Heirot

Atul saw them coming, and she thought she saw something flash in his eyes. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but it was definitly something. She came to him and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a tight hug. "I want to thank you for all you have done," she told him as she stepped away, holding his hands.

"No... thank you!" he grinned. "If it were not for either of you, my people wouldn't have this day. Their first day of freedom. They hardly know what to do with themselves."

Tenele laughed. "Well, they'll grow used to it soon," she told him. "We'll be heading back to Ighten now. I'll arrange for a way to make contact with you. My Queen's advisers will want to have a public signing of a treaty between our two kingdoms."

"Perfectly understandable," Atul told her with a nod. "I'll see to a way to make a fast connection with Ighten. Fero should be good for something, then. Take care of yourself, Tenele." He squeazed her hands and leaned forward. She thought at first he'd kiss her, but instead he kissed her forehead. Tenele smirked and shifted out of his way when he held out his hand fo Vlad.

"Thank you, brother," he told Vlad. "Despite our rocky moments, I have to say it was good to have you on my team." He grinned. "I have but one favor to ask. Marry Tenele or I'll steal her away from you when I come to sign that treaty." He gave the vampire a wink.

"Atul!" Tenele hissed, her cheeks flushing. She didn't want him to make Vlad promise or not promise such things. Had he not even listened to what she'd said? Or did he not care?

Atul laughed, and it was a nice thing to hear.

Vlad's eyes widened and his hand seemed to forget what it was on its way to do, half extended to accept Atul's shake. Marry? The very concept stunned him. He loved Tenele, but it had never once occurred to him to marry her. In fact the Queen had even specifically warned him that he couldn't. Besides, how would he even survive a ceremony in a ch..... he stared at Atul blankly. Did his new immunity have something to do with this? The new king had really put him on the spot in front of Tenele. Later, think about it later, he ordered himself.

"Oh really?" he smirked after a noticeable pause. "I think Tenele might have something to say about that, but I have no fear of a little competition." He smiled deeply and clasped Atul's forearm securely with both hands. "We'll see you soon."

With that, he stepped back to Tenele's side, called Stalker to his heel, and held up the sphere Sinead had sent. A warm white light surrounded them, and in an instant, the three of them were gone.

When they reappeared, the three of them were standing in the middle of a long table in Sinead's throne room. All around them, Sinead's advisors were staring in shock, apparently in the middle of a meeting. Vlad's left foot was planted squarely on a plate of grapes and cheese the one of the advisors had been about to eat from. Vlad tossed his gaze to the head of the table, where sure enough, Sinead was looking at them with raised eyebrows.

"Really, do you even think these things through?" Vlad asked the queen casually, tossing her the spent spellstone.

"So nice of you three to join us," Sinead said dryly, casting a critical look at all three of them. Given what had come to pass over the course of their journey, Vlad had a feeling that look wasn't about the grapes.

Stalker was sniffing at one of the advisor's meeting notes, and the man appeared to be leaning so far back that he would fall over in his chair.

Tenele glanced around. "So, who's idea was it to put our landing spot in the middle of the table?" she muttered, feeling a bit out of place and she didn't like being stared at by so many people. Unlike Vlad, Tenele was bothered by attention. She swallowed, slipping away from her lover's arms, and going to the edge of the table, where she stepped off, calling Stalker to follow her. The advisers noticed the direction she was calling him too, and cleared the area immediatly, that made her smile. Watching stiff and stuffy politicians running for their lives.

She shifted to walk to the head of the table where her Queen was. She never greated the Queen as a daughter would great a mother in front of her advisers. Tenele had always tried to appear very professional, so it would seem she did not recieve any special favor. The last time the advisors had seen her, she was crashed through the center of the old table with a hell hound on top of her, bleeding to death.

"My Queen," she said softly, bowing her head. "We've returned from our journey with good news. Verin's hold on the outerlands has been taken away. The capital belongs to our ally, the new Maharaja, Atul Shahardi."

"That is very good news," Sinead said as Vlad and Stalker jumped casually off the table after Tenele. "I will have my advisors draw up some documents to confirm our alliance with their kingdom. There is much I already know about your adventures due to my link with Vladimir," she noticed Vlad subconsciously touch the enchanted 'collar' she'd put around his neck, "but there is still much I need to speak with you about."

"I have a thing or two to discuss as well," Vlad contested her stern tone, miming a holy symbol on his chest at her.

"Why don't you three join me on the balcony," the queen said diplomatically, walking out toward the huge private balcony that bordered her throne room. It seemed these serious conversations with these two always took place here.

Tenele followed her queen outside. It was freezing to Tenele. The end of fall and beginning of winter had set in while they were gone. It was amazing how time flew, and how she had forgotten the season. She could handle the cold for a while though, long enough to talk with the Queen. "What is it you would like to know, my Queen," Tenele asked her after taking a deep breath of Ighten air, and enjoying the feeling of being home... Safe.

Sinead looked at the two of them, her maiden and her secret weapon, respectively. The last time she had seen Tenele, she was severely wounded. The last time she'd seen Vlad, he had been on the verge of suicide. Of course, she'd been able to keep track of them since, but they were still a sight for sore eyes. "It is very good to have you home," she said earnestly. "A great deal has happened that you need to be briefed on. My advisors will fill you in tomorrow."

She took a deep breath. "I want you to both know that overall, you did an excellent job in the Outlands. It may not have been through the original plan," she glanced at Vlad, "but you did, in fact, establish a peaceful relationship with that country. I appreciate your work."

