Spot an intruder.

The window is open a crack. Near the foot of the bed is a woman's figure. Your heart skips a beat, and you're not sure what to do. Your eyes dart over to your sword leaning on the table nearby, but as you move to reach for it, a powerful voice responds.

"Don't even try," she says.

It's her--the gorgeous and confident Mistress Catherine. Her crimson gaze pierces the darkness. She has pale skin, two lengthy fangs, and her hair is black with a faint sheen of red. Behind her head is a high collar, which leads down into a lovely dress that cuts down and around her cleavage. It continues to her feet, though at the front, it cuts off at her waist, completely exposing a pair of black panties above black leggings which lead into knee-high boots. She has matching gloves as well which reach her elbows. Two silver rings pierce its ear, and a choker holding a ruby at the front wraps around her neck. You've met her once before, on a quest with your party. She and her vampires caught you all by surprise one night at camp. Though she shares a name with the ruler of Tivera, this queen is a powerful vampire that you were thankful already ate before meeting you back then.

"Go back to sleep," she whispers with a smug face.

"Princess, I--" You turn to Abigail, but she's already standing up. The girl makes her way to the side of the vampire queen and a sudden rage boils up inside you.

"Aw. Look at his face," mocks Mistress Catherine. "Maybe he really liked you. Or he hated you anyway for the hell you've been putting him through. But you couldn't have distracted him a little bit longer? No matter. I have what I need for now."

"Tell me what's going on!" you demand.

"Oh my. Bold. It really is good to see you again, but we aren't exactly friends. It's an interesting coincidence that our paths crossed back then. You have powerful enemies, Kyle."

She knows my name... and I do?!

"Does the princess not even have some kind of magical ward on her window?" you ask.

Abigail laughs. "The princess? She left a long time ago. I've just been using her room. And of course they have that, but I disabled it, silly."

"So are you here to kill me?"

"No, no," speaks the vampire. "You're not that important. You see, now that I have what you want, we'll have you make a mess of the princess, and that queen of yours will kill you for us, or starve you in prison. Ooh. Maybe ****~! Either way, I have other plans now. Just think. If I killed you myself, they would lock the castle's security down even more."

"So your plan is to come back..."

"Your queen is nothing but a dumb whore!" shouts the faux princess.

"That's enough," Mistress Catherine replies. "We're finished here."

She steps slowly over to the windowsill and wraps her gloved fingers around the edge. But then, the three of you turn to the door at the sound of a thud. It's hard to tell through the thick chamber walls, but you can make out heavy steps and shouting.

"That's my cue," she adds.

"Travel safe, my mistress," Abigail replies.

"Of course, dear. Make sure you make him burst, all right?"

The door then bursts violently open. Flying through the air with her hands out is the witch Vivi.

She lands, throws the door closed, and shouts, "Lock!" with one hand up. The door begins to glow. She turns quickly to the three of you and pants heavily in between words. "The... princess... she... isn't... Oh. Hello, Cat."

The vampire furls her brow. "Don't speak to me so informally in front of my victims."