With a sigh of relief, the platinum knight gave Irzen a nod, "Is it me or do the villains here like to monologue a lot? Either way, the blood mage won't be able to control anyone here in the palace. He's been rebuked by Bahamut himself."

"Good to know!" The Swordsman nodded his approval, "And yes, you're right, the villains of The Realm do like to monologue a lot. Personally, I think all of them love to hear themselves talk. Now, what about Alyson? Is she fully herself or is she still under the Blood Mage's control?"

He was about to reply when he heard Quake yelling up in the throne room. He just looked at the swordsman and frowned, "I don't know for sure but lets find out what the commotion is, shall we."

"Agreed!" Without a moment's hesitation, Irzen raced back down the hallway and into the throne room.

******

"You don't have to tell me twice, Captain Lion," Serna held her shield tightly, "I'm not leaving this room until you say otherwise."

The kurori sat up on her shoulder and whispered, "I'll protect you, Serna. I won't let any evil blood sucker get near you. I promise."

"Thanks, Caliaphy!" Serna whispered back, "And I'll protect you too. Just keep it down. We don't want to let Sir Gonagle or Maxim know that you are here with me. They would shoot you on sight if they did."

The kurori nodded in agreement and began to play with some of her hair.

"Are you braiding my hair?" Serna asked in a whisper.

*******

When Captain Lion entered, the room was tense from the previous nights battle with vampires. Still wearing the hooded cloak he approached the bronze man holding Alyson. Placing a pale hand on her forehead, she was cold and still. Her breath shallow. He glanced about the throne room and remembered a side room to the far left, "There I will do it in that room with your permission, Grand Cleric."

"Under most circumstances, I would not allow you or anyone else near her, Captain but this is not normal." The bronze man said bluntly.

Quake came over and blurted out so everyone could her, "No. You're not gonna turn her! That ain't gonna happen! I won't let you...she doesn't like vampires!"

"Turn her?!" Princess Cauladra and Prince Birch looked at each other in complete disbelief, "As in, turn her into a vampire?!"

Captain Lion looked at the elemental, "If there were any other way to deal with this, I can assure you it would be done. Now, let me help Alyson. She won't turn but it will be necessary...the Grand Cleric shall cure her of the side affects, dear Quake."

Usually it was Caliaphy giving everyone the quivering lip instead of Quake when she felt things were going bad. She couldn't help herself this time and the tears began to flow, "I...I...can't watch this...tell you're gonna do right by this. Both of you..."

Lazheros brought Alyson into the smaller chamber and laid her down upon the table and stepped back. He had seen this done once before a long time ago and yet he could feel Quake's apprehension towards Captain Lion.

The Englishman pulled back his hood and bent down over the elementalist. Brushing her hair away from her neck, he could feel a pulse beating still. He spoke to her in her mind, ~ It is only by the wish of the Grand Cleric that I am doing this. For I am truly sorry.~ His fangs elongated just before he bit into her neck, drinking her blood. Infecting her with vampirism long enough to fight the rage inflicted by the Blood Mage. He pulled back and wiped his mouth of the blood where he found a chair to sit down in.

"She has three days to be cured of the vampirism, Grand Cleric. I suspect, she will recover soon and put everyone's worries to rest." Captain Lion said quietly.

"Captain Lion?!" Prince Birch walked into the room completely aghast, "Are you--are you a vampire?"

Suddenly, Irzen burst into the room, "What did we miss? What happened?"

Madeous stopped in his tracks. The whole scene before him slowed down. Lazheros approached him detailing what happened when he left the throne room. That she'd collapsed suddenly and hadn't woken up. Therefore, he sent for Captain Lion because of what he truly was and that he was the only one who give her something to fight the control of the blood mage.

The Englishman's gaze shifted to Irzen, then to Madeous with a forlorn look briefly, and finally to Prince Birch, "Yes and no, your Highness. I do come from Earth but from an alternate world and time. That I was born a pure blood vampire and lived for a thousand years, yes. Then I met my lovely mortal wife and gave up what I was to live out my days with her. I can assure you, Prince Birch of this, my arrival here was not a coincidence. For I had sensed it upon arrival coming to the aid of your father, King Sunrider. I had hoped that it would not come to pass, sadly I was wrong."

Prince Birch walked up to Captain Lion and firmly placed his hand upon his shoulder, "This changes nothing betwixt us, my good man! You have ever been our friend! And will ever more be! Vampire though you are you have proved your true mettle to my father and my brothers and I a hundred times over! I know your true heart, my friend, and I know it to be a good and just one. Take comfort in this knowledge, you have nothing to fear from the Sons of Sunrider!"

Princess Cauladra smiled softly and nodded her head in approval.