“Oh, stop it, you,” she snaps playfully, and then she reaches down to pull out a small box from behind her stand.
Eified’s stomach immediately roars like a Sabre Cat. He recognizes the wooden box as the one where Carlotta keeps her particularly delicious treats. The Imperial laughs again, and plucks a couple green apples from the box. “You’re favorite,” she holds them out.
Grinning from ear to ear, Eified eagerly accepts the fruit. “See? I knew all my flattery would pay off.”
Before Carlotta can answer, no doubt with an appropriately witty remark, a young voice rings across the square. “Mama! Mama!” Mila sings as she bounds towards them, Ysolda doggedly on her heels.
It still surprised Eified to this day that the aspiring merchant and the very popular fruit seller had ended up married. Though maybe it shouldn’t have, considering how very much Carlotta seemed to hate men and how very much Ysolda seemed to admire a successful business owner. Nonetheless, whatever the reason, the two women are clearly happy together.
Amused, Eified patiently munches on one of his apples as the trio greet each other, Mila happily chattering at a dizzying speed, and Carlotta greeting her wife with a short kiss that still manages to ooze tenderness and love. Eified pauses, chewing slowly as he watches the two women interact.
“Hello, love,” Carlotta murmurs quietly, though Eified’s sharp mer ears have no problem picking it up.
Ysolda’s smile is almost too sweet, her eyes glittering with joy. “Hello, dear,” she says back, just as quiet.
Then as one they turn their attention to their daughter, who remained pleasantly oblivious to their distraction, or rather, was quite used to the short ritual. Because that’s clearly what it is, easy to tell in the adoring gazes and oh-so-happy smiles.
Carlotta suddenly remembers her customer, whirling to face Eified with a sheepish grin. “Oh,” she chuckles, embarrassed. “My apologies, Dragonborn.”
Eified awkwardly clears the sudden weight lodged in his throat. “Not at all,” he manages. “It’s quite all right.”
He rifles quickly through the pouch at his side, snatching out a handful of coins – too much but he doesn’t care – and lays them on the stand.
“I’ll be off,” he says with forced cheer.
The women don’t notice his distraction and wave merrily as he trots away.
Eified doesn’t visit Argis.
oOo
It takes a few more months of denial and regret and pain and… and… Eified supposes he should call it naivety. Maybe stupidity. It was only, he loved Argis so much, had showered him with affection and gifts and attention.
And, dammit, if Argis didn’t feel that way about him, the Nord should have said something!
Would have said something, Eified is almost sure, except as time passes he watches the way his husband and Lydia – Lydia his housecarl, his friend, a confidant, and Divines is this some kind of punishment? – interact. Watches how they brush against each other more than is strictly necessary.
Or how they share secret, conspiratorial grins.
Or how Argis just seems so much happier when Lydia is around.
It’s something that Eified only recently notices, when his suspicion forces him to watch every move Argis makes with a rabid intensity. And it only makes everything worse. Then Eified decides, because he apparently hates himself more than he’d realized, that he has to know for sure.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Duty Bound (5/?)
Date: 2015-03-29 04:32 am (UTC)Eified’s stomach immediately roars like a Sabre Cat. He recognizes the wooden box as the one where Carlotta keeps her particularly delicious treats. The Imperial laughs again, and plucks a couple green apples from the box. “You’re favorite,” she holds them out.
Grinning from ear to ear, Eified eagerly accepts the fruit. “See? I knew all my flattery would pay off.”
Before Carlotta can answer, no doubt with an appropriately witty remark, a young voice rings across the square. “Mama! Mama!” Mila sings as she bounds towards them, Ysolda doggedly on her heels.
It still surprised Eified to this day that the aspiring merchant and the very popular fruit seller had ended up married. Though maybe it shouldn’t have, considering how very much Carlotta seemed to hate men and how very much Ysolda seemed to admire a successful business owner. Nonetheless, whatever the reason, the two women are clearly happy together.
Amused, Eified patiently munches on one of his apples as the trio greet each other, Mila happily chattering at a dizzying speed, and Carlotta greeting her wife with a short kiss that still manages to ooze tenderness and love. Eified pauses, chewing slowly as he watches the two women interact.
“Hello, love,” Carlotta murmurs quietly, though Eified’s sharp mer ears have no problem picking it up.
Ysolda’s smile is almost too sweet, her eyes glittering with joy. “Hello, dear,” she says back, just as quiet.
Then as one they turn their attention to their daughter, who remained pleasantly oblivious to their distraction, or rather, was quite used to the short ritual. Because that’s clearly what it is, easy to tell in the adoring gazes and oh-so-happy smiles.
Carlotta suddenly remembers her customer, whirling to face Eified with a sheepish grin. “Oh,” she chuckles, embarrassed. “My apologies, Dragonborn.”
Eified awkwardly clears the sudden weight lodged in his throat. “Not at all,” he manages. “It’s quite all right.”
He rifles quickly through the pouch at his side, snatching out a handful of coins – too much but he doesn’t care – and lays them on the stand.
“I’ll be off,” he says with forced cheer.
The women don’t notice his distraction and wave merrily as he trots away.
Eified doesn’t visit Argis.
oOo
It takes a few more months of denial and regret and pain and… and… Eified supposes he should call it naivety. Maybe stupidity. It was only, he loved Argis so much, had showered him with affection and gifts and attention.
And, dammit, if Argis didn’t feel that way about him, the Nord should have said something!
Would have said something, Eified is almost sure, except as time passes he watches the way his husband and Lydia – Lydia his housecarl, his friend, a confidant, and Divines is this some kind of punishment? – interact. Watches how they brush against each other more than is strictly necessary.
Or how they share secret, conspiratorial grins.
Or how Argis just seems so much happier when Lydia is around.
It’s something that Eified only recently notices, when his suspicion forces him to watch every move Argis makes with a rabid intensity. And it only makes everything worse. Then Eified decides, because he apparently hates himself more than he’d realized, that he has to know for sure.