Vlad and Serena walk into Ingeras's room as he and his mother were playing, "Papa! Auntie!" he calls out, runs up to them and jumps on to his father. "I've missed you." he said with a smile, "And I, you." Vlad, hugging his son. Mirena smiles at them. "My big soldier." Vlad smiles, setting him down, Ingeras hug Serena, who also hug him, then she was pulled to his bed. He was tuck in and Serena sat over the covers and hug her beloved nephew. "What an embrace? But no kiss?" Mirena asks of him, "Are we going to argue?" Vlad asks her. "With you always leaving, I need my fill." she whispers to him, Vlad cups her cheeks and gave her a compassionate kiss.

"I've missed you." Vlad whispers to her. Then she notices the troubled look on his face. "Something troubles you. What is it?" she asks him. He just looks at her, "Only the impossible depths of your beauty." he tells her, she just giggles at him, "Puts the rest of the world to shame." he tells her, she then turns around to her son.

"Pay no attention to your father, Ingeras. Flattery is a cheap distraction from truth." she said. "She knows all my tricks." Vlad whispers, Serena giggles. "You're a terrible liar. It's one of your most endearing qualities." she tells him. He smiles at her, "You're just in time for bed." she tells him and walks off to Ingeras and gave his a perk on the cheek. Vlad then plops down beside him, Ingeras rolls over and hugs his father. Serena gave a fake pout, "Can we go riding tomorrow, Papa?" Ingeras asks him., "Of course we can." Vlad tells him. "You most certainly cannot." Mirena tells him, "Why not?" Vlad asks her, "Because tomorrow is the day of our risen Lord and Lady." Marie informs them.

"Oh, of course." Vlad states, "That's Easter." she adds and walks out. "What was I thinking?" he whispers to Ingeras. They all giggles.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Serena walks into her room, strips out of her belt, shoes and red velvet vest. As she ready her bath, "My Lady." Dimitru walks into her room, Serena looks at him. "Hello Dimitru." she smiles, "Any idea what killed Andrei and Nicolae?" he asks her as she was brushing her hair. Her hands slows, "Wolves, maybe?" he asks. "I suppose." she answers, then removing her white puffy shirt and her tight brown pants, Dimitru turns away as she strips from her lower undergarment and slowly sat in the tub.

Dimitru looks over at her, "All I know is we lost two good men today." she states, he saw her scares on her back and arms, from when she was a child, fighting for the Turks. He then walks over to her and kneels down beside her. "There something more." he states. "Vlad and I were the same age as Ingeras when we were sent to live with the Turks. To fight for them." she starts, Dimitru strokes her cheek and she gently grips his hand for comfort.

"If I never saw another, it would be too soon." she states, he looks at her, taking his hand from her, making her look at him. "You're home now. For almost as many years as you were gone." he tells her. "All I want is peace, that's all." she tells him. He smiles at her and pulls her into his arms, giving her comfort. She smiles and welcomes the comfort.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Later the next day, the royal dining room was in feast, Mirena, Vlad, and Serena walk into the room, Marie and Vlad were holding hands as Serena was wearing a royal red and golden dress, golden earrings, sliver necklace and a small golden Tiara on her head to decorate her long curly black hair, she stood next to Vlad, watching everyone enjoy themselves.

Then Dimitru stood up, "My fellow Transylvanians, an Easter toast. Ten years of peace and prosperity since our Prince and Princess came back to us." he states, eyeing Serena, she looks away with a smile gracing her lips, then back at him. "My old friends, here's to 20 more." he raise his cup to them, Serena smiles as Vlad raises his cup to his people as they raise their to them. Then Serena, Vlad, and Mirena all sat at the royal table, the married couple talk with each other as Serena smiles at Dimitru. He winks at her as he drank from his cup, she giggles. Looking away. "You two are in love." Mirena picks on her, Serena looks at her as Vlad just smiles at his sister. "I don't know, Maybe I am in love with him." Serena states. "Maybe, Serena, you are in love with him." Vlad tells her, she looks at him with a smile.

"Will what if he does not love me back?" she asks him, "He does, more then he might care to admit." Mirena states, Serena sighs and looks back at Dimitru, who smiles at her. She giggles then her smiles falls when the doors open. Turks soldiers walk into the room, Serena shot a look at Dimitru who shared her cautiousness. The whole room went silent, but only covered in whispers as Turk leader walks up to the table, Vlad stood up as Serena's hand dance light over her utensils. "Hamza Bey. Welcome. We were not excepting you so soon." Vlad greets him in a clam tone. "Sultan Mehmed II offers his salutations to you both and your son." he states. "Thank him. I have his tribute ready." Vlad states, siting down.

A chest was place down on the ground and open, 20,000 sliver. "Hmm. I' afraid there something more than a tribute to discuss." Hamza tells them, taking a step forward. "The Turks have no enemies here." Serena tells him, "Did you think we would not notice a battalion of our scouts missing?" he asks her, "We did not kill them." she assure him. "It still lives inside you, Lord Impaler, Lady Ripper." Hamza spoke in Turkish, making Serena stiffen at the word, Ripper. "Locked in a dark cage, hidden away. Both you, Vlad and I... we know it's there." he states. He smirks, knowing he hit a nerve. "The Sultan's Tribute. Take and leave." Serena warns him, he continues to smirk as he turns and starts to walk away.

