Mature: Desert Moon

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad hesitated at the words. He knew prejudice was not so easy to overcome. Maybe she didn't realize how deeply he was despised in the courts. Regardless, the promise had been made, as irrational as it was. "I'm going to prepare some things for our journey. I'll return later," he told them all. He gave a nod to Talon as he left the room.

[Emora Deen]

Talon shifted uncomfortably on his feet after being left alone with his amnesiac sister. "I, um, I am going to wait outside," he muttered and turned.

"How did you become a vampire?" Tenele asked.

Talon slowly turned back. "It's a long, long story. The quick version; I was dying and it was the only way to keep me alive. So, Vlad sired me."

"He mastered you," Tenele muttered.

Talon smirked. "That's one way to put it."

[Soran Nightblade]

A knock came at the door, and Sinead glanced in. She was a bit surprised to find Talon and Tenara with her. "Good morning," she greeted. "I heard you were still in the hospital." She walked in, not quite as radiant as usual, but looking very healthy and elegant in a blue gown.

"How are you feeling? Your medicine saved my life. I'm sorry to hear you were injured finding it." she glanced over her, trying to figure out what exactly had been hurt.

[Emora Deen]

Before Tenele could answer the queen Tenara lifted her head, wiped her red eyes, and smiled. "Grandma!"

Tenele chuckled softly. "Silly girl."

"I am glad you are feeling better," Tenele told Sinead. Talon moved uneasily across the room. He seemed ready to jump between them, or say something. Tenele assumed shehad already heard about her memory loss and short detainment by the deranged head of her treasury, leading to his and his wife's gruesome death. "I'll feel better soon. I shouldn't have wondered off from the palace, not knowing-"

"You should probably go back abd rest, my queen," Talon interjected. "You look pale."

[Soran Nightblade]

"Your concern is appreciated, Sir Raider," she said to Talon in a warning tone.

She returned her attention to Tenele. "Wandered off?" Sinead asked. "It matters little where you were, my dear, since you got to me so quickly. After all, you weren't charged with the guard of our guests, so you were just in going wherever you pleased. You couldn't have known."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele blinked at her, a little confused. "I am simply thankful that I didn't delay Vlad any longer than I did," she sighed. "Things might have ended badly for you had he not kidnapped me for my own good. And then, I was so confused when I got back... But, we think we may have a lead on how to get my-"

"Tenele," Talon sighed.

"Yes?" She asked Talon, turning a confused gaze on him.

[Soran Nightblade]

Tenele narrowed her eyes on both of them. "Kidnapped? What in the world is going on? Have I missed something?"

[Emora Deen]

Tenele looked petrified. Vlad didn't want her to say anything... She assumed Sinead already knew...

Talon scooped up Tenara with a heavy sigh. "Come on snack, lets go get those books for your mother to read." He let himself out.

Tenele felt nervous now. She didn't know this woman, or how she would react. She didn't know how close they were. Tenele curled her fingers around covers, lowered her head respectfully, and proceeded to explain the events of yesterday, omitting the secret she asked Vlad to keep. But, there was a certain waver of her voice when she broached that portion of the story, breezing through it like it wasn't important at all.

Once the words started flowing, they just kept coming out, like verbal vomit.

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead took a seat slowly as Tenele explained everything. "Tenele, my darling," she murmured in disbelief. "I am so sorry this happened to you...it must be very frightening. We have some of the best doctors in the kingdom, and we'll do everything we can to speed your recovery. If Vlad is uncomfortable taking you to Hajara, I will have some of my best men accompany you." Her gaze was shadowed as she thought it through further. "How is he handling it? After everything that's happened..."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele shook her head. "I don't know," she muttered. "He hasn't really told me how he is feeling. He seems very volitile, though. I guess, I could be imagining it, but I have this deep feeling... And I keep waiting for him to blow up. He didn't seem uncomfortable with the ideaof taking me to this place. What do you mean by all that has happened?"

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead looked at her carefully. So she didn't remember that, either. "His condition is...sensitive, right now." She pondered what to actually tell her. "You and Atul were able to get him out of a very bad situation. But it took a long time, and...damage was done."

