Bianca St. Claire's ball

Bianca's Ball was a celebration that Bianca St. Claire held in honor of her new title of "Margravine of the Vampire court". It took place in Grave Peril.

Description
Bianca St. Claire held a masquerade ball to celebrate her elevation to the rank of Margravine of the Vampire Court, reception to have began at midnight. It was held at Bianca's mansion. Guests were to come dressed as something they weren't.

The entry led to a deck elevated ten feet off of the restes of a vast outdoor courtyard. Glowing globes rested on wire stands lending a torch-lit mystique. There was a dais on the opposite side with a throne-like chair. When entering, a servant asks for the invitation and then announces the guests.

The story
Outside Harry Dresden's apartment, Kyle Hamilton, a Red Court vampire, was sent as an ordained herald of the Court to officially invite Harry Dresden as the local representative of the White Council. He brought his sister, Kelly Hamilton, who is not covered under the Unseelie Accords and who made blood-drinking overtures to Dresden. Susan Rodriguez is present and she gets ideas of what it could mean to her career.

Dresden brought Michael Carpenter to the ball with him and hopes to find whoever is behind the Nightmare. Outside they met Thomas Raith, a White Court Vampire, and Justine. Raith calmed Bianca St. Claire and the Reds who were all set to attack over Dresden's cheesy vampire costume. Kyle and Kelly Hamilton handed Dresden and Carpenter goblets. Kelly's hand burned when she touched Carpenter. Dresden evoked the laws of hospitality. They backed off. Dresden drained his goblet. Raith warned that the wine is poisoned, a bit too late. The wine had vampire venom. All the guest have fallen into a stupor.

Dresden talked to a dragon named of Ferrovax. Mr. Ferro crushed Dresden with his power. It comes out that Carpenter killed another dragon, Siriothrax. Susan showed up having used a fake invitation to get in, so she's not protected under the laws of hospitality. The Leanansidhe tried to get Dresden to give in to her demands. Some gag spell comes over Dresden supposedly for breaking his bargain with Lea three times. Susan bargained one year of her memory to free Dresden from the spell. Lea offered to give Carpenter the Sword, Amoracchius, for his eldest daughter.

Under Lea's spell, Susan forgot everything about Dresden or Carpenter. Dresden finally convinced Susan to leave. On the stairs out, Dresden used his Sight. He Sees Mavra, a Black Court vampire, through her powerful veil. Mavra states only two can leave because one invitation was faked. Marvra started a black spell that Dresden recognized as the one behind the Nightmare. Carpenter and Susan's crosses blaze with white light. The lights in the room go out. The hour of socialization is up. The doors close with a boom. Dresden, Carpenter and Susan were locked inside.

Court started and gift time began. Dresden figured out that the whole thing was a set up to trap him there. Bianca made a speech about how with the strength of the Lords of Outer Night, and her kind will overcome their foes. Two hooded figures (identified later as Cowl and Kumori in Dead Beat ) handed Ferrovax, a cask containing something that gleams. Justine asked for Dresden's aid in escaping. Raith was given a condo in Hawaii and one airline ticket if he left tonight. Dresden climbed the dais. Bianca mentions Paula who she blames Dresden for killing. Dresden is given a gravestone: "He Died Doing the Right Thing". The Leanansidhe was given a small black case. Lea then gave Amoracchius to Bianca in exchange and in turn Bianca gave it to Mavra. Lydia (Dresden's client) was brought up to the dais and it's clear that Mavra intended to unmake the sword by killing an innocent.

Dresden, Carpenter and Raith charge up to save Lydia with Susan and Justine behind them. They get Lydia but Bianca gets Justine. Then, Raith betrayed them in a failed attempt to get her back by pushing Susan at a group vampires who descended upon her. Bianca ordered Raith killed. Dresden became so enraged that he throws fire everywhere, burning vampires, walls and people. Carpenter got Dresden and Lydia out through a tunnel of air in the smoke. Lea is there and helped them escape.

Dresden returned later to save Susan and ran straight into a trap where he is overtaken by a horde of vampires. He's locked in a room with Justine who's a little crazed. Dresden had poison in him so the vampires didn't kill him. Rachel's ghost appears wanting to be freed of Bianca. Leonid Kravos inhabits Justine and speaks to Dresden. Susan was found hiding behind some machines infected with the vampire toxin and hungry—and she still doesn't remember Dresden.

. . . (missing part)

The Red King had sent Paolo Ortega as his observer and representative to Bianca's Ball. As a witness, he planned to carry the word of Dresden's treacherous attack and his breaking of the laws of hospitality back to the Red King and that will mean War.

Dead Beat
In Dead Beat, Cowl says that "a great many things of significance happened that night" at Bianca's Ball, most of which Dresden is not aware of yet.

External references

 * Margrave - Wikipedia
 * Margravine - Wiktionary
 * herald - Free Online Dictionary
 * Herald - Wikipedia
 * VLAD TEPES - The Historical Dracula
 * Vlad III the Impaler - Wikipedia
 * Vlad II Dracul - Wikipedia
 * House of Drăculești - Wikipedia
 * House of Basarab - Wikipedia
 * Order of the Dragon - Wikipedia
 * Vlad III (ruler of Walachia) -- Encyclopedia Britannica
 * Vlad the Impaler (Dracula) Vlad Tepes
 * Vlad the Impaler — Man More Than Myth — Crime Library on truTV.com
 * Vlad the Impaler.com
 * Vlad the Impaler.info
 * Family Tree - Vlad Tepes
 * Dracula: The Terrifying Truth | Infoplease.com

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