Blue Palace
Nilsine knocked on the door and awaited Aurora's approval to enter. "Good morning. Egor's here," she said as she quickly closed the door behind her as she noted the Jarl was still in bed.
Aurora stretched her arms up in the air and let out a small groan. "Let him in."
"Are you sure?" Nilsine asked, wrinkling her forehead. "Put on a robe or something, at least," she said as she picked one up from the sofa and threw it on the bed.
Aurora reached for it and sat up. She was wearing her nightgown which was of a light, white fabric, but not transparent. To her, it was covering enough to be seen in, but she still obeyed her Stewardess and put on the bourbon coloured morning robe made of fine silk. She quickly drew her fingers through her hair and pulled the cover to her waist.
Egor appeared a bit surprised as he entered and Nilsine closed the door behind him, but quickly found himself. "Oh, late morning today, eh?"
He was not much more modestly dressed than her – in fact, on his upper body, he only wore a tight black west, which showed off quite some of his chest area and all of his arms. He did not have much fat on his frame, which gave quite some definition to his muscles, which showed that he did some kind of physical work even though he was nowhere near a blacksmith. His left arm had an inking of a black lizard, about eight inches long.
She smiled. "It took a while to fall asleep."
"I see. Are you hungover?" he chuckled and approached the footend of the bed.
"No, not really," she said. "I didn't expect you to come today though. I suspect it's about the portrait?"
"Yeah," he said and sat down, leaning forward on his knees with his elbows. "I wasn't planning on painting today, though."
"Oh. Well… what's the plan?" Aurora asked.
He smiled charmingly and appeared to be in a pleasant mood. "I want to determine how to paint you."
Aurora looked at him a bit confused. "What do you mean?"
"How do you want to come across? Or rather, what traits would you like to present?"
She looked down to the bed, not quite knowing what to answer. The idea of commissioning a painting was a spontaneous one, and she had never had a formal depiction made of her before. The woman felt somewhat awkward about the fact that Aifur Blue-Quill was writing a biography about her… well, not about her specifically, but the Second Great War, which she of course took part in. Aurora did not know why, but she grew increasingly nervous about the conversation she was having with Egor.
"I don't know… Myself, I guess."
He smiled superiorly yet kindly – as if he was someone who would guide her through something that should come naturally for her in her new position. "If you want an official portrait, you'd probably have the Solitude insignia and all of that. Regardless, you have to decide for an outfit, jewelry, and what symbolism you want. For example, warriors would probably want to have maps of battles they have won, and swords in the background on the wall."
"I don't know…" Aurora said, hoping to get out of the situation. "I haven't really thought about it."
"So how do you see yourself?"
That was a question which was much harder to answer than Aurora anticipated. She began to laugh it off, but Egor was adamant. She suddenly felt it was a bad idea altogether.
"Just think about it," he said. "Regardless, you have to decide if you want an official type of a portrait, or one which is more for yourself."
She nodded.
"Well, I'll be off then," he said and got up to his feet. He turned around and began walking to the door.
"Egor!" she said. "Don't forget about the Solitude painting. I want it over here," she said and pointed upwards.
He laughed. "Funny that you mentioned it," he said and took two steps towards the bed again. "Do you know who came up to me last night?" he asked in a smiling, charming manner.
Her eyes went wide. "Vittoria?"
"Yeah," he grinned.
"She wanted my painting?" Aurora cried, making it obvious that she did not approve of it.
He chuckled again. "Yeah."
"That bitch!" she exclaimed. "You didn't agree to it, did you?"
"No," he smiled. "But I think she is now a bit upset with you."
"Just make sure it's protected. She is the type of person who could have it stolen."
Egor chuckled. "I think that is quite a low an opinion of her. You will have it in thirteen days, I promise."
"Thanks," she said and looked at him for a few moments. "Don't forget about the dinner tonight," she added.
"I won't. At seven, right?"
"Yes, and please remind the others. I think Ratibor was high when I told him yesterday."
Egor chuckled. "The fire salts, yeah. I'll remind him. I'm meeting him in an hour actually."
"Oh, what are you doing?"
"He's promised to help me carry some frames from the shop by the docks, for my future paintings. And I need quite some oil from the apothecary's too, and it tends to be on the heavy side when you order in the quantities I need."
"Well, don't break you back," she said.
"Thanks."
He smiled, turned around and went away.
