Heirot

"Play in the fountain!" Tenara announced.

"Apparently, we are playing in the fountain," she sighed. "I wonder where she got inspiration for that?"

"Fountain, fountain, fountain," Tenara sung softly, eating the rest of the bacon.

"You're going to do research on the Hesic? Have you heard any good news yet?"

"Good news has not been the theme so far today," Vlad said. "I will let you know if we find anything. If you need me, the maids will show you where the library is." He rubbed Tenara's head gently. "Enjoy the fountain, snack. Don't get mommy too wet."

Tenara laughed deviously, a very Vlad laugh. "I won't," she replied, but of course that was a lie. She planned on getting her mother very soaked.

* * *

Talon felt pleasantly full after returning from his breakfast in the dungeons. He was rounding the corner to head back to his room when a shorter light form bumped into him. The servant bounced off his chest and stumbled back, losing her balance.

The young vampire reached out quickly and caught her by the arm. “Sorry, I’m a lot quieter than I used to be,” he replied. He caught a scent in the air as the hooded maid curtsied and rushed around him. “Espha?”

The slender figure froze mid-step, her shoulders slumped, and she slowly turned around to look at him. “Lord Raider,” she whispered, bowing.

“Why are you dressed like that?”

Her head cocked, but she didn’t answer him. Her eyes watered, and she turned away, fleeing down the hall.

“Never run from a vampire,” Talon told her when he caught up to her. “We’re faster than you. Where are you going dressed like that?”

“Nowhere. Out. I just need some air,” Espha replied, slowing her pace once she realized it did no good to run.

“Tenele was attacked last night outside the palace. It’s probably not the wisest idea for the future Queen of Hajara to go wondering around alone. Even if you are dressed like a servant, someone might recognize you.”

“I don’t care,” Espha murmured painfully, glancing out the open window as they passed.

“Espha…” Talon whispered, wondering what was making her so upset. He frowned, following along with her for a little while. He reached out hesitantly, but took her hand and guided her to a secluded area of the hall. “Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

She couldn’t meet his eyes. “I’m a terrible person,” she muttered, nearly bursting into tears. “I’m taking Atul away from people who actually love him. I’m hurting them, and him. I feel suffocated by the walls and the people. I thought this would be better for me, but now I’m just being selfish. I’m saving myself from a bad marriage by forcing Atul into a loveless one… I’ve put all these wheels in motion by agreeing and now I don’t know how to stop them.”

“Tell him you don’t want to marry him anymore,” Talon whispered, squeezing her hand gently. “Atul is a good man. He would not want to force you into something you desperately do not want to do.”

“I know he is a good man,” Espha replied drying her eyes. “But, he has to have a wife. The advisers insist, and now after last night, we will be married in two weeks. If I do not marry him I will go back to my aunt in Ida and she will sign a marriage contract to Rajab Namir. If I marry that filthy man I’ll die inside, over and over, each day, until I no longer recognize the woman I was.” The hollow look that took over Espha’s expression tugged at Talon’s heart. “I thought if I ran away… that I wouldn’t have to marry either. I could be free of my aunt, of Namir, and Vlad and Tenele would not be hurt by my marriage to Atul.”

“You are running away?” Talon asked darkly. “Is that what this is? You aren’t very prepared. A servants dress won’t keep you warm at night, give you shelter, or feed you. Where did you plan on going, Espha?”

The girl began to sob. The young vampire frowned, glancing away. He let out a heavy sigh and drew her into his arms. He let her cry against him her hands knotting in the fabric of his shirt. He wondered how long the young woman had been holding in these tears, how long she needed to tell someone her fears and sorrows. It must have been eating at her for a very long time.

“Come on,” Talon whispered, resting his cheek to the top of her head affectionately. He ran his thumb under her eyes and handed her a cloth to dry her tears. “Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“You wanted to get some air. Let’s go get some air.”

Vlad spent a good part of the morning tracking down and reconnecting with the other nobles and advisers in Atul's court. After filling in for Atul while he was ill, the vampire was well known and had developed solid relationships with his peers in Atul's court. It was entirely different from the way he was received back home. He was greeted with friendly words and even one hug as he paid his respects. He even passed Lord Masic in the hall at one point. The adviser didn't seem to want to talk to him, but since they'd almost ran into each other, Vlad gave the man a respectful bow. "I was not myself last night," he said, far too emotionally numb to want to harbor a feud with one of Atul's men.

Masic looked him over quizzically, and then nodded. "We are all concerned about the king," he conceded.

The two men nodded to each other and went on their way.

A half second later, a young aide named Adrian nearly collided with him. "Lord Dracul!" he greeted meekly. "Advisor Phillus is ill... this is sudden, but you are the only one who knows the work..."

Vlad smirked. "Tell him I'll handle it."

"Thank you! Oh god, thank you, I didn't know who I was going to find!"

"Yes, yes, stop flattering me before I think things through," he waved the boy off.

