Vladimir smiled as he saw what the queen did to the semi-beautiful servant. His head was still tilted slightly but with a faintly smile on it he watched the whole show with green glittering eyes, a clear sign of joy.
She was right and she had all right to threaten that girl, defying someone in intellect, in strength or beauty was a sign of rebellion and even if Vladimir´s opinion was that the queen was still more beautiful than this blonde silly bimbo of a servant. For him, there could not be a more graceful, more beautiful person than the queen, than the person he loved.

As the queen raised her voice Vladimir was dragged out of his thoughts only then to recognize the two further "companions" know keeling aside of him. The only one he recognized was Eliseed, he was a high ranked knight and a great reminder of a failure in Valdimir´s eyes. He was promoted since he defeated assasins who were sulking after the queen´s life and when Vlad would have stayed moments longer and wouldn´t had decided to hunt some of those low beings plotting against the queen he might have had the chance to be that person who would have protected her. The moment he would have slew they all, he would have proposed to her and she would have smiled and agreed and... Well infact is was a good working plan of the brotherhood where they sended him across the town to weaken the queen´s fronts and only because he, Vlad the butcher. was as dumb to fall for it....the queen got attacked.

His mind drifted to the only female part in this group of four kneeling before the queen, he thought long and hard to remember who she might be, somehow...and then suddenly the coin flipped! He knew who she was~ The red hilt! The red hilt of her sword who gained her a title truly fitting. She was Katarina "the red sword". He nearly laughed as he saw her. He would have imagined her being plumb and fat and bulky like those female knights usually are but she~ well she sure had a hidden beauty below that peasant like face.

Vladimir stood up, his tall figure disturbingly making no noise, not even the rattling of clothe was to hear as one could now fully see the ghostly, black dressed figure with the sickly white face. Like a deadman, a walking dead his eyes wandered towards the showcase. It was his turn since Drexel returned to his place now.
This here was not a simple picking or a simple regard to thank one, Vladimir knew that and so the choose between sword or shield would most likely be the "stick drawing" only in a more thrilling matter. The shield was to protect but also was a sign to wait once time, the sword was quick to act and a symbol for murder, war and fight. Both symbols thrilled Vladimir but as his big steps took him towards the showcase, he already made up his mind. 

Vladimir picked a sword, bowed before the queen and returned to his designed place. Better attacking some far off brotherhood members than staying on the side of this more than simple minded soldier called Drexel of the blood. Vladimir saw what he did and what he did was nothing more than simple slaughter, there was no grace in his fight and bathing in one´s blood is more savage than anything else. Vladimir could not promise for his "health" if he wanted to, so it was better for the soldier´s sake~