AN: Hey all again! It's been a few weeks…haha anyway, welcome back! At this point I will be uploading one-shots at random, all centered around my The Mind of Ysgramor universe (so you should probably go and read THAT first so you know what's going on, in case you haven't). Most are going to take place after the story's timeline, but they won't necessarily follow in chronological order, and some could take place back when Vilkas was still little for all I know. So, I'll be sure to put the date of when it's happening at the start of each one-shot, and in the summary as well so ya'll know and can figure out when that one-shot is taking place. Also, they won't necessarily be in Vilkas' 3rd person POV like in the main story, so there's that. Anyway, hope you enjoy as always!
Letting Them Know:
(Takes place the 21st of Rain's Hand, 4E 203)
Adelia huffed as she sat at the small desk in her and her husband's room, her hands fiddling over a parchment sitting on the wooden surface. A quill and ink pot sat not too far away from the roll of paper, and had been sitting there untouched for as long as she had been planted at the desk. She had come in here for a distinct purpose, yet she couldn't bring herself to act on it.
There was really no reason as to why she couldn't do it. It wasn't like the thing was going to be delivered the same day the courier got a hold of it. For all she knew, it could take weeks before it arrived at the intended destination.
Slowly her hand inched toward the quill, hovering over it for a second before picking it up. She moved it over to the ink pot and dipped it a few times, letting the black liquid drip for a moment before bringing it over the paper's surface. She heard a small gurgle and looked over her shoulder toward the bed, where her two-month-old daughter was laying on the fur blanket covering it, flailing her arms. She giggled to herself and turned back toward the desk with a sigh. Iliana was enough of a reason to do this.
She thanked the Divines that she had been brought up to be literate, else should she face the humiliation of having to ask Vilkas to do this deed for her. Just writing the damn thing was embarrassing enough.
Thankfully, her husband was out in the training yard observing the new recruits for the day, leaving her some free time to try and situate this out on her own.
"What are you doing?" an accented voice suddenly said from near the door.
She jumped in her seat and dropped the quill, which landed on the paper and smeared the ink on its' tip across the surface in the process. Adelia swiftly turned in her chair and glared at the interloper, which ended up being Vilkas. Her gaze softened and she sighed.
"Vilkas, I'm…it's nothing important," she said quietly, standing from the desk and pushing the writing supplies aside.
"If it was nothing important, you wouldn't have nearly had a coronary at my intrusion," Vilkas replied with a hint of amusement. He moved over to their bed and ran his thumb over Iliana's cheek with a smirk. The baby cooed in response.
"What are you doing down here? I thought you were helping with the recruits?" Adelia asked.
"I was, but I noticed my girls had gone missing, so I decided to investigate."
As much as she hated his over-protectiveness at times, she couldn't help but smile. Her smile soon morphed into a frown though as she glanced back at the ink-stained paper and writing tools. With a groan she brought her hands up over her eyes, palms squishing flat against her sockets. She heard her husband snicker before she felt his rough hands circle hers and pull them away from her face. Slowly she looked up into his concerned gaze.
"Love, what's wrong?" he asked softly.
She breathed slowly through her nose and shook her head. "You'd think me a fool if you heard what it was."
He chuckled. "And why would I think you a fool?"
She sighed as her brows furrowed. "For getting so pointlessly worked up about it."
"Don't you get that way over everything?"
Adelia glowered at him with a pout in response. He laughed at her expression and led her over to the bed, sitting them both down and facing her.
"Now, tell me what ails you," he said encouragingly, reaching up to brush her hair away from her face.
She turned her head away from him and stared toward the desk, chewing at her lip nervously. Taking a deep breath, she muttered, "I want to write my parents a letter."
Vilkas' eyebrows flew up. "Your parents?" he repeated in surprise.
She nodded and sighed deeply. "I don't even know if they're still alive or living in the Imperial City, but…so much has happened to me in the last two years. Joining the Companions, marrying you, having our daughter, I just feel like they should at least know I'm not hanging from a noose or buried ten feet under."
Her husband looked confused. "I thought you said you didn't see eye-to-eye with them?"
"I don't," she affirmed. "That doesn't mean they aren't allowed to be concerned for my well-being. I am their child after all. And I basically left on impulse, without a note or anything telling them where I went. They probably believe I am dead."
"Not dead, just multiple near-deaths," Vilkas replied, a wide grin on his face. She smiled at him and reached for his hands, lacing their fingers together. "Why are you so nervous about writing it, though?" he then questioned.
"Because I don't know how they'll retaliate. They can't drag me back to Cyrodiil, but what if they decide to come here? They have a degree of power amongst the masses and I just don't want them causing problems."
"If they do, I'll set them straight."
She laughed at that and stood, moving over to where their daughter was laying on the bed and picking her up carefully. The babe let out a tiny grunt at the slight disturbance.
"That's another thing…" Adelia said as she began pacing the room whilst rocking Iliana in her arms.
"What is?" Vilkas asked.
"They won't approve of you, not in the slightest," she murmured.
Her husband just scoffed, crossing his arms. "You really think that bothers me? We're already married, and have a child. S'not like they can just annul it."
Adelia giggled and walked back toward the bed, once again taking a seat next to him. "I know," she replied. "But I just don't want them trying to pressure you into anything. We're talking about the people who have tried to sell me into matrimony four times here."
"What do you think they'll do? Offer me gold to send you away?"
She smirked at him then focused her attention on Iliana. "It's possible. But I have a feeling once they see this little one's face their protests will die in their throats."
Vilkas nodded with a chuckle. "One look in those eyes and they'll be at our mercy."
She smiled as she ran her fingers gingerly over their daughter's head. "So…do you think I should?" she asked as she looked to him once more.
"Write them? Whatever you wish, dear," he said with shrug. "You pretty much already stated all of the cons, I'm sure it can't be any worse than anything listed."
Iliana began to gurgle in her arms, causing her to grin as she looked down into the baby's brilliant blue eyes. "And what do you think, my little love? Should I write to your grandparents to tell them that you exist?" The babe just blew a spit bubble in response.
"Give it a shot, love. Who knows? Maybe they'll let go of the reprimand when they see you're still alive," Vilkas said.
"Hm, perhaps," Adelia replied, tapping Iliana's nose softly, enticing a smile from the baby. She turned and held her out to Vilkas, who took her into his arms, then stood and moved back to the desk, taking a seat once more and re-arranging the writing supplies.
"So, do you plan on telling them that you were Dragonborn all along?" Vilkas asked suddenly.
She laughed softly and shook her head.
"No, let's leave that part out of the picture for now. Being married to the Harbinger will shock them enough."