Author's note:
Hello everyone! This is my first fanfiction.
English is not my mother tongue, so I apologize in advance for the spelling/grammar mistakes you may find. I hope they're not too bad and that they won't change the general meaning of the story. If you have any question, feel free to pm me.
The rating is currently T, but may change to M after the first few chapters. The actual story takes place two years after the prologue.
Thank you for reading!
Prologue
12th of Second Seed, 4E 199
Vigdis' eyes wandered over the vast tundra surrounding Whiterun. From the gates of the city she could see Pelagia's farm and the brewery, the tall mountains and the calm rivers, the red sky and the setting sun.
The woman in white sighed and laid a hand on her belly. It was an absent-minded gesture, one she would often repeat during the day.
"Our baby isn't born yet, but you're already protecting him", Steinarius had once told her.
The memory made Vigdis smile. In that moment, the young Nord was truly a sight to behold: her dark curls fell loosely on her shoulders, creating a pleasant contrast with the white dress she was wearing; her black eyes reflected the movements of the setting sun, whereas her smile was full of hope, love and tenderness. She was very tall and looked ethereal and imposing at the same time.
When a rider approached the stables, a gust of wind carried her the scent of the man, causing an even wider smile to appear on her face. The werewolf inside her would recognize that smell everywhere: it was a mixture of leather and sweat and blood, a mixture of juniper and lavender and nightshade. But most of all, it was the scent of the man she loved.
Steinarius looked very tired as he dragged himself along the cobbled road that led to the gates of the city. When she heard him grunt, Vigdis couldn't help but snort - the Imperial loved experimenting with weapons, therefore he carried a shield, a short-sword, a greatsword and a bow on most of his missions. Vigdis couldn't understand why he bothered: after all, at the end of the day he always went back to his battered shield and his rusty sword.
As she walked towards her man, Vigdis carefully examined his tousled blonde hair, his placid grey eyes, his uncommon pale complexion. Steinarius looked tired, but he was unhurt. When the young Nord realized it, she immediately threw her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his neck.
Even after breaking the embrace, Vigdis didn't say anything - there were no "I love you", no "I've missed you", no "I can't live without you". She didn't need to utter those words – Steinarius could clearly read them in the depth of her eyes.
Later, after he and his woman had gently made love to each other, Steinarius noticed that Vigdis was still wearing her old Amulet of Mara.
As he absent-mindedly toyed with it, he thought about the upcoming wedding.
He couldn't wait to be a happy husband and a proud father.
When he noticed how tired Vigdis looked, the Imperial gathered her in his arms and started singing a lullaby. He had a deep, soothing voice that soon echoed through the walls of Breezehome.
"The baby seems to love your lullabies", Vigdis whispered at the end of the song. "He's finally stopped kicking".
"Everyone loves my lullabies", Steinarius commented with a mischievous smile. "Perhaps I should leave the Companions and work as a bard at the Bannered Mare".
"So that all the women of Whiterun could swoon after you? No way, Imperial".
Amused by Vigdis' reply, Steinarius lovingly kissed her cheek. He was tired because of the long journey from Winterhold to Whiterun, but didn't want to fall asleep before her.
An hour later, as Steinarius was tracing gentle circles on her belly, Vigdis muttered some incoherent words about them, the wedding, the baby. A moment later she was asleep.
As he looked at her peaceful expression, Steinarius Crepusculus could only think of one thing: he loved his woman and couldn't imagine a life without her.