Kept by the Sun [Ana]

[Xenophon]

Xenophon lounged upon a chaise that he had purposely placed at the center of a hallway that was essentially unbroken glass from end to end. It was showered with sunlight, and he enjoyed napping in it, or laying there with his Queen. His Beauteous Queen, whom had been somewhat responsible for the dulling of his more mercenary edges. The lounged together now, his arms around his Mate, holding her supple human body against his, dressed in little more than bathing suites; he in board shorts and she in a bikin that matched her marvelous eyes. Xenophon had always enjoyed the strength of her embrace, even when it had seemed like she might constrict him.

He kissed her shoulder softly, and then let his head lay back, relaxing with his Queen in the bright sun. He knew that she couldn't sit too long in the heat, but the hallway was temperature controlled, and the house itself had the finest amenities money could buy, and between the two of them they had plenty of money. Xen was pleased that Ana would not have to stir for comfort or health, and just when he was beginning to think they should go somewhere more private than the hall -- they were intruded upon. One of the household, a Dhampir, what the world called a Half-Vampire, cleared his throat at one end of the Hall. He was an older fellow, in his fifties. An ex-cop, turned out when he had been found out, years ago in the last city he called home. Today, Brandt was their Sergeant at Arms, their executive assistant, a Butler or Castellan, if you wanted to get fancy.

"Your Majesties, " He only used titles when there was something important at hand, otherwise it was Sir or Madam, and when he was feeling really good Xen and Ana. "There is something down in the hunting grounds you'll want to see to. I'm afraid it can't wait. Or we may miss an opportunity." He turned his back politely, "I am sorry to bother you. I know this is the basking hour..."

[Anacaona]

Anacaona loved her King, and in his arms she was basking in the sunlight. Her arms were on him; her hand upon his chest drawing symbols upon his skin causing scales to ripple and disappear again under the surface. Her other hand was pressed onto his shoulder as she remained completely relaxed where she was. One leg even entwined with his own the gold around her ankle glistening the beaded tassel playing against his shin as she moved slightly. When he kissed her shoulder she smiled and lifted her head slightly to his so that she could kiss his cheek then his lips. They had seen to humanity they had paid more than they needed and now they were lounging basking in what peace they could find. Ana began to settle into her new life though the home she loved would never return and this was just something that wouldn’t go away.

She lay against him again and listened to his heart beating. And as she was about to ask him a question they were interrupted. She sat up some what when he addressed them. “Brandt.” She spoke softly uncoiling from Xen her eyes returned to Xen and she patted his chest there was a look in her eye that had never left there. An emptiness that remained even when they were helping humanity; an emptiness that became clear when she could not return to Mexico but there was something there as well. “We will be there.” Ana stood from her King and moved to the table where a sun dress had been placed along with a damp towel. The dress was pulled over her body and the belt tied to make the dress fit properly.

She grabbed the shirt and offered it to Xen. “I was thinking... we have been helping out the humans and... such, perhaps...” she trailed off unable to finish her words.

[Xenophon]

Xenophon, whom had wandered the world for centuries before he encountered his Queen, would not be lost without her. Their home was a testament to that; he could not bear the idea of her parting from him, and while a part of his heart was as broken as hers for the home she lost, the greater part of him wanted her to be happy, and he knew that would be by his side, not trying to mend her lost home. He knew that Ana had been harmed by that loss, that there was a void in her because one doesn’t walk away from a home of a thousand years without that home leaving a mark. Xen felt her start to relax, smiling as she coiled around him, even in her human form. He kissed her happily, enjoying this small oasis of peace in the sunlight. He whispered his love against her lips, his hands playing over her sensitive skin, and felt his eyes slip to something less human when Brandt interrupted. He huffed, and black smoke escaped his nostrils.

He didn’t reinforce Ana’s answer, and he didn’t move right away. Xen felt Ana stir, and he sighed as she patted his chest. He met her eyes and raised his hand to the face that he still dreamed about, even though she was most often by his side. He drew her back to him as he rose, and kissed her lips. “We’re going to have to invest in more building materials if we keep attracting refugees.” He brushed hair from her face, an excuse to caress his skin against hers. Xen accepted the shirt, kissing her hand, and shrugged into it as she spoke. The shirt hid his smile, but it beamed by the time he got his head through the garment, and remained bright when his arms were in it. Xen hugged Ana to his chest, and kissed her passionately.

