“In here,” Elisif called, and Karliah pushed the tent door open, coming to sit next to her, and behind her was Erandur, dear sweet Erandur who had no inappropriate designs on her whatsoever, bless the man.
“How are you doing?” Karliah asked, sitting cross-legged on the ground, looking sympathetic. “Argis told me what happened. Bit of a shock, eh?”
“A bit,” Elisif said, sitting up, feeling exhausted. “I mean, looking back I'm not actually surprised... but I don't need this right now, you know? I have to face Ulfric tomorrow. I don't need to worry about Madanach having a crush on me!”
“You don't feel the same, I take it,” Erandur said, completely unsurprised and by Kynareth did everyone in this camp but her know??
“You knew as well,” Elisif said, mortified. Erandur nodded sympathetically.
“Afraid so, although in my case, I did get a personal confession off the man. He heard I was a priest of Mara and sought my advice.”
“But half the camp does know as well, Kaie's been going on about it non-stop to anyone who'll listen,” Karliah said sheepishly.
“Let me guess, she hates me for being a stepmother I don't even want to be?” Elisif sighed.
“Not exactly, she just thinks her father's making a fool of himself and is having a, what did she call it, gearcheim y canolan. A crisis brought on by realising you are no longer young, I think it means,” Karliah said.
“Don't worry about her, she's just looking out for her kin. More annoyed with him than you, I think,” said Erandur, looking far calmer than the situation really merited in Elisif's view. “No one's actually expecting you to reciprocate, don't worry. No one other than him and even he's not exactly expecting it, just hoping.”
“You don't reciprocate, do you?” Karliah said shrewdly, and it occurred to Elisif a master thief like Karliah hadn't got where she was by not being able to read people.
“I don't... I can't!” Elisif cried. “I'm still in love with Torygg! I always will be. Part of me is always going to love him and miss him and I can't... look, I know I need heirs, I know I need to marry again eventually after all this, I know. But I was hoping for just some arranged political match, where we don't love each other and just come together to have kids and just lead separate lives once it's done. Then I can just love my children and mourn Torygg in peace, and he'll forgive me for being unfaithful because he knew I had to do right by Skyrim. And Madanach will never be content to settle for that, he'd be there, all the time, or insisting I come to Markarth. He'd be trying to seduce me, trying to get under my skin, trying to make me love him back...” Elisif had her hands over her face, fingers twining into her hair. No, absolutely not, it would be an unmitigated disaster for them both.
A moment's silence from them both then Erandur spoke.
“That sounds awfully lonely, Elisif.”
“What would you know, you're celibate!” Elisif snapped, tetchy all of a sudden. “And making a complete hash of the whole Aranea business, I might add. And weren't you the one who said falling in love was a mistake?”
“It got my lover killed because we were both too distracted to notice Mercer,” Karliah said, sounding a little tetchy herself. “Which you don't have to worry about because you know who your enemies are.”
Tell that to Erikur. “Not the point,” Elisif sighed. “Oh hang it all, it just wouldn't work. I'm too young for him and damaged goods besides. He can do better than me – what??”
Erandur was shaking his head with a grin and Karliah was actually giggling.
“Don't tell him that when you turn him down,” Karliah laughed. “He'll just give you a list of all the reasons he is also damaged goods and completely unsuitable for anyone then declare that's why you're made for each other.”
“Don't, he'd do exactly that,” Elisif moaned, seeing it all too clearly. “Damn it, why can't things just be simple?? And why are we all so terrible at handling our lives?”
“Well, if we were all good at love all the time, we wouldn't need Lady Mara to guide us, would we,” Erandur said knowingly, deliberately ignoring the eye-rolling from Karliah. Change of subject needed.
Re: The Wolf Queen Awakens 28.7
“How are you doing?” Karliah asked, sitting cross-legged on the ground, looking sympathetic. “Argis told me what happened. Bit of a shock, eh?”
“A bit,” Elisif said, sitting up, feeling exhausted. “I mean, looking back I'm not actually surprised... but I don't need this right now, you know? I have to face Ulfric tomorrow. I don't need to worry about Madanach having a crush on me!”
“You don't feel the same, I take it,” Erandur said, completely unsurprised and by Kynareth did everyone in this camp but her know??
“You knew as well,” Elisif said, mortified. Erandur nodded sympathetically.
“Afraid so, although in my case, I did get a personal confession off the man. He heard I was a priest of Mara and sought my advice.”
“But half the camp does know as well, Kaie's been going on about it non-stop to anyone who'll listen,” Karliah said sheepishly.
“Let me guess, she hates me for being a stepmother I don't even want to be?” Elisif sighed.
“Not exactly, she just thinks her father's making a fool of himself and is having a, what did she call it, gearcheim y canolan. A crisis brought on by realising you are no longer young, I think it means,” Karliah said.
“Don't worry about her, she's just looking out for her kin. More annoyed with him than you, I think,” said Erandur, looking far calmer than the situation really merited in Elisif's view. “No one's actually expecting you to reciprocate, don't worry. No one other than him and even he's not exactly expecting it, just hoping.”
“You don't reciprocate, do you?” Karliah said shrewdly, and it occurred to Elisif a master thief like Karliah hadn't got where she was by not being able to read people.
“I don't... I can't!” Elisif cried. “I'm still in love with Torygg! I always will be. Part of me is always going to love him and miss him and I can't... look, I know I need heirs, I know I need to marry again eventually after all this, I know. But I was hoping for just some arranged political match, where we don't love each other and just come together to have kids and just lead separate lives once it's done. Then I can just love my children and mourn Torygg in peace, and he'll forgive me for being unfaithful because he knew I had to do right by Skyrim. And Madanach will never be content to settle for that, he'd be there, all the time, or insisting I come to Markarth. He'd be trying to seduce me, trying to get under my skin, trying to make me love him back...” Elisif had her hands over her face, fingers twining into her hair. No, absolutely not, it would be an unmitigated disaster for them both.
A moment's silence from them both then Erandur spoke.
“That sounds awfully lonely, Elisif.”
“What would you know, you're celibate!” Elisif snapped, tetchy all of a sudden. “And making a complete hash of the whole Aranea business, I might add. And weren't you the one who said falling in love was a mistake?”
“It got my lover killed because we were both too distracted to notice Mercer,” Karliah said, sounding a little tetchy herself. “Which you don't have to worry about because you know who your enemies are.”
Tell that to Erikur. “Not the point,” Elisif sighed. “Oh hang it all, it just wouldn't work. I'm too young for him and damaged goods besides. He can do better than me – what??”
Erandur was shaking his head with a grin and Karliah was actually giggling.
“Don't tell him that when you turn him down,” Karliah laughed. “He'll just give you a list of all the reasons he is also damaged goods and completely unsuitable for anyone then declare that's why you're made for each other.”
“Don't, he'd do exactly that,” Elisif moaned, seeing it all too clearly. “Damn it, why can't things just be simple?? And why are we all so terrible at handling our lives?”
“Well, if we were all good at love all the time, we wouldn't need Lady Mara to guide us, would we,” Erandur said knowingly, deliberately ignoring the eye-rolling from Karliah. Change of subject needed.