that famous portrait of you as an adult. He’s a little taller than you, I think. The fashion in Constantinople is for men to be clean-shaven, so he has only recently begun growing out his mustaches. Mostly there is a difference of attitude: you seem sad, the portrait looks obsessed (even crazed) and Prince Vlad just exudes confidence.
Only a few days ago, I saw all the proof I ever needed that he is indeed Vlad Dracula. He invited a large party of boyars and their families to Tirgoviste to celebrate Easter. Then he barred the door to the banquet hall, read out indictments for the murder of his father and brother, and had the accused taken out and beheaded. He didn’t torture them or harm their families, but he had every one of those men killed. For the short term this pretty much guarantees the boyars will not cross him, but they will resent and hate him.
Sometimes the years he spent in the Byzantine court become all too obvious. After the last revolt in Antalya, he decreed religious tolerance for Islam so long as certain fees were paid. This is, in fact, very much like the policy of Islam toward other religions.
Then he ordered the rebel leaders rounded up, executed, and their heads stuck up on pikes. The people there now call him ‘Shaitan’ – and ‘Impaler’ – but they don’t revolt any more.
Fall, 1461
We have received word from the usual spies and informants that King Charles VII of France is dead. As I understand it, the Hapsburgs have been trying to marry into the Valois line for some time; now, with Charles dead, they have moved to more direct action. Bohemia, Austria, Mantua, the Palatine, Saxony and Bavaria have all declared war on France. Her allies – Aragon, Scotland, Gelder and Munster – have all abandoned her. The only question seems to be how hard France will fall. Unless his son Louis (XI) is smart enough to make a fast peace, this could get ugly.
Spring, 1463
Vlad is occupied with more empire-building. We have snapped up the rickety, decadent Duchy of Athens. Like a wolf that brings down a kill, we now must defend it from the scavengers. Tuscany, Modena, England and the remnants of the Baltic Hanse (Mecklenburg, Bremen and the Teutonic Order) seem to have coveted Greece for themselves and are now swearing to take it from us. All to ‘defend the right of the legitimate claimant’, of course, who is an incompetent decadent by-blow of a Norman pirate. Ah, well.
Summer, 1464
Serbia and Bosnia are at it again. We have supported our ally but I hope we will not need to back up our words with troops. The terrain in the Balkans is almost entirely rough, rugged and roadless: dense forests broken by steep hills and mountains. Very difficult ground to campaign upon, and the people are sullen, suspicious and deadly fighters.
1465
Resistance to the long-running war and to Vlad himself is increasing. Rebellions and outright revolts are reported in Bulgaria, Hellas, Antalya, Rumelia and Macedonia. Vlad finally bribed the Italians and settled a ‘status quo’ peace with Bosnia. The Byzantines stayed in the war and promptly took Bosnia, leaving Burgundy, Savoy, Navarre and Ragusa as enemies.
All is well here. Best,
Kevin
Your opinion of the boyars matches my own. For all that they are greedy and self-centered, do not forget that they have long experience at intrigue, guile and retaining power. When I was Prince, some of the boyars had seen a dozen Princes come and go…
The war seems to have gone well for Wallachia. You may not have known, but the Turks were also fighting a bitter war in eastern Asia Minor. I am gladdened to see the proud sons of Osman brought low. It does seem that Wallachia must now have a navy, or good relations with the Byzantines, or both.
Do not accept any regional post. Andru will be impatient to return home; go with him and seek a position in the Prince’s household.
Your humble & obedient servant,
Vlad
Letter #3
Spring, 1458
Vlad,
I have done as you suggested. Andru’s recommendation got me a post with Prince Vlad and I’ve become a general-purpose gopher – go fer this and go fer that.
I have been having odd dreams of people and places I seem to remember but cannot name. I do remember when I recognized one dream-couple as my mother and father – it was as if I had never seen them before, but then I did recognize them somehow and I could not believe I had not known them. The best I can explain it is that sometimes I see a word, and I know I know it but it does not make sense to me – it looks strange. And then I do recognize it and feel silly for having been at a loss.
Prince Vlad is eerily like you and yet very unlike. Even physically, there are noticeable differences – more striking differences between him and that famous portrait of you as an adult. He’s a little taller than you, I think. The fashion in Constantinople is for men to be clean-shaven, so he has only recently begun growing out his mustaches. Mostly there is a difference of attitude: you seem sad, the portrait looks obsessed (even crazed) and Prince Vlad just exudes confidence.
Only a few days ago, I saw all the proof I ever needed that he is indeed Vlad Dracula. He invited a large party of boyars and their families to Tirgoviste to celebrate Easter. Then he barred the door to the banquet hall, read out indictments for the murder of his father and brother, and had the accused taken out and beheaded. He didn’t torture them or harm their families, but he had every one of those men killed. For the short term this pretty much guarantees the boyars will not cross him, but they will resent and hate him.
Sometimes the years he spent in the Byzantine court become all too obvious. After the last revolt in Antalya, he decreed religious tolerance for Islam so long as certain fees were paid. This is, in fact, very much like the policy of Islam toward other religions.
Then he ordered the rebel leaders rounded up, executed, and their heads stuck up on pikes. The people there now call him ‘Shaitan’ – and ‘Impaler’ – but they don’t revolt any more.
Fall, 1461
We have received word from the usual spies and informants that King Charles VII of France is dead. As I understand it, the Hapsburgs have been trying to marry into the Valois line for some time; now, with Charles dead, they have moved to more direct action. Bohemia, Austria, Mantua, the Palatine, Saxony and Bavaria have all declared war on France. Her allies – Aragon, Scotland, Gelder and Munster – have all abandoned her. The only question seems to be how hard France will fall. Unless his son Louis (XI) is smart enough to make a fast peace, this could get ugly.
Spring, 1463
Vlad is occupied with more empire-building. We have snapped up the rickety, decadent Duchy of Athens. Like a wolf that brings down a kill, we now must defend it from the scavengers. Tuscany, Modena, England and the remnants of the Baltic Hanse (Mecklenburg, Bremen and the Teutonic Order) seem to have coveted Greece for themselves and are now swearing to take it from us. All to ‘defend the right of the legitimate claimant’, of course, who is an incompetent decadent by-blow of a Norman pirate. Ah, well.
Summer, 1464
Serbia and Bosnia are at it again. We have supported our ally but I hope we will not need to back up our words with troops. The terrain in the Balkans is almost entirely rough, rugged and roadless: dense forests broken by steep hills and mountains. Very difficult ground to campaign upon, and the people are sullen, suspicious and deadly fighters.
1465
Resistance to the long-running war and to Vlad himself is increasing. Rebellions and outright revolts are reported in Bulgaria, Hellas, Antalya, Rumelia and Macedonia. Vlad finally bribed the Italians and settled a ‘status quo’ peace with Bosnia. The Byzantines stayed in the war and promptly took Bosnia, leaving Burgundy, Savoy, Navarre and Ragusa as enemies.
All is well here. Best,
Kevin