Aurora had invited the men from Proudspire to dinner, as well as Nilsine, Idgrod, Olfina and Ingun. She was hoping to merge the two separate groups of friends so that they could finally hang out together without the prejudice currently existing. At first, she had also considered inviting Harrald, but thought that would just cause a clear divide into the artists and Skyrim nobility. Ingun had wandered off looking for some ingredients in the forest earlier in the afternoon, leaving Idgrod and Olfina alone as Aurora had been in her office, working together with Nilsine. While Idgrod appeared to eagerly await the arrival of the men, Olfina was not as pleased. The women, minus Ingun, had gone downstairs to the dining hall and taken a first glass of wine.
"I think this is a lovely idea," Idgrod said smiled at Aurora. "They are so intelligent, and cultured…"
Aurora felt happy that Idgrod was impressed with their brains. It was also proof that Aurora was developing a town which was able to attract members of the intelligentsia, she thought – and as a matter of fact, made her feel happy about herself.
"We're no less cultured than they are," Olfina hissed. "Just because they are from the Empire doesn't mean that their manners and etiquette is the right one."
Idgrod looked at Olfina with a slightly troubled gaze. Aurora knew the heiress to Hjaalmarch felt a bit like an outsider when it came to refined culture, and she probably did not trust Olfina's words a bit. There was a distinct influence of Imperial manners on the Skyrim nobility, with many using the Lord or Lady form of address even on Nords in Solitude. Even if Skyrim won the war, the cultural power of Cyrodiil grew increasingly strong.
"Ratibor and Bogdan are very different in private compared to how they act in company," Aurora said. "And Vecheslav…"
"Oh, Aurora," Idgrod interrupted. "The words go that Sanguine visits the Goldwines," she said, grinning in expectation of Aurora saying something about the brothers.
"More like Sheragorath," Olfina replied in a sardonic tone.
Aurora could not quite decide whether to roll her eyes at Olfina or laugh at her comment, which was rather witty if seen from her perspective. Her thoughts were interrupted by Nilsine, though, who had descended the stairs and was now approaching them. She wore her usual, stern expression – like a strict aunt who was set to baby sit her nieces. The Jarl knew she had left quite a lot of correspondence for her Stewardess to reply to – a task Nilsine was not overly fond of, but did not vocalise her complaints about.
The Stewardess walked up to the trio and greeted them semi-formally. She gave a short report to Aurora before declaring that she was in dire need of a glass of wine. The Jarl chuckled and personally walked up to the table and retrieved a bottle, filling up the glasses of all her guests. Just as she was pouring up her own glass, she noticed that Idgrod, who was standing next to her, shifted her gaze toward the hall. Looking up, she noticed Ratibor approaching.
He was wearing his usual black outfit with a white shirt. His hair was messier than usual, showing that he had neither washed it, nor set it with water before coming. The waves had lost much of their form, and his hair appeared much longer than it usually did because of it. He approached the trio with an open, genuine smile on his face. Aurora answered with a warm smile of her own, as did Idgrod. Olfina, on the other hand, was not as impressed. The man walked up to the four women and stopped before Aurora. He bowed and kissed the Jarl's hand.
"Jarl Aurora," he said.
"Oh, Ratibor, we're informal tonight," she answered but made a curtsy.
"I doubt Lady Shatter-Shield would find that suitable," he grinned and threw a gaze towards Nilsine.
"You are very welcome, Lord Goldwine," she replied sternly but with a warm tone, smiling.
"See?" he winked toward Aurora.
He bowed again, this time reaching for Nilsine's hand. "Lady Shatter-Shield, always a pleasure to see you… And that has been quite a lot lately."
Nilsine smiled, but then leaned closer to Ratibor. "Don't take me being reserved towards your unofficial advisory position as rudeness, Lord Goldwine," she whispered before straightening up and taking two steps back. "A Stewardess must always be on the lookout."
"You wouldn't be a good Stewardess if you weren't," Ratibor smiled.
Nilsine and the man looked at one another for a while before Ratibor shifted his gaze and bowed to Idgrod while reaching for her hand. The heiress of Hjaalmarch was rather content as the man did so – Idgrod shone as she curtseyed.
Aurora could feel the tension in the air as he then turned toward Olfina. Idgrod had her lips slightly separated in expectation to how the two adversaries would react to one another, and not even Nilsine managed to hide her curious expression. Ratibor, on the other hand, remained calm and just bowed his head ever so slightly toward Olfina. She replied with an almost non-existing curtsy before quickly turning her gaze away from him.
Aurora decided that she would have to say something to get the conversation going. "So, Lord Goldwine," she said, "where is your brother? And the rest?"
Ratibor looked at her and chuckled for a while. "My brother has been hiding from work…" he answered with a grin.
"Today again?" Nilsine chuckled.
"Yes," Ratibor sighed. "And Umbranox has been with the publishing company – apparently they are some issues he has to resolve with… Aggrippina is her name, I think?"
