*Meanwhile, in the council chamber…*

Lady Iris: “I think I speak for all of us when I say that this situation has been handled quite poorly.”

Lord Vladislaus: “Indeed.”

Lady Eloise: “Yes! I seem to remember you saying that you’d never let something like this happen again. I certainly hope you didn’t think that having only one lone young vampire on guard was a sound plan.”

Lady Lylliannah: “Only one guard? Celeste, what happened to my darling gargoyles that I lent you?”

Celeste: “I don’t know. They said they had grown tired of me and flew away. I am so sorry, my lady.”

Lord Vladislaus: “I had warned you about leaving her in charge, Lady Eloise. All she’s ever done is mess things up since you gave her that quarter.”

Lady Eloise: “Oh hush now, Vlad. She has had next to nothing to work with because you won’t spare your soldiers.”

Lord Vladislaus: “You’re damn right I won’t.”

Lady Lylliannah: “Oh dear, now you’ve upset her.”

Lord Vladislaus: “She should be upset! I’m upset! You and Eloise have gone soft and you’re let failures like her ruin everything we’ve built.”

Amy: “Thanks for helping me, Dorian. It could have gone a lot worse.”

Dorian: “You’re welcome. I’m sorry that my mother got involved.”

Amy: “Hey, don’t sweat it! …So, what do you think they’re going to do with her now?”

Dorian: “The council will have a meeting and decide her fate. They will either turn her or kill her, most likely. I don’t think they’d just let her go.”

Amy: “I almost feel a little sorry for her. But, unfortunately for her, not sorry enough.“

Dorian: “Yes, she is a delicate and pitiful creature, isn’t she? It’s hard to believe that you were like that human not that long ago.”

Amy: “Yeah… Um, I’m going to go see if your mom needs anything before I go. I’ll see ya around.”

Celeste: “Ahhh, it is so good to be back home. I’d love to show you around sometime, girl. However, we need to decide what we’re going to do with you first. I can’t just have you wandering around here so Dorian and Amy will have to take you downstairs for a while. I’m sorry to have to be such a terrible hostess.”

Celeste: “Oh my! So this is the little thing giving you so much trouble tonight?”

Amy: “I was resting. They caught me off-guard, you see. If you had provided me with the guardian I had asked for, all this might have been avoided.”

Celeste: “Indeed. I thought you could handle this post, but it seems I was wrong. I’ll see to it that someone is assigned immediately.”

Amy: “Thanks…”

Celeste: “Dorian, this drafty place is not safe for a young human girl. I think she should come with us and see our lavish residence. Please help Amy bring her along.”

Dorian: “Yes, mother.”

Amy: “She’s coming here personally? Great! …Oh no, no. I don’t have a problem with that at all. …Yes, see you tomorrow. …Bye.”

Amy sighs.

Amy: “You’ve really gotten me into some deep fuckin’ shit here. I was having a nice, quiet night until you brats came along and ruined everything! …Oh, I’m so sorry, dear. I forgot you humans aren’t used to such foul, unpleasant language. They don’t speak like that down in your happy

little do-gooder sunshine town, do they? I’ll stop saying such bad words, sugar. I wouldn’t want to make you faint.”