“Yes, it's necessary!” Madanach shouted at him. “Where in Sithis' name is my daughter?”
Nepos sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. “Come with me, and for the love of Anu, do try to get a grip. We can't have everyone thinking you've completely lost it.”
“I could have you executed, you know,” Madanach grumbled, following in Nepos' wake.
“So you could and you've been saying that for over thirty years and have yet to do it. I'll rest easy a while longer,” said Nepos calmly as he made his way out to the central court area. He stepped out of the way, motioning for Madanach and Liriel to make their way out, and to Liriel's surprise, she could hear Eola, sounding exactly as she used to.
“Hogni, you are an absolute sweetheart, thank you so much!”
“Well, you know, I had some special meat come in and thought it should go to a special princess,” said Hogni, sounding a little embarrassed. “Bloody and rare, just how you like it.”
“You know me too well,” Eola purred, smiling up at him as she took another bite of the steak he'd brought her, sighing in delight as she swallowed the pieces down. “Hogni, you bring me regular deliveries like this, you can be my blood-brother when I'm queen.”
“That's too kind of you,” Hogni said, definitely blushing now, and Madanach was just staring in amazement.
“She's up,” he whispered. “Dressed, in that old studded armour of hers, as if I've not got her a whole wardrobe of things to wear, but still dressed and out of bed, day two of her time and she's fine, look at her!” He looked absolutely transfixed, smile starting to spread across his face as he watched Hogni take his leave and Eola tucking in to her steak. Next to her was Cicero in his motley, eyes not leaving the meat for a second.
“Sister,” he whined, tugging at her arm. “Sister, I'm hungry...”
“Did you want some, Cicero?” Eola sighed, carving off a bit for him. Liriel put a hand to her mouth, not sure she wanted to see this, but on the other hand, at least Cicero had to have guessed that was probably not beef or venison she was eating. He nodded enthusiastically, opening his mouth wide for Eola to feed him, taking the meat off her fork and swallowing it down, looking worryingly cheerful about the whole thing. He wiped his mouth delicately with a napkin and folded his hands on the table, smiling at Eola with genuine affection and happiness in his eyes. Eola stopped chewing and looked back at him.
“What?” she asked, grin on her own face. “Something in my hair?”
“No, no,” Cicero said softly. “Cicero just likes looking at you. Cicero did not think he would ever know another like him.”
Eola put her fork down, smile widening and her whole expression softening.
“Same here,” she said quietly, reaching for his hand. Cicero took hers and lifted it to his lips, and that was when Liriel realised Madanach's face had turned from joyous amazement to incensed rage, lightning crackling at his fingers.
“Madanach, don't you even dare!” Liriel cried, voice ringing out, and as one, Cicero and Eola looked up, faces frozen in identical looks of horror.
“Oh this is not happening,” Eola whispered, looking absolutely mortified. Cicero just meeped before diving under the table, taking cover under solid Dwemer stonework that looked like it could stand up to even Madanach's magic.
“WHAT IN THE NAME OF SITHIS IS GOING ON HERE???” Madanach roared. Cicero howled in terror, cowering under the table. “I DID NOT MAKE YOU BLOOD-BROTHER SO YOU COULD SEDUCE MY LITTLE GIRL!!”
“He did not seduce me!” Eola cried. “I'm quite capable of making my own decisions!”
“You've been bed-ridden all week!” Madanach snapped at her. Eola slammed down her cutlery and got to her feet, moving with all the predatory grace Liriel remembered.
“I'm feeling better,” Eola growled. “Healthy and strong and fed, and if I decide I want a man in my bed, that is my business and no one else's, father!”
Re: Nightshade and Juniper 22.11
Nepos sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. “Come with me, and for the love of Anu, do try to get a grip. We can't have everyone thinking you've completely lost it.”
“I could have you executed, you know,” Madanach grumbled, following in Nepos' wake.
“So you could and you've been saying that for over thirty years and have yet to do it. I'll rest easy a while longer,” said Nepos calmly as he made his way out to the central court area. He stepped out of the way, motioning for Madanach and Liriel to make their way out, and to Liriel's surprise, she could hear Eola, sounding exactly as she used to.
“Hogni, you are an absolute sweetheart, thank you so much!”
“Well, you know, I had some special meat come in and thought it should go to a special princess,” said Hogni, sounding a little embarrassed. “Bloody and rare, just how you like it.”
“You know me too well,” Eola purred, smiling up at him as she took another bite of the steak he'd brought her, sighing in delight as she swallowed the pieces down. “Hogni, you bring me regular deliveries like this, you can be my blood-brother when I'm queen.”
“That's too kind of you,” Hogni said, definitely blushing now, and Madanach was just staring in amazement.
“She's up,” he whispered. “Dressed, in that old studded armour of hers, as if I've not got her a whole wardrobe of things to wear, but still dressed and out of bed, day two of her time and she's fine, look at her!” He looked absolutely transfixed, smile starting to spread across his face as he watched Hogni take his leave and Eola tucking in to her steak. Next to her was Cicero in his motley, eyes not leaving the meat for a second.
“Sister,” he whined, tugging at her arm. “Sister, I'm hungry...”
“Did you want some, Cicero?” Eola sighed, carving off a bit for him. Liriel put a hand to her mouth, not sure she wanted to see this, but on the other hand, at least Cicero had to have guessed that was probably not beef or venison she was eating. He nodded enthusiastically, opening his mouth wide for Eola to feed him, taking the meat off her fork and swallowing it down, looking worryingly cheerful about the whole thing. He wiped his mouth delicately with a napkin and folded his hands on the table, smiling at Eola with genuine affection and happiness in his eyes. Eola stopped chewing and looked back at him.
“What?” she asked, grin on her own face. “Something in my hair?”
“No, no,” Cicero said softly. “Cicero just likes looking at you. Cicero did not think he would ever know another like him.”
Eola put her fork down, smile widening and her whole expression softening.
“Same here,” she said quietly, reaching for his hand. Cicero took hers and lifted it to his lips, and that was when Liriel realised Madanach's face had turned from joyous amazement to incensed rage, lightning crackling at his fingers.
“Madanach, don't you even dare!” Liriel cried, voice ringing out, and as one, Cicero and Eola looked up, faces frozen in identical looks of horror.
“Oh this is not happening,” Eola whispered, looking absolutely mortified. Cicero just meeped before diving under the table, taking cover under solid Dwemer stonework that looked like it could stand up to even Madanach's magic.
“WHAT IN THE NAME OF SITHIS IS GOING ON HERE???” Madanach roared. Cicero howled in terror, cowering under the table. “I DID NOT MAKE YOU BLOOD-BROTHER SO YOU COULD SEDUCE MY LITTLE GIRL!!”
“He did not seduce me!” Eola cried. “I'm quite capable of making my own decisions!”
“You've been bed-ridden all week!” Madanach snapped at her. Eola slammed down her cutlery and got to her feet, moving with all the predatory grace Liriel remembered.
“I'm feeling better,” Eola growled. “Healthy and strong and fed, and if I decide I want a man in my bed, that is my business and no one else's, father!”