24.
“Basarab III is in
Wallachia. He will be met by our army under Stephen Vuk Bathory, an army of
eight thousand infantry and thirteen thousand cavalries.” King Corvinus made
the announcement. “He will be assisted by Vlad Tepes and Vuk Brankovic.”
“The Impaler and the
Despot.” There were murmurs among the gathered when they heard the king’s
arrangement. The exploits of Vlad Tepes were known, but of Vuk Brankovic,
little was said. The descendant of the Branvonic family, he was a despot
without a country, a hero with no vice or fear, and a hope without a successor.
He was the magnificent and tragic last flash of the golden Serbian Middle Ages.
He had no equal from the walls of Vienna all the way to Kruševac, from
Timisoara to Sarajevo and Jajce.
Vuk Branković's legends and
folk songs call him the Fiery Dragon Wolf; he held two images for the Serbian:
he is a supernatural anthropomorphic creature, born with amazing marks.
“An amazing child: a wolf’s
paw and an eagle’s wing and dragons under his armpit, a blue flame coming out
of his mouth, he won’t let his mother nurse him.” When he was wounded in
battles, “the snakes brought him herbs, and the fairies nursed his wounds, and
the wolf licked his serious wounds.”
The other biography of the
Serbian Despot: the warrior served in battles for over twenty years, waging
wars with the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus. The battles he won were mostly
in Serbian lands conquered by the Turks. His heroism gave hope to the Serbian
people in Turkish slavery that the Serbian country is not totally ruined and
that the time will come when the Turks will be conquered and expelled.
“Vuk Branvonic served me
well. He assisted me in freeing a Bosnian king whose name was also like mine.”
King Corvinus praised the Serbian leader. “This new campaign would involve
Hungarian, Moldavian, and Wallachian troops, with the assistance of a small
Serbian contingent.”
The court applauded the
king, and Vlad Tepes wrote to Stephen III of Moldavia.
“Stephen III, I am with an
army of Hungarians and others, including Wallachians. We can merge later to be
stronger. Vlad Tepes.”
Vlad's message to Stephen
was delayed, and the latter fought at Valea Albă and had to withdraw in defeat.
They merged later and were victorious at Brașov, and from there they attacked
southern Transylvania with the combined army of over thirty thousand, whereas
Stephen would aid them by attacking eastern Wallachia with his army.
“But we are strong, each in
our purpose, and we are all stronger together.” (Bram Stoker, Dracula).
Vlad saluted in the speech to the other leaders on their victory when Vlad
captured the capital of Târgoviște, where he met with Stephen. The two
swore eternal allegiance to one another, and when in the presence of Báthory,
the two pledged as well to pursue a great crusade against the Turks.
Vuk Bathory reported then
that most of Wallachia was in Vlad’s hands and added that "all
the boyars, aside from two, are with us" and "even the latter
will soon join us." The other two did soon, and Vlad Tepes was
reestablished as Prince of Wallachia for his third time. Radu was overthrown,
and he retreated. Vlad rushed to his home and found his family had left. He was
given a note from Lord Gencio Caputo.
Dear Vlad. When you get this
letter, Katharina and the children are on route and will be safe in Genoa. I
have planned for them there. You can focus on your war there. And my regards to
Lady Justina. Lord Gencio Capulet.”
At that moment, Vlad felt
anxious, for he was reliving his childhood once more, a hostage of the realm,
then not of Mehmet II, but of his family under Lord Gencio Capulet.
“You did ask him to take
care of your children.” Lady Justina selected her words well, avoiding the
mention of the mistress. “He was doing as requested by you.”
“I am unsure. He knew I was
returning, and yet he took them away. Was he bargaining with their safety?”
Vlad was upset. “Or mine?”
“Why yours, my husband?”
Lady Justine had found the word to call Vlad that.
“My reputation as the
Impaler may … affect their thoughts of me.” Vlad looked away. “I hold no
regrets for my action. I am in a sea of wonders. I doubt; I fear; I think
strange things, which I dare not confess to my own soul. I had to do what was
needed to survive.”
“That shows you still hold
humanity in you. You are the voivode of the land, yet the boyars swing on their
loyalty. You must be braver.”
"Brave" is a word
that Jessica holds close to her heart. She met Abram at the tavern.
“This is not a place for the
young lady,” Abram told the lady when he was intruded upon there. He goes there
when his call of duty is over and whiles away his idle hours with the drinks.
He does not get overboard, but his goblet is hardly unfilled.
“I know you come here to
drink. Father mentioned it to my mother, and I overheard.” Jessica took her
seat opposite the man. She felt uncomfortable there, being looked at by the
other patrons, and most of them did not look friendly.
“Can I help you then?” Abram
asked, bringing the subject up.
“I want to talk to you about
your proposal to my father and about me.”
“I …… I did. It was a
discussion, but I have not made up my mind.” Abram looked at her. “I admit I
should have talked with you beforehand.”
“Talk now, Abram. Talk to me
now.” Jessica looked at the man.
“Well, I… I do see you at
the synagogue, and now I work with your father, and… I am without an ‘ishema’….
For a long time…”
“You wanted one, and you had
me numbered?” Jessica looked at the man.
