“Ten forty-five!” Eola hissed, having inherited all her maternal instincts from her own mother. Madanach made a mental note to talk seriously with her about letting him raise any children she had. He loved Eola, he really did, but honestly someone whose immediate reaction to a new niece had been to glance at her, note that she was cute and then head off in search of something more interesting probably wasn't cut out for childrearing. Not to mention when she did hold Lirela, she kept cheerfully talking about all the many ways to cook and eat the child. He was sure it was just her twisted sense of humour but even so, there were limits.
“I think so,” Madanach said, handing her back over. “Honestly, I think she just gets bored lying down, unable to see all the interesting things going on. If she can see what's out there, she'll probably be fine. Eola was exactly the same. Constantly in everything.” And very little had changed since, to be honest. Huffing, Eola got up, taking the point.
“Ten fifty,” she announced tersely. “Now get dressed. We will be late.”
“We will not be late,” Madanach sighed, ushering his children out. “We will be fine. Liriel is wrangling two young children and Cicero with just a housecarl to help. Believe me, she will not get there before us.”
Argis and Eola both left him to it. Madanach let out a sigh of relief as he reached for his razor. Just the ceremony itself now. Just get through the day and then he could finally take Liriel to bed as his wife. His queen. Officially. Properly. He'd already granted her citizenship of the Reach a few days before and she'd been made a citizen of the Empire while they'd been in Solitude. A child of Alinor now part of Talos's Empire and soon one of its queens too.
He was marrying Liriel. Gorgeous, beautiful, amazing, passionate Liriel. She'll change her mind. She won't be there. She'll lose her nerve and run away. She won't be able to face marrying a human, much less an old man, even if he is king. He'd seen it in her eyes, the hesitancy whenever the wedding was mentioned, sadness in her eyes when she didn't think he was looking. A decent man would have let her go months ago, sent her away to find an Altmer to love. But Madanach was not a decent man and he'd spent twenty years in prison unhappy and lonely. He was never giving her up if he could help it. He just wished he didn't feel like he was damning her to misery in the process.
Re: Nightshade and Juniper 28.3
“I think so,” Madanach said, handing her back over. “Honestly, I think she just gets bored lying down, unable to see all the interesting things going on. If she can see what's out there, she'll probably be fine. Eola was exactly the same. Constantly in everything.” And very little had changed since, to be honest. Huffing, Eola got up, taking the point.
“Ten fifty,” she announced tersely. “Now get dressed. We will be late.”
“We will not be late,” Madanach sighed, ushering his children out. “We will be fine. Liriel is wrangling two young children and Cicero with just a housecarl to help. Believe me, she will not get there before us.”
Argis and Eola both left him to it. Madanach let out a sigh of relief as he reached for his razor. Just the ceremony itself now. Just get through the day and then he could finally take Liriel to bed as his wife. His queen. Officially. Properly. He'd already granted her citizenship of the Reach a few days before and she'd been made a citizen of the Empire while they'd been in Solitude. A child of Alinor now part of Talos's Empire and soon one of its queens too.
He was marrying Liriel. Gorgeous, beautiful, amazing, passionate Liriel. She'll change her mind. She won't be there. She'll lose her nerve and run away. She won't be able to face marrying a human, much less an old man, even if he is king. He'd seen it in her eyes, the hesitancy whenever the wedding was mentioned, sadness in her eyes when she didn't think he was looking. A decent man would have let her go months ago, sent her away to find an Altmer to love. But Madanach was not a decent man and he'd spent twenty years in prison unhappy and lonely. He was never giving her up if he could help it. He just wished he didn't feel like he was damning her to misery in the process.