Turning around Alucard saw that it was who he dreaded. Elexina wore a pink dress, similar to her previous one, but this one was more in line with the ballroom and made for movement. Its color made her stand out amongst the rest of the environs. She also wore a butterfly masque that covered the top half of her face. The bottom half was covered but a smile that would make any man's skin crawl.

Feigning politeness Alucard nodded to the woman, "I see you've calmed down."

"My apologies for my last outburst. I am unaccustomed to denial," she replied, her tone surprisingly honest. She offered her hand to Alucard, "This is our number. Come."

That wasn't a request and, considering what happened last time, Alucard knew better than to refuse. He begrudgingly took her hand in his own.

They walked hand-in-hand towards the center of the room, and all sound save for the music stopped. All eyes were on the dancers as well. The lights dimmed magically, and the moonlight above proved to be the more dominate luminance in the ballroom. Alucard made eye contact with a few of his friends, hoping they understood the predicament. He didn't know if anyone caught it.

As soon as the singer began to sing once again and the musicians followed her lead, the dancing began. Like they had all rehearsed it endlessly to perfection everything went along smoothly. Even Alucard's dance with Elexina went well. Alucard of course had been taught how to ballroom dance at a young age, and Elexina being the daughter of a prestigious vampiress had no doubt been trained in the art as well.

If he didn't find her annoying or his enemy he might have been able to enjoy this a bit more.

Noticing his look of disgust Elexina spoke when she got in close to him, "Something wrong?"

"What is your scheme? The point in me being here?" Alucard asked more out of to pass the time. He more than likely knew the answer but, well, he needed to make sure.

"Think of this as our pre-marital dance. Before this night is over, we will be far away from here living out eternity together," said Elexina, her voice full of wanton desire.

Yet Alucard didn't share her thought of eternal bliss. What she had wanted was nothing short of a nightmare for him. Still, he didn't try to refuse her outright. "Not the answer I wanted."

"Hmph, very well." Elexina let Alucard lead her into a dip. When he brought her back up she got close to his face. At first he thought she would try to kiss him and he leaned his head back a few inches. "As you may notice the ballroom is protected by my sisters and I..." her face turned ugly. "Against my wishes my other sisters have joined the party. They have personal stakes in the events of this place, and while I do not know why they are here they don't seem interested in ruining my plans. Long as that is the case, I can pursue my goal."

Alucard's eyes took quick glances around the room to verify her words. Sure enough he noticed other young women similar in appearance and elegance to Elexina walking about the room in bright colored ball gowns. All of them resonated with the same dark power that the vampiress shared. While Alucard had thought to use the fact that his allies were also in the ballroom to threaten Elexina, he realized that was no longer a viable option. The odds were pretty much even on both sides now.

Still, he prodded the woman for answers. "You don't think we can't stop you?"

Resting a delicate hand on his shoulder, Elexina looked up into Alucard with supreme confidence. "This place isn't what it seems."

"What?"

"Keep going, or you'll upset someone," she teased.

They went along with the dance number as instructed but Alucard kept pressing the matter. "What have you done?"

"More like what have you done. You and your friends have become a nasty nuisance to me and my sisters. We needed to get you all into a place where we could keep you entertained until the time was right."

So that was it, huh? Alucard stopped the dance but kept Elexina close as the rest of the dancers moved away. "And if we happen to resist?"

"Don't think this place is totally free of conflict."

"You'd put all these people in harm's way just to get at us?"

"The only 'people' in this entire place are my sisters and your friends."

Alucard's eyes went wide, "What-?!"

Elexina put a finger to his lips to hush him. "Don't disturb the peace of this place, or else the patrons will tear you all apart."

That was the secret to the ballroom, now revealed to Alucard, and he and his friends had fallen right into the trap. The castle may not have much influence to the ballroom outside of guaranteeing a passage to it whenever Carmilla desired it, but that didn't mean it couldn't have a hand in its security. Turns out the 'people' in the area were not made flesh and blood but specters and ghosts forever trapped inside the ballroom. Reliving life on repeat every night for hundreds of years, the only thing changing was the look of the ballroom as the centuries went by. There had to be hundreds of costumed ghouls in the ballroom, and now Alucard and his friends were entirely surrounded. This was not good for any of them.

"Damn you..." said Alucard in a low voice, angry that he had let his guard down.

"Anything to get you to be mine," said Elexina with a playful smile. She then laid her head upon Alucard's shoulder, dropping her masque to the floor. "I've lived a long time, Alucard, and while men have fallen at my feet at the mere sight of me none of them held my interest for longer than a fortnight. You, on the other hand, were the first to refuse me." She pulled back to look him in the eye once again. "While that would be a death sentence for anyone else, I have kept my temper in check because I wanted you to come around to loving me. What say you? Will you not rethink my offer and be my husband?"

Alucard's eyes narrowed, his answer obvious.

Recognizing that look, Elexina's smile began to fade. "You better make sure of your choice, because if I cannot have you then no one will."

"Jealousy makes you ugly," said Alucard, not caring of her words.

She gripped his coat and her smiled totally vanished. "Be careful of what you say to me, lest I lock you up in chains..."

"Being locked away is something I am used to, so your threat does nothing to worry me."

Getting desperate and losing control, Elexina bared her fangs in a threatening manner, "I have other methods of getting your cooperation."

"You have nothing on me, witch. Don't push your luck." Confidently Alucard moved her along with the dance around them, lest not to spring trouble from the party goers.

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't, but I am sure the lives of your friends would make fine bargaining chips," she said, smacking down his threat. "I am a resourceful woman, and I always get what I want."

Sensing she was hiding something Alucard tried to figure it out. She couldn't have such a card to play. His friends were pretty much all in this area and they could take care of themselves. There had to be something more. Yet he had a feeling she wouldn't reveal her hand willingly, even to him.

So, he took her bluff.

"I suppose I have little choice in this matter," he said, feigning defeat.

Elexina could barely hold down her elation, "Splendid! Now, let's finish our dance, shall we?"

They went on dancing to the music, and soon enough Alucard noticed that he and Elexina were dancing along on the floor, the world revolving around them. Eventually as the music slowed its tempo Alucard stopped with Elexina's back against his front. She seemed to be lost in bliss.

"Now, lover, don't enjoy me now. We still have the rest of the night," she closed her eyes and stretched her arms out.

Alucard slowly ran his hands up the front of her dress while his lips played with the nape of her neck. He was teasing her and she was letting him do it. "Too bad I don't have all night-" His arms wrapped around her chest and held her against his body tightly.

Before Elexina could even begin to realize what was going on, she felt something sharp pierce the skin on her neck. Her eyes went wide as she realized that Alucard was biting her!

"W-What are you doing?!"

Ignoring her Alucard stuck to his plan, drinking her blood and reading her hidden memories. Images of her sisters, her mother, parts of the castle, and other things went through his mind at a rapid pace...

Then he saw Maria, strung up and bloodied, being physically abused and he lost all train of thought. His eyes went wide and he pushed her away.

"You bitch! You have Maria!"

Blood trailing down her chest Elexina turned to Alucard, her expression a mix of horror and volcanic fury. "Bastard!

The crowd around them stopped anything they were doing, mostly out of shock that the peace had been ruined. Yet that didn't mean everyone was frozen with terror. Soon, Saya and Hagi, Morbius, Blade, Lilith, Zero, Marie, and even Van Helsing came forward to join Alucard, their weapons drawn and ready for a fight.

Elexina's patience had run thin before, but it was lost to the void now. "You will pay for refusing me!"

Then the battle was joined and went off like a powder keg lit by a spark.