Preys and Predators 3 Love Binds, Family Destroy Chapter 21

 

21.

 

Vlad Tepes was given the use of the chamber at the palace of Corvinus, where he was bathed and refreshed with the ointment and massage to his weary body. He was given new clothes, and when he looked at the mirror, he saw a different frame of himself.

Stephen III visited him there and explained the condition for his release.

“Vlad Tepes, I hope you understand the condition of our release. You will need to rest and rebuild your strength. Wealth will be given to you in name for the recruitment of men under the Wallachian army. You will reclaim Wallachia, and all that is there in the treasury will be delivered to the king as compensation for the war.”

Stephen III then took out the scrolls that named the lenders and their amounts, with the conditions of their loans to be paid in land and ducats.

“And any royal jewels are to be sent directly to the King.”

“There is a reason why all things are as they are.” (Bram Stoker, Dracula). Stephen looked at the released Voivode. “Their demands are reasonable.”

“Let me rest first.” Vlad Tepes took the scrolls and retreated to his private chamber. He tossed the scrolls to the corner and lay down on the bedding. His body was unused to the soft covers, and he got up. He walked to the opening in the wall to look outside. He breathed in the fresh air and then looked at the scene below. It was the townsfolk there moving about their daily work without much of the worries of tomorrow.

“How blessed are some people, whose lives have no fears, no dreads; to whom sleep is a blessing that comes nightly and brings nothing but sweet dreams.” (Bram Stoker, Dracula)

Vlad sighed. Ever since he became the hostage and then the voivode, his life has been fraught with fear, and sleep eludes him at nightfall. He was like his father, a man blessed with his own blood kin, and yet he was not there to see them grow. What he feared most were the tales that his children were to hear of him. He was not there to tell that, but maybe upon death, he will see them, and the truth will be known.

“For life is, after all, only a waiting for something else than what we are doing, and death is all that we can rightly depend on.” (Bram Stocker, Dracula.)

Stephen III wrote to the traders; his words were comforting, for he told them the voivode agreed to the terms. It was read by many, including Lord Gencio Capulet. He was conveying that message at the bank. Soon after Lord Gencio Capulet left, Lord Dante Montague took his leave. He was met by Bassanio on the street. He knew of Bassanio and his recent engagement to Portia. He was a fair trader but lacked the ability to negotiate good trades. Portia, when wedded to him, will be a good person to guide Bassanio.

“Is it true, Dante?” Bassanio was on a first-name basis when he met the other in private.

“I believed so. Stephen III has nothing to hide.” Lord Dante Montague nodded. “But I am surprised that Vlad will battle the Turks again. He had been betrayed by his boyars more than the Turks.”

“He may need to regain his seat with more solid backing. That means war with the Turks once more. His brother, Radu III, has been seen to be weak and was toppled thrice by Basarab III.” Bassanio said.

“I thought Radu had died. Yet, is he the current Voivode? It confused me more.” Lord Dante Montague shook his head. He then looked at Bassanio. “Are you short on coins? I thought you were well off with Portia on your side.”

“You read my mind, Lord Dante Montague. I will be well-off when I am wedded to Portia, but we are not yet. Her father had set the condition of marriage, and I am not in the listing.”

“I knew the father. He is a wise man to have his daughter marry a wealthy husband.” Lord Dante Montague smiled.

“I must build up my own wealth now if I am to stand next to her. Why is it everyone is leaning on me to be better off with her? I loved her, but I will not use her wealth. I am in negotiation for a shipment of weapons with the Greeks, who got it from the ……” Bassanio smiled.

“And what is your margin?” Lord Dante Montague asked. He knew Bassanio was a risky trader.

“Marginal, but where there is one, there will be two and three.” Bassanio smiled. “I trust Jon Archimedes well.”

“You are walking a thin line with Jon Archimedes, Bassanio.” Lord Dante Montague looked at the trader. “His wares have been turned over several hands; he buys and sells them several times, and your margin is low. If the wares are delayed, you will be penalized by the buyer.”

“Likewise, I can penalize the Greeks.” Bassanio smiled.

“I know Jon Archimedes well. I know you are buying from him, and he will renege on the deal if there is another buyer with a better price.” Lord Dante Montague cautioned his friend. “I will suggest you seek another source to sell from. Perhaps ……”

“Yourself? I know you hold a shipment of grain to sell to the Spaniards. Do me the round here.” Bassanio was well informed. “I can pay you……”

“No. I am not here to barter with you. I will do it myself, and I am concerned for you. But I am verifying the news of Vlad first. War at Wallachia is another disastrous outing for all of us.” Lord Dante Montague then excused himself to meet the others. Bassanio was left alone and had his mind on another to talk to Antonio.

“Antonio will get the backing of Lord Gencio Capulet. He always does.” Bassanio reassured himself.

Jessica was also troubled in her mind.

“Jessica, you must listen. I am your mother.” Leah looked at the daughter seated across the table. “You are of the faith that the Christians may not look too kindly at.”

“Mother, the man is twice… or more than my age. I am not keen to be a man’s slave.” Jessica was to discuss her future then. “Abram……”

“Abram is a good man. He is …….” Leah cut in.

