Mori finally was able to eat. She took Nocturnes idea about the steak and found that it did actually taste good. Although she had never been partial to bloody meat she had always made sure that it was well done before, now she finds that it's sweet to her this blood. The fruit wasn't as ripe as she had hoped but she still managed to eat it,  but the salad really surprised her, that she couldn't get enough of and ate it as quick as she could.

Nocturne watches her and smiles thoroughly enjoying her reactions to foods that she used to know so well and now are so new. He tells her to order whatever she wants, calories are important and soon enough she won't tolerate the human food nearly so well.

Mori orders something that she hasn't in decades, something that was always something she wanted but money had to be carefully rationed, a milkshake. 

Mori takes one bite of the milkshake and lets out an oath, "Damn that's ...cold." She reins in her voice as she notices the children looking at her in interest and their parents with reproof. "I never realized just how cold ice cream is."

"Things, tastes and sensations will become more noticeable and strong. I doubt that ice cream was near as cold as it is for you now." Nocturne hides his true amusement behind explaining to her about things.

"Does that hold true in all things? And what about after the children are born, will I return to normal human feelings? How I felt before?" Mori asks Nocturne, starting the questions she has for him. She's not sure if she's excited or not at this point. She's not even sure she wants to know the answers.

Nocturne gives her a half smile, "This question I would answer Mori, if I knew the answer. But truthfully I don't know. I've never paid attention to the breeders that survived, since they had nothing to do with me. But truthfully, not even that would have been enough for me to give an honest answer to your question. I will say this honestly, females that give birth to twins almost never survive and half the time even the children don't survive, or at least both of them don't. The human that birthed me and my brother didn't. It would have been better if my brother hadn't."

To Nocturne's surprise, although well hidden, the idea that she wouldn't survive the birth didn't faze or at least didn't seem to faze Mori.  "What will happen to your children when they are born?" Mori knows better than to think they will  ever be considered her children.

"They will be taken to a place that will be safe and raised there until they will be old enough to protect themselves. Court can be a vicious and dangerous place for the unwary." Nocturne replies. He is a little worried about the normal fate of the breeders especially those of twins since his life is now entwined with the one he chose.

"So the rumors about you are true?" Mori asks softly looking down at the now mostly melted shake. She doesn't look at the vampire across from her as she plays with her straw.

"There is a definite reason why I have the reputation of being the most vicious vampire out there Mori. Kingship isn't determined by hereditary rights. I was simply more vicious and deadly than the other contenders for the throne. All of them except my brother died in the fighting that ensued when my father announced he was tired and wanted to relinquish the burden of ruling. The fighting spilled over into the human world on more than one occasion. You would know them as the world wars. I prevailed both times. My brother and his forces slunk away and hid. I managed to take a lot of his territory and it has weakened him, but he's still a force to be wary of. I have found even among those I trusted most to have switched allegiances.

"But if you think my reputation is bad, my brother is far worse." Nocturne says softly this touches on some of the topics he'd rather not talk about with her.

"Are you angry with me Lord?" Mori has also become more sensitive to Nocturne's moods and now shivers in fear. She keeps her eyes downcast so that she doesn't set him off. He's so angry.

Her question startles Nocturne out of his thoughts. Had Mori been looking she would have seen a rare look on his face, an unguarded look. "Good heavens no! I promised you that you could ask the questions and told you I might not answer. The anger is directed towards my brother and his treasonous behavior.

"Come, if you are done then let's return to the cabin." Nocturne says holding out his hand to Mori. She slides out of the booth and takes his hand. She still refuses to look at him though.

"Mori, you used my title and now you refuse to look at me, are you trying to provoke me? Or perhaps you are angry with me and fear to show me?" Nocturne says, trying to get back to the easier feelings they had earlier, but fears it didn't work feeling the weight of his own anger pressing in on him.

Mori looks up at him startled, "No, S-Lord Nocturne, that's not it. It's just you are so angry, I don't want to make things worse. I apologize if my actions are making everything-" Mori can't go on. She breaks down into tears. "Sorry L-l-l-lo-ord-d..." She can't even get the apology out.

"Mori, there is no need to fear me. Nor is there any need to apologize." Nocturne is very uncomfortable having this human crying next to him. An idea hits him and he gestures. Something small appears in his hand.

