Mature: Desert Moon

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad had never experienced this much positive attention from strangers in his life. As a human, he'd had respect and been well liked, but never married or recognized in such a public ceremony. As a vampire, his record for making allies was awful at best. But he could swear that of the faces smiling at him and shaking his hand, touching his ring affectionately, a good majority of them seemed genuine.

Sinead made the same observation as she watched from a few yards away. Good god, he's popular. I hope the world survives his ego, she thought smugly. It was a bittersweet moment as she walked up for her chance to greet the vampire she'd 'raised' as her servant. Vlad had been with her for hundreds of years, and now he was exploring life on his own terms more and more. She had less of the answers and more of the questions as their relationship gradually shifted toward equals.

And starting today, he was a citizen of Hajara and a member of her court, at once. She had to be careful to use his skills carefully when she needed them. She couldn't monopolize him as she had in the past, and frankly, she didn't want to. She wanted to see him live this new life he'd created for himself, not troop constantly into her fights, no matter how durable he'd proven to be for her.

"My Queen," Vlad greeted her, respectfully without the usual nicknames, at least for today.

She smiled at him, and was surprised to feel tears in her eyes. "Congratulations, Vladimir," she said with a proud smile.

His smile grew honest as well. "Thanks, Queeny." He glanced around the festive room to avoid making her feel he was staring at her tears. "Had a chance to see Tenele yet?"

[Emora Deen]

Lelana was trying very hard to find her way out of the room through all the people in it. She'd not been around so many people in a very long time. They were loud. They moved fast. The world was nothing but a blur of colors and in her rush she bumped hard into someone.

"I'm sorry," she huffed, holding up her hands. "I..."

"You," Tenele said. "What are you doing here?"

Lelana's eyes widened. She looked from Tenele to the child in her arms. Her neice. Her brother's daughter. Those blue eyes... "I'm sorry. I was invited by Vlad. I'm leaving."

"Hi," Tenara said, waving at Lelana. "You're pretty."

Lelana choked on her own saliva.

Tenele's gaze went from her daughter to Lelana. "You're all about making dangerous friends tonight, aren't you, daughter?"

"She's pretty, like a princess. Are you a princess?"

"I was," Lelana said. "You're the princess now."

"We can be princess together." Tenara smiled brightly. "Mommy, can we be princesses together?"

"Excuse me, I see my husband," Tenele said.

"Bye!" Tenara called.

Tenele saw Sinead and went immediately too her and pressed a kiss to the woman's cheek. "Mother," she said, almost wanting to fall against the woman's shoulder and rest her head there rather like she'd done as a child.

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead gave the girl a strong hug, misting up again. "You've matured so beautifully, my dear maiden," she smiled. "One day, when this little one is big," she poked Tenara's nose playfully, "You'll know the joy it brings to see a daughter finally find her place in the world and thrive there."

"Kingsoul," a servant patted the vampire's shoulder from behind. Vlad looked back at him in confusion before realizing he could answer to that now. For the 293rd time that day, his stomach did a flip.

"Forgive me, there's a small issue with the young ones you brought in last night. Would you mind addressing them just a moment? The maids are having difficulty..."

Vlad kissed Tenele's shoulder and pointed to indicate he'd be back in a minute.

* * *

The shouting could be heard all the way down the hall. Two maids stood pensively outside the doorway, and a third was perched half in and half out like she was feeding a lion enclosure.

"I will not calm down! I will see Talon!"

"Talon is just fine, I promise you," the maid pleaded. "He has many responsibilities today..."

"Then let me see him, and he can continue!" Sho snarled. She was still wearing her ragged clothes from the desert and looked rather the worse for wear, but the color had returned to her cheeks and her green eyes were bright with desperation. "Sho will believe he is fine when she sees he is fine!"

"Scuse me," Vlad sighed, stepping around the maids who burst into murmurs at his formal appearance. "You are looking for my bloodling," he observed as he took in the ragged girl's appearance. Behind the pompous behavior, he could see terror in her eyes.

"They say Talon is alive, but Sho cannot seeing the Talon!" the girl raged, her Hajaran growing worse the angrier she got.

Vlad raised his brows at her, and her kin sitting anxiously behind her. "There's a very fancy party going on outside."

"Sho does not care!" she huffed.

