Princess Caterina left with her father and mother on towards Transylvania, meanwhile Vlad lead his convoy towards Targoviste. The two parties had coordinated to meet somewhere in the middle. They set up camps in the bare lands, each royal and excellent, representing the prestige of either principality. The Draculs showed their proud red colors in every aspect conceivable, the setting sun giving it a bloody hue. The Danesti had a big, green presence. It was night by the time they'd settled, so it was more proper to meet in the morning.

Vlad had come there with Alexei and the priest as his council, unfortunately having to leave Lupei behind. Father Marc spent his every waking breath teaching Vlad the proper etiquette of courting: what to say, what to do, and everything in between. Lucky for him, he had Alex by him too, to joke with about girls and sex and boys being boys.

His bride across the camp was not as lucky. Her father taught her the politics of marriage, while her mother was teaching her the more intimate realities of marriage. What entertained Vlad was what Caterina told herself when she was alone. He smiled to himself, her attitude reminding him of his wife.

Vlad frowned.

No, he should't be thinking of his past now; it wouldn't be fair to his future. It wouldn't be fair to Caterina. It wouldn't... the Impaler was confused. He'd lived in the shadows for centuries; war was always the same. Men, always the same.

But this was new. Relationships were new. He loved Mirena; always would. Had he lived a normal life, he would never have even thought about remarriage if he'd outlived her.

This was not a normal life. He shouldn't even be alive. But he is, and he's alone. What defines fair? What's fair for him? What's fair to Mirena? What's fair to Caterina?

He was feeling for Caterina, the girl he'd met on the battlefield. But it didn't make him love Mirena any less. So the answer was up to him... if he lived long enough to see the morning.

It wasn't fair! Why were women limited to marriage? Men got to do so many things. So many things that she wanted to do. Caterina was not sent on Earth to serve a father, a husband, ten sons. She would be her own person. She would represent herself. She could get out of it, if she got rid of the prince. No prince, no proposal, no alliance. And after two abandoned proposals, surely father would grant her the choice of her own husband. And Caterina had someone in mind.

It was late, no noise around that she could hear. Catarina got out her special Persian daggers and hid them in her hooded cape. She'd never used them before. Special blades for a special kill. Her cape was black, which would provide easy camouflage in the night. Caterina wore no shoes as she slipped out of her tent, swiftly hiding around the side as a guard came for rounds.

She ran across the field, lifting her skirts so they didn't ruffle against the grass. The main entrance was guarded, obviously, so she needed another way in. Caterina scurried around to a side, trying to find loose tarp to slide under. She quickly hid against the tent when a guard exited the camp. A bat fluttered past it and she quickly covered her mouth, trying her all to not scream. She had to prove them wrong. She couldn't be a 'woman' now. Cold hearted assassins didn't shriek at the sight of bats.

Having recovered her courage, Caterina slipped into the tent and quickly got on the floor. Now the job was to find where 'his highness' was sleeping. She crossed two small, unmarked sections, and crawled past them. An infamous prince wouldn't live here. And then she saw it.

A black veil, marked with the blood red emblem of the House of Dracul. That was where her prize lay. Caterina smirked and lifted as she made her way to the room. She wouldn't be caught dead on her knees in her enemy's presence.

Caterina pulled back the veil slowly as she could, but she swore she heard ruffling, even though the cloth didn't make any noise. She eyed her target, sleeping on his front, trusting enough to keep his back to the door. Poor him.

She unsheathed her blade and crept forward and knelt on the cot rolled out on the floor. Thank goodness they didn't travel with huge poster beds; camp setups were heavy enough to travel with. The mattress provided her the cover of silence as she knelt closer, her blade under her forearm as she pressed it against his neck.

"Do it."

She didn't. It wasn't his request that made her stop, but his voice. It couldn't...

"Aren't you afraid?" She made her dagger press harder, and if she wasn't stunned, would have paid more attention to the smoke.

"Every mortal dies. Today, or fifty years from now, what does it matter in the face of eternity?"

The Prince lifted his head slightly, brow raised aside as he tried to take a look at his assassin. His chest heaved tightly as he saw beyond those emerald eyes this time. In the next breath, he had turned, her pressed under him. Her blade was still threatening to slice his head off.

Caterina could only let out a breath before he'd turned them over. God damn his speed. Maybe the Tepes were built different. Lying under him, his gaze boring into hers, she forgot what she was here for. The blade loosened from her grasp, slipping down his back onto the bed.

