Heirot

"I want you to stop this time," Vlad said, unmoved by his argument. He gestured for the guard to open the next cell. A slender man who looked half starved stood in back, his expression unreadable through the terror in his eyes. "You will need to go to him," he observed.

Talon stepped into the cell, appraising his new target. He didn't look like he had much blood to give. The man shimmied back and forth against the far wall until Talon cornered him.

"Please, don't eat me. Don't eat me! Don't eat me!"

Talon grasped him hard around the jaw and pinned him to the wall before going in for his neck, much slower than he had with the other one.

"He's going to eat us all!" One of them screamed, and Talon felt his insides twist with delight. 'Yes, I am,' he thought pleasantly before his brain reminded him that he wasn't. He wasn't going to be a monster.

A little over ten seconds later Talon drew away, taking a step back. He crumpled to the earth. "Is he dead?" Talon asked, closing his eyes to focus on not going back in for the kill. He didn't need to kill. Killing wasn't good.

Vlad stepped forward into the cell to examine his target. The emaciated man was unconscious. "He will not survive. Finish him."

Talon's red eyes snapped open. Finish him. An order. Even if Talon didn't stomach it, he would. He snapped the man's neck like he'd done the other one. This time, there was a little less glee in it. He'd failed, and that tainted the pleasure of the kill.

In the next cell over a man was feverishly praying to Verin.

Vlad nodded to the jailkeeper. "Enough practice for today," he said. The rest of the prisoners seemed to relax. "But I'll take that one," he gestured toward the man praying for Verin. The jailkeeper carefully opened the man's stall, and Vlad sauntered in. He walked up to the criminal, who seemed paralyzed in his red gaze. Vlad took hold of the man's arm, studied it without relish, and drove his fangs into the flesh. He didn't take any pain out of it. In just under ten seconds, he released his hold, and the man collapsed to the ground like he'd been smacked. Vlad knelt in front of him. "I'm going to let him try you next," he promised in the man's ear. "Drink plenty of fluids," he joked, clapping him on the shoulder before standing and leaving the cell.

"You and I are going back upstairs," he said to Talon as he stepped back out into the main corridor.

The man gawked at Vlad, frightened and unmoving as he watched the murderous vampire and his master leave the jail.

Talon tilted his head at Vlad as they ascended the stairs, wondering why he'd made it a point to frighten that particular prisoner. Many people were probably still praying to the dead God.

"I guess we can try again tomorrow?" he asked Vlad, feeling deflated morally compared to where he'd been earlier. He was really getting tired of his up and down with his confidence and emotions.

"Three days," Vlad responded flatly. "Time enough to study the experience and to learn from it."

Atul knocked on Vlad and Tenele's bedroom door. When he didn't hear an answer he let himself in. The room was getting dark as the sun began to set. Stalker was sprawled at the head of their bed, across their pillows, while Tenele was curled at the foot of the bed.

"Spoiled mutt," he muttered as he shed his sandals. He saw no sign of Vlad, which was curious to him, but he didn't think much of it.

Atul sat very gently on the edge of the bed, admiring the Queen's Maiden as she slept. He reached out carefully to brush his fingers through her soft silver hair. Then, slowly he bent and pressed his lips gently to her temple. She stirred in her sleep, making the cutest whimper before rolling onto her back and clutching his hand like a stuffed animal. The King admired her, stifling a laugh. She was sleeping soundly, he thought. What harm would taking a kiss do? She'd given him one before...

He still wondered, after all they'd done together, whether the rule she made when they first entered into this relationship still counted. Whether it did or not, he wasn't sure, but he decided one kiss wouldn't hurt. Atul bent down and pressed his lips to hers gently, willing to face the consequences.

* * *

Talon nodded. "Three days," he agreed. He was quiet for the rest of the walk back to his room, contemplating how easily he'd killed that first one. He still felt the joy of it.

Vlad didn't interrupt the new vampire's contemplation as they walked. He knew that in time, the lessons would get through to Talon, but his own progress had been much faster. Hadn't it? Maxwell's work had sped up the process, possibly against his will. As harsh as it had been, Vlad had been stripped of these early lapses almost immediately. He'd learned to be a very disturbed vampire first, and a human much later. He told himself he would not take that route with Talon. He would let the man prove he could do this the human way. If he failed...well, the same could be said of most vampires. He would be in good company.

He didn't voice his doubts. Only absolute confidence could goad Talon into doing something as crazy as disobeying his hunger. When they got back to the man's room, Vlad watched him let himself in. "Three days. Think, and stay put. If you fail the next round, it will be 10 days. Understand?" he said without much harshness, knowing the terms were harsh enough.

"Ten days?" Talon muttered, blinking at his master as he stood just inside his room. There was no way he could get himself under control in three days. He pursed his lips together, frowning at Vlad. Then, he shook his head firmly. "I won't let you down." That was probably a lie, he thought grimly.

* * *

Tenele's eyes fluttered open at the feel of wet warmth against her lips. There was a flash of blue light and her eyes flew open. She blinked her eyes, swearing someone had kissed her, and then Stalker lumbered over and pressed his muzzle into her cheek.

"Oh! Gross! Peh!" She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth and sat up slowly. "Stalker!"

Vlad studied his protege for a moment. "Good," he confirmed. He turned toward his own quarters, raising a hand in a casual salute to the young vampire as he walked away. Reaching his room was a surprising relief from the frustration of watching Talon fail. He let himself in quietly only to find Stalker standing on his hind legs and nuzzling his wife in the bed.

"Whoah there. Grow some opposeable thumbs, and maybe we can talk," he lectured the hound as he entered. The monstrous wolf thumped back to all fours with an indignant huff and heeled at his master's side.

Vlad stripped his shirt off restlessly and dropped it over the hound's head. "Stomach doing any better?" he asked his lover as he strolled to the bed.

Tenele smiled at Vlad, sitting up and scooting to the edge of the bed, where she pressed her bare feet into the marble. "It is," she mused, slipping her hands up his sides. "Did things go well with Talon?"

"There was progress," Vlad said without technically lying. "In three days, we'll do some more work. He should be in good shape before the baby arrives. I told him this is not an excuse to shirk babysitting or diaper duties."

Tenele laughed. "This child will be well taken care of!"

"Yes, it will," Atul announced as he emerged from the bathroom, where he'd promptly ported to after kissing Tenele. Okay, so he hadn't been brave enough to face the consequences, but he did want to discuss with them where the rules they made upon first entering the relationship stood now... but, maybe when they were a little more relaxed.

"When did you get in here?"

"You were sleeping," Atul smiled. "I slipped my shoes off and went to draw you a bath. I figured you'd enjoy soaking in a large tub of hot water and scented oils."

Tenele smirked. "You're bribing me."

"Never," Atul scoffed as he stood just next to Vlad. "That's Vlad's realm of expertise. I'm the doting one. He's the trickster."

"Doting? I have yet to see you dote upon me," Vlad argued blandly at the king.