LORE: Training a Hell Hound (MATURE)

[Soran Nightblade]

"I'll join you there shortly," Vlad said, searching her gaze to try to understand what was going on with her. Nothing in her beautiful face seemed to explain what she'd just been told, and he had a feeling he would have to learn that from Sinead herself. "Everything will be fine," he added firmly. He cast Stalker a brief glance before turning toward the door Tenele had just come from. The hellhound followed loyally at Tenele's heel as she ascended the steps, and Vlad stepped into the huge meeting room. He crossed the floor, paying no attention to the advisors that were watching his path across the chamber.

Vlad stepped out onto the balcony and met Sinead’s eyes. She looked unhappy, which was more expression than he could usually make out in her regal demeanor. He kept his face blank as he walked out to her and dropped to one knee respectfully.

“How did your time with the doctor go?” she asked him quietly.

Vlad smirked. “Oh, it was a blast. But you already know that.”

“I’m sorry to have put you through such a thing.”

“Your wish is my pleasure,” the vampire scoffed.

"I did what was necessary to give you every possible option."

Vlad didn't quite understand her. "You have no need to explain your orders to me," he said evenly.

“You are angry with me,” she observed.

“Certainly not.”

“You’re angry, and hurt. You feel I betrayed you.”

Vlad’s eyes flashed up to meet hers. His expression was forcibly polite, but his eyes were angry. “With all respect, my queen, I’d like you to get out of my head.”

Sinead didn’t seem surprised by his words. “Yes, it is time. By now, the band on your neck has completed the process of restoring the original bond between us, as it was before Verin broke it.” She held a hand out over Vlad’s head, and the collar dispersed into a cloud of blue light that returned to Sinead’s palm and then faded. Vlad could feel the tiny light of her presence flicker out in the back of his mind. “I can no longer hear your thoughts,” she clarified to him. "Stand up, please."

The vampire rose effortlessly and looked at her. His red eyes remained hard and angry in the midst of his composed expression. "So, what mission do you have for your newly upgraded monster?" Vlad asked her evenly.

"The churches at the Border are in need of protection," Sinead said. "But first, we need to discuss your relationship with my Maiden."

"Do we? I should think I've given you plenty of firsthand experience," the vampire grinned.

"Don't be crass, Vlad. This is very serious. You must understand what she is sacrificing by remaining with you. The longer you do this, the more impossible it will be for her to have a proper human relationship. Don't be fooled into thinking that because she loves you, she does not wish for a mortal bond, a marriage, a family. A respectable position in society. She will do anything for you, Vlad. She will give up her dreams. It may make her content for now, when she is young, but in the long run, she will come to regret leaving these things behind-"

"Do not ask this of me," Vlad cut her off. He was looking away from her, out over the city. He didn't look angry anymore. She couldn't tell what to make of his expression. "I have always followed your commands. Do not ask this."

"Vlad, I would not order this of you, but it's something you need to think about."

"Who says that she wants these things?" Vlad spun and looked at her seriously. "Have you asked her?"

"Vladimir, I raised her."

"You're certain?"

Sinead's heart went out to him as he looked at her so intensely. "No human girl doesn't want these things, even if she doesn't say so."

Vlad just looked at her, very quiet.

"You'll take care of it, then," She prompted him after several seconds.

The vampire's expression was so far from readable that Sinead literally had no clue what to make of it when Vlad just said "Yes," and left the balcony.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele opened up the door to her room, a room she had not seen in what seemed like forever. She expected it to be dark and filled with dust, but it wasn't. The maids had kept it up even with her absense. She let Stalker in and then closed the door behind her.

The curtains were drawn closed, so it was dark. She went to them, and pulled the open, filling the room with warm sunlight. It was so stange to be home... It was strange not to see the desert outside her window. Instead she saw a city and lush green treese off in the distance. Home should not make her feel so meloncolly, but it did.

Sinead had put this on her too soon, she thought. She felt panicky, and unable to settle on a single thought. Her mind just kept spinning in a vibrant circle of memories and dreams and wishes and they were all clashing. Her heart wanted on thing. Her head another. She wanted one thing, her adopted mother another. She knew deep down that Sinead only wanted the best for her, and being considered a demon's consort was not the best.

She opened the window to let fresh air in, a breeze catching the strands of silver hair and blowing it around as she stepped back and took seat in an overstuffed chair. She put a hand to her forehead and looked down into her lap, trying to think of what she should do.

