"I have." she whispered, "But that's not why I won't marry you. If I marry you, I'll want things that you won't be able to give me."
Ulfric furrowed his brow, anger rising up from somewhere behind his lungs. "Like what?" He snapped, "I can give you anything you need or wa-"
"Children." She cut him off. "I want children. And not just one. I want three or four of them. Maybe more." Ulfric was feeling numb. Did she think he was infertile? Or was it something else..? "I wouldn't want to do that to you."
"I can give you children." He stated plainly. Part of him felt desperate to keep her, another part felt so very stupid for letting it show like this. "I can give you as many children as you want."
"Don't play coy with me." Boltraz said, her accent growing heavy in her anger. "I know that it's only by some fluke you want to marry me. You wouldn't give any other orsimer a second glance."
"I wouldn't give any other woman a second glance." Their voices were raising, at this rate, the whole court would be able to hear them. "Orc, Elf, Nord, Breton, Redguard, Khajit or Argonian!"
Boltraz turned, rage filling her own eyes. "If you give me all the children I want, it'd be like you were chief of your own stronghold! Do you want that?!"
Ulfric swept the amulet off of the dresser and pressed it to her bare chest over her heart. He saw the grimace of pain and knew he was pressing too hard, but he was trembling like he never had before and didn't know how to control it. "I want anything you want."
Boltraz stared down at him, her gaze cold yet, confused. Gently, she reached up to meet his hands and pried the amulet off of her skin. Ulfric's eyes flickered down and he quickly looked away when he saw that the filament had left an imprint on her skin. "Ulfric, please," Boltraz started, placing her hand on Ulfric's cheek. "I don't want you to... To feel as though you have to do this. You don't."
Ulfric lifted his hand and trapped the amulet between his palm and the back of Boltraz's hand. "I want to. Please. Marry me."
Boltraz sighed and pressed her forehead against Ulfric's. A smile adorning her weary features. "Of course, love."
.
"Mother, one of the other children told us that daddy used to be a bad man, and that he hated orcs."
"He wasn't bad, little warrior, just misguided."
"Well, how come you fell in love with him?"
"Because he's a good man that promised to always take care of me."
Epilouge [5/5]
Ulfric furrowed his brow, anger rising up from somewhere behind his lungs. "Like what?" He snapped, "I can give you anything you need or wa-"
"Children." She cut him off. "I want children. And not just one. I want three or four of them. Maybe more." Ulfric was feeling numb. Did she think he was infertile? Or was it something else..? "I wouldn't want to do that to you."
"I can give you children." He stated plainly. Part of him felt desperate to keep her, another part felt so very stupid for letting it show like this. "I can give you as many children as you want."
"Don't play coy with me." Boltraz said, her accent growing heavy in her anger. "I know that it's only by some fluke you want to marry me. You wouldn't give any other orsimer a second glance."
"I wouldn't give any other woman a second glance." Their voices were raising, at this rate, the whole court would be able to hear them. "Orc, Elf, Nord, Breton, Redguard, Khajit or Argonian!"
Boltraz turned, rage filling her own eyes. "If you give me all the children I want, it'd be like you were chief of your own stronghold! Do you want that?!"
Ulfric swept the amulet off of the dresser and pressed it to her bare chest over her heart. He saw the grimace of pain and knew he was pressing too hard, but he was trembling like he never had before and didn't know how to control it. "I want anything you want."
Boltraz stared down at him, her gaze cold yet, confused. Gently, she reached up to meet his hands and pried the amulet off of her skin. Ulfric's eyes flickered down and he quickly looked away when he saw that the filament had left an imprint on her skin. "Ulfric, please," Boltraz started, placing her hand on Ulfric's cheek. "I don't want you to... To feel as though you have to do this. You don't."
Ulfric lifted his hand and trapped the amulet between his palm and the back of Boltraz's hand. "I want to. Please. Marry me."
Boltraz sighed and pressed her forehead against Ulfric's. A smile adorning her weary features. "Of course, love."
.
"Mother, one of the other children told us that daddy used to be a bad man, and that he hated orcs."
"He wasn't bad, little warrior, just misguided."
"Well, how come you fell in love with him?"
"Because he's a good man that promised to always take care of me."
"And me!"
"And me!"
"Me too!"