“Eola,” Madanach was saying, leading her over to Elisif. “Eola, this is... well, let's just call her Maia for now, but she's going to help us. She's a dragonslaying hero who might be able to get us our land back.”
“I know who she is, Da,” Eola said as she lifted her eyes to Elisif's, clearly curious to get a good look at her – and apparently pleased with what she saw. “From the fact Cicero's cowering behind her, I'm going to assume this is the famous Dragonborn. Hello there. I'm Eola. Cicero invited me to join the Blades and help you kill things. Although I'm sure there's a little more to it than that.”
“Wait,” Madanach interrupted. “Blades? You? And you know Cicero?” He turned frosty eyes on Cicero, who'd squeaked and dived back behind Elisif. “Do you know, he failed entirely to mention this earlier.”
“Madanach!” Elisif snapped, feeling someone ought to stand up for Cicero here. “You leave him alone, he's done nothing wrong-” She recalled the four people Cicero had stabbed in the last day alone and mentally revised her words. “Nothing to hurt you,” she amended.
Madanach's coldest glare kept right on glaring at Cicero, before he turned back to Eola, disappointment all over his face.
“Eola cariad, please tell me you're not a Talos worshipper.”
Eola could have been a little more gracious in her response to that one, Elisif thought. Bursting into laughter wasn't exactly respectful, even if Talos wasn't a proper god any more.
“No, Da, I promise you, no,” Eola finally giggled. Madanach's expression cleared, relief in his eyes.
“Thank Magnus. Eola, you do know that little fiend presently hiding behind the Dragonborn's slaughtered half of Karthspire, don't you? The only reason he's not dead is partly because the Dragonborn and I have come to an agreement and partly because he's proved himself useful. And you're telling me you've joined the Blades with him.”
“And they're lovers,” Kaie added gleefully, seeming pleased rather than intimidated by the frosty glare she was getting from her sister. Madanach was glaring at Cicero again, who'd started whimpering in terror.
“Yes, I know all that,” Eola snapped. “But the Blades follow the Dragonborn, and you've apparently looked after her rather than killing her. I'm twenty five years old, Da, I can decide who I'm going to love. I don't tell you who you can and can't get involved with, do I now?”
There was something about the way she said that last sentence, some knowing look in her eyes, as if she knew something about Madanach's love life that Elisif didn't. Which was odd, Madanach had been stuck in Cidhna Mine for two decades, where would he have met someone new? Still, Madanach seemed to take the point.
“Fine,” he growled. “You just better hope I can agree terms with the Blades leaders, that's all. As for you, Cicero.” He walked over to Elisif, ignoring her completely as he peered over her shoulder to where Cicero was hiding. “I find you've been anything less than the perfect boyfriend to my little girl, if I find you've ill-treated or hurt her in any way... you better start running because not even the Dragonborn will be able to save you from me.”
“Yes sir!” Cicero squeaked. “Cicero will be nothing less than sweetness and loveliness itself, sir!”
“You better be,” Madanach growled, before looking up to where the rest of the Forsworn had been sitting around watching all this, all looking greatly amused – at least until their king's attention fell back on them. “Right, everyone after Kaie. My daughter has gear for you all – get yourselves out of prison rags and looking like proper fighting men again. Maia, I asked Kaie to retrieve all the things the guards stole from you too, it should all be there. Kaie, did you bring the other things I asked?”
“Yes Da,” Kaie sighed. “One set of specially blessed armour for Maia here, and at Eola's request, a set for Cicero too. It's all up by the door, come on.”
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 15.8 - CORRECT VERSION
“I know who she is, Da,” Eola said as she lifted her eyes to Elisif's, clearly curious to get a good look at her – and apparently pleased with what she saw. “From the fact Cicero's cowering behind her, I'm going to assume this is the famous Dragonborn. Hello there. I'm Eola. Cicero invited me to join the Blades and help you kill things. Although I'm sure there's a little more to it than that.”
“Wait,” Madanach interrupted. “Blades? You? And you know Cicero?” He turned frosty eyes on Cicero, who'd squeaked and dived back behind Elisif. “Do you know, he failed entirely to mention this earlier.”
“Madanach!” Elisif snapped, feeling someone ought to stand up for Cicero here. “You leave him alone, he's done nothing wrong-” She recalled the four people Cicero had stabbed in the last day alone and mentally revised her words. “Nothing to hurt you,” she amended.
Madanach's coldest glare kept right on glaring at Cicero, before he turned back to Eola, disappointment all over his face.
“Eola cariad, please tell me you're not a Talos worshipper.”
Eola could have been a little more gracious in her response to that one, Elisif thought. Bursting into laughter wasn't exactly respectful, even if Talos wasn't a proper god any more.
“No, Da, I promise you, no,” Eola finally giggled. Madanach's expression cleared, relief in his eyes.
“Thank Magnus. Eola, you do know that little fiend presently hiding behind the Dragonborn's slaughtered half of Karthspire, don't you? The only reason he's not dead is partly because the Dragonborn and I have come to an agreement and partly because he's proved himself useful. And you're telling me you've joined the Blades with him.”
“And they're lovers,” Kaie added gleefully, seeming pleased rather than intimidated by the frosty glare she was getting from her sister. Madanach was glaring at Cicero again, who'd started whimpering in terror.
“Yes, I know all that,” Eola snapped. “But the Blades follow the Dragonborn, and you've apparently looked after her rather than killing her. I'm twenty five years old, Da, I can decide who I'm going to love. I don't tell you who you can and can't get involved with, do I now?”
There was something about the way she said that last sentence, some knowing look in her eyes, as if she knew something about Madanach's love life that Elisif didn't. Which was odd, Madanach had been stuck in Cidhna Mine for two decades, where would he have met someone new? Still, Madanach seemed to take the point.
“Fine,” he growled. “You just better hope I can agree terms with the Blades leaders, that's all. As for you, Cicero.” He walked over to Elisif, ignoring her completely as he peered over her shoulder to where Cicero was hiding. “I find you've been anything less than the perfect boyfriend to my little girl, if I find you've ill-treated or hurt her in any way... you better start running because not even the Dragonborn will be able to save you from me.”
“Yes sir!” Cicero squeaked. “Cicero will be nothing less than sweetness and loveliness itself, sir!”
“You better be,” Madanach growled, before looking up to where the rest of the Forsworn had been sitting around watching all this, all looking greatly amused – at least until their king's attention fell back on them. “Right, everyone after Kaie. My daughter has gear for you all – get yourselves out of prison rags and looking like proper fighting men again. Maia, I asked Kaie to retrieve all the things the guards stole from you too, it should all be there. Kaie, did you bring the other things I asked?”
“Yes Da,” Kaie sighed. “One set of specially blessed armour for Maia here, and at Eola's request, a set for Cicero too. It's all up by the door, come on.”