If he were home in Ighten, Sinead would likely have him off his duties again for not coping properly with reality. Here, there were so many friendly faces. People needed him. Valued him. Sometimes he was suspicious they even liked him, a little.

The paperwork he'd agreed to was going to be a huge bore. But perhaps staying up with that was better than sleeping with a wife who didn't trust or love him.

He made it to the library and met up with the team that was overseeing the literature search. Vlad was glad of their help, because despite his fluency with the language, reading Hajaran script took him longer than it should. He took a stack of books from a pile they were slowly building. More would arrive shortly from the private collections around the area. He sat down at a solid wood table, in a darkened corner of the large room. The low light didn't bother him, and he preferred to read alone.

Tenele found the stone garden very entertaining. It was a maze of pathways, pillars, and fountains. At first she'd believed that she and her daughter would be the only ones foolish enough to play in them, but she saw many children doing just that with their parents. The hot whether probably had a lot to do with it.

So, they laughed and played and splashed each other until they were both soaking wet. Tenele enjoyed the light-hearted activity with her daughter, and even more so since it took her mind off of everything that had happened recently.

Tenele paused to take in the garden, the beautiful carvings in the pillars, and the veins that grew up from potted plants. The laughter filled her with warmth.

"What do you think we should do now, Tenara?" Her question was met with a long bought of silence. "Tenara?" She glanced down where her daughter had been standing to find an empty space. "Tenara?" Her eyes scanned the area around the central fountain, and among all the dark skinned, black haired children, she could not see the silver glint of her daughter's hair.

She searched the surrounding area, her pace growing feverish as she went. "Tenara?! Don't hide from me. Where are you?"

SMACK!

"I'm sorry," Tenele murmured, collecting herself. "I-"

"Tenele!" the man gushed, grabbing her arms and drawing her into a tight hug. "Oh, Gods, I was just looking for you. I thought it was just a rumor that you were back. I was afraid to visit you, because I'd heard... I'd heard you wouldn't remember me. But, then whispers fluttered around the palace that you'd been attacked and I knew I had to see you. I've missed you."

His hand reached up and he cupped her cheek. Tenele finally managed to take in his angular face and dark eyes. "I'm sorry?"

"So it is true... you don't remember me?" he whispered, slowly letting her go. "I... I had hoped that it was lie."

"It isn't. I'm very sorry. I don't know who you are. I'm also looking for my daughter, and I don't mean to be rude but..."

"She's playing," the man replied, pointing to the fountain, where Tenara had taken up a game with a few other children her age.

"Yes," Tenele replied, frowning. "She is..." She turned her attention back to the man. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Grelot," he whispered. "I... we... we... eh, we were..." He scratched the back of his head. "We were lovers..."

Tenele felt her stomach twist. "Oh, for the love of the Gods, how many men am I sleeping with?!" She said that much too loudly. Her cheeks flushed and she quieted her voice. "Vlad hasn't mentioned you."

"He wouldn't," Grelot sighed, leaning heavily against a pillar. "He doesn't know about me. We were secret..."

Tenele's stomach twisted even more. "Why would I..."

"Well, loneliness I suppose. You started a relationship with the King, but eventually your husband and the King began to be more affectionate and more sexual with each other. They began to exclude you... Soon the threesome began to feel like a twosome. You told me you felt like a third wheel, and that they seemed more interested in each other. I met you when you were in this very garden, sobbing about how your husband loved another man more than you. We didn't immediately become lovers, but your loneness won out. When the King and Vlad couldn't commit to each other fully there was a fight. The King came back here and... well I'm not surprised Vlad hasn't told you how your marriage was struggling. You don't remember the problems, so he can make them all better now and warp you into what he wants, huh? Damn vampire."

Tenele felt light headed. She huffed, leaning against the wall with him. "That's... That's not true."

"You can't tell me you haven't noticed the two of them? Doesn't he seem more affectionate towards him?"

"That's because I... I don't know him enough and he doesn't want to spook me," Tenele argued. He was lying. She wasn't that kind of woman... Vlad didn't love Atul more than her.

She thought about this morning, and how the vampire rubbed the King's hair. How upset he was that they were fighting. How quickly they made up and had sex... and then the King being along for the ride later on. She wrapped her arms around her stomach.

"I'm sorry," Grelot sighed. "I shouldn't... I shouldn't have told you."

"If I am your lover, tell me something no one would know unless they were with me," Tenele choked.

"You have a tattoo of a sun and a moon, the symbol of a Queen's Maiden to the court of Queen Sinead of Ighten. You have three scars on your side, claw marks, and several on your leg from arrow wounds and stabbings," he replied. "All of which I can only see when your naked."

Tenele wrapped her arms tighter around herself.

"Mommy!!" Tenara latched onto Tenele's legs. "Mommy, come play!"

Tenele's legs nearly buckled. "I... Sweet heart, mommy doesn't feel very well. Let's go back to the room."

