“Don't take it to heart, she's still grieving,” Madanach murmured to her, before turning to Kaie.
“Well, daughter, did you get everything together?” Madanach asked. Kaie nodded.
“Yes, it's all waiting, including all Maia's things, and we hardly had to kill anyone in the end. Only... only there's someone you have to meet...” She motioned off to where Cicero and Eola were still reuniting, Cicero now back in his motley, ebony dagger and ebony axe at his sides, and Eola sliding some sort of ring onto his finger. Cicero in particular was looking rather emotional and as she let his hand go, he reached up and began to kiss her.
“Do I want to know what the story is behind the jester outfit?” Madanach said, sounding unusually unnerved for him. Elisif shook her head. She didn't know the story herself, but she had a feeling it was something best left untouched.
“And he's got a lady friend,” Madanach continued, amazed. “How in the Void did he get a lady friend? And a Forsworn at that? Wait, if he's involved with a Forsworn... why didn't he say? Kaie... Kaie, what's going on? Maia, who's the girl, do you know her?”
“I've not met her, but Cicero told me a bit about her. She helped him deal with a Dark Brotherhood assassin then they went tomb raiding together and, well, things just happened, I guess. Her name's Eola.”
“Eola...” Madanach breathed, eyes widening as he turned to Kaie for confirmation. She nodded, finally smiling.
“Our Eola. She came home. Hey, gwaneth. Put your boytoy down and get over here!”
Eola turned, eyes locking with Madanach's, well, the good one anyway. He was staring back at her, stunned and Elisif looked from one to the other, trying to puzzle this one out. Eola the ex-Forsworn, and not only known to Madanach and his daughter but considered by them to be... kin.
“You're... Eola,” Madanach was saying, sounding most uncertain as they approached each other. “My Eola.”
She nodded, lowering her eyes in seeming submission, still not saying anything. Madanach stepped forward, reaching out and lifting her face up to look at him.
“You look just like your sister,” Madanach said in wonder. “Eithne, that is.”
“They do say that, yeah,” Eola whispered back, tears in her eyes. “How much trouble am I in exactly?”
Madanach didn't even answer, just taking her in his arms and holding her to him, and while Elisif couldn't see their faces, at least one of them was crying. Eola definitely, and quite possibly Madanach as well.
“I'm sorry, Da,” Eola gasped. “I'm so sorry.”
“It wasn't your fault,” Madanach whispered, kissing the top of her head and ruffling her hair. “After the way your mother treated you, I don't blame you. If anything, it's my fault, I should have been there for you and I never was. Can you ever forgive me?”
Eola just nodded, clinging on to her father for all she was worth. Behind Elisif, Cicero had crept up, peeping over her shoulder.
“Maia,” Cicero whispered. “Maia, save me.”
“Save you – what from?” Elisif whispered. Cicero pointed at Madanach.
“Cicero has kissed his daughter!” Cicero whispered. “Cicero defiled and debased Madanach's little princess! Does Madanach seem like the sort of man to take that lying down?”
“She's a grown woman, I'm sure it'll be fine,” Elisif whispered back. Next to them, Kaie was smirking at Cicero.
“So that's Cicero, is it? Not bad. My little sister has taste. Completely crazy of course, but that's nothing odd in this family. You'll fit right in, don't worry.”
“Madanach did say he liked him?” Elisif said nervously. Behind her, Cicero whimpered, clinging on to the back of Elisif's prison gear. Kaie had the nerve to laugh.
“Oh that's all right then, at least it'll be quick,” Kaie laughed. By this time, Madanach had let Eola go, both of them drying their eyes as Madanach led Eola over, eyes alive with a joy Elisif hadn't known he was capable of.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 15.8
“Well, daughter, did you get everything together?” Madanach asked. Kaie nodded.
“Yes, it's all waiting, including all Maia's things, and we hardly had to kill anyone in the end. Only... only there's someone you have to meet...” She motioned off to where Cicero and Eola were still reuniting, Cicero now back in his motley, ebony dagger and ebony axe at his sides, and Eola sliding some sort of ring onto his finger. Cicero in particular was looking rather emotional and as she let his hand go, he reached up and began to kiss her.
“Do I want to know what the story is behind the jester outfit?” Madanach said, sounding unusually unnerved for him. Elisif shook her head. She didn't know the story herself, but she had a feeling it was something best left untouched.
“And he's got a lady friend,” Madanach continued, amazed. “How in the Void did he get a lady friend? And a Forsworn at that? Wait, if he's involved with a Forsworn... why didn't he say? Kaie... Kaie, what's going on? Maia, who's the girl, do you know her?”
“I've not met her, but Cicero told me a bit about her. She helped him deal with a Dark Brotherhood assassin then they went tomb raiding together and, well, things just happened, I guess. Her name's Eola.”
“Eola...” Madanach breathed, eyes widening as he turned to Kaie for confirmation. She nodded, finally smiling.
“Our Eola. She came home. Hey, gwaneth. Put your boytoy down and get over here!”
Eola turned, eyes locking with Madanach's, well, the good one anyway. He was staring back at her, stunned and Elisif looked from one to the other, trying to puzzle this one out. Eola the ex-Forsworn, and not only known to Madanach and his daughter but considered by them to be... kin.
“You're... Eola,” Madanach was saying, sounding most uncertain as they approached each other. “My Eola.”
She nodded, lowering her eyes in seeming submission, still not saying anything. Madanach stepped forward, reaching out and lifting her face up to look at him.
“You look just like your sister,” Madanach said in wonder. “Eithne, that is.”
“They do say that, yeah,” Eola whispered back, tears in her eyes. “How much trouble am I in exactly?”
Madanach didn't even answer, just taking her in his arms and holding her to him, and while Elisif couldn't see their faces, at least one of them was crying. Eola definitely, and quite possibly Madanach as well.
“I'm sorry, Da,” Eola gasped. “I'm so sorry.”
“It wasn't your fault,” Madanach whispered, kissing the top of her head and ruffling her hair. “After the way your mother treated you, I don't blame you. If anything, it's my fault, I should have been there for you and I never was. Can you ever forgive me?”
Eola just nodded, clinging on to her father for all she was worth. Behind Elisif, Cicero had crept up, peeping over her shoulder.
“Maia,” Cicero whispered. “Maia, save me.”
“Save you – what from?” Elisif whispered. Cicero pointed at Madanach.
“Cicero has kissed his daughter!” Cicero whispered. “Cicero defiled and debased Madanach's little princess! Does Madanach seem like the sort of man to take that lying down?”
“She's a grown woman, I'm sure it'll be fine,” Elisif whispered back. Next to them, Kaie was smirking at Cicero.
“So that's Cicero, is it? Not bad. My little sister has taste. Completely crazy of course, but that's nothing odd in this family. You'll fit right in, don't worry.”
“Madanach did say he liked him?” Elisif said nervously. Behind her, Cicero whimpered, clinging on to the back of Elisif's prison gear. Kaie had the nerve to laugh.
“Oh that's all right then, at least it'll be quick,” Kaie laughed. By this time, Madanach had let Eola go, both of them drying their eyes as Madanach led Eola over, eyes alive with a joy Elisif hadn't known he was capable of.
“Your sister's back, look!” he told Kaie.
“I know,” Kaie said, smiling. “Welcome back, troll-face.”
Eola poked her tongue out at her sister, but with Madanach right there glaring at them both, nothing could escalate any further.