Holier Than Thou

[Emora Deen]

Tenele forced a smile, turning to look at him. "I know," she said softly. "Its okay. Forget I mentioned it, okay? It was a silly thought. I blame the allergy. Besides, who wants children in a world like this? And if we could have children mine would just end up being tormented by Verin too." Even still her eyes got a little misty and she blinked it away. Tenele patted his face. "I think if I sleep I'll feel better when I wake up, so I think I'm going to try to sleep."

[Soran Nightblade]

"Of course," Vlad said, proud to have kept his voice less haunted than his thoughts. He dropped back into the sheets and stared at the wooden ceiling. Sometimes a crewman would pass over the deck overhead, blocking the thin lines of light between the boards.

He looked up as Atul finally re-entered with the tray he'd been carrying earlier. Two crewman scurried in behind him with the rest of their things. "I'll be out of your hair quickly," he said to Vlad as he noticed the vampire's strange stare. He began transferring things into a heavy wooden trunk.

"Stay."

That was the only word offered, but it was the one Atul badly needed to hear. Knowing better than to press the vampire to say it a second time, he crossed the room slowly and sat down on the edge of the mattress to pull off his boots. Something about the atmosphere seemed changed, but he couldn't tell what. "Did something happen?" he studied Tenele's resting form and Vlad's blank expression.

The vampire didn't respond.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele was too exhausted from her sickness, and the aid of Atul's tonic drink made her fall deep enough into sleep that she didn't notice the clanking of trunks or the sound of feet moving. She murmured something hardly like a word at all in her sleep, and rolled over onto her side, curling up into a tight ball.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad didn't comment as Atul perched himself between them on the wide gap down the center of the bed. Atul sat up against the headboard, still having the space to cross his legs. Why were they so far apart? "You need to rest as well," he noted to Vlad. "It will help her."

"The vampire frowned at the ceiling. "Yeah."

"What does she need?" Atul asked softly.

"She likes her back traced."

Atul tried to understand why the vampire's voice seemed so uneasy.

"Should I go sit by the fire?"

"No. Stay." There it was again.

Warm fingers slid across Vlad's forehead, sweeping through his hair.

"You getting the hots for me, Atul?" The voice wasn't quite angry. Not really.

"Perhaps," Atul muttered dismissively. "Because of her, I seem to know you that way now as well."

Vlad's fingers clasped tightly over his wrist. For a moment, Atul wondered if the vampire would try to break it. The cool grip pulled his hand away from Vlad's forehead. A cool mouth kissed the tendon at the base of his thumb, and then the vampire's hand released him.

"I'm going to sleep," Vlad snorted.

Atul stared at him for several minutes before turning his concern back to Tenele. Warm fingers gently swept the tension from her back as she rested."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele slept for a couple of hours before she blinked her eyes open. She was feeling much better, but all the sleeping just made her drowsy. She felt drugged, but then again she supposed the tonic was the source of that. She felt a hot form lying close to her, too hot to be Vlad.

Tenele rolled over slowly, stretching her arms above her head before drawing them back to her chest. Tenele smiled sleepily at Atul. "I think the tonic helped. I'm feeling better." She felt for the link to Vlad, and noted it was still there, but was starting to fade.

[Soran Nightblade]

Atul's cheeks heated slightly as she cast him that soft smile. "I am glad you are healing. Can I get something for you? Can you keep down food?"

[Emora Deen]

Tenele nodded. "I can try. My stomach seems settled enough for it." Tenele took the bread from Atul and sat up slowly, leaning her back against the headboard. She pulled pieces of bread from the roll and put it in her mouth, chewing and swallowing slowly. "Well, at least we know why I was sick last time I visited." She sighed, stretching out her legs across the silk sheets. Her gown had slid up her thigh a bit immodestly, so she reached down and readjusted it to drape over her knees.

"I'm sorry we are hogging your bed. I would hate to root you out of it. I'm sure Vlad wouldn't mind if you slept here with us tonight. There is plenty of room for it."

