LORE: End Game (MATURE)

[Emora Deen]

Tenele leaned with one hand on table. "What if we agreed?"

She looked at all the advisors and the queen. "What if we told them that we would send someone... and let them go on a head. We would send out the armada, because we all know there are spies here... But, only one ship went on when the armada was out of view... We keep the fleet here, close by, and keep down the suspicions of our enemies. If there is an attack while the fleet is away it will be close enough to bring back... We come in from behind them, blocking any route of escape. Their will also be less numbers, since they will think it easy to take the port without much resistance waiting. And if this is all just really an attempt to become enlightened... then we would have risked nothing by sending an abassador to the Outerlands."

[Soran Nightblade]

"And who exactly would be placed on that last ship?" Sinead said a bit sharply. She suspected Tenele's intentions, and her voice already carried a warning of disapproval.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smirked behind her veil and slowly removed it. "Who else are you going to send?" she asked, her green eyes sparkling. She looked at her advisors. "No offence, but if it is a trap, your going to need someone with a little more.... tenacity?"

The advisors looked at her and then at eachother and chuckled. "Tenacity is an interesting word to discribe you, Maiden Raider."

"Okay, so I have had a run with bad luck the past few months. That doesn't change the fact I do my job well. Unless one of you big brave rich and pampered politicians want to step up to the plate and go on this erratic and unfavorable dangerous mission?"

Immediatly the room silenced and they all looked a bit uncomfortable towards Sinead. Tenele did as well. "Thought so. Really, my Queen, who do you have to send?"

"Vladimir..." Who ever had mentioned that name wasn't brave enough to say it twice whenever the advisors in the room looked around to glare at the person.

"That's absurd... That vampire. The queen can barely keep a leash on him. Who could we send to make sure he didn't put us in bad favor with the High King?" One of the advisors pointed out.

[Soran Nightblade]

Despite the situation, despite everything, Sinead burst out in a laugh that filled the room like a warm wind. "Send Vladimir to teach the people of the Outerlands the true meaning of Good," she half-laughed in a surprisingly elegant way. "We'll be lucky if he's not snatching their turbans as we speak without me in the room. However, there does seem to be one other who can exercise some form of control over him," she said, her voice sobering as she looked directly at Tenele. "And she is right. She is the only one I can expect to succeed there." She touched the maiden's shoulders and searched her eyes earnestly. "I will not send you if it is not your wish. We can fight this war without the Outerlands' help." Her words left a question lingering in the air as she waited for the girl's response.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled at her Queen. "I can handle it, my Queen. I have handled far worst. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? But, it wouldn't hurt to hang a plack with my name on it on one of the cots in the hospital wing." She gave a playful wink.

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead grimaced only half-playfully at the thought. "Very well. Let us return."

A minute later, Sinead stood again at her throne, with Tenele by her side. Her advisors formed a line along the wall, watching attentively.

"We have a proposition," Sinead said, and the room was quiet. "I wish to know more of your country, as you wish to know of mine. Let us consider this a cultural exchange, rather than a political maneuver. I will send my maiden, Tenele, who is as my own daughter, to teach your king of our ways."

A low murmur filled the throne room as the foreigners whispered.

"In return," Sinead interrupted, "I would ask that your king return my gesture by allowing his son to visit with me while my daughter is away." She turned her gaze toward the prince, watching his reaction. "I think this a fair agreement. Do you not, Prince Hassef?"

[Emora Deen]

Hassef eyed Tenele and then his eyes fell to the Queen. "I'm sure his highness will find this a most amusing and agreeable request..." He stood once more. "May I suggest an exchange half way? You send your armada to meet with the High Prince's armada and they exchange ships. Your daughter taking his ship and him taking hers?"

Tenele wasn't used to people refferring to her as the Queen's daughter, since though she was not adopted legally she might as well have been. She was a daughter however, with far more libirties than that of a princess. Tenele's eyes trained on Vlad, wondering what he was thinking now about the situation. She was probably going to get it once they were out of earshot.

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead nodded, and for the first time before her guests, she smiled. "An excellent arrangement," she agreed. "I ensure you that the high prince will remain safe and without want here at the palace."

Vlad smirked from where he was sitting, not interrupting the interesting negotiation taking place before him. But when the commotion died down, he grinned and raised one pale hand up over his head, like the Ighten children did in school.

Sinead seemed ready for this display. "Yes, Lord Dracul?" she said knowingly.

In his best impression of what could only be described as Heirot's version of a snooty English accent, he announced, "My Queen, I am fond of our guests' shiny hats. I would like to see these "foreign lands" and obtain one for myself. If I can give the impression of a larger skull, others are apt to think me wise," he implored with a dramatic swoosh of his pale wrist.

Sinead fought the urge to roll her eyes. There was no known cure for Vlad's sense of humor, but he'd done as she intended. "Then you may...go, Lord Dracul. Accompany my maiden as her personal guard and obtain this...hat," she said as politically as possible.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele tried her best not to laugh, really she did. It started as a smirk, which she quickly hid behind the curve of her hand, and then slowly it grew into a wide grin, her green eyes sparkling at Vlad.

As the emissaries were leaving she went and bent low next to his ear. "I don't think any amount of hat would make you seem wise," she whispered playfully, her warm breath on the back of his neck.

"I assume we should prepare for our departure?"

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smiled ambiguously and followed her lead out of the room. "You're right, if I were wise, I would have taken one of their hats. Would've saved me a trip," he lamented as they made their way down the hallway. He hooked his thumbs in his pockets as they reached Tenele's chambers and entered. Vlad wasn't particularly interested in packing, although he knew that even he would be wise to bring spare clothes. All hat jokes aside, he wasn't really interested in dressing up those colorful garments the Outland men had worn. Robes, no matter the color, tended to remind him of preists. He grinned faintly at the thought that the Outlands would have no knowledge of Ighten's God. There was one less problem to worry about.

