- Once, long ago, we lived in the human world.
The Moroi vampires who make the rules...
- And the Dhampir Guardians sworn to protect
against our enemy...
the Strigoi.
- Undead vampires who live to kill.
- Now we live in a world of our own,
one grounded in elemental magic
and seeped in rules no one's challenged in centuries
until now.
- The spark of revolution can come from anywhere,
even two unlikely friends...
- And one night that changed everything.
- This is a terrible tragedy,
but don't fool yourselves.
If it happened at St. Jude, it can happen here
or any of the other 12 provinces.
None of us are safe.
- I have a question!
- Please! - More questions?
- Well, we certainly want to avoid a panic.
- I'm afraid, Your Majesty, the situation is dire.
Dhampir numbers were already down.
Now with the massacre at St. Jude's,
if we don't take action now, our future's in peril.
As it is, there aren't enough trained Guardians
to replace the one's we've lost.
- What would you have us do?
- I'll leave the short-term solutions to the council,
but for the long term, I implore you
to emphasize to the community
the necessity of the special relationship
between Moroi and Dhampirs.
Fewer new Dhampirs means fewer Guardians
to protect us in the future.
- You mean tell them to * more.
- Marina.
Please.
- Well, it is their sacred duty.
- He means tell them to * more.
- The massacre at St. Jude's was unthinkable.
All were taken too young.
All will be mourned.
As is custom, tomorrow, we will celebrate
the traditional Death Watch
for the fallen.
We also mourn the loss of the Dhampir Guardians
slain while doing their duty
protecting our Moroi brothers and sisters.
The Moroi...
and the Dhampir
have a special relationship.
Without Moroi, no Dhampir child...
Can be born.
Without Dhampirs, no Moroi life can be safe.
No Moroi man must hesitate to do his sacred duty
for the greater good.
- I have a new rule.
Whenever I look for you, I go to the place
with the least amount of other people.
You okay?
- Yeah, just taking a minute.
Somewhere amidst all the instructions to breed,
I'm pretty sure there was a moment of respect
for St. Jude's there.
That's my old school. - Oh.
I'm so sorry.
Did you know anyone who...
- No, no one well.
Except for Xavier, my roommate.
I mean, Xavier and I weren't friends.
He wasn't a nice guy.
My parents always said
he was gonna pay for his mouth someday,
but still.
No one deserves this.
I can't stop thinking about you.
- Same.
There's something strange happening
with me and Rose.
This is a little weird, um...
So Rose has always had a good sense
of how I'm feeling. - Right.
- Only lately, it's been kind of amped up.
And last night, she saw us-- well, you--
through my eyes when we were kissing.
- What? - Kissing?
We have places to be, and kissing an Ozera outcast
is not something that can happen ever.
My father's not gonna like this.
- Then don't tell him.
- Of course I'm going to tell him.
- Mia, come on. - No.
He's not gonna let you ruin your shot at being queen.
- How about we pretend this conversation never happened?
- We can pretend this never happened.
- Thanks, Mia.
See you in the dorm.
- See you in the dorm.
Do either of you know how to get access
to the Moroi library?
- What do you want with a library?
- * off.
I have to study...
- things. - That's funny.
- No way.
- Legend walking.
- *.
What is she doing here?
- The only way to deal with the massacre at St. Jude's
is to learn from it and prevent it from ever happening here.
To walk us through what happened,
I am honored to introduce our most decorated Guardian,
Janine Hathaway.
- Your mom is such a badass.
- The Strigoi attack on St. Jude's was unique,
in my experience.
There are exits...
here and here.
Tell me what you see.
- The pattern of the bodies indicate
that they were herding the victims
and killing them in groups.
- The Strigoi are loners.
They occasionally hunt in twos or threes,
but they turn on each other
as easily as they do on their victims.
Your thesis would contradict centuries
of behavioral analysis.
Do you stand by it, Miss...
- Meredith.
