A/N – Finally, a story about Alucard's early life as Vlad Tepes (Vlad The Impaler). Anyway, yes, I do imagine them speaking Romanian in this story although most of the things they read will be Latin or German since that was the common practice around that time.

1456, Wallachia

"Vlad," I said softly. My hands clenching and unclenching.

He looked up from his paper work. Tendrils of long soft black hair framing his stern face. His brown eyes gazed at me warmly, the candle light making them appear golden.

"Yes, dragă?"

"I-i," Come on. Just say it! He will find out eventually. Better to tell him now and risk being impaled than keep it to yourself and risk being impaled for lying. "Vlad... I'm-"

"Aurelia," He breathed as he placed his writing utensil on his desk. "I already know your secret."

1442, Târgoviște, Wallachia

"Vlad!," The little girl giggled as she ran through the trees. Her long dark curls bounced behind her as she continued the quest to find the young prince, who had hidden himself surprisingly well.

"Vlad...!," The younger child groaned in defeat "Where are you!?"

The young girl stopped beside a large pine tree as she huffed, struggling to fill her adolescent lungs with the crisp fall air.

"Vlad!" She yelled. Shielding her eyes, she looked over the horizon at the quickly setting sun.

"Vlad," The girl said sternly. She knew he was just in front of her. Always the faster, he could afford to tease her like this. Though her quick temper and dwindling patience made for a very short game of cat and mouse. "You come out right now or I will tell your mama you were being mean to me again!"

She waited a few moments more when he failed to give himself up immediately. Her breath coming out in white clouds. The bitterly cold air nipping at her pale skin as she pulled her thin coat closed, wiping her runny nose on her sleeve.

She growled at her play-dates wicked attitude and stomped her foot, her tiny fists clenching at her sides in frustration.

She was about to open her mouth and say some very nasty things until her fear got the best of her hot temper. She whined as she looked around her quickly darkening surroundings, the sun disappearing quickly behind the mountains.

"Vlad," She whined submissively. "Let's go now...! Twilight is almost upon us."

She waited. And still, the stubborn prince refused to reveal himself.

"Păcăli!," She shouted, stepping forward as she heard a hushed snicker from behind a patch of bushes. "It's going to be your fault when we are eaten by wolf's or captured my thieving gypsies!"

The young boy couldn't help but laugh heartily at his logodită's outburst. Which effectively gave away his hiding spot.

"Vlad," The fierce girl growled lowly before stepping forward a few more steps and grabbing the smiling boy by his shirt. "We are leaving. Now."

"But why? The game was just starting to get fun." The elder child chuckled as he was dragged down the mountain side. She cared little for his well being as she didn't make much of an effort to maneuver him away from rocks or sharp branches.

"Ouch!," The prince exclaimed as he stubbed his toe on yet another large boulder.

"Aurelia!," He tore her hand from his shirt and held onto her wrist tightly, forcing her to stop dead in her tracks.

She hung her head, curtains of her long curls cloaking her face from his view.

"Aurelia," The young prince said again after a few silent moments between the two. "Look at me."

She shook her head furiously as she tried to step further away from the older boy.

"... Let go." She stated after a few silent moments had passed, tugging at his hold.

"Not until you look at me," the boy said in an amused tone. "What is the matter?"

"Nothing." She whined loudly, still hiding her face."Now let go."

She tugged harshly at his hand, refusing any further commands until his fingers finally loosened and she could slip her wrist out of his vice-like grip.

They both stood there in platonic silence until the elder boy sighed in defeat and stepped forward.

"Let us take our leave before the darkness envelopes the mountain side and we freeze to death." He said softly, tucking a lock of dark brown hair behind her ear the way he had seen his father do with his mother whenever she was upset.

She looked up at him hesitantly. Her big green eyes shimmered with un-shed tears in the low-light of the setting sun.

He smiled warmly down at her and placed a comforting hand on her back as he lead her home.

... Later That Night ...

Young Vlad waited until his mother had walked down the hallway until he leapt out of bed. He shivered as his feet hit the cold stone floor before wrapping his robe around his shoulders and quietly making his way down the darkened corridor towards his iubit's courtiers.

He tiptoed past his elder brother's, Mircea's, room before gently grabbing a lit candle off of a nearby stand. Slipping into the lone hallway, the young prince made his way toward the only door located down the barren hallway. The walls were bare except for an old tapestry which had since been feasted upon by moth's. Beside the fallen decoration was a large pine door, of which the adolescent boy opened with ease.

As he slipped inside the well lit space, he found her as she always was right before bed. Laying in her bed, propped up by pillows as she read intently through one of her favorite works. Written in perfect Latin, of course.

"Reading that god-awful poetry again, are you?" He said as he blew out his candle and set it next to the door.

The girl smiled as she looked up from her book and saw the young prince waiting for her. She set the heavy collection of pages down on her nightstand before beckoning him to her.

He smirked and strode over to her large bed. Lifting the covers, he cuddled his beloved close to his chest.

"Mmmm, your so warm," Vlad hummed, his black locks tickling her neck.

"Your so cold," She giggled, laying her head on the twelve year-old boy's chest.

"That's because I had to spend all day playing with you in the forest," He smirked.

"Whatever," She scoffed "It was your idea to go! And it was your fault we got home late. I swear my mama yelled at me for an eternity at least."

"Yes, well, perhaps you should learn to be more responsible...," He teased before kissing her softly.

"Vlad...," She breathed in appreciation after the kiss was broken.

The prince did the same, whispering her name lovingly into her ear as he pressed his forehead against hers. Her green orb's gazing into his warm brown.

"You know I leave with Radu for Turkey-land tomorrow...," Vlad said softly, his fingers running through the ten-year-old's hair.

She sighed sadly as her chest constricted with the heaviest of depressions. "I know..."

"Don't be sad, dragă. I spoke with my father and we are to be married the day after you turn sixteen. I will be back for you by then."

She couldn't help herself as a few warm tears spilled down her soft dimpled cheeks.

"Aurilia... do not be sad, dragul meu." He said as he kissed away her tears.

"But Vlad," She sobbed "That's too long"

"I know... but look, I have something for you that will make it easier."

The young prince held her hand in his as he took out a gold ring. He smiled at her before he slide it onto her wedding finger.

"My father says this is called an "inel de logodna"... I had it engraved so you may always remember my love for you."

The young girl stared down in awe at the thin band of gold that was strapped across her finger.

"Vlad...," She whispered. Still completely in shock that the young prince was finally proposing to her officially. She studied the engraving on the outside of the gold band.

… Magis quam mea sue vita ...

He smiled and held her close as she admired the piece of jewelry. Breathing in the sweet scent of her soft hair, he tilted her head up so that he could kiss her deeply.

"Vlad... I-i," She stuttered after she pulled away from him. "Te iubesc."

She held onto him tightly as she began to cry anew.

He smiled as his chest pulsed with the warm sensations of young love. He held his sobbing fiance close to him as she cried into his shoulder. "Aurelia, Te iubesc..."

A/N – I have been dieing to write a long "Hellsing" story about Alucard as Vlad Tepes (Dracula, Draculea) so here it is. I do anticipate this story being fairly long. Perhaps about forty or fifty chapters.

Romanian Words:

dragă – love, sweetheart

Păcăli – Idiot

logodită – Betrothed

iubit - beloved

dragul meu – My love

nel de logodna – Engagement ring

Te iubesc – I love you

Latin Words:

Magis quam mea sue vita – More than my own life

Draculea – The Latin way to write "Dracula" - Vlad Tepes (Vlad The Impaler) signed his name "Draculea" on Latin documents.