“It has ever been a choice, Anacaona, and one I do not regret delaying, but one I am eager to change. If you believe now is the time, then now is the time.” He smiled, and cupped her face in his hands. “We must choose a night, both in our bedroom and in our Lair and we will give each other the gift we've waited so patiently for."

[Anacaona]

With the pat on his chest he raised his hand and she in turn cast her blue eyes on his with a soft smile, she admired everything that Xenophon had ever done for her and for them in the time that they had met. It was something that she was not entirely sure about and after all that she had seen and done there was no faulting what they had found. Others could say that they were crazy or that it was because they were among the few left. Some thought their want to keep protecting the human race together selfless and Ana’s lack of interest in furthering their line selfish. She had hoped that Xen was not among them though she never shared that doubt with him. When they outted themselves Ana was approached by the humans and asked often if she was not afraid that Xen would seek to further his line elsewhere and after a couple nights of thinking it sank in and rooted as a doubt…

His kiss and hold banished the doubt for the time being. “Do you think it is more refugees?” however his reaction to her words had her smile grow, she was pressed against him and she enjoyed the welcome embrace of his arms and the press of his lips. The words that he spoke broke any doubt that had been placed in her mind and her arms coiled around him and tightened. “I don’t know if now it the right time, the kind of world this is but Xen...” she pressed her body to his seeking to rest her head against him rather than look into his eyes. “I believe I am ready now. I just... I am uncertain. There is one thing I am certain about and that is the need we have pressed upon us by the wars of humanity and their foolishness.”

[Xenophon]

Xenophon nodded, sensing that his Queen was troubled. He had done everything he could to soften the passing of her home, and neither his thoughts nor his body ever strayed from their devotion to her. Anacaona was his Mate, he would remain with her until he died, anything else would be – a Carthaginian betryal – worse than that, and he loved her. Together they had biological imperative, and strongly so, but she called to his soul and his heart. If he was a kinder Dragon than he had been before, it was because of Ana. He never considered their decision to hold off on Wyrmlings to be selfish. They had mutually decided things were just too dangerous before then. “It is almost certainly more refugees, but Brandt wouldn’t bother us for just that.”

He rubbed her back as she pressed her body against his, and his embrace tightened. “I always loved when you held me tight, even when we first met.” He smiled and kissed her hair as she laid her head against his chest. “If you’re ready, so am I.” Xen shrugged, “Ana, you and I both know the world will always be turmoil. Why should we let it delay our happiness.” He leaned back and lifted her chin to kiss her lips, “You’re my Wife, my Queen, and my Mate – I would march into battle with you at my side, or into a baby shower. Our babies will be as safe as we can make them, and that would be true any time.” Xen kissed Ana again, and whispered against her lips, “Let’s have children, my Love, because we both want to.”

[Anacaona]

She nodded when he assured her of what Brandt meant for them to look at. He rubbed her back as he always did when trying to comfort her as he caressed her hair and pressed his lips to the locks she spoke “You did? I have always enjoyed holding you tight. It reminds me that you are real, feeling your heart beat, your breathing as it pulses through my muscles.” Her eyes moved from blue to red and she licked his cheek playfully before kissing his lips. “I am ready. But I am not ready to loose anything again.” She blinked a few times a tear rolling down her cheek; the kiss was soft and she needed it. “A baby shower?” she found herself frowning and drew her head back a little with a slight tilt of her head.

Licking her full lips in a teasing way. “I think maybe a festival with a dinner maybe invite a few of the people to a peaceful gathering... but a baby shower. Wouldn’t that mean that gifts are given? Do you think they would think that we are taxing them in our own way I mean... I don’t want to pressure those that came to us for protection.” Anacaona was too stuck in her ways. His words made her smile and she nodded. “I want to... I really do Xen if you think the time is good, then I agree.”

