We left Bran a few days later.

Vlad, faithful to his promise about trying to make the best of this journey, and turn it into an occasion to show me at least a part of his realm, decided that we would travel at human pace. Which meant that getting to Hunedoara would take us more than a week.

Leaving Junior and Radu in charge of everything, and asking Katerina to keep a watchful eye on them, Vlad also left most of the Guards and Knights at their disposal. Only Lucas, five men of the Guards and ten Knights were to accompany us. And, unseen to everyone but me, the wolf pack trailing behind us in the distance, blending into the shadows filling the spaces among the thickly grown trees, completed our entourage.

The forest encompassing Bran seemed endless; it took us three days and two nights, spent under tents, to reach the first sign of civilization-- a wide, dusty road, and then a small village with a name too complicated to remember, soon after.

Vlad tried to make me remember places we had visited together centuries ago as our journey continued-- a small thermal lake in the middle of a forest, an age-old stone tower taller than the tallest trees, an abandoned windmill-- but I did not recall anything until we reached Sighişoara. Vlad insisted on stopping there before we would continue to Hunedoara, even though it meant that we would have to take a much longer route.

I was moved nearly to tears as a flood of memories hit me the moment I saw the ancient walled town, the spires of its many churches rising above the stone houses attempting to pierce the low, waterlogged clouds hinting at the oncoming storm, its cobbled streets loud and alive with people on their way to a church or a market, smiling and bowing to us as we rode up the steep, crooked lanes.

This was Vlad's town, the place where he was born, and we had been here many times before.

Pressing my heels into Frost's sides, I urged him to lead our group along the streets filled with hectic activity, mingling voices, the scent of freshly baked bread from bakeries, ale and wine from the guest houses, full despite the early hour, towards the house I remembered so well.

I jumped off the saddle the moment Frost, apparently recognizing the place too, stopped in the middle of a small, quiet square spreading in front of the tall building attached to one of the many Sighişoara's protective towers. I focused, trying to link with Shadow, and make the wolves stay hidden in the forest on the outskirts of the town, knowing that the citizens would not welcome a wolf pack within the town's walls. When I heard hoof beats announcing Vlad and the rest of our group reaching the square I turned towards the sound and beamed at him.

"So you remembered." He said, smiling, as he wrapped me in an embrace.

"I did. Thank you for bringing me here." I said.

Remembering events, or just places like this old town house where I spent a few weeks of my life centuries ago still felt like a miracle.

"And I have a surprise for you. Look."

"Sorina... Mihail?" I asked, unbelieving, as I turned around and looked at the couple emerging from the door of our house.

I hadn't seen the two since before their wedding, which I could not attend, thanks to Radu. I knew that they left the castle shortly after and lived happily somewhere, but no one told me where exactly.

"Yes. They keep this house for us." Vlad said, even as the two approached to greet us.

I pulled Sorina into an embrace, surprising her, but I couldn't help it. She was the only human girl whose transition I witnessed closely and even though we had not had enough time to become the closest of friends, I had missed her.

"Lady Samara, we were thrilled to hear that you returned. Please do come inside." The young woman said, letting me wrap my arm around hers and leading me into the house.

While Vlad remained in one of the rooms downstairs to discuss something with Mihail, and our Knights and Guards were shown into their quarters by the servants, I followed Sorina up the stairs into my and Vlad's chambers.

The rooms weren't as large as those in Bran but they were pristine clean and pleasantly cool. Two tiny windows offered the view beyond the town walls-- a meadow and a forest. I smiled, it was very similar to what I could see from my chamber in Bran, and I greatly preferred this sort of view to the traffic-filled streets of London. This place would be perfect if I could bring Aurora in and stay...

I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of these thoughts.

"Is there anything I can do for you, my lady? Sorina asked me from the door.

I looked around, finding a small basin filled with water on a table standing under one of the windows, my only wish being to wash at least my hands and face after the journey. There was only one thing left to ask then.

"Would you please make sure that both mine and Lord Vlad's things will be brought into this room? We will share it." I said, knowing I was going against the customs of this place and time but I did not care. I wanted Vlad next to me.

"I thought you might ask that." Sorina smiled at me, most likely remembering her time in Bran. "It will be arranged."

"Thank you." I said, dipping my hands into the water even as someone knocked on the door behind Sorina's back.

My luggage was brought in by a young boy and Sorina sent him back for Vlad's immediately.

"What have you been up to?" I asked her while I dried my face, then walked to the bed and sat down, wishing I could shed my dusty clothes, take a bath, send for Vlad and go to sleep. It's been days since we slept on a bed...

Sorina, after asking my permission silently, took one of the three dresses I carried with me out of the bag and shook it out.

"The lunch will be served in two hours, and the Mayor will be present, may I help you to get ready?" She asked.

