“Couldn't be in the neighbourhood and not stop by to see how my old friend Madanach was doing, hey?” she said, laughing nervously. “They tell me you're king now. How's it feel?”
Madanach just growled, shivering as he reached for the jenever bottle he'd brought out with him, glowing frost rune on the side clearly keeping it cool.
“Draining. Exhausting. Igmund's record-keeping was diabolical, Thongvor's was worse. Neither of them knew a damn thing about actually running anything. It's taking me, Nepos and that Imperial steward of Thongvor's all our time just to audit the books. Not to mention all the court cases. If it's not the citizens of the Reach demanding weregild for Forsworn actions, half of which claims, I might add, are greatly exaggerated, it's half of Tamriel taking advantage of certain laws I brought in and demanding I help them out. I don't regret bringing in that divorce law for a second, even if I do have priests of Mara on my doorstep railing at me for trivialising marriage, but by the gods, I had no idea the people of Tamriel had made such appalling marital choices.”
“You brought in a divorce law,” Liriel said, feeling vaguely appalled but at the same time not surprised, and thinking of it, she knew more than a few married couples who seemed to actively despise each other.
“Of course I did, I wouldn't want anyone else to suffer like I did,” Madanach growled. “Don't tell me you're backing the priests on this.”
“Not... exactly,” said Liriel, trying to work out where she stood on this. On the one hand, marriage was meant to mean being bound in love, now and forever, but on the other, if love wasn't there any more... but on the third hand, if unhappy spouses could now get divorced in the Reach... “I hope you realise you've just cut off a very profitable source of contracts for us!”
Madanach put his jenever bottle down and burst out laughing, holding his head in his hands and actually howling in delight.
“That's your objection?” he laughed. “Unhappy spouses don't have to call you in any more, they can just come to the Reach instead? Oh cariad, you're adorable, you really are. Don't worry, due to the unprecedented demand, people who aren't citizens of the Reach have to pay a hefty premium for my precious time spent listening to their marital woes, not to mention there's a waiting list and they've got to come to Markarth. I'm sure the impatient, the far-flung and those not sure the settlement would go in their favour will always be prepared to consider you as the speedier alternative.”
Liriel couldn't help but laugh. By Sithis, she had missed this man so much. What had she been worrying about, that he wanted the Dragonborn more than Liriel, that she might have found the Reach-King more attractive than the man? Here they were, just a man and a woman sitting by a fire and she wanted him more than ever.
“I missed you,” she said quietly, trying to see how he'd respond to this. His smile faded as he turned away, staring back at the fire.
“I missed you too,” he admitted. “When we took Markarth... I wished you'd been there with me. It was just one of the best moments of my life, and having you there would have made it perfect.”
“I was in the city, you know,” Liriel said softly, wondering how much to tell him. “I sent Cicero along – he wanted to join in so I told him to go. He said he had a great time. Brought him with me tonight actually, but I don't know where he went...”
“So I heard,” said Madanach dryly. “His exploits that night are becoming the stuff of legend – very gory legend, but legend nonetheless. Don't worry about finding him again – just wait until morning and check Kaie's tent, you'll probably find him there, although for Sithis' sake, knock first.”
He sounded like he spoke from some horrific personal experience. Liriel wisely didn't pry for details, knowing all too well what sort of things Cicero liked in bed.
Re: Nightshade and Juniper 17.6
Madanach just growled, shivering as he reached for the jenever bottle he'd brought out with him, glowing frost rune on the side clearly keeping it cool.
“Draining. Exhausting. Igmund's record-keeping was diabolical, Thongvor's was worse. Neither of them knew a damn thing about actually running anything. It's taking me, Nepos and that Imperial steward of Thongvor's all our time just to audit the books. Not to mention all the court cases. If it's not the citizens of the Reach demanding weregild for Forsworn actions, half of which claims, I might add, are greatly exaggerated, it's half of Tamriel taking advantage of certain laws I brought in and demanding I help them out. I don't regret bringing in that divorce law for a second, even if I do have priests of Mara on my doorstep railing at me for trivialising marriage, but by the gods, I had no idea the people of Tamriel had made such appalling marital choices.”
“You brought in a divorce law,” Liriel said, feeling vaguely appalled but at the same time not surprised, and thinking of it, she knew more than a few married couples who seemed to actively despise each other.
“Of course I did, I wouldn't want anyone else to suffer like I did,” Madanach growled. “Don't tell me you're backing the priests on this.”
“Not... exactly,” said Liriel, trying to work out where she stood on this. On the one hand, marriage was meant to mean being bound in love, now and forever, but on the other, if love wasn't there any more... but on the third hand, if unhappy spouses could now get divorced in the Reach... “I hope you realise you've just cut off a very profitable source of contracts for us!”
Madanach put his jenever bottle down and burst out laughing, holding his head in his hands and actually howling in delight.
“That's your objection?” he laughed. “Unhappy spouses don't have to call you in any more, they can just come to the Reach instead? Oh cariad, you're adorable, you really are. Don't worry, due to the unprecedented demand, people who aren't citizens of the Reach have to pay a hefty premium for my precious time spent listening to their marital woes, not to mention there's a waiting list and they've got to come to Markarth. I'm sure the impatient, the far-flung and those not sure the settlement would go in their favour will always be prepared to consider you as the speedier alternative.”
Liriel couldn't help but laugh. By Sithis, she had missed this man so much. What had she been worrying about, that he wanted the Dragonborn more than Liriel, that she might have found the Reach-King more attractive than the man? Here they were, just a man and a woman sitting by a fire and she wanted him more than ever.
“I missed you,” she said quietly, trying to see how he'd respond to this. His smile faded as he turned away, staring back at the fire.
“I missed you too,” he admitted. “When we took Markarth... I wished you'd been there with me. It was just one of the best moments of my life, and having you there would have made it perfect.”
“I was in the city, you know,” Liriel said softly, wondering how much to tell him. “I sent Cicero along – he wanted to join in so I told him to go. He said he had a great time. Brought him with me tonight actually, but I don't know where he went...”
“So I heard,” said Madanach dryly. “His exploits that night are becoming the stuff of legend – very gory legend, but legend nonetheless. Don't worry about finding him again – just wait until morning and check Kaie's tent, you'll probably find him there, although for Sithis' sake, knock first.”
He sounded like he spoke from some horrific personal experience. Liriel wisely didn't pry for details, knowing all too well what sort of things Cicero liked in bed.