Madanach watched her go, tempted to run after her but it seemed undignified at his age, not to mention it'd probably make things worse.
“Are you all right?” Argis said quietly, coming to stand at his shoulder, one hand rubbing his back, quarrel forgotten.
“I will be,” Madanach said quietly. “I'm worried about her though. I didn't want her to know until after all this, when she'd had more time to grieve. You don't get over something like that happening to you, not so soon.”
“No, you never do,” Argis said quietly, probably remembering seeing his mother die. “I'm sorry.”
“Don't be,” Madanach said, one bright side occurring to him. “She said she wanted Torygg back, that she was still grieving, which is certainly true... but she said nothing about not wanting me. I don't think I'll give up hope just yet.”
“That sounds more like you,” Argis said, grinning and heading out. “Should I go after her, do you think?”
“Yes – no, actually. Find Erandur, send him after her. Man gives sensible advice and is a good listener. Or Aranea, she's got her head screwed on the right way. And if you see Keirine or Kaie, tell them to come find me. Oh, and Argis.”
“Yeah?” Argis asked, something in Madanach's tone sounding a little less commanding than usual.
“About Farkas,” Madanach said hesitantly.
“What about him?” Argis said, slight note of danger coming back into his voice, and for all his usual impassive and quiet demeanour, there was a hidden wildness to Argis that not many people ever really saw – unless he killed them, of course.
“If he makes you happy, go be with him. I suppose he's not so bad for a Nord. Knows when to shut up, doesn't care about politics, better than the halfwit Eola landed me with. Just make sure he knows that if he breaks your heart, I break his neck.”
That did make Argis laugh. “Sure thing. Thanks, I'll be sure to tell him.”
Madanach smiled wistfully as he watched Argis go, feeling rather proud of the warrior he'd raised. Nord blood notwithstanding, Argis was one of the best he had. When it had occurred to him Elisif could do with a new housecarl after losing her first one, Argis had been the first and only choice to look after her for him.
Sadly for him, replacing the husband wasn't going to be quite so easy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elisif didn't know how long she'd been in her tent, lying down on the straw pile and quietly wishing it would all go away. Honestly, here she was, capable of taking on dragons and facing down Alduin himself and one off-hand remark, one realisation, had just thrown her completely.
How dare he want her. How dare he find her attractive? How dare he tell her he was thinking of proposing? She was already married! Even if Torygg was dead...
You're Queen. You'll need heirs, need a husband, you want children anyway, don't you?
Well, yes, but she wasn't even Queen yet and she could wait a few years before getting married again. To someone she barely knew, for political reasons, with no love involved, just loveless, meaningless sex until she got pregnant and then they could lead separate lives. He could have mistresses if he wanted, she wouldn't care.
She had a feeling Madanach wasn't the separate lives and mistresses type. She also had a feeling he wouldn't forgive her if that was how they ended up. Worst of all, he'd been sending gifts, flirting with her, building her up to his people as a hero out of legend who'd save them so that they'd overlook her Nord blood when he made her his queen, not just High Queen. Despite feeling quite free to disapprove of Argis taking a Nord into his bed, and that really rankled. Bloody hypocritical bastard. He had absolutely no right, none at all.
“Elisif?”
Soft Dunmer tones of Karliah, who Elisif had been introduced to only the other day. Strange eyes for a Dunmer, but really pretty and seemingly a very sweet and gentle person. A former colleague of Brynjolf's, so a thief then, but Elisif found it hard to hold it against her. Ria had spoken very highly of her for rescuing her from Windhelm, Argis claimed she'd saved his life twenty years ago in Markarth, and everyone seemed to like her. Even Delphine had seemed to approve.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 28.6
“Are you all right?” Argis said quietly, coming to stand at his shoulder, one hand rubbing his back, quarrel forgotten.
“I will be,” Madanach said quietly. “I'm worried about her though. I didn't want her to know until after all this, when she'd had more time to grieve. You don't get over something like that happening to you, not so soon.”
“No, you never do,” Argis said quietly, probably remembering seeing his mother die. “I'm sorry.”
“Don't be,” Madanach said, one bright side occurring to him. “She said she wanted Torygg back, that she was still grieving, which is certainly true... but she said nothing about not wanting me. I don't think I'll give up hope just yet.”
“That sounds more like you,” Argis said, grinning and heading out. “Should I go after her, do you think?”
“Yes – no, actually. Find Erandur, send him after her. Man gives sensible advice and is a good listener. Or Aranea, she's got her head screwed on the right way. And if you see Keirine or Kaie, tell them to come find me. Oh, and Argis.”
“Yeah?” Argis asked, something in Madanach's tone sounding a little less commanding than usual.
“About Farkas,” Madanach said hesitantly.
“What about him?” Argis said, slight note of danger coming back into his voice, and for all his usual impassive and quiet demeanour, there was a hidden wildness to Argis that not many people ever really saw – unless he killed them, of course.
“If he makes you happy, go be with him. I suppose he's not so bad for a Nord. Knows when to shut up, doesn't care about politics, better than the halfwit Eola landed me with. Just make sure he knows that if he breaks your heart, I break his neck.”
That did make Argis laugh. “Sure thing. Thanks, I'll be sure to tell him.”
Madanach smiled wistfully as he watched Argis go, feeling rather proud of the warrior he'd raised. Nord blood notwithstanding, Argis was one of the best he had. When it had occurred to him Elisif could do with a new housecarl after losing her first one, Argis had been the first and only choice to look after her for him.
Sadly for him, replacing the husband wasn't going to be quite so easy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elisif didn't know how long she'd been in her tent, lying down on the straw pile and quietly wishing it would all go away. Honestly, here she was, capable of taking on dragons and facing down Alduin himself and one off-hand remark, one realisation, had just thrown her completely.
How dare he want her. How dare he find her attractive? How dare he tell her he was thinking of proposing? She was already married! Even if Torygg was dead...
You're Queen. You'll need heirs, need a husband, you want children anyway, don't you?
Well, yes, but she wasn't even Queen yet and she could wait a few years before getting married again. To someone she barely knew, for political reasons, with no love involved, just loveless, meaningless sex until she got pregnant and then they could lead separate lives. He could have mistresses if he wanted, she wouldn't care.
She had a feeling Madanach wasn't the separate lives and mistresses type. She also had a feeling he wouldn't forgive her if that was how they ended up. Worst of all, he'd been sending gifts, flirting with her, building her up to his people as a hero out of legend who'd save them so that they'd overlook her Nord blood when he made her his queen, not just High Queen. Despite feeling quite free to disapprove of Argis taking a Nord into his bed, and that really rankled. Bloody hypocritical bastard. He had absolutely no right, none at all.
“Elisif?”
Soft Dunmer tones of Karliah, who Elisif had been introduced to only the other day. Strange eyes for a Dunmer, but really pretty and seemingly a very sweet and gentle person. A former colleague of Brynjolf's, so a thief then, but Elisif found it hard to hold it against her. Ria had spoken very highly of her for rescuing her from Windhelm, Argis claimed she'd saved his life twenty years ago in Markarth, and everyone seemed to like her. Even Delphine had seemed to approve.