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ANNOUNCEMENTS: UPDATED 12/16/2017

Happy Holidays, fellow Kinkmemers! I have returned and have no reasonable excuse for my absence except LIFE. I will be working on updating the archives. If anyone sees anything amiss, please let me know.

I am also hoping to find another Mod and an Archivist.

The more dedicated people we have in this Meme the less chance of it dying. I admit that being the sole keeper of the Meme is not great for the fandom. If something were to happen to me, for good, this place would go the way of the Fallout Kink Meme. Let's not let that happen! If anyone would be interested in Modding/Archiving, please drop me a line. Thanks! <3

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“Different,” Argis muttered. “I'm one of them even if I never could get the hang of magic. What if the wizards start judging me? My thane, I can barely cast the Flames spell. Da loved me anyway but I could tell I was a disappointment.”

“No one's judging you,” Liriel soothed him. “You're here as an honoured guest of the Archmage. It'll be fine.”

Argis muttered under his breath and edged closer to Liriel as he followed her over the bridge, only wincing a little at the broken bit that always gave Liriel the shivers too. But eventually they were in, and Argis calmed down once inside.

It turned Urag had very little on the Elder Scrolls, nothing but something on Moth Priests and the ramblings of a lunatic that Liriel took one look at and wished she'd brought Cicero. Maybe getting someone else fluent in Lunatic to look at it would help. Still, it wasn't completely fruitless – Urag had been able to tell them the author was still out there, in the icefields, still researching. Liriel pocketed the book and decided to venture out there tomorrow.

Which left her and Argis spending the night in the Archmage's Quarters, with no spare bed.

“I, er, is there anywhere I can sleep?” Argis asked, looking nervous.

Well, there was her old dorm bed in the Hall of Attainment, but Argis looked even more panicked at the idea of sleeping alone in a dorm full of wizards.

“It's fine, I'll take the floor, there's a rug over there,” he said quickly. Liriel threw her hands in the air.

“It's not fine, you'll freeze!”

“What about a chair, I don't mind sleeping upright, done it before,” said Argis, trying to sound nonchalant.

“For the love of Sithis, man, take the damn bed!” Liriel shouted, Thu'um-laced voice making the walls shake. “Sleep alongside me, I promise I won't molest you, you're not my type.” He really wasn't, although Liriel wasn't blind either and on a purely physical level, Argis was definitely an attractive man. But she couldn't feel his magicka, not like she could Madanach's. Argis' magicka pool was there, but tiny compared to the Reach-King's.

“Now you're starting to sound like him,” Argis muttered, slight grin on his face as he started to take his armour off. “Look the other way then, Reach-Queen. Keep on acting like Madanach, and I can promise you you won't be remotely my type either.”

Liriel dimmed the lights and politely looked the other way as Argis crawled into bed. She disappeared round the corner, changed into a full night-shift and hastily ran back, diving under the covers before the cold could bite.

“Why, why did they build this place so far north??” she whispered. There was a reason she didn't visit all that often, and that was the constant cold.

“No idea,” Argis muttered, edging a bit closer to her for warmth. “You're Archmage, you can go hassle the Orc librarian and find out, can't you?”

“I think I've hassled him enough for one day,” Liriel whispered.

“Want me to hassle him for you?” Argis whispered back. “Magic or not, I could take him in a fist-fight.”

“No!” Liriel gasped, fighting back a fit of the giggles. “No fighting my staff, Argis! You'll get thrown out! Honestly, you're meant to be a Forsworn in Nord's clothing, you're meant to respect magic.”

“I do,” and Argis' mood had shifted, his cheerfulness evaporating and giving way to sadness. “I just wish I could be really one of them, a proper Reachman like Da. He keeps telling me I'm one where it matters, but I look like a Nord, I can't use magic and even if I gave all the right signals, I don't think I'd be welcome at any camp other than his.”

Any camp other than his... and Liriel realised the blindingly bloody obvious once she thought about it. Forsworn father who'd saved him from the Nord invasion of Markarth – no, not saved him, sent people to get him to his camp. Druadach Redoubt, his camp then and now.

“You're Madanach's son,” Liriel breathed and from the way Argis had gone tense, she knew she was right.

“Oh gods,” she heard him say, and she didn't even think a man could sound that terrified. “I didn't mean to, no one's meant to know, Kaie doesn't even know, please don't tell anyone, please...”

“Argis,” Liriel whispered, moving closer and putting an arm around him. “Argis, it's all right, it's fine, it's... how?? Well alright, I know how, but Madanach and a Nord woman? I thought he hated them all.”

