Ulfric had just left the war room when the door to his palace swung open. At first, he didn’t acknowledge the visitor, preferring to ascend to his throne before dealing with such things. In retrospect, it was a good thing that he was sitting down when he looked back up.
Tomas was walking slowly, unable to hide the fear on his face as he approached the throne. He had a small box in his hands, which he placed at the king’s feet.
“…King Ulfric,” he said softly, his eyes down. Ulfric reached down for the box, and opened it to find himself looking at a trio of silver rings. In truth, he had no idea why the elf had decided to bring him a gift, but he nodded graciously all the same.
“Thank you, Tomas. They’re very nice,” he said, forcing himself to remain stone-faced. “Welcome back. I trust you’ve figured out whatever it was you needed to figure out in Riften?”
“Yes, your Majesty,” Tomas replied, daring to look up. “I was just doing work, making more money than I could have done here. I didn’t mean to offend.” Ulfric closed his eyes, biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself calm. Tomas had never acted subservient before, and in all honesty, it made him deeply uncomfortable. Had there been something in his letter that had changed the way they viewed each other? Perhaps—more likely, Ulfric realized with a grimace—Tomas knew that this behavior would bother him, and was doing it out of spite.
In any case, he was back. And Ulfric would be damned if he wasted this chance again.
“It’s good to see you,” he said, rising from the throne and coming closer to him. “Can I get you anything? Food, wine?” Despite his best efforts, Tomas smiled lightly.
“If you want to drink with me, your Majesty, I’d be honored to.”
The two settled in the war room, their conversation finally becoming livelier as they drank. Ulfric was relieved to see that Tomas was slowly slipping back into his normal demeanor, even if he wouldn’t stop calling him ‘King Ulfric.’ The elf leaned back on the table, relaxing as he and his king caught up on all their escapades since his disappearance.
“Galmar was wondering where you were, too,” Ulfric remarked, only half-teasing. “He was very sad when his new hunting partner vanished off of the face of Nirn.” Tomas grinned affectionately, rolling his dark eyes.
“I never meant to break his heart,” he sighed melodramatically. When he returned his gaze to the Nord, he looked much more serious. “I was always going to come back. I bought a house in Riften, yes, but I like having a home to go to in different cities, and Honeyside was cheap enough.”
“You ought to buy a property here, then,” Ulfric contended, smiling wryly. “You say you’ve earned quite a bit of money while you were away, and there’s a home available right now. Why don’t you buy it?”
“Because that’s where the Butcher was sacrificing his victims,” Tomas retorted, his face paling slightly. Ulfric merely shrugged.
“That’s dealt with, and it’s even been cleaned up. I can have Jora bless it for you, if you’re worried about it being haunted.”
“Yes, but—” Ulfric suddenly slammed his hand on the table next to Tomas, moving so that their bodies were inches apart. The elf flinched, but kept his eyes up and tried not to get distracted by the scent of wine on the king’s breath.
“You’re still my officer, Tomas,” Ulfric growled, “and people have been asking about whether I plan to make you a Thane. If you want those titles and benefits, you need to act as such. Talk to Jorleif when you have the funds.” Tomas winced, but nodded wordlessly, before squirming away from the Nord and hurrying for the door. In the emptiness that followed, all Ulfric could do was slam his fist against the table, shouting out his frustration.
“Damn it!” His temper had gotten the best of him, as it tended to do in vital moments, and he had wasted his chance.
That damn elf would be the death of him, he feared.
M!DB/Ulfric: "Unforgettable" 10/?
Tomas was walking slowly, unable to hide the fear on his face as he approached the throne. He had a small box in his hands, which he placed at the king’s feet.
“…King Ulfric,” he said softly, his eyes down. Ulfric reached down for the box, and opened it to find himself looking at a trio of silver rings. In truth, he had no idea why the elf had decided to bring him a gift, but he nodded graciously all the same.
“Thank you, Tomas. They’re very nice,” he said, forcing himself to remain stone-faced. “Welcome back. I trust you’ve figured out whatever it was you needed to figure out in Riften?”
“Yes, your Majesty,” Tomas replied, daring to look up. “I was just doing work, making more money than I could have done here. I didn’t mean to offend.” Ulfric closed his eyes, biting the inside of his cheek to keep himself calm. Tomas had never acted subservient before, and in all honesty, it made him deeply uncomfortable. Had there been something in his letter that had changed the way they viewed each other? Perhaps—more likely, Ulfric realized with a grimace—Tomas knew that this behavior would bother him, and was doing it out of spite.
In any case, he was back. And Ulfric would be damned if he wasted this chance again.
“It’s good to see you,” he said, rising from the throne and coming closer to him. “Can I get you anything? Food, wine?” Despite his best efforts, Tomas smiled lightly.
“If you want to drink with me, your Majesty, I’d be honored to.”
The two settled in the war room, their conversation finally becoming livelier as they drank. Ulfric was relieved to see that Tomas was slowly slipping back into his normal demeanor, even if he wouldn’t stop calling him ‘King Ulfric.’ The elf leaned back on the table, relaxing as he and his king caught up on all their escapades since his disappearance.
“Galmar was wondering where you were, too,” Ulfric remarked, only half-teasing. “He was very sad when his new hunting partner vanished off of the face of Nirn.” Tomas grinned affectionately, rolling his dark eyes.
“I never meant to break his heart,” he sighed melodramatically. When he returned his gaze to the Nord, he looked much more serious. “I was always going to come back. I bought a house in Riften, yes, but I like having a home to go to in different cities, and Honeyside was cheap enough.”
“You ought to buy a property here, then,” Ulfric contended, smiling wryly. “You say you’ve earned quite a bit of money while you were away, and there’s a home available right now. Why don’t you buy it?”
“Because that’s where the Butcher was sacrificing his victims,” Tomas retorted, his face paling slightly. Ulfric merely shrugged.
“That’s dealt with, and it’s even been cleaned up. I can have Jora bless it for you, if you’re worried about it being haunted.”
“Yes, but—” Ulfric suddenly slammed his hand on the table next to Tomas, moving so that their bodies were inches apart. The elf flinched, but kept his eyes up and tried not to get distracted by the scent of wine on the king’s breath.
“You’re still my officer, Tomas,” Ulfric growled, “and people have been asking about whether I plan to make you a Thane. If you want those titles and benefits, you need to act as such. Talk to Jorleif when you have the funds.” Tomas winced, but nodded wordlessly, before squirming away from the Nord and hurrying for the door. In the emptiness that followed, all Ulfric could do was slam his fist against the table, shouting out his frustration.
“Damn it!” His temper had gotten the best of him, as it tended to do in vital moments, and he had wasted his chance.
That damn elf would be the death of him, he feared.