On New Year's Eve 1612, György Thurzó, the Palatine of Hungary, traveled to Čachtice Castle to arrest Countess Erzsébet Báthory, who was accused of torturing and murdering scores of young women. He had received this assignment in his capacity as viceroy of the Holy Roman Emperor, though the Italian text here calls him "Lord Count" for simplicity. This scene finds him on his way to the castle, discussing the matter with his companion Reverend Ponikenus:
“In the steppes, legends are born which seem truer than real history.”
“So you think that what is heard about Erzsébet Bathory is simple slander?”
“We are here to verify it, to establish whether they are only lies to discredit the countess in the eyes of His Majesty, or whether madness has truly taken possession of her mind.”
“Don’t forget the soul, Count. That too can be possessed. And not by madness, but by Satan.”
“Um, certainly, Reverend. But I only trust what my eyes see.”
“That is why we are going to the castle: to see with our own eyes if the horror they speak of is real.”
“I was also told that the countess's servants roamed the villages at night looking for young women to kidnap! When I say servants, you know very well whom I mean, in particular!”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
“The one who is said to leave the castle only at night... the woman who seems to have initiated the countess into the darkest ways... she is the true daughter of darkness! Dorothea Szentes! The servant everyone calls Dorka!”
Dorothea is the "servant" after whom this story is titled. We already met her, dragging a victim through the halls of the castle.
The framing of this scene breaks the cinematic 180 Degree Rule which says that the camera should stay on one side of a scene where two people are talking. In this scene, sometimes the Reverend is on the right, and sometimes the Count is. But they look so different that it’s not a big deal, and the variety arguably gives more interest to the talking heads.