“Oh he still does,” Argis said bitterly. “But he made an exception for Ma. She was a hunter, used to live out in the hills above Soljund's Sinkhole. One day she was out hunting and came across the aftermath of a fight between the Forsworn and the guards. Everyone was dead apart from one of the Forsworn, and he was badly injured. Ma didn't care about politics, never did, so she gave him some healing potions and got him back to her little cabin, nursed him back to health, hid him when Nord soldiers called round asking if she'd seen any Forsworn in the area. He had to leave eventually but not before they'd got a little friendly. When he left, he left her pregnant. She moved to the city after she found out, got a job as the blacksmith's assistant. I grew up not knowing who my father was and not caring, not until I was eight years old and the Forsworn took Markarth. Ma was quite prepared to fight, right up until she saw who was leading them. He saw her too and they just stared at each other, and then he saw me looking out from the doorway to our house. Then he ordered the Forsworn to leave her be, the city would need good weaponsmiths, and left a couple of guards to keep an eye on us. A few days later they crowned him Reach-King, and his wife Reach-Queen alongside him, his three little girls declared princesses, and one of them, the eldest, was around my age. We ended up becoming playmates, Eithne and me, and then the King himself started using that as an excuse to visit. I don't think he and Ma were ever lovers again, but there were always guards wandering past, keeping an eye on her and me, and Da himself stopping by and playing with Eithne and me, trying to teach us magic and sword-fighting. I was never any good at magic, but Eithne was a natural. Always told her I'd marry her when I grew up. Didn't know she was my sister at the time of course, didn't know the Reach-King was my damn father. Guess he didn't want it getting out he had a half-Nord son. He always told me later that it was because he didn't want Queen Mireen finding out and killing Ma and me, but I don't know if he'd have been as careful if I'd been a true son of the Reach.”

“You are,” Liriel found herself saying. “Sithis, Argis, he loves you. He said you were irreplaceable and for me to bring you back in one piece. I thought he just didn't want to lose a valued agent, but damn it all, he's your father, of course he is.”

“Yeah. Yeah, he is and he does, I know, and I'd do anything for him, but... it's hard, seeing him with Kaie and wishing I could call him father too.” Argis had rolled over on to his back, staring at the ceiling. “I used to back when they first brought me to Druadach Redoubt. I was ten years old, the Stormcloaks had just murdered my mother in front of me, the Forsworn guards got there too late to save her, but they were able to fight the Nords off long enough for one of them to find me and get me out of the city. There's secret passages out into the mountains all over Markarth if you know where to look. Madanach got out of one, Queen Mireen got out of another with the Reach-Princesses, and the guards with me took me after my father. When I finally got there, scared and traumatised and crying for my mother, they took me into this Forsworn camp with goats' heads all over the place and tents and Forsworn warriors and then there's the damn Reach-King looking utterly wiped out, looking worse than I felt, and I just burst into tears again, right there in front of the King himself and...” Argis took a deep breath, clearly not far off crying again, Liriel certainly had tears in her eyes. Sithis, if that had been either of her babies...

“It's all right,” Liriel whispered, patting his arm. “It's OK, it was a long time ago.”

“Feels like yesterday,” Argis said quietly. “Da took one look at me and his whole expression changed, just despair giving way to hope, and he asked the guard what happened to Ma. They told him she'd been killed and he looked genuinely grieved then got down on his knees next to me and held me and told me he was sorry, so sorry he'd not been able to save Ma but he'd look after me now, the Forsworn looked after their own. I told him I wasn't one, but he just held me and told me yes I was, I was Argis ap Madanach and for as long as he drew breath, he'd make sure his son was taken care of. Of course, back then he didn't know if his wife and daughters had made it out, for all he knew, I was all he had left. But I didn't care back then. I was scared and unhappy and it turned out my da was the Reach-King that was. He swore the entire camp to secrecy on pain of something extremely unpleasant happening, and because he was the damn King in Rags, everyone kept their mouths shut. I lived there for five years – Da wasn't always there, he was visiting other camps, mainly the one Mireen and the girls had holed up at, but the place was home and I was happy. He kept his word, looked after me, taught me how to fight. I remembered seeing the way everyone looked up to him and wanting to be just like him. Then one day Eithne showed up, insisting her mother was being impossible and she'd had enough. So of course Da then had to tell her she had a brother and she was mostly just really annoyed that she couldn't marry me now. But she was really pleased to see me again, and so was I. We used to get up to all sorts of mischief. She'd been there for a matter of months when the Nords tracked us down finally. They butchered the entire camp, I only survived because Da locked me in the cage before they breached the camp, made it look like I was a hostage. I had to watch while they killed everyone in front of me, and then that Stormcloak bastard just Shouted my sister to the floor and ran her through, and Da... He'd been fighting like a maniac, magic everywhere, cutting a bloody swathe through them all, and by the time they got to her, there were just a handful left, Ulfric, Thonar and Thongvor Silver-Blood, Igmund, one or two others. Then Eithne went for Ulfric, the little idiot, and he just butchered her to death. Da surrendered after that. The fight just died out of him when Eithne did. I don't think he'd have even cared if they'd killed him after that.”

Liriel had heard it before from Madanach, knew he still grieved even now, twenty years on, but to hear it confirmed by someone else, someone also grieving and who couldn't even admit his grief openly... She could see silent tears on his cheeks, and she knew the tears were rolling down her own.