"Oh, yes, the Book Club ladies," Aurora confirmed.
"Indeed. And Master Egor has been running around purchasing new frames and canvases, with quite some assistance from myself," he said, emphasising the last part while grinning in an ironically self-content manner.
"Oh, the exhibition yesterday was lovely," Idgrod said.
"Yes, Master Egor is very talented," Aurora said, looking at Ratibor.
"Well, you will have the opportunity to see more of his work at the premiere of Dreams," Ratibor answered. "He is supposed to do all the backgrounds for the scenes."
"Ah, I didn't even consider the fact that they had to be painted too," Idgrod said. "But that makes sense, of course."
"I look forward to your premiere, Lord Goldwine," Aurora smiled warmly. "I have high hopes for the theatre."
"So do I… I just… There is very little time left and I am growing nervous because of it. And my brother is being very uncooperative when it comes to the writing."
The women were looking over Ratibor's shoulder as he spoke, though. Vecheslav and Ingun had emerged and were approaching them. Ratibor noticed this and turned around, searching for what had caught the women's attention.
Ingun was wearing her usual, bourbon-coloured coat over a rather simple beige-brown dress. She wore her hair down as always and did not appear to have prepared particularly for the soiree. Vecheslav, on the other hand, was looking elegant and refined in a dark green coat and black, leather trousers.
"Lady Ravencrone, Lady Grey-Mane," Vecheslav said as he bowed.
"Master Umbranox," Idgrod responded and curtseyed. Olfina followed suit.
"Jarl Aurora, I am enthusiastic about seeing where this evening will go," he said as he bowed to her. "Lady Shatter-Shield."
The group exchanged formalities as their were awaiting Bogdan and Egor's arrival. They did not have to wait for long before Egor entered, seemingly in a hurry. He wore a deep blue coat with golden buttons on top of a white shirt with a lot of ruffles, black, leather trousers and boots. The upper part of his outfit was a bit obnoxious, but the man's body language and grimace made fun of himself in an entertaining display of self-irony.
"Am I late?" he asked while smoothly half-running toward the group. "Jarl Aurora, always such a pleasure!" he grinned as he bowed deeply with an utterly charming, slightly pompous manner with sense of irony in it. "Lady Ravencrone, Lady Grey-Mane," he bowed in a slightly less over the top-type of manner. "Lady Shatter-Shield."
"Master Egor," Ingun spoke in an almost careful manner, stepping away from the tall Vecheslav, who had covered Egor's view of her.
"Oh, Lady Black-Briar," he said and approached her. She put her cheek forward and the man put his own towards it, then pulled back slightly from her before leaning in to the other side in a very public display of warmth. "Thank you very much for all your help, I owe you," he said in a casual, but friendly manner. "And you are the first one who will be invited to see my next exhibition once I've finished," he added happily.
"I look forward to it," she smiled.
The group was looking at them inquisitively – Olfina even more so than the rest. Egor was normally rather charming and fun to be around, but he was even warmer to the peculiar alchemist whom none of the women were particularly close to. While Idgrod appeared to simply accept the situation with a bit of surprise, Olfina looked straight out skeptical. If Ratibor experienced any kind of astonishment in that situation, he hid it well. Vecheslav acted in his usually neutral, dignified manner.
"Oh, thank you very much," Ratibor grinned. "So I'm the one you run to when wooden frames and heavy oil things have to be carried, but Lady Black-Briar will be the first to see the next exhibition?" he spoke, making it obvious that he was faking dismayance.
Egor turned towards him with a wide grin. "I'm sorry, Lord Goldwine, Lady Black-Briar's alchemy knowledge far outskills your carrying capacity, and therefore, she outranks you as the most helpful person in my current painting career."
"No hard feelings, Master Egor," Ratibor grinned and clapped him on his shoulder.
Olfina looked at Aurora. Their eyes met as the Jarl's gaze moved away from Ratibor and Egor. The Grey-Mane raised her chin and eyebrows ever so slightly, to ask her friend about the scene which was played out in front of them. Aurora was aware Ingun already knew Egor after meeting at the Winking Skeever, but them being on so friendly terms was indicative of them having met before. Aurora twitched her shoulders as if to show that she did not know about that either.
"Where's the other Lord Goldwine?" Egor asked the men.
"I thought he was assisting you," Vecheslav said, turning to Ratibor.
"No, he wasn't," Ratibor said as his smile died out.
"I haven't seen him at Proudspire at all," Egor said. "He must have been out."
"Hopefully he remembers to join us," Aurora muttered. "I'd be very disappointed, were he not to turn up. I was planning a little game after dinner."
