She felt all sticky. Sweat was causing her hair to fuse, and her whole body to be slightly clammy. "I need food, but could I have a bath?" She asked rather pitifully. Natalia couldn't help but wonder if she smelled as bad to him as she did to herself. Her current scent was blood and sweat and ejaculate... it wasn't the most pleasant combination, in her opinion.

His eyes glowed with excitement. She had never seen the bath! She was certainly in for a treat. Bathing was one of the few things a vampire could do to tingle the senses, the slight warmth, the flow of water, the smells of the perfumes. He got a large blanket and draped it over her, covering her form and his as he wrapped it around them both. It provided them with some modesty so long as he didn't move too fast. He made his way out into the palace towards the downstairs basement. Catching a servant on the way and requesting he bring ample food down to the baths.

Her head leaned against him, finding it tiring to even try to lift it up. "How often do you have to drink? And how often am I supposed to?" She asked, not really sure if there was a set amount associated with these things. Would there be more of less frequency as the baby grew? Would it sort of even out once she got past this first growth spurt? Or would it require more and more the bigger it got?

As he carried her downstairs, he articulated the answer to her questions. "I drink every mealtime. So equal to 'breakfast, lunch and dinner' for your kind, and I usually have some lying around if I feel like a snack. A typical meal for me might be two large glasses. Any more, and it's more of an indulgence. I could very easily have it, but it's simply gluttonous, not sustenance at that point. For you, I imagine you'll have to drink quite a few glasses per day, especially while the little warrior grows. It might become less towards the end, but either way you'll be drinking quite a bit."

He knew it probably was not what she wanted to hear, but hopefully, the bathroom would distract her. He opened a large door and stepped inside. There were multiple pools and fountains, all contained in a large basement room. Some looked to be cold while others were steaming: a myriad of sizes and temperatures with two changing rooms to either side for male and female. Some maids were on hand to bring them glasses of blood, and he leaned her down by every pool so she could test the heat of each and decide upon the one she wanted. "I'll order them to leave when you've ready to disrobe. Then we can bathe and refresh ourselves with some food and drink."

"This is amazing!" She'd seen nothing like it. Running water of various temperatures. It was one of the most intriguing things she'd experienced thus far. She felt sort of silly with him carrying her around, and she saw one maid look at her like there was something wrong with her, as though she were an invalid. She blushed, embarrassed, even if it was just in front of a maid.

Finally, she selected a pool and had him unwrap her and set her down in it. It felt divine! She closed her eyes and sighed. This was the most wonderfully relaxing thing she'd ever experienced. She laid her head back against the edge, letting her long chestnut hair sprawl around her in the water.

The girl who'd looked at her strangely laid down two glasses and a decanter of blood on the ground next to her, and she opened her eyes just as the girl was standing back up. She noticed her raking over her naked body with deep chocolate eyes. She didn't mind that a maid saw her naked. That was rather common. However, she did mind the way she was looking at her... sizing her up... examining her. It felt very odd.

He knew it was a coincidence that Sienna had been the maid to man the baths. It must have just been her turn to do so that evening. When Natalia hadn't been looking, he had given her an authoritative glare, a warning should she act out or even so much as step a toe out of line.

After Sienna scampered away, Natalia turned to her husband to see if he had noticed. "How many of them have been turned? And how many are just humans who are willing to serve?"

He waited until after Sienna left to drop the blanket from his body and join her in the bath. She'd seen him naked countless times, but he refused to give her the satisfaction any longer. He laid back and took a deep breath. By doing so, he could forever stay afloat, if he wished. However, it didn't work well when he had to speak. "I've never taken the time to count, but I would estimate a fifth are turned, half are compelled to do the menial tasks, and the rest are waiting."

"Waiting?" She asked, as he took a sip from his glass and came to settle beside her.

"To be turned. They came into our service wishing to be one of us, and when they've pledged enough of their life and loyalty, they will be." Just as he closed his eyes and relaxed, his serenity was pierced by the sound of footsteps, and he could see Sienna returning with a platter of food. Only this time, her skirt was far shorter, and her shirt, although buttonless, was maybe a size too small. She sauntered over to the pool, swaying her full hips for added emphasis. She was a beauty, but now she was trying to play dirty; and he couldn't have that.

