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When the visions ended, Lyara opened her eyes with a gasp. She staggered to her feet, a little disorientated. How had she not seen this?
"Blessings of Mara upon you, child. Are you unwell?"
Lyara turned her head slowly to see a kindly face in a cowl. He was obviously one of the monks of the temple.
"No … I am fine," she said, as she continued to teeter.
The Redguard monk grabbed her elbow, and helped guide her to a seat.
"You don't look well, if you don't mind me saying," he smiled.
Lyara looked once again at the statue, wondering if it had really been the Goddess that had shown her those visions. The monk seemed to guess that something had transpired between the elf and the Goddess.
"Has Mara spoken to you?" He asked.
Lyara nodded. Her mouth was so dry she was finding it difficult to speak. The monk fetched her a goblet of water, and handed it over. After a small sip, she looked at the monk and asked if he was Maramal.
The monk smiled, and nodded, "Yes, I am Maramal. There is usually only one kind of person that comes looking for me, and that is those who are interested in marriage. Are you interested in marriage?"
Lyara pictured Farkas in her mind, and nodded again. Her tongue was still dry, but she managed to quietly say that yes, she was interested.
"Typically, love in Skyrim is as earnest as the people who live here. Life is hard and short, so there is little room for long courtships."
He stood then, and walked to a locked drawer at the back of the altar. He unlocked it with a key from his belt, and lifted something out of the drawer before returning to Lyara.
"A person who is looking for a spouse simply wears the Amulet of Mara about their neck, showing they are available for marriage."
He held out the amulet to Lyara, with a friendly and knowing smile.
"Come back and see me when you are ready to marry. I am here for the rest of the day."
Lyara reached into her coin purse and paid him 200 Septim for the Amulet.
"Good luck, and Mara bless you," he said.
"She already has," Lyara replied, and with a lighter heart, made her way back to the Inn.
When she walked back into the Bee and Barb, there was no sign of Farkas, but she figured it wouldn't be long before his stomach brought him back in search of food. She ordered a bath, and waited in her room. While she waited for the wenches to arrive with the hot water, she laid out on her bed the clothes she had just purchased from one of the market holders near the temple.
A fine woolen red dress so soft it was like silk and she hoped the colour would match her eyes. She also picked up a calf leather bodice in black that was soft and supple.
She scrubbed herself all over with her snow-berry soap. She smiled to herself as she remembered over hearing Farkas once say he liked that she smelled of snowberries, and she knew he had noticed the other day when she saw his nostrils flare. She was determined to do whatever it took to ensure he noticed her today.
She bound the top of her hair back in the Nord style she favoured, and put on her new dress. The wool was warm, yet soft against her skin, and the colour was striking. The neckline was quite low, and when she fastened herself tightly into the black leather bodice over the top, it pushed her breasts up into a pleasing cleavage.
Lyara then picked up the amulet. The large centerpiece was decorated with intricate knot work, and a turquoise stone. When she put it on, it nestled nicely between her breasts.
Lyara headed back downstairs into the main room. She saw Farkas in a corner alone, and as expected he was eating. He had a large chunk of meat in his fist, and was staring into nothing as he absentmindedly chewed. She was thrilled that his jaw dropped a little he noticed her.
Keeping a straight face, she walked confidently over to his table and instead of sitting across from him, she sat next to him.
He put the meat down, and wiped the grease off his hands onto his trousers. As she had sat next to him, the familiar sweet scent of snowberries wafted up his nose. Her large almond shaped eyes were looking at him intently, with a slight curl of amusement on her lips.
He couldn't help but stare at her soft breasts as they looked about to spill out of her bodice. The skin was pale and flawless, and his hands ached to stroke it. It was then that he noticed the amulet.
Was that…?
"Is that the Amulet of Mara?" He asked, hesitantly.
"Yes, it is," she replied.
"So ... you are looking for a spouse, then?"
"I am," came her reply.
His heart sank for moment. He was familiar with the Amulet's significance. She was looking for a mate, and going by the way she was dressed, he could only assume she had found one.
But wait.
She was here alone.
And she was sat next to him.
"Why?" She continued. "Are you interested in me?" She folded her arms in a challenging gesture, and her eyes sparkled with mischief. He was oblivious to this though, as he was gaze was riveted by the way her folded arms had pushed her breasts together. The valley of her cleavage was looking more and more inviting by the second.
He forced himself to look back at her face. By the Nine, Farkas. Don't mess things up now, he told himself.
Lyara held her breath, waiting for the answer to her question. She had walked in here full of confidence following her visions. She knew, deep down, that Farkas truly loved her. She just had to get him to admit it. Now, there was a long pause.
Why isn't he answering? Her confidence and smile started to wane.
"I won't lie, I am." He replied suddenly.
Her relief was immense, but she there was more to be said, so she kept her face as straight as possible, and waited.
When he had first spotted her entering the main hall, his face had registered shock and surprise at her appearance. For a moment, it had shown disappointment then confusion. Now, he looked at her coyly.
Finally, with a glint in his eye of the old Farkas, she saw a smile start to appear on his face, his full lips glistening with the meat juices from his dinner.
"Are you interested in me?" He finally asked.
She looked at him fondly then, and her voice came out at barely above a whisper, but it was loud enough for him to hear.
"Yes … Of course I am … You big oaf!"
With that, she leaned forward and licked the meat juice off his full bottom lip, before gently sucking it into her mouth. He responded by kissing her back, and before she knew it, he had pulled her close to him with a surprising ferocity. His kiss was warm and passionate, and his lips were soft and yielding. Their first kiss was everything Lyara had hoped it would be.