“I am not keen to wed more
than one. I know that the Shulchan Aruch, a major code of Jewish law,
acknowledges the possibility of polygamy but also suggests a limit of four
wives. I am not…….”
“Can I decide on my ‘beaal’
in my life? Or my family holds that …….”
“You can, Jessica. I am not
a master of your love. You can …….” Abram was cut off.
“Love to me is mine, and my
family is also mine. I want to have both but not be enslaved by any others.”
Jessica stared at the man. “I think you are a good man, but what I need is a
good ‘beaal’ of my own choosing. I may be wrong in my choice, but that is my
own choice.”
Jessica then took her leave
of the man who sought her marriage.
Independence of the decision
was not the best choice.
“Mother, I made up my mind.
I will be hosting the ball tomorrow, and then I will let the guests there see
my selection of my lover.” Juliet made up her mind. She met her mother at the
library. They were not alone, for Rosaline was there alongside Mercutio, a
friend of the family and related to Count Paris.
“Mercutio, I am pleased and…
honoured to meet you.” Juliet did a curtsy towards the man. She detested the
man, for he was with Count Paris, and at that moment, any associate of the
count was not favorable.
“Juliet Montague, I am ever
honoured to see you.” Mercutio was generous with his words. “I came over to…….
The truth, honestly indeed, is I heard of the ball from Rosaline, and God
forbid, I want to come.”
“And I met Rosaline, and she
told me she got an invite from you. I am hereby graciously asking you for one
too.”
“Heaven forbids if I were to
say no to you. Yes, please come.” Juliet sounded ‘mercurous’ then with a witty
smile. “You could chaperone Rosaline if she were without one.”
Those last lines were
directed to Rosaline for bringing the man there.
“I ……” Rosaline was lost for
words.
“I will be coming alone. I
am not in search of ladies who will accept my hands at the ball.” Mercutio
smiled. “I am sure Rosaline has her own beau to bring.”
Rosaline then felt the swath
of embarrassment to be in the conversation. It was Lady Angeline who saved her
then.
“I am sure Rosaline has her
own beau. Please do come, darling. As for you, Mercutio, you are invited too.”
“Queen Mab was precise in my
dreams this morning. She does bring with her … my aspirations there.” Mercutio
held an affinity to the realm of fantasy and Queen Mab, a tiny fairy, the
"fairies' midwife," who delivers dreams to sleeping people based on
their desires, whether noble or base. (Romeo and Juliet plays.)
“Oh, do not amuse us with
your dreams, Mercutio.” Lady Angeline laughed. “I have heard more than my share
of Queen Mab.”
“Who is Queen Man?” Juliet
asked. She was curious and had not heard of the queen.
“Queen Mab, my dear.”
Mercutio corrected her. “Queen Mab… If you do get a visit from her, she is a
miniature creature, no bigger than an agate stone on an alderman's finger,
riding in a chariot made of natural materials like spider webs and grasshopper
wings. She is a mischievous figure; one must be forbearing of her; she is like
Rumpelstiltskin.”
“Who is Rumpelstiltskin?”
Juliet asked.
“Oh, Mercutio, do not taunt
the lady. We are already at the mercy of your antics.” Lady Angeline cut in.
“Yes, my lady. Well, to
Juliet. Queen Mab is capable of both granting dreams of love and inflicting
nightmares or punishing people for their vices.” Mercutio smiled. “The romantic
ideal of love and the harsh realities of the world are intertwined… sometimes.”
“Enough, Mercutio. Consider
yourself invited, but no more dreams onwards. Rosaline, bring a handsome beau,
be it Capulet or whoever, but please do have this man by your side.” Lady Leah
dismissed the two guests.
Rosaline took her walk,
leaving Mercutio to keep pace. He finally did and stopped her.
“I begged your forgiveness,
my lady.” Mercutio smiled.
“You embarrassed me then.
And…….”
“I brought you an open
invite to bring in your... Romeo. That was your visit there. You wanted to
bring Romeo by invitation. And I got it done.” Mercutio smiled. “I am ever your
friend.”
“Friend or fiend, I am
unsure.” Rosaline pushed the man off her path. “I hope Queen Mab looks
favorably towards you.”
“If love is rough with you,
be rough with love. Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down. Give me a
case to put my visage in!” (Extracted from Romeo and Juliet). Mercutio said in
a mock tone.
“Alas, speak not in riddles,
Mercutio.” Rosaline sighed.
“I speak of the fantastical
nature of dreams and how they reflect the desires and preoccupations of the
dreamer, with lovers dreaming of love and lawyers dreaming of fees, one that
Queen Mab, the fairy, may preside over.” Mercutio looked at Rosaline. “Let him
loose among the sheep and see whom he bites.”
“Who are you talking about?
Romeo?” Rosaline asked.
“Let your heart tell you. I
must be going my own path. See you.” Mercutio took his path. Rosaline remained
standing there and pondering on the words of Mercutio. She knew in her heart
that she loved Romeo, but did he feel the same for her? He may be wild and
young, but how does she tell the true feelings from her or from him? She was in
mixed thoughts then. She saw Jessica approaching her.
“Jessica, how……”
“I cannot. I am upset. Why
can they not understand whom we choose to love?” Jessica continued her walk.
Rosaline stood there looking.
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