I let myself fall back on the bed. Bye bye sleep. This world did not look so perfect any longer. I'd prefer spending the day in the book shop, in the company of Mr. Turner, rather than meeting a very important person I did not know. They will talk about the Council, and politics, and the politics of the Council...

"Are you unwell, Lady Samara?" Sorina asked, alarmed.

"No. Just tired. Help me get changed then, please, but tell me about you and Mihail."

Before I was dressed in a clean gown, my hair done up for the occasion, feeling reinforced after a glass of wine, I found out that Sorina and Mihail, who could not have their own children, took over the town's orphanage from the nuns.

"We can only do this thanks to your husband, my lady," Sorina said, making my heart swell with pride. "We would never have enough money to dress, feed and educate all of the children. I'll be grateful to both of you forever, all I ever wanted was a numerous family and now I have it, despite what had happened to me..." her voice morphed into a whisper as her eyes filled with tears.

As she looked at me thankfully, I quickly wiped away my own tears, knowing well how she felt. If there was anything that I disliked about being a vampire, it was the fact that I could never have more children...

"Let us go downstairs and join the men." I proposed after a moment, trying to distract both of us.

She nodded and we walked out of the small room and into the dim corridor, where we found Lucas in his usual spot by my door.

Judging by the muffled voices reaching us as we walked down the staircase, the Mayor arrived while I was getting changed, giving Vlad no time to rest after the long journey.

Sorina excused herself the moment we descended the stairs, saying she needed to help the cook with lunch and then check on the five children living in the house with her and Mihail, whom she left with a governess when we arrived.

The moment we were alone I looked up at Lucas, hoping that he would illuminate me before I would join the men absorbed in a heated conversation beyond the door of one of the rooms on the ground floor. I could not understand every single word they pronounced but I caught Justyna's and Rares' names more than once.

"You know that Lady Justyna lives in this town now, right?" Lucas asked when I refused to let him announce my presence to those separated from us by the closed door without knowing what was going on in there.

"Yes." I admitted, only remembering it now.

"Well, as far as I know, Lord Vlad wanted to talk to her but she must have found out that we were coming here and left the town. She moved to Hunedoara, thus making her and Rareş'... liaison official."

Vlad wanted to meet her? And he told me nothing... Pushing the thought away quickly before it could spread in my mind, grow into an unreasonable, unbased seed of jealousy, I asked, "Fine. But what does it have to do with anything?" How does it matter if she lives here or in Rareş' castle, what does it have to do with me and Vlad?

"Everything, Samara. Don't you see how this move will divide the country, the people? Jusztyna has her followers too, and if she joins Rareş now, so will they..." Lucas explained patiently.

"Of course I know that." I said, feeling silly. I was so focused on Vlad as the love of my life, my husband, the father of my child, that I kept failing to see him within the greater picture, like his people did-- as a ruler. A prince whose authority was now being threatened by his ex-wife and her new man.

I felt Lucas' concerned look as I closed my eyes briefly and took a deep breath before I told him, "Okay. Let us go in."

He nodded, then knocked on the door and announced me to those inside.

Vlad was at my side the moment I entered, leading me towards a long table where five people stood up, bowing politely. As he introduced them to me I noticed that the Mayor and his people were all human. It was a pleasant change after all the meetings with the Vampire Council.

Whatever subject they had been discussing before I joined them, they dropped it, slipping into a conversation about the town, its inhabitants, the school, the convent and the orphanage. The moment the lunch was served we were joined by Sorina, Mihail and Lucas, making the atmosphere feel even more relaxed, and the guests left shortly after we had finished eating.

"I was hoping I could talk to Jusztyna," Vlad said as we strolled through the town's winding streets later that afternoon, enjoying the warm sunshine and the fresh breeze reaching us from the surrounding forests.

I had been tempted to ask him about her myself but decided against it, banishing the thought of Jusztyna completely, so now, by pronouncing her name he caught me off guard.

"Oh?" I muttered, squeezing his hand holding mine unconsciously.

That earned me a bemused smile and a long kiss within dark shadows of an archway leading to the meadows spreading beyond the thick town walls.

"I wanted to tell her about the coronation personally. She is Vlad's mother, I don't see why she should not agree, and make Rareş stand out of our way. It would be so much easier..." he trailed off, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and pulling me into him as we stopped just beyond the wall, admiring the magnificent, untouched countryside laying at our feet.

"I see what you mean. But we will do it anyway, with their consent or not. This place and its inhabitants are so... precious. They deserve Young Vlad as their ruler, not Rareş and his vampires. Everything will play out well, you mustn't worry." I said, feeling optimistic for once.

I did not realize that I used the same words Vlad told me so many times before that they came naturally to me, as if they were my own, until he laughed softly before he turned me around and kissed me again.