Heirot

The healer, which Vlad picked up from the soldier's conversations was called Lady Ami, kneeled between the donor's body and Tenele's, placing ahand over each of their hearts. "It will not hurt, but you may feel weak afterwards," she said gently to the soldier, closing her eyes again. This time her assistants went to Tenele and the soldier and touched them directly, ready to begin the spell.

At first it seemed like nothing was happening, because the process had to be done slowly. But little by little, color began returning to Tenele's skin, while the soldier grew a little paler. Vlad watched Tenele closely, holding her in his gaze. He knew the eyes of the living from those of the dead. If she looked away, he couldn't be sure she was alive. At first he kept sending gentle messages into her mind, like "you'll be okay" and "almost there". When that become too tiring, he just encouraged her with his scarlet eyes. Anyone else wouldn't have been able to read anything behind all that glowing red, but he thought Tenele would be able to tell what he was thinking.

Tenele's eyes blinked more and her smile returned as she felt herself become slightly more aware, however still a great deal tired. She watched Vlad and his thoughts grew more sparse until finally he stopped sending her messages. Was he tired? He was losing a lot of blood.

"Someone help him," Tenele said quickly as she squeezed Vlad's hand tightly. "Please... He's losing a lot of blood. Don't make me feed you again Vladimir Dracul... Go get something to eat... find a prisoner... Please..." Her voice was meek, drousy.

Vlad felt satisfied as Tenele smiled and began speaking again. He wanted to just sit there and watch her smile until he fell asleep...

Fall asleep? Whoah, that wasn't normal. His mind became alert enough to tell him that the drowsiness he was feeling was not sleepiness. Finally, Tenele's words rather than just her voice registered in his head. Food. Blood. Bleeding? He looked down curiously. So he was. Forgot.

Hehehe....he grinned as if that was funny. It was funny, for some reason.

"Geh...is he okay?" said one of the soldiers, baffled.

"Bring him over there," the head soldier said, gesturing toward the foot of Vlad's cot where several bodies lay dead and dying. The other soldiers looked at him in dismay, but he nodded and said "Do it!"

Vlad felt hands drawing him up under the shoulderblades, backwards, away from Tenele. Without really thinking, he backhanded one of the men, sending him reeling backwards. Another soldier dove to take his place as Vlad sank sideways. "Jeezus," murmured the injured guard, cradling a possibly broken nose.

The guards placed Vlad next to the broken bodies and let him sink back to the floor. They drew the medical curtains aroundhim so the rest didn't have to watch.

Vlad pushed up on one elbow dizzily, looking aroundhim like he didn't know how he got there. Next to him was one of the goons he'd taken out earlier. He closed his eyes and thought that was fine by him. His eyes glowed as he bit into the flesh hungrily and sucked, weakly at first, but slowly gaining strength until his bite became ferocious. Ten minutes later, three bodies lay thoroughly drained on the ground and Vlad lay next to them with a fierce grin on his face. As much as he'd drunk, his body was still taking its time healing, but he could feel that the process had accellerated beyond what it was before, thanks to the blood. He focused all the magic he had into that process until the wound on his back and stomach closed over. Good, at least he wasn't leaking. He took a deep breath for the fun of it. It was odd to be so full of power and still be injured, but he would see to that soon. The healing just didn't work quickly enough at this stage of power. He looked at the curtain and wanted to be on the other side with Tenele. It was weird...the curtain was marking off their two worlds. Here he was strewn on the floor with a pile of corpses he'd just sucked dry, his eyes glowing like hellfire, and she was on the other side with the Queen's servants and healers surrounding her beautiful form. He shook his head, wondering if he was still delirious for thinking such a strange thing, but still didn't try to cross over the curtain.

"Bring me a robe for her from the closet," the healer said. One of the other girls ran to the closet and pulled a white cotton robe from the closet and quickly carried it back to where Tenele was still lying weakly on the floor.

"Soldiers, turn your eyes away. It is not appropriate for you to see a Queen's Maiden's form unless you are her husband," the healer said. When the soldiers had turned there heads and bodies completely away the women uncovered Tenele's blanketed form and helped slip the robe around her. They tied it securely in the front.

Tenele felt warmer, and less exposed. She still felt very tired, but knew that a few days of rest and food would fix that. He eyes drifted to the curtain which Vlad was behind. She hoped he was alright, hoped he was healing. She wished he would come out from behind the curtain, and what if he never did.

Tenele forced herself up to a sitting position. Then she pushed her self to a standing position. She swayed quickly to the left and a soldier caught her in his arms.

"Lady Raider! You should be resting, not walking. A soldier will carry you to the other recovery ward," the healer said.

