He nodded, glancing at Daniel for his agreement before the door opened. Although his first instinct was defensive, he forced himself to relax and look as though he had no idea why he was here without being angry or annoyed. The armed men would be a problem if anything went wrong, but with the Beast and even Dracula on their side, they might be able to get out relatively unharmed. Even Javert, if he was armed, could be of some use.
There were two interrogators, and although they didn't seem quite as unfriendly as the soldiers, they didn't waste any time. "We apologize for the inconvenience, but one cannot be too careful in times like these." The taller of the two spoke first, addressing them in gruff Russian. "You three were seen near the palace numerous times without clear intentions or motives, and as you know citizens are not allowed on the grounds without reason." There was a brief pause, during which the two exchanged glances before continuing. "State your names and place of residence, please."
Vlad saw his chance and stepped forward, offering a polite nod. "Forgive us, but we are mere travelers, you see. My name is Boris Kochur." His Russian was broken and hesitant, clear enough to be understood but obviously less than perfect. "The others do not speak Russian very well, unfortunately," he added, gesturing towards Daniel and Luther. They wouldn't have understood what he said, but hopefully the name tipped them off to the kind of questions they'd asked.