Hallo everyone, and thank you so much for all the reviews, they've really made me happy. Sorry it took this long to update. I was on a vacation and it was hard to get back to work. But now I'm back and here is chapter three.

Disclaimers: see previous chapters.

CHAPTER 3: SIX YEARS

Adrianopole, Thrace 1447

"491…492…493…494…495…"

A sixteen years old son of the dragon, Vlad Dracula, was doing push-ups in his private room. He was breathing hard and sweating heavily.

"496…497…498…499…500!"

Showing no signs of tiredness, Vlad practically jumped up to his feet and tossed a bucket of water over him. He was breathing hard as he stretched his arms. The past six years had transformed him from a little child to a fiery young man. His hair had grown to a shoulder length and his body had become a well build. His eyes had become dark.

The past six years had been nothing short to a hell for him. The Sultan had, without any efforts of concealing it, decided to make Vlad his puppet. An alley that he could use however he wanted. At first Vlad had done everything he could to defy the man who led one of the most powerful armies in the world. He refused to deny his God, although he had lost his respect to his father, who had cowardly given him and Radu to hostages. He had also given up on any love he had once had for his younger brother. Radu had sold his soul to the Turks. Unlike Vlad, who lived in a bare room with a hard bed and ate food barely good enough for dogs, Radu's life was luxurious and envious. The Sultan treated him like one of his owns and Radu had a close relationship with the Sultan's son, Mehmed who treated Radu like his own younger brother, though Vlad suspected Mehmed saw Radu more as an obedient puppy. Radu had witnessed numerous occasions when Vlad had been publicly beaten and humiliated and had shown no sings of sympathy.

After the first two years Vlad decided that it was time to change tactics. Openly defying would sooner or later just kill him and prevent him of achieving his goals. So he sucked up his pride and lowered his head. Although he still refused to deny his God, he did start to speak to the Sultan with respect and openly speak badly about his father. He told how his father, the Order of the Dragon and the Pope himself were powerless against the almighty Sultan and his invincible army. Murad II was a vein man and easily pleased. He believed he had broken the boy's spirit. It took all of Vlad's strength not to laugh to man's stupidity. When Vlad no longer showed any signs of resistance, Sultan also lost his interest of having boy as his entertainment for the nights.

Mehmed was more suspicious of Vlad but remained quiet.

The Sultan decided that Vlad would become one of his own soldiers and put the young Transylvanian to training. The following years he spent in training to become a Janissary, one of the Sultan's personal guards. He was taught to fight, hate and kill all he had once believed in. He saw people die in so many ways. For loosing their health and power. For being killed or tortured. At first Vlad was revolted by the sight of tortured men, until the realisation that none of them were Christian appeared. All of these men were traitors of their own country and religion. After that Vlad watched the Turks being tortured with satisfaction and willingness to learn.

Especially one time left its mark on him. He witnessed how a man was tortured to death by staking. A huge wooden stake was driven in from his rare end and it was pulled up. The man was left to slide down. It took three days for last signs of life to leave from him. With satisfaction Vlad imagined the Sultan or his son in the place of the man.

Vlad said what they wanted to hear and did what they wanted to see. But in his heart he always thanked God for another of living, patiently waiting his chance. It finally came. After six years of waiting it came.

He remembered how the Sultan had summoned him and Radu to tell them about the news.

"The news from the Wallachia tells me, that your father, Vlad Dracul, and your elder brother Mircea, are both dead. They were assassinated by the Wallachian nobility who were tired of his reign and wanted to get rid of him. They were supported by King Janos Hunyadi of Hungary, who was supposed to be Dracul's alley" Sultan told them.

Vlad didn't feel much of a loss. The six years had made him forget the father he believed he had and replace them with an image of an incompetent coward who sacrificed his family for his own good. Vlad had been more saddened by the news of his mother's death few years earlier. With Mircea Vlad had never even been that close.

"Who sits on the throne of Wallachia now", Vlad asked and then added "oh Sultan of Sultans".

"According to my news, the new Duke of Wallachia is Vladislav II from the House of Danesti" the Sultan said.

Danesti, Vlad cursed in his mind. There was not a doubt in him that those traitors had been behind the assassination. And now they had more power than ever before in Wallachia.

"How about it, young Dracula? Do you want to claim your father's place?" Sultan asked.

Vlad had been surprised by that. He would have thought Sultan to offer the place for Radu.

Sultan seemed to be able to read his mind. "Your brother is still too young and unprepared for that. But you, kafir, don't you want to return to home? Would you not want to claim the throne? If you go to Wallachia to claim it I can guarantee that you would have my support. Provided of course that Wallachia would bow to the Ottoman Empire" Sultan smiled.

I see, Vlad thought, I would be a King in your leash.

"Which one is worse? To look up to me or have Danestis rule over Wallachia?" Sultan asked.

I hate you, Vlad thought. He bowed his head. "You are most generous, oh Mighty Sultan" he said.

Sultan smiled. "I shall prepare an escort for you, who will take you back to Wallachia" he said.

--

The next day Vlad was ready to go. With him came one man. He was there to make sure Vlad would not escape nor betray Sultan's trust. He was a big man, with a black beard and much too loud voice. Before they left Vlad's hand was chained with the man's hand.

"This will make sure kafir will not get lost on his way. And it is no use to try to unlock it with a knife, it's made to last. Only a good locksmith will open it in Wallachia. Even I don't have a key to it" the man laughed.

The man, whose name Vlad never learned, obviously thought very highly of himself. Vlad himself never spoke ten words to the man, but he kept speaking and loudly the entire journey they rode from Thrace to the borders of Wallachia. He kept going on and on about his triumphs in battles and how Sultan rewarded him time and a time again.

"Do you know, kafir, what is the most efficient way to kill someone, without making noise?" the man asked while they rode on an empty countryside.

Vlad decided to humour the man. "How would a child like me know anything?" he said, while looking around them for other people. There were none.

"It is to cut their throat. Once the throat is open they won't be able to shout and the amount of blood they loose make them loose consciousness and die quickly" the man laughed.

Vlad smiled. "Really?"

Before the man had time to react, Vlad had pulled a knife he had hidden under his cape and slit the man's throat open. Just as the man had said, he was unable to make any sound as the blood flew from him, soaking Vlad's face. Reacting quickly, Vlad used the chain in his arm to pull the man down from his horse. He didn't want to get dragged with the man if the horse would become upset. The man fell to the ground as his horse started to run away. It didn't take long for man to die.

"Well, you were right" Vlad said to the corpse.

Vlad had no intentions of going back to Wallachia. With Danestis in power he would be dead days before any support from the Sultan would arrive. And even then he was not going to keep bowing to the Ottomans anymore. Vlad felt he was out of options. He needed to find a place that would provide him safety for the time being, until the situation to claim the throne would arise.

Vlad jumped from his horse and tried to break the chain with the man's sword. However, the man had not lied. The chain didn't have a scratch and the man had no key to the lock. So Vlad cut the man's arm and hid the chain with it inside of his cape. He then took his horse and turned to the only place he felt could provide some sort of safety for him.

To his mother's homeland, Moldavia.

To be continued…

Short chapter, they are. My style, don't ask me to change.

Historical change: Vlad Dracula did return straight to Wallachia, took the throne and was in power for a little while before fleeing to Moldavia, when he was overthrown from power. I decided to leave his little time in reign out of the story, simply because it didn't provide anything useful for me.

Till next time!