“We hardly know him. We just met him like a week or less.” Jessica sighed.

“That may be true. But he has done more than any of the others did. He collected much of our debt back.”

“Is it the debts that matter here? What of my future?” Jessica snapped back. “I have……”

“The arrangement of marriage is by the parents. I am your mother.” Leah placed her command there.

“What if … I am to have another … person I may love?” Jessica looked to the mother. “Could……”

“You …… I need to remind you that if you are silly enough to sacrifice your virtue before you are….”

“Please, Mother. I am still pure. I will not do that. My faith still beholds inside me.” Jessica sighed. If only she could tell her mother of Lorenzo, but it would be suicidal, for Lorenzo was Christian. It was then Shylock called for Leah.

“I must go.” Leah stood up, with her pregnancy due anytime, but the wife was to be obedient to the husband. She made her way to the front section of the office, which also served as the discussion area.

“Leah, Antonio…. You do know of Antonio Silva?” Shylock was seated there with the ledgers on his lap.

“That rogue trader, Antonio. I heard of him. He sold bad grains to the Nubians, and they are looking to lynch him.” Leah had taken the seat next to her husband. She felt the kick on the belly and patted her tummy.

“Well, he was saved by… Lord Ian Pearson, who was asked by Lord Capulet to do so. Elohim yevarekh otkha (God bless you.)” Shylock said. “His ledger with us……”

“Antonio held bad records with everyone he dealt with.” Leah took the ledger from Shylock. “He took from us three times and delayed his repayments. He cannot be trusted.”

“I have Abram now. He will do ……” Shylock looked to Leah, but she was not keen.

“Although Abram is a Montague, he will not strike at a friend of Lord Genio Capulet either. He is a friend to both sides.”

“Then how should I tell him?” Shylock asked.

“We will not deal.” Leah replied. “Unless he has a backer for the loan. Or ……”

“A pound of his flesh?” Shylock smiled. “That will deter him. I shall do just that.”

“Do that. I have aruchat erev (evening meal) to prepare. But before that, I am to speak to Jessica. She needs a husband soon.” Leah stood up to leave the chamber.

“And do stop looking at me like that. I know you would like the third one, but let me settle this one first.”

Settling the details was the task of Lady Angeline, and she was frustrated by the preparations. She saw the return of her husband; seldom does she call him that, for he looked more like her father in age.

“Dante, I am tired. Do we serve fried baccalà (cod) or ravioli alla Genovese (meat-filled ravioli), along with the traditional Tocco (meat sauce)?”

“Not unless you have the butcher invited. He must taste the meat. They are worse than the bad grains I got from Spain.” Lord Dante Montague kissed his wife on the left cheek. “I cannot stay. The war at Wallachia is to start once more. They released Vlad the Impaler.”

“I am concerned.” Lady Angeline had heard of the rumours, but the role of the ladies was not in the warring states but in the pesky neighbours, who were also arranging their own ball that weekend. It was soon to be called tit for tat.

“Oh, I heard the Santinis down the street are having their own ball this weekend.” Lord Dante Montague smiled.

“Oh, did someone there die?” Lady Angeline looked surprised. “Are we to send the wreath?”

“Do not be nasty, my dear. I am sure they have their own guests and food. You could send them the meat from the butcher. Not a pound less of it, or we will be in court to argue the weight of the meat.”

Arguments are known among the young, and it was with Romeo and his mother.

“Rosaline was invited, and I am not.” Romeo, standing by the window, looked to the walls of the estate. “I am imprisoned here.”

“You know why you are not invited. The Montagues… Well, we are not exactly their friends. Business rivalry and…some family issues.” The mother sighs. She recalled herself being courted by the Lord then; a true gentleman he was. She was denying herself then for what she had seen with Juliette, but soon her denials became wanton, and when her mother told her to wed the Lord then, she delayed her reply.

“He brought gifts. More than he did for your sister.” Mother had told her, but she did not give her reply then. It was not a refusal but an enticement for the Lord to be persistent in his request.

Eventually, she agreed, and life has been wonderful since then. She has her nights of humping the bedding, but with Juliet soon after, she was content to stay by his side. There were their nights, but despite all their efforts, she was not to have another child. She wished she had a son.

Sons can be more than a handful at times.

“That was between Father and their Lord. I am not a party to that.” Romeo argued. “This feud is silly.”

“You are a Capulet, and that is the name that stops you.” Lady Angeline looked at her son. “You could, as I was told, attend the Santini’s ball down the street.”

“Oh, please, Mama. The Santinis are a bore there. Their guests, if any do attend, will be twice my age, and those ladies could not even hold their bosoms up without the aid of the metal cage there.”

“Romeo, please do not be rude.”

“Am I? The Santinis, the Montys, or… the Sagurios…. Oh, spare me, please. I was at Monty’s, and the hostess…. I was not intentional, but the call by my bowels due to the bad food made me look for a powder room. I stumbled on the hostess with the servant, but I was past the need to peek, for I settled for the available seat there with my eyes closed.”

“Romeo…”

“And she had the nerve to ask me if I wanted seconds? If I were armed then with a dagger, I would have obliged with a thrust into her.”

“Romeo!"