This was a decision she did not think she could make. Her eyes watered up, and she dropped her hands to her lap, grasping and clenching them together as she tilted her head back, closing her eyes in frustration. Damn it, she did not want to make this decision.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad crossed the hall on foot, his thoughts clamoring for dominance. He met eyes with a few of the advisors in the room, though their unfriendly gazes didn't really sink in. His thoughts were on Tenele. He strode past them into the outer hallway and walked up the stairway. He went straight for Tenele's room. He knocked on the door and turned the knob, leaning halfway through the doorway to look at her. "Hi," he said.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's eyes flashed open when she heard Vlad's voice. She blinked her eyes until she thought they were dry and then she leaned over the arm of the chair, peering around it at him. "Hey," she said, swallowing when her voice came out a little less confident than she would have liked. When she thought it was clearer continued, "Come in... Using doors now?"

[Soran Nightblade]

"I thought it would be charming," Vlad smiled as he entered the room. The smile didn't stick as he got a better look at her face. He stopped in front of her. "I think we should have a talk." He crouched easily in front of her, uncannily balanced on his heels so that he was slightly lower than her. "I need you to tell me the truth. What would your goals be, if I weren't here?"

[Emora Deen]

Tenele looked down at him, her face tilting away at his question. Why would he ask that of her? She didn't want to answer him, because she was afraid of what that answer might lead to. But, she didn't want to lie either... because lying hadn't seemed to work out for her in the past.

So she looked back at him with watery vividly green eyes. "I was lonely before I met you," she told him softly. "I did nothing but my duty, mundane, dangerous... and endless, but lonely. And, then this wild, annoying, and mildly insane vampire throws himself into my life when he found me sleeping in the garden after it had been locked up. Before I met you I dreamed of everything every other young woman dreams of. I wanted a wedding, a husband to love me and protect me, and to come home too. And I cannot pretend to not long to one day have a child every time I see one smiling at me, or being held in their mothers arms. But, I love you. I cannot change that I love you."

She was getting emotional, even if she didn't want to be. Her eyes had started watering even more, but she refused to cry. She didn't like to cry over things such as this. "And damn them if they call me your whore, I don't care. I love you... I love you and I can't be with you, and its painful. Its harder than I thought it would be. And now I have to choose between you and my reputation and duty. I can't make that decision."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad stared at her attentively as she spoke. Oh god, Sinead had been right. How had he not known something this important about her? The tears in her eyes tugged at his chest. She had been suffering this kind of indecision alone. He was dooming her to the same life he led.

"You are no whore, and I won't let you be seen as one," he breathed. "Tenele, the last thing I could want is to make you lonely. But I won't have you exclude yourself from society for my sake, either." He thought of the advisors' cold stares. "It may seem worth it now, but it's not a real solution. You are human, and you deserve a proper relationship." His hand brushed her cheek in a cool, light touch. He leaned up toward her and kissed her gently. He almost couldn't stand to break the kiss and move away from her again, but he did, standing up, forcing himself a step back. He was going to need some time to himself to figure this out. "Will you meet me in the garden at dusk?"

[Emora Deen]

Tenele didn't understand what he meant by his words, and it sounded almost as if he wanted them to end their relationship for her sake. She couldn't think of what to say to him after that. But, his request shook her from her doomed thoughts. "Yes, I'll meet you," she told him softly, shaking her head. She suspected since that is where they met it was only proper to end things there. But, why? She didn't understand him, at the moment she was to confused and torn to understand anything.

Again, welcome home, she thought.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad gave her a smile. He was sorry to leave her like this, but there was really only one way to fix this properly. "I'll make things right." he told her. "And no crying. If you shed a tear, Stalker will sit on you." The enormous hound's eyes flashed loyally at his master's command.

Then he came in close to her again, raising her chin with his finger. "I won't stop loving you," he said earnestly, his red eyes peering deep into hers. His face didn't commit to an expression. And then he was gone, the air barely stirring in his wake as he teleported away.

Out in the hallway, Vlad leaned against the wall and thought, hard. A few minutes passed in strained mental chaos as he struggled to think of how this could work. He couldn't be the life she dreamed. He couldn't even come close. Even if he did everything in his power, others would prevent it from happening. The faintest of grins eventually came to his face. He couldn't afford to think about how impossible it was. How crazy it would be to even try. But there wasn't one truly good idea in history that hadn't sounded crazy at first. The vampire closed his eyes, feeling resolve finally begin to come for him. Dusk was a few hours away, and he had a lot to do.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele glanced to Stalker. "I'm not crying, so don't even think about sitting on me," she reached over and rubbed the top of his head. "What are we going to do?" she asked him, knowing he couldn't answer.

"You know what I'm going to do?" stood up, smoothing the soft fabric of her dress. She walked over to her bed and flopped over onto it, having missed the softness of the matress and the comfort of cotton sheets. She laid her head on the pillows, looking at Stalker from across the room. "Want to take a nap?" she asked, patting the bed next to her. She enjoyed spoiling the hell hound. She had a few hours to kill before dusk.

[Soran Nightblade]

Stalker leapt without hesitation onto the bed with her and lay upright next to her, surveying the new domain of Tenele's room.

