Heirot

Vlad nodded and handed her the envelope. Don't do anything *too* exhausting, he teased.

Tenele scowled at her husband, taking the letter from him. She got a flutter of excitement as she thought about calling Knight, and also a tinge of guilt and anxiety, as it had been some time since she called him last.

"Sagra ne reion, Knight," she whispered, eyeing the letter and its wax seal.

Vlad and Atul dispersed in the blink of an eye, and a bright light glowed in front of Tenele. Knight's broad-shouldered form appeared kneeling in the light as it faded. His posture stirred, and he seemed to be staring at Tenele's feet for several moments.

"Tenele," he greeted smoothly, finally looking up with bright eyes. He took in the sight of her, and the enthusiasm lurking inside him threatened to burst loose.

Tenele's smile brightened and her anxiety was suddenly forgotten. She greeted him by twining her arms around his neck and giving him a tight hug. "Knight," she sighed pleasantly. "I'm sorry I let you stay gone so long. A lot happened. I wasn't myself for a few months."

She drew back and pressed a hand to his face. "I'm myself now, though."

Knight's eyes dropped half-shut as her soft hand brushed his face. "You've been through a lot. I can recall, through those two. And our last few meetings were under challenging circumstances." His mismatched eyes studied her.

"It is good to see you well," he affirmed, as if he'd just scanned his and her memory banks to verify it. He leaned forward and kissed her, warm but chaste, and touched his forehead to hers. "What can I do for you, voice of my soul?"

Tenele exhaled softly, closing her eyes and enjoying the feel of him so close. "Two things. One, Vlad wrote you a letter," Tenele smiled, showing him the sealed envelope. "He wouldn't let me read it." She pressed it into his hand. "I'm overly curious to know what it says." She pressed another kiss to his lips. "And two, I missed you."

Knight's smile brought a flaring glow to his eyes. "Missed me, did you?" he slid forward against her.

Tenele giggled softly, blushing as she looked out over the moonlit desert. "Aye," she mused and turned her green eyes on him. "However, I was given strict instructions not to do anything -too- exhausting while you visited."

"By Vlad's standards, or mine?" the guardian purred smugly. He kissed her jawline and nibbled her ear before swooping her in an easy spin, over-energetic even for Knight.

Tenele shivered. "I'm not entirely sure," she admitted honestly, curling her fingers around the back of his neck. Her heart beat rushed, and she felt buzzy with uncertainty and anticipation. Knight had the ability to give off such an imposing air about him that she always felt nervous, though always in a good way. There were always such long spans between when they were able to be together, and each time was like a new adventure.

"Either way the both you have energy that far extends beyond my limits," she smiled. "However, I am feeling confident enough to keep up."

Knight pressed his fingers along the back of her shoulders and massaged them with light pressure as he kissed her cheek and forehead. He went further down her back, standing cheek to cheek with her and his fingers worked knots out of her muscles. It was more the type of massage meant for invigoration than to be erotic. His hands relearned every nerve and muscle in her back until he was satisfied and finally stood still and quiet again with her. "Come riding with me," he said suddenly.

"Riding?" Tenele asked curiously, smiling brightly at him. She imagined how nice it would be to ride across the sands at night with him and look up at the beautiful stars. Tenara would be fine with Stalker watching, and he could easily alert Talon if anything were amiss. "Okay," she agreed.

Knight took a quick study of her clothes, deemed her fit to ride even if they weren't proper riding garments, and drew her by the hand out the door. He didn't pull or rush her, but it was almost as if he were swimming to the surface for air as they crossed the palace.

Tenele laughed as she hurried along with him, hiking up the silk dress with one hand while he held her other. He was taller, his legs longer, and his gate wider. For every one step he took, she skipped three to keep up. She didn't think enough about his urgency to ride to grow concerned that something was wrong. She just fluttered with excitement like a young maiden on her first date.

Saber, the horse Atul gave her as a wedding gift, snorted in the stables. A beautiful white horse, the beast tossed his head as if greeting them.

"

Knight's eyes went straight to a deep bay arab stallion near the back of the stable, one that was bred and trained to run. This particular individual was notoriously a bit high-strung, but that worked just fine for Knight this evening.

"Hey, sir," the groom interrupted nervously, jogging out to meet him as he approached the still. It was clear the man was trying to understand who Knight was. The guardian was dressed smartly as always and carried an air of royalty, but he also wasn't on the guest list when it came to those allowed to ride these animals. "I'm sorry, my lord, but....who are you?" he muttered, glancing at Tenele for understanding.