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Fifteenth Century

Romania

"We have to bury her, my son"

Vlad stood in the small stone chapel beside his beloved new bride Elisabeta&039;s skin was as cold as the stone bier on which she lay She wore the pale green wedding gown the servants had found for her on the day their hasty vows had been exchanged The skirt draped on either side of her, swathing the stone slab in beauty Her hair, pale as spun silver and endlessly long, spread around her head, as if pillowing her in a cloud

"My son-" This time the old priest&039;s words were acco Vlad&039;s shoulder

Vlad whirled on the round Not yet I won&039;t allow it"

A little fear joined the pity in the old h, not yet "I know this is difficult-I do But she deserves to be laid to rest"

"I said no," Vlad repeated, his tone tired, his heart dead Then he turned froain where he needed to focus: upon her, upon his bride Their tiht and then part of a second before he&039;d been called into battle It wasn&039;t right

The priest still hovered

"Get out, before I draw my blade and send you out in pieces" Vlad&039;s words were barely h asp from the cleric

"I&039;ll send in your father Perhaps he can-"

Vlad turned to send a warning glare over his shoulder Brief, but powerful enough to reduce e" The priest bowed a little as he backed through the chapel doors

Vlad sighed in relief when the doors closed once again, leaving hirief He leaned over Elisabeta&039;s body, lowered his head to her chest, and let his tears soak the gown "Why, my love? Why did you do this? Was our love not worthy of a single day&039;s grieving? I told you I would come back Why couldn&039;t you have believed in ht breeze and the gentle clearing of an aging throat told hihten, to turn and face his father-for truly, the man had become as much a father to hi was pale and unsteady He&039;d lost a daughter-in-law he&039;d been close, already, to loving-and for three days he had believed that he had lost his son, as well

He crossed the sait uneven and slow, then wrapped his frail ared hith would allow "Alive," he ods, my son, you&039;re alive after all"

Vlad closed his eyes as he returned his father&039;s elad to be, just now" As he said it, he looked back at his bride

His father did, as well, releasing his hold on Vlad to rieves me to see you in such pain,won woman-she told you what transpired?"

Vlad nodded "Rhiannon is an old friend And a dear one She said she arrived here for a visit just after I was called to defend our borders"

"So she did We put her up Fussy one, she is, and I don&039;t believe she thought highly of your chosen bride Were the two of you ?"

"As close as any two people can be," Vlad told him "But we had no claims on each other She would not have been jealous"

"She called the princess a-noas the word she used ? Ah yes, a whiner," the king said softly "To her face, no less"

Vlad nodded, not doubting it

"When word came that you&039;d been killed on the field of battle, poor Elisabeta took to the tower rooht up until-"

"I know, Father I know you did all you could"

The king lowered his head, perhaps to hide the rush of tears into his clouded blue eyes "Tell ht about that, thought about it hard Rhiannon was no ordinary wohter of Pharoah She was skilled in the occult arts, and she had told Vlad that he would find Elisabeta again-she had foreseen it-in five hundred years&039; ti What she hadn&039;t promised was that Beta would be the same woman he had loved and lost, or that she would re I can do for you," the king said softly "I can see it in your eyes Speak it, my son, and it shall be done, whatever it is"

Vlad met his father&039;s eyes and felt love for thewas not his true father "I cannot let them bury her Not yet I need you to send our finest riders upon our fastest ather the most skilled sorcerers, diviners, wizards and witches in the land I don&039;t care what it takes I round"

The king looked worriedly into his eyes "My son, you ician won&039;t be able to bring her back Buried or not, she resides aainst that probing, caring stare "I know that, Father I only need to be sure she&039;s at peace"

"But the priest-"

"His prayers are not enough I want to be sure Please, Father, you said you would do anything to easenodded firmly "Then it shall be done"

"And Father-until they come, keep everyone froht"

The old man was used to Vlad&039;s nocturnal nature by now He nodded, and Vlad knew the pro left, and Vlad drew his bloodstained sword, then stood between the bier and the chapel door When the sun rose, he barred the door, drew a tapestry froain, he was forced to lay the fabric over Elisabeta&039;s body or witness it begin to change with the ravages of death And before the third night was through, the scent of death and decay hung heavy on the air

But finally, at ain, and severalthem They entered in a rush of wind, dressed in dull white traveling robes of wool, for the h one wore a finer fabric in rich, russet tones, its edges ereen vines