Lore: Upon The Heels of War

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead nodded at Tenele. "Thank you," she said. "You are a good friend to him." She meant to add a warning not to let it become more than that, but instead couldn't help smiling as her Maiden left the room to finally return to her safe home. There would be time to advise her feelings for Vlad later, whatever they were, if the need arose.

Meanwhile, Vlad had retired to his 'room', which was really the topmost room of one of the castle's outer towers. An endless spiral staircase led up to it, and it was too cold for anyone to make use of it but him, so Vlad more or less dubbed it his own. He perched in the turret at the edge of the tower's summit and stared off over the city. He was thinking, a lot. The Queen's innocent guilt and pity had gotten to him. She was lucky enough not to know it, but at that moment he'd had to crush the statue as a substitute for her head. He frowned down at the people milling about the street. Weak little ants crawling about their pointless lives. It was unlike him to be so crabby, and he couldn't place exactly what had set him off. Or maybe it was just that for a while, with Tenele, he'd forgotten how boring and inane life was. And he just had soooo much of it. Goody.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele headed down the steps towards the palace gates with her silk dress trailing in the wind behind her. She turned onto the street, going two streets down before finding her house on the corner.

It was a nice house, a well-off, house. Being home reminded her of her maid Esse, who had been killed by Adrian. She let it fade into the back of her mind, no time to think of past hurtful memories.

She opened the door to her home, it was dark and dusty. She had left her house for a month, of course it would be dusty. She through her bag down on the floor, not interested in unpacking at the moment.

She walked up the curling staircase that led up to the balcony that connected with the halls of the top floor of her house. She entered her bedroom, looking at the rich canopy bed with the navy see-through curtains and the satin covers trimmed in gold rope. She saw the door to her bathroom, which was nothing more than a think sheet of silk.

Tenele lit the candles along the way, lighting up the bedroom as the sun set outside.

"What I need is a good hot bath..." She began to fill the tub with hot water, pouring oils into it as it filled the deep marble tub. She sprinkled white rose petals on top and watched them turn pink from the oils she had pored into the water.

Tenele stood, slipping the cotton robe from her shoulders and curling her long silver hair up into a clip as she sank into the steaming hot water.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad paced the length of his tower room slowly. He had little interest in roaming the city or even causing mischief tonight. He wanted...he didn't know what he wanted. He wanted to want something. He couldn't seem to get his interest piqued to do anything, except perhaps to go give the Good Queen an earful. He was still irritated; how silly.

Or was he just bored because he hadn't been free of the maiden girl's company in weeks?

Hmm....

[Emora Deen]

Telene dressed in an elegant nightgown, so happy to be in her own clean silk nightgown. She opened up the door to the balcony, stepping out into the cold night air. Winter was coming, that was easy to tell. She brushed a strand of wet her from her face. Her house was not far from the palace walls and she could see the many towers up close... Looking for the one that Vlad could possibly staying in.

After a while of looking out into the night she stepped back inside, blowing out the candles and crawling into bed, forgetting how the vampire liked to make his many entrances in the dead of night.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad made his way out onto the veranda of his tower, looking again out over the castled city. His eyes immediately located the tower where he knew the maiden girl was staying, searching for some sign of life. Even the candle was extinguished there. A pang of irritation caught him. Was she so easily rid of his company?

He froze mid-thought as he realized what he was thinking. No. This was not going to fly. He was fine here.

And not tired at all...

He teleported to the ground outside his tower and strutted toward the central part of town, suddenly determined to do anything except let himself visit the maiden girl. There was no damned way he was getting some hangup over a human.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele came awake in the night panting and gasping for air. She glanced around the room frightened for a moment, thinking she was back in that slave home and that... man was after her again.

She sighed when she realized she was home, in her bed... in her house outside the palace walls. It was what some would consider a small mansion... 5 bedrooms, a dining room, two living rooms, a training room, a small armory, a kitchen, and office and six bathrooms. Too big for just her, however she used to not live alone.

