LORE: Training a Hell Hound (MATURE)

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smirked and allowed himself to be towed through the garden and into the south gates of the castle. A few moments later, they were at the doors of Sinead's throne room. Vlad gave a nod to the guards, who let them pass into the main hall. Sinead was sitting at the huge table they had teleported onto earlier that day, mulling on her own over a pile of maps and ledgers. She looked up as they entered and her eyebrows raised in a questioning arc. "Vladimir and Tenele, to what do I owe this pleasure?" she asked them suspiciously as she folded her elegant hands on the table.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele stood next to Vlad as they walked, holding his hand, but as she suddenly found herself before Sinead she felt herself gow reluctant and nervous. She gripped Vlad's hand a bit tighter as they came to stand before her. "My Queen," she began, her happy smile fading slightly as she realized she didn't know how Sinead would take this. "We have discussed what you have spoken to us about..." A smirk came to her lips. "We love eachother, and no matter what others might think of our relationship... and no matter how hard it might be, we will be together. We are going to marry." The words sounded foreign on her lips, and she was still trying to convince herself this wasn't some strange dream she'd wake from.

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead blinked and offered them both a blank stare that nailed them down to their spots in the floor. Vlad stared back at her tensely as she studied him and then Tenele. "Vladimir Dracul, is this true? You've proposed to my Maiden without my blessing?" she asked sternly.

"I suspect you gave me your blessing," Vlad returned with a willful smirk."

"Oh do you?" She said before turning her expression back to Tenele. "Has he proposed? You wear his ring?" she demanded.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele slipped her hand from Vlad's leaning into his side as if she needed support. This wasn't a good reaction to Tenele, it worried her, and hurt her. In the back of her mind she had seen Sinead overjoyed that she had found happiness, a way around being seperated. This was not it at all. She swallowed and held her hand out into the light, allowing it to glint of the gold and the green stone shimmered. "I wear it."

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead stood up and walked over to scrutinize the ring on her finger. Vlad had really done it. This proved beyond a doubt what she already felt in her gut, that there was no one more prepared to ensure Tenele's happiness than he was. She looked at it and then at Vlad, and then at her Maiden. "It matches your eyes," she said finally. She could no longer hold a straight face. Her eyes misted over as she broke into an emotional smile. "I suppose it will do." She stepped forward and embraced her Maiden tightly. "My dear, dear girl," she murmured, giving her a squeeze. "I am so pleased for you," she said tearfully as she drew back and looked at her proudly.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele let out a relieved breath as her eyes welled up with tears when Sinead embraced her. She hugged the woman back, as a daughter would hug her mother. She smiled shakily, so very happy that Sinead was not angry. "Thank you. You have no idea how happy it makes me that you approve. You are after all the only mother I have ever known." She grasped Sinead's hands and held them tightly. "I don't think you're advisors will be pleased with me... even if I'm married."

Tenele could not remember her own mother anymore. The years had been long, and she had been small when her mother was slane by Shea... Her face was nothing but a blur. She could remember the silver hair... and that was about it. Talon had always been lucky to have been old enough to remember her better.

[Soran Nightblade]

Sinead shook her head and cupped Tenele's face in her hands. "And I will always love you as a mother," she said firmly. "My advisors are mine to deal with, although I can not shield you from all such prejudice. However, I am confident you can handle it. Where you face criticism, show them your smile, my dear. Should it fail, show them your fist. And should all else fail," she smirked, "show them your fiance."

The vampire smirked at this proposal. His smile only grew broader as the queen turned toward him, although her heartfelt expression made him slightly nervous. "I really hope you don't intend to hug me like that t-" he cut off and went rigid and Sinead's arms enfolded him. "Sinead," he whispered, losing all formality in the midst of his shock.

"You are a brave and stubborn servant, and a good and faithful friend," she said. "I may show it oddly, but I wish for your happiness as well."

"I know," the vampire acknowledged tensely. He looked quite flustered by the time Sinead decided to release him from her embrace. Contact was not part of his normal relationship with the queen. Still, that didn't necessarily make it unpleasant. It was nervewracking, yet somehow reassuring.

"I have to wonder how your brother is taking this happy news," Sinead said with a sarcastic grin as she relented her assault on Vlad's nerves and turned back to Tenele.

[Emora Deen]

She rather liked what the Queen said about how to deal with her advisors. She'd never been advised to hit them before... much less sick Vlad on them. It was a pleasant and amusing idea. Tenele chuckled and glanced away. "Ugh... he doesn't know yet. I'll tell him... tomorrow," she told the Queen with a smile, wrapping her arm around Vlad's and hugging it to her. "This only just happened, and I'm still a little in shock. If it is alright with you, I'd like to retire for the afteroon. We haven't had a proper day to relax in months, and we just finished liberating a kingdom yesterday."

[Soran Nightblade]

"Very well," she smiled, waving her hand grudgingly. "I will give you the evening to celebrate your engagement. Just do not let it spoil you!" she teased. With that, she shooed them out of the hall. She gave Tenele a kiss on the cheek goodnight, and noticed in amusement that Vlad stood at a safe distance to avoid further torture. Then she shut the doors behind them and leaned back against them with a helpless smile on her face. It was impossible not to be happy for them, despite the trials she knew they would face. She was certain now that they were finally ready.

"They told me first," she murmured to herself. Not even her own brother. Oh, he was going to be livid. But it had just happened, and they came to her. She couldn't help but feel pleased.

Vlad extended his arm to Tenele as they were left alone again in the hall, save for the guards. "Is there anything you'd like to do next?" he asked her charmingly, clearly feeling very smug about the whole past half hour.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled at him, shifting to where she stood in front of him. "She did say we should celebrate our engagement," she said as she slipped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. "Celebrating sounds awfully nice right about now." She kissed his lips, not even caring if the guards saw them, or heard them. She was to happy to care at the moment.

[Soran Nightblade]

"It does indeed," Vlad smiled between kissing her. This was such an oddly human moment for him. Maybe Tenele was his excuse to be human once in a while. He drew her up against his chest, lifting her off the ground, and swung her in a circle. He scooted her up so that she was a few feet taller than him and smiled up at her. In a blink, they were no longer in the hall, but in his quarters up in the east tower. Moonlight was drifting into the large, round room from the tall windows. The room was colder than the rest of the castle, but Vlad had a number of blankets stockpiled, and the fireplace was gradually bringing it up to temperature. He set Tenele down on her feet. "I'm afraid I won't be sharing you this evening," he smirked.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele leaned in close to him, the chill of the room sent a shiver down her spine. "Not sharing me?" she asked with a smile, tilting her head up, her eyes searching his face. "Whatever will they do without me. Though, I think you're entitled to hog me every now and then," she told him kissing his neck and then his chin, finally finding his lips.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad leaned in closer to her and shared her kiss. Forget 'every now and then', he thought almost gleefully. He was going to hog her as long as she lived. "Sit in front of the fire," he suggested as he noticed the chill in her skin. Perhaps he should have taken them to her quarters rather than his.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele smiled, rubbing her arms as she danced over to the front of the fireplace. She knelt down on the hardwood floor, the dress pooling around her. The warmth from the fire was already warming her. She watched the flames dance around the wood, and listened to it crackle. It was calming. She tilted her head over her shoulder to look at him, a smile playing on her lips.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad watched her for a moment before scooping up and armful of blankets from a chair by the door and carrying them over. He shook open the large, thick wool fabric and threw it out, lowering the huge blanket down over Tenele's head so that she looked like a teepee. "Strange, it must be too big for you," he pondered disapprovingly as he sat down next to her and peeked under the edge. "Maybe the desert heat shrank you."