Mature: Desert Moon

[Emora Deen]

Atul lifted his gaze to the vampire. "I have problem with it," Atul replied softly. "My fear is that she will not agree to you being my husband at all."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad bent down and kissed him soothingly. "Don't be upset. I will make it right. If you can accept her as my master, then I will make her accept you as my husband. Once the shock wears off, I suspect she'll consider it a beneficial arrangement."

[Emora Deen]

Atul nodded. "I can accept that," he replied, showing the faintest of smiles. "If you are a man of both courts, you will spend a lot of time away from home, won't you? I suppose that is a nice enough price to pay to have you."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad leaned back a bit and used Tenele's chest as a pillow to keep eye contact with the king. "I will have assignments to complete, and it's likely that some of them will involve "field work". That will mean that I cannot always remain within the castle walls. But the treaty between Hajaria and Ighten already declares us military allies. I doubt Sinead's orders will stray too far from this our interests here. If they do, you can depend on me to let her know it."

[Emora Deen]

Atul smiled. "I suspect the adventure will be good for you and keep you from getting cabin fever in my palace," he replied thoughtfully.

Tenele brushed her fingers along Vlad's spine. "He would most certainly get cabin fever."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad pressed kisses against her chest and hummed with pleasure. "I think I am getting it now," he teased, his voice muffled by her breasts.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele laughed softly, tickling his skin. "Cabin fever?" she asked him. "Oh, dear, whatever can we do to help you?"

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad ran his hand over Atul's side and squeezed the smooth skin of his hip. His thumb dipped into the hollow inside his pelvis while his fingers squeezed the outer edge of the man's ass. "Watching the two of you make love...make me so happy," he purred. "And so fucking turned on."

[Emora Deen]

Atul smiled, shifting his body closer to Tenele, thereby putting it closer to Vlad. "I'm glad you enjoyed watching us. I enjoyed being watched," he sighed softly. "I'm always up for another demonstration." Atul tilted his face against Tenele's neck and sucked at the skin. He then pressed a kiss to Vlad's lips, letting his tongue explore inside.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad closed his eyes, chills of pleasure running through his nerves at the offer. He wanted them. He wanted them all night, every night. What would his body do to him the next time he got to that moment? He wanted to make love to Atul, but right now, he wanted to be inside her more. And to be frank, he preferred Atul inside him, despite having a dominant personality. That really said something about his feelings for the king.

He wanted to make love to Atul. But not without Tenele. Not tonight. He wanted to be united with them, body and mind. He couldn't do that to them right now, physically or mentally, without hurting them. Perhaps the wisest thing to do really would be to wait for a while before trying things again. He wanted to be sure the memories were dull before he played near them again. And for god's sake, if his body responded to them the way it had before, he wouldn't make much of a lover.

"May I take a rain check on that?" he murmured, masking his chagrin.

[Emora Deen]

Atul smiled, nuzzling the vampire's neck. "Sure," her whispered. "Any time."

Tenele curled her hands around their necks and tugged them down against her. "My men," she sighed happily. "Shall we sleep? We have a big desert to cross."

"Sleep is probably the most responsible thing to do," he sighed happily, snuggling into the softness of her breasts.

[Soran Nightblade]

"I intend to dream irresponsibly," Vlad disclaimed, burrowing against Tenele's shoulder and locking them both under arm and leg.

Within a few minutes, the vampire was completely out. Far from having nightmares, he slept so well that at first, he didn't even notice the guard rapping on the outside of the tent. "Dawn, your highness!" the man called in uncertainly, as if had been trying for some time and was running out of ideas.

"Five more minutes," Vlad called out.

"For goodness sake, no more minutes! It's been five times already," the guard protested.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele sat up slowly as Atul moved from their bed. She stretched her arms above her head and yawned. "If we don't leave they very well may start taking the tent apart around us," she advised her husband. She patted Vlad on the cheek gently and left the furs for her small bag. In a few minutes she'd dawned her travelling clothes, a brown pair of pants and a white gossamer tunic shirt. She pulled a belt on over that, and attached her mother's sword.

"I'll leave you two slow pokes to get dressed," she sighed, ducking out of the tent.

"Really, this is shameful," Atul groaned, tugging on his shirt. "She got dressed before us."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad mumbled something profane and unintelligible in response as he dragged his pants on. After spending the night in his lovers' arms for the first time in months, the last thing he wanted to do was get dressed and travel through blinding sands all day. He threw an oversized cloak on last, not caring how it fit as long as he could hide inside it shamelessly like a man with a bad hangover.

"Alright, ready," he muttered as he joined the men near the gates.

"What's with that getup, lord Vladimir?" one of the recruits asked with a chuckle. The other men went quiet and stared at the boy like he had a death wish.

Vlad appraised him through his hood for a few moments, enjoying the tension. "Snake protection suit," he responded flatly.

The men exploded into laughter, knuckling the recruit in the kidneys for almost pissing off the lord when everyone knew he hated the sands.

[Emora Deen]

After a day's ride and well into evening, Atul halted the travelling group near a set of ruins. The King didn't like to stop in the sands, for obvious reasons, but the men needed rest. The group set up camp and started their celebrating again. Tenele was quick to join them.

He liked that she earned their devotion by being something other than a noble. She was a warrior, one of them, and they accepted her both as a warrior and their future queen. But, as with him, they had no qualms about getting her drunk.

Atul sat next to Vlad near the camp fire watching the silver hair maiden losing a drinking game with the captain of his personal guard.

"Shit!" Tenele cursed, and then laughed. "Not again."

"Two! You cursed! Cursing is against the rules," the captain barked.

"Since when?" Tenele asked, scowling at him.

"The whole time, swear," the man laughed.

"I call bullshit on that!" Tenele yelled.

"Hahaha! Three! Three shots. You cursed again," he bellowed.

"Fuck," Tenele sighed. The men erupted in laughter.

"FOUR!" they shouted.

Tenele opened her mouth. "My love," Atul called. "Best to clamp that trap shut before you end up with five."

Tenele narrowed her eyes on him, but took his advice. She downed her four shots one after the other.