“Sitting them down and giving them a good talking-to, yes, not stealing their torc!” Madanach looked at the three faces of his closest friends and kin all glaring at him, recalled Uraccen was also on his way back, and realised what they'd done. “By Sithis, Eola, you backstabbing, treacherous, bitch-”
“That's enough!” Borkul said, moving in and wrestling Madanach back before he actually did go for Eola. “Boss, you need to calm down, you have other problems.”
“I am your father, damn you!” Madanach roared, still struggling in Borkul's arms, quietly pleased to see at least a flicker of upset on Eola's face... until she got to her own feet, shaking her head in quiet disgust.
“My father was a mighty warrior king who the whole Reach feared,” Eola said, eyes as cold and hard as her mother's ever had been. “My father was a terrifyingly competent warlord that controlled everything in this country, pulling the strings even when the Nords ran it. Had my father been in charge today, Ma and Da Dragonborn would have got as far as Salvius Farm before the ReachGuard caught up with them and busted Liriel out of there! As it is, no one knew she was even gone until an hour after they'd taken her, because the one who was empathy-bonded to her, who would otherwise have known she was in trouble, was getting wasted on Skooma!”
It was true, it was all true, Madanach already knew he was the world's worst husband who did not deserve Liriel in his life in any way, shape or form, but there was really no need for Eola to be quite so harsh over this.
“It was the first time in eighteen months!” Madanach protested. “I'd had that bottle for nearly a year and done nothing with it!”
“If you'd had any sense, you'd have given it to me or Nepos to get rid of months ago,” Keirine snapped. “As it is... brother, what have you done to yourself?”
“It's not my fault I ended up in prison!” Madanach protested, but none of the three looked remotely impressed.
“Not Liriel's fault she ended up in a trunk bound for Alinor either, but thanks to you and her parents that's exactly where she is,” Eola said bitterly. “Da, I don't care about the Skooma, I don't even care about you and Liriel arguing. But I do care that my little sister's upset and that my husband's out there on a crazed rampage and my best friend is in trouble!” Eola took a few deep breaths to calm herself and stared back at him, anger finally fading and Madanach felt the guilt flare up again as he realised his twenty six year old daughter was no less worried than the ten year old – she was just hiding it better.
“Daughter, I'll find her. I promise,” Madanach said fiercely, already considering his options. So they'd invoked a regency – well, could have been worse. As it was, he had more important things to worry about. Liriel was in trouble, and if anything happened to her, he wouldn't care about the Reach or anything else anyway. “I'm going to need a few of her things – and my robes, where are they?”
“Being cleaned,” Eola sighed. “What exactly did you get up to in there – actually, don't tell me, I don't want to know. Either go like that or wear that old gear of Harkon's.”
Well, the vampire armour did have strange effects on Liriel, it had to be said. What it said about her that she liked killing powerful men, taking their things and then getting her husband to dress up like them, Madanach didn't know, but he'd accept the gifts.
“Take her circlet as well, she'll want it back,” Eola said, handing it over. “Also, I think you'll be wanting these.”
Eola held out her hand. In it were two gold diamond rings. His and Liriel's wedding rings.
“Bit premature, isn't it?” Madanach said roughly, hiding the effect seeing them again was having on him. “I'm not even sure she'll still want me after all this.”
“Nor am I, to be honest, but if you go down on one knee and offer the ring back, she might just take pity on you and say yes,” Eola said, faint smile on her face. “Go on, take them. You might need them.”
Re: Thicker Than Blood 8.11
“That's enough!” Borkul said, moving in and wrestling Madanach back before he actually did go for Eola. “Boss, you need to calm down, you have other problems.”
“I am your father, damn you!” Madanach roared, still struggling in Borkul's arms, quietly pleased to see at least a flicker of upset on Eola's face... until she got to her own feet, shaking her head in quiet disgust.
“My father was a mighty warrior king who the whole Reach feared,” Eola said, eyes as cold and hard as her mother's ever had been. “My father was a terrifyingly competent warlord that controlled everything in this country, pulling the strings even when the Nords ran it. Had my father been in charge today, Ma and Da Dragonborn would have got as far as Salvius Farm before the ReachGuard caught up with them and busted Liriel out of there! As it is, no one knew she was even gone until an hour after they'd taken her, because the one who was empathy-bonded to her, who would otherwise have known she was in trouble, was getting wasted on Skooma!”
It was true, it was all true, Madanach already knew he was the world's worst husband who did not deserve Liriel in his life in any way, shape or form, but there was really no need for Eola to be quite so harsh over this.
“It was the first time in eighteen months!” Madanach protested. “I'd had that bottle for nearly a year and done nothing with it!”
“If you'd had any sense, you'd have given it to me or Nepos to get rid of months ago,” Keirine snapped. “As it is... brother, what have you done to yourself?”
“It's not my fault I ended up in prison!” Madanach protested, but none of the three looked remotely impressed.
“Not Liriel's fault she ended up in a trunk bound for Alinor either, but thanks to you and her parents that's exactly where she is,” Eola said bitterly. “Da, I don't care about the Skooma, I don't even care about you and Liriel arguing. But I do care that my little sister's upset and that my husband's out there on a crazed rampage and my best friend is in trouble!” Eola took a few deep breaths to calm herself and stared back at him, anger finally fading and Madanach felt the guilt flare up again as he realised his twenty six year old daughter was no less worried than the ten year old – she was just hiding it better.
“Daughter, I'll find her. I promise,” Madanach said fiercely, already considering his options. So they'd invoked a regency – well, could have been worse. As it was, he had more important things to worry about. Liriel was in trouble, and if anything happened to her, he wouldn't care about the Reach or anything else anyway. “I'm going to need a few of her things – and my robes, where are they?”
“Being cleaned,” Eola sighed. “What exactly did you get up to in there – actually, don't tell me, I don't want to know. Either go like that or wear that old gear of Harkon's.”
Well, the vampire armour did have strange effects on Liriel, it had to be said. What it said about her that she liked killing powerful men, taking their things and then getting her husband to dress up like them, Madanach didn't know, but he'd accept the gifts.
“Take her circlet as well, she'll want it back,” Eola said, handing it over. “Also, I think you'll be wanting these.”
Eola held out her hand. In it were two gold diamond rings. His and Liriel's wedding rings.
“Bit premature, isn't it?” Madanach said roughly, hiding the effect seeing them again was having on him. “I'm not even sure she'll still want me after all this.”
“Nor am I, to be honest, but if you go down on one knee and offer the ring back, she might just take pity on you and say yes,” Eola said, faint smile on her face. “Go on, take them. You might need them.”