Mature: Desert Moon

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's heart sank. "They tortured him?" she breathed. "They... blinded him?" Rage flooded her, turned her face hot and red. She couldn't do anything to them, what could be done she was sure Vlad had already accomplished. She wanted to be by his side that instant. "Let's go." She hadn't really tried to walk that far, but she was determined. "I want to see him."

[Soran Nightblade]

"I will carry you," Vlad said firmly, remembering what the wet nurse had said. The activity could leave her exhausted and slow her recovery. He bent to left her slender form into his arms. The weight affected him more than it should. Tenele should have been light as a feather, but his body was exhausted from the powerful magic he'd used to destroy Atul's captors. He drew a deep breath for the heck of it and started toward the stairs.

[Emora Deen]

It was like Tenara found the ride funny, because she made a soft coo and smiled, waving her arms in the air. It was just enough to settle the rage in Tenele's heart, at least for the moment. She feared what she would see, and more so what damage was permanent.

"You should feed," Tenele whispered to Vlad. She could tell a subtle difference in how he moved, and knew him well enough to know that he probably used quite a bit of power to free them.

[Soran Nightblade]

"When he is safe," Vlad said softly. He knew it would be more responsible to eat, but the dread of being away from them was far stronger.

They turned down another hallway and finally entered the hospital area that had been cleared for Atul. Curtains had been erected all around his area for privacy and to avoid any onlookers. Vlad pulled the curtain aside telekinetically and stepped into the large, curtained area. Atul was lying in the center, hooked up to an IV bag and other equipment. He was lying on a plain medical cot, the only thing that had been ready for him when he arrived. The vampire thought he looked pale, almost grey. A wet cloth was lying across his eyes. Vlad set Tenele carefully on her feet and took Tenara from her in slow motion.

The doctor looked up from where he was fiddling with a vial. "Come and talk to him, he gestured to Tenele approvingly. "Though he may or may not hear you right now."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele went to Atul's bedside and set next to him in the space between the edge of the mattress and his hip. Her eyes welled with tears at seeming his bruised and cut face, and the wet stained bandage across his eyes. She feigned to reach for it, to draw it away and take a look, but she drew her hand away, and instead reached for his. She curled her fingers around his hand and drew it into her lap tenderly.

"Atul," she called softly, forcing her voice to be stronger. Forcing it not to waver and reveal how upset she really was.

He didn't say anything, and her heart sank. "You have to heal..." She clutched his hand tighter. "You have to get better. Please."

His fingers twitched in her hand. "Tenele?"

Tenele swallowed, reaching up to wipe her tears. "Yes," she whispered. "I'm here."

He smiled, his hand clutching hers so tight in neared painful, but she endured it. "Are you well?"

He was worried about her, when he was so hurt. She wanted to punch him, if it wouldn't hurt him more. "I'm well. I'm fine." She wanted to tell him about Tenara, but how could she put it. How could she tell him, knowing it would break his heart that he couldn't see her. What was the right way?

What if she healed him? Could she? He was half of Verin, and her powers never worked well on demons. But, he was also half human. Tenele turned her eyes to Vlad, the question written in the expression on her face. He was too wounded for her to heal all of him. But, maybe she could heal his sight.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad knew that look in his wife's eyes. Normally, he'd never allow her to go around healing folks in her condition. But this was Atul. A little burnout would be far easier to treat than the blindness of their beloved partner. "If you have the strength," he said quietly, not wanting to tip Atul off too much and not wanting to push her either. "Please try."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele nodded. She smiled down at Atul, stroking a hand gently over his face. Behind her Tenara cooed softly. She stared at her father with a happy smile, eyes sparkling with delight. She stared stared at him as if he were the most fascinating thing on earth.

"What's that sound?" Atul asked, and his expression changed. His hand tightened around hers.

"Shhh," Tenele whispered to him, pulling he hand from his grasp. She cupped his face in her hands, and gently lifted the cloth from his eyes. Tears fell at the sight of his mangled skin. Her gut wrenched in horror. How could they be so cruel? What was the point of taking his sight?

Doctor Borat seemed to know what she was going to do. He also knew that she was weak and needed her own strength. "Lady Dracul you shouldn't."

"Doctor," Tenele warned.

She smoothed her thumb over his bruised cheeks. She smiled at him and closed her eyes, a tear dripped down her cheek. She could feel the side that was Verin's blood fighting her, and the war was evident in the expression she wore. Her power flickered and fizzled, but she didn't give up.

Tenele opened her eyes, near sobbing with fear and disappointment that she wouldn't be able to heal him. She lowered her face closer to his. "I need you to see," she whispered. "Your daughter needs you to see." She kissed him, and light arched at the touch of her lips to his. Her power flowing through her fingers and that kiss.

The cuts over his eyes began to heal, slowly. When she couldn't hold it any longer, and felt the edges of her consciousness creep to black, she drew away.

Atul's blue gaze flickered to her. His left eye was completely healed, but the right still had a dullness to it, and a faint scar running from his brow to the bottom of his eye. It wasn't gruesome, not like before.

"Tenele," he breathed. "You gave too much. Your shaking."

Tenele smiled. "Not too much," she corrected. "If you can see."

Tears fell from the kings eyes. "I can see."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad rushed forward to support Tenele's weight before she collapsed under it. "Bring a chair," he ordered Borat, wondering what was taking so long with the beds. Thankfully, the doctor was much quicker, pulling a seat up to them as Vlad let her gently off her feet.

