Holier Than Thou

[Soran Nightblade]

"I would have enjoyed seeing an army of hell hounds," Vlad mused, curling her silken hair around his hand while he lay entwined with her on the dirty sheets. "I felt it. So much power jerked loose at once, it was like being pulled open. It should have hurt, but it was exhilarating. I knew in that moment that something huge was about to happen."

"Did Verin's forces truly swear allegiance to Knight?"

[Emora Deen]

"Yes, but not all of them. Some of them snuck out of the room," Tenele told him. "But most of them knelt down before him." She let her finger tips glide up and down his arm. "I don't know what that means for us, if anything at all. But, now that Verin's gone... we can enjoy quiet. We don't have to worry about him popping up while one of us is away on business or adventure. We can relax... if we remember how to."

A heavy knock came to the door. Tenele drew the towel over Vlad's waist and jumped up from the bed.

"Lady Dracul," the guard muttered. "I was told to inform you that the perpetrator of the crime has been caught. The King has ordered him to be put to death in the morning."

"How will he be killed?" Tenele asked him, narrowing her eyes. She felt a jolt of rage, and wanted to head straight to the dungeons and burn the beast alive.

"Drawn and quartered, Lady Dracul," the guard murmured.

"Oh," Tenele said, blinking surprise. She worked very hard to keep a smile from springing up. "Well, then.... thank you."

The guard bowed deeply and backed away as Tenele shut the door.

"Well, so... now we can truly relax." Tenele ran back to the bed, jumping up to land next to him.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smiled at her and wrangled her beneath him with no effort. "Now, to find your injuries," he smirked darkly, pulling back the fabric around her shoulders. "And I know they're here somewhere." He brushed the hair away from her neck as he leaned close to her skin. "I'll just have to be thorough."

[Emora Deen]

"I'm dirty," Tenele laughed, struggling to get out form under him. "You just got a shower and I'm covered in dirt and blood. This is gross. How can you even have the energy to do this after all that?"

[Soran Nightblade]

"Danger excites me," Vlad smirked, tickling her sides without mercy.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele giggled, wiggling beneath him. "But, there isn't any danger!" she called, pushing against his hands. "You monster, let me up. We are literally wallowing in filth and blood and bleh... Stop tickling!!"

[Soran Nightblade]

"Ah! The risk of infection is driving me insane!" Vlad moaned in his most practiced bedroom voice. He rolled sideways and went after her feet.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele struggled, wiggling her legs. "Don't you do it! Don't!" Tenele tried to wrestle her feet out of his grasp and ended up kicking him soundly in the face. "Oh! I'm sorry." Tenele sprang up to her feet in the moment of hesitation and backed away from the bed. "I'm going to shower now," she told him warily backing away from him.

[Soran Nightblade]

He teleported to the doorway just as she was backing through it, so that she bumped into his chest. "Need help?" he purred, his fingertips hanging lightly on the top of the doorframe. The pose made his abs and chest stretch out invitingly. He was well aware of his strong points, and he wasn't above taking advantage of them.

Energy and amusement glittered in his eyes as he stared at her.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele yelped when she bumped into him harder than she'd expected. She turned around, holding back a wince. She'd forgotten how bruised her back was. She took in the look of him, putting a hand on his chest and pushing him back into the room. "If you are feeling generous."

The door to their room opened and a procession of maids and men came in carrying a new mattress and linens. Tenele pushed Vlad further into the bathroom and closed the door behind them.

She went to the shower and turned on the running water, it was already quite warm. There wasn't a shower curtain, just a slight dip in the floor where the water ran into a drain and didn't spew across the tile. A breeze filtered through the floor to ceiling windows, tossing around the curtains.

Tenele smiled at her husband, turning her back to him and slipping the robe off her shoulders. She wasn't aware of how bad the bruises actually were. It didn't matter. When they faded, so would everything left of Verin's touch on their lives. Tenele stepped under the hot water, letting it wash through her silver hair. She turned to look over her shoulder. She took up a wash rag and tossed it at his face. "Come on, I thought you were going to help."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's expression washed blank as he took in his nude wife's appearance. Her back was like a stormy sky, with an especially dark patch in the center. From the looks of things, she was lucky her spine hadn't been damaged.

He caught the sponge and stepped forward into the water with her. His movements were calmer as he stood beside her and worked soap into a lather in the sponge. He kissed her shoulder lightly and ran the sponge feather-gentle along the contours of her back.

In silence, he stretched out her left arm and inspected it as he thoroughly sponged every inch of skin, right down to each finger. He repeated the process with the other arm and calmly stepped around to face her. He applied the same care to the front of her body, studying every inch the way one might explore a home after a windstorm.

He knelt down before her and washed each of her legs with sponge and fingers, down to her toes, counting every scratch and scar, new and old. When he was satisfied, he arched his neck up and kissed her between her legs, before washing her gently with his fingers. Even this was careful and focused, like he was performing a ritual. Washing the past away, and reclaiming her as his own.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele felt truly pampered by his touch, watching captivated as he fonded over every inch of her. The touch between her legs made her knees feel weak. She placed a hand on his shoulder as a brace, and smoothed the other across his wet hair and to the back of his head. She smiled down at him, silver hair hanging stringy and wet around her face. She enjoyed the quiet moments between them, when words weren't needed and all they needed to do was touch or kiss or hold each other. It was comforting, reassuring, relaxing.

To think, she'd almost lost this man. The memory made her chest tight, like a fist was squeezing around her heart. Again she ran her fingers through his hair and cupped the back of his head. She bent low and pressed a long kiss to the top of his head.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's thoughts weren't far off from hers. He closed his eyes at the warm touch of her hand on the back of his head and rested his forehead against her abdomen. He traced the back of her thigh with his hand lovingly.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele sighed, running her fingers soothingly through his hair as the hot water washed over their skin. She knelt down in the shower with him, spreading her hands across his chest and shoulders. She leaned in against him, kissing him slowly, exploring his mouth with her own.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad kissed her slowly and went deep into her mouth, exploring and claiming her with every touch. His fingers pressed between her legs again, this time not to wash her, building a slow, gentle rhythm. His kiss grew more urgent as he felt her react to him.