You see, that's what's odd.
Historically, Strigoi don't fight this way.
But to me, it looks like the attack was coordinated.
- Good.
You're looking at the facts without bias,
which is the only way to draw the right conclusion.
Nice work, Meredith.
In the past, the Strigoi's inability to cooperate
has protected us.
But these Strigoi, at least, seem to be working together.
- I mean, we get it. She's a badass.
But it's very performative.
And why is she here anyway?
Is it to see if I'm okay or scared
after the other school got attacked?
No, she's here to show us all how smart she is.
- Okay, let's not let her get you distracted
from research mode.
We need you out of my head.
- And I need her out of mine.
- My schedule is wall-to-wall
leading up to the Death Watch tomorrow,
but I talked to Christian,
and he's gonna help us figure things out.
- I hope you're right about being able to trust him.
- I am.
I know we only just met,
but I feel like I know him and he knows me.
Maybe it's the fact that we both lost our parents.
Maybe it's just chemistry, but he's smart,
and we don't need you passing out during practice.
We can trust him.
I know it. It's like a gut feeling.
- I would argue you on that,
but I can feel it coming off of you.
- Well, what does it feel like?
- I don't know.
Warm.
Centered.
A little gooey.
You like him. - I do.
- You know I want you to be happy,
but Christian is a non-starter for a lot of people
if you want to be queen.
- Yeah, I know. I'll be discreet.
Now that I've committed to this,
I definitely don't want to * it up.
- Citizens of the Dominion...
As we mourn our fallen,
we must also look to the future
to safeguard our Dominion.
With the Strigoi threat ever present,
our need for Dhampir Guardians
has never been greater.
- Dhampir women from our communes
will be provided for those Moroi in need
to complete the holy sacrament of rebirth.
- Eloise.
Hi. - Hey.
- Why didn't you let me know you'd be in town?
- I was just...
- Hey, what is it?
- I was chosen.
- You owe me one, Hathaway.
Last time I charmed library security
into an after-hours favor, I couldn't shake her
for a month.
I would think of a couple ways you could thank me.
- Don't worry, I'll find a way.
- I hate to intrude on the lovebirds,
but I'm next on your dance card, Rose.
- Romantic enough for you, Eddie?
- Oh, come on, it's too early for this.
- Recover first, then strike.
- Watch your blind spot.
- Elbows in, lateral hip twist and follow through.
- Nice, Mason.
- Point to Mason.
- You have to open up.
Let him come to you, use his momentum.
You need to calculate your speed. Again.
- You wanna show me, just show me.
- Have it your way.
Come at me.
- I'm fine.
- You're overreacting.
- Sonya and I believe it's time to strengthen the wards, sir.
- We still have two decades left on the enchantment cycle.
- The Strigoi could find a way to break through
as the enchantment gets older and weaker.
Maybe that's what happened at St. Jude's.
- Is it?
- They're looking into Dhampir error,
which is code for they don't know.
We want to take our evidence to the queen
and the council tonight.
- Who's gonna listen to you?
- Mia.
- I'm sorry, but you're going to need something more credible
than the word of a Dhampir and the Bird Lady.
- I'll handle it, Sonya, I promise.
- Why did you do that to yourself?
You have one of the greatest Guardians alive
giving you advice,
and if that's not enough luck, she's your mother.
- She gave birth to me,
but I wouldn't call her my mother.
- Some people might be proud to be her daughter.
- I so don't want to hear this right now.
- Then hear this.
If you want to be number one,
when someone of her caliber gives you advice,
take it.
I know how much you want this.
- Rose. Over here.
It's not a request.
- This is insanity.
Ward-strengthening ceremonies take months to plan.
- And who's gonna perform this rite?
The handful of monks who are capable
are halfway around the world,
prepping the next properly scheduled ceremony.
- That's true, but many of them were taught
by High Monk Edward Junge.
He's been practicing the rites all his life.
- You know the Guardians aren't the only protection we have.
