The Necromancer hopped down from the carriage, telling his Acolyte swiftly. "Take her up to my room and get her dressed. I'll come to retrieve her after I find our Dark Lord. The Acolyte hopped down from the front, moving up to the door of the carriage. Sean scooted back from the door, trying to find anything he could use as a weapon, but he had nothing. The Acolyte unlocked the door and slowly opened it. Extending out a hand to him, the Acolyte told him causally. "If you don't want your friends to become tonight's main course. I suggest you come willingly." Every fiber in Sean wanted him to refuse, but he didn't see a choice if he wanted to get his friends back. Cautiously reaching out, he took the Acolyte's hand. Noticing a strange tattoo on the Acolyte's wrist. The Acolyte helped him out of the carriage like he wasn't a prisoner but a guest at this party. Holding his hand at rib level, the Acolyte slowly walked him to the stairs of the massive grand castle. The carriage was moved away by someone to let other carriages arrive, distracting Sean as he tried to take in what was going on. Everyone arriving was dressed in fine clothing and wore masquerade masks.

Carefully walking up the steps, Sean asked the Acolyte curiously in a low voice. "What is everyone celebrating exactly?" The Acolyte glanced at him from under his large dark hood with a silver boarder that bore runes, answering coolly. "Tonight is the Blood moon. An important day for his highness and all vampires under his dreadful dominion. For tonight... a new Dark Lord will be crowned." Upon entering the castle, Sean marveled at the décor. While the outside was dark and dismal looking. The inside was rich in reds and golds. There were candles on lavish golden stands everywhere. The golden chandeliers were huge and had small crystals that hung off them, sending prism light across the walls. The dark grey stone walls and flooring really made the bright colors stand out. Music to a haunting waltz filled the castle, while people in the ballroom they passed danced beautifully to it. Sean wanted to stay and watch them dance, but the Acolyte coaxed him away, whispering to him. "You aren't dressed for it. Yet." Sean scoffed, asking a little startled. "You're going to dress me up for THAT?" The Acolyte smirked, answering softly. "Well, we can't have you going in there to meet the master looking like a maid we plucked off the street."

Taking him up the stairs, the Acolyte led him down a hallway with beautifully carved dark wood statues of crying angels and handsome devils with large bat wings. Sean couldn't help biting his lip at the sight of one crowned devil that was not only naked with a six-pack, but had the most innocent looking face. The Acolyte snorted, tugging him into the room as he told him. "Gawk later." Sean stumbled into the large room that was fit for even the richest of gothic nobles. Everything was visually stunning to look at. Even the coffin that sat in place of a normal bed. Anxiously moving up to the coffin, Sean ran a hand along the smooth polished wood and sleek silk interior. The Acolyte folded a dark wooden room divider to reveal a clawfoot tub that was filled with steaming water. Gesturing to it, he told Sean lightly. "Clean yourself up. You have five minutes. After that, I'm coming in with others to dress you. If you don't do a good enough job. I'll wash you myself. You're not ruining this day for the Dark Lord." Sean nodded, waiting for the Acolyte to leave. The second he did, Sean heard the door lock and went to the window. Only to cringe. They were high up in the castle. With his fear of heights, climbing out wasn't an option.

Sighing, he gave in and moved behind the divider to undress and bathe himself. It was surprising to realize just how dirty he was. Although, he wanted to hate this. The water did feel amazing on his roughed-up skin. The water even had a pleasant smell. It was a strange mix of roses and lilies. Not normally something he would bathe in as a guy, but it was nice. Climbing out, he dried himself with the red towel that hung on the rack. He wasn't out for long when the door unlocked, and the Acolyte returned with three other women that were dressed in slender black dresses with red silk bows at their lower backs. The Acolyte kept his back turned to them, letting the women take care of him. They pulled him to a vanity stool and looked over his face and hair. They spoke not a word but smirked at the sight of him. If they thought it was strange to dress a man in women's clothing, they didn't vocalize it. Could they tell what he was? Why could the others not? While one woman pulled his long blonde hair out from the ponytail he had with his black ribbon to put his hair up into a more stylized bow. The two others worked to prepare the dress for him. While his body was slender enough to make the dress work, they cursed when his feet were too big for the shoes.