He knew it would happen. It was bound to happen. But he waited until she rose to meet him before Vlad leaned down to kiss her. His eyes closed on their own; his breathing stopped- if he breathed. He wanted it to mean something special; exclusive to her. But truth be told he reveled in the first intimate contact he'd had in ages.

Vlad got over it, then kissed again in her own right. He basked in her feeling this time. Feeling her little body under him, her heart beating fast enough for the both of them. His hand slipped beneath her cloak, drawing up against her heating skin. And then his eyes opened.

Vlad pulled back from her and before she could properly open her eyes, he clamped a hand over her mouth. She heard him shush her... before she heard the raspy breaths of the beast. He felt around for the dagger she had brought with, and inconspicuously pressed it in her hands again.

"I am going to get off, and you are going to duck under the bed."

Caterina was frozen until he made sure she had heard him. Vlad kissed her head and got off towards the wolf, and Caterina didn't waste a second swinging down the other side. She credited her distraction to not noticing when Vlad had disappeared.

The wolf growled and bit at his prey as soon as Vlad moved, but Dracula wrestled it away from the girl. The beast aimed its huge paws at the prince, but Vlad hit with equal strength, breaking its bones. He then finished it by stomping on its neck as it lay crippled on the floor.

When it died, it reverted back to its human form. Damn, more creatures like before. Vlad looked back towards the bed, grateful that the girl couldn't see from her position. But there would be more. He stormed to the cot.

"You need to go back," he said immediately as he helped Caterina out.

Caterina was barely to her feet and Vlad was already shoving her towards the door.

"Run," he said, hands holding her face before she could protest, "protect your tent."

Caterina ran back, somehow running just a bit faster than she had ever run before. Maybe it was the adrenaline, or the life and death emergency. She went to her father's tent, gathering guards on her way, whispering as loud as she could.

Vlad came back to his tent after dropping off Caterina. This time he went straight to Alexei's room, popping up intimately close behind his friend.

"There are creatures out there!" Alexei whispered, the gasp not hidden in his tone.

"These are not natural wolves, Alexei. They are stronger, evil. Kill em and burn them," Vlad advised, standing back to back with the boy, swords held out.

"How do you know what they are?" Alexei asked, swinging at a shadow as shouts and yells of all nature came from outside.

"I met their kind before. In the forest. Heed me very carefully, Alexei. Do not let them inflict you. And burn them as soon as you can."

"So? Our future princess does not like you, does she?" Alexei joked, assuming the wolves were sent on her behest.

Vlad smirked, his friend not aware of what had transpired not too long ago.

"How unfortunate it is to die before seeing the beloved."

"Poet now, are we?"

"If only poetry could kill a beast."

"Song can't be stronger than saint."

"Futu-i!" Vlad gasped out loud, being reminded of the pastor.

"Father Marc!" The boys said out loud together before they broke into a run.

Two wolves leapt in from outside, keeping them busy. Vlad made himself prominent as he fought the creatures, giving Alexei an easier route to the priest.

Almost an hour since Caterina had ran off that both camps were on fire. Vlad had defeated his attackers and made for Marc's tent, but the religious man's room was so holy, it burned Dracula deeper than the fire around them. Coincidentally, it had a similar effect on the wolves, and Vlad trusted his friends to be safe, while he went to check on his guests.

He couldn't risk speeding through the fire, not when everyone was outside. He noticed soldiers of either house standing close, putting aside their differences to fight a common enemy. Vlad smiled to himself as he thought this union was proving beneficial before it even began.

Thankfully the creatures were thinning out. Whoever was creating them couldn't amass an army on such short notice, but they had certainly grown since the last time. Vlad worried it would only get worse from here. He took a chance and sped around, collecting the royals of the other house and placing them nearer the sacred tent.

The Danesti didn't think too hard on how they got where they did, probably having wandered through the fire. They gathered around the priest, in proper Christian nature believing that the holy powers would protect them. Unknowingly, they were right.

Caterina may have noticed Vlad's absence, but it was Alexei who voiced it. He wanted more than anything to go out to find his friend, but Father Marc reminded him that he was the only competent fighter in the tent. What with the other residents being the elderly and the women. Caterina took offense and stationed herself at the opposite end from the Dracul soldier, ready to stand guard with a borrowed sword.

It would be a long night.