- It's too dangerous.
You remember how badly it went last time.
- They were still experimental then.
- And they haven't been tested since.
- While the monk prepares,
we need to protect ourselves.
Does anyone have a better idea?
- I'm sorry, I know I'm new here,
but could someone please tell me
what you all are talking about?
- Psi Hounds.
Guard dogs created to only obey Moroi commands.
They patrol the wards for signs of Strigoi,
except they don't know when to quit.
- It was awful.
The last time they let the Psi Hounds out,
they tore through an entire farming village
outside the gates before wrangling them
back into their cages.
- I tried to say something, but I'm new,
so why would they listen to me?
- You're gonna have to navigate the council sooner or later,
now that you're head of family.
Is that the mask you're wearing to the Death Watch?
- Yeah.
Which one do you want?
- Must be nice, Lissa.
Living by your own rules, oblivious to the real world.
The Death Watch is for Royals only.
- Wait, what?
Mia...
- Don't let her get to you.
Girls like her only exist to make other people
feel bad about themselves.
- I had no idea the Non-Royals were excluded.
Non-Royals died at St. Jude's too.
- Hmm, this Dominion and its traditions.
- You're Tatiana Vogel, right?
I should know that. I'm sorry.
- No.
I didn't grow up at court.
My mother sent me here a few months ago
to study religious studies with my aunt,
High Priestess Irene.
But I was a friend of your brother, Andre's.
He knew the council needed to modernize
or the young Moroi will never engage.
That's why you are what we need.
You have the power to change things,
even now.
- Not really.
- Even small actions can make a big difference.
And whether you wear the crown now or later...
you're either a queen or you're not.
- Lissa! - Over here!
- Princess Lissa. - We have a question.
- Princess Valilissa, are you looking forward
to the Death Watch?
- Not as much as I should be.
Our whole community has been affected
by the recent attack,
Royals and Non-Royals alike.
Tonight should be for all of us.
And when I'm queen, that will change.
We are all a part of this Dominion.
We mourn as one.
- No * way.
- Upon further reflection,
I have decided to open tonight's Death Watch
to all Moroi.
The sacraments of death and rebirth
are intrinsic to our society.
We much all partake of both.
- Hey, Jesse.
- It's Lord Zeklos. - Oh.
We're fancy now that we're out in the open.
- What are you doing here?
- What, you think just because I let
spoiled rich boys bite me, I don't have a life of my own?
- I didn't know your type had jobs.
You mean Blood *s?
Hmm, well.
It's better than being a breeding factory
for asshole Moroi like you.
- As opposed to this... exalted position?
- A girl's got to eat.
You're looking a little hungry yourself.
- Jesse!
We're late.
- You tired?
- No.
- You tired? - No.
- Stop.
Don't stop for me.
I can go as long as you can.
- I need you tired enough to listen.
- You could have just asked to talk.
- You have a very thick skull,
so listen up.
Dhampir women have two choices,
to be a Guardian,
or to be part of a Dhampir commune
with one job: procreate with a Moroi.
- You're not even gonna mention the third choice?
- Being a Blood * living by your wits is no choice.
- I've heard the horror stories about the communes,
but at least the mothers there actually mother.
- Yes, they get to parent their kids.
But they also have to be available
to the Moroi men who show interest in them.
That's their duty,
to birth more Dhampirs.
- Maybe those women like that life.
They get to see their kids instead of facing down Strigoi.
- Maybe some do.
And if there were other options,
and they still chose that, good for them.
But there are plenty who don't want to be there.
- Point taken, Janine.
Next time you wanna talk, maybe we could wrestle.
- Have you ever heard of an ancient magic
used for mind control?
- Is that why you summoned me?
- Look.
"The apocryphal text outlines fantastical powers,
"most prominently, compulsion,
"the power to control the minds of Moroi and Dhampir alike
with a golden-threaded tongue."
I think Lissa can do this.
