Disclaimer: I only own a copy of Skyrim.
The first thing I did after the defeat was sit on the Throat of the World to just think, to take it all in. Take in the events of the past three years, the things I did and stuff I accomplished.
I escaped Helgen. Upon my journey to Whiterun, I discovered my being Dragonborn. Joined the Imperial Legion, fought my way to the top, and it was my sword that struck the final blow on Ulfric Stormcloak. After that, I helped Windhelm with their Butcher problem before I traveled to Whiterun. Became a Companion, a Circle member, now Haarbringer. Helped here and there with minor problems there before I found myself in Winterhold. Went to college, promoted to Arch-Mage. Then I had went to my home-city, Riften, where I hadn't been since I was just a lad. Before I could have a chance to rest, I became tangled in the Dark Brotherhood. After being chosen as Listener, I found myself spun into the Ragged Flagon as the new Guildmaster. In between this, I became Thane of Whiterun, Riften and Dawnstar.
And now I sat here, finally fulfilling my destiny as Dragonborn. Alduin was defeated, Skyrim would soon lapse into peace. Before my coming here, I announced my retirement as Arch-Mage, passing it down to another student and gave Vilkas the honor of Haarbringer. Legate Rikku said that she and the General could handle the war from this point, as the rebellion slowly died down. I promised a frantic Cicero that I would return as often I could to listen to Mother. Byrnjolf pretty much ran the Guild in my absence. I have done just about everything a man should do in his lifetime and far beyond that.
So what now?
I stilled, completely dumbfounded. Was there anything else for me to do? Shall I just...retire and live out my days in one of my homes? Go to the college and continue to advance in my studies? Work with the Companions again? Spend the rest of my years in the Sanctuary with a jester to entertain me and a Mother to listen to? Gather more gold for the Thieves Guild vault?
College? No. The knowledge concerning magic I have obtained is all the knowledge I need.
The Companions? Perhaps...but I wished not to cause trouble by returning. Aela was not happy that I gave my title to Vilkas, and Farkas was understanding of my decision. Aela would insist on my being Haarbringer, which I would still want Vilkas to be. He has the knowledge to be a great Haarbringer.
Dawnstar? I loved the jester; he was a dear and faithful friend. I had great respect for Mother too, but I do not think I could stand living with the mad fool.
The Guild? Seemed the most logical. Was placed in my home city, not to mention I didn't like to shed innocent blood as much as my jester friend did.
And the Guild had Sapphire.
Sapphire. She liked to play tough, but I think she's mainly just afraid and unsure of herself, along with lonely at times. I was sweet on her since I first settled Shadr's debt with her. Perhaps...I could try. I was curious to see if Sapphire and I could be something more.
But was I too old for such things? I neared my thirtieth year. Many my age already married and had or were having their children.
Then again, I was a busy man.
I finally stood, staring out at Skyrim from the Throat of the World. The view was amazing, but I slowly made my way down to head to Riften.
"So what now, Dragonborn?" Vekel asked me, handing me my favorite cup of mead. For once, it was his treat. I shrugged my shoulders, taking a gulp.
"Going back to the Brotherhood, Listener?" Delvin wondered. I shook my head now. He and Vekel were the only ones who knew of my Dark Brotherhood position.
"I plan on traveling there on occasion to check on Mother and the jester," I said, before explaining. "Babette claims Cicero goes on a rampage if I'm gone too long. Constantly in fear that I died or got hurt and can't serve Mother if I do not make a regular trip there."
Delvin chuckled, and Vekel snorted in amusement.
"What then? What now? Just going to help with the Guild and Brotherhood till you grow even older?" Vekel wondered.
"I have given it thought. Maybe it is time for me to finally settle down," I said slowly.
"Makes sense," Delvin mused. "You've done saved Skyrim and rescued Khajits from trees, and done everythin' in between. So who you thinking bout courting?"
"Sapphire," I said confidently. Vekel gave me a weird look.
"Her? Hm...I would have guessed that new shopkeeper in the market," Vekel responded thoughtfully. "Well, you know where your lady hangs out. Good luck."
"About that...," I began slowly. Delvin smirked, giving one of his low chuckles.
"You need advice on how to woo a lady?" he asked.
"Woo a lady?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Really?" He scowled.
"You know what I mean," he grumbled.
"First thing when it comes to the ladies is telling them that they're pretty," Vekel explained.
"And don't forget a pick-up line," Delvin added quickly. "The cheesier it sounds, the better it works."
"Bring her flowers too!" Vekel told me. "The ladies love flowers."
"What kind?" I asked.
"Purple mountain flowers," Delvin informed me. I grinned and nodded. Vekel returned my grin. "And if she seems happy, grab her behind."
Vekel smacked him with his dusting clothe, making him yelp as I stared in wide-eyed confusion.
"Don't listen to him, don't grab her ass," he told me. "Only if she accepts the flowers AND seems happy do you grab her ass."
I nodded slowly, trying to comprehend how this was supposed to work. Delvin muttered to himself, wide-eyed with realization about how that was the reason Vex kept turning him away, he grabbed her before she accepted the flowers.
"Go get her!"
"Sapphire?"
The beautiful thief turned to face me, waiting to hear the reason I had called her name. I nervously handed her the small bouquet of purple mountain flowers. She seemed surprised, but accepted them.
"Thank...you?" she said a bit hesitantly.
"You're very pretty," I half-blurted out. She flushed a light pink, but kept her expression clear of any signs of being interested. We stared at each other for a minute before I suddenly responded before I even realized it. "Are you a member of the Thieves Guild? 'Cause you're stealing my heart."
