Mature: Desert Moon

[Emora Deen]

Atul chuckled. "You'll just have to endure the pain of your wife being right," he told Vlad as he hobbled around just to test the strength in his legs. "I am feeling better than I should be actually. I think transforming into Knight might have reminded my body that I'm not entirely human. If it did, I should start recovering pretty fast. How are you? Were you hurt?"

Atul knelt down near Tenele and cupped his warm hand over her cheek. "Silly, impossible woman," he muttered. "You are going to be so sore when you wake up."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smirked. "I've had better nights, but I'll be fine."

[Emora Deen]

Atul nodded, lifting his gaze to Vlad and then letting it flutter to the small bundle that was Tenara resting against him. His soft smile spread into a grin. "Our family is safe," he assured himself.

Atul moved, and the boards underneath him creaked. Tenele's eyes fluttered open. She yawned and stretched, wincing at the soreness in her limbs from sleeping on the floor.

"You shouldn't be standing!" she barked at Atul, sitting straight up. "Sit down, now."

[Soran Nightblade]

"Oh, we're doing tricks? Paw, Atul," Vlad said, holding his hand out expectantly.

[Emora Deen]

Atul scowled at Vlad. "Very funny," he muttered. "You better be thankful you're holding the baby, or I'd give you a little more than a paw."

Tenele chuckled. "He might like whatever you give him," she muttered, turning onto her back on the floor and stretching with a groan. Her joints cracked as she stood up, protesting her poor choice of sleeping arrangements. She felt old.

When she was on her feet Atul pulled her in against his chest and kissed the top of her head. "I feel relieved," he whispered into her hair. "The enemy is gone, and we can go home. We can be happy and safe."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's expression settled into firm grin of approval. He felt good about the fact that the palace was enemy free, at least for now. And after last night's display, others would be reluctant to venture into Atul's safeground again.

He looked out the window at the rising sunlight. "I'll be due at court," he said a bit wistfully.

[Emora Deen]

"I'll go," Atul replied, nodding. "You should spend the day with your wife and child." Atul squeezed his arms around Tenele. "You haven't been able to properly do that since she was born. Besides, if I go it will be strong improvement in moral for the people to see me."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad shot upright. "No. Forget the people. You've only just turned upward, you're not ready for court," he commanded.

[Emora Deen]

Vlad's sudden movement startled Tenara. She whimpered, wiggling her swaddled body. Her face scrunched and she started to cry.

"Shhh," Tenele murmured, slipping away from Atul and going to Talon's side. She brushed her hand across the top of Tenara's small head.

"I'll be fine," Atul argued. "Don't, make me pull the king card." He took a seat on the bed slowly, now deliberately hiding any weakness from Vlad.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's gaze sharpened. He handed off Tenara to her mother, resisting the need to hold her longer. "King or not, I couldn't care less. Stay here." He went to the bundle of clothes Merida had brought them, and changed his pants efficiently. Then he took a good look at the clean tunic she'd sent. He couldn't bring himself to change into it with them watching, especially when Atul was looking for an excuse to go to court. The vampire stuffed the garment under his arm. "I'm going. I'll see you tonight," he said, heading for the stairs.

[Emora Deen]

"Vlad..." Tenele muttered, looking up too late. He was already out the door. She rocked their child back to calm and placed her in her bassinet. He'd gone so fast that they hadn't covered whether they should move back into the palace or not. Tenele wasn't in any real hurry. As long as they were there she could pretend that they could be a family.

"Stubborn ass," Atul muttered, fisting his hands over his knees.

Tenele went to Atul and brushed his hair back from his face, framing his cheeks in her palms. "He is," she agreed with a smile. "But, he does it because he cares."

"Its my kingdom," Atul muttered. "But, I feel more like a child pretending to be king when he orders me to stay put."

Tenele frowned. "You are not a child," she whispered, placing a kiss on the top of his head. "He is just stubborn."

[Soran Nightblade]

By mid-day, Vlad was beginning to sorely regret his vigilance in fulfilling Atul's duties. He would never understand how the demigod could do this each day without becoming completely exhausted. It didn't help that he'd just escaped a tangle with a holy circle and had a knifestrike just as raw and many times as painful as any mortal wound through the back of his shoulder. When the mid-day meal was delivered to his staff, the Vampire used the break to drag himself out of Atul's throne and stretch his legs.

"Lord Dracul," murmured one of the servants. Worry lined the edges of his eyes as he watched the vampire's stiff movements. "If you are unwell, we can close the court for the day."

Vlad cast a red-tinged glare toward the young man. "You are mistaken. If you suggest such a thing again, I will have you removed from service," he said coldly. He could tolerate a little stubborn coddling from Tenele and maybe even from Atul at times, but that was as far as his inner circle spread. The servant's mortified expression proved he had taken Vlad's message as intended, so the vampire backed off and returned to Atul's seat at the council table. "No lunch today. The backlog is large enough. I want the queue down to normal by sunset," he directed the staff.

