Heirot

Vlad smiled coyly. "I'm no virgin to torture, my lady," he teased a little bitterly. "Sorry to disappoint." He rolled to the side, guiding her off of him. "He didn't fight you, eh? And you still believe he hates you?"

Lelana stood up. "Because he didn't attempt to kill me, doesn't mean he loves me. It just means he valued my help more than my life. Besides, it doesn't matter whether he hates me or not... I don't know how to live a life near him anymore."

Lelana kicked at the roots. "I loved him, much the same way you love your wife," Lelana whispered. "That's wrong, I know that. He's my brother. But, I loved him nonetheless."

Vlad lay back on the ground. So it hurt her to be near him... Maybe it wasn't good for her to come back to the capitol. "I don't want you to stay here alone," he said seriously, every bit the overprotective brother.

Lelana frowned at him. "Why are you so concerned with me?" she asked heatedly. "I've manage to convince you that you raped your wife. You may never be able to be intimate with her the same way again. I seduced and manipulated your blood into nearly killing her. I've hurt Atul both physically and emotionally, and I've killed a lot of people. I enjoy hurting people, Vlad. My crimes do not deserve forgiveness. I do not deserve love or compassion or friendship. I don't understand why you insist I should be with the people you love, when I am most likely to hurt them."

"Verin's not here anymore. The world is changing, and so are you," Vlad said firmly. "You could have broken me, but you stopped short of that. You could have killed me, but you let me free. Then you grew worried when I went missing. You weren't safe in that cave where you found me, and you weren't safe when you were in my head, and you weren't safe when you let me bite you out of starvation a minute ago. Don't try to convince me you only know how to be cruel and can't live differently, when you've changed this much in three days."

Lelana rubbed her arms. She paced back and forth, looking panic stricken and ready to bolt at any moment. She'd hid this part of herself away for so many years, she'd forgotten it existed. Why now? "I don't know what to do," she breathed. "I'm scared." Lelana clenched her eyes the moment she admitted it to him. Angry with herself for letting him know something so personal.

Vlad's expression softened. "It's okay," he murmured. He stood up and placed a hand on her head. It was more than a condescending pat. From Vlad, it was a kind of territorial affection. "I get it. It's a lot. I'll give you a small extension. Take your time to think about it." His eyes met hers sharply. "Then come be with your family."

Lelana stared at him like those were the most foreign words she'd ever heard, like she couldn't understand the meaning of the word family. For her family was a terrible thing. It was pain and suffering, humiliation and manipulation. But, the way he said it made it sound wonderful.

Come be with your family.

Lelana blinked the moisture from her eyes. Did he not understand that she was crazy? That she snapped? That if she snapped she might turn their brains to mush?

Of course he did, because he'd endured her insanity already.

"Okay," she finally conceded. "I will try. Shall we return to the palace now? I'll call them back from there."

"Yes," Vlad said, finally satisfied.

Lelana reached out for his hand and ported them back to the square before the front gates. She took on of her signals and lit the fuse before throwing it into the air. There was an explosion and then green smoke clouded the air.

From where Atul and Tenele were searching they heard the signal, and then turned their eyes to the sky. Atul ported in short increments until they finally reached the square. For a second the two of them were disoriented from their quick journey, but then their eyes fell on him.

Tenele was the first to rush him, wrapping her arms around his waist tightly, and then Atul came and collected them both in his arms.

Lelana stepped back towards the doors of her palace, watching the three of them embrace.

Vlad chuckled at their excited hugs. "What am I, a lost puppy?" he protested, secretly joyous at their affection. He noticed the dried blood and bruises on his male lover, and touched Atul's face. Light fingers memorized every wound, and then he pressed his lips to the King's in gentle apology.

Lelana flinched at their show of affection, but it was Tenele who surprised her the most. The woman came to Lelana and grabbed her hands. "Thank you," she said firmly. "Thank you for setting him free, and then thank you for finding him."

"My, God, you really are missing all of your mind, aren't you," Lelana sighed, drawing her hands gently away.

Atul returned Vlad's kiss, fisting his hand in the short hair at the back of the vampire's head. "Are you alright?" he asked, pressing his forehead to Vlad's.

Vlad wrapped his arms tight around the man. "Close enough. Could use some new pants and a shower," he said half-heartedly. He didn't know how to explain what he'd been made to see under Lelana's sorcery, and he didn't want to turn them against each other right now. "I don't think I like jungles."

Atul laughed. "Oh, its not all bad. Just stay away from the snakes, and everything is alright. Isn't that right, Tenele?"

Tenele was standing off to the side of them now, after thanking Lelana. She was waiting patiently for her turn with Vlad, but it was clear that her patients was hard to come by.

"Right...avoid the snakes. Good tip," Vlad muttered, flashing a glance at Lelana that swore he'd make her pay if she outed him.

He pulled back from Atul with another kiss and turned to Tenele, wrapping his arms around her hips and lifting her up against him. "I missed you," he smiled. Then why was he lifting her up instead of kissing her, like he'd done for Atul?