There once lived a young maiden named Lisa of Lupu. She was from the tiny Transylvanian village of Lupu whose name she bore as peasants like her had no family name of their own. When she was just a girl, a strange malady swept the village and ravaged many of the villagers. From then on, Lisa began a pursuit of the study of medicine to prevent another tragedy like this from happening to Lupu Village again.
During this time, the land was governed by an alliance of three groups: Hungarians, Saxons, and Székelys. They ensured protection from Turk attacks and even allowed certain places to self-govern. However, peasants were barred from participation in government affairs and thus rendered powerless on matters important to them. These three groups also adhered to the Church and did not tolerate the Orthodox or the Pagan beliefs within the land; oftentimes organising inquisitions to quell supposed witchcraft and heresy.
This made things difficult for Lisa while she sought much-needed knowledge. Some villagers would float rumours that she was a witch seeking black magic to curse the rest of Lupu; the rest paid her no heed, fearing they would get caught for their non-adherence to the Church. With the village surrounded by valleys and mountains, its remoteness left Lisa with almost no options. Travelling beyond the village was the only option it seemed, but where to?
Stories were passed around within the local tavern of a castle in the land of Wallachia. A man there with secret knowledge and those who dared crossed him never returned home. They were just stories, but Lisa was at her wit's end and was willing to take the risk. A few days' worth of travel and some ill-tempered man would not stop her from obtaining the knowledge.
She was going to Wallachia. And she was going to come back with the medical necessities for the greater good.
This fic was first conceived around late 2018/early 2019 as a canon divergence AU in which Lisa was spared of her fate and over time Dracula would slowly be like a man again. In the end, however, Lisa would eventually pass from old age. While this understandably saddens Dracula, he comes to realize the impact she had on him and the now-opened castle, knowing her presence is never truly gone. It was intended to be published at the conclusion of Castlevania.
Thanks to S4, I've rewritten it to follow the show as I loved Lisa and Dracula getting another chance. Now only the backstory remains unchanged, and the ending is mostly the same with a few exceptions.