I went to Peles Castle searching for vampires and the heart of Princess Marie, but I wound up wandering endless halls of blood-red carpet. Not the hexagon design from The Shining, or other spooky halls from haunted hotels and mansions, but that’s where my imagination went, wondering if the undead would appear at any moment.
Dark wood panels boxed me in; and yards and yards of golden-patterned fabric shifted under the glow of lighting fixtures. Had I entered a scene from Crimson Peak?A part of me feared the unknown, while another hoped that I would find evidence of life beyond the grave and expand my crafted world.
Vlad Tepes, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, died years before Peles Castle was built, so the stories went, but I wondered if he visited here as an immortal. If he had, Vlad the Impaler certainly would have admired the weaponry in the armory. So, I headed there, and the library, and found several secret passages and doors I couldn’t enter.
As I said before, this castle breathes. Carved cherubs peek out at you from chair arms and table legs. Tapestries, sculptures, and paintings weave you into a dreamlike state. Peles Castle is a treasure trove and museum, for all the precious art it holds. Still, no vampires.
But I wasn’t giving up. As I roamed the 34,000 square foot palace, I thought about my journey through Transylvania and all the places I’d been. Unlike Dracula, I was human with a ticking clock and a place to return to. I was running out of time. Luckily, I had a new clue thanks to a tour guide. Vlad never lived at Peles, but his royal residence wasn’t far away. Targoviste, a fortress where Vlad lived, held court, and may still roam. Of course, I had to go there.
Dawn B~
Dawn Berkoski 
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