8.
Vlad’s
life was not all about the military, for he was required to learn with Radu
during lessons. He was brought to the chambers of Mehmed II daily for the
lessons of the books.
“My
father, the Sultan allowed you to study with us.” Vlad was told by the young
prince. Vlad was offered a seat in the study chamber next to Radu and before
them was Mehmed. He was however asked to bathe and change into fresh clothes
before he attends the lessons.
“Infidel!
Why are you late?” Vlad was questioned by the tutor then.
“I
was in the bath. I had to get clean.” Vlad replied.
“Miscreant!
How can you be clean when you still smell like the horse’s manure?” The tutor
belittled Vlad. “Did you bathe with it?”
“I
am Vlad ---” Vlad was stopped by his brother.
“Tutor,
my brother is tired. He will be better in his manners when he had rested.” Radu
offered excuses for Vlad.
“If
that is so, then let him rest with the books on his head. It will enlighten his
mind.” Vlad's hours of the lesson were in the afternoon after his training.
Vlad saw Radu from the corner of his eyes was reading from the Holy Book.
“Radu,
why are you reading that book? You are ---”
“Silence,
infidel. Radu is an exemplary student. He reads and writes well.” The tutor
looked from Vlad to Mehmed.
“My Prince,
why do we entertain this infidel in the lessons. He held no --- mind to learn.”
The tutor looked to the young prince.
“He
is --- to learn. He will learn for I said so.” Mehmed had agreed to Vlad in
attendance at the request of Radu who had become his food friend and companion.
Radu told him that Vlad was a good learner but due to the harsh situation, he
was becoming angry.
“Radu,
I can’t help him there for the Sultan sent him there but ---- I can make amends
by having joined us in the later stages of the lessons. He will then be near you.
As he was to attend the lessons, no harm will come to him.”
If
there was any harm, it was the doing of Vlad for he was not reckless but brave
in his training. He will ride the horse and release the arrows with
determination to hit the targets. He was a fine recruit and even earned the
respect of his peers. Though Vlad was given every aspect of the training as a
Janissary he was not taught how to fire a musket.
“Only
a true Janissary can use that weapon. You will respect that.” Vlad was told by
his instructors. Without the use of the musket, Vlad trained hard with the
swords and bow with the arrows.
“The
warrior is not one without his weapons but a poorly wielded weapon is a way to
get killed early.” Vlad was told. And horsemanship was essential.
“The
horse is your legs and your friend. If you learned to ride well, you will be
faster and above all, the horse may save you with its hoofs.” The horsemen
spoke many times of their mount which fought off the wolves with their hoofs.
Unlike
Vlad, Radu was into the finer aspects of learning. He had the books and tutors
to give him knowledge. He studied not only the Holy book but also astronomy and
economics.
“Trade
is an essential part of the empire to enrich its coffers. Items can be brought
from the far reaches of the land to trade at a higher price in other parts. It’s
all about demand and supply.”
“The
lessons of Athir al-Din al-Mutaddai ibn Umar ibn Ak Mufassal al -Samargandi
al-Abhari was a philosopher, astronomer, astrologer, and mathematician.” Radu
was told and taught to read the works of the above. His first lessons were to
learn to pronounce the name correctly.
“A
master of his field must be acknowledged in full; right from his name to the
words he handed to us.” Radu was reminded many times. He learned and explained
the works then.
“Radu,
I am impressed with you. You are a stranger to my land and culture and yet you
learned so much in that short time.” Mehmed praised the other in front of the
Sultan.
“Yes,
he has learned a lot. He will be a valued ally to the empire soon.” Sultan
Murad smiled. It was all good days for the two Wallachian lads until words
arrived from their land.
“My
Sultan, the Wallachian is revolting against you. Their leader supports
Vladislaus.” The envoy told the Sultan.
“The
despot King Wladyslaw. How dares he challenged me?” Sultan Murad was enraged. “We
have a treaty.”
There
was peace proposed by Ulászló I and signed in Seghedino with
Sultan Murad II. The papal envoy Giuliano Cesarini, with an enticing
vision of a promise of victory in the crusade
against the Muslims, persuaded
new young King Władysław to engage his freshly victorious forces for another
season of war, thus breaching the ten-year truce with the aggressive and still
powerful Ottoman Empire.
“It was the religious
papal who desired another crusade against us. He decries our faith as devil
worshipping.” The Sultan was told.
“If it's war they want,
we shall do battle.:” Sultan Murad II declared war. “I don’t care who. It can
be the Saxons, the Romans, and even the Hungarians.”
“My Sultan, what of the
Wallachian’s whelps?’ The Sultan was reminded of the two sons of Lord Vlad.
“They are to be ---” The
Sultan was to issue the command to behead them when Mehmed intervened.
“Father ---- My
apologies. My Sultan, the friends ---” Mehmed was snapped at.
“Friends? They are not
your friends. They are hostages as I do deem fit to live or die.” Sultan Murad
was upset. “Their father defies me.”
“It may be ---- My
Sultan but I knew them well. Radu and Vlad are with us. We received yearly the
recruits of the allies and occupied lands. Do we execute them when their King
revolted? Or do we have them fight for us?”
“They are the enemies.
They will stab us in the back.” Sultan Murad replied.
“They are the enemies if
we had not taken care of them as our own, but if they are grateful to us, they
won’t revolt. They will fight for us. Or stay as hostages. We can use that as
leverage. Their father won’t battle us if they are here. Such is the reasoning
for the hostages.”
“You have good
reasoning, my prince. I will hear you for now. I have a war to fight. Tell your
friends to know their loyalty and if they forget, my Janissaries will remind
them well.” With that, the lives of Vlad and Radu were spared.
It was not so the
thoughts of Lord Vlad.
“The new war against the
Ottoman will be disastrous to us. My sons ---” Lord Vlad sighed. “I have no
news on them. Are they dead or carrying arms against me?”
Lord Vlad had seen the
ones who have converted into Muslims and fought against the Crusaders.
“My Lord, I am not to
give you false hopes but the ----boys could be dead now.” The old adviser spoke
to the Lord of Wallachia. “You have lived with the Ottomans. Mercy is not in
their care when it comes to hostages.”
Lord Vlad nodded his
head and then went to the family chapel to offer prayers. His lover had refused
to see him for some months then, and his son Mircea was silent most times. He
took solace in that he was still alive.
It was also the approach
of young Janus when he prayed next to Jan in the army chapel. The words have
reached the mercenaries that they were to ride for the borders.
“The Turks are at our
border once more.” The call went out. Janus had then retrieved his armor but
was taken by Jan to the chapel.
“We ride tomorrow to
fight the Ottoman. In war, we are to die or live to die another day. So, say
your prayer to God for his redemption.” Janus was told. He nodded to the
request and knelt by the seat provided there. He clasped his hands together in
prayer while he looked at Jan. He knew the other was nervous at that time. Jan
once told him that before every battle, he will speak to God for guidance. It
was not so for Janus.
“I will fight tomorrow
and the day after it. I will not die.” Janus told himself. Then he raised a
query to Jan. “Will there be others like us fighting for the Ottoman? I heard
of their recruits maybe our people.”
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