- Mind control?
- Nothing else explains what I saw.
Okay, she told Mia to do something,
and Mia just... did it,
like a puppet.
- Yeah, okay, that's weird.
- Listen, in the story,
they then burn the guy at the stake.
One lady, they tie to a millstone
and throw her in a pond.
No one says where this power comes from,
and as far I can tell, there's only one book that does.
- Where is it?
- High Priestess' archives.
- If anyone knew where that was.
- Someone does.
I think I can sneak us in later,
when everyone's at the Death Watch,
if you're up for it.
- Break more rules?
Sure, why not?
- Who's buying the first round?
- Not it. - Isn't your mother here?
- Better make it a double.
- Early sessions again tomorrow.
- Shit, what, really?
* no.
- Janine. - Janine.
crowd: Janine! Janine! Janine!
- To our fallen brothers and sisters at St. Jude's.
One in three Guardians will fall in the line of duty.
Most of us have lost someone.
That's why we gather tonight.
While the Royals mourn their dead,
we mourn ours. Let the call out begin.
To Grayson, who saved my life.
- To Russell, a great fighter.
- To Thomas, loyal to the end.
- You came.
- To Sarah, a true friend.
Come on.
You were at the school for two years
and you haven't spoken to a single student
since you left? - I find that highly unusual.
- I'm pretty sure I'm not here because I'm "unusual,"
so what is this about?
- Are you protecting them?
- Who? - Your parents.
- My parents are dead.
- This was taken outside your former dormitory
at St. Jude's.
Any idea why that might be?
When your parents turned Strigoi,
you were still a student there.
We think they were looking for you.
- Yeah, hold on one sec.
- That might take a while.
That bartender's had more than anyone.
- It's one of those nights.
- Nice to meet you.
- Dimitri.
- Dimitri Belikov.
Born in the Russian St. Polina Province.
A recipient of six protection medals.
Avid reader of human biographies,
and a lover of kittens.
I made the last part up.
- Every lie has some small truth.
- I'm Tatiana.
- Lady Tatiana Vogel.
Of the St. Ndali province.
Distant cousin of the Royal Vogels
and your aunt, the High Priestess Irene.
I doubt she'd approve of her niece
drinking at a Dhampir bar.
- I wanted to show my respect for the Guardians' sacrifice.
- That, I did not expect.
- Oh, good.
I'd hate to be predictable.
- What took you so long?
- Let's just do this.
- Why'd you bring me if it's just gonna be a silent mission?
- The worst part for me about my parents
is that everyone thought they were awful to grow up with,
but they weren't.
They loved me.
And I loved them.
One day we were a family,
sitting in our cabin at Mont Blanc,
hanging out, skiing.
Then next, they chose to become Strigoi.
They chose that over me.
Then, when I thought they were dead,
I--I didn't know how to feel.
I just knew it felt bad.
That was a million times better than this.
- What happened?
- They're not dead.
They led the massacre at St. Jude's.
- Oh, Christian...
- Your mom thinks they're looking for me.
- That could put Lissa in real danger
if she's with you. - I know.
This is it.
I'll let you know what I find.
Look, I know you two don't do secrets,
but can my parents be mine for now?
- I won't tell Lissa.
But Christian...
you can't put her in danger.
Who's there?
- Want to know why I brought you?
So you could fight your way out if we got caught.
Come on. - You can't be in here.
- You barely just escaped being expelled.
Have you not been paying attention?
The Royal Procreation Decree
is splashed all over the Dominion.
Acting out like this will get you shipped
straight to the communes to breed.
- My best friend is literally about to be queen.
I'll be fine.
- Even the monarch only has so much power
in this Dominion.
And the queen's political capital can fade.
You need to protect yourself.
- I've been protecting myself my whole life,
not that you'd know.
- I may not have tucked you in at night,
but I know you.
The first Moroi man who wants something
you don't want to give is gonna feel your fist,
and then, not even the queen can help you.
