Heirot

Vlad frowned, thinking it over himself. He really didn't know. "The ramblings of a dead man," he said dismissively. But he was thinking about it. He'd never spread his own curse. He'd born no children as a human. For his sake as well as his master's, he thought it had better be a bluff. "I think it's time to have tea with Sinead," he said sarcastically, glancing at Talon. The look said it all; he wanted one of the two of them in the room with her at all times. "You'll be here?" he said to confirm it, though he could see the same look in the other man's eyes.

"I'm fine alone," Tenele said, glancing at her brother.

Talon shook his head. "I'll be here," he assured Vlad, giving Tenele a strong stare that said she couldn't make him go away.

"Gah," she muttered, leaning back against the pillow and closing her eyes. "Fine, let someone babysit me."

"Go speak with the Queen." Talon took a seat on a stool close to the doorway.

Vlad accepted Talon's word and walked out of the room to find Sinead. About half an hour later, he returned, telekinetically throwing the door open as he walked in with his arms full of stuff. He dropped it in the corner and knelt in front of it. "Queenie says we're on a stake out. The palace is on high alert, and shields have been raised around it. But there's still the chance something is still in here with us, or someone with a bridging item that could draw enemies across the barrier. If something comes, chances are it's attacking one of us, so we're having a little slumber party," he said, digging through the pile.

Tenele climbed out of bed and wobbled over to where he was. She half-knelt and half-fell down next to him. She grinned and leaned against him as she admired all the things he had brought. "Vlad, what are you doing with all this stuff? Don't tell me we're going to stay here for the whole night?" Her bright green eyes flashed towards him, sparkling.

Talon rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall. He wouldn't be able to take a night with them, he'd puke or try and murder Vlad. Both weren't very appealing options.

"Vlad, you seem like a pretty tough guy. I think I'm going to leave the damsel protecting to you. I'm going to make sure the magic barrier is running smoothly. Wizards haven't a clue how anything works," he said, leaving his stool and walking to the door.

"Damsel?" Tenele asked with an aggitated tone.

Talon just grinned and stepped through the doorway.

Tenele shook her head and then looked back at Vlad. "Does he annoy you as much as he does me?" she asked him, though the urge to have conversation wasn't as strong as the urge to kiss his lips. The urge that was steadily growing unbareable since Sinead agreed to there relationship.

"Aw, I find him rather amusing," Vlad smirked, turning to her after he'd left. He glanced down and caught the look in her eyes. It roused a similar instinct in him automatically. His jawline tightened as he admired her, but kept his hands carefully at his sides. She was weak now, he shouldn't think about her that way just yet. Even if a door had opened between him he'd never thought he would be able to cross...

He decided a little wouldn't hurt. Tilting his head, he placed a smooth kiss on her cheek, then drifted to her ear and moved slowly down the side of her neck, until his lips rested over the large vein in her neck. He licked it once, lightly, enjoying the tantalization of that small movement without going any further.

He pulled back to look in her eyes, and kissed her, stealing warmth from her lips as he lingered against her. He'd kissed a thousand times, it seemed, but this time it was different, more intimate.

Tenele bit her bottom lip playfully and placed her hands on either side of his face, place a passionate kiss on his lips. The need to cross through that door, no matter how tired she was. She was finally free to be a woman and she didn't care if she was tired, she had wanted Vlad for so long. She wouldn't let a little bit of weakness stand in her way. She arched closer to him, wanting to press against him.

Her cotton gown brushed against the small cut on her side and she hissed for a moment, glancing down at it with annoyance. It was ruining the mood. She ignored it and leaned back in to kiss him. Eager... wanting nothing more than him.

After she kissed him she had to lean against him for support, her head spinning and with a smile she joked that he was the reason. In fact it was sheer exhaustion and she was fighting it as hard as she could. However, it was growing increasingly hard. The fight with the doctor had taken it out of her and she was beginning to realize how much. She pressed her forehead against him and closed her eyes. "I think I'm ready to sleep again."

Vlad smiled and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her easily back to her bed and laying her down. He grabbed a cotton swab from a supply table next to the cot and lightly washed the new wound on her leg, then taped down a piece of gauze over it. Sitting down in the chair next to her, he rested his arms across the bed and relaxed a bit. It was hard not to after the panic of nearly losing her to poison after all that had happened. "That man was a mess. Looks like you didn't need me here after all," he teased, knowing Tenele could be an impressive opponent when she was angry.

Tenele laughed softly, rolling over onto her side to face him. She rested her head on one of her hands and the other one drifted freely to his arms. Her touch was warm and gentle. "I was aggitated," she said softly, her eyes growing more and more heavy. She grabbed the blanket and pulled it over herself, returning her hand to his arm as her eyes drifted open and closed.

Finally she grew very quiet, her thumb idly rubbing his skin before finally it too stopped moving. Then, she slept.

When Tenele had nodded off, Vlad sat up straighter in the chair, his arm still resting under her fingers. He thought back to the spy's words about something new coming after them. His senses stretched out across the ward and the halls beyond, a maze of traps and triggers ready to spring at the slightest disturbance. Bring it on, Witch Queen. I can do this all night, he mentally sneered. Truth be told, he was tired and would not have objected to spending the evening indulging in sleep, but rest was an unnecessary luxury for him and the vampire wasn't the sort to dwell on facts. Now wasn't the time, simple as that.

He sat perfectly still, prepared for anything that may come. In time, the candle at the bedside drowned its own wick and flickered out, leaving the faint scarlet glow of Vlad's waiting eyes as the only light in the room.

Sun light filtered in through the window. During the night some guards had come through and cleaned up the mess of the dead spy. This hadn't disturbed her slumber. In fact nothing had. She slept peacefully, no nightmares at all, and even the sun shining down on her didn't seem to faze her. Tenele felt warm and comfortable, a though the more she woke the more she felt her old wounds stiff and sore. The wounds that only time could heal.

She rolled in her sleep, rolling back towards where Vlad had been when she had faded into the darkness of exhaustion. Her eyes still closed, she hummed and snuggled herself under the warm blanket. She hadn't been warm and comfortable in ages it seemed.

Finally her eyes flickered open, the green orbs looking to see if Vlad was still there. Hopeing he was, for everything seemed blurry at first. "Vlad?" she asked softly.

Vlad was right there, where he'd been all night. He watched her and smirked as she rolled over onto his arm, pressing her stomach and softer things against his skin. He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Good morning, Maiden Girl," he smirked. It was, by his estimation, the gentlest he'd ever woken her up.

Tenele smiled, humming softly for a moment as she snuggled up to him. "Good morning," she said softly then moved, sliding her light for across his arm and sitting up to kiss his lips softly. "Sleep well?" she asked, unaware if he hadn't slept at all. Her lips lingered mere centimeters away, her eyes staring into him.

"Like the dead," he said, not exactly lying, and returned her kiss. Unable to resist, he curled his fingers and tickled her stomach. So much for waking her up nicely.

Tenele giggled softly, moving away from his fingers and sitting down on her pillow, holding onto the head board with a smile, as if she feared an attack of his hands. Not that she would mind, depending on the attack.

"Don't be so cruel as to tickle a lady," she mused playfully, silver hair falling before peircing green eyes. The smile almost taunting him to come closer. "I might retailate."

Vlad smiled, gliding forward and climbing on his knees onto her cot. "My lady, I'm afraid your expectations of me seem unreasonable," he protested eloquently. He straddled her waist and leaned forward in a snakelike movement that nearly brought their torsos into contact. "You know I'm not that well behaved," he murmured seductively, close enough that his breath fanned over her throat. His fingers glided along her sides, before suddenly tickling her mercilessly.