Heirot

Tenele felt comforted by his hug, but at the same time she wanted to cry. Why did it have to be so sad to send him away? She burrowed close to him and hid her face away. It was early, and she was tired, and she wanted to attribute that to her emotional instability. "Will you hold me in bed?" she asked him softly, knowing they had to be tired after sustaining him for a whole night.

"Of course," Vlad reassured. He glanced over his shoulder, wondering if Atul could make it to the bedroom without his help.

Atul stood up slowly, shaking off his dizziness. He worked his way across the room and around them, mostly to get out of their way and encase Vlad needed the room to stagger. He climbed into bed, sitting on the edge and waiting for them. Tenele lead Vlad back, leaning with him to offer him support if he needed it. She climbed into bed, slipping down to where her head rested against the pillows and she could tangle herself in the covers. Atul curled in on one side, brushing fingers through her hair gently. "Sleep all you want... We won't leave for the capitol until this evening."

Vlad was nestled against her, sliding into place instinctively where his face could burrow comfortably against the soft crook of her shoulder and neck. Even Atul's words sounded foggy and bizarrely relaxing in his mind, like a lullaby pulling him to sleep. Sleep all you want, the offer floated up through his thoughts and brought a contented smile to his lips. His hand slid over Tenele's hip and coasted up along her flat stomach in a soft caress. He said nothing more, only wrapped her tight against him and felt exhaustion pull him under.

Atul was true to his word. They slept for as long as they wanted, and when the day wore into evening they dressed. Atul's guards arrived to escort them back to the palace, and the servants came to clean up after them and pack their things away. Tenele rode back on Vlad's horse, sitting behind him in the saddle with her cheek resting against his back.

* * *

Several weeks later...

Tenele stretched as she stepped out of the bathroom with a sleepy look on her face. She surveyed her empty bedroom with a frown and scratched the side of her face. Atul had already whisked her husband off to some dull boring meeting as he often did on a weekday. She had her own schedule to keep after all, but had chosen to move a little slower that morning. She didn't feel right. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she just felt... odd.

She picked through her wardrobe, until a soft knock came at the door. The servant entered with a bright smile, carrying in Tenele's breakfast and sitting it on the table near the balcony before departing. Tenele smiled as she swooped into the seat and took up her fork. But, she took one whiff of the meal and her stomach flipped upside down. She scurried out of her seat and ran into the bathroom, returning several minutes later with a terrible look on her face.

She'd made an appointment that day to speak with Atul's resident physician concerning her lack of appetite for almost every type of sea food there was... And since they were a port city it was pretty common. But, now her stomach seemed to want to reject breakfast, too. She wasn't blind to what it could be, but she still couldn't make herself believe that it was possible. She couldn't make herself trust on those instincts, to get her hopes up, only to have them dashed.

Tenele left her bedroom and stepped out into the hall just as she spotted a dark shape whisking towards Talon's door. The vampire had been unsually anti-social since they returned from the beach trip. He'd been moody, quiet, and distant. Actually, come to think of it, he'd been distant since they arrived in Hajara from Ighten... He'd been distant after he'd attacked her.

Tenele frowned at the memory, watching as her brother glanced over his shoulder to look at her, pausing in the doorway of his room. "Talon," she called.

Talon pressed on into the room and closed the door slowly behind him. She felt her heart sink at his rejection. He'd had his moments. One moment he seemed fine, like the brother she knew. He was protective of her and loyal to Vlad... and then the next he was like this. A man she barely knew.

She wondered if that was what Vlad had tried to explain to her when she wanted to turn so badly. That she wouldn't be her anymore, just like Talon seemed to slowly be turning into a man she hardly knew.

Tenele paused at his bedroom door, staring at the wood thoughtfully.

* * *

Atul skipped rocks across the long narrow fountain water. Well, at least he tried. He was pretty bad at it, and the water wasn't quite placid enough to do it, given it was a fountain and all. He glanced to Vlad. "Okay," he muttered. "So, things are going pretty well now. I'm feeling pretty confident about this whole King thing. The towns are starting to straighten up, and what small amount of opposition there was has moved into the desert. Thing's are starting to look up. I can't help but think its because of you and Tenele... Actually, I know its because of you and Tenele."

Vlad lay stretched back across the stone patio, his boots next to him and his feet dangling in the fountain. He lay with an arm across his face. The day's diplomacy, combined with the desert sun, had him well on his way to a migraine. He raised the arm, however, just enough to look back up at Atul. If he'd had a reason to contest Atul's predictions, he would, but even Vlad felt pretty optimistic about the work they'd all done since arriving here. Though behaving himself frequently left him irritated, he'd forced himself to stay the course. Sometimes it paid to restrain his wild side and be diplomatic.

"You are their king. You are the person they depend on and respect," the vampire chose his words, raising an eyebrow at Atul from beneath the shade of his arm. "Of course, Tenele and I did do most of the work," he smirked.