"Your food, your highnesses." She said, placing it down. "Is there anything else I can do for the both of you?" Her full lips were close enough that he could feel her breath as she spoke, and her ample breasts were what she was attempting to serve up.

Marcello was furious, ready to send her out in anger, but it would look very suspicious if he did so. This was meant to be their nice bath together. Instead, he contained himself, speaking curtly, "There is nothing else. You may leave."

Natalia had noticed the girl had mysteriously changed while she went to fetch food, and she couldn't help but see the lustful look in her coffee brown eyes. She was gorgeous in Natalia's eyes: ample curves with a thin waist, a true hourglass, hair so dark it was almost black that fell down her back to her swishing hips, and deep chocolate brown eyes that someone could lose themselves in. While she tried to not let the thought affect her, she felt a small bit of jealousy.

After Sienna had stomped away, Natalia looked at Marcello. "Well, she hates me," she said matter-of-factly. There wasn't much denying it. She was a maid. Still, there was clear jealousy in her eyes. "So how long ago did you sleep with her?"

There was a bitterness to her tone she hadn't meant to be there, but she couldn't help it. She knew there were plenty before her, but she actually felt a little bad for the girl. She clearly had feelings for him. Not that he had any say in when, how, or to whom he was married. It wasn't her fault or his. It was what it was, but the way that girl had looked at her. She'd wanted to rip her throat out.

"You don't have to answer that. I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to ask that. I shouldn't—" she cut herself off before her nervous tongue said something else stupid, shaking her head.

She reached up behind her to grab something off the plate, but retracted her hand before she touched it. "How vindictive is she? Should I be worried she poisoned it?" It was a legitimate question. She looked at her with hatred, like she wanted her dead and gone, and Natalia knew nothing of the girl outside of her blatant hatred for her.

He looked at the food with much displeasure, then grabbed something at random. He chewed up some meat and swallowed. "It's not poisoned. I'd be able to tell, and I don't think she wants you dead. She'd be burned alive if you were harmed." He understood her fears, though, from the bitterness and jealousy in Sienna's actions.

Marcello put an arm around her and held her to him, his body having pseudo-warmth from the water. "She's in the past, Natalia. Yes, there was a time when she was there for me, but you are my wife, my wife that I love. The wife I would have chosen even if it was my choice." He kissed her cheek as she still looked into the water with a slight pout.

She snuggled close to him. "Ok..." she sighed dejectedly before trying to smile. "I'm sorry. She really, clearly hates me though."

Then his words sunk in. She'd be burned if she hurt her? It was an interesting punishment. Apparently, that was one way to kill a vampire...fire. She wasn't sure she'd be needing this information soon, but it was useful to know, nonetheless.

While Marcello could act as though he were on higher ground because Natalia had never had lovers, if he hadn't known for sure that he was her first, he would resent anyone who'd come before. Having her fret over it was the exact opposite of what he needed, though. He snuggled her closer to him and grabbed some grapes from the plate, popping one into her mouth.

He felt sure Sienna would never do anything that would get her in serious trouble. She was a smart girl, but he knew that her attempts to woo him were not over yet. He would simply keep his guard up, make no mistakes, and stay loyal to his wife and future mother of their child.

She ate the grapes with a giggle, convincing herself that her jealousy was most likely misplaced. Then she gave him a quick kiss before turning back around and eating some of the meat. Similarly to earlier, it did not particularly agree with her, but she was hungry. She needed sustenance; so the baby was going to have to compromise with her.

She drank down some of the blood, trying not to gag, then ate some of the meat, trying to pretend the minerally aftertaste was simply rare cooking. It wasn't working well, and she gagged again. She closed her eyes and focused on chewing and getting something down. Once she'd swallowed, she turned around and prayed it didn't come back up, leaning her head back once more.

