“Fine,” Sabrinda said through gritted teeth. “Show me to this house. Ancalime, come on.” The girl was staring at the ridiculous court fool who'd just come slinking back, laden down with weapons, books, a sackful of potions and clothes and who knew what else and slipped off into the shadows, whistling to himself. Sabrinda grabbed her arm and hauled her out, following in Uaile's wake. The sooner she got out of this place the better. Truly she wished she'd never come... but Liriel had given her no choice.
So wrapped up in her rage was Sabrinda that she didn't even notice Ancalime staring over her shoulder at the Reach-King, or the smile and wave the two exchanged. Ancalime turned away and hid her face with her hair, but the smile didn't fade. A human had been nice to her! Not just any human but the King of the city! He had a crown and everything and some fancy robes. And he knew Liriel, he knew her sister! He could tell Ancalime stories about her! No one told Ancalime anything about Liriel lately, not what she'd actually done. Only that she'd done something bad.
Ancalime missed her sister more than words could say, and not even being able to talk to her parents about Liriel lately was weighing on her. But King Madanach might want to talk, and he'd been nice. Children weren't really supposed to talk to strange adults, or talk while the adults were speaking... but Madanach wasn't a stranger now, and if her parents weren't around...
Hiding her face and keeping quiet, Ancalime began to plot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Madanach watched them go, unable to resist smiling at little Ancalime as she looked over her shoulder, waving goodbye before turning back before her parents noticed. Liriel had a little sister! She'd never said she had a little sister! A little Altmer – he'd never seen a child Altmer although he supposed they had to exist.
“I didn't know Liriel had a sister!” That was Nepos emerging from the shadows, looking as amazed as Madanach felt. “Bless her, she's the sweetest little thing!”
“I know, did you see her ears!” Madanach gasped. “They're too big for her head and it shouldn't be cute but it is! And her tiny little snub nose and the freckles!”
“Oh my actual gods,” and that was Eola, looking faintly appalled. “Can you hear yourselves right now? You're as bad as the rest of the city! So she's a child Altmer, so what?”
Ah yes, Eola's famous parental instincts shining through. Exactly like her mother sometimes.
“She was cute,” said Madanach firmly. “And Altmer don't have that many children, they certainly don't take them abroad very often, do you know how rare it is to see a child Altmer? I know I never have.”
“You're the King of the Reach!” Eola cried, exasperated. “The Scourge of the Nords, the Murderer of Markarth, King in Rags as was, Red Eagle's Heir! A grown man who turned sixty last year, and here you and Nepos both are, losing it over a small child. Borkul, tell him.”
“I'm staying out of this,” Borkul muttered. Then he did grin a bit. “But the ears thing is cute, you get it in Orc kids as well.”
“Father,” Eola sighed, hand over her face. “Can we possibly get back to the more pressing matter of Liriel's Ma being in the city? And that she makes my ma look like a shining beacon of generosity and compassion? And that I imagine she knows damn well you've seduced and defiled her daughter.”
“Her father certainly does,” Borkul said, smirking. “He was giving you some hard looks, boss. Wouldn't want to be in your shoes.”
“He didn't say much,” Madanach said thoughtfully. He didn't think Meryndor was a warrior – a merchant from what Madanach had heard, capable of simple illusions to entertain children, and a dab hand at Restoration from all the times he'd had to deal with his children's injuries – but not the Destruction mage his daughter was. All the same, it didn't pay to antagonise his father-in-law. Even if Sabrinda did appear to be de facto head of the family – in public at least.
Re: Thicker Than Blood 3.4
So wrapped up in her rage was Sabrinda that she didn't even notice Ancalime staring over her shoulder at the Reach-King, or the smile and wave the two exchanged. Ancalime turned away and hid her face with her hair, but the smile didn't fade. A human had been nice to her! Not just any human but the King of the city! He had a crown and everything and some fancy robes. And he knew Liriel, he knew her sister! He could tell Ancalime stories about her! No one told Ancalime anything about Liriel lately, not what she'd actually done. Only that she'd done something bad.
Ancalime missed her sister more than words could say, and not even being able to talk to her parents about Liriel lately was weighing on her. But King Madanach might want to talk, and he'd been nice. Children weren't really supposed to talk to strange adults, or talk while the adults were speaking... but Madanach wasn't a stranger now, and if her parents weren't around...
Hiding her face and keeping quiet, Ancalime began to plot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Madanach watched them go, unable to resist smiling at little Ancalime as she looked over her shoulder, waving goodbye before turning back before her parents noticed. Liriel had a little sister! She'd never said she had a little sister! A little Altmer – he'd never seen a child Altmer although he supposed they had to exist.
“I didn't know Liriel had a sister!” That was Nepos emerging from the shadows, looking as amazed as Madanach felt. “Bless her, she's the sweetest little thing!”
“I know, did you see her ears!” Madanach gasped. “They're too big for her head and it shouldn't be cute but it is! And her tiny little snub nose and the freckles!”
“Oh my actual gods,” and that was Eola, looking faintly appalled. “Can you hear yourselves right now? You're as bad as the rest of the city! So she's a child Altmer, so what?”
Ah yes, Eola's famous parental instincts shining through. Exactly like her mother sometimes.
“She was cute,” said Madanach firmly. “And Altmer don't have that many children, they certainly don't take them abroad very often, do you know how rare it is to see a child Altmer? I know I never have.”
“You're the King of the Reach!” Eola cried, exasperated. “The Scourge of the Nords, the Murderer of Markarth, King in Rags as was, Red Eagle's Heir! A grown man who turned sixty last year, and here you and Nepos both are, losing it over a small child. Borkul, tell him.”
“I'm staying out of this,” Borkul muttered. Then he did grin a bit. “But the ears thing is cute, you get it in Orc kids as well.”
“See!” Madanach said, vindicated. “Even Borkul thinks she's cute.”
“Father,” Eola sighed, hand over her face. “Can we possibly get back to the more pressing matter of Liriel's Ma being in the city? And that she makes my ma look like a shining beacon of generosity and compassion? And that I imagine she knows damn well you've seduced and defiled her daughter.”
“Her father certainly does,” Borkul said, smirking. “He was giving you some hard looks, boss. Wouldn't want to be in your shoes.”
“He didn't say much,” Madanach said thoughtfully. He didn't think Meryndor was a warrior – a merchant from what Madanach had heard, capable of simple illusions to entertain children, and a dab hand at Restoration from all the times he'd had to deal with his children's injuries – but not the Destruction mage his daughter was. All the same, it didn't pay to antagonise his father-in-law. Even if Sabrinda did appear to be de facto head of the family – in public at least.