Heirot

Tenele smiled. "I can make Tenara a comfortable place out of a basket and some blankets. We don't need anything fancy for the little bit we will be staying here. I can sleep downstairs. Its probably best if Merida heads back to the palace once she's fetched us some supplies. If people notice she is gone, along with us, they may start looking outside the palace. If they leave the palace it will throw off your plan."

"Are you sure about this?" Atul asked. "Staying here for a few days?"

"It will be like being at the beach, accept without the sun, the water, and the sand, the overly large bed, and the..." Tenele blushed. "Well, all of the exercise we got while we were there."

Atul chuckled, the first really happy sound he'd made other than when he first saw Tenara.

Vlad glanced between them, smirking. "Good. Merida, I just need one thing from you." His eyes met hers with calm severity. "Touch my ring," he directed her, holding his hand out toward her. The blessed metal gleamed in the dim light of the cottage.

Tenele watched curiously as Merida blinked at the vampire and then down at his hand. "I'm sorry?" she muttered, glancing to Tenele.

"Go on, its a show of respect," Tenele smiled.

Merida reached out slowly and placed her finger on the ring. She left it there for several seconds before drawing back with an awkward look. Tenele reached up and fished inside Vlad's pocket for some money, and she slipped it into Merida's hand. "Please run out and get us something to cook for the next few days. Once you've delivered it, I'd like you to go back to the palace for a little while. Tell no one we are here, and act as if you don't know where we are."

Merida nodded quickly. "I'll be back." She backed quickly out of the room.

"Were you testing to see if she was a demon?" Tenele asked softly, staring at the door that the woman had left through. "If she was... If she was and she'd been caring for my daughter, feeding her. I'd have..."

Tenara made a soft wimper, distracting Tenele from what she was going to say.

Vlad raised his hands in an offhanded shrug. "Just being careful. When she comes back, let her know to gather the things for your beds and clothes, and leave them in my closet. I'll deliver them when the court ends at sunset. Stalker will be with you. If there is an emergency, he should be able to let me know. Until then, don't play house too rough with our handsome king," he teased.

Tenele smiled at her husband. She stood up and kissed him softly. "I will treat him gently."

"Be careful," Atul told Vlad, his face firm despite his concern.

Vlad kissed her as innocently as was possible, for Vlad, and turned away from them. "See you soon," he smirked with an idle wave, and was gone.

Back in the castle, he made his way into the throne room looking stern and feeling haggard. That had been a rather difficult lunch break. He slowly made his way to the head of the throne room and dealt with the needs of the people, while plotting out the things he would require to cleanse this palace of every piece of demon scum that might be crawling inside it.

Merida returned sometime later with their supplies, and set off to complete Vlad's task of collecting clothing and personal items. Tenele spent the day sharing the bed with Atul and Tenara wiggling on the straw bed between them.

When it grew late she left the infant with her second father and tried exploring the kitchen to make dinner. Tenele wasn't very practised with cooking, as servants mostly did it, but she knew basic dishes.

Vlad reappeared around ten o'clock, long after matters of state were finished. He was covered in dust and dirt, but as soon as he was steady in the room, he stiffened up his posture proudly and turned to the bed. He might have panicked at Tenele's absence, but he almost immediately caught her scent and realized she was close by "Some clothes, and clean linens," he said, setting the large sack he'd brought down next to him. He stepped closer to the bed, his eyes caught in Tenara's tiny silver stare. He crouched beside the mattress, dusted his filthy hand on the inside of his tunic, and held his finger out quietly to the child. After a moment, Tenara gripped his finger and held on admirably.

Vlad's expression washed blank as he watched his daughter touch him. "Wonderful child," he murmured to her affectionately.

Atul smiled at Vlad and Tenara. She giggled at her father, her free hand fisting up and waving around, her little legs kicking.

"I'm completely lost," Atul admitted, smiling at how happy Tenara was to see her father.

"Dinner!" Tenele called happily as she entered the room carrying two plates. She paused when she saw Vlad and smiled at him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head before she set Atul's plate on the table near the bed. "You're filthy," she giggled and fell back into a chair to eat, watching Tenara play with her father's hand.

Vlad stayed at Tenara's side while the others ate. He'd been unable to spend the previous night with her, and he was used to being with her throughout those quiet hours. "I've made preparations to conduct the spell tomorrow," he said while tickling the child's feet. "It wasn't easy to find priests of Thar in this land, but they can be found. Once the castle is safe, I'll return for you both."

Tenele frowned at Vlad, setting her empty plate down. She brushed her silver hair away from her face and smoothed her hands across her legs. "Please, be careful. It was also a priest of Thar that betrayed you the last time we tried this spell..."

Tenele stood up and gathered the empty plates. "I'll be right back," she told them, grinning at Tenara's adorable sounds as she kicked her father's hand lightly.

Tenele filled a large washtub full of lukewarm water, and then heated a couple of buckets over the fires before filling the tub with hot water. She returned to her husband several minutes later with a soft smile, taking his hand and drawing it towards her.

"Come on, you need a bath," she mused.

Vlad looked up at her in surprise, then smiled slowly. "Yes, I do," he admitted sneakily. He let her pull him to his feet and enjoyed her initiative as she led him to the small washroom in the house.

Tenele smiled as she took hold of his tunic and drew it off him. She shook out the sand. "How did you get so dirty?" she laughed, turning and tossing the fabric into the corner.

Vlad chuckled, glad to be free of the garment. It was not fit to be worn again, after what he'd put it through. "I was digging a runic circle around the palace," he muttered. "Ten feet underground."

Tenele lifted her jade gaze to him. "Ten feet under ground?" she asked, shaking her head. "Well, I guess that's one way of going about it. No wonder you are covered in dirt." She ruffled his hair, mock-coughing as dust wafted off him. "Okay, out of the pants and into the tub Mr." Tenele unbuckled his belt and drew it off, giving him and whack on the rear as she turned and set it on the table. She was feeling playful, and in a better mood now that they were so far from danger.

And there was something about the house. Something about how small and quaint and simple it was that made her happy. So different from a palace.