The woman that was working to put ringlets in his hair, told the other two. "Forget the shoes. Clean his and use them. No one will be looking at his feet anyway." Another woman held up his dirty black flat heels, mumbling out. "These? Please... I'd rather die again then ruin this dress with these. This dress needs height!" The other women smirked, asking softly. "Can he even walk in heels? I mean... he'll ruin the dress if he can't stand up." They giggled to themselves, but Sean just glared at himself in the mirror. Not seeing their reflections but knowing they were there was unsettling. One of the women took one of his shoes, telling the others. "I'll be back. I'm sure we have a flat heel somewhere. Strahd did have a few wives. One of them should have something close to what we want." Sean's curiosity got the better of him when he asked. "Who's Strahd?" The woman helping to roll the black stockings onto his legs, answered promptly. "Von Battle's ancient ancestor. The previous Dark Lord of the vampires before he was killed by Von Battle to help that stupid rebellion. That resulted in Ipliers taking over everything." The woman doing his hair, shushed the other one and pointed to the Acolyte in the corner.

The woman waved a hand at her, telling her honestly. "Oh, you don't have to worry about them. They are on our side. They prefer the company of the dead better anyway." The two women giggled, until the Acolyte asked curtly. "How much longer?" The women finished up his hair, replying openly. "Few more minutes." Helping him up, they carefully put him in another dress. Sean preferred his other dress to this one. As comfortable as this new one was, it was too long. He felt like he was going to trip over it. The dress was made of flowing white silk, while the bottom of the skirt had a red stain color that faded to black like it had been walked through blood. Then the white silk top of the dress left his shoulders bare to hug his torso better and instead fastened up around his neck with a beautiful black collar with a bright red diamond brooch. The dress hid his lightly hairy chest and Adam's apple a little too well. Highlighting his slender features more. Slipping his hands into elbow length black gloves, they finished up his make-up and cursed at how long his shoes were taking. Finally, the other women raced into the room, rushing out to the other girls. "Ok. Bad news. His feet are too big..."

The other women groaned and were about to complain, until the woman quickly pipped up as she jogged up to them. "BUT I found these! What do you think?" She held up what looked like matching black lace pieces and the women fawned over it for a bit. Sean shrugged, not getting what they were excited about. The woman kneeled at his feet, coaxing his foot up to slide a thin loop over his middle toe, then hooked the back piece around his ankle and tightened it to sit right. Looking down at his foot, he chuckled a little. He could imagine the people with foot fetishes getting a rise out of this. The lacy black rose design took the attention off how long his feet were by accenting the look. The loop being worked into the stem of the flower as it stretched up to his ankle, where the leaves sparkled with tiny white diamonds that made them look freshly watered. The black rose instead had a few tiny red diamonds and was detailed enough that even from a distance it was... pretty. Sighing to himself with light reluctance, he grumbled out to himself. "What did I do to deserve being shown off like this..." He was starting to like the way he looked but didn't like dressing like a woman.

The women clapped, then told him quickly. "Just raise the hem, like this, when you walk and you'll be fine." Sean tested walking around a bit and blushed a deep red. The dress flowed so well with his every step and for having so much more fabric... it was rather light and airy. One of the women then asked the Acolyte to turn around to get his thoughts on it. Groaning, the Acolyte turned around after checking his watch. The moment he saw him, the Acolyte uttered out with wide eyes. "Oh, Great Cthulhu... Well... If he makes it to the ballroom without getting eaten before the Dark Lord sees him. I'll accept that as a win." The women grinned, then chuckled out to the Acolyte. "Then we'll go clear the way for his grand entrance." The Acolyte blinked, muttering out a bit distracted. "Him...?" Sean waited until the Acolyte turned his back on him to snatch the monocle and pocket watch out of his other dress. Bending over to slip their thing chains up around his garter. He didn't want to leave them behind, just in case he couldn't come back for them. He had just got them in place where they wouldn't move around too much or make noise, when the Acolyte asked him. "Something wrong?"