No one questioned him. He sat tall and prepared to meet with the next spokesperson.

The sunset seemed particularly red through the palace's huge windows, or perhaps that was just Vlad's vision going crimson. As soon as the last civilian was out of the throne room, he sat a bit looser in the chair. The servants gave their ritual thanks for his oversight before filtering out into the hall. Vlad waited for the doors to close before he pushed carefully to his feet. His shoulder was painfully stiff to move, but he knew it would heal in a few weeks. His balance wavered, and he found himself touching the arm of Atul's throne for balance.

"Pathetic," he muttered under his breath. Being weak always made him irritable. He began to plan out how he might manage to hunt with success in his current condition, when a footstep behind him brought him fully alert. An instant later, he had the young servant on his back against the floor, his thin neck pinned down by knifelike claws.

"Wait! Don't kill me!" the young man pleaded in a panic, holding still as a statue under the razor-sharp nails.

Vlad would never have missed the young man's presence if he wasn't so out of sorts, and that pissed him off. "Why are you here?" he demanded.

"I just...It's just..." the man stared at him in awed terror. "I know you said not to pry...but my lord...you seemed ill and I...I thought..."

Vlad's complexion darkened with fury.

"I thought, if you were....thirsty, that if I'm good enough, you are welcome to-"

"Have you been bitten before?" Vlad asked, ice in his voice.

"N-No," he stammered. "But they say you are special. They say you can stop before..."

"It will hurt," Vlad snarled.

"I know-"

"You do NOT know. I can smell that you don't."

"I am sorry, my lord! I only wished to help!" the man cowered, terror finally setting into his veins.

"I may not stop," Vlad warned seriously. "I am wounded. You are already aware."

The servant looked into Vlad's eyes. "No...you'll stop," he said, carefully earnest.

Vlad smirked at the boy. "Come with me." He pushed shakily to his feet and the tugged the young man up like he was shaking out a throw-rug.

The dead king was a little impressed when the man actually followed a few steps behind him. "At my side," he ordered as they left the palace. Vlad pulled his hood over his head and leaned his good arm across the man's shoulders. He put very little weight on the man, but it was enough to steady him. Meanwhile, they were walking further and further away from the familiar palace, and deeper and deeper into downtown, toward districts that were not known for their safety. Vlad could hear the boy's pulse climbing as they walked, but the young man never questioned him or pulled away.

Vlad smiled, deeply enjoying his little torture session and curious how far the man's apparent loyalty stretched.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele tugged on Atul's arm. "Your bath is ready," she told the King with a smile. He rose from the bed, wrapping his fingers around her hand.

"Will you pay me the same care as your husband?" he asked curiously as she led him into the bathroom.

"Maybe," she mused with a smile. Tenele helped Atul undress and toyed with him when she could until the King was restless that she wouldn't go any further.

"Towels," she muttered.

"What?"

"I'll be right back. I hung the towels up on the porch this morning so they could dry," Tenele replied, out the door before he could blink.

A minute later feet clamoured up the steps towards the bathroom door. Atul grinned, turning his body to face her with his hands folded across his chest.

Merida froze in the doorway, eyes widening to saucers. Atul's proud form slumped a bit, his cheeks going rosy. Not as rosy as Merida, though.

"Your majesty..." she swallowed before backing out of the room and rushing down the steps just as Tenele came back in with the towels draped across her arms.

"I'm going to go back to the palace," Merida muttered. "I'll check in with you in the morning!" Before Tenele could stop the flushed woman she'd gathered her cloak and was out the door and down the street.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad was sauntering down the street with his anxious servant at his side when Merida fled toward them.

"L..Lord Dracul," she stammered.

"You don't seem yourself, Merida," Vlad asked her in a sensitive tone that made the young man at his side blink. He'd never heard the Lord use such a tone at court.

"Just returning to the palace! Perfectly fine," Merida fluttered, charmed and startled at once. "And your companion?" Her eyes gazed testingly at the young servant.

"Having him over for dinner," Vlad smiled. The man gaped in dismay as the woman simply chuckled and headed on her way, despite the sinister tone Vlad had just used.

About ten minutes later, he opened the door to the cottage and directed the young man inside. "Back," he called upstairs for the others' benefit as he closed the door behind him. The servant looked around, twitching in a circle as if demons might jump from the walls.

[Emora Deen]

Atul had just settled into the bath with Tenele kneeling next to him, cradling soap and a cloth in her hand. Atul grinned as he leaned back in the small tub. Tenele handed the soap and cloth to Atul, who frowned when she stood up.

Tenele jogged down skipped down the steps, making a b-line for her husband. She didn't even register their guest as she threw her arms around him and planted a kiss on his lips. "Welcome home."