Grelot knelt next to Tenara and smiled at her. He tapped her on the nose. She glowered at him. Her blue eyes searched him over, and she hissed. Grelot grinned darkly. "Watch it kiddo," he purred.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," Tenele breathed, scooping up Tenara and fleeing for the palace.

Vlad frowned at the book he was reading, his eyes trying to blur the lines together. He needed to hunt, but he really wasn't in the mood.

So far, every reference he'd found to the Hesic indicated it was an extremely reclusive creature. It could meet your eyes and wipe from your mind the fact you'd ever met it. The physical descriptions were wildly different from book to book. None of the volumed chronicled any examples of someone regaining their memories back.

He leaned on his hand. He wondered what Tenele and Tenara were up to. He was glad they remembered each other. The thought of them playing in the fountain made his mood lighter. Maybe he would go back to the room later, after all. He could do his paperwork there, and spend a little more time with his family. Tenele was giving it her best effort to tolerate her, and he owed it to her to do the same.

Tenele listened to Tenara playing in her room while she sat on the bed staring at her hands. Her brain hurt. Her heart hurt. Her stomach felt hollow. Maybe she needed lunch? No, that's not what she needed.

She needed a moment alone to think, to just sit in solitude and think and she knew she couldn't leave Tenara alone. So, she had to think as she was.

What good was it to patch a relationship with a man who loved someone else more? She had no doubt, no question in her mind that Vlad loved her, desired her... She bore witness to that in his actions and in the look he gave her. Maybe he hadn't loved her so much before? Maybe it took losing her to understand that?

What if the other man was lying?

But, why would he? And... he knew so much about her. Tenele sniffled, clenching her teeth and blinking her eyes fast to keep from crying. No, no, no, you've done enough crying.

"Mommy," Tenara murmured, dropping her toys and strolling over to the bed. The little girl climbed up with a good deal of effort onto the high structure and curled against her mother's side. "Mommy looks sad."

"I'm fine," Tenele whispered, brushing her fingers through Tenara's hair. "What do you say we take a nap?"

"Will nap make you smile?" Tenara asked grinning.

"Yes," Tenele lifted Tenara and rolled with her to the head of the bed where they could rest against the pillows. Tenele curled around her daughter and went very still and very quiet. But, she couldn't nap.

Vlad got several more hours of research in before he finally stopped. He had to hunt. Luckily, he tracked down a target almost immediately. He didn't hesitate to take the man's life, after witnessing him steal the life of another. He left the body as a souvenir for the dead woman's family.

Then he made his way back to the palace and collected the day's logs from Advisor Phillip's office. He took the heavy stack back to the room he shared with Tenele. He knocked lightly and let himself in, and took in the peaceful sight of Tenele curled up with their daughter.

Tenele had her eyes closed, but she wasn't sleeping. She wanted to pretend to be sleeping though, for as long as she could to sort out her thoughts. The problem being that her thoughts weren't sorting out. They just kept replaying everything over and over until Tenele didn't think there was any escaping.

She sat up slowly, staring down at her beautiful daughter. Such a sweet, lovely, child. She brushed her fingers through Tenara's hair before glancing up at Vlad.

She didn't hate him for loving Atul more. She hated herself for being so weak that, even with two men, she had to seek the affections of another. She couldn't admit what she'd learned to him. He'd hate her, just as they were starting to work on this together. She couldn't hold it secret either. She could already feeling it turn her blood sour.

"How was your day?" Tenele asked, trying to keep her voice as normal as possible. She slipped out of bed slowly, trying not to wake up Tenara.

Vlad smiled at the familiar greeting. "Good. There is a lot of reading material. Hopefully something good will turn up in those books soon. I also received some other work," he glanced down at the stack of ledgers in his arms. He walked over to the reading table in the corner and set them down lightly. The wood creaked under the weight.

"What did you think of the gardens?" he asked, turning to her.

Mentioning the gardens reminded her of Grelot and her brain just locked up like he'd thrown a giant object between the gears. She shook her head, putting on a smile. "They are nice, very different from Ighten's gardens... I imagine because the plants there would die if they were here. There were a lot of children playing in the fountains."

Vlad tilted his head slightly. It was like her pulse had just jolted out of rhythm, but her face looked calm. "Did everyone here treat you well?" he asked.

Tenele nodded. "The mothers were very pleasant," she replied, rubbing her shoulder. "Tenara disappeared for a moment, it almost gave me a heart attack, but she reappeared just as fast. She's a sneaky little girl."

Everyone treated me well, Tenele thought. Except I'm a horrible person who has been cheating on you. Tenele winced at her own thoughts.

The Queen's Maiden swallowed hard. "I met a man named Grelot... Do we know him?"

"Doesn't ring a bell," he said, trying to understand why her pulse was so off kilter. "What did he look like?"

Tenele swallowed, thinking about the man. "Average height, slender face, body, short dark hair and dark eyes. Just a normal looking guy," Tenele replied, shrugging. What am I asking my husband about the guy I'm having an affair with? Tenele let out a heavy breath. "I feel like having a hot bath..."