Heirot

Tenele pushed the covers off her legs and stood up from the pallet Vlad had made her on the floor. She stepped towards the door, standing just behind Vlad. "Why didn't you come to us after that night?" Tenele asked him softly, moving uneasy on her feet. "If we pressured you... I am sorry." Her gaze fell to the floor.

Atul looked at her and flushed. "Perhaps it was sudden...but I felt very close to you both. Closer than I've been to anyone before."

Vlad fought back the memory of Atul's lips melded against his while he watched his wife touch him. "Then why reject us? That night was perfect, and then you disappeared."

"I was in talks with Sinead, and she asked that I keep you two out of it. She would only entertain my idea on the condition that I kept it to myself unless a decision was made."

"That makes no sense," Vlad barked, though he knew perfectly well that Sinead had been trying to keep them away from the meeting halls all week. "Because of that, you could not even spare a wave? A note?"

"Perhaps...I also grew nervous," Atul muttered. "That I might never be that close to you again."

Tenele felt nervousness flutter through her at his words. She stepped closer to her husband. She hadn't even thought of that, that Atul wouldn't be satisfied with just one time. Her mind went back to that night, and how incredible and insanely amazing it had been and she wondered to herself if that was something she could do again. She wasn't sure... And she definitely wasn't sure Vlad would allow that sort of thing again.

"We care for you, Atul," Tenele told him. "You have no reason to be nervous, especially since we shared ourselves together so fully that night. There are no boundaries between us any longer."

Atul stared at Tenele, trying to read what her words truly meant.

Vlad crossed his arms, not quite ready to forgive his friend. "Well, did you and Sinead come to a decision, since you worked so damn hard for it.

"We did," Atul said, trying to ignore the venom in Vlad's tone. "It's about the two of you."

Tenele narrowed her eyes on him. "About us?" she asked him slowly, wondering if that was the reason Sinead had wanted them to stay away from anything involving Atul. "What did it concern?"

"If you-..." Atul paused, almost nervously. "I. We agreed that... You two are to accompany the fleet back to my kingdom. You are to reside there for the time being, as ambassadors."

"As what," Vlad demanded. "Have you noticed we are fighting a war?"

"So are we," Atul said, more of his authoritative nature beginning to show through in his voice. "Your queen requires my kingdom's ships. And my kingdom requires both of you."

The idea of living in the Outerlands didn't seem to be the worst idea in the world, but she wasn't sure if trying to keep as far away from Verin as possible was aided by going to his homeland of worshipers. Still, at the rate that Vlad and Tenele seemed to be making Sinead mad maybe a change was good for them. Tenele frowned at Atul. "Your kingdom requires us, Atul?" Tenele asked him softly. "Or is it that you require us?"

Atul stiffened a little at her question. "I would not ask such a selfish thing without a reason," he said. "There is a war here, but there is a war in my country as well. Ighten is in need of ships. My country is in need of something they can rally behind and respect. There are two things they have learned to respect: Demonic power, and Attara. You two would be a powerful asset to me in keeping my people united and preventing civil unrest amidst all this recent change. Your care of me need not extend beyond that.

Tenele nodded slowly, glancing to her husband. She wasn't sure if Vlad's anger had quelled enough yet, but she could think clear enough to be diplomatic about the situation... At least, she was trained enough to put personal feelings behind diplomatic sense. "I can see your reasoning," she told Atul. "Ighten needs your ships."

Her green eyes turned on her husband again. She felt a small pinch of sadness. They had been on the verge of getting a home, settling down (as much as one could in war time) "Your ships leave this evening. We will be ready to board them then, and we will accompany you back to the Outerlands."

Atul lowered his head slightly, absorbing her words and her formal tone. Her formal words made him lower his head slightly. Disappointment felt bitter in his chest. "Thank you. I-"

He cut off as Vlad's fist caught him across the jaw and spun him into the wall. He raised his eyes to Vlad in shock. "Vlad..."

"We said we're coming with you, so don't give me that look," Vlad said. "Next time, just tell us what's happening. Asshole," he muttered, pushing past the demigod to go into his closet.

Tenele winced, watching Vlad as he stormed off. She turned her gaze back to Atul, stepping forward and taking the King's face in her hands gently. She eyed the red mark on his jaw. "You may have had that coming," she muttered to him softly. "He wanted to punch you earlier, but I managed to calm him down for half a day.You're lucky." Tenele smiled at him.

Tenele drew her hands away slowly. "If there is a next time..." She brushed her messy silver hair nervously. "I hope you won't wait a week to talk to us."

Atul blinked at her, torn between pride, shock, and guilt. "I am sorry," he said. "I am not entirely.... accustomed to having people like you. Friends. It's possible I have a bit to learn.

Tenele smiled softly at him. "That's fine, Vlad isn't used to having friends either. Not that he'd admit it..." She glanced to their closet, knowing the vampire probably heard her. "We have something other than your casual friendship, now, Atul. We are more than friends. I can't really think of a word for what we are, but I don't think it needs to be defined either." Tenele leaned forward and gave Atul a gentle warm kiss on the cheek.

"Okay," she said, sighing. She smoothed her hands over the same clothes she'd been wearing yesterday and turned to look about the room. "Packing is in order. I'm assuming its hot in the Outerlands? I'm looking forward to warm temperatures."

"Yes," Atul said, touching his cheek lightly. "Okay." He wore a slight smile as he turned away toward the hall. "The ship leaves in a few hours."

Tenele closed the door behind the King, and turned to look around the room she shared with her husband. While Vlad was in the closet Tenele went to the trunk she owned tucked near the corner of the room and opened it. She cleaned out the contents, what little there was in it, and turned for the closet.

Tenele entered the walk-in closet behind Vlad. It was dark, but she knew he could see just fine. She brushed up against him from behind, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Feel better after socking him in the jaw?" she murmured against the skin of his back.