*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.”