Heirot

"You should be worried about her," Atul protested, even has he pressed into that touch. "Something is very wrong with her, Vlad. She needs her memories back, or the Tenele we both love may turn further into someone we don't recognise... Maybe she thought that if we were together, I would see no problem in marrying her..." The King closed his eyes. "I'll marry you. I want to marry you. I will. I will call it off with Espha."

Vlad's hand went still, gentle on the side of Atul's neck. He could feel the man's pulse just under the skin, that comfortable pressure. "Do you mean it?" he asked, afraid to believe what he'd just heard.

"Yes, I mean it," he replied. "I love you. I am King. I have the right to do what I wish. I will marry you." Atul pressed in closer to Vlad. "I will marry you both if she wishes to have me."

Vlad pulled him in tight. "I love you. I love you, you crazy king. I love your kingdom, and your people. I am more at home here than anywhere else. I am at home with you in my arms." His heart leapt with relief. He burrowed his fingers in Atul's hair as he held him close. "I will cure her. When she is ready, we will join you as we always planned. I will not waste the risk you're taking. I will stand strong at your side while you rule."

Atul nodded, wrapping his arms around Vlad. "Cure her," he whispered. His hands clutched at Vlad's back, sweeping over his spine, his sides. "I will alert my advisers and break the news to Espha..."

Vlad held him with strong arms. "Espha's aunt desires wealth, does she not? If that is the case, I will be her benefactor. I can take the girl on as my ward and support her work in the Capitol. She is far too clever and useful to waste away in that wretched woman's custody." His mind was going two hundred miles per hour. "I'm sorry. I still can't believe you just proposed to me."

Atul laughed. "Neither do I," he whispered. "I think it will bring comfort to her that she will not have to go back. Especially since she will not be the object of Rajab Narim's attention." The King placed a kiss on Vlad's neck. "I love you."

"How in the world did she convince you?" Vlad murmured in disbelief, tracing his fingers up and down the king's tense back. Tenele had done this for him. "Perhaps she knew more of what she was doing than she let on."

Atul frowned. "I was afraid," he whispered. "Marrying you is dangerous for you. I was afraid you wouldn't be happy with your life in this palace. With the rules and customs and the lack of adventure. Tenara and Tenele will be in danger of people wanting to do me harm. I was so concerned with the fact that it would never work out that I refused to accept even trying. I was trying to protect myself. I was being selfish. But, I realized... somehow... maybe in my fear of hurting her, that I was mostly just afraid. She called me a coward. I am a coward."

Vlad hugged the man tight, suddenly overwhelmed with the need to show his appreciation to his wife. "You're not alone, Atul. I'm right here at your side. As long as you're brave enough to have me here, I can fight your other fears with you. I think Tenele was trying to tell both of us that she's not afraid either, even if she did it in a strange way. She's ready to be at our sides, even if it scares her. As much as I don't like her fear, I'm grateful for her courage."

Atul nodded. "I really hope that's what she was trying to tell us," he whispered. "Only you could ever understand how hard it is to walk away from that woman when she's half-naked and splayed out in front of you." The King chuckled. "I almost... I really did. It was by some scrape of sanity I threw myself away from her. She can be very convincing. I just hope I didn't hurt her by rejecting her."

"I'm sure it hurt her pride, but it won't have hurt her the way we'd be hurt by such things. Not the way it would hurt you to remember mid-act that the woman beneath you didn't love you back. You made the only choice you could to stay sane."

Atul nodded. "Yes," he sighed. "That was my fear. To realize at the end I'd made love to a woman who was just allowing me her body for my own desires, and did not want me truly in return. I hope she will be happy with the news. Tell her she gave me the courage."

Vlad smiled at him. "I will." He kissed the man's lips, firm and deep. He was so happy, and yet he could barely believe this was really happening. "I...would you mind if I go to her now?"

"Of course not," he whispered. "Go on. I'l take Tenara for a little while. I haven't been able to spend much time with her since we got back." The King kissed him. "I wish we could spend tonight together... I'll long for you."