Post by Cynder on Jan 27, 2011 21:51:49 GMT -5
IN THIS STORY:
Vladislaus, Suilen, Mircea
Vlad Dracul - The king of Wallachia and father of Mircea, Vlad, Vladislaus, and Radu. 38 years old. Gruff, but otherwise a good family man and husband.
Roseline Dracul - The queen of Wallachia and mother of Mircea, Vlad, Vladislaus, and Radu. 36 years old. Diplomatic and compassionate.
Lady Ophelia - Roseline's sister. Married recently to Sir Sanford. 27 years old. Is vain, but loves her sister's children.
Sir Sanford - Lady Ophelia's husband. 28 years old. Gentle and fun-loving.
Wilhelmina - An English girl visiting Romania. Her father is a friend of Sanford's, so they got invited to the party. 7 years old. Down-to-Earth and bold.
Vladislaus looked at himself. His mother had put a white shirt on him, with a dark gray waistcoat. His pants and shoes were black. He was given a maroon cravat to complete the "fancy" look. Vlad shook his head, and combed his fingers through his hair. It looked better unruly.
At least he thought it did. It was a full house tonight; every chair by the long table in the dining hall was taken. Vlad listened as his father made an announcement and proposed a toast to Lady Ophelia's marriage. There were cheers, hoots, and hollars, all of it in celebration of this joyous moment. The guests and family members raised their wine glasses, and boisterous, excited chatter filled the room.
There were so many beautiful people, with their suits and waistcoats, dresses and skirts. The meal was worth the wait, though. The chefs had prepared a hearty soup of broth, with pieces of deer and rabbit meat and vegetables. Who could deny them the bounty of the forest on the Carpathian Mountains when it was only a gallop away? The second coarse of the meal was finely roasted pork, rice dressed in a gravy sauce, and freshly baked bread.
Vladislaus didn't know how much more he could eat, but the food was so good. He desired more. When he reached for the gravy in a saucer, his hand bumped someone else's. He glanced up. Staring at him was a girl, about his age, with black hair and dark eyes. She was wearing a black and red dress with a corset - the height of fashion in England. "I am sorry," Vlad apologized, "I was only reaching for the gravy." The girl laughed. "So was I!"
Vlad visibly relaxed. It was bad if you offended someone with a high status. "Uhm, you can take it first," he said. His tutor had told him that, around women, he should always be a gentleman. The girl smiled again. "Thank you." She took the saucer, poured the gravy over her rice, and handed it back to Vladislaus. He took it and did the same, then placed it back on the table, focusing on the girl again. She was the most beautiful person he'd seen all evening. "What is your name?" Vlad asked. "My name," the girl replied, "Is Wilhelmina. I'm visiting Romania with my father. He's an earl."
"An earl? That must be pleasant. Oh, and my name is Vladislaus," Vlad said. "My father is the king." Wilhelmina's eyes widened. "Wow! A prince!" she exclaimed. "I've never met one before. I bet it must be amazing to live in a castle." Vlad laughed. "Sometimes," he whispered, "I still get lost." They both laughed. Out of curiosity, Mircea glanced down the table to see what his brother was up to. Talking to a girl. He smiled and finished his dinner.
When the feast was over, everyone moved into the grand ballroom. Suilen and other musicians played music. The guests danced while the king and queen talked to Ophelia and Sanford. Vladislaus followed Wilhelmina into the ballroom. "Would you..like to dance?" he asked, face turning red. He'd never asked a girl to dance before. Wilhelmina nodded and smiled. "I'd love to."
Wait til you read the next part