"Not until I see if he's alright," Tenele said and pushed against the soldier, however it did no good. He knew better than to let go of her, she would fall face first onto the marble flooring. She pushed against him, but the sad truth was that he was far stronger than her.

"Vlad!" she called out to him, still struggling to walk towards his curtain.

The soldier finally thought that it would be better to help her walk towards the curtain than let her use all her energy fighting to get it. "I can carry you," he said.

"No," she told him. She didn't want to be carried by him... She wanted to be strong, like Vlad said she was. Actually it was more like being stuborn at the moment. "I can make it..." Tenele said.

"Alright if you think so..." The soldier let go slowly and Tenele stumbled a few steps and fell forward, catching the curtain. She ripped it down slightly, however the soldier was quick and caught her before she went all the way down. She felt woozy and light headed, not to mention her legs were numb.

"Vlad..." she said softly, her green eyes looking down at him through the tear she had made. "Vlad," she repeated with a smiled, her eyes hung heavily.

The light around her made the white robe light up and her silver hair shine... She looked almost like an angel for the God of Light.

Vlad looked up at the sound of Tenele's voice. She was watching him through a gap in the curtain, the light from her side flooding around her. "Tenele," he said, his voice nearly drowned out by the bustle of everyone on the other side of the room. He went to push himself up on one arm, and cringed. Bone was much more complicated than flesh, and healing it would be a while. He sank back down against the floor in a resigned, almost pathetic movement and lay still.

Tenele smiled at him and sighed with relief. As she smiled her knees buckled and the soldier put his arm under her knees, lifting her light for into his arms.

"Take her across the hall," the healer said. The soldier gave a quick nod and turned in an about-face, walking casually towards the door and leaving the room with Tenele in his arms.

He went across the hall and into another empty ward. This one had two beds, one on the left side of the room and one on the right, facing the windows. He placed her in the one to the left. She was so light that he could hold her with one arm and prop his leg on the bedside table to steady the lower half of her body as he pulled back the covers and laid her gently in the bed. By now she was fast asleep and unaware of anything, finally having given in to the weakness.

He watched her for a moment and then turned to leave, closing the door behind him.

"Tenele...I know a lot has just happened to you, but about what you said during the fire..." Vlad said, looking at the floor in thought as he chose his words. He paused to think of where the heck he was going with this, and found he didn't know. For better or for worse, Tenele had already fallen asleep before he began. Vlad's eyes flickered up as the guard began taking Tenele away.

"Oy. What are you doing? Hey!" Vlad demanded, unable to get up. The guard looked at him briefly, but then carried her away without a word. "Hey!" Vlad tried one more time before his pride stopped him. Men moved around him, dragging the bodies out of the room and cleaning up the mess. Damn it, he wasn't done talking to her. Taking her to another room so suddenly...those idiots.

More importantly, he was kind of stuck. Vlad closed his eyes and tried to heal his bones, knowing it wouldn't be a 5-minute task like his other wound was, even with all the blood he'd had. He had to do it, though, or he'd just lie on this floor like an idio-....

The no life king twiched as a hand rested lightly on his shoulder. When he looked up, there was a guard standing over him, looking very serious.

What the heck is this kid looking all worried about, Vlad thought, irate at being pitied.

"Can you roll over? I'll help you up," the guard said kindly.

Kindness? Vlad just couldn't help it. He started laughing, quietly and then slowly gathering zeal. The man didn't look offended; he just proceeded to help the laughing vampire onto his side and then his knees. Before Vlad really knew it, he was on his feet next to this person being supported at the shoulder and lower back, carefully walking toward the next room.

The guard helped him all the way to his cot, but then Vlad didn't seem interested in lying down. The vampire looked fascinated with the maiden who was resting in the other bed. "Lord Vladimir," the man coaxed, trying to get him to lie down, but stopped. "Shall we go to her first, then?" he said to Vlad. The vampire grimaced at the assistance, but wanted to get over to her, so he let the man help. When he was next to Tenele's cot he knelt next to it, disregarding protests from his assistant.

"I'll be staying here," Vlad informed the man cockily.

The guard gave a reluctant frown, but nodded. "I'll be outside if you need anything." With that, he left them alone.

Vlad crossed his arms on the bed and leaned on it, still trying to heal his back. Sitting up was a hassle, but he couldn't think of sleep. He looked at Tenele sleeping peacefully, looking pale but content at the moment. 'I love you', eh? She was a handful, this one. What was he going to do about it? He rested his head on one hand and looked across the room thoughtfully.

The sun light was strong that morning, with no curtains to dull its strength it pored into the room filling every corner and covered area with beautiful golden light. Tenele opened her eyes and groaned as her green eyes tried to adjust. She shifted in her bed, curling up onto her side facing Vlad, though she hadn't at the moment really noticed he was there.

