AN: I own none of the rights to Underworld: Rise of the Lycans or Underworld: Evolution, but I do own the rights to my created characters. This is my first Underworldfanfic, support much appreciated!!

It was late, the fortress' deep caverns were quiet save for the cold air whistling through the mountain walls. It was a time of night that calmed him, allowed him to get out of the cramped room filled with parchment and scrolls; although he did like it there, it was where he felt safe, where his mind could wander...he longed for something else. A loud howl pierced his highly-tuned ears, one of those ghastly beasts on the other side of the Wall must've been out for a moonlight prowl.

"Tannis."

The historian turned sharply, the voice of his leader startling him, "My Lord, I did not hear you approach. Forgive me."

Viktor waved his hand, "No need. I was wondering, in your meanders through the fortress this evening, if you have seen my daughter?"

Tannis's green eyes met the piercing ice blue of Viktor's, "Um, Sonja my Lord is."

"Not Sonja."

Ah, Tannis sighed inwardly to himself, "Cheriz has gone out with the Death Dealers, they are doing a quick patrol outside the Wall."

A loud yell alerted them both that it was not going to be a pleasant patrol, for soon the quiet night air was filled with snarls and barks of wild lycans, chasing after the retreating Death Dealers. Tannis could spot the daughter of Viktor from several miles away, for he had watched her every waking step for decades, and then, quite recently, hid within the shadows in the early hours of the morning just to be with her. He had done everything in his power to hide this from Viktor, never writing about any of it although he desperately wanted to, but the vivid images in his mind kept his hands at ease.

Viktor ran down the stone steps towards the gate, Tannis fast behind as one by one the Death Dealers rode through, all save for Cheriz, who jumped off her horse in order to fight off the lycans. Tannis could not help but hold his breath, she was always doing things like this without thinking, she knew how much it worried him. As she bolted for the gate, the wounded lycan limped after her, just missing her foot with its jaw as the gate slammed shut.

"Cheriz!" Viktor hollared, his voice filling every cavern in the fortress.

The Death Dealer stood, removing her helmet to allow her long, ivory blonde hair to fall freely, stopping at the small of her back; ice blue eyes peered at him, "Father."

The ruler stopped in front of her, "I allow you to go out there as a Death Dealer because I know you can handle it, but why do you always persist these insane actions!"

Her head cocked to the side in confusion, "By what do you mean insane actions, father?"

"Dismounting your horse and facing that lycan head-on was the most unwise thing you could have done!"

She nodded, "I apologize father, I shan't do it again," striding past both her father and Tannis, Cheriz headed into the shadows.

This was usually when he would depart after her, but first he had to make sure that Viktor no longer needed his services, "My Lord, shall you be needing anything else from me? If not I do have some records I need to finish."

"Go on, Tannis, if I need you I'll find you," the Elder vampire waved his hand yet again, allowing Tannis to bow out and persue Cheriz.

Cheriz removed her armor, braiding her hair back to stay out of her face. Sonja had told her earlier that she would be gone by her return so she shouldn't wait for her, and Cheriz wasn't going to. Walking to her bureau she removed the dark, almost black, purple dress, sliding it over her head and fixing the boddess so it framed her breasts nicely. She hadn't been able to see him for almost three weeks, felt like three decades to her; she remembered when he used to watch her from a distance, and that one fateful evening in his office, the mess of parchment and scrolls that had been on the floor afterward. The vampire smiled softly, draping the small chain around her neck that he'd given her: Andreas. Even his name made her entire body warm.

The door had been left unlocked, so it was no surprise to her when she felt arms slip around her waist and warm breath by her ear, "You know I hate when you pull your hair back."

Cheriz closed her eyes and smiled, her pearl-white fangs glistening in the dim light of the moon, "Mmmh, is that all you came here to tell me after three weeks of your absence?" she turned to him, placing her hands on his chest, "Where've you been? I missed you."

Tannis smiled, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear, "Now my dear, you know I wouldn't do such a thing if I didn't have a reason."

"And what was your reason?"

"Mmh, your father," the historian nuzzled his lips against the flesh of her neck, his long, slender hands gliding over her waist to grasp her hips, "I do love this dress on you, but I prefer you more au natural."

The princess gasped as he bit playfully against her neck, long fingers hooking into her hips, "Andreas...the door."

"I locked it when I came in, darling," he assured her as his hands began to pull the fabric back up over her head, allowing him a perfect view of her porcelain form, "you become more and more beautiful every time I see you."

Arctic blue locked with jade green, her fingers dancing along the collar of his robes, "Kiss me."

Her comand made him smile as he took her face in his hands and complied, immediately plunging his tongue within her mouth, eliciting a moan of delight. Cheriz's hands began to unbutton his ornate robes, their lips never breaking apart. She stopped, pressing her fingers to his lips, "Did you hear something?"

Tannis shook his head, taking her fingers in his mouth, "I heard nothing," he let his robes fall to the floor, picking her up gently and setting her on the bed, "where were we?"

Cheriz sighed, "When are you ever going to be a bit more rough with me darling?"

The historian's eyebrows arched in amusement, "You want me to be rough with you? Like I was in my office the first day I had you?"

