De-sensitised, they'd say, but she's always felt like this, even before the disgusting and humiliating things she did with her father, her mother, her whole family to gain Molag Bal's favour only to be cast aside. The subsequent slaughter of both mortal and vampire alike, she might concede that that makes her more able now, able to see them just as they are, meat and always headed to the void but she would have cared little before. There is only Adriana, but her duty gives her power.

"So," Luxuria says as she sits and they settle themselves around the fire in the small house of Breezehome, "what's this all about then, hm?"

"Lord Harkon is defeated?" Adriana also sits.

"Yup. Turned into a pool of red goo right before my eyes."

"You killed him?"

"Yes..." Luxuria gives a suspicious eye.

"And our Lady Serana?" Adriana asks expectantly.

"Serana? What's this about, before I start giving out information on my friends."

There is a momentary paused glare and tut from Lydia at this statement, which Luxuria ignores.

"She's a friend?" Adriana says with a quizzical look. Daughters of Cold Harbour with friends? And a mortal at that.

"Is everything a question with you?" Lux says with annoyance.

"But she lives?"

"Yes, she lives. Well as much as a vampire does anyway."

"And her mother, our Lady Valerica?"

"Yes, she's safe too. Please, what's this about?"

"Do you know what this means?" Adriana imposingly show her ring.

"Ummm..." Luxuria looks over the ring then offers facetiously, "that you're married?"

"You implied by the tavern that you used to be of the herd?"

"Hm. I suppose I did." Lux says.

"Yet your masters did not teach you well."

"What's the ring mean then?"

"I am what is known as a..." Adriana pauses on the words, despising the term and its implied lowliness, "...a Dreg of Cold Harbour. It is my duty to serve the Daughters of Cold Harbour, and cull the herd should they become unruly."

"A vampire vampire hunter, eh?" Lux finds it amusing.

"Make no mistake. I am still very much a vampire. Do not under-estimate me."

"Alright!" Lux says, "No need to get your knickers in a twist! Well, if you wore any. Anyway, I'm a dragon slayer and a master in just about every art known to man but you don't hear me banging on about it!"

"Quite. But Serana?"

Luxuria raises a brow to peer at Adriana, assessing this vampire vampire hunter. She knows what it is to revel in the slaughter, to embrace power and enjoy unquestioned perverse pleasures but Serana stood by Lux to take the life of her own father. Luxuria can't give her up that easily, but this vampire intrigues her.

"She's somewhere you're really not interested in going right now, so here's what I'm going to do: I'll see Serana alone, get the lay of the land and her thoughts on all this. That's as much as I'm doing. If Serana wants to come and meet you, fine, that's her call. But if she doesn't, then don't expect anything more from me. If she says you're any kind of threat, well... we'll just have to play that by ear, won't we?"

"Our Lady's wishes are my wishes." Adriana says.

"Good!"

"Do you need anything else from me tonight, my thane?" Lydia asks, motioning towards the stairs and bed.

"Nothing we can do in front of guests, Lyd, but thanks for offering. I'll be up in a mo."

"Good night then, my thane." Lydia says, then leans in to give Lux a kiss goodnight and heads up the stairs.

"Is she your servant or your lover?" Adriana asks.

"Lyd? A bit of both." Lux answers enigmatically.

"A fine looking woman to do as she's told when you want." Adriana says suggestively.

"My woman." Lux says firmly.

Adriana gives a smirk, once again pleased she'd found the right buttons on a soul to irk them.

"I still don't know your name." Luxuria says, "Who shall I say wants to see Serana then?"

"Knowing that I'm a Dreg will be enough."

Luxuria approaches Castle Dawnguard, receiving the occasional wave in greeting from the warriors practising their arts of war in the open area at the front but she doesn't stop for pleasantries and heads straight up to the main entrance. Closing the heavy door with an echoing thud, Lux sees Serana wandering by the main entrance reception.

"Oh." Serana says. "Hey."

"Hey." Lux returns the greeting, somewhat muted compared to her usual self. "Sooo... how's it going?"

"Honestly? I'm bored to tears here."

"Yea..." Lux concedes, feeling at least in some way responsible.

"Do you need me for something? I could do with getting out of this place for a while and Esran still looks at me like dirt."

"I've had a visitor." Lux announces.

"Oh?"

"Do you know what the Dregs of Cold Harbour are?"

A look of disgust appears on Serana's face, the one usually reserved for her father, as though someone had just wafted the previous night's chamber pot under her nose, or perhaps even as though she had been drenched in the contents. Lux shakes the thought from her head.

"What did it look like?" Serana asks with precise intent.

"Oh. You know, the usual for you Cold Harbour types; dark, mysterious, sexy..."

"Luxuria..." Serana scolds. "Did it have a name?"

"Not one that she gave."

"She." Serana confirms to herself. "Hm."

"What's with the Dregs anyway? I mean she basically said what they do; praise you, kill vampires, but what's the score with them?"

Serana looks away, then back at Lux a few times.

"They... performed the ritual but were refused entry to Cold Harbour but instead, became the Dregs and must serve the Daughters."

"Oh..." Lux says with disappointment, "Molag Bal can be a bit of an ass when he wants, eh?"

"I..." Serana says guiltily, "Lux... I still serve our dark lord, and in turn I am compelled to accept the respect of the Dregs of Cold Harbour."

"You know..." Lux probes, "You never did tell me what this ritual actually entails?"

"No." Serana says. "I didn't."

"I just don't get the shame you exhibit whenever it's mentioned. I mean, you're a vampire, you kill for sport, suck the life force from the living, powers to do what you want to who you want, but when it comes to that, you're suddenly all like... coy! I mean, the ritual... is it? What I think it is? You know?"

"It was disgusting." Serana says, making it clear that that is all she is going to say on the matter.

"Hm. Well, at least Harkon was handsome, and Velerica's still a fine looking woman!"

"Lux! Tsk. You never change."

"No, but seriously, what about this Dreg?"

"I'll meet with her. I should probably do my bit so we'll meet at Volkihar, she'll want to pay homage to my mother anyway."

"You think you might know her?"

"Maybe... but if it is who I think it is, there might be drama so please, hold back, it's normal."

"Ohh, drama amongst sexy vampires! I nearly sent her packing, I'm glad I stopped to hear her out now."

"How is Lydia?" Serana says to remind Luxuria, which indeed causes a grin on the Dragonborn.

"Oh... you know..." she sheepishly replies.

"And you say I'm a mixed personality. Don't forget, I knew you as a vampire and now you're making like an old couple."

"Yup, the only person-"

"Yea, yea, the only person you eat these days is Lydia. You still not bored of that one?"

"Bored of eating Lydia? Never!"

"I'm sorry though." Serana says.

"For what?"

"With everything that happened, there was never really any time to go over the ins and outs of vampire hierarchy. Though why your sire didn't teach you, I've no idea."

"I didn't hang about for lectures when I went to that lair. I was just off on my own, into the night, causing mischief."

"Well that hasn't changed then."

"Hm." Lux smiles. "Shame though."

"What is?"

"You know, I had to cure myself, then I met Lydia, and all that."

"And?"

"You know!"

Serana tuts and rolls her eyes, "If you hadn't met Lydia it wouldn't have made any difference."

"Really?"

Serana's shoulders drop a little and she walks away to sit at the stone seats edging the reception area, as though a weight suddenly forcing her down.

"After the ritual, I still can't..." she doesn't finish.