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1435: Sighisoara, Transylvania

VLAD DRACUL’S HEAVY BROW descended like a storiven birth to a girl His other children—one frorown, and even a bastard child froht his seed weak enough to produce a girl

He pushed through the door, into the close, heavy air of the tiny bedrooust

Their hohisoara was a far cry froate, in the suffocating press of the square, beside an alley that reeked of human waste His retainer of ten lorified placeholder He overnor of Transylvania, but he was supposed to be the ruler of all Wallachia

Perhaps that hy he had been cursed with a girl Another insult to his honor He was in the Order of the Dragon, sanctioned by the pope himself He should be the vaivode, the warlord prince, but his brother sat on the throne, while he was governor of Saxons squatting on his own country’s land

Soon he would show them his honor on the end of a sword

Vasilissa lay on the bed, soaked in sweat andin pain Certainly the weakness that took root in her woht of her, princess now in neither demeanor nor appearance

The nurse held up a squalling, red-faced little irl Vasilissa would doubtless want so that honored her family, but Vlad hated the Moldavian royals she cae He had already nahter the same

“Ladislav,” he declared It was a feminine form of Vlad Di name, she would have to bear hiet some use out of her,” he said The infant screamed louder

Vasilissa’s royal breasts were far too important to suckle from The wet nurse waited until Vlad left, then held the babe to her common teats She was still full of milk fro fierceness, the nurse offered her own prayer Let her be strong Let her be sly She looked over at the princess, fifteen, lovely and delicate as the first spring blossoms Wilted and broken on the bed

And let her be ugly