She instantly burst into laughter, making my face burn. Sapphire was nearly doubled over, I stared awkwardly at her as she laughed at the cheesy pick-up line.
"Did you get that from Delvin?" she asked, wiping a tear from her eye, still giggling.
"No," I replied, fiddling with my thumbs.
"Then you're spending way too much time with him," she giggled. She seemed happy. Should I...?
I did.
Before I realized what had happened, I was laying on my back in the Cistern, the mountain flowers half in the water and half on me. Sapphire was stomping away from me, shrieking about how I was a pervert. I didn't realize how embarrassed I could get until I realized that most of my guildmates that had watched the whole ordeal were currently laughing their asses off at me.
"You must have done something wrong," Vekel immediately replied when I furiously told them what happened. I was still wet and had some flowers stuck to my armor. I glared at Vex, who was snickering at me. She immediately stopped, but didn't wipe the grin off her face.
"No, you gave me shitty advice!" I argued.
"Maybe you should have grabbed a tit instead," Delvin wondered. I slammed my head on Vekel's bar.
"Women apparently don't like it when you grab them," I growled at him. Delvin looked shocked at this idea.
"I got it," Vekel said decisively. "Send her a love letter."
"Aye!" Delvin cried out in agreement as he stood, grabbing a quill and roll of paper. "I know exactly what you should say. In fact, I will be a mate and write it for you."
I watched a bit uneasily as Delvin scrawled out my love letter to Sapphire.
I returned to my friends with a sore jaw from Sapphire's powerful punch. Apparently Delvin wrote her more of a lusty letter than a love letter. I tried to explain, but it got lost between her angry scowl and punch to the jaw.
"I do not understand," Delvin admitted. "Vex loves my letters."
"She loves using them as firewood," Vekel reminded him. He motioned for me to move closer to him, so I leaned a bit over the bar. "Listen, I have a fool-proof plan." He pulled out a lute and set it on the bar. I stared at it. "Go play your lady a love song. You can even use my lute."
"I don't know how to play," I stuttered. Vekel rolled his eyes, holding the lute and strumming so that he could teach me. I hid my head in my arms, leaning on the bar.
"These are the two you took romance advice from?" I heard Vipir snort in amusement. I didn't look up, but I knew that he had come up to me.
"Yes," I mumbled into the wood of the bar.
"You're trusting a man who can not even keep his woman faithful half the time, and a creep who's idea of hitting on a lady is watching her bathe?" Vipir questioned. Before Delvin could protest, he continued. "We have all read the note Vex left you, Delvin."
I looked up to see Delvin flush a light pink before gulping his entire cup of mead. Vipir wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
"Listen, if you want to woo Sapphire, you got to do better than flowers and cheesy pick-ups," he told me.
"Like what?" I asked, feeling a tad hopeful.
"You know of her house in Riften?" he asked. I shook my head no. "I'll show you later. But go to her house, and just wait for her in her bed, naked." Seeing my bewildered expression, he quickly continued. "It's unexpected, it's foolproof, and if that priestess at the temple of Mara is right when she rambles on about how hot you are, she'll be all over you."
"I'm not doing that," I said firmly, knowing that if I did that, I would probably end up dead or be leaving her house without one of my favorite body parts.
"I would advise against listening to him," Karliah's soft, shy voice pipped up. I glanced behind me to see the Dunmer woman standing there. I shrugged Vipir off.
"Hey, I get ladies all the time!" Vipir protested.
"He wants a lasting relationship, Vipir," she told him gently. "Not a one night stand."
Vipir's expression turned into one of complete surprise, and I was suddenly very glad Karliah had prevented me from being talked into womanizer's crazy idea.
"Tell me what to do!" I pleaded Karliah, grabbing her arm desperately. She smiled slightly at me.
"First, let Sapphire cool down. She is not happy about the whole ass-grabbing thing," she began. I flushed red again. "But when she calms down, give her a sapphire. She loves them, the reason we call her Sapphire is because she has a nasty habit of stealing every sapphire she sees. Then just tell her how you feel. Speak from your heart, but first I would apologize and explain that you took advice from these two." She waved towards Vekel and Delvin, who pretended to not know what she was talking about.
"Thank you," I said in complete relief. I gave her a quick hug, and as I left the Ragged Flagon in search of a sapphire, I heard Delvin and Vekel immediately request advice as well.
"What do you want?" Sapphire scowled up seeing me. I opened my hand and extended it to her. It held a single sapphire. I motioned for her to take it, which she hesitantly did.
"I'm...sorry about earlier," I spoke unsure and nervously. "I...I really care about you. A lot. I am not good with...people...unless I wish to kill or steal from them but I obviously do not wish to do either to you. So I told Delvin and Vekel about it and they-"
"I get it now," she interrupted me, giving a small snicker. I nodded and flushed red. "But, why me?"
"Well...I care a lot about you. I like being around you," I began, shifting from foot to foot. Speaking from my heart was hard when it was sending me a thousand different things to say at once. "I love talking to you, training with you and making you smile. And when you told me your back story...I just wanted to hold you and let you know that I would never let that happen again. That I would die making sure that you stay safe and show you how a true Nord cares and loves his woman."
I hear her sniff and realize that her eyes were fighting back a few stray tears. Hesitantly, I put my arms around her waist in a tight hug. When she didn't protest, I kissed her forehead.
"You are a lot sweeter than you lead me to believe," she finally commented. I chuckled. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed my nose. "So who gave you this romance advice? Brynjolf?"
"Karliah," I responded. She smiled.
"Take advice from her from now on. Do not ever listen to Vekel or Delvin again."
I promised her so.