[Soran Nightblade]

Atul's thoughts went to Vlad, to the way he'd kissed his hand. "Only if you are comfortable," he said with polite confidence. "I do not mind staying in your quarters." He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her, sliding up again to sit against the headboard. "Any ingredients there that you are unaccustomed to?"

[Emora Deen]

Tenele chewed on the bread and read the list. "Three of them," she told him softly. She leaned closer to him until the weight of her body rested on his arm. She held the list between them, pointing to the three that she didn't recognise. "I guess the only way to find out which one it is would be to try them separately. Oh, we can test this theory when we reach land and I don't have to make Vlad suffer." She finished the last of the bread with a heavy sigh. "Well, I'm keeping it down, so that's a good sign."

Tenele lifted her eyes to him. "I am comfortable with you staying. Besides, it would be nice to sleep between the two of you. I'd feel very warm and very safe. I mean... not that I don't feel safe when I sleep with Vlad. I do. When he first turned Talon and they were gone for a week to get him settled in his new role, I couldn't sleep at all. I was afraid to sleep. Verin seems to only enjoy coming at night. But, I feel safe with Vlad... I just meant..."

[Soran Nightblade]

Atul smirked at her. "Two guardians are typically preferable to one. But he is your husband and your first defense. I understand."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled. "Yes, he is my first defence. It took me long enough to accept that. Growing up as a Queen's Maiden I wasn't very equipped with being protected. I was trained to protect, not to be protected. Vlad and I often argued about how I excepted him to be the damsel... and that he couldn't play it. Neither one of us likes to admit when we are in trouble, or need help. Which is a problem I suppose."

Tenele smiled, resting her head on Atul's shoulder. "I should probably tell you that I named the half of you that is bounded to Vlad, Knight. So, if I start talking about him you won't get confused."

[Soran Nightblade]

Atul's lips pulled into a soft smile. "I see. You called on him, yesterday. It wasn't a great time to ask... was everything okay?"

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smirked. "I called him for a silly reason. Vlad wouldn't listen to me and he was heading off to kick your ass for not speaking to us," she told him. "So I called Knight because I knew it was the only way I could make you stop fighting."

Tenele fiddled with the hem of her gown. Thinking about the last few things she'd said to Vlad before falling asleep. It was silly of her to think that he'd consider children with her, after all he never had the option before. But, she'd meant to bring it up with him eventually, because the idea had come to her when they were thinking of finding a place of their own. She'd imagined them living in that house, after all the war was over, and children... Whenever she saw children she knew she wanted one some day, but with Vlad it was impossible. But, she'd thought of it, as a fleeting idea at first, that she would ask Atul to be a surrogate for their children. But, now... now it seemed so selfish. Besides, too many problems could incur with having Atul as a surrogate. He was a king, and it would be a threat to his throne even if she had no desire to seek it. If anyone ever found out, it would challenge any other heir he ever had. It was too complicated, and again too selfish to ask of either Vlad or Atul.

"You're King now," Tenele told Atul. "Your advisers will be pressuring you to marry... and then in a year or two they'll be pressuring you for an heir."

[Soran Nightblade]

Atul smirked at her comments about Vlad. Apparently, his behavior had really upset the vampire. He thought again about that careful kiss on his hand. Then he looked at Tenele, barely dressed in her nightclothes.

Get hold of yourself, Atul, he thought harshly to himself. A wife and children. It seemed impossible to imagine such things. Especially when he was lying in bed with the most beautiful woman he'd ever met, and she couldn't possibly be his. He wouldn't even think of it. He's sooner die than try to soul-wound the powerful vampire resting at the opposite end of the bed. He hated just a little at that moment for pitching the idea to him so lightly. I've really done it this time, he thought.

"Well, there will be time for that," he mused. "I intend to be selective."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled. "It is good to be selective. I'm sure she'll be beautiful and kind, its what you deserve." She glanced around the room looking for a place where Atul would wash up. After this morning she felt positively icky. "How do you wash up here? Is there a bowl of water or something I could use?"