Downstairs, at the theological archives, a man wearing a white robe sat at an old carved desk amidst rows of bookcases, studying by candlelight some manuscript of unknown and probably boring purpose. The man nearly jumped out of his skin as the mahogany doors of the library creaked loudly open. He spun over his shoulder to see who had made the racket, and discovered Sinead's tamed vampire marching toward him.

He pushed to his feet and eyed Vlad warily. He knew from experience that "tame" was a relative term. "I've had the gargoyles all nailed down, so don't think about floating them around here again," he said sternly.

"Such a greeting, Father Harold," Vlad smiled at the high priest as he walked casually up to him and stopped at a comfortable distance. "What if I've come to ask you a theological question?"

"I'd sooner believe you were after advice on flower arrangement than a serious religious question," the priest scoffed. "I really do have work to do."

"I need to speak with you first," the vampire pressed.

"This is not your playground, vampire," the priest sighed.

"No, really," Vlad said, helping himself to the seat on the other side of the priest's desk. He paused for a moment to study the priest's expression. "I want to marry."

The priest stared at him blankly. "You what?"

"I want to marry Tenele Raider," Vlad clarified, his ruby eyes watching his reaction.

"The Queen's Maiden," Father Harold asked him skeptically. "When exactly did you conjure this little plan?"

"About five minutes ago." The vampire ignored the priest's disbelieving stare. "I'm serious. Can it be done?"

"Of course not," the priest said firmly, sinking down into his chair. "Lord Dracul, what would possess you to think you could do such a thing, much less in this flippant manner?"

"I'm serious about her," Vlad pressed. "If we are together out of wedlock, it will harm her position. She deserves my commitment."

"If you're together at all, it will harm her position, wedded or not. It doesn't matter how many years the queen has held you under her command. You are still a creature of Darkness, and you are forbidden from the church. Thar could not possibly bless your union."

"I was a child of Thar, once," Vlad argued.

"You were not what you are now. You have turned from the ways of Thar."

"I was abandoned by Thar!" the vampire roared, bringing the priest to a stunned silence. He lowered his voice and continued stiffly. "I served Him as a human, and I died for His cause. Now I side with Him still through Sinead's command. I fight against my own so-called 'kind' and the god you would claim owns me for the preservation of His Way, Ighten's way, and yet symbols of holy protection burn through my flesh like acid. I can't even stand within the walls of his churches. And you're saying I don't have the right to be married? I have done nothing to earn this exclusion."

Father Harold looked at the vampire long and hard. Was Dracul actually serious? "I will admit you are an unusual case," he said and took a deep breath. "Perhaps your fate is unfair. But there is no question that you are a creature of Verin. That is your nature. You are excited by blood and violence. You live beyond a mortal's due span. You could not give a human mate the companionship that is natural under Thar's way, nor could you possibly father children upon her. Such a marriage would be an abomination." He looked at Vlad, who was listening without interrupting, his ruby eyes aglow with determination. The priest scratched his head and frowned. "My own personal instinct is to commend you for fighting your own nature as hard as you have, but it is beyond my power to extend Thar's blessing to you. The shadow you stand in is too deep for His light to reach you. I think you must already know these things."

"What if there was a special case? What if I were different?" Vlad asked firmly, picking up a holy rune that was sitting on the priest's desk. Its fierce light was distracting him, so he closed his fingers over it and passed it slowly from hand to hand as he tried to think through this situation.

The priest was honestly surprised that the vampire's response was not more angry, after that first outburst. But that only told him that his anger was against Thar and not him. "You do not worship Thar, and you are buried deep in sin. Even if you were a human, what you ask could not be done."

"Sinful men are married all the time."

"Let us admit then, that you aren't a man. There's simply nothing more I can say to you on this matter. To marry you would be to change the very rules of our religion, and that's something I could not do if I wanted to."

"Who can, then? Who could change this?" Vlad squeezed the rune hard in his palm and studied the priest.

"Only the High Potentate could decide such a thing, and only if it were Thar's will."

"Where is he, then?"

"Lord Dracul, you cannot be married, ever!" the priest said very seriously. "The church would not condone it, the public would not accept it. In all frankness, an elopement would be less controversial and far less harmful to that woman's reputation than the impossible thing you are suggesting. Moreover, from your perspective, you would be bound to her your entire life. If I must bring myself to acknowledge that you can feel love, then I must also ask how you expect to survive her by an eternity without losing your mind or straying from your vow? I see no way that such an arrangement could benefit either of you."

"I've never heard a priest speak like this about marriage before," Vlad said grimly. "I want her to have a proper human life."