"This is really very nice." She said with a smile. "I appreciate you bringing me here. I feel much less sticky now." She turned her head slightly to look at him, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Wonder whose fault that was?" She was, of course, teasing. They'd both wanted it just as badly.

"Any more back chat like that, my lady, and I'll make you sticky all over again! Just be thankful it was all in one place, more or less!" He teased back. There was something about intimacy with her that felt different, natural. It was more than just pleasure and sensations; it was the passion they had for each other, the real want to not only be pleased but make sure the other felt just as satiated. Then afterward, they still got on and enjoyed one another's company.

He tapped her nose. "Imagine having to wash your face or hair. You should thank me," he grinned and winked.

She looked so appetizing bath, her body shiny and clean, breasts bobbing above the water, her areolas a deep mauve from the heat, hair all straight and wet sprawled around her. He swam over and kissed her deeply, tasting some of the leftover blood she had been drinking and licking it off her lips.

She laughed at him. He was right. He had kept it more or less in the same place. And there were definitely worse places...like her hair...that could've been covered in goo. It was wet by now anyway, though. Now that he was no longer in a rush to impregnate her, he could actually decide to ejaculate somewhere that wasn't inside her. Which was a strange thought. She'd never really considered it. Except in a few of those novels where the women would have the man finish in their mouths to avoid impregnation (often because of premarital sex or illicit affairs), but on her instead of in her had never really crossed her mind.

Also, she had gotten his face sticky earlier, so it was probably a fair threat. Though the volume and consistency of her own juices were less... overwhelming. He hadn't even slowed down between that and going to kiss her, though. So clearly he wasn't that bothered.

"Is that something you do intentionally or by accident? My face? Or hair?" She wondered if he had ever done that before. It seemed degrading in some ways, at least if done intentionally, but perhaps it was a turn on. She was still learning so much about sexuality. "I still have a lot to learn. A dozen dirty novellas and one pep talk with my mother didn't really prepare me for much."

Had she mentioned the books out loud before? She didn't think she had. Natalia blushed, wondering if that would be a tawdry mark against her. She had a curiosity, and it wasn't as if anyone was going to tell her about it.

Also, the only people who had told her had been her friends who wrote letters after being married. Neither of them particularly liked their husbands, and one of them described it as violent and horrid. The other described it as 'a task which must be performed, but I cannot say I enjoy it.' She did, however, write a more positive note on it, just not with her husband. She'd taken a lover and 'finally understood what lovemaking should feel like.' Her letters had ceased shortly after that. Natalia had to wonder if her husband had either caught her in the act, or was reading her letters and found her out that way. Her other friend had died in childbirth.

She was momentarily sad thinking of both of them, and how she wished she could share this; but even if they were alive and well, she could've never told them the truth. At least she had her husband. She wasn't alone in this, and their fondness for one another was an anomaly she was very aware of. It was rare to find arranged marriages to go so well, especially as quickly as theirs had.

He laughed and raised an eyebrow at the mention of dirty literature. So that's where she learned some of her tricks from! "It can happen intentionally or accidentally if the lady in question decides she does not wish to swallow." He traced a finger from her thigh to her breast. "For a woman so interested in the deeper arts of love, I'm surprised you've yet to ask me about it. Yes, I have done many things with many people in my life. I wish I could have waited for you, but in fairness, you were not born." He traced the finger back down to her thigh. "Any questions you'd like to ask?"

It had been an adventurous part of his life, trying out a variety of experiences with different women. None of them stood up to Natalia. What they had was unique. Yes, it had been an arranged marriage, but even that added something to it. Most ended in disaster or lovelessness, but already he loved Natalia like no one else. He could see a small flicker of sadness on her face, but could not reason why.

He realised over time he did not enjoy being solely dominant or submissive, but the battle between lovers during sex, the back and forth of giving each other pleasure in whatever way would make the other person squirm the most. Which was why he loved being with her. Just when he thought he had the measure of her, another surprise would burst forth. An unexpected boldness that caught him off guard and made him want her even more. That was the beauty of Natalia.