She pulled the covers up above her shoulders, sinking further under them and lower down into the bed. Tenele blinked several times as her vision cleared and the form in front of her became more and more clear.

She didn't have the heart to wake him. He looked so cute sleeping that she didn't want to do anything to disturb him. So, instead she reached out with one hand and placed it gently on his arm. She sighed, content with the situation, and closed her eyes to relax.

Vlad cracked one crimson eye open at Tenele, his head resting on his crossed arms. He took a deep breath and released it. Just by breathing, he could feel that his back had healed. Tenele's warm hand on his arm made him decide against stretching around. Last night felt like a hallucination at that moment, although without last night, there was no way Vlad would be waking up kneeling next to Tenele's hospital bed, impressed he could feel his own back. Ah, screw it. His eye fell shut and he dozed off again, too comfortable to move.

Tenele yawned, opening her eyes again as her stomach spoke quite loudly to inform her that the loss of blood and what little regeneration of it had caused her to lose what little food she had in her stomach.

"Calm down, I'll eat soon enough," she whispered, idly putting a hand on her flat stomach.

She looked back at Vlad and smiled to herself as she watched him. She still figured he was sleeping. She was tired, but wanted nothing more than to talk to him. So to wake him, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek softly, her silver hair falling across her face to graze his neck and arms.

A kiss on the lips probably couldn't have shocked him, but Tenele's chaste peck against his cheek was so innocent and gentle that he opened her eyes and stared at her. That same realization that had struck him in the courtyard behind Tenele's house hit him again now; this sensation was not about sex.

"Tenele," he greeted her in his teasing voice, though he'd completely forgotten to use the teasing nickname. "Feeling better? Want some water?" he threatened playfully, even as he seemed so drowsy that he might fall back asleep. He set his head back down on her hand, looking quite comfortable.

Tenele smiled softly as she rested her head back against the pillow, her hair cascading down the side of the pillow. "No water, though I would love some food. Just as long as you're not throwing it at me," she said softly, giving him a playful wink.

She paused for a moment and then took on a concerned expression. "Vlad... are you feeling better?" she asked, wondering if he was completely healed. She hoped that he was for she didn't want him unwell. She wanted him as healthy as possible.

"Of course," Vlad smirked, "Never better." He raised an eyebrow as if he was unaware of ever being anything else. "What would you like for breakfast?"

Tenele smiled and put a finger to her chin for a moment as she gave the breakfast idea some thought. "Hmm... Eggs... and bacon... or sausage... no definitely bacon... and some toast..." she looked at Vlad and gave him a beautiful smile. She rolled onto her side more and scooted further down the bed until her head was in line with his.

"The doctor should be in soon. He'll get me what I want to eat," she told him.

"Are you completely healed? No reason to stay in a recovery room with me?" she asked him playfully.

"None whatsoever," Vlad teased, poking her forehead. His lips pulled upward in amusement as the infirmary door slammed open in the next room. "It begins," Vlad scoffed.

Frantic footsteps stumbled across the main room before stopping outside their door and swinging it open. The doctor from the night before stood in the doorframe looking disheveled and out of breath, like he'd dressed in the dark. His smock was inside out. "You didn't tell me you weren't supposed to see her," he accused worriedly.

Vlad chuckled like the man had just suggested Vlad drop a brick on his head. "If I did that, you wouldn't put me here," he explained condescendingly.

The doctor just began pacing, looking like he was going to rip his own hair out. "She's coming, don't just sit there. She's coming NOW!"

* * *

Soran let Rai down when they reached the castle gates so that she could walk there on her own. All three of them looked tired and a bit scruffy after their strenuous march through the forest along Soran's bushwhacked shortcuts. Guards stood at the castle entrance. They looked at the weary party with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"We seek an audience with the Queen," Soran told them, making eye contact until the skepticism in their stares turned to confusion.

"Many seek an audience with Queen Sinead. Her schedule is booked far in advance," he said politely, evidently being someone who heard this story countless times each day.

"We've traveled here specifically to speak with her. It's urgent," Soran reinforced.

The guard frowned. "I cannot promise a special audience with the Queen, but if you have traveled here for that purpose, there are quarters available to you inside the palace while you await her attention."

Soran visibly stiffened at that suggestion. "If necessary, we will find lodging in the city," he said flatly. In Arken, what they were talking about usually meant a death sentence. A Queen's hospitality was not something Soran could understand.

The guard glanced at Mizuki, seeming confused by Soran's reaction. "If you hope to acquire an early meeting with the Queen, it is best to be near at hand. Purchasing lodging is unnecessary; so that all may speak with her equally, the Queen puts no price on her attention," he tried one more time.