“Tha's nice,” Madanach whispered, liking this very much, Sam stroking his hair and holding him, stretching out and rolling on top of him and it felt nothing like holding Liriel, no soft curves, just hard muscle and being quite, quite helpless. Grinning, he lay back and wrapped his arms around the Daedric Prince of Debauchery. “Gonna kiss me again?”
“I was hopin' you'd say that,” Sanguine grinned, bending down to kiss Madanach. Somewhere deep in his mind, the empathy bond was trying to flare, Liriel trying to summon him, pleading for her husband to come and get her. But the Skooma had Madanach in its grip... and so did Sanguine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucia watched as Ancalime trailed after her parents, glancing sadly over her shoulder at her. She'd been allowed out to play earlier, but her father had reclaimed her all too soon, telling her to say goodbye, they needed to leave. Lucia could swear he'd looked anxious about something, but she couldn't have said what. So she'd hugged Ancalime and told her to write, and Ancalime had nodded sadly and whispered she'd try, if they let her. She'd looked so forlorn and sad and Lucia had just wanted to hug her to death. Couldn't they keep her? She clearly didn't want to go. She could stay with them at the Keep, Liriel was her sister, they were family! But Lucia had barely seen her parents to ask. No one had. It had been Eola who'd put them to bed last night, and she'd seemed worried too.
“Your ma's upset because her parents are here,” Eola had explained to them both.
“But why? Doesn't she like them?” Lucia had asked, confused.
“Don't they like her?” Sissel had whispered nervously. “Do they hit her like Papa used to do to me?”
“No!” Eola had cried. “At least, I don't think so. But they don't like her living with humans, and they really don't like that she married Da.”
“Don't they like him?” Sissel had asked then tilted her head as it occurred to her lots of people didn't like their Da. “I mean, less than Nords do?”
“You're a Nord!” Eola had laughed. Sissel shook her head stubbornly.
“No, I just look like one. I'm a Rhanyeen-vira on the inside! It's why Papa didn't like me. He could tell I wasn't really a Nord.”
“I'm not sure your Papa liked anyone, but you're definitely one of us now,” Eola had said with a smile. “And so's your Ma. Despite being an elf. Only her parents don't like that at all. So that's why your Ma's upset. And Da's unhappy because she's upset. But don't worry, gwanethai bach. They'll go home eventually and then everything will go back to normal.”
Lucia wondered what Ancalime's normal was like. She didn't think her parents hit her like Sissel's papa had, and they didn't starve her like her aunt and uncle had, but the little elf definitely looked unhappy. Lucia would miss her.
“Do you think we'll see her again?” Sissel asked, also looking a bit sad to see Ancalime go. “Do you think Mama will take us to Alinor to see her?”
“Of course not, Sissel, Alinor's run by Thalmor. They don't let humans in,” Lucia sighed. “They don't like humans.”
“But if Mama was with us...!” Sissel said hopefully. Lucia really wished Sissel could get her head around the idea that even their Mama's powers had limits, although given their mother had shot a dragon down by shouting at it then taken its soul only yesterday, this was going to be a difficult task.
“That's worse!” Lucia sighed. “Thalmor hate humans, but they really hate it when elves marry humans and have kids with them! That's why they were upset with Mama!”
“Oh,” Sissel said softly, the truth sinking in. “Then... they won't let Cali write to us, will they?”
Sissel watched as the last of the trunks was loaded on the cart, the Thalmor soldiers seeming to have particular trouble with that one. Then the cart was trundling off, Ancalime watching sadly but her parents barely looking back. Once it was gone, Sissel turned to head inside.
“I'm gonna go find Skuli and Adara,” Sissel said quietly. “You coming, Lu?”
Re: Thicker Than Blood 7.8
“I was hopin' you'd say that,” Sanguine grinned, bending down to kiss Madanach. Somewhere deep in his mind, the empathy bond was trying to flare, Liriel trying to summon him, pleading for her husband to come and get her. But the Skooma had Madanach in its grip... and so did Sanguine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucia watched as Ancalime trailed after her parents, glancing sadly over her shoulder at her. She'd been allowed out to play earlier, but her father had reclaimed her all too soon, telling her to say goodbye, they needed to leave. Lucia could swear he'd looked anxious about something, but she couldn't have said what. So she'd hugged Ancalime and told her to write, and Ancalime had nodded sadly and whispered she'd try, if they let her. She'd looked so forlorn and sad and Lucia had just wanted to hug her to death. Couldn't they keep her? She clearly didn't want to go. She could stay with them at the Keep, Liriel was her sister, they were family! But Lucia had barely seen her parents to ask. No one had. It had been Eola who'd put them to bed last night, and she'd seemed worried too.
“Your ma's upset because her parents are here,” Eola had explained to them both.
“But why? Doesn't she like them?” Lucia had asked, confused.
“Don't they like her?” Sissel had whispered nervously. “Do they hit her like Papa used to do to me?”
“No!” Eola had cried. “At least, I don't think so. But they don't like her living with humans, and they really don't like that she married Da.”
“Don't they like him?” Sissel had asked then tilted her head as it occurred to her lots of people didn't like their Da. “I mean, less than Nords do?”
“You're a Nord!” Eola had laughed. Sissel shook her head stubbornly.
“No, I just look like one. I'm a Rhanyeen-vira on the inside! It's why Papa didn't like me. He could tell I wasn't really a Nord.”
“I'm not sure your Papa liked anyone, but you're definitely one of us now,” Eola had said with a smile. “And so's your Ma. Despite being an elf. Only her parents don't like that at all. So that's why your Ma's upset. And Da's unhappy because she's upset. But don't worry, gwanethai bach. They'll go home eventually and then everything will go back to normal.”
Lucia wondered what Ancalime's normal was like. She didn't think her parents hit her like Sissel's papa had, and they didn't starve her like her aunt and uncle had, but the little elf definitely looked unhappy. Lucia would miss her.
“Do you think we'll see her again?” Sissel asked, also looking a bit sad to see Ancalime go. “Do you think Mama will take us to Alinor to see her?”
“Of course not, Sissel, Alinor's run by Thalmor. They don't let humans in,” Lucia sighed. “They don't like humans.”
“But if Mama was with us...!” Sissel said hopefully. Lucia really wished Sissel could get her head around the idea that even their Mama's powers had limits, although given their mother had shot a dragon down by shouting at it then taken its soul only yesterday, this was going to be a difficult task.
“That's worse!” Lucia sighed. “Thalmor hate humans, but they really hate it when elves marry humans and have kids with them! That's why they were upset with Mama!”
“Oh,” Sissel said softly, the truth sinking in. “Then... they won't let Cali write to us, will they?”
Lucia shook her head. “I don't think so. I'm sorry, Sissel.”
Sissel watched as the last of the trunks was loaded on the cart, the Thalmor soldiers seeming to have particular trouble with that one. Then the cart was trundling off, Ancalime watching sadly but her parents barely looking back. Once it was gone, Sissel turned to head inside.
“I'm gonna go find Skuli and Adara,” Sissel said quietly. “You coming, Lu?”