"That cannot happen while you are with her. You are not human." The priest's voice was actually gentle. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah," Vlad murmured, wearing an expression too dense with conflicting thoughts to make any sense to the priest. He stood up and set the rune back on the table. The priest looked up to watch him leave. But the vampire just stood there. "I love her," he whispered. "I would leave for her sake if I thought I could, but I can't leave her, and I can't stand to steal her dreams, either." He looked into the priest's eyes firmly. "I'll do anything if there is a way this can be made possible. Please don't force me to beg you. Please help me think of a way."

Father Harold looked up at the vampire's face and then down at the run he'd set on the table. "How were you holding that?" he asked slowly, because it was easier to believe that Vlad had just touched a holy item than that he'd just used the word 'please' twice consecutively.

Vlad looked at it. He hadn't really thought about touching it. "Things like that don't hurt me now. Don't get me wrong, it's not some sign from God. Sinead arranged for it."

"Such things are always a sign from God, always," the priest said, looking up at him again. "If Thar has worked his will for you in this way, if he is bestowing mercy on you, then perhaps you do have some options." He wished he had a painter here to record the look of agonized relief that suddenly burst across the vampire's face. He'd never thought he could believe such a story from Dracul, let alone feel such a strong desire to help him, but he was beginning to now. Despite all the reasons his brain was giving him that this was impossible, his instincts told him helping Vlad was the right thing. "Is it true you are going to the Border?"

* * *

Two hours later, the air began to take on the thin chill of evening, and the sun was sinking lower and lower in the sky. Vlad was in the center of town, returning from the marketplace at a walk. His head was overflowing with thoughts, and though he could have teleported straight to the garden, something made him stick to the human method. At the least, it would help him get in character for what he was about to do. He'd decided all of this so quickly, he had to keep double checking in his mind that he wasn't being crazy. And yet none of it felt wrong. He had doubts, but none of them were about his readiness. He couldn't give her a human life; her relationship with him would always be sensational at best and notorious at worst. But if society was a lost cause anyway, then it really came down to the two of them. And for them, this was right. This was the time. Let everyone else laugh or cry, he wasn't giving her up now. Not for anything.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele woke up from what she thought was a nap to suddenly realize she'd slept far longer than she'd wanted to. She sat up quickly when noting what little light was left in the sky. "Oh no," she whispered, running her hands through her hair as she slipped from the bed. She ran to her wardrobe and dug out a pare of black slippers, slipping her feet into them. "Come on Stalker," she told him quickly as she crossed the room to the door.

She tried not to seem like she was in a hurry when she made her way through the palace, but she couldn't help it. She was anxious and nervouse, wondering just what Vlad wanted to see her about... Mostly just fearful of it. Would he be the one to end it for her sake? She didn't know how she could take that. If she'd be able too.

The garden closed at nightfall unless due to a special occasion, but that was still in an hour or so. She saw the gates and she slowed her walking, suddenly realizing she didn't know where to meet him. She glanced around when she didn't see him, and started walking further in, down a path lined with rose bushes. The roses weren't in blume, as winter was almost upon them. In fact she assumed they would soon be trimmed back. The air was colder than she had expected it to be, so she put her hands to her bare arms, having not brought a cloak with her in a rush to get to the garden on time.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad sat up in the branches of a tree in the garden, above the bench where they'd met years ago. He had been there for several minutes, watching for a sign of Tenele. He knew it was ridiculous to grow anxious after so short a time, and yet his imagination was reeling on him. Wasn't she coming? Part of him needed to see her as soon as possible, to assure himself that she hadn't decided on her own measures to address the queen's concerns. She'd said that it was growing harder than she'd expected to live with the sacrifices of their relationship. Was she reconsidering her feelings for him? If so, this was a horrible time to ask her something like this. Despite himself, his confidence in the plans he'd made over the last few hours was starting to flounder. How could this be enough to make things right? What would this really change for her?

He couldn't believe how insecure he was being. He was a confident man, and they were in love... Yet his nerves were shot. Should he act on this tonight at all? He could have a serious discussion with her instead, test the waters, pretend he had nothing planned.

And then, to his mixed horror and relief, he heard her approaching. He watched her beautiful form walk out and pass just below where he was perched.

Well, some opportunities were just too good to resist. The vampire pulled a cluster of small pinecones from the branch next to him and dropped them over the maiden's head.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele looked around startled, not quite sure where they were coming from at first. Then, she turned her head upwards, and arm up over her eyes just incase. Her eyes adjusted to the shadow around the branches. "Hey," she told him, smiling as she lowered her arm. "You better watch out, I might throw some back." She walked until she was standing directly under him. She felt nervous, and it was strange to be this nervous around him.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smirked and leaped down from the branch, landing easily on his feet in front of her. Her teasing voice calmed him somewhat. "You're not wearing much," he observed, reaching out and touching her cold shoulders. Her scent was warm and familiar now that he was this close to her. "But you don't appear to have been sat upon, which is good to see," he smiled.