Vlad looked back at the frustrated maids. "Sounds fair enough," he told them, casting the door wider. "Come on." The women looked mortified as a filthy Sho skittered after him out of the room. Khi smiled apologetically at the maids and stayed put by the fire.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele nodded to Vlad and smiled at Tenara. "I do not want her to grow up. I wish she'd stay small like this forever." She pressed a kiss to her daughter's cheek. "Thank you again, for offering to babysit her tonight. She's talked about spending the night with you all day."

* * *

Lelana was nearly out. She'd been dragged back and forth by people who knew her, and ones she wanted to avoid. She could see the door. She wasn't more than ten feet from it, and then she ran into another person, harder this time, and with enough force that she almost fell down.

"Careful," Sahid said. "You don't want to fall. Have you been drinking?"

"Not enough," Lelana muttered, turning her gaze on the man. "I'm actually trying to escape."

"You're bad at it."

Lelana smirked. "Excuse me..."

"Want to get another drink?" Sahid asked, waving the gold goblet he carried. "You are familiar. Have we met?"

"No," Lelana replied. "Though, you look like someone I'd care never to see again. Excuse me."

"Ouch," Sahid laughed.

Lelana shut her eyes tight and stopped short. "I did not mean it that way. I just mean you look an awful lot like someone I hated. I don't hate you. I hate them."

"So you hate the way I look?"

"Yes. No. Maybe. I have no idea."

Sahid laughed. "You should have another drink."

"That's probably a good idea," Lelana huffed, pressing a palm to her forehead.

* * *

Talon stood along the wall with Espha. His arms were folded tightly across his chest. He was holding on for dear life. Though, he wasn't as mad from the holy wounds as he'd been before, being in a room full of delicious people was like torture. If it weren't for the fact his sister and master were the reason for the party, he'd have fled it long ago.

"You're doing well," Espha told him, smiling at him gently. Her hand curled around his upper arm. "You made it through the wedding, whenever you want to leave we'll leave, okay?"

Talon stared into her dark eyes for a long silent minute before he gave a gentle nod.

[Soran Nightblade]

Sho chased after Vlad until she was in the room. Her appearance drew stares, which the young girl completely ignored. "Talon!" she burst into the fray like she was looking for a cub in the woods.

"This way," Vlad's invisible hands on her shoulders pointed her more to the left. The vampire followed at a safe distance from the feisty child. He wanted to be sure his bloodling didn't hurt himself again when he reacted to the girl's excitement.

She spotted him quickly against the wall and bolted to his side. "Talon!" she stared at him in terrified relief, shaking with anger and concern and panic. She hesitated in touching him, like he might be about to dissolve.

[Emora Deen]

Talon blinked at the child. "Sho?" he said, surprise lighting his features. He was pale for a vampire, and stiff and sore. He moved off the wall with Espha hovering just behind him, and knelt slowly in front of her. "Sho. You're better. I'm so happy. I knew you'd be resting. I'm sorry I didn't see you sooner. I haven't felt well." He reached out a shaking hand and cupped it over the top of her head. When he felt steady enough, he drew her into his arms for a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry... I'm sorry about your Kin," he said to her.

[Soran Nightblade]

Sho's pride stiffened her. "I thought you went to the cold place. Stupid male," she snarled against his shoulder. Then her body went slack, and she sobbed like a child.

[Emora Deen]

Talon held her tighter, lifting her up off the floor. "I am the cold place," he whispered to her. "I am eternal. You will never lose me. I promise."

Talon met his master's eyes. "I'll take her. I'm okay. Espha and I will see to them. Thank you for bringing her here to me."

* * *

Tenele pressed a kiss to Tenara's cheek just as three maids came up to her. "My Queen, its time you came with us." The people around her in the room seemed to know exactly what that meant. They smiled slyly and bowed their heads to her. Tenele passed Tenara off to Sinead with an apologetic smile. "Good night, my love. I'll see you tomorrow. Be good for grandma."

Tenara nodded vigorously and burrowed against the Queen of Ighten.

Tenele followed the maids, passing Atul. He winked at her. "See you in a few minutes," he whispered as she passed.

"This is embarrassing," Tenele barked. "People are giving me the wink!"

