“I love you too,” Madanach said roughly, kissing her forehead and hugging her back. “Cariad, you should have told me. If I'd known you were unhappy because you missed your lover, I'd have sent for him weeks ago.”
“Didn't think you'd approve,” Eola said. “And you nearly threw lightning at him when you saw us, so I wasn't wrong, was I?”
“No,” Madanach admitted. “But if he makes you happy... he does make you happy, doesn't he?”
“Good,” Madanach growled, giving Eola another kiss on the forehead. “He'd better.” He turned to where Cicero was crawling out from under the table, looking hopeful. “And as for you, Garra-Lann. If you mistreat, abuse, cheat on or treat my daughter with anything less than the greatest of respect, you had better run and hide because not even Liriel will be able to save you from my wrath. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes sir,” Cicero gasped. “Cicero would never permit any harm to come to sweet Eola, sir. Cicero is a good boy! Cicero loves his sweet sister!”
“I'm glad to hear it. Make sure it stays that way.” Madanach turned and made his way over to where Liriel was waiting for him with a proud smile and a hug which turned into a kiss as passionate as any Cicero and Eola had shared.
“Look at him,” Eola sighed, shaking her head. “Has a go at me for having someone then starts copping a feel of the Listener. Fathers are such hypocrites.”
“Cicero wouldn't know, he never had one,” Cicero said, finally emerging from beneath the table and getting to his feet. He glanced shyly up at Eola, peeping at her from under his eyelashes. “Eola meant it? Eola is in love with sweet Cicero?”
Eola hesitated, then nodded.
“Yeah,” she admitted. “You're adorable and sweet and patient and funny and you're a true-born killer like me. You get me. You understand my... needs. I'd given up hope of finding someone who actually understood and didn't find me intimidating. A lot of people do. I can't think why.”
Cicero, having seen her tear into a man's liver with her teeth before now, could think exactly why, but wisely said nothing. Instead he just took Eola into his arms and held her close.
“Cicero loves you too, sweetling,” he murmured. “Cicero was worried. Cicero missed you. Cicero is glad you're happy again.”
“So am I,” Eola said, forehead resting against Cicero's. “I really missed you. Thank you. For everything.”
Cicero just giggled and kissed her again, tasting blood on her lips still and that made him want to kiss her even more. Really, he should have taken her to bed ages ago, but then again, that might have made Madanach reconsider throwing lightning at him and Cicero would rather not be on the receiving end of that.
“Come on,” said Eola softly. “Let's go see Liriel. I need to thank her for turning up when she did. I think you and her between you just saved my life.”
Quite possibly – Eola still looked far too skinny, but at least she wasn't so pale now. Never mind. She was Cicero's now. Cicero would take care of her. Cicero would love her and feed her and tend to her, and if there eventually did turn out to be giggling red-haired grandchildren in the House of Madanach after all, Cicero would tend to them too and teach them to sneak and stab and follow the Tenets and serve the Listener and love the Night Mother. Yes, yes, grandchildren for Mother! Perhaps, perhaps. All things in time. He followed Eola to where sweet Listener Liriel was still cuddling the Reach-King. About the only way today could go any better was if he got the chance to stab someone. Never mind. If he was patient and very good and hung around Madanach long enough, it was just possible he might get the chance.
~~~~~~~~
A/N: Cicero and Eola are very sweet together, aren't they? For a Daedra-worshipping cannibal and a giggling lunatic whose number one hobby is stabbing people, anyway.
Madanach as crazy overprotective father is a lot of fun to write too. He's probably one of the few people out there capable of successfully intimidating Cicero.
Next chapter, Madanach gets the proof he needs but not in the way he'd have liked, and it's time for Eola to finally really show what she's made of.
Re: Nightshade and Juniper 22.13
“I love you too,” Madanach said roughly, kissing her forehead and hugging her back. “Cariad, you should have told me. If I'd known you were unhappy because you missed your lover, I'd have sent for him weeks ago.”
“Didn't think you'd approve,” Eola said. “And you nearly threw lightning at him when you saw us, so I wasn't wrong, was I?”
“No,” Madanach admitted. “But if he makes you happy... he does make you happy, doesn't he?”
“He does,” Eola reassured him, smiling. “Very much.”
“Good,” Madanach growled, giving Eola another kiss on the forehead. “He'd better.” He turned to where Cicero was crawling out from under the table, looking hopeful. “And as for you, Garra-Lann. If you mistreat, abuse, cheat on or treat my daughter with anything less than the greatest of respect, you had better run and hide because not even Liriel will be able to save you from my wrath. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes sir,” Cicero gasped. “Cicero would never permit any harm to come to sweet Eola, sir. Cicero is a good boy! Cicero loves his sweet sister!”
“I'm glad to hear it. Make sure it stays that way.” Madanach turned and made his way over to where Liriel was waiting for him with a proud smile and a hug which turned into a kiss as passionate as any Cicero and Eola had shared.
“Look at him,” Eola sighed, shaking her head. “Has a go at me for having someone then starts copping a feel of the Listener. Fathers are such hypocrites.”
“Cicero wouldn't know, he never had one,” Cicero said, finally emerging from beneath the table and getting to his feet. He glanced shyly up at Eola, peeping at her from under his eyelashes. “Eola meant it? Eola is in love with sweet Cicero?”
Eola hesitated, then nodded.
“Yeah,” she admitted. “You're adorable and sweet and patient and funny and you're a true-born killer like me. You get me. You understand my... needs. I'd given up hope of finding someone who actually understood and didn't find me intimidating. A lot of people do. I can't think why.”
Cicero, having seen her tear into a man's liver with her teeth before now, could think exactly why, but wisely said nothing. Instead he just took Eola into his arms and held her close.
“Cicero loves you too, sweetling,” he murmured. “Cicero was worried. Cicero missed you. Cicero is glad you're happy again.”
“So am I,” Eola said, forehead resting against Cicero's. “I really missed you. Thank you. For everything.”
Cicero just giggled and kissed her again, tasting blood on her lips still and that made him want to kiss her even more. Really, he should have taken her to bed ages ago, but then again, that might have made Madanach reconsider throwing lightning at him and Cicero would rather not be on the receiving end of that.
“Come on,” said Eola softly. “Let's go see Liriel. I need to thank her for turning up when she did. I think you and her between you just saved my life.”
Quite possibly – Eola still looked far too skinny, but at least she wasn't so pale now. Never mind. She was Cicero's now. Cicero would take care of her. Cicero would love her and feed her and tend to her, and if there eventually did turn out to be giggling red-haired grandchildren in the House of Madanach after all, Cicero would tend to them too and teach them to sneak and stab and follow the Tenets and serve the Listener and love the Night Mother. Yes, yes, grandchildren for Mother! Perhaps, perhaps. All things in time. He followed Eola to where sweet Listener Liriel was still cuddling the Reach-King. About the only way today could go any better was if he got the chance to stab someone. Never mind. If he was patient and very good and hung around Madanach long enough, it was just possible he might get the chance.
~~~~~~~~
A/N: Cicero and Eola are very sweet together, aren't they? For a Daedra-worshipping cannibal and a giggling lunatic whose number one hobby is stabbing people, anyway.
Madanach as crazy overprotective father is a lot of fun to write too. He's probably one of the few people out there capable of successfully intimidating Cicero.
Next chapter, Madanach gets the proof he needs but not in the way he'd have liked, and it's time for Eola to finally really show what she's made of.