Atul laughed, smacking Vlad against the shoulder with a hard punch. He settled back with his feet in the water like Vlad and watched the clouds filter across the bright sky.

* * *

Tenele turned away from Talon's door and started back down the hall when it creaked open and his head poked out. "Tenele," he called, looking cross. "I need your help with something."

The Queen's Maiden smiled at her brother and stepped back towards his room. He took her by the wrist, not the hand, but grabbed her firmly and led her into the room. It set her nerves on edge, but she was careful not to resist him.

It was dark in the room, and he had all the curtains drawn closed. He led her to a trunk at the foot of his bed. "I need you to heal her."

Tenele blinked. "Heal who?" She glanced around the room. "Talon, there isn't anyone here."

Talon reached down and lifted the trunk open. Tenele gagged at the smell, covering her mouth. "Oh, GOD!" she cried. She jerked on her wrist, backing away from the trunk.

"Heal her," Talon urged.

"I can't," Tenele choked, gagging. She wrapped a hand around her waist. "Talon, she's dead. I can't heal her. She's very, very dead."

Talon closed the trunk with a slam, and the smell dissipated. She jerked on her arm, but his grip tightened to the point of painful. She backed away, and he followed until she backed up against the wall. "What have you done?!"

"It was an accident," he growled, his overbearing presence pressing her into the wall. "I got carried away. She was a sweet girl... but when I smelled the blood and felt her fear... I lost my head. I tried to revive her with alchemy but it didn't work..." He chuckled darkly. "You could heal her, Tenele."

"I can't bring back the dead," Tenele muttered, shaking her head. "Talon, please let me go. Just back away and take a breath. Clear your head."

Talon shook his head. "What good are you?" He rested his forehead against the wall, his nose pressing into her shoulder. He drew in a deep breath, and his hand tightened around her wrist.

"Talon," Tenele muttered. "Please, let me go. I'm scared."

"Scared?! Didn't you want to be like me? Didn't you want to die and be like me? A monster? A demon who feasts on the flesh of the living. I could give it to you... I could make you like me. Then, you'd understand. I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask to be this. You should have let me die. But, I can show you what its like, Tenele." His lips darted across her neck. Tenele's pulse jumped. She forced herself not to struggle.

"Talon, please. Let go. Don't hurt me."

"I hate this," he growled. "I hate this. Vlad needs to send me away. Ever since I had your blood when I see you I don't see my sister. I just see another woman, a tasty meal, something to use and dispose of. But, if I bite you..." He nipped at her neck.

"Talon, don't hurt me. Please. Please, don't do this. I don't want to be like you. Don't hurt me." Tenele felt panic race through her veins. "Please... I'm carrying a child."

Talon froze, drawing away to look at her. He laughed. "You're what?"

Tenele wiggled her arm in his tight grasp. "I'm carrying a child. It's Vlad's."

"You mean its Atul's," Talon growled. "You let that bastard father one in you? Oh, that's real intelligent Tenele. Did you even think about the consequences? What makes you think Vlad really wants to be a father anyway? Sure, he may say he wants one, but that's only to keep you from crying at night. He'll resent it. Why would a vampire want another reminder that they are eternal and everyone they love will die? You are selfish."

Tenele blinked at him. Her heart fell. "That's not true. Why are you saying these things? What's wrong with you? You're not Talon."

"I am!" Talon roared. "I'm your brother. I'm a killer and a monster because you didn't want me to die." Tears rolled down his cheeks. "I should have died!"

"I'm sorry," Tenele told him. "Talon, I'm sorry."

Talon let her arm go and he backed away slowly. He put his hands in his silver hair and he dropped to his knees. "What am I going to do. I killed her. I broke a law."

Tenele frowned at her brother. She looked down at her arm, already blood forming bruises around the skin. "Okay," she whispered, stroking fingers through her head. "You just need to get the body out of here. Bury it in the sands. We'll find a way to help you, Talon." She couldn't believe she was about to help him cover up a murder. "I'll go outside. I'll distract the guards. You get that out of here... and we'll figure something out."

"Don't tell Vlad," Talon muttered quickly, glancing at her arm. "Don't tell him."

Tenele paused. She went to the pillow case and ripped a long strip and let him tie it around her wrist. "I won't," she lied, letting him tie the fabric around her arm. "I'll tell him I sprang it. We'll work this out. I won't let you stay like this." Her heart was still beating rapidly, and she felt sick. So sick. "I'm going to distract the guards now... It will be okay."

Talon nodded. "Okay," he whispered.

Tenele went outside the door. She closed it behind her, spotting the guards at the end of the hall. Tenele went back to her room and let Stalker out. "I'm sorry," she told him as he brushed his muzzle against her. "I should have brought you..." She placed a hand on his back, using it to steady her as her legs trembled.

She turned back towards the guards, walking to them. "Excuse me..." The world shifted.

