Gracie was scared of the male with the scarred face. He looked mean. She didn't know what was going on because her mommy was not signing. She tugged on her mommy's shirt, getting her attention. "Mommy sign," she said, her voice sounding like she was talking around a mouthful of cotton balls.
Brenna put Gracie down so she could sign as she spoke. Gracie deserved to know what was going on since it involved her. Brenna also spoke aloud as she signed. "My daughter is hard of hearing, nearly completely deaf. She can only hear very high pitched sounds," she explained. She paused. It was hard to know where to start. 
"I never knew my father, but I assume he must have been a vampire. My mother was human but she died early in my life, leaving me with my grandmother. She was a very... religious woman who considered my existence a sin. So when my transition hit I had no idea what was happening to me. Gracie's father appeared out of no where, almost like magic. I remember he said he had sensed me in trouble and came to help. I remember he was built like a tank and he had long brown hair so dark it was nearly black. His eyes were mesmerizing. It was as if the longer you stared at them, the more colors you saw. Green, yellow, grey, blue, purple... I swear I even saw some red sprinkled in them as well. I think he told me his name, but I can't remember no matter how hard I try. But there was something about him... as if I wasn't seeing the real him, if that makes sense. Even though he was kind while I was dealing with the agony of transition, it was as if it was uncomfortable for him to be so. Once I was through my transition he told me to leave rather harshly. I didn't know what to do so I begged him for help. It was only after I started crying that he directed me to Havers," Brenna looked at each of the Brothers in the room, but her gaze lingered on Zavist, as it had throughout the story. "That is why it was a shock to think he was a Brother. He was not what I have always thought a Brother is supposed to be."

During all of this Gracie had been very still, watching her mother. Finally she tugged on the bottom of the shirt. "My Daddy mean? He bad?" the child voiced and signed, tears in her eyes.
Brenna's heart clenched. She hadn't thought about what she'd said before saying it. "Oh no baby, no he wasn't bad. Please don't cry," she said, kneeling down to hold her close.

It was at that moment Brenna realized something she had forgotten completely about : 

She was wearing Zavist's shirt.
A shirt that hit her mid thigh.
A shirt that, now that she was kneeling, had hiked up dangerously high.
In a room full of males.
One of whom was the bloody king of the race.

Brenna's face turned bright red as every curse word she knew went through her mind. She had been so distraught that she had completely forgotten what she was wearing! She had barged into the king's study and had been parading around the mother****ing BROTHERHOOD in a shirt that looked like a cocktail dress on her! They probably thought she was some kind of slut!
Brenna picked up Gracie and stood quickly. If embarrassment were electricity she would look like a bloody Christmas tree! She assessed her options, limited that they were, and only one stood out as a viable course:

RUN!

"I s-should get her to bed," Brenna stammered. "Thank you for your kindness to us my lord the King. I apologize for my... I didn't realize I... that I... er..." she looked to Zavist helplessly, her face still bright red and mortified. Her long term plans were to put Gracie to bed, then find a nice deep dark hole to crawl into.