[Xenophon]

Xenophon let tiny barely-there plumes of black smoke drift from his nose as his Queen moistened her lips, which caused his nostrils to flare. “A festival is an excellent idea.” He shook his head slightly, “It will give them some pride. They know that you care for them, and giving you a small gift, no matter what it is, would make them proud. Sometimes the gift is as much for the one giving it as it is the receiver.” Xen smiled brightly, “I’ve only been waiting for you to think the time was right, my Queen. I have wanted this since the first moment I saw you.”

Brandt met them again in the Foyer. He sketched a quick bow, and nodded at the Dragon Pair. He unfolded a map of their lands; it was laminated and stuff, and he held it against his chest, the places they were meant to check were circled in bright red. “There, on the edge of the Reserve, there’s a small caravan of refugees coming in. It’s a mixed bag; some shifters, a couple of hybrids – which is remarkable enough – but I think there may be vampires.” He met their eyes, “That boy James, in the Human Camp, he’s psychic – a ‘Vampire Detector’ his friends swear. He thinks there’s at least two.” Brand’t switched to an photo from a tree-mounted camera. “Floor of the last station wagon, I’m guessing.” The wagon, was indeed, a car – but two draught horses pulled it along.

[Anacaona]

She hugged her King one final time before meeting Brandt in the Foyer, he greeted them with a bow and she nodded to him. The map was marked and she held to Xen when Brandt spoke. More Refugees indeed but with an added spark. “I know James, got himself in a scrape near falling to his death from a silk cotton tree.” Ana had been there and tangled herself in the lower bowls of the tree to catch him in her hybrid form clawing into him to keep him from plunging to his death. There were three tear drop shaped marks on his forearm and one simple dot. And in a silly turn of events the medication that Ana used stained his skin so it was a tattoo off sorts. One that he wore with pride feeling indebted to Ana for the rescue.

“James...” she whispered fondly then shook her head. “The floor?” her brow lifted. “Ok I may be no mechanic but there is no room in the floor of a station wagon to fit a body, up inside the dashboard maybe.” She drew a line with her finger across the dashboard. “I have seen many Mexicans prior to the war get into America that way.” She drew another line “Under the rear seat is another. It is large enough if one wanted to squeeze in there.” She blinked and sighed. “But it is being drawn by horses and so the engine compartment is a void of suspicion and should be treated as such you can load bodies in thick if the base of it is solid.”

Her fingers curled into Xen’s as she stepped closer to him. That was a war she fought near her entire life until they thought the cost was too great, now they we becoming more and more... adventurous. “Shall we go and meet them?”

[Xenophon]

Xenophon turned to Ana, and scratched the line of his jaw for a moment, before he nodded. “Right, right. I remember the Boy now. Someone said he was a Precognitive or a Remote Viewer, one of the two. At any rate, I’ll trust that the kid knows what he’s about and wouldn’t rile us up for nothing.” He smiled recalling the incident. Ana had a way of making people want to work for her. Roger, the unofficial Mayor of Beechwood was another; a kind word from Ana made his day. His Queen made others want her to be proud of them, and they only worked harder when she turned away. “Keep an eye on that one, Brandt. He so much as says we’re due for rain, and we get a storm, I want to know about it.” Xen glanced to Ana, “Figuratively speaking, of course.”

Brandt smirked, “Of course, Sir.” Their Castellan listened to Ana, and nodded. “I have to agree, Madame. Let us consider that they are hidden just as you have said. Say, under the seats. That leaves all kind of trouble under the hood, potentially. A bomb, several armed men, anything. Roger says, and I quote, ‘I don’t like it one bit’.”

Xen shook his head, “Well, no, he wouldn’t. As Sheriff, he’s supposed to have a suspicious nature.” He raised his eyes to Brandt’s, “Where are they being routed?”

Their Butler pointed out a spot they all knew had removable ‘deadfall’ they often used as a roadblock. “They’re coming down El Dorado Way, we’ll stop them here, at Roger’s Stand.” Things had a way of getting themselves named in Beechwood. “I figured that would be where the two of you come in. We can safely clear the vehicle, but Roger and I are both concerned about the Vamps, politics, and etcetera.”

Xenophon frowned slightly, “You know the rules. They snuck in. We don’t worry about politics when that happens.” He turned to Ana, and raised her hand to his lips with a slight nod. “Yes. Let’s go see our hidden guests.”