Wallachia, 1875
The black couch made its way down the down the muddy dirt road. The rain had started out light but had gotten heavier in the past hour. The horses neighed as the regains of the coachman came tighter. The two passengers were headed down from the castle to the small village below. As the couch came closer to the small village, it was apparent that this was a village of Roma. The village itself was made up mostly tents and wagons, vardos as they were called. The coach came to a stop right before the village and the two men inside got out and made their way to the vardo at the edge of the village. The two men looked similar but were very far apart in age as they were father and son. The older man had a large mustache and a full head of hair both which were starting to gray. The younger man looked much like his father though he was clean shaven, and his hair was midnight black. The young man looked very young as he couldn't be a day over 17, both had the same piercing blue eyes.
The older man came to the Vardo at the edge of the village, the home of the elder of this group of Romani. He knocked on the door and got no response, he knocked again and shouted, “This is Count Balan. I wish to speak to the elder” After a small amount of time they heard a stirring from inside and the door opened. One the other side was a Romani girl about the same age as the Count's son. The most obvious thing about her was that she was pregnant. Most likely about three months along, she looked up at the younger man and slight recoiled, like the sight of him gave her great fright. The Count looked at her and said, “Hello Helena Is your father home?” She nodded and said “Yes, he is... place come in” As the men came in the Helena once more recoiled at the sight of the younger man as the two came in. The village elder sat down at a small table and looked up at the two new arrivals.
The man was in his early fifties and looked with a mix of shock and terror. The Count cleared his throat “I'm sorry good sir Jacobi that we had to meet on these, I am Count Vlad Balan and this is my son Viscount Demetri Balan.” There was a dead silence before Jacobi said “Yes, my lord I assume you are here about my daughter” The Count “I regret we had to meet under these circumstances he is a mere boy who committed a grave sin to your daughter in the eyes of God he will make amends I have assured it, that is what we have come to do” he then looked at his son and motioned to Helena “Now you will apologize for you actions” The young man stepped forward and looked at Helena. To her, the blue eyes of Demetri felt like daggers. It took all her courage to look back at her attacker. The young man said in way that did not feel sincere “I am sorry for what I did to you; it was a not a good thing to do” Vlad smiled “See I am glad we are going to clear this up.
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He then reached into his waist pocket and pulled out large sack of gold coins, Jacobi looked at it with a mixture of shock and surprise “What is that” The count replied “This is your daughter's dowry, I think this is an ample amount “Jacobi’s mouth flung open with shock “First your son violates my daughter and now you want me to sell her too you ? We are not your slaves anymore” The Count seemed to get a little irritated “I an simply doing what is right, my son did a bad thing now he will pay the price of having to care for your daughter and the child” Jacobi faced rushed with anger “No I will hear nothing of this !” The Count leaned in close to the old man “ You and your people have nice village here, it would be a tragedy if something were to happen.” The threat was obvious and plain. Jacobi stated to think it over when he heard his daughter from the other side of the vardo “I’ll do it, I will wed Demetri” Jacobi snapped at her “Don’t do it … please don’t” she replied “ I’m going to do it father to keep you all safe” the old man started to tear up when Helena turned to the Count “Promise me then , you will not harm my people” The Count nodded “You have my word before God” she nodded and took Demetri’s hand and looked into his eyes “I will be your wife and carry your child” there was a moment of silence fallowed by a lightning strike.
