Vlad's reign as prince was not lengthy, however, he did serve as ruler of Wallachia three times. Born in Sighisoara around 1431, Vlad first ascended to the throne in 1436. Yes that's right, folks, a five-year-old sat on the throne. Surprisingly, he ruled for six years until enemy groups paying tribute to the Ottomans ousted him. No doubt, he was one pissed off 11-year-old. At the age of 13, Vlad and his brother, Radu, were held as political prisoners by the Ottoman Turks. While living with the Turks, Vlad would learn their language; study the Quran and horsemanship. Nonetheless, he hated being in Turkish captivity particularly when Radu was given the nickname of "The Handsome." Vlad just wasn't good-looking enough, and in fact, spent most of his time being beaten and punished for his impunity. That did not pay off for the Turks. Vlad would later take the throne in 1456 and serve until 1462 when he could no longer fight off the Ottoman invasion. Forced to hightail it to Moldavia, he left behind small groups of guerilla fighters. Eventually his own brother, yes, the handsome one, would take Poenari Castle and defeat him. Radu's invitation to Christmas dinner was immediately cancelled. Vlad was held prisoner for about four years, and then released. He plotted his takeover and would once again rule in 1476 for a very short two months.
