“I think you need to state your terms for handing the torc back and quickly,” Madanach said, barely flinching at the attempted emotional manipulation. Liriel repressed a smile. This, this was the man she'd fallen in love with. Take one kingdom away, and Liriel had a feeling he'd just set out to claim another. One of the High Rock city-states was surely looking a little bit shaky politically, the arrival of a soon-to-be-vampire king in exile might be just the thing to liven things up.
A grin flickered on Eola's lips, and Liriel had a feeling she was thinking the same thing.
“One month,” Eola announced. “In which time you enrol in the programme and see a mind-healer and stay on the meds and be a model husband and father and look after your traumatised children, and then you and me and Liriel and Uraccen and Keirine and Nepos are all going to sit round a table and see if you're ready to get back in the saddle.”
Madanach stared back at her, steely glare as one member of the House of Madanach contested with another... and then the head of the house gave in.
“One month,” Madanach agreed. “And then daughter, we talk. Now if you'll excuse me, I have children to settle down?”
“Of course,” Eola said, stepping back smoothly and indicating for him to leave. “Oh, and Da?”
“Yes?” Madanach said warily, glancing back at her.
“Welcome back,” Eola said softly, the Acting Reach-Queen giving way to the worried daughter. “I missed you. I knew you'd find her.”
Madanach looked genuinely startled, but fatherly affection had to win out at some point.
“Thank you,” he said, voice gruff but the affection back. “I missed you too. And... I'm sorry you had to see me like that. It won't happen again.”
“I hope not. My father's stronger than that. Better than that.” Eola fingered the robes, hanging a little loose off her narrower shoulders and the hem far nearer the floor than it was when Madanach wore them. “My da's a fighter.”
“All fighters lose at least once in their lives. But I'll do my best, cariad,” Madanach promised. Then he left, making a quick exit before anyone could see the guilt in his eyes, going to see how the younger ones were doing. Leaving Liriel with Eola, the remaining queenliness dying out of her once her father was gone.
“He's still talking to me. Thank Namira,” Eola said, relieved and a little tearful. “And you! We were so worried!”
“I'm sorry,” Liriel said, taking Eola in her arms. “I really am. Madanach's made me bring Jordis here as a permanent housecarl now. He seems to think I need my own after all this.”
“He's probably right,” Eola said dryly. “You were an idiot to go alone, even if they were your parents. But I'm glad you're back.”
“Me too,” Liriel said softly, cuddling the Acting Reach-Queen like she was one of her children, feeling relieved and safe and happy and just glad to be home. Markarth might have smelter-smoke and abandoned former Daedric lairs and a city under the city that required regular ReachGuard patrols to avoid the Falmer invading... but it was Liriel's home and she'd love it always.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I trust this won't take long?” Elenwen said, looking askance at the sigils painted on the floor of the former Talos Shrine, soul gems gleaming around the edge. The whole thing reeked of old heathen blood magic, and the ReachGuard men and women standing around the edge of the room were not going out of their way to reassure anyone. Keirine didn't seem that bothered, whispering to one of them before beckoning for the Thalmor to join her.
“Not long at all, it's revolutionised travel in the Reach,” Keirine said cheerfully. “Used to take hours to get to Hag's End from here, now you're there in minutes. Now, are we all inside the circle? Good, good, including all bags and clothes please, nothing over the edge. We had a few nasty accidents in the early days but it should be safe enough for the four of us.”
Re: Thicker Than Blood 13.7
A grin flickered on Eola's lips, and Liriel had a feeling she was thinking the same thing.
“One month,” Eola announced. “In which time you enrol in the programme and see a mind-healer and stay on the meds and be a model husband and father and look after your traumatised children, and then you and me and Liriel and Uraccen and Keirine and Nepos are all going to sit round a table and see if you're ready to get back in the saddle.”
Madanach stared back at her, steely glare as one member of the House of Madanach contested with another... and then the head of the house gave in.
“One month,” Madanach agreed. “And then daughter, we talk. Now if you'll excuse me, I have children to settle down?”
“Of course,” Eola said, stepping back smoothly and indicating for him to leave. “Oh, and Da?”
“Yes?” Madanach said warily, glancing back at her.
“Welcome back,” Eola said softly, the Acting Reach-Queen giving way to the worried daughter. “I missed you. I knew you'd find her.”
Madanach looked genuinely startled, but fatherly affection had to win out at some point.
“Thank you,” he said, voice gruff but the affection back. “I missed you too. And... I'm sorry you had to see me like that. It won't happen again.”
“I hope not. My father's stronger than that. Better than that.” Eola fingered the robes, hanging a little loose off her narrower shoulders and the hem far nearer the floor than it was when Madanach wore them. “My da's a fighter.”
“All fighters lose at least once in their lives. But I'll do my best, cariad,” Madanach promised. Then he left, making a quick exit before anyone could see the guilt in his eyes, going to see how the younger ones were doing. Leaving Liriel with Eola, the remaining queenliness dying out of her once her father was gone.
“He's still talking to me. Thank Namira,” Eola said, relieved and a little tearful. “And you! We were so worried!”
“I'm sorry,” Liriel said, taking Eola in her arms. “I really am. Madanach's made me bring Jordis here as a permanent housecarl now. He seems to think I need my own after all this.”
“He's probably right,” Eola said dryly. “You were an idiot to go alone, even if they were your parents. But I'm glad you're back.”
“Me too,” Liriel said softly, cuddling the Acting Reach-Queen like she was one of her children, feeling relieved and safe and happy and just glad to be home. Markarth might have smelter-smoke and abandoned former Daedric lairs and a city under the city that required regular ReachGuard patrols to avoid the Falmer invading... but it was Liriel's home and she'd love it always.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I trust this won't take long?” Elenwen said, looking askance at the sigils painted on the floor of the former Talos Shrine, soul gems gleaming around the edge. The whole thing reeked of old heathen blood magic, and the ReachGuard men and women standing around the edge of the room were not going out of their way to reassure anyone. Keirine didn't seem that bothered, whispering to one of them before beckoning for the Thalmor to join her.
“Not long at all, it's revolutionised travel in the Reach,” Keirine said cheerfully. “Used to take hours to get to Hag's End from here, now you're there in minutes. Now, are we all inside the circle? Good, good, including all bags and clothes please, nothing over the edge. We had a few nasty accidents in the early days but it should be safe enough for the four of us.”