Holier Than Thou

[Emora Deen]

The nurses worked quickly to do as Maxwell instructed, a team of them working together to pull the Queen's Maiden onto stacks of pillows and add cloth to stifle the bleeding. Tenele for her part had managed to fall blissfully unconscious...

A nurse paused, and pressed her ear close to Tenele's lips and then jerked upright. "I don't think she's breathing," the girl called.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad was up and moving through them, literally, within an instant to get to his wife. "Back," he said, leaning down over Tenele's face and covering her mouth with his own. He tilted her head back, closed her nose, and breathed slow, deep breaths into her lungs. He listened for her heartbeat as he did so, and was offended to find it missing. "Maxwell," he commanded without stopping his slow breaths. The doctor was at his side a second later, hands carefully positioned above her heart. The technique wasn't terribly popular in Ighten; people had all kinds of superstitions about it. But Maxwell was a true clinician and cared very little for social stigma. He simulated her pulse while Vlad simulated her breath, and neither gave a second thought to the uncomfortable looks on the nurses and maids surrounding them.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele sucked in a breath and held it. Then, released slowly. She started breathing again, and her heart fluttered faintly. Her eyes flickered open, but the weary gaze spoke of her motivation to keep them that way. She stared up at Vlad's smooth face and red eyes, her voice cracking as she tried to speak. It was raw and dry from screaming. But, the pain was still there, throbbing, aching agony.

"I fell asleep," she whispered to him with a soft smile, oblivious to how close death was to snatching her away. "I can't anymore. I'm just going to sleep." And then she heard to soft wailing voice calling to her like a siren. Tears stung her eyes and she hasn't the voice to speak of her astonishment.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad kissed her lips and pressed his forehead to hers, his fingers weaving through her damp hair to clutch her against him. "She's safe. Our daughter is safe. Rest. You will have medicine for the pain."

One of the nurses had to literally pry him off of her to get a cup of drug-laced water to her lips. "Drink, my lady," she offered worriedly.

Vlad watched with full attention, unable to be separated more than a couple inches from his wife.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's drank slowly, the nurse held her head up so that she didn't choke. When she finished the determined Queen's Maiden's hands pressed into the mattress as a half-hearted attempt to sit up. She never budged from the mattress and the frustration washed across her features. The medicine was strong and she felt her nerves numbing, but her body was completely lost of strength. "I want to hold her," Tenele told her husband softly.

[Soran Nightblade]

As if the idea had never occurred to him until then, Vlad slowly looked across the room at the small, fragile creature in the nurse's arms. The child was theirs. He could see bits of Tenele's eyes, Atul's mouth, his own nose. He was grateful that the nurse anticipated the purpose behind his lost-looking stare. Slowly, like a ritual, she brought the child to him. He thought it would be awkward to hold her, but his arms extended instinctively, and in moments she was curled against his chest as if his arms had never had purpose until this moment. He touched the small wisp of dark hair at the crown of her head, stroking it back.

The room was quiet as he went to his recovering wife and presented her with their daughter. He rested the girl upon Tenele's chest and positioned her arm like a cradle around it. He held her arm in place, knowing she wouldn't have the strength, and together they held their baby for the first time.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled down at their child. She made a gleeful sound that was caught between laughter a joyful tears. "She's perfect," Tenele whispered. She stared, captivated by such a small being. "My hair looked dark like that before it turned silver..." She pressed a kiss to the child's cheek. She looks so much like you!" Tenele brushed her cheek against her own shoulder to wipe the tears away. "A little girl. Our little girl. You will be so loved, little one."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad stared at those gray baby eyes, and thought he could already see a shade of green in them. He was looking at a miracle. Their child. A gift he'd never imagined possible, since he was first turned hundreds of years ago. "Name her," he whispered to Tenele, beside himself. It was almost a giggle. He couldn't even think of how to name such an impossible thing.