"But?" Vlad prompted her, crossing his arms.

"As you know, the collar I placed on Vlad when he was recovered from Verin's control allows me to experience his thoughts, when I choose to," Sinead said.

Vlad frowned at the phrasing. "Recovered," like lost cargo.

"Being this close to Vlad's thoughts has raised concerns for me about the healthiness of this relationship." She paused, glancing at their expressions. Vlad already looked cross. "...Perhaps it would be better if I spoke with you each privately," she said.

Tenele's smile fell at what the Queen said, her face loosing all its warm color. She didn't know why her heart began to suddenly throb with panic, but there was really nothing she could do about it. "Which one of us would you like to speak with first?" Tenele asked the queen softly, glancing out to the city around them, the wind catching her silver hair and blowing it about her face.

"With you first, please," Sinead said to Tenele. She pretended not to notice the livid anger that was shining in Vlad's eyes. "And Vlad, you will not eavesdrop."

Vlad's otherwise blank expression was dangerously still. "As you command," he said, and disappeared.

Sinead turned to Tenele. "He is unhappy with me. You may feel the same way. But I want to clarify that I only want what's best for you," she said gently. She reached out and touched the side of her face. "You've grown up beautifully, Tenele. It's a pleasure to watch you, and you know i see you as a daughter. I want to see you be happy and healthy. I also care about your reputation." She studied her maiden's reaction to her words.

Tenele's eyes narrowed. She was confused. "I don't understand. What happened over there between us is nothing different from what we do here... I know that many... or rather nearly all of your people will not approve," Tenele muttered, glancing away. She thought they had covered this already, and she wondered in the back of her mind if there was another reason.

"I understood before that you felt a crush toward Vlad, with which I could sympathize. He is a very charming and exciting person for a young lady to know. As much as I doubted it at first, I know now that he also cares about you. But as I watch it grow more serious than that, I am growing concerned. My maidens are renowned for their skill in battle, but also for their strength of character and chastity. Others are beginning to perceive you as Vladimir's consort. I am concerned for your reputation. As much as I can understand your relationship with Vlad, I have to ask where you hope to go with it?"

Tenele's green eyes met Sinead's before glancing away. She thought very hard before replying, for she hadn't the slightest idea what to reply with. "There is no place for our relationship to go. We cannot be together... not as humans are." she whispered softly. Then, she swallowed and met Sinead's eyes again. "I will not bring ill word against you, my Queen." She couldn't think of a way to do that without renouncing her post... and since she was one of the last few remaining Maiden's... it would be unwise for her to do so. However, she honestly couldn't see herself ignoring the fact that she wanted Vlad just as much as she loved him. "What would you have me do? I do not know if I can deny my heart..."

Sinead looked at Tenele's expression closely. "I will not ask you to give up your feelings for my sake. But if you plan to marry a legitimate suitor later in life, your reputation will be important. Only you can decide what you are willing to give up to be with Vlad. My reason for bringing it up now is that I know if the things you would otherwise have in a human relationship are too much to give up, it will only grow more difficult the longer you let this go on. Vladimir's feelings are involved here, too. You can not have children with him or grow old together. I see no way the church will marry you to an anti-theist. If those are deal breakers, it would be kinder to tell him now than to proceed with the relationship.

"If they aren't, however, I will support you both. I may even have to admit that I myself would be saddened to see you part. I will send you together on your next mission and do my best not to separate you if possible. I just fear I would be lax in not warning you of the risks and of how carefully you must choose your compromises in life."

Tenele nodded slowly, feeling not as happy to be home as she had orignally thought she would. "I understand," she spoke softly. "I just need to think..." There wasn't anything to think about. She loved Vlad, and at the moment could not fathom being with any other man but him. Even for that moment when she thought she wanted Atul, all she really had wanted was something to blot out Vlad's memory.

"Shall I send Vlad to you?" she asked Sinead in a breathless sigh.

"Yes, please," the queen answered her, sorry to see how dampened her maiden's mood was now. But this was necessary. "Send him out."

Vlad paced back and forth in the hallway outside the queen's meeting hall, where a grand spiral staircause led up to the other levels of the castle. He glanced up at the sound of giggling on the balcony above him. Two maids were looking down at him, and both blushed profusely when he noticed them. "Good day, ladies," he addressed them.

"Hello, Lord Vladimir," one of them bravely greeted him while the other smiled shyly. "I see you've returned."

"I hope I'm not distracting you from your work," he teased them with a charmingly jagged smile.

"We were just on our way," the brave one giggled, grabbing her friend's hand and tugging her off down the hall.

Vlad's cordial expression dropped after they left. There had been a time when he flirted shamelessly with all the women in the castle, mostly out of boredom. Now he couldn't seem to see anything in them. Too young, too shy, too frail, too bold. Not Tenele. What was Sinead telling her?

Tenele opened the door from the advising room, seeing Vlad standing in the hall, looking thoughtful and serious, and handsome. She froze in mid-walk, stumbling over the words she was going to say to him. She instead closed the door behind her and crossed the floor to him. She gave a heavy sigh when she saw him, and though she smiled at him softly it was clear in her eyes that she was deeply bothered. "She wants to see you now," she told him.

She was standing a distance from him that she would usually close, be closer. Tenele glanced behind her when she heard the door open and several advisers stepped out, pausing at the sight of them talking. Looking at them crossly. She glanced back to Vlad. "Go on and see her. I'm going to take Stalker up to my room."