It was too quiet in the house... She wasn't used to being alone. She had gotten far to used to Vlad's company and now being alone suddenly seemed so frightening.

She lit a candle, not wanting to sit in the dark. The small glow filled the room, casting dark shadows everywhere. It only made her fear encrease for some odd reason. The stupid dream had gotten to her, she knew it had.

[Soran Nightblade]

After scaring three very enamoured couples that had been loitering around the city's central fountain, Vlad felt somewhat better. His thoughts of Tenele were safely out of his mind; they were still there, he knew, but now they didnd't threaten to affect him the way they had before. He felt safe enough, in fact, that since he was passing that way anyway, he decided to check in on the girl before he returned to his haunt.

As he approached Tenele's cottage, he was confused to see a soft glow of lamplight inside the windows. Awake at this hour? He walked up to the side of the house, managing not to trample the flowers bedding alongside the window. Without feeling the least bit sheepish about his actions, he stood to the side of the glass and peered in, confident she would not notice him against the brightness of the room.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele sat up out of bed and slipped on her slippers before pulling her silk robe around her. She pulled her long silver hair out from underneath and it cascaded down her elegant back. She turned, taking the candle with her and leaving the room. She walked down the hall and down the steps towards her kitchen, craving a midnight snack of sorts... Or rather an early morning snack.

She found nothing that was good to eat, remembering that she hadn't been home in a while and the food had gone bad. She then left and went back up to her room, taking the candle with her.

She set the candle on the bedside table and slipped her nightrobe off. It fell at her feet as she climbed back into bed and blew the candle out. She rolled over on her side and let out a yelp at the site of a tall man's silloute (sp?)

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smirked and shook his head as Tenele spotted him. THe latch on the inside of the window slipped sideways and the window coasted open with a soft gust of warm night air from outside. "You really should shut your curtains in the evening, my Maiden," he said suavely, "You never know what kind of undead misfit may pop in on you." Vlad stepped inside the room casually, inspecting one of her draperies with a moon-pale hand.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele sat up, holding the covers to her chest lightly. "Well, I didn't expect to see you. I figured you were busy terrorizing the Queen you so love to drive insane..." she said as she watched him.

She stood up, pulling the silk robe on as she walked to the window, closing it behind him. "And to what do I owe the pleasure?" she said as she pulled her long silver hair over on one shoulder, exposing her beautiful neck.

The moon came in through the window, casting a mystic glow upon her form.

[Soran Nightblade]

"I thought you might be having trouble sleeping without me," Vlad smirked, holding his hands out at his sides cockily as he strolled into the room, examining the decor as if he hadn't been there before.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele shook her head. "Aren't we confident," she said, glancing at him with her bright green eyes. "Well, I did find it rather odd at first."

She walked slowly across the room towards the nightstand, thinking she should light a candle, but though against it. So, instead she sat on the side of the bed watching him wonder around her room.

"Something on your mind Lord Dracul?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest. "You seem to be contemplating something... or stauling... one or the other."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad felt a spark in his pride, because he didn't particularly feel like leaving yet, but it seemed like the appropriate thing to do at the time. Instead he planted himself down on a stool in t he corner, crossing his legs and sitting in that perfectly still way that only the dead could sit. "Oh, you're free to retire," he purred mischievously, posing as if to sit there until she fell asleep. And almost certainly wake her to some horrible prank.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele narrowed her eyes and smiled beautifully. "Oh, I think not!" she said and waved a finger. "Why would I fall a sleep when you surely would awaken me with a pitcher of water being pored upon me or a floating picture. No, no, Lord Vladimir..." she stood up and swayed over to him, cupping his chin in her hand. "I think not." His skin cool to her touch.

"Although your pranks are so entertaining... and I do enjoy them. I've just already had a bath tonight..." she said, her yes looking over his face. Longing for his touch, for his kiss. Longing to be with him in a way they hadn't... and figured they probably never will.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad could almost taste the lust in her voice, and for a second he actually wasn't sure how to respond to it. "What a shame," he murmured into her ear, "I've not yet bathed."