[Emora Deen]

"Who is Atul? What sort of situation?" Tenele was starting to feel frustrated with her memory loss again, however not yet to the point of tears.

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead met her eyes quietly. "Atul is the King of Hajara. You and Vlad were close to him." She debated whether or not to say it. She wasn't really supposed to know, but nothing happened in her castle without her knowing it. "The three of you were...lovers. As soon as Vlad was recovered, it seems there was a falling out. Atul ended the relationship and left to rule his kingdom. It was a blow to both of you."

"As for Vlad's situation... It was a long story, but the short version is that he was tortured. By someone who knew exactly how to hurt him."

[Emora Deen]

There was a lot to take in with those revelations and Tenele wasn't really sure where to begin. "Tortured..." She frowned, trying to imagine what amount f pain it took to hurt a vampire. "Lovers..." The three of them? Together? A king? Tenele pinched the bridge of her nose tightly. "This must be so hard for him, to lose one lover and now another, especially after he went through so much. I don't know you very well... I mean, well you know what I mean, but could you speak to him? You seem to know a lot about us, and he seems very loyal to you... Maybe your words could offer him some comfort."

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead smiled at her. "You are a caring woman, to worry over a husband you've barely met. I can speak with him, but he does not open himself to anyone but you. Truthfully, he's so unhappy with me right now that it may do more harm than good. My illness can't have helped his mood."

* * *

The priest looked up, startled, as a knock came at his library door. He looked surprised, and then cautiously friendly as he recognized the vampire in the doorway. “Lord Dracul,” he addressed him. “Are you feeling better? You seemed ill at ease the other day.”

Vlad stepped into the room with slow, careful movements. He was not comfortable in the holy man’s study. He could feel the energy resonating off of every object and tome. “I need your help with something,” he said, drawing a wad of silk from his pocket. He reached out and set it on the desk.

“Dracul! Your hand…” the priest stared aghast at the ruined skin on his finger.

“IMaybe you can get it on,” Vlad murmured. He seemed out of sorts, like he wasn’t quite there.

The priest slowly pulled aside the fabric and revealed Vlad’s wedding ring. “How did this get off?” he demanded.

“I don’t care. I want it back on.”

The priest looked at the vampire’s scorched hand. “It looks like you already know it won’t go on.”

“Try,” Vlad said flatly.

“Good lord, Vlad…” he murmured, staring at his skin. “If I hurt you, won’t it piss you off?” the priest studied him.

“I’m already pissed off,” Vlad countered.

Five minutes later, the vampire was drenched in a cold sweat. At his fierce demands, the priest had slid the ring fully down his finger, but it was only scalding away his flesh. It took everything Vlad had not to throw the ring, and the priest with it, across the room. It hurt drastically, so bad he wanted to throw up.
The priest had attempted several blessings on the ring and was now in the midst of a fourth one, but nothing cooled its fiery rage against Vlad’s skin. It would be nothing but bone soon, if they didn’t stop this madness.

“That’s it, Dracul,” the priest said, dropping his hands. “It’s not going on.”

“Keep trying,” Vlad choked, panting for air.

The priest just looked horrified. “No. You need first aid,” he condemned, pulling the ring away. Vlad screamed in pain and frustration, blindly grabbing at the ring.

“Vlad!” the priest said nervously. The vampire was wounded and half-crazed. He was a danger to himself and others. He raised a hand and incanted something. An invisible force slammed Vlad to his back on the middle of the floor. “Stay there. I’ll get the doctor,” the man sighed.

The vampire froze, paralyzed with shock as he realized he was tied down. On his back. “No. Priesty, hey,” he called after the man. “Wait. Let me up.” The horror climbed through him swiftly. Part of his mind immediately reached out for Tenele’s, and he hated himself for it. “Let me up!”

Three minutes later, the priest rushed into the medical ward. He ran into a doctor close outside Tenele’s room, spoke to him a moment, then ran into Tenele's room, bowing in a rush to the Queen. “I need your assistance downstairs. It’s Lord Dracul…he’s in some sort of rage.”