Mature: Desert Moon

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad blinked. He hadn't quite expected that reaction. Now that he thought about it, their actual first kiss had been pretty similar. So this was a normal thing, right?

Of course not.

Maybe doing it the same way as the first time wasn't going to work. He rubbed his chin, lost in thought as he stepped out of the fountain. Was she less playful than he remembered? Maybe he should wait for her to kiss him? Or maybe it was just the fountain she didn't like? Maybe one or the other, fountain or kissing? No, he should probably let her kiss him," he analyzed as he walked back to her side. He drew his shirt together in the front, exposing his stomach and flanks, and wrung out the fabric before dropping it back down. "Story time sounds good," he murmured. "I'll think of a better date."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele tried not to stare at him as he rung out his clothing. "Oh, the date was nice... I enjoyed it. I really did! I just... I..." Tenele clamped her mouth shut, feeling her chest tighten. She couldn't tell him why... Tenele took a deep breath. "Good night, Vlad. Stalker. I look forward to our next date." She tucked her head down and headed back towards the palace.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad started forward to walk her to her room, and then paused when he realized she wanted to end the date here. "You can go," he answered Stalker's silent request. The hound made a low sound and trotted off at Tenele's side. Vlad walked over to the bench and sat down on it.

He should get back to Talon's room and change. Instead, he just sort of stuck where he was. What mad part of him had thought this process would be fun? There was no game to it. He really might not be able to win her love a second time.

[Emora Deen]

After bathing Tenara, tucking her in, and reading her nightly story Tenele took her own shower, sulking the entire time. She felt guilty for leaving him like that. Had she really kissed him on there actual first date? Should she have let him kiss her more? She dressed in a white silk gown that was trimmed in soft lace. Vlad’s ring dangled from the chain between her breasts, and her fingers twirled it around idly.

The Queen’s Maiden spent a long time staring out the window at the balcony. She contemplated going out and resting on it, but instead decided to get an early nights sleep.

The problem being that once she climbed into the big empty bed and arranged the pillows in an order that felt comfortable she couldn’t sleep. The room was dark, and the shadows felt darker. It was unfamiliar. Tenele tossed and turned on the empty bed until she finally managed to fall into a fitful sleep.

She woke in the night drenched in cold sweat and screaming. She clamored up to the headboard and huddled there with her arms curled around her legs, glaring into the shadows until the monster in her dreams vanished. She reached to the chain around her neck and to the ring she wore and thumbed it lightly. There were terrible side effects of only having memories from two very rocky days.

She worked hard to keep her eyes open but she inevitably fell asleep like that, sitting up against the headboard and her hand around his ring.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad eventually went to Talon's room to change, but he couldn't bring himself to sleep there with his bloodling. He went to Tenara's room instead and climbed into her small bed with her. "Mind if I keep you company tonight?" he asked the groggy three-year-old as he smoothed back her hair.

[Emora Deen]

"Daddy," she cooed tiredly, curling her arms around him as he settled in. She went right back to sleep, as heavily as ever.

Several hours later a soft cry filtered through, muffled by the walls. To the normal ear it was probably undetectable, but it made Stalker's attention perk up from where he sat at the foot of Tenara's bed. After all these years he seemed to have learned the difference between Tenele's cry for help, and her dreams.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad was lying quite awake with his daughter cuddled in his arms when he heard Tenele's muffled cry. He glanced across the room, at the door that joined their quarters. He wanted to go to her, and take care of her.

What if she was having a nightmare about him?

He stood up slowly, sneaking away from Tenara without waking her, and walked to the edge of the room. He rested his ear against the wall, listening to see if she was okay.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele couldn't figure out why she had slept so peacefully the night before without nightmares, other than the fact that she had Vlad in the room with her and she was holding his hand.

The room was too big and too dark. It was too fancy. So, Tenele stacked all the pillows around her, even dragging them off the couch in the sitting room until she made a fort around where she was sleeping.

The maids are going to think I am crazy, she thought as she slipped between the cluster forming a U around the edge of the bed.

After about five minutes she had decided she was crazy and pushed them all off the bed, soft thump after thump.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad could almost imagine the whole scene as he listened to her activity behind the wall. He wanted to be with her. Even if he just sat in the corner.

But she wouldn't want him in there. She was feeling wary, and he wasn't about to put her further on defense.

"Tenara," he said to his daughter, rubbing her arm gently to wake her. "Shh."

[Emora Deen]

"Daddy?" She grumbled, rubbing one of her eyes. She tried to go back to sleep almost immediately.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Honey, I know it is very late. Can you check on Mommy for me? I think she's lonely," Vlad encouraged quietly, rubbing her arm gently to keep her from nodding off.

[Emora Deen]

Tenara mumbled softly ans flopped out of bed. She teetered to the door, struggling with the knob, before she let herself into Tenele's room, leaving the door open.

"Tenara," Tenele whispered, a shallow relief in her voice. "Do you want to sleep with mommy?"

"Yah," she mumbled, climbing up into bed with her. She snuggled up against Tenele and went right back to sleep.

Tenele hugged her tightly, pressing kisses to her head. "I love you."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad listened to them together, and heard Tenele's gentle words.

I love you.

He pretended it was for him. When he heard no more noise from the other room, he rose and teleported to Talon's chambers. There was no point in sleeping alone in a little girl's bed. He took a seat in Talon's armchair and fell still in thought.

[Emora Deen]

The next morning Tenele chased her hyper unruley three year old around, trying desperately to get her dressed. It was both light hearted and exhausting. By lunch she felt like she could use a nap the same as Tenara, so she took one with the little girl.

But, for the spare few hours after that while the nanny watched her, Tenele sought out the woman she had made the day before. Her new friend, Ilana.

[Soran Nightblade]

After lunch, Vlad met up with Tenara and took her outside to enjoy the gardens. He was a bit muted from his usual self, must most children, and most people in general who weren't extremely close to the vampire, wouldn't have known the difference. He focused on one foot in front of the other and spending his normal afternoon activities with his daughter.

"Ylia?" one of the maids answered as she stopped to help Tenele. "She and her husband stay in this room over here." She walked Tenele a little further down the wing they were in and tapped gently on the door.

A few moments later, Ylia opened the door and looked out. "Yes?"