"You may want to bring soap. Who knows if they have it there," he commented in a derogatory tone. Prejudiced, who, him? A no life king serving the Queen of the Kingdom of Light? Nah.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smirked as she grabbed her trunk from under her large bed and drug it out with a hard tug. "I wasn't sure if it was a good idea at first that the Queen mention I was like a daughter to her, but at the idea of trading places with the High Prince, I feel rather safe with that knowledge... That is to say if they actually bring the real High Prince to exchange..."

The thought bothered her, but she figured she would be more than able to handle herself, especially with Vlad accompanying her. "So, you are my body guard?" she asked as she tossed some clothes into a trunk. Her chamber maid would surely have a fit if she saw the way she was just tossing her clothes in aimlessly.

She smirked at him. "And not my lover?" Though, she could understand why Sinead had phrased it so. Since their relationship wasn't really... allowed in the public court... and who knows how Outlander's would view a representative that wasn't respected among the court.

"Guess that means we won't be sharing quarters," she sighed, tossing a few more clothes in and then grabbing a pile of shoes, smashing them down into the trunk. She grabbed her make-up and perfume and other personal items, through them on top, and then forced the trunk closed.

"I'm done..."

About that time her chamber maid walked in and gawked at the mess on her bed, at the trunk with clothes and ribbon and bits of leather hanging out through the edges. Tenele could only grin innocently.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad shrugged inconsequentially. "Since they know nothing of our culture, I doubt they'd see an issue with a bodyguard remaining in his ward's quarters. On the other hand, being stationed or even locked in a separate room is generally an....ineffective way to ensure that I remain there." He looked up as the maid entered the room and began fretting about Tenele's suitcase.

Vlad observed with idle amusement as the woman meticulously emptied, re-folded, and arranged the clothing Tenele had selected, placing them in neat stacks in the suitcase. The no-life king was waiting patiently for the last item to be set neatly into the suitcase so that he could empty the maid's efforts nonchalantly over her head, but just as the pivotal moment arrived, another messenger arrived in Tenele's doorway. Like any brilliant thinker, Vlad improvised.

"Lord Dracul, Lady Tenele," the messenger began before finding himself showered with Tenele's personal effects. Diligent servant that he was, and having been warned of the possibility of such antics, he made an effort to proceed as if nothing had happened. "I come with a message from the queen," he stammered, raising his open palm in an effort at authority. He blanched as he discovered one of the maiden's undergarments dangling from his carefully starched shirtcuff. Lowering his arm uneasily, he stampeded through the rest of his message. "The royal mages have convened to perform a spell of illumination on the two of you. This is to aid in your understanding of the Outlandish tongue and develop your own capacity to exchange communications with them and generally enhance...diplomacy." He made forced eye contact with the vampire as he concluded the sentence. "The rite will be prepared in fifteen minutes in the east wing of the sorcery hall. It is a large spell involving many sorcerers; please be on time." He shook the last of Tenele's clothing onto the floor, where her maid was already busily rearranging them without a fuss. With that, he gave a stiff bow and fled.

[Emora Deen]

When the messanger had left Tenele arched an eyebrow at Vlad and placed a hand on her hip as she stooped and lifted a pale blue lacy undergarment. "Was that nessessary?" she asked with a smirk as she placed it on top of the already neatly folded pile. "Better latch it quick before he does that again," she advised to her chamber maid, who did just that.

"I'll have your things taken to the ship that is being readied," she explained, grabbing the case and dragging it to the door where a man was waiting to help her with the task.

Tenele closed her door behind them and walked calmly across the room to her armour and opened the doors. She pulled from it a brown skirt and white, and to go with it a thick dark bown belt that was strong enough to hold her sheath and sword.

She tossed the garments onto the bed before reaching behind her and pulling the strings that tied the pale green dress she wore closed. It loosened and slipped from her shoulders to hange losely on her hips. As she walked to her dressing table the idle movement of her hips caused the garment to finally fall to the floor. Wearing nothing but her underclothes, she sat down carefully pulling her silver hair over onto one shoulder and reaching up to untie the pale green ribbon around her neck.

The fabric fell loosely into her lap and she tilted her neck slightly to look at the white scars on her neck, the four badly shaped puncture wounds. Her brow furrowed, but she chose to ignore the thoughts that came to her mind and she reached down, grabbing a brown leather choker and clipping it around her neck. She had gone to wearing things like this since her attack, feeling it was easier to talk to people when they weren't staring at her neck, or looking back and forth between her neck and Vlad.

Those who did not know the story tended to do such and it aggrivated her. She sat their for a moment longer before running a hand through her silver hair.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad lay back on Tenele's bad, crossing his hands behind his neck and watching her disrobe. He withheld comment, rather fascinated by the curve of her body and the calm efficiency with which she went about the process. His faint grin did not visibly slip as she removed the ribbon from her neck, but it did give him an odd impulse to make conversation. Disliking that human response, he chose to indulge it anyway. "You seem eager for the next adventure," he scoffed idly as his red eyes followed her movements. From anyone else in the palace, it would have sounded like criticism, but Vlad's tone left some question as to his meaning, as usual.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele stood up and walked back to the bed. "Of course," she replied with a smile, leaning over the bed and kissing his lips gently as her hands came up and grabbed the shirt she was to put on. she unbuttoned it down the front and slipped it on her arms, pulling it around and began buttoning it up the front. "You know me, I like adventuring." Although, the answer seemed normal, there was something else behind her motives and it read clear in her expression. Not that she would notice that she was that easy to read.