Her smile made his heart beat faster, "Exactly."

"Well then, let's give this a try," he pulled her onto the stone floor, tearing off his breeches and lying on top of her, pinning her arms above her head, leaving her helpless.

"Andreas," she moaned, his mouth encasing one of her pale breasts, his fingers sliding between her wet folds.

"Mm is this what you want, princess?" he teased, biting down on her nipple ever-so slightly, causing her to jump into his rock-hard body.

"Oh, yesss," she wrapped her legs around his torso, allowing him to penetrate her fully, "Ah!"

Tannis thrust hard, bracing one arm against the side of her bed, holding her hips up with the other, "Mmh, mmhh."

Cheriz captured his pursed lips with hers, allowing him to moan deep within her throat, and also giving her the opportunity to turn the tables; she flipped them both over, allowing her to straddle his waist, still sexually connected she leaned down, pressing her lips to his chest, "What do you want, Andreas, hmm?"

He fisted his hands in her long hair, having taken it out of its braid, "Ride me."

She grinned seductively, flashing her fangs at him as she began rocking her hips back and forth, leaving him to do little but match her pace.

Tannis watched as she tossed her head back, moaning and gasping with delight, oh how he loved to see her like this. He reached his hands up to massage her breasts, tweaking her nipples caused her to yell even louder, but not so loud as to alert anyone.

"Uh! Uh! Uh! Oh, yes! Oh, YES!" she groaned, her nails raking down his chest.

"Oh, oh, Lord," the historian's eyes rolled back into his head as he felt her inner walls clenching down on him tightly, gripping her hips to make her go faster.

The princess bent her head forward to meet his lips in a rushed kiss as she felt her entire body go numb with pleasure, screaming into her lover's mouth as she came.

The dim glow of firelight filled the bedroom chambers, both Cheriz and Tannis now entwined together in her bed.

"What do you think my father would say, hmm? If he knew you were sharing my bed?" Cheriz asked, lightly tracing patterns on his marble chest.

Tannis sighed, twirling a piece of her hair around his finger, "I honestly don't know, why do you wish me to stop sharing your bed?" he joked.

She grinned, looking up at him, "Never," his crooked smile reminded her of why she fell in love with him, "do you love me, Andreas?"

He chuckled, kissing her gently, "My dear, I don't love anything as much as I love you. I adore you."

"Then say you'd marry me," she favored, her cold eyes gazed at him solemnly.

The vampire beamed lovingly, "Cheriz, darling, love of my life, if your father were to allow me to marry you, I'd do it without a second thought."

"He wants me to marry, but of course he wants me to marry someone from the Council," the young princess sighed, curling closer to her lover.

"I'm somewhat a part of the Council," he stated, causing her to smile.

"I know you are, darling, but he means a Council member, one of the Twelve."

"If he's promised you to Dromeida then I'll have to pitch myself off of the highest cliff," he chuckled, tickling her sides.

She laughed, "If my father promised me to a woman I think I'll join you on that cliff, love," he stopped, pushing her hair away from her face as she continued, "you know I'd do anything for you, Andreas Tannis. I'd die for you."

"Love, don't say that, because you're not going to die any time soon," he cupped her face in his hands and held her close, "come, we need some sleep before the moon rises once more."

Cheriz closed her eyes as she fell into a deep sleep, curled close in his arms as the sun rose, another day passing before night would fall and they would wake, and the Council would meet yet again for another pointless deliberation.

Lucian awoke with a start, his back cold against the stone ground, body stark naked to the rising moon, yet a smile on his face broader than the horizon.

"My love, you should be heading back. Your sister will be worried."

Sonja looked up at him, her pale white body clashing against his tanned torso, "Mmm, I should," she pressed her lips to his, "I love you."

The lycan watched his vampire lover dress, before helping her to get back into the fortress unnoticed.

Tannis awoke with a start, he'd been having this nightmare for some time now, and all he could focus on were those screams: high-pitched screams of a woman. There was nothing to be seen, only voices, one Viktor's, one his own, yelling loudly at his lordship, and the other was inaudible save for those screams. Small beads of cold sweat covered his back as he felt motion next to him, causing his eyes to flash down at his lover, still asleep beside him, her face calm and peaceful framed with white gold hair, almost like a dark angel. His dark angel, the historian smiled to himself as he pushed that same stray strand of hair out of her face, pressing his warm lips to her forehead, "I love you." Tannis always had to get up earlier than she did, for it would not be good if Viktor or Sonja were to knock at the door and find the Coven Historian sharing a bed with the eldest princess.

Cheriz curled up against the warm pillow he'd been laying on, her arm draping tiredly onto the empty space of the bed as Tannis got dressed, smoothing his hair back so he looked moderately presentable for the Council meeting, finding a piece of parchment and writing instrument on Cheriz's desk. He knew she always kept the small anecdotes and couplets he wrote for her; she was the only person he would ever do such a thing for. Placing it on the pillow beside her and kissing the crown of her head one last time, he unlocked the door and slipped out, shutting it behind him, and stalked down the hallway to his office, where he would stay until he was summoned.