[Emora Deen]

"Name her," Tenele repeated with a soft smile. She gazed upon their baby with admiration and disbelief. The pain she felt before couldn't compare to the beauty of this moment. "Tenara Dracul." She lifted her tired eyes to her husband with a smile.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smiled. A laugh of joyful disbelief squeezed from his tightened throat. "Tenara," he said. Our miracle. It was such a relief to have them both safe that it took him a minute to understand why his chest felt so tight with sorrow. "Your other father will see you soon," he murmured to the child, holding his finger out and receiving a five-fingered baby grip in return. "He will adore you."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele frowned, remembering suddenly that Atul was in danger. That he was hurt. Everything had happened so fast... "Yes, he will adore her." She wanted to show Atul, wanted to call Knight and introduce him. Oh, how confusing this could be, but how amazing. Tenele let herself settle back while Vlad helped her hold their child. She looked down at the crimson stained sheets that seemed to spread. "Is there supposed to be so much blood?" Her pain was frowned by medicine and joy, and the last part of the labor felt so blurry in her memory that it seemed more like a dream.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad glanced back at Maxwell, who shook his head subtly. "It more than average, but not more than normal," he said to her. "You paid a heavy toll to bring her here. Now you'll need rest." He paused, thinking. "Would you like a midwife? Perhaps it is best for you to conserve your strength."

"The medicine is too strong for the child. Use the midwife, until she stabilized," Maxwell decided for them.

[Emora Deen]

Disappointment crossed Tenele's face as she looked down to the child. She understood. The safety of her child was most important. Tenele knew she needed to rest, but she didn't want to let go of her child. Sadly, the new mother didn't have a choice. The medication soothed her until her eyes drifted closed and her arms when slack in Vlad's supportive grip.

She was spared the knowledge that Maxwell's potion was the reason for the hasty birth, and the debate of whether things would have gone better had he left well enough alone.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad stroked her hair back softly while her body slept. Her heart was beating again. Vlad counted every pulse, focused only on hers amidst the busy room. If she missed a single beat, he would know. He would let nothing harm her.

"The bleeding is coming under control," Maxwell said, snapping a thread with his teeth. Vlad's attention jerked to the doctor. He hadn't even noticed the man was stitching. Apparently neither had Tenele. That was some good medicine. Or, she was much more hurt than he realized.

"You didn't have to do this. You could have let the child come at its own pace," he criticized the doctor quietly, all kindness gone from his tone now that Tenele was asleep.

"The child is descended from power. The more power there is, the greater the strain on the mother. The child could have survived a later birth, maybe even been safer. But your woman would not. I chose the safest equilibrium to hope for both to live."

"You could have warned us!" Vlad snapped.

"What do you think your wife would have done, if you told her the child's chances would be better if she waited?" Maxwell waited, but Vlad could say nothing in response. "We have an arrangement. The safety of Tenele and the child, for a year of your life. I have completed my half. Will you honor yours?"

Vlad grimaced. "Of c-"

"He will do no such thing," Sinead interrupted, coming to stand between the two of them. "Vladimir is under my possession. Though he may have offered such an arrangement to you, it was never within his authority to do so. He may not leave my service without permission, and I do not give it," she told the man coldly. "You will be paid for your services."

"That is a good try, Sinead, but you know me better than that. Do not toy with me. You will not like the result."

[Emora Deen]

The nurse rocked the child in her arms as she watched the three converse. Tenara was alert, more alert than the nurse was used to seeing children so early born, and she cooed softly.

Talon rushed into the room, clumsy for a vampire. But, he smelled his sister's blood down the hall. He stopped in the doorway, clenching his fist against the frame, and searched the room. He swallowed and stepped forward into the room towards the bed, and the nurse. He went to the child, as if drawn by a magnet to its little waving fists. The nurse tilted Tenara towards him for a better view. A wide smile broke across the New Blood's face, and he glanced back to his sleeping sister. Her pressed a finger to his nose to stifle the smell of blood and took another step towards the child.

"She's so small," he muttered in disbelief.