Sean slowly straightened up, fixing his skirt as he said. "No. Just... adjusting things to sit better. I'm not used to these stockings." The Acolyte didn't press the subject and opened the doors to the bedroom. Just outside the doors, the Necromancer stood waiting for him. Looking him over, the Necromancer smiled and extended out his hand for his. Walking over slowly just to get used to the dress, he started to reach for the Necromancer's hand, but the Necromancer pulled his hand back to reveal a wooden box in his other hand. Sean hesitated, watching the Necromancer open it as he told him sweetly. "A gift from our Dark Lord." Sean peeked inside the box and swallowed uneasily. Inside was a small black lacey half mask with small red diamonds that would hang down just under the eyes and a little passed his nose. The Necromancer beckoned over the woman who had done his hair, letting her take it to put it on him. She attached the piece delicately over his eyebrows and made sure that the little red diamonds hung down nicely on his face. All while the Necromancer handed off the box to the Acolyte and told Sean warmly. "He is quite pleased with what you brought him. He's eager to meet you."

Sean glared at the Necromancer, stating out a bit sourly. "You stole it from me. I didn't bring it to him." The Necromancer waved the woman away, then put a finger under Sean's chin before purring out in a whisper. "You clean up nice. But mind that tongue if you hope to live through this night with your friends. It all hinges on how you behave." Sean shrugged, backing up before he asked. "Why me?" The Necromancer took Sean's hand, starting to lead him down the hallway as he said a bit guarded. "I thought that would have been obvious." Sean's mind was racing a mile a minute as he tried to think of what should be obvious. The Necromancer walked him into the ballroom, taking him down the red carpet steps to the dance floor below. Along the far sides of the wall were tables with golden cups and trickling fountains with different labels on them that made the room smell like fresh warm blood. There was nothing else to eat or drink. Sean shivered, eyeing every person that he passed. All of them were vampires. Some chatted in corners. Others danced in unison to the instrumental waltz music that was being played by a band in the corner.

At the far end of the ballroom was a high back gothic throne chair. It looked both frightening and comfortable. Yet, it was empty. The Necromancer took him up to stand before the empty chair, then let him go. Sean looked at the Necromancer with curious eyes, then jumped when a hand touched his arm on the other side. The Necromancer bowed to the person and moved up to stand by the throne chair. While the person behind Sean, took his elbow and guided him back into his embrace as he pulled him onto the dancefloor. Taking his hand, the man twirled him around to face him and Sean found himself holding his breath. The man was dressed in a gorgeous dark blue suit that had black swirling designs on it. His dark straight hair hung down passed the dark half mask he wore that had the look of a black raven. The four buttons of his black shirt were left open to show off his smooth marbled skin and he wore jeweled rings on every finger. Including the Ring of Wonderland! Sean let him pull him close, before warning him softly. "I can't dance." The man smirked, showing a slight hint at his fangs when he told him in a calm tone. "I'll go slow until you get the hang of it."

As they twirled around the dance floor, Sean tried not to focus on his feet so much, when he asked. "Are you Von Battle?" The man slowly spun Sean by his hand, then pulled him back up against him to answer casually. "Yes." Leaning closer to his ear, Von Battle whispered to him as they kept dancing around. "And you must be the Oyster everyone is talking about. Though I must say... I wasn't expecting you to turn out to be-" Sean leaned back a bit in Von Battle's embrace, cutting him off to growl out. "Don't say it or I'll punch you." Von Battle chuckled to himself, replying with a dark charm to his voice. "I was expecting Marvin. The one 'impersonating' an Oyster. Not the real Oyster." Sean scoffed, asking a little hopefully. "So...? Now that you know that I'm not the one you want. Will you let me, and my friends go?" Von Battle stopped to dip Sean, purring over his lips with a sly grin. "What makes you think I was hoping to catch Marvin? I have no need for a court magician." Gulping, Sean asked him a bit nervously. "What do you want me for?" Von Battle's hold on his waist tightened, his lips brushing across Sean's shaven chin as he moved toward his covered neck. Von Battle then whispered close to his ear a bit wickedly. "The Ring of Wonderland only works for an Oyster... So, when the moon is high... I'm going to drain you dry and use the ring." To Be Continued...