“Yes,” Cicero growled, hand sliding under her night shift. “I know. I can smell the blood.” It was true, it was true, he couldn't resist the smell of blood, never had been able to.
“You're depraved,” Eola whispered, but she sounded very very pleased about the fact. Cicero could only nod.
“I'm a very bad boy,” Cicero murmured, beginning to plant kisses along her stomach. “A very bad boy indeed.”
“Yes,” Eola gasped. “Yes you are. Sweet Namira, Cicero, don't you ever stop.”
Cicero didn't. Afterwards there'd be giggling and having to strip down the entire bed and change it with fresh sheets while Eola shoved the original bedding into a Dwemer chest and torched it, but inconveniences like that aside, both of them fell asleep in each other's arms with not a care in the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The door had barely closed behind Liriel before Madanach had his arms around her, saying nothing, just holding her while his head rested on her shoulder.
“Madanach,” Liriel whispered. “It's all right. I'm here. You're not alone.”
“I think being alone rather comes with the job,” said Madanach gruffly. “But thank you.” He lifted his head and kissed her lips before clutching her again.
“I missed you,” he told her, quite unnecessarily, she could see that for herself.
“What happened?” Liriel asked, leading him to the bed and stretching out on it, beckoning for him to join her. He did so after placing his circlet to one side, kicking off his shoes and crawling into her waiting arms. He closed his eyes and sighed happily as he moved closer and Liriel, for all she was worried, wrapped her arms around him, loving the feeling of having him there again. Never again, she was never going away again, not for long anyway. He was hers and she was not letting him go again.
“I don't even know,” Madanach whispered. “She came back, I went to bed one night and she was here, sitting in my chair and waiting for me. When I realised it was her, I couldn't even speak. You found my daughter. My little girl. You sent her back to me.”
“Yes,” said Liriel quietly. “In fact, I've known her longer than I've known you – Madanach, if you'd told me her name earlier, I could have brought her back months ago. It was her who told me all about the Forsworn, what cariad meant, what this symbolised.” She fingered the torc, remembering Eola's reaction to it – entirely explicable when you knew she was a king's daughter. Madanach looked up and traced a finger along it, smiling.
“You're wearing it again,” he breathed. “It suits you.”
“If I'm going to be your queen, I should show it off, yes?” Liriel grinned. Madanach's smile broadened and he kissed her again, a long, slow, lingering kiss that left Liriel a little breathless.
“Yes,” he gasped into her ear. “Yes, please, yes, marry me.”
“I'm not going anywhere,” Liriel reassured him. “It's clear you need me. But first, I need to hear just how you managed to turn one of my best assassins into a nervous wreck in two months. Eola's not exactly weak, physically or mentally. What have you done to her, Madanach?”
“I haven't done anything!” Madanach cried, frustrated, rolling away from her and lying back on the bed. “All I've done is love her, take care of her, try and look after her to the best of my ability. And nothing's ever enough. She just smiles and says thank you and that she loves me, and I'm sure she does, but I have no idea what she wants! She's my daughter and I love her dearly, but she's a stranger to me. I don't know what happened, it was going so well at first, she was interested in the Reach, in running it, was getting on with people, was actually flirting with Nepos, and she didn't seem to want to be anywhere but with me. And I didn't want her to be anywhere else. I missed her so much, all these years not knowing and she's finally here and... and nothing I do makes her happy. And here you are and you know her better than I do. Liriel, help me. What do I do?”
Liriel stroked his hair, wondering what to say. She could hardly tell him that Eola was most likely craving the flesh of the dead, could he possibly have a condemned criminal carved up and served to her? Madanach might want to spoil his daughter, but even he had limits.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Nightshade and Juniper 22.6
Date: 2013-07-27 12:20 pm (UTC)“You're depraved,” Eola whispered, but she sounded very very pleased about the fact. Cicero could only nod.
“I'm a very bad boy,” Cicero murmured, beginning to plant kisses along her stomach. “A very bad boy indeed.”
“Yes,” Eola gasped. “Yes you are. Sweet Namira, Cicero, don't you ever stop.”
Cicero didn't. Afterwards there'd be giggling and having to strip down the entire bed and change it with fresh sheets while Eola shoved the original bedding into a Dwemer chest and torched it, but inconveniences like that aside, both of them fell asleep in each other's arms with not a care in the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The door had barely closed behind Liriel before Madanach had his arms around her, saying nothing, just holding her while his head rested on her shoulder.
“Madanach,” Liriel whispered. “It's all right. I'm here. You're not alone.”
“I think being alone rather comes with the job,” said Madanach gruffly. “But thank you.” He lifted his head and kissed her lips before clutching her again.
“I missed you,” he told her, quite unnecessarily, she could see that for herself.
“What happened?” Liriel asked, leading him to the bed and stretching out on it, beckoning for him to join her. He did so after placing his circlet to one side, kicking off his shoes and crawling into her waiting arms. He closed his eyes and sighed happily as he moved closer and Liriel, for all she was worried, wrapped her arms around him, loving the feeling of having him there again. Never again, she was never going away again, not for long anyway. He was hers and she was not letting him go again.
“I don't even know,” Madanach whispered. “She came back, I went to bed one night and she was here, sitting in my chair and waiting for me. When I realised it was her, I couldn't even speak. You found my daughter. My little girl. You sent her back to me.”
“Yes,” said Liriel quietly. “In fact, I've known her longer than I've known you – Madanach, if you'd told me her name earlier, I could have brought her back months ago. It was her who told me all about the Forsworn, what cariad meant, what this symbolised.” She fingered the torc, remembering Eola's reaction to it – entirely explicable when you knew she was a king's daughter. Madanach looked up and traced a finger along it, smiling.
“You're wearing it again,” he breathed. “It suits you.”
“If I'm going to be your queen, I should show it off, yes?” Liriel grinned. Madanach's smile broadened and he kissed her again, a long, slow, lingering kiss that left Liriel a little breathless.
“Yes,” he gasped into her ear. “Yes, please, yes, marry me.”
“I'm not going anywhere,” Liriel reassured him. “It's clear you need me. But first, I need to hear just how you managed to turn one of my best assassins into a nervous wreck in two months. Eola's not exactly weak, physically or mentally. What have you done to her, Madanach?”
“I haven't done anything!” Madanach cried, frustrated, rolling away from her and lying back on the bed. “All I've done is love her, take care of her, try and look after her to the best of my ability. And nothing's ever enough. She just smiles and says thank you and that she loves me, and I'm sure she does, but I have no idea what she wants! She's my daughter and I love her dearly, but she's a stranger to me. I don't know what happened, it was going so well at first, she was interested in the Reach, in running it, was getting on with people, was actually flirting with Nepos, and she didn't seem to want to be anywhere but with me. And I didn't want her to be anywhere else. I missed her so much, all these years not knowing and she's finally here and... and nothing I do makes her happy. And here you are and you know her better than I do. Liriel, help me. What do I do?”
Liriel stroked his hair, wondering what to say. She could hardly tell him that Eola was most likely craving the flesh of the dead, could he possibly have a condemned criminal carved up and served to her? Madanach might want to spoil his daughter, but even he had limits.