“He ended up in Cidhna Mine, I ended up in the guards,” Argis finished. “I got approached by Nepos the Nose not long after Da was imprisoned, asking if I still wanted to help the cause. Told him I'd love to help stick it to the bastards who killed Eithne. Turned into a Forsworn agent right there. Never told anyone why though. Wasn't safe. Still isn't. Everyone in that camp who knew I was his son died, except Da himself. He knows, so does Nepos, but no one else. Not even Kaie. Between the Nords and fear of what his wife might do, Da's acted like I'm not his.”

“He's not done that brilliant a job of it,” said Liriel, recalling all the little interactions between Madanach and Argis that she'd seen at the camp. The odd mix of deference and teasing on Argis' part, the mix of pride and worry on Madanach's. No wonder he'd wanted Argis out of the guards once he got out of prison and didn't need a liaison any more. She had to wonder, was Argis really intended to protect her, or did Madanach want his son under the protection of the fiercest fighter in Skyrim? It didn't even matter by this point. Argis was her friend and she'd be damned if he came to any harm.

“He's different when there's no one else about. And he trusts you. You're good for him. Thank you, stepma.”

“Definitely do not call me that,” Liriel shuddered. “Honestly, I think I preferred Reach-Queen.”

“Sorry,” Argis said, not sounding remotely sorry, and how she'd not seen the resemblance sooner was beyond her.

“Your father's going to be when I next see him,” said Liriel, thinking of all the things she was going to be shouting at him when she next saw him. “He never told me. You're my damn housecarl and he never said you were his son?? His wife's not even alive any more, he can stop hiding you, from the Forsworn anyway.”

“Kaie's still alive,” said Argis softly. “Kaie loved her mother a great deal. I don't think she'd react too well to knowing her father was unfaithful once.”

“Once,” Liriel said softly. “Thirty years ago at least – thirty five years ago in fact. Everyone has their weaknesses. He and I are going to have words when we next see him. Count on it, Argis.”

“I'll write and tell him to flee the country now,” said Argis calmly. Liriel shoved him in the side, and then both of them burst out laughing.

“He'll never leave the Reach, not now,” she finally said, drying her eyes.

“No, not now,” said Argis, turning serious again. “He'll be Reach-King again or die trying.”

Liriel really wished he'd not mentioned Madanach dying. The mere thought made her heart ache and reminded her some problems were beyond even a Dragonborn's powers.

She couldn't worry about it now. She had a Scroll to find and a world to save. Deal with Alduin first. Then sort out the Reach's problems. Which of the two was going to be easier, she couldn't even begin to guess.

~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: 'Ap' is from the Welsh for son of - I'm having the Forsworn use it as a generic term meaning 'child of'. Usually the name of the same-sex parent is used, but not if you're either a son who never knew his father, or a daughter whose father is very high-status.

This story just keeps getting better and better! Cicero is hilarious. The story of Eithne's death was agonizing. And I love the twist with Argis - it adds a whole new dimension to the story. That tiny bit of Madanach's own racism in his dealings with his son is a nice touch, and very poignant. Not that he hasn't done well by him. Madanach means well. But what he's saying, in effect, is "You're not really a Nord, because you're mine." And that's actually quite lovely, but I think Argis would rather hear "You're mine, even though you're a Nord." Not going to happen, of course, as that would force Madanach to uproot his entire worldview. But it adds a whole new shade of gray to a story that's already done a fantastic job of portraying two likable but flawed people (aka Aragorn and Arwen if they were amoral murdering bastards). :)

And I will apparently never get tired of the "What Shall We Do With The Captured Stormcloak" joke. Five new and very violent verses, ahaha, Cicero's right at home.

I've had the Argis+Madanach backstory in mind for ages, but never was able to do anything about it. I'm now enjoying the chance to finally use it, and am glad you are too! Madanach's a good father, but really not good at dealing with the fact his only son is one of the hated Nords...

'What Shall We Do With The Captured Stormcloak?' - oh gods, I've created a meme with a life of its own...

I love how you're getting to expand Argis' background that you set up in Reclamations and never to got explore in Cicero Dragonborn. It is very heartbreaking and touching.

I also enjoyed the other nod with Cicero's last name. Goodness, he's a naughty handful!

I had to laugh at the "Seriously, where are we going?" line. =3

Should I be getting the feeling that Eola is also Madanach's daughter?

It was very sad for me never getting to use it before, but now I am, and that's awesome!

Trying to get Cicero to behave is a never-ending challenge. This is what happens when he's not involved with the Listener... As it is, Madanach only Lightning Cloaked him once, which is not bad going considering.

Commenting on Eola would be spoilery either way so I won't. :P

Passerby!Anon totally stopped in her tracks, lost her balance, fell over, then crawled forward for more, totally forgetting what she had been looking for in the first place. A!A, you're amazing, keep up the good work. This fill is just perfect. You write all the characters so well! In fact, you even developed them - spectacularly. I salute your writing skills.

Squee! I'm very glad you're enjoying it, and blushing at the lovely compliment. :)

YES YES YES!!!! I've been wondering about Argis since the moment you introduced him into the story, I'm so glad my suspicions are confirmed! I haven't even finished reading yet, I just couldn't stop myself from commenting. That's how good this story is - you've got me wondering about plot twists!

*squee!* Yay, someone got the clues! Glad you're enjoying. :)

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