Before going to bed, Ijemaru had called Bartholomew and Mary and instructed them to wake him and Claudius up at midday. They were then told to keep a close watch on their rooms until they got back, and to take note of any suspicious happenings.<br/><br/>Being servants, of course they could not have refused. With his faith in the two humans' reliability, Ijemaru went to bed and slept soundly until midday.<br/><br/>***<br/><br/>Ijemaru was roused by a firm tapping at his door. Quickly, he dressed himself in proper attire (for each member of the Hisuka family insisted on dressing themselves) and strode out into their main room. He was soon met by a rather groggy, but clearly ready for action, Claudius.<br/><br/>"Have you got your weapon?" the younger brother asked his elder.<br/><br/>"Of course," Claudius replied. The puppet master nodded. Claudius' weapon of choice (when killing vampires) was a poisoned blade. Except there was holy water placed in the poison compartment. He'd had to train extensively with the weapon to be sure none of the substance would come upon him.<br/><br/>A certain advantage to a vampire carrying such a weapon, was that it wasn't expected. If the deed was discovered after he'd gone, it would be unlikely that a vampire would be assumed to be the culprit. It wasn't unusual to have a trusted human slave carry holy water as an asset to such a mission. Ijemaru gave a nod and lead his brother out of their rooms.<br/><br/>Luckily, there were few windows in the halls. And where there were windows, the blinds were drawn. Of course, Lord Butches room was easy to find. Ijemaru had asked his servants of its location earlier that morning. In fact, he'd asked and been told where everyone's room was.<br/><br/>Lord Butches had no children, and he'd left his wife at home when going on this trip, so he had no vampires to guard him. He did have rather burly human slaves though. Two stood outside his door (which were quickly dispatched) and four more were inside.<br/><br/>It was an amazingly easy job. The puppet master simply leaned against a wall next to the entrance door. There was no need for him to waste his energy on such weak opponents. He was simply there to tend to any mishaps. Soon, the good Lord Butches was dead, never to be seen or heard from again. On their way out of the door Ijemaru turned to Claudius.<br/><br/>"I have one more task for us," he said, thinking of his promise to Eurich. Claudius groaned and the younger brother mentally waved it aside, continuing his thought. "We will go to the princess' room and see the state of things. If anyone is there attempting to take her life, we will dispose of them. Understood?"<br/><br/>Claudius gave a slight nod, but it was clear he really just wanted to get to bed. When the brothers had arrived at the princess' door, it seemed at least three families' servants had just come to a compromise outside the door, deciding to kill the princess in cooperation. They were about to break down the door, when suddenly Ijemaru was there, barring the path. He was rather exceptional at "misting" and it allowed him to travel at rather impressive speeds, even by vampire standards.<br/><br/>"Won't you stay still for a moment?" The youngest Hisuka boy said to them, his voice dripping with persuasiveness and his eyes seeming to almost glow with intensity. "My brother has some business with you."<br/><br/>For a moment, the slaves seemed uncertain. Their fear for their masters compelled them to attempt to resist the command. But they simply were not strong enough. A dazed look fell upon their faces and they stopped moving. Ijemaru turned to where he knew Claudius was hiding behind a corner and gave a nod. In moments, the human servants were dead.<br/><br/>"I'll check inside briefly," the puppet master said. "If everything is alright, we'll leave. It's not good to miss out on sleep, and I'm sure these corpses will serve as sufficient warning to any other attempts on the princess' life today."<br/><br/>Ijemaru "misted" and slipped inside the princess' quarters. He didn't dare go far inside, but everything seemed in order, so he went back into the hall. Ijemaru took a moment to memorize the servants' faces before leading the way back to their rooms. He'd have to give their descriptions to Miku in the evening so she could draw them. The girl had impressivly realistic artistic ability. He would show her drawings to Bartholomew and Mary and find out which families the servants belonged to. They would have to be dealt with accourdingly. It was Ijemaru's sincere hope and suspicion that no others would try for the princess' head that day.