"You did well, my love," he murmured, stroking her hair compulsively and planting kisses on her cheeks and lips. He turned to Atul. The sight of his beautiful blue eyes staring back at him hit him harder than he'd thought. "Atul," he said, his voice breaking as he approached him. The tears fought their way into his eyes despite his determination not to. "This is your daughter." He leaned down and rested the child carefully against his half-healed chest, and pulled his arm up to cradle her against him. It was the same thing he'd done when Tenele had been too weak to hold her. "She is named Tenara."

[Emora Deen]

Atul looked down at the infant he held, completely flabbergasted. "My.... my..." he muttered wearily. "A girl..." Atul grinned, despite his exhaustion. "A girl!" he laughed. His eyes fell on Tenele. "You're okay? Nothing went wrong?"

"I'm fine," Tenele told him with a smile. "I'm just a little tired. It was a long process."

Atul smiled down at his daughter. "Beautiful," he whispered. "So small. She came early. Eager to be in the world, little one?" He had tears in his eyes still, but they fell more now that he could look upon her, when moments ago he'd believed he'd never be able to see her.

"You'll have pretty dresses, and riding lessons, and you'll grow up to be as beautiful and strong as your mother, but hopefully less stubborn." He smiled. "Maybe a pinch of stubbornness."

Around that time Melinda arrived with several servants and two beds in tow.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad turned to help Melinda with the beds, trying to be stoic and not so overwhelmed at the sight of Atul and Tenele finally safe and sharing their daughter's company. He set up the beds with a kind of singleminded determination, helping Melinda fuss about whether the silk sheets were tucked correctly and how many pillows the king preferred.

A few moments later, the bassinet arrived for Tenara, but Vlad knew the truth. He was never putting her down.

"I'm not sure we should move him just yet," Dr. Borat warned. Though he seemed to be holding his daughter just fine, the king was still severely weakened, and many of his wounds were still in need of bandages.

"I can levitate him," Vlad said stubbornly, though he suspected the doctor was correct. It was as if he couldn't calm down until they were both comfortable and asleep.

Then again, there might be another reason for that particular problem. The vampire blinked at the reddish haze cluttering his vision. Hunger was such a nuisance.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele leaned closer to Atul while Vlad set up the beds, whispering quietly with him about their daughter. When his arms grew too tired, Tenele took the infant into her own trembling touch. She laid Tenara on her lap, cradled by the dip of her closed legs. "Daddy's almost done," she told Tenara, whose eyes were starting to grow heavy again.

Tenele lifted her gaze to her husband and watched him. She couldn't tell how badly his hunger might be affecting him. She just knew him well enough to know how much energy he used, and how stubborn he was about feeding.

Tenele looked longingly. Even if she'd slept through the night, healing Atul had drained her of the energy she could muster.

[Soran Nightblade]

"May I help you to bed, maiden girl," Vlad asked her, reverting to her nickname without really noticing. He levitated the newborn from her lap, then lifted her gently in his arms. A few moments later, when he'd settled her in the blankets to his satisfaction (he insisted on applying all of them, despite the relatively warm room), he rested their daughter carefully on the mattress next to her, so they could look at each other.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele twisted onto her side with the pillow tucked under her head and watched Tenara as she explored how her fingers worked and kicked her little legs. She kept an eye on her husband too, and on the King, who seemed to be losing the boost of energy gained from seeing his first born.

Tenele didn't let herself dwell on the fact that the secret of her lineage couldn't leave the room. That people couldn't know she was his daughter, or it would make so much trouble for him. But, she knew in the instant he'd held her that the King wanted to run screaming it. He wanted to hold her high and claim her. But, it would be far to confusing to do that.

Atul's healed eyes began to drift shut as the pain medicine kicked in. She knew if it was anything like what they gave her, he was sure to sleep a long time.

[Soran Nightblade]

When the king was truly out, Vlad walked to his side. He ran light fingers along the king's cheek, drinking in the sight of him at peace. When he was sure the medicine had kicked in enough, he held out his hands and levitated the man, along with his equipment, very carefully in the air. The doctor and nurse noticed what he was doing and scrambled to hold the IV stand out of the way as Vlad slowly floated the king to the more restful bed, right beside Tenele's bed. Vlad looked with satisfaction at the open place between their resting forms. He looked forward to indulging in protective doting for the remainder of the evening. But first, he thought with a tremor, he needed to address his body.

"No one outside this curtain can know," he said quietly to Borat and Melinda. They both nodded. They already knew. Still, Vlad added, "There are spies within the palace that are informing the king's enemies. See that you are not one of them, and keep the king's secrets well. You will be rewarded."

They nodded again, a bit more somberly. Vlad felt he could trust them, at least for the time being. "I need to handle something," he murmured as if distracted. Truthfully, he was barely coherent. "I'll return shortly."

With that, the vampire was gone into the night.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele watched Tenara until her eyes grew heavy. Melinda took her for feeding, since Tenele was too weak again to do it. She watched until Melinda placed Tenara, sleeping, in her bassinet.

"Thank you," Tenele told the woman softly. "You have been so good with her. Thank you."

"My pleasure," Melinda smiled. "You will be a good mother. Just get your strength back."

Tenele smiled as the woman petted her head, and she closed her eyes to rest.