Heirot

Tenele smile brightened as Vlad's arms found their way around her and he lifted her up. "I missed you more." She cupped his face in her hands and leaned in for a kiss.

Vlad stretched up carefully to meet her lips. Tenele's terrible scream stopped him in the middle of the gesture. It was in his head, it was a false memory, and yet it still had the power to sound so real. The strength left Vlad's hands as he released his wife and lurched backwards.

Tenele stumbled when she regained her footing unexpectedly, watching her husband draw away from her so quickly.

"Are you okay?" Atul asked, placing his hand on the vampire's shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" Tenele asked him softly, reaching out for his hand.

"No!" Vlad breathed. "No, you're fine. I'm fine." Next time, he would control it. But he didn't try to kiss her again. He looked startled. "Lelana," he said, looking at her. "Will you let Tenele meet your pet?"

Lelana nodded, giving the vampire a knowing look that did not go unnoticed by either Atul or Tenele. "This way," she sighed, urging the three of them to follow her. "He likes girls. You should be fine."

"Fine?" Tenele asked hesitantly as the Queen went to the back of the room and began to raise the creature from the ground.

"What happened in here?" Tenele asked of the large whole in the ground she hadn't noticed before because of all the commotion between the siblings.

The creature rose up next to Tenele. Flashes of light went off in her vision, though no one would see it. The spell began to short itself out, even just in the presence of the golem.

Then, the creature swooped its large hand down menacingly.

Atul jumped forward. "Lelana!"

The golem scooped up Tenele, and the moment his stone skin touched hers the woman crumpled. She went limp, and he cradled her against his shoulder like a rag doll. He cooed happily, rocking the sleeping woman.

"Don't worry," Lelana told Atul firmly. "He likes women."

Vlad had gone rigid, but as soon as he realized what the creature was doing, a slow grin crossed his face. "Did he do it? Is she cured?" he murmured aloud.

"I don't know," Lelana replied. "We'll just have to see." She stepped up to the golem. "Okay, put her down." The golem held Tenele tight, maybe too tight. He pouted. "No, seriously, you have to give her back."

"Rahh," the creature complained, looking rather disappointed, even if his face were made of rocks. He hesitated a second longer.

"Yes, I know she has pretty hair," Lelana sighed. "But, you really have to give her back."

"Rahhh rah rah," the golem muttered, draping Tenele gently on the floor.

Atul immediately dropped down next to Tenele. Her eye lids were moving rapidly, but she didn't wake. Several minutes passed, and in that time Lelana slowly coaxed the golem back onto his platform and into his hole.

The first thing Tenele remembered before waking was this adorable creature, and her knees in the mud. She was reaching for grass...

She shot up, gasping. "The Queen!" she cried, eyes looking around at the unfamiliar room. She immediately bolted to her feet, and the next thing she saw was Lelana. Tenele, not sure what to make of it, went on the offence and tried to attack the woman before the sorceress could do any real damage.

That's when Atul swooped in and wrapped his arm around her waist and tugged her back. "Easy, tiger," he grumbled. "No, attacking."

Tenele huffed. "What... what the hell..." She glanced up at the King. "Atul? What... The Queen. The queen has been poisoned. Vlad and I... Vlad?" She spotted her husband then. "I don't understand."

Vlad blinked at her. She remembered the queen... she remembered? Tears climbed into his eyes. "Tenele?" he croaked.

Tenele blinked at him. "Yes," she replied, confused by his question. "Last time I checked..." Her gaze went warily to the woman in the room. "Why is she here? Why are we here? What happened to rescuing Sinead?"

"Its a really long story, Tenele," Atul whispered.

"I'm thinking I probably should hear it," Tenele replied.

Vlad stared. "You don't remember anything, after Sinead?"

"No," Tenele replied. "I remember trying to make this thing move so I could get the cure for her. I guess I slipped and hit my head. How long have I been out? And, again, why is one of our mortal enemies just hanging out with us?"

Vlad stared at her like she was a ghost. "Tenele, you've been without your memory for the past two months," he murmured. "Sinead was saved. Lelana helped us break the spell that was keeping your mind captive."

“Two months?” Tenele whispered, glancing around. She looked very focused as she tried to recall even a smidgen of what happened in that span of time where she was gone from the world. She hadn’t remembered anything for two months?

“I…” Tenele leaned against Atul’s form and the arm that still held her, relaxing a little from the tension that Lelana’s presence brought. Saved by Lelana, now that was an interesting thing to hear when waking from amnesia.

“So, I’ve spent the last two months extremely confused, haven’t I? Oh, please tell me I didn’t break Tenara’s heart by not remembering her. Where is she?” Tenele had the urge to run to her daughter and squeeze her very tight. Even if it just felt like a few minutes ago that she was with the child, it apparently had been two months. “This is really, really… strange. Could someone tell me what I missed?”

Vlad exchanged a glance with Atul. "Tenara was the only person you remembered. She's been just fine. She's at the capitol right now." He glanced to Atul. "We came to Hajaria to find a cure for you. Atul succumbed to my incredible charm and came back to us."

Atul’s arms tightened around her, tugging her firmer against him. He pressed his face into her hair. “I missed you,” he whispered to her.

Tenele closed her eyes, relishing in the touch she’d missed after his leaving. “That’s a good thing,” Tenele whispered, running her fingers over the arm that held her. “Thankfully we have your charms…” Tenele felt her eyes grow misty. “That makes me so happy.”

Atul smiled. “I am happy too.”

“Well, good things. I remembered my daughter, and we have Atul back… I like waking up to this.”