"Mori, if you stop crying I have something for you." Nocturne is nonplussed when that doesn't stop her tears. All the females he's ever known would stop crying at the idea of getting a gift. But then again he's only known human females of the top of society before, he's never socialized with someone so low down.

"Mori," when she doesn't stop he gently pulls her into his arms and just holds her. He's very careful knowing that humans are so very fragile.

His gentleness shocks Mori. Nowhere is it said that the king is gentle. Only the opposite. The few times that he'd been seen with females, it shows them sporting bruises. Yet the socialites always want to be with him. Mori had never understood that. When her father had beaten her, she only wanted to stay as far away from him as she could get.

Finally Mori's tears subside. "Here Mori." Nocturne hands her the box. "If you don't like it, I'll exchange it for another."

Mori takes the small box and opens it. The sight takes her breath away. The ring is a simple one four white diamonds two on each side of a large sapphire, or possibly blue diamond. The blue stone is tear shaped and the white diamonds are round. "It's beautiful, S-Lord Nocturne, but why are you giving me something so obviously expensive?"

"Well you are having my children Mori, and we are the equivalent of being married. It's only fair that you should have a ring that shows your new status." Nocturne says off handedly not really paying her much attention as he places the ring on the correct finger.

"You've been denied many things in this life Mori. This shouldn't be one of them." Nocturne says satisfied with how the ring fits on her finger. "I could add a wedding ring to that if you wish."

At her silence Nocturne does look at her. Nocturne is unable to discern her expression. He curses her ability to hide her true feelings from him. Nocturne gently sweeps a lock of hair off her face and hooks it behind her ear. And still Mori says nothing. "Do you wish a wedding ring as well Mori?"

Mori is no longer able to control her tongue, "You mean you will actually ask and abide by my wishes?" Nocturne suddenly feels like he's done something wrong. It's not a feeling he's used to having and certainly not one he's used to having around females.

"Of course." Nocturne answers far more confidently than he truly feels. He gets a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that something is wrong.

"No. Wedding rings would be a mockery of a real wedding. We both know that." Mori says then turns from him and starts walking back towards her, she cusses herself for forgetting, his cabin.

Mori walks alone for several steps before she senses rather than sees Nocturne joining her. After several minutes of walking in silence Nocturne breaks the silence that had fallen between them. "How would me giving you a wedding ring make a mockery of a real wedding? The only difference being we didn't have an exchange of vows or justice of the peace or whatever."

"That's just it Sire." By now they were nearing the gate to what used to be her lands. "There was no wedding, no ceremony. Just because you say that we are just as good as married doesn't make us married." Mori says, she's becoming tired again. She frowns, she shouldn't be tired after such a short walk.

Nocturne chuckles, "Mori, I am a king. If I declare us married, then we are married. There is no higher authority anywhere." That's the last thing Mori hears as she is overcome by blackness. His words seeming to come from far away.

Nocturne catches her even as she falls. She's becoming far too dependent on vampire blood too soon in the pregnancy. He viciously bites his wrist making sure the wound is deep, then forces his wrist into her mouth. After a bit she starts swallowing after choking a bit. He's going to need to eat soon and he won't leave her unprotected. Not after someone from the village tried to kill her earlier.

"Sire, you wanted this list before I left? I thought I'd better stay until you returned to see if you had any further instruction." Lord Terrance said as Nocturne came in carrying the now half awake woman.

"Yes. Stay with her while I go feed. This is going to play hell with the lives of the villagers." Normally Nocturne wouldn't need to feed too often, but feeding Mori like this... "Oh and Terrance, I owe you an apology. I hadn't realized just how bad things had been. It was far too dangerous to keep her near you when you had lost that much blood. You had no choice but to send her out for her safety. Thank you." Nocturne isn't accustomed to giving apologies, and so this one wasn't very elegant, but it was heart felt.

Terrance bows, "I live to serve my Lord. She has eaten?" Terrance asks apprehensively looking at the woman on the bed.

"Both human and vampire. She should be good until I return at least. I wish to look over the list you created before you leave. Then I'd like to make a feeding schedule with you. I don't like how dependent she's already become." Nocturne says looking at the woman he's irrevocably connected to. The words he spoke earlier echo, 'no woman has survived giving birth to twins.' Well if she doesn't there's going to be hell and chaos in the world. But it will no longer matter to him.