Atul rolled with laughter as she flipped him off and scurried to catch up to the maids. They led her down a winding set of halls and up a spiral staircase to a wooden door. The wooden door led out to the massive roof veranda. The four pillars that supported the gold and blue rood were at least six feet by six feet thick. The roof itself had to tower nearly forty or fifty feet.

True to his word, Atul had asked for curtains. He obviously didn't specify what type of curtains because they were long, peach, and sheer. She could easily make out the large bed at the center of the veranda surrounded by candles, candelabras, great bowls of fire, and wafting incense.

The maids led Tenele through the curtains. There were guards stationed, two to each side of the veranda, outside the rim of the curtains with their backs to them. She really, no she desperately hoped they didn't intend to stay there the entire time.

"What is that smell?" Tenele asked as she grew closer to the bed.

"Do you like it?" one of the maids asked with a coy smile.

"I guess..." Tenele sighed, feeling utterly relaxed. "Its kind of nice."

"Good," another said, giggling. They moved around Tenele and began to draw her garments off piece by piece.

Tenele closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in. After a while she felt a little tingly. Her skin felt extra sensitive. Each light brush or tug of fabric from her felt a little too good. She blinked her eyes open and stared at the maids.

"I...I can get the rest," she whispered, realizing that the hands working at the fabric were starting to feel embarrassingly good.

"My Queen, it is our duty to prepare you," the women said with smiles. "Let us."

"I..."

"Shhh," they hushed.

Tenele choked back her next words just to keep from holding back a soft pleased sigh as fingers drew back the last layer of fabric and exposed her to the night air. Next came hands slick with scented oil. They ran over her arms and legs and up to places that she dared not let anyone else touch.

Tenele's heart beat faster.She felt far too aroused to be normal. Something definitely wasn't normal about any of this, and it wasn't just the fact that three strange women were rubbing her down with oil. "What the hell is that smell?"

"It is traditional incense. It is for the bride to help you be prepared for your wedding night," the maid smiled. "Is it working?"

"I don't need it," Tenele whispered, feeling dizzy with need. "I'm really quite ready."

The women snickered. "We'll let the King and Kingsoul know."

The women drew Tenele to the bed and let her fall back into the silk sheets. She stretched luxuriously across them. Even the fabric against her bare skin felt pleasurable. She imagined for a moment that all the women before her had been drugged this way, but not for good. This was the first night in Hajaran history that Verin wouldn't be greeting the Queen on her wedding night.

Tenele stretched her arms out, sighing pleasantly. Everything felt wonderful. She just relished in it, knowing that her husbands would be there soon. Husbands.... she had two. She giggled.

"Bahhh."

Tenele opened one eye, and then the other. She lifted her head to a munching sound from across the room and spotted a brown goat nibbling on the peach curtain. An elegant eyebrow rose. "You've got to be kidding me..."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad left the sniffling Sho in Talon's care, pleased to see how controlled his protege was. As he turned back into the crowd, a servant approached him with a cheerful look on her face. "Kingsoul, the Queen awaits."

The vampire smirked at the way she said the word "awaits", almost deviously. "Yes, yes, where does she await?" he managed not to tease, looking around the room.

"No, my lord, she awaits you on the rooftop."

Oh. She did mean it like that. He smiled brightly. "Thank you."

Oh, if the skeptics in Ighten could see him now. He almost seemed like a normal, friendly person about to make love to his wife. Not a highly effective monster.

[Emora Deen]

Atul glanced around the large space, immediately hitting a wall of incense that was thick in the air. He almost stopped as he took a deep breath and fell every muscle in him simultaneously relax and coil at once.

"Oh, no," he huffed. "I said no illa."

The maids snickered at their king. "Tradition." They led him over to the bed, drawing off his formal turban. Atul was so anxious he didn't even notice the lovely woman already curled up in bed waiting.

Tenele noticed him though, and she covered her mouth to stifle a laugh as he tried to bat the excited maids away. They had been smelling far too much of that herb for their own good, and no amount of pleading with them was effective.

They tugged at his tunic. "Wait... oh," he said and they snatched up off, giggling as they folded the fabric neatly. Then, came the oil, just as they'd done for Tenele and Atul's face turned crimson. "I can't. I'm married now."

"Tradition," said one of the young women, smiling pleasantly at him. "The Queen did not complain so much, my King."

