“I know, but I couldn't have stopped that, I wasn't even in the room at the time,” Madanach sighed, frustrated.
“Perhaps you should have been!” Uraccen snapped back, arms folded, and for once Madanach sighed and backed down.
“Fine, you're right, I should have been there. I shouldn't have given in to my own dark side and had the discussion I did with Liriel. I should never have let her go, and if I and my guards had been there while Liriel spoke to her parents, this whole thing would have had a different ending, I know. As it is, I'm sorry. I've spent the last two months trying to make amends to Liriel, but if you need anything from me, Uraccen, you know you've only to ask.”
“I don't need anything,” Uraccen said coldly... but then he relented. “But my daughter and I thank you.”
One down from the look of it. Madanach turned back to Eola, still flipping through paperwork.
“Well, daughter? Are you going to blame me for my in-law's actions too?”
Eola ignored him completely and turned to Liriel.
“Well now, Brenhina, what do we think?”
“Eola, he did rescue me,” Liriel said softly. “Maybe he didn't come charging straight out of Markarth with the entire ReachGuard at his back, but he did come and get me. I think he saved my sister.”
“But not your father,” Nepos said quietly, and that did earn Liriel's wrath.
“Falmer killed my father, not Madanach,” Liriel said furiously. “Now maybe we've had our arguments, but Madanach and I are very happily married and going to remain so. If I don't hold him responsible for my father dying, I don't see why you should.”
Nepos smiled, chuckled to himself and nodded to Eola. “Well argued. Well, I don't think it needs restating that Madanach's been a bit of a fool, but I've also seen him taking care of his and Liriel's children, in particular helping Lucia come to terms with having seen her father off his head on Skooma and in helping Ancalime deal with the loss of her father. He's been doing a good job as far as I can tell.”
“Wait a second – have you been talking to my children??” Madanach cried, leaning forward, hands splayed on the table and half out of his chair.
“There's no law against that, Madanach,” Nepos said stiffly. “Eola?”
“We've had informal conversations with Sissel, Lucia and Ancalime,” Eola said, patting Nepos's hand reassuringly. “We didn't think it was necessary for any kind of formal testimony – Da, don't worry, it was all positive. Sissel was worried, yes, but now you're both back and she's fine with that. Lucia's still worried about you, Da, but she also just wants things to get back to normal. Ancalime I can't call fine because she's not, but she also saw you attacking the ones who killed her father and saving her sister's life. She idolises you, Da. Thinks you're some sort of badass superhero. I keep trying to tell her that's actually her big sister, but she won't hear otherwise.”
“That's nice of her,” Madanach murmured, a little embarrassed but it did the trick of diverting his anger.
“I knew Eola and Nepos wanted to talk to them, I was there throughout, it was fine,” Liriel said gently. “Our babies love you, cariad.”
Madanach wasn't entirely sure what he thought about Liriel not involving him but he supposed he was in no position to argue, so he just held her hand.
“So,” Eola continued. “Queen rescued, children fine, Skooma habit under control, royal marriage healthy, what else? Oh yes, diplomatic relations – what's the response from the Dominion on all this? Any trouble?”
“None,” Nepos said cheerfully. “Elenwen's last report before she mysteriously vanished stated there was no real evidence of any inappropriate action on our part, and Sabrinda's been in touch since with both her superiors in the Thalmor and her son to reassure them she's safe and has chosen to seclude herself while she mourns.”
Re: Thicker Than Blood 14.3
“Perhaps you should have been!” Uraccen snapped back, arms folded, and for once Madanach sighed and backed down.
“Fine, you're right, I should have been there. I shouldn't have given in to my own dark side and had the discussion I did with Liriel. I should never have let her go, and if I and my guards had been there while Liriel spoke to her parents, this whole thing would have had a different ending, I know. As it is, I'm sorry. I've spent the last two months trying to make amends to Liriel, but if you need anything from me, Uraccen, you know you've only to ask.”
“I don't need anything,” Uraccen said coldly... but then he relented. “But my daughter and I thank you.”
One down from the look of it. Madanach turned back to Eola, still flipping through paperwork.
“Well, daughter? Are you going to blame me for my in-law's actions too?”
Eola ignored him completely and turned to Liriel.
“Well now, Brenhina, what do we think?”
“Eola, he did rescue me,” Liriel said softly. “Maybe he didn't come charging straight out of Markarth with the entire ReachGuard at his back, but he did come and get me. I think he saved my sister.”
“But not your father,” Nepos said quietly, and that did earn Liriel's wrath.
“Falmer killed my father, not Madanach,” Liriel said furiously. “Now maybe we've had our arguments, but Madanach and I are very happily married and going to remain so. If I don't hold him responsible for my father dying, I don't see why you should.”
Nepos smiled, chuckled to himself and nodded to Eola. “Well argued. Well, I don't think it needs restating that Madanach's been a bit of a fool, but I've also seen him taking care of his and Liriel's children, in particular helping Lucia come to terms with having seen her father off his head on Skooma and in helping Ancalime deal with the loss of her father. He's been doing a good job as far as I can tell.”
“Wait a second – have you been talking to my children??” Madanach cried, leaning forward, hands splayed on the table and half out of his chair.
“There's no law against that, Madanach,” Nepos said stiffly. “Eola?”
“We've had informal conversations with Sissel, Lucia and Ancalime,” Eola said, patting Nepos's hand reassuringly. “We didn't think it was necessary for any kind of formal testimony – Da, don't worry, it was all positive. Sissel was worried, yes, but now you're both back and she's fine with that. Lucia's still worried about you, Da, but she also just wants things to get back to normal. Ancalime I can't call fine because she's not, but she also saw you attacking the ones who killed her father and saving her sister's life. She idolises you, Da. Thinks you're some sort of badass superhero. I keep trying to tell her that's actually her big sister, but she won't hear otherwise.”
“That's nice of her,” Madanach murmured, a little embarrassed but it did the trick of diverting his anger.
“I knew Eola and Nepos wanted to talk to them, I was there throughout, it was fine,” Liriel said gently. “Our babies love you, cariad.”
Madanach wasn't entirely sure what he thought about Liriel not involving him but he supposed he was in no position to argue, so he just held her hand.
“So,” Eola continued. “Queen rescued, children fine, Skooma habit under control, royal marriage healthy, what else? Oh yes, diplomatic relations – what's the response from the Dominion on all this? Any trouble?”
“None,” Nepos said cheerfully. “Elenwen's last report before she mysteriously vanished stated there was no real evidence of any inappropriate action on our part, and Sabrinda's been in touch since with both her superiors in the Thalmor and her son to reassure them she's safe and has chosen to seclude herself while she mourns.”