The only way to survive as a Guardian
is to keep your nose clean and put duty above all,
which means you either be Lissa's Guardian
or her friend, not both.
- You know what your problem is?
You think that just because something's been one way
for a long time, that it has to stay that way.
But if this is the way the world is,
then maybe it's the world that needs to change.
- Maybe you should ask your friend Dimitri
if I'm right.
- None of your Blood *s for this.
If you're gonna * a Dhampir, do it right.
I chose this one myself.
Do your duty.
- Let's get this over with.
*!
Oh, *.
- Each one of the 12 lines on the board
represent each of the 12 Royal families.
Every sphere represents a member of that family.
This, princess, this is you.
And this is the Dragomir line.
We've only just learned
the attack on St. Jude's resulted in the death
of two of your second cousins.
- Without them, you lack a quorum.
Without a quorum, you cannot vote,
much less sit on the throne.
- I've never heard of this rule.
- Neither had I.
It is an ancient law that hadn't been enforced
since before my reign.
- Then why start now?
You're the queen. You decide.
- I have decided.
Laws are laws, and we cannot disregard them
simply because they're not favorable to us.
The princess's--
Lady Dragomir's only task now
is to stay alive and rebuild her bloodline.
Nothing more.
On the bright side,
your monk is preparing to lead the ward strengthening ceremony
at sunset tomorrow.
It won't be our usual extravaganza,
but it should give us some additional protection.
I'm sorry, Vasilissa.
You would have made an excellent queen.
- Marina.
If you yourself had never heard of this law,
who alerted you to it?
Do you know what you've done
with this ancient quorum rule of yours?
- Mind your tone, Victor.
This is a sacred place.
- You've set us back centuries. - Or forward.
Because now there's room for another new, fresh voice,
someone a bit more vibrant.
You?
Let me be clear.
I'd sooner die than see
your family's bloodline on the throne.
- Perhaps the saints will grant you your wish.
- Have you seen my mother?
- She left.
She has her next assignment to get to.
- It figures.
Just scorch the earth, threaten me with communes,
and then leave.
I'm behind.
So it's none of my business,
but I saw you with a woman in town and a baby,
and I don't know...
I shouldn't even be asking.
- Her name is Eloise.
The little boy is Alexei.
- Alexei?
The cute baby who taught you about honor?
- Alexei was Eloise's husband
and my best friend.
I was his Guardian. The baby is their son.
- They were married?
- Alexei was an influential Royal,
so people looked the other way.
- You were best friends with a Moroi?
How did he--
How did you lose him?
- He was always on at me...
to take care of myself
in the small ways a Guardian can.
Draw clear lines between my life and the job.
Take the time off in the rare moments it was offered.
So that's what I did.
And then his convoy was attacked by a Strigoi
on a trip across the provinces.
And I wasn't there.
- And then Eloise got sent to the communes to...
breed.
I want everything he wanted for you.
I want to do my sworn duty.
I want honor.
I wanna protect my best friend from danger.
And I want a life to call my own.
My mother thinks Guardians can't have that.
And I'm starting to wonder if that's true.
- I think Janine...
is one of the smartest women I know.
But...
I would never bet against you, Rose Hathaway.
- Right.
For it to work...
I need to be as good as you.
Will you teach me?
- If I were to teach you,
you'd have to take it as seriously
as every other official class. - I would.
- And you'd work on my schedule.
- I would.
- And no talking back.
That last one.
- I'm here to see Silver.
- Sorry, Lord Zeklos. You're banned.
- You're joking.
- Take it up with your father, sir.
- No, no, no.
Y-you don't want me.
- There's been an incident.
- The monk is dead.
The Psi Hounds lost control.
- You mean the Psi Hounds who only listen to Moroi commands?
- The hounds'll be decommissioned immediately,
and the ward ceremony rescheduled.
The damage is done.
The only question is, by who?
- Dad?
Dad!