"The..." Atul turned his gaze to Tenele who waved at him less sheepishly than she might have had she not been seduced by a potent aphrodisiac. He swallowed and clamped his mouth shut, holding his arms out at his sides, intending to be a better sport about it than her. He couldn't keep his body from reacting to the light touch, and he clenched his teeth from moaning at them. When they were finished they motioned with pleased smiles to the bed and took up their positions for Vlad.

Atul crawled naked and shiny across the sheets to his wife.

"You got me a goat," she said, placing a hand on his chest and pushing lightly against him.

Atul gave a coy smile and pursued her. "Tradition."

That seemed to be the scapegoat word of the evening.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad made his way up the stairs to the rooftop, his head buzzing from all the different people he'd just interacted with. Lelana, Sinead, Atul's court, allies from his new life, strangers he hadn't decided about yet... it was extremely strange seeing them all in one place.

But there was a reason such odd forces could be brought together, and that reason was up on the roof, waiting for him. They were both his, now. He'd gone from living as a ghost to possessing life-long companions. Frankly, half the challenge of the evening was that he couldn't quite absorb it.

But he did have some ideas of where to start. He smiled to himself as he topped the stairs and rounded a corner to see the canopy of silks and the maids smiling toward him.

Two of them had helped him dress earlier. Their eyes suggested they intended to do the opposite now. "I think I can figure this part out on my own, ladies," he grinned, glancing at the fabric. Were they there? His chest beat mightily.

[Emora Deen]

The maids tsked at him, waving fingers as they swarmed like ants around his legs. Each one grabbed a fabric and began to pull, even as another pushed at his back to walk him nearer to bed. They giggled amongst themselves, having long been smelling the affects of illa and grown a bit more bold in their gestures.

Tenele was stretched naked on her stomach, her chin resting on her crossed arms while the King's black hair spilled over her back and he trailed light kisses down her spine. His fingers worked at the muscle of her lower back and over the roundness below it. At the arrival of his husband he drew his head up and admired the assault he was receiving from the help as they clearly took advantage of the one day in their entire lives it would be okay to be so forward with their King Soul.

"Easy ladies," the King said. "He is mine."

"And mine," Tenele murmured dreamily, rolling to her back and stretching. All the shyness that Tenele would have shown amongst a crowd was tossed to the side. Her body tingled with so much sensation, even if the touch was lighter than a feather.

"I told them not to bring the incense, that we didn't need it," Atul side, brushing his fingers through Tenele's hair. He kissed her deeply. "But, they disobeyed me."

[Soran Nightblade]

"Incense?" Vlad laughed as he struggled to outmaneuver the maids. A warm scent filled his nostrils and swirled low in his body. His next breath shuddered oddly. "Incense," he mused, raising two fingers to the bridge of the nose in a self-conscious gesture. Lowered inhibitions weren't usually a good idea where vampires were concerned. But they knew him, even that side of him. It was okay, wasn't it?

His next breath found him less and less concerned, and he didn't worry about why. He cast the ladies helping him a smile raw with power. "You're excused," he offered, cruelly handsome.

They seemed entranced and alarmed at once. Casting backward glances at the three impossibly beautiful newlyweds, they reluctantly made their retreat.

Vlad turned to his wife and husband, red eyes glowing with heat. He knelt slowly into bed beside them, letting the silks fall shut. Atul was closest, so he cupped a hand along the man's jaw and met his lips with a deep, lingering kiss.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled at her husbands. She drew to her knees and kissed the first part of Vlad she could touch, his knee, and then his arm, and then his shoulder. When she reached his neck, she bit him firmly.

Atul's arm snaked out and curled around Vlad's neck, and his other wrapped around Tenele's waist, his hand about her breast. "Husband," he growled to Vlad. He clutched Tenele tighter. "Wife."

Tenele giggled softly, feeling dizzy and wonderful.

[Soran Nightblade]

Atul's words filled him like a wild rush. "Yes," he breathed, caught between a growl and a moan. He snaked his hands around Tenele's shoulders and drew her up to kiss him. Her bite tingled straight to his center. Gripping tight but not enough to wound her, his arms pinned her down into the soft sheets with supernatural strength. He began leaning down to her neck and sucked at the warm skin. It was too soon for that, but his body hadn't gotten the memo. Their pulses beckoned to him until he could barely think.