Page 53 of Dragon Slayer

Mircea’s gaze fell to his lap.

“Your eldest?”

“Yes.” Father’s voice held the barest note of impatience. “My heir: Mircea. You saw his brothers at dinner.”

“Named for your father, I take it.”

A tiny pause, only half a breath. “Yes. Of course.”

“You mentioned your other sons…”

Father tensed, a fast flicker of muscle leaping in his jaw.

“The little one,” Hunyadi said, drawing it out slow, “is golden.” His brows lifted, a quiet asking for confirmation. For explanation. “And neither you nor your wife are, Dracul.”

Mircea lifted his head, eyes wide and startled.

Father eased slowly back in his chair, hands clenched tight on its arms. “Why have you come, Hunyadi? What do you want from me?”

“Come, let’s not be so crass about it–”

“Make reference to my golden son again, and I will show you crass.”

A long, tense silence.

The candle flames danced, shadows leaping up the walls.

Val’s belly clenched and cramped, and he wished he was corporeal so he could grab onto the chair beside him. He’d never seen Father like this.

Hunyadi held his gaze a moment, expression placid, then nodded. “I need to move my troops through Wallachia. Across the Danube and into Ottoman territory. I’m on a mission from my king – we’re renewing the crusade that Albert abandoned, and I’m here to ask for your assistance, Vlad Dracul.”

Father blew out a breath. “I was afraid of as much. I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.”

The charming façade slipped for the first time that night. Hunyadi’s smile fell away, and he leaned forward in his seat. “What do you mean? Why not?”

“I signed a treaty with Sultan Murat, and I won’t go back on it.”

Hunyadi sneered. “You would honor an agreement you made with those barbarians?”

“A treaty is a treaty.”

“You would side withthemoverme? Over the rest of Europe?”

Father sighed with barely-checked frustration. “Wallachia is the border between their lands and Europe. I am their neighbor. If I allow you through, that will be seen as a violation of the treaty, and he will put my entire principality to the sword. My people will suffer. My family. Don’t ask me to make that kind of decision. You can crusade all you want, but you won’t have any participation from me. I’m sorry, John, but this is what I have to do.”

Hunyadi’s hands curled into fists; his jaw clenched. His voice was calm, though. It sent a little chill skittering down Val’s back. “I think you’ll end up regretting that decision.”

Val shut his eyes and returned to his body. He swam up from the haze and opened his eyes to find that his head was resting in Vlad’s lap, Vlad peering down at him expectantly, hair hanging down around his face.

“Well?” he asked.

Val let out a sigh, exhausted and yet almost dizzy with nerves. “He wants Father to let him cross the Danube. He’s trying to get another crusade started.”

Vlad frowned. “What did Father say?”

“He said no.”

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