Tenele blinked. But, the world kept spinning and her legs kept shaking.

"Lady Tenele, are you okay?" one of the guards asked.

Tenele went down quickly and a guard rushed to catch her before she hit the ground. Stalker snapped at him, but the guard ignored him and settled her in his arms.

Talon peeked out, seeing Tenele fake fainting. He saw it as his chance. When the group gathered her and carried her off he went back into his room for the trunk.

* * *

"Ambassador Dracul! My King!" a servant ran across the garden path, waving his hands. When he got to them he settled to a stop, resting his hands on his knees. "Its Lady Dracul," he huffed. "She's in the medical ward. She collapsed outside your quarters."

Atul jumped up to his feet. "Why?"

"I don't know, sire. The doctor needs to see you."

Vlad was on his feet in an instant, with that undead grace the human eyes often found so unnerving. "I'm porting there, Atul," he said to his friend before making the jump. His boots remained at the pool's edge. An instant later, he was standing in the medical ward, making a quick spin to take in the room. He spotted Tenele in one of the corner cots, as far from the other patients as possible. The sight of Stalker positioned like a fearsome gargoyle at the food of her bed explained why she was so isolated. Even the staff seemed uncertain of how to approach her with the beast snarling at ever hand that reached for her. "Tenele," he called, pacing to her side.

"She's resting," the doctor muttered from the opposite corner. He closed the glass cabinet door, and eyed the beast. "Can you send him away so that my nurses can get closer to her? Please, step over here when your done. I have some questions to ask concerning your wife's condition."

Atul nearly broke down the door to get into the wing, sending the nurses gasping with fright. The way he walked in, so purposefully, called the whole room to attention. He had to order them back to their work.

Vlad sent a brief mental command to stalker and the beast trotted to his heel as the vampire crossed to the doctor's side of the room. The hellhound's fierce expression was now blank and curious, much like that of his master. Vlad gave Atul a quick look that said to wait a second.

"What's happened? She collapsed?" he asked the man.

Atul waited near Tenele's bed, but kept his distance as a nurse pressed in. The doctor sighed. "Well, firstly... She's going to be okay, she's resting. Given her condition its not uncommon... However, I have to ask you a very inappropriate question to determine the best way to treat your wife. I'm not sure how to ask this, Ambassador Dracul, so I'm just going to ask it. Who is the father of her child?" He paused, allowing the question to sink in before he continued. "I'm asking this because you are a vampire. You cannot father a child and she carries one. To be able to treat her properly, to know whether this is a symptom of something greater, or just a normal occurrence, I need to know this." His brow furrowed. "Unless, of course... you are unaware that your wife may have sought another man out... And in that case I'm sorry."

The nurses started whispering briskly amongst themselves, feverishly and holding Tenele's arm. Atul crept closer, glancing at the bruises that they were discussing. He stepped in behind them, peering over one's shoulder. He eyed the harsh purple marks, his jaw setting. Something wasn't right. When he'd left their bed that morning those marks had not been there.

Vlad's eyes sparkled. The need to play a prank on them and feign all knowledge of his wife's activities was outweighed by his concern for her strange collapse. His concern for her strange collapse was outweighed further by the words Vlad could still barely believe he'd heard.

"You're certain?" he asked in a barely restrained whisper. "Are you absolutely certain? She is with child?"

"Pretty certain," the doctor told him. "I took blood after I gave her something to help settle her heart rate. It was highly elevated. That's when your guard dog decided he didn't like what I was doing. I just finished testing it when I sent the servant for you. She carries a child. The early stages are very up and down, and it is common for mother's to feel dizzy or faint. Lady Dracul had an appointment with me to discuss her aversion to certain foods and nausea. She missed it, arriving late in the arms of one of her guards. I assume what we were going to discuss would have led to the same conclusion. I'm sorry if this comes as a shock to you, Ambassador. I just need to make sure I can give her the best care now."

Vlad stared. His knees wanted to go to butter on him. He fought the temptation to plant himself down right there on the clinic floor. "We're using a surrogate," he barely felt the breath leave his throat. He gripped the doctor's shoulders. "Is it a boy or a girl?" he demanded.

The doctor shook his head. "I can't tell that... You'll have to wait until its born... or visit a seer," the doctor muttered. "Well, okay. Surrogate. Well, Ambassador, I'm pleased to let you know you are going to be a father. Is there anything about this surrogate that I need to know?"

Atul glanced at the two of them. "Vlad," he called when the nurses moved away. He took Tenele's small hand in his and lifted it gently, running his fingers over her skin. He pressed her fingers to his lips.

The doctor coughed. "Is it the king?" he asked. "Its not... exactly a secret. I mean, no one whispers about it. But, people talk. If its the king I really need to know. I need to know this because... The children of our kings... Their mothers..." The doctor glanced away. "It is very difficult on them. They often do not have the strength."

"Vlad," Atul called, not listening to their conversation. "Something you should see."