"Ah! There is one last thing. The sultan require 1,000 boys to join his Janissary Corps." he states, the room went into a uproar. Marie gasp, looking at her husband, who looks at him in shock as Serena stood up abruptly, "Janissary? He ended that practice years ago." Serena states in horror. "When a soldier his plucked as a child and raise to know on other life, they will kill without question and die without complaint." he smiles at her as she glares at him.

Then turns to the others, "Any who are 15 years of age or older will fight in Hungary. Those 10 to 14 will be made ready for the siege on Vienna." he tells them. Serena looks over and saw that one of the Turks eyeing a young boy. "The sultan expects your obedience. After all, did not your own father give you both up without a fight?" he asks them. Serena grips her knife walks out from the table and over to the boy as the Turk grips his face. "Soft, but they'll do." he states, then the boy's father grips his arm, jerking the hand away from the boy's face.

The Turk smiles at him, pulls his hand off of his arm, pins it to the table, pulling out his blade, but Serena grips his arm and throws him up against the walk, her hand pins his arm and her knife press against his throat. "Do you know who I am?" she asks him, "You mean who you were." he tells her, Vlad stood from his seat. Serena then throws him away from the boy and his father, glaring at him. "You have no army and no choice, prince. Princess." Hamza tells her, as she slowly turn around. Vlad stood right next to her, "Follow our command, or the consequences." he warns her and orders his mean to follow him. Vlad and Serena walk to the center of the room as Cazan who somewhat raise them walks up to them. "It must be done." he tells them, Serena look at him. "Courage, anger, even love. None of this can matter to a Prince or Princess. All that matters is their duty to their people." he tells him, Serena shook her head and dis-belief.

Then she ran to Mirena and Ingeras and pulls her nephew into her protective arms as her brother looks over at them, a stern look married her milky white features, knowing that she will die fighting then hand over her people.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Vlad and Serena sat in Ingeras's bed, Vlad held his head in his hands. "What does it mean to be a royal hostage?" Ingeras asks his father, Vlad looks at him. "My father gave me and your Aunt to the sultan to prove his loyalty." Vlad answers him. "Were you scared there? With them?" he ask, Serena smiles at him, "We wanted to make our father proud." Vlad tells him. "Would you ever give me to the sultan?" Ingeras asks them, Serena leans over, stroking his cheek. "That was a long time ago. You have nothing to worry about. Do you understand?" she asks him, he nods.

"Good." Vlad walks out of the room, but Serena remains behind. "I'm going to keep you safe, no matter what." she whisper to him. "I love you Auntie." Ingeras mumbles. She smiles at him, "And I, you." she kisses his forehead, then left the room, following her brother. "If we defy the order, they'll kill 100 for everyone I save." Vlad tells Mirena. "You told me that you, Serena and Mehmed were once like a family. If you were to ask, is it possible he might show you mercy?" she gave him her necklace, baring the cross of God.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Later the next morning, Vlad and Serena let a group of Transylvanian soldiers into the Turks' camp, the men there taunted them, but Serena just ignored them. "You ever seen the like of it?" Petru asks Dimitru. "Soon the entire world will be Turk." he points out. They then dismounted and entered the big tent, Vlad and Serena stood in front of the golden map. "Lord Impaler, Lady Ripper, my oldest of friends." Mehmed greet them looking up from the map to them. Then the three sat down at the table, "I miss our days together." Mehmed tells him, "All we miss from our time with you, was the coffee." Vlad tells him. "It's true, my father's palace was a cruel place for a young boy and girl far from home. But soon you talk it us, prayed like us, fought like us." he tells them, Serena shift in her seat.

"Speaking of which, I'm owned 1,000 boys." he tells them. The Transylvanians stiffen, "Why have I not seen them?" he asks the siblings. "Mehmed, my brother, I will grant you anything else." Vlad tells him, "I need soldiers, brother." Mehmed tells him, then stood up from his seat and walks back over to the map. Then Serena stood up, "Then take me." she offers him. Dimitru looks at her in shock, as Vlad stood up as well. Mehmed just chuckles, as he was playing with a small boat, "I'm worth 1,000 boys, and you know it." she tells him. "Those kings would tremble if they knew." he states, place the boat back down. "Then accept my offer." Serena stood out of her chair.

"When we were children, how I long to fight side by side with you and your brother." he walks over to her, "But now I am sultan and what need have I for one soldier?" he asks her, "I will have my 1,000 boys and one more." he tells her, as his men pull out the paper for Vlad to sign. Serena stiffens her jaw, looking at him.

"Your son will be raise under my roof, just as you and Serena were raise under the roof of my father." Mehmed pulls out a knife and cuts his finger open. "You may retain your throne, but General Ismail will remain to see that my orders is fulfilled." he tells them and press his finger to the paper in front of him, "Please do not do this." Vlad asks of him. "Mehmed, please do not take away my nephew." Serena begs of him.

But it was too late, the bargain was struck. "What is one son? If you are virile, you'll make plenty more." Mehmed states, walking away. Serena watches him leave, hatred was in her eyes for him then looks back at her brother, he just sat there, shock look in his eyes.