“Daddy, it's me, don't you recognise me?” Lucia gasped, but he just looked confused.
“Kaie? Kaie, cariad, your eyes are the wrong colour. And... I had a dream you died, I had to do your funeral. It was horrible... but you came back to me!”
Lucia remembered Kaie, hair a similar colour to hers but a grown woman in Forsworn gear who'd wielded magic with a skill like Liriel's and had cheerfully told her and Sissel not to worry, she wouldn't let anyone take them prisoner again. Lucia had liked her. She'd only met her the once but they'd become friends on that trip back to Markarth from Falkreath. Kaie had been nice to her, kind and understanding and apparently a friend of Cicero's. Lucia had been heartbroken to hear she'd died, and one thing that had helped bond her to her new father had been timidly asking him if she could visit Kaie's grave, and to her surprise he'd looked sad but smiled and said of course. They'd gone out there next Loredas and spent the day out there, lazing around in the sunshine and having a picnic and talking about her. That day, Lucia had learnt an awful lot about her new father, and families in general, and what Kaie had been like, and that losing a child was the worst thing that could ever happen to you and Madanach had no intention of it ever happening again.
“But I'm not really your little girl,” she'd said as he'd cuddled her. He'd smiled and ruffled her hair.
“Yes you are,” he'd told her. “Kaie was your age when I got sent down and I missed so much of her life. I can't make it up to her, but I can make it up to you. So by my right as Reach-King, you're officially my daughter and I'll look after you, how's that sound?”
Lucia had clung on to him, lost for words. He'd never needed to do anything else to win her over after that. She'd adored him and he'd been as good as his word and looked after her. Until now.
“Borkul! Eola! Nepos! Daddy's ill! He's not waking up properly!”
Borkul promptly ran in, sprinting up to the bed, eyes widening in horror as he took one look at Madanach.
“Madanach, you stupid, stupid bastard! Nepos, get in here!”
Madanach's eyes flickered as he looked up at Borkul, sly grin on his face.
“Oh hey, Borkul. Want some, did ya? Too late, I drank it all. Unless it was something else you were after...”
“Knock it off, your daughter's here for Malacath's sake,” Borkul growled. “Lucia, somewhere around here there'll be a little bottle, wide at the top, narrow at the bottom, kinda purple colour.”
“Like this one?” Lucia said, holding it up and Borkul actually recoiled from it, shaking all over.
“That's it,” Borkul gasped. “No, I don't want it, give it to Nepos right now.”
Nepos was making his way up the steps that led to Madanach's bed and his eyes took on the same shocked look that Borkul's had as he saw what Lucia was holding.
“I'm not seeing this, am I?” he said incredulously. “Don't tell me that at the exact moment we need our King, he's flung himself well and truly off the cart?”
“Off the cart and into the juniper bushes,” Borkul growled. “Madanach, I am so disappointed in you. We all thought you were better than this.”
“Da?” Eola by this time had come running, staring down at her father in shock. “Da, what happened??”
Madanach did look up on hearing her voice, looking even more confused.
“Mireen?” he said vacantly, and Eola, who never normally came close to crying, let out a little sob as she shook her head.
“Mireen, you cut your hair...” Madanach slurred. “Hey, cariad. You were right, you know. It wasn't your fault at all. It was me all along, I'm a terrible husband! I break everything I touch. Shouldna be allowed to have a family. Tell the kids I'm sorry?”
“What happened?” Eola whispered, horrified. Nepos took the bottle off Lucia and showed it to Eola.
“Skooma happened. I don't know where he got it from but he apparently had some stashed away, and has decided sobriety was overrated.”
Re: Thicker Than Blood 8.5
“Kaie? Kaie, cariad, your eyes are the wrong colour. And... I had a dream you died, I had to do your funeral. It was horrible... but you came back to me!”
Lucia remembered Kaie, hair a similar colour to hers but a grown woman in Forsworn gear who'd wielded magic with a skill like Liriel's and had cheerfully told her and Sissel not to worry, she wouldn't let anyone take them prisoner again. Lucia had liked her. She'd only met her the once but they'd become friends on that trip back to Markarth from Falkreath. Kaie had been nice to her, kind and understanding and apparently a friend of Cicero's. Lucia had been heartbroken to hear she'd died, and one thing that had helped bond her to her new father had been timidly asking him if she could visit Kaie's grave, and to her surprise he'd looked sad but smiled and said of course. They'd gone out there next Loredas and spent the day out there, lazing around in the sunshine and having a picnic and talking about her. That day, Lucia had learnt an awful lot about her new father, and families in general, and what Kaie had been like, and that losing a child was the worst thing that could ever happen to you and Madanach had no intention of it ever happening again.
“But I'm not really your little girl,” she'd said as he'd cuddled her. He'd smiled and ruffled her hair.
“Yes you are,” he'd told her. “Kaie was your age when I got sent down and I missed so much of her life. I can't make it up to her, but I can make it up to you. So by my right as Reach-King, you're officially my daughter and I'll look after you, how's that sound?”
Lucia had clung on to him, lost for words. He'd never needed to do anything else to win her over after that. She'd adored him and he'd been as good as his word and looked after her. Until now.
“Borkul! Eola! Nepos! Daddy's ill! He's not waking up properly!”
Borkul promptly ran in, sprinting up to the bed, eyes widening in horror as he took one look at Madanach.
“Madanach, you stupid, stupid bastard! Nepos, get in here!”
Madanach's eyes flickered as he looked up at Borkul, sly grin on his face.
“Oh hey, Borkul. Want some, did ya? Too late, I drank it all. Unless it was something else you were after...”
“Knock it off, your daughter's here for Malacath's sake,” Borkul growled. “Lucia, somewhere around here there'll be a little bottle, wide at the top, narrow at the bottom, kinda purple colour.”
“Like this one?” Lucia said, holding it up and Borkul actually recoiled from it, shaking all over.
“That's it,” Borkul gasped. “No, I don't want it, give it to Nepos right now.”
Nepos was making his way up the steps that led to Madanach's bed and his eyes took on the same shocked look that Borkul's had as he saw what Lucia was holding.
“I'm not seeing this, am I?” he said incredulously. “Don't tell me that at the exact moment we need our King, he's flung himself well and truly off the cart?”
“Off the cart and into the juniper bushes,” Borkul growled. “Madanach, I am so disappointed in you. We all thought you were better than this.”
“Da?” Eola by this time had come running, staring down at her father in shock. “Da, what happened??”
Madanach did look up on hearing her voice, looking even more confused.
“Mireen?” he said vacantly, and Eola, who never normally came close to crying, let out a little sob as she shook her head.
“Mireen, you cut your hair...” Madanach slurred. “Hey, cariad. You were right, you know. It wasn't your fault at all. It was me all along, I'm a terrible husband! I break everything I touch. Shouldna be allowed to have a family. Tell the kids I'm sorry?”
“What happened?” Eola whispered, horrified. Nepos took the bottle off Lucia and showed it to Eola.
“Skooma happened. I don't know where he got it from but he apparently had some stashed away, and has decided sobriety was overrated.”