Heirot

Vlad kept his grip secure. "Atul, Tenele was not lying last night, nor has she ever lied before. Everything she told us was true. When she took me to the hall, I looked into the passage and discovered someone was spying on us, especially you. We decided it would be safest to pretend we didn't believe her, to prevent them from targeting her again." The vampire glanced at Tenele. "I didn't count on your concern about her. It seems some of your allies have been... taken in by the enemy for some time. They jumped at the opportunity to silence her."

Atul nodded slowly glancing towards Tenele, where she stood with her back to him. "I'm sorry," he whispered, turning his eyes on Tenele. "I should have trusted you..." Tenele didn't turn towards him as he spoke, and he made a pained face. He glanced to Vlad. "Gods I tried to stop them. I knew in my heart that you didn't need to go with them. I'm so sorry."

Tenele wiped her eyes, but she didn't turn to look at him. She just stared down at her beautiful daughter, thinking about how close she'd come to leaving the infant motherless.

Atul lowered his gaze to his feet, mulling over the silence between them. "Vlad... can I speak to Tenele alone?"

Vlad glanced between them, knowing feelings had been hurt even though they both were only trying to protect each other. He wasn't faultless in all of this either, so it felt a little wrong to leave them alone to talk. He wondered what Atul might want to say that he shouldn't hear.

He trusted him. "Do you want me out of earshot?" he asked quietly. Leaving them alone and leaving them out of earshot were two very different geographic targets.

Atul thought quietly about it and then decided with a weak curl of the lips, "You can stay." Merida backed out of the room slowly.

He pushed to sit up. His lips shook, still heavily relaxed from the dose of medication. He took a deep breath and let his bare feet touch the wooden floor. The King of Hajara shuffled towards Tenele, asking for no help as he crossed the short distance. He sank to his knees clumsily, wincing as he moved his healing body. And when his knees touched the floor he leaned forward and pressed his forehead to the wood. "Forgive me," he whispered, tears dripping to the wood. "I harmed you. I made you afraid. I betrayed you. I would sooner cut off my own hands than hurt you. Tell me what I have to do to earn your forgiveness. I would go to the ends of this world and back, and shed any amount of blood. Forgive me, Tenele... Please... I love you."

Tenele hugged Tenara, turning slowly to look at the King on his knees before her. She had rivers of tears on her cheeks. She took him in as he knelt with his face pressed into the floor. She sniffled, drying her eyes with her hands.

She knelt slowly to one knee, holding Tenara in one arm. She placed a hand over the back of the King's head, brushing fingers through his hair. "You silly man. You should be in bed," she whispered.

Atul shook his head. "I'm not moving until I know whether you forgive me or not," he muttered. "And if you don't, I'd as soon just stay curled on the floor forever."

Tenele smirked despite the tears. "That's dramatic," she mused.

"Please," Atul croaked.

Tenele pursed her lips together. "I forgive you..." she murmured, glancing away. "So, get up. Get back in bed. Heal. I forgive you."

Atul let out a quivering sigh, but he didn't move. He stayed there with his hands curled into fists next to his head.

"Get up," she whispered.

Atul slumped further into the floor. "I don't think I can."

Vlad stared. Atul's open display of sorrow and love was a shock to his system. The vampire found it extremely difficult to express emotions, yet Atul did it so easily and gracefully. It fueled the overprotective fire already bright inside of him. He rushed to Atul's side and knelt, lowering his head sideways to try to inspect him more thoroughly. "Atul," the name was a question and a demand at the same time. He touched the demigod's shoulder carefully.

Atul turned his face towards vampire, his eyes shining bright. "I'm okay. It seems the medicine hasn't completely worn off..." He smiled, slipping his hands underneath himself and pushing up. His arms quivered, but he managed a kneeling position. He struggled to get one leg up to stand, but didn't ask for help.

Vlad felt like he was watching some sort of torture. "Don't.. I'll carry you," he protested.

Atul didn't want to be carried. But, he had no ability to make it back to bed without help. So, the King swallowed his pride and shook his head slowly. "I'll be better tomorrow. I'll be stronger. My father's blood has to take back over eventually, and then I'll mend much faster. I promise."

It occurred to Atul that he hadn't asked about Tenele's abductors. "Is everything safe? Are they gone? Did they hurt you, Tenele?"

"No, I'm not hurt. I'm fine."

"Good, good."

Vlad touched Atul's body like it might crush under his hands. He slowly lifted the man and brought him back to the not-so-luxurious straw mattress. "The creatures that attacked her seem capable of inhabiting human bodies. It seemed their ranks were thin, from the information they gave us. But that doesn't change the fact that anyone we meet could be one of them, even if it's a familiar face. It may not be safe to return."

Atul shook his head. "That is not an option," he told Vlad firmly. "I'm king. I can't abandon my castle or my post because there is a threat to my life. I can't leave my palace without appointing someone to watch over it. We have to go back." He looked around the shabby shack, remembering the beach house, and how he longed to be there right now.

Tenele frowned. She understood what Atul was saying, but if they could be anyone it was more dangerous than a average threat.

"Maybe that was all of them?" Tenele muttered. "I killed one last night, maybe he was the last?"

"We can't be sure of that," Vlad countered sternly. "I can't sit at court and protect you at the same time. And I'm not letting them touch you," fury started up in his eyes at the memories flooding his thoughts. "I'm not letting them touch either of you ever again."

Tenele sat down in a wooden chair near Atul's bed. "So, what do we do? Do we stay here, while you attend to Atul's affairs? If no one knows we are here then we should be safe..."

Atul fidgeted, clearly not pleased with the idea. He'd been away for such a long time, and now he was being forced out of his own palace. "For how long? I mean, honestly, even if I am healed I can't hide forever..."

"Just for a few days," Tenele whispered, placing a hand on his arm. "A few days until you have more strength and then we will go back. I can take care of you here and prepare meals. Merida can go out and get supplies for us."

"In the meantime," Vlad pondered, "I will arrange a trap. One that will destroy everything of demon blood standing foot in the palace." He raised his eyes to Atul. "You remember, right? We've done it once before."

Atul nodded. "Yes," he sighed. "I remember. I also remember you nearly died. Both of us, actually."

Tenele sighed. "Well, this time he isn't fending off an entire invisible army and you won't be there. Neither will Stalker. I think the chances of survival have increased already."

Atul smirked. "Yes, it seems they have."

Tenele brushed her finger tips across Tenara's hair. "How many beds does this home have?"

Vlad opened the bedroom door to a small hallway that consisted almost entirely of the landing for the staircase. "There is one other small bedroom, and the place where Atul is now. If you wish, I can transport something more comfortable. And a crib. But not the ones from the palace. I don't want anyone to suspect you've camped outside."