"A game?" Vecheslav asked.
"That sounds fun," Ingun said.
"Does it involve drinking?" Egor grinned.
Aurora looked at Egor, thankful for him breaking the ice in the situation. She wanted people to relax in one another's company, and his charming mannerisms contributed to that.
She laughed a little. "One could think so, but not the one I was planning. We do, however, have loads of wine and mead. Please, sit down."
The Jarl gestured toward the table and the group began ogling the chairs, deciding where to sit. Aurora walked up to the Jarl's chair, which had a higher backrest than the others. Ratibor was just about to sit down next to Vecheslav, but noticed that Ingun had taken a step toward the same chair he had his eyes on. They almost collided before the man stopped and offered Ingun the seat. She smiled towards him, after which Ratibor looked up and took the place to the right of the main one, where Aurora was already sitting down.
"I guess I will be the guest of honour," Ratibor smiled toward Aurora before sitting down. She put her right arm out on the table with the palm turned toward the ceiling. As the man sat down, he placed his hand on top of Aurora's. The woman gripped his fingers for a few seconds.
"You are most welcome," she smiled and let go of his hand. "I could get used to your company… And Bogdan's, will he bother to show up," she spoke softly and in a low tone, adressing only Ratibor-
"What is the younger Lord Goldwine doing, do you think, Lord Goldwine?" Olfina asked. "Drinking and insulting innocent people again?"
Aurora and Ratibor both looked at Olfina with wrinkled foreheads and displeased expressions. She was sitting diagonally from Ratibor, next to Idgrod, who had taken the seat to the left of Aurora, and grinning smugly.
"I am sure he will join us, Lady Grey-Mane, and you will have the chance to enjoy his company," Ratibor spoke with a slightly disgusted expression.
They looked at one another in absolute silence, however, their gazes conveyed more than words could. Aurora felt a bit embarrassed over Olfina's antagonistic behaviour towards the Goldwines, and this dinner was supposed to bridge the gap between her two circles of friends. Olfina took every chance she got to insult one of the brothers, and it did not go unnoticed among the rest of the Drunken Poets. In fact, it had gone so far that Ingun and even Idgrod felt that their friend had crossed the line – especially since the women were quite fond of Ratibor.
"He takes some time to get used to," Egor grinned.
Everyone's gaze turned at him. He was sitting on the left far end of the table, next to Olfina. "But perhaps Lady Grey-Mane might not belong to those amused by Lord Goldwine's antics."
He winked as he spoke the last sentence, and his warm smile lit up the room. It made the atmosphere feel more at ease with his relaxed body language and utterly charming facial expressions. Ingun and Idgrod immediately turned toward him, both with small smiles on their faces.
"Have you known the younger Lord Goldwine for a long time, Master Egor?" Idgrod asked.
"Perhaps you have some more stories about him?" Ingun continued.
Egor chuckled and looked at Ratibor. "Lord Goldwine, can't you tell us of your brother's tricks and jokes?" he asked.
Ratibor filled his cheeks with air and raised his eyebrows, thereby showing that he did not know where to begin. Idgrod and Ingun laughed. "I don't think that discussion is suitable for a room full of gentry," Ratibor said after a while.
"Oh, Lord Goldwine, come on!" Idgrod exclaimed.
The evening progressed more successfully than it began. As the starter arrived, they were already discussing how they had all learned to know one another and telling amusing stories from previous years. Only Olfina seemed unhappy to be there – but for no valid reason according to Aurora. Everyone else had a good time – the woman had just decided upon disliking the Drunken Poets and was sticking to her position.
They spoke about how they ended up in Solitude, and particularly how they knew Aurora. The Jarl went quieter as the evening progressed as her guests began interacting more with one another. Instead, she observed the people around her as they were telling stories. Ratibor had plenty of character even though he behaved according to social expectations. He was amusing and an interesting person to converse with, his intellectual capabilities came through even though the subjects they discussed were not complicated or deep.
"Oh, it was Master Umbranox who introduced us to Lady Stormblade," Ratibor spoke. "He invited her over to the Goldwine apartment in the Imperial City."
"So how was the first time you met, Lord Goldwine?" Idgrod asked.
"I didn't think much about it," Ratibor said. "Of course, Lady Stormblade came across as a nice person, but I didn't really speak to her the first night."
"Yeah, I went out partying with the younger Lord Goldwine," she said.
Ratibor looked at Aurora and smiled. "My brother became rather attached to her quickly," he said. "So from that point, she became a friend of this group. In later months, we've learned to know one another better."
