Mature: Desert Moon

[Soran Nightblade]

The knight tilted his head and pondered her a moment. "The queen is with the young lady Tenara. If you'll come with me, please," he gestured for them to follow him.

* * *

"No cake tonight, I'm afraid. Tenara, it's important for you to eat good food, also. How would your mother feel if I gave you only cake and you turned into a cake monster?" Sinead smiled.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara poked at her food with a frown. "I want to be a cake monster," she murmured. She hugged her doll tighter. "I would have chocolate arms!" She held out her arms wide, looking at each of them, then she crossed them back around the doll. Her face hardened. "Meme wants food," Tenera murmured, setting her doll in the chair as she slipped out. "Eat Meme"

Tenara wobbled over to her bed and dragged herself up into it. She crawled under the covers until she hid in the center of them, curled up into a tight ball.

* * *

Tenele nodded, falling into place behind him.

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead watched the girl with a sad smile. It had been difficult lately to engage the girl at all. Even though she talked like a little child, her spirits seemed more serious every day. Hopefully Tenele and the king were making progress. She turned her mind roughly from the thought of what state Vlad could be in by now. She remembered all too clearly what had happened the last time. No amount of time would ever make her forget.

She picked up the miniature fork on the table and speared a single piece of chicken. A moment later, she was sitting on the bed at Tenara's side. "One bite, please," she asked the child with her queen side coming out in her elegant voice. It was not a suggestion, but a command.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara didn't budge at first. A long hard huff fluttered the covers. She emerged like a blanket monster, wiggling until her head found and opening. Her silver hair was tangled all in front of her face, but not so much that you couldn't make out those piercing eyes that were born from Atul, and a bored look that could only belong to Vlad. She opened her mouth wide.

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead smiled and steered the fork into her mouth. "Thank you, little one. The rest will be here when you're ready. The maids will be here in a few minutes to get you ready for bed."

[Emora Deen]

Tenara chewed and swallowed, her stomach growling. She looked at the plate across the room longingly. "Meme isn't hungry. I should eat it." She slipped out of bed and went back to the table, taking the plate away from Meme and moving over to another empty chair. She began eating quickly. "Are you my mommy now?" Tenara asked with a mouth full of food, staring at the chicken. She glanced over to Stalker who was napping flopped over on his back. "Who is daddy?"

[Soran Nightblade]

"I'm Grandma. Mommy and Daddy are coming back soon," she said softly. It felt like the thousandth time, but it hurt each time to see the expression on her face. So innocent and confused. Your mommy is helping Daddy with something. Then they'll be back as soon as they can.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara nodded, but the look on her face said she didn't believe the woman. "Papa went away too." The pain in her voice was evident. "Scary man took Daddy and then Mommy and Papa went away." She sniffled.

The sound ripped Stalker out of his sleep. He was immediately standing next to Tenara, so much large than her. His muzzle buried in her hair, trying to sooth her before she got herself too upset.

"They aren't coming back," she cried, wrapping her arms around Stalker's neck.

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead watched the child sadly as she sobbed against the beast's neck. There was no point in intervening. The child needed to vent these feelings. Children who held them in often ended up much worse. "Listen, my dear child," she said, brushing back her bangs with a soft hand. "It's hard, I know. It's so hard. But I have known your mother a very long time. Longer than you can probably imagine, for years and years. She has never let me down yet."

She turned as a knock sounded at the door. "Here are your maids," she said with warm enthusiasm to cheer the girl up. "Come in!"

The knight pushed the door wide and stepped aside, revealing Tenele and Knight, their hands still locked together for support.

For a moment, everybody just stared. Sinead blinked at them in shock.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara didn't look up from where she was locked around Stalker. She didn't want her maids. She wanted her mother.

It only took the door being open a second, a second of hearing her daughter crying, before Tenele was across the room and scooping her up into her arms. "Its okay sweetheart, don't cry. Shhh..." Tenele whispered, tears raining down her own cheeks as she held the soft, small, warmth against her. "Oh, sweet, child. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Talon stepped into the room quietly, staying near the wall. He greeted Sinead with a quiet nod of his head, as if saying that the job was done. But, Knight's presence in the room was more than enough of a statement than anything he could say.

They were home.

[Soran Nightblade]

Knight stepped into the room slowly, like a wolf joining a pack of coyotes. He belonged, but also didn't, and he was alert to it.

He made eye contact with Sinead, who was staring at him.

"You're okay," she murmured.

"I am. So is he," Knight's midnight voice replied.

"Can...I'm sorry, but can I see him?" Sinead asked.

Knight didn't flinch. "Not immediately. When I disperse, they will both reform in the arctic, where they left off."

"Then he will teleport back," Sinead said uncertainly.

Knight's gaze darkened a little at the hope in her eyes. "No," he said quietly. "He is not strong enough." The barely controlled wince in the queen's expression proved that his words confirmed her worst fears. "Send a device with me, and they will use it to return. One that is not taxing, if you have it."

"I do," she whispered, regret filling her eyes. "Please see to your daughter first."

Knight smirked a little. "Thank you." He turned his gaze to Tenele and the child in her arms, and approached them peacefully. He was used to being away from them for long stretches, but this time he knew was slightly different, especially for Tenara.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara's sorrowful tears morphed into relieved uncontrollable sobs. "You went away," she cried. "Too long."

"I know," Tenele whispered, brushing her fingers through her daughter's hair. "I know. I'm sorry. I had to help daddy. It took a long time to get to him."

"No hugs!" Tenara cried. "I'm angry."

"I know. I'm sorry," Tenele hushed, holding Tenara tighter.

"No!"

Invisible hands wrapped around Tenele's arms and forced them open. Tenara slipped down to the floor. She backed away from Tenele, crouching in the corner. Tenele immediately realized that her daughter was getting too upset.

"Tenara," she whispered, slowly stepping forward. "Its okay, sweetheart. I won't leave you again. Calm down. Remember to breathe. Just breathe." She reached down to her daughter.

A force struck Tenele, like a hand shoving her chest, hard enough to push her back into Knight, but not hard enough to hurt. Tenara covered her head with her hands and looked up at her mother with glimmering red eyes. Her little hands shook, and Tenele could see the little girl fighting the overwhelming force inside her.

[Soran Nightblade]

Knight watched the power brooding in the child's eyes, and recognized it for what it was. No one in this room was safe. Not even Sinead. He stepped around Tenele, approaching the child, and threw a blood shield up behind him, enclosing him and Tenara inside the red-hued dome.

"Is the power hurting you?" he asked as he took another step toward her and knelt directly in front of her. "Release it if it hurts too much. You will not be able to harm me, but it is possible to hurt yourself controlling it."

[Emora Deen]

Tenara's red eyes stared at Knight. "How, father?" she cried. "It hurts." She curled into a tighter ball.

Tenele stepped anxiously closer to the shield, hovering. She didn't like being separated like this. She wanted to know what was being said, what was happening inside.

[Soran Nightblade]

Knight reached out for his daughter's hand. "Please trust me a moment," he said, drawing her wrist toward him.