Holier Than Thou

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled at him. "Okay," Tenele mused, linking her arm in his. "Let's wander around."

They walked for a while longer. The cold made Tenele's cheeks and nose flush red, making her green eyes vibrant. They came to a house on the corner of a street with a stone walled garden off to the side of it. It reminded her of her mother's house, the one she'd lived in when she first met Vlad. It even had a balcony like the one that Vlad would perch on when playing his awful pranks in the middle of the night.

"That one," she sighed. "I like that one." Tenele hugged her husband's arm to her. "Its probably not for sale, though."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad looked up at the property. Something shifted inside his chest. A home. With Tenele. It wasn't just the idea, it was something about this home, or was it just because Tenele had chosen it? "It is unoccupied," he said quietly. "It has been empty for 96 years."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele arched an eyebrow at him. She wasn't sure how he knew that, but she took his word for it. "So... lets get it?" She grinned at him. She imagined coming home after work to the house that she'd share with him. Having their own space away from the palace and all that happened there. They'd get to leave work... and actually leave work. "If its been empty that long that means it will probably need a lot of work. How handy are you around the house?" Tenele poked his abdomen. "I think I'd fancy you shirtless and dirty with a hammer in your hand," she snickered.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad scoffed. "Who needs a hammer?" he asked coyly. "But buying this place could be more difficult than it seems. This was custom built by an architect many, many years ago. Real perfectionist. It's not a normal house. No standard architecture would stand as long as this has. He used special materials and built it exactly the way he wanted it, and he maintained it perfectly until the day he died."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele narrowed her eyes on him. "How do you know that?" she asked him seriously. "Are you a house psychic? Tell me, are you getting any readings from that bush over there. It looks like it has a strong spiritual presence..." She laughed at him, stepping away to and up the steps to peek inside. It was hard to see through the dirty windows. It needed cleaning, that was for sure, but she loved it. Absolutely loved it. Now that she'd found it, she didn't want to leave it.

But, it was cold. And they'd spent a lot of time outside. Her hands were numb, even inside the gloves. So, Tenele backed down the steps and turned back towards her husband. "So, what do we do now?"

[Soran Nightblade]

"Well, there is one problem. The man's will stipulated that the house would never be sold after his death. I know the story because it's a bit of a landmark in this part of the city."

[Emora Deen]

"Oh," Tenele breathed, glancing back to the house. Disappointment washed her features, and she looked longingly back at the house. She gave a heavy sigh, choosing to be optimistic. "Well, that's unfortunate... but there are other houses. We can find something else. Let's keep looking, maybe tomorrow. I'm cold." She took his face in her hands and smiled at him. "Can we take the shortcut home?"

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smirked and drew her close against him. "Of course."

In an instant, they were home in Vlad's quarters. Vlad released her and moved straight to the hearth to build a fire for his chilled wife. He crouched in front of it, thinking while he watched the flames build.

"I think I can get us that house," he finally said.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled, sitting in the chair next to the fire. "Really?" she asked, drawing off her gloves one by one and setting them in her lap. "That would be great! I don't know what the inside looks like, but I liked it. It felt... right." Tenele shrugged her cloak off and bent down to tug off her boots. "Can you see us in that house? If only you ate cookies. I could bake you things. Oh well, I'll just bake me things."

[Soran Nightblade]

"There was definitely something about it. Though I'm not sure how we'll survive without a cold, dreary tower. That is where my kind are meant to live, is it not?" he smirked. "I am acquainted with the architect's widow. She chose not to stay there after he passed, since it was too big for just her. I'm certain she won't sell it to me, but perhaps I can convince her to give it to us.

[Emora Deen]

"Give?" Tenele asked, arching an eyebrow at her husband. "Please don't traumatize a poor old woman to get a house... We can find other houses. As long as I'm with you, I don't care where I live."

When the fire started roaring something fierce Tenele got up and stood in front of it to let the heat soak in. She sighed, crossing her arms over the mantle and leaning her forehead against them.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad sprawled out luxuriously on the rug in front of the fire and traced his fingers along Tenele's shins. "I won't traumatize her. I'm sure she has some work that could be done in that little cottage. You said it yourself. It's hard to resist me with my shirt off and my hands dirty. What good is an empty house, if not to go to new couple to spend their lives in it?

A polite knock sounded at the door.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled down at him, having the urge to try and pin him to the floor, but before she could be playful with her husband the door called her. She gave a heavy sigh, walking over him with skipping step and to the door. She adjusted silver strands of hair behind her ear before opening the door.

[Soran Nightblade]

Outside the door was a servant who was unfamiliar to them both. "Hello!" the young man greeted them, polite and nervous. He was holding a tray with two glasses and a bottle of wine. "King Atul requested that I send this over to you. He asked me to send it with his apologies."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled at the boy. "Thank you," she replied. "Please, set it on the table by the fire."

She watched as the young man waltzed in, his step a little surer towards the end of the journey than the beginning. He set the tray on the table and turned for the door. When he left Tenele shut the door behind him and went back to the bottle of wine.

"Well," she sighed, digging through the drawer in the table for the bottle opener. "I suppose that means he has no intentions of seeing us before he leaves." Tenele tried to figure out why her heart seemed to hurt at that. A good friend didn't seem to want to bid them farewell? "What does this mean? Will the spell work with him being so far away? If I say those words will he just disappear from his home and merge with you here? Will you meet halfway?"

Tenele poured herself a glass, and one for Vlad. She flopped down on the floor next to him, setting his glass by his head. "I feel aggrivated." She muttered, pursing her lips together. She took a long sip of the wine.