Heirot

Vlad smiled, suddenly feeling so relaxed that it was almost like he couldn't move. He opened his mouth, and realized he was about to try to communicate his feeling to her. He almost simultaneously realized that he had no idea how to do that, and closed his mouth again. He sat up with her again and pressed his head lightly into the crook of her neck, their bodies meeting again in the perfumed water. He felt actually warm, for once, the temperature of the water having heated his form. "Tenele," he murmured against her skin.

"Hmmm?" she murmered as he held her in his arms and her hands resed on his shoulders, her head on his, her chest to his, her body... against his... It was too perfect for words. Her green eyes were closed in comfortable silence, wondering what it was he wanted to say to her. If he would say anything at all...

"I may have to apologize to you again," Vlad said huskily, pressing up against her as the leaned toward the back of the tub.

"For what?" she asked softly, nuzzling her head to his as her arms twined around him.

Vlad's lips curled gently into a grin. "I couldn't resist."

At once, the handle of the faucet flipped on, and cold water poured down on Tenele's head.

Tenele gasped sitting up quickly and bumping into him as she tried to escape the freezing water that left her gasping coninuelessly until she regained her composure, at which point she hit him upside the head playfully.

"Well, you do know how to ruin a moment," she said with a smirk. She stood up, water dripping down her elegant cruved figure as she stepped from the bathtub and grabbed a fluffy whie towel from a dangling hoop that hung from the ceiling. She stepped through the curtains, glancing over her shoulder with a smile.

She had made sure to take her time to leave a lasting impression in his mind.

Vlad watched her, his grin never leaving his face as she got up and toweled off, and finally left the room. When she was gone, he sank back into the water and let out a deep breath he'd been holding, his body indifferent to the quickly chilling water that was still being fed by the cold faucet. That had been close; he'd almost lost his reserve with her. And he wouldn't take her; not tonight, not when he wasn't sure what forces acted on her judgment. He wasn't sure why it mattered now when it hadn't mattered before, but when he took her...he intended for it to mean something. What, he needed to decide first.

His blood slowly calmed, gratefully releasing him from the intensity of his desire. Sighing contently and almost wistfully, he finally climbed out of the tub and toweled off, stepping out into the room to meet Tenele.

Tenele still was smiling, because she didn't think that his joke was decieving her from the real topic, after all he played them all the time.

She rifled through the old Lord's clothing, not really interested in sleeping in a ballgown.

She found a ladies nightgown... Which was odd, but then again was it? He was a vampire... and if he got women to do what she did to day, it was likely he would have women's clothing.

She pulled it on her nude form, the silk fabric sliding against her soft oiled skin. She dried her hair with the towel, and brushed it out straight, staring into the mirror as she watched Vlad come from the bathroom.

"Enjoy your cold bath?" she asked with a smile, turning around and running towards the bed, hopping onto it since she didn't feel like using the stairs.

"Immensely" Vlad smirked, not bothering with clothing before falling naked into the bed and its silk sheets.

Tenele smiled as she rolled over on her side, the silk dress sliding smoothly across the silk sheets like water over glass. She then rolled over on her back stretch out, the silk nightgown clung to her curves losely.

She sighed stretching her arms out above her head, looking at the curtained ceiling to the four posted covered bed.

She slipped under the silk sheets, curling up on her side facing Vlad. She fell into a peaceful slumber that lasted through the morning. It wasn't raining nearly as hard this day, but it did sprinkle.

Tenele could understand why the rain was so bad, because the rains usually came this time of year.

Tenele sat up slowly, brushing her silver hair off her face, which cascaded down her shoulders, her back, and its silken texture matched that of the sheets as well as her nightdress.

She climbed out of the dead lord's bed and walked to the window, the sun's dim glow casted down on her like a holy light. The light shown right through the thin silk fabric, causing ever curve of her body to be seen inside the silk nightgown.

Vlad had fallen asleep beside Tenele, even though it wasn't something he particularly needed. The faint glow of light drew his eyes open and he caught sight of Tenele standing by the window - and the first sentiment that struck his half-sleeping mind was not lust. It was something he'd felt last night and never named, and it surprised him that he even remembered it. Oh well, he wasn't one to dwell.

"You're making the curtains jealous," he flattered as he stood up and walked to where the glowing light was playing on the thin silk of her gown. He was still quite naked, and not making much fuss about it. In fact, if he was aware of it at all, it didn't show. He rested his chin casually in the crook of her left shoulder, standing just behind her, and looked out at the view.

Tenele glanced sideways for a moment and then smiled. Her silver hair cascaded down her back, slight strands tickled the sides of her face as she turned her cheek to press against his face. "I guess they'll just have to stay jealous," she said and looked back out the window. "Its a beautiful day, I guess a good day to start our trip back to Lowight?" she asked, turned around to face him.

Her sparkling green eyes when from his head, moving downward. In a single glance realized he wasn't decent so she looked back up at his face. "I'll get dressed and go to the kitchen to get some supplies. Want to see if they had a horse or two?"

Vlad's expression twisted comically at the mention of a horse, but he supposed he could tolerate some equiine travel. He was probably just within range of where he could successfully teleport Tenele with him back to Lowight, but it was a stretch and he wasn't eager to get back anyway.

"Whatever my lady prefers," he spoke smoothly, turning and sliding into his tunic and pants. He made the normally clumsy act of getting dressed look unnaturally graceful, and then he was ready to go. "I'll 'persuade' the young master about the horses," he smirked, and stepped out of the room.

A few minutes later was ready outside with two horses. After last night's performance, the master had not attempted to block them from leaving, and Vlad could care less how he felt about them taking two prime mares from his stable.

Tenele met Vlad outside, carring a leather sack in her hand. "I couldn't find much real food in the kitchen... but what do you expect from a vampire's mansion," she said with a cool smile, hooking the bag to the saddle. "Its not like you would want to eat human food anyway."

She paused for a moment, looking at him for a long while. "Thank you for helping me," she said and looked away uncomfortably. "And not leaving me out in the rain." She smiled and mounted the horse, looking down at him with a sparkling gaze.

"So, Lord Vladimir Dracul... Are you coming? Or will you stay and admire the house a little more?"

Vlad smirked and put his foot into the stirrup, swinging up behind the saddle. The movement was almost human, for once not using any teleportation or kinesis, but at the same time it was a little too perfect and surreal. When you're dead hundreds of years, you get lots of practice moving gracefully.

"To Lowight, then," he said charmingly, already plotting the pranks he could pull on his traveling partner along the way. In the back of his mind, though, he had a slight dread of returning to the Queen's dull command after his escapades with her maiden.