Epilogue
Vlad rose out of sleep as the memory ended. He looked up to see Sigismund rise from his spot. Miklos jumped in front of his face. “So, how’d you like the great story?”
“Rescuing the princess? Seems basic but there wasn’t even a giant monster. I guess it’s also cool to see the origins of like half you guys. But all of that for an already dead woman. You already remarried. Where’s the love for your current wife, old man.”
“Vlad! You heartless fiend,” Sigismund clutched his chest and he lowered his head.
“Whatever. You know what is similar between kid you and now me?”
“Yes,” Sigismund said, raising his head hopefully.
“We BOTH thought conch shells just did that naturally!”
“Exactly!” Sigismund shouted. Miklos face palmed.
“Garai, I learned a bunch there. Can we just do it like that instead of classroom lessons? I’m not a scholar.”
“And you don’t have to be but this ritual isn’t the best. It only works with the most vivid memories and even then, you will only retain like 10% of it.”
“What is a percent? I didn’t learn that part. Holy shit I already forgot who said it.”
“Don’t worry about it. You’ll need real sleep now. Let’s go.”
So after the Marian Rescue, Hungary somewhat stabilized. Dalmatia and Bosnia would still be ungoverned as Tvrtko expanded his kingdom to its largest extent in history. Then, the Ottomans crushed his Kingdom and killed him too 6 years after the Battle of Forticia. Maybe he would’ve been an ally alive. The Bosnian Church basically died during the Ottoman occupation. Only the north Catholic area, on the river Bosna, would be recovered by Hungary. Bosna would be ruled by Stefan ‘Dabisa’ Kotromanic, a relative of Tvrtko.
As for Ladislao Durazzo, he would remain in Naples with his mother Margarita as she prodded the head of Miklos Garai Sr, swearing revenge.
The Kurjakovic, Szecsi, and Perenyi and other families would rise in prominence in the Hungarian government. This means owning more counties, especially ones that would’ve been absorbed by the State. With them allied to Sigismund, he would have more control over the country but it would not be permanent as he would soon be betrayed…
After letting go of Brandenburg, Jobst would become it’s Margrave and sole ruler. Sigismund was still allowed to inherit it from him.
Jan was never able to use the water and reflect spells again but as the Duke of Gorlitz, he would rarely ever have to fight again. He found it a fair sacrifice that he got hit instead of Sigismund, who would be ruling a much larger country.
Wilhelm Habsburg, in 1401, would marry Princess Johanna Durazzo, the older sister of Ladislao. This would keep him an enemy of Sigismund despite Sigismund still needing to return a favor.
The ghost of Ivan Horvat still stalks Castle Forticia, cursing the day he lost to such a sly fox. From time to time, his brother returns to guide him to Heaven but he refuses.
Queen Elizabeta woke up in a gray field with gray water washing the shores. Cardinal Demetirus helped her get up. “What’re you doing here?”
“I wanted to help you and I didn’t start off much better than you. We’ll get through this together. It is as Dante described it, the Mount of Purgatory.” She looked up to see a great towering mountain with forests, deserts, tundra, and jungles among the rocks. Wind bellowed them and they braced against it. “I died shortly after marrying Sigismund to Maria. All went well you know. But what holds me here is my pride. What holds you back is a lack of repentance. But God forgives, it wasn’t your fault.”
“Well I didn’t know if I even wanted to repent yet. I’ve been waking and sleeping here because of that.”
“Good thing Angel Raphael told me. We’ll help each other. It’s not like you didn’t have wisdom I can’t learn from.”
“Yes okay. I don’t appreciate the marriage but…let’s move forward.”
“Exactly. Better than being a ghost held back by failure. In the end, you had always succeeded in loving Maria, as her mother.”
“Hmm. Hey Demetrius, don’t talk too much, okay?”
“Don’t ruin the mood.”
tdwriter 