Aurora giggled about the fact that he left out the scandalous dockhouse visit. He appeared so proper while telling the group about his life and how he ended up in Solitude, but Aurora had a completely different picture of him than the other women. He was very capable socially – there was a rational flow in his stories, self-irony and witty jokes which were appreciated at least by Idgrod and Ingun. Nilsine also grinned from time to time, even though she did her best to contain her emotions.
The greatest asset was Egor, though. He acted as the glue connecting one part of the conversation to the other, addressing different people so that they became involved when having been quiet for a longer time. Aurora had never met anyone who was able to passively lead a conversation in such a manner before, and it was obvious that Idgrod, Ingun and Nilsine were utterly charmed by the man. Aurora even thought Olfina might be enjoying having him present as he told about different laughter-provoking incidents from his painting career.
"But, Master Egor, how did you end up in the Imperial City in the first place?" Idgrod asked.
"Yes, after your tutor died," Ingun said.
"How very hard that must have been for you," Idgrod continued. "Since you grew up an orphan living on the streets of Bruma."
"I just… packed my things and left," Egor said, he did not seem to understand how that was worthy of being told.
"How very brave of you. I cannot imagine going to a town, without any contacts, with little gold, and without a place to stay…" Idgrod continued.
Egor exhaled, sounding like a short laugh and smiled. "There truly is nothing noteworthy about it," he said. "Plenty of people have done the same thing."
"But far from most have succeeded. Especially people of the creative professions," Ingun spoke. "And I cannot imagine living in skeever infested shacks like you did in the Imperial City."
"That was only for the first few months," Egor said. "Besides, there is some romance in it."
"Yes, artists ought not become too financially successful," Vecheslav grinned. "All the best have been poor, isn't it so, Lord Goldwine?" he asked, looking at Ratibor with a grimace.
Ratibor laughed. "Perhaps that is true. For everyone except me, of course," he grinned.
Aurora hit him slightly on the shoulder. Vecheslav and Egor were both chuckling and both Nilsine and Olfina were smirking ever so slightly. Ratibor's smile was very bright and warm, his dark eyes glimmering in the soft candlelight. The man's thick, wavy hair was almost as dark as his clothing, but its messiness prevented it from shining. Aurora knew that somewhere beneath it all, there were two golden rings hanging from his left ear – however, they were rarely visible as he hid them when in finer company. The man truly was a chameleon, Aurora thought – a man who enjoyed easy women, substances, and decadent jokes, while appearing proper and refined. It was as if he lived a whole different life in private compared to when being in public.
Vecheslav and Idgrod seemed to have plenty in common. Idgrod's family had lost the throne after the civil war, and Vecheslav was a bastard son to the Count, who most likely would never see his throne, even though his sister was mentally unstable. They did not speak of this directly during the dinner, but there were allusions to their current situation. It was finely handled by everyone in the company, which made Aurora appreciate her friends even more for how considerate and tactic they were.
Towards the end of the dinner, just as they had all finished the pudding, the Jarl noticed a figure in the hallway. It was a man of shorter than average height, dressed in what appeared to be a red tent.
Bogdan did not seem quite like himself as he dawdled into the dining hall with his hands in his pockets. He was more inert than his usual calm self and looked as if he had wandered across the moorlands in a hailstorm.
"Ah, the younger Lord Goldwine has bothered to show up," Aurora said as Bogdan approached the table.
He sat down at the far end, next to Vecheslav, but the rest of the group did not pay much attention to him as they were in the middle of one of Egor's amusing stories about one of his exhibitions. Idgrod and Ingun were captivated by his way of speaking, while Vecheslav and Ratibor were grinning reminecently as they had been there when the events played out.
Umbranox only paid attention to the younger Goldwine brother as he happened to slightly push against the dark haired man when he sat down. He turned to Bogdan and looked at him for a few moments before lightly tapping Bogdan's arm with the back of his hand. Bogdan shook his head slowly.
"So why…?" was all Aurora could hear Vecheslav mutter at the far end.
Bogdan whispered something in reply, but it was impossible for the Jarl to hear what exactly it was. His eyes were slightly swollen, and he had blue rings underneath, evidence of being terribly tired. Vecheslav's expression was stern as he looked down to the table while Bogdan was whispering something to him. Meanwhile, Ratibor and the women were laughing at the climax of Egor's story.
"Everyone," Aurora said. "Everyone!" she yelled again to get the group's attention. "Let's go to my chamber and play the game."
She slowly got everyone gathered and on their feet, but there were conversations still going strong as she tried to herd them into one group. Aurora decided to go in the front and hope the rest would follow her. She tried to get Bogdan with her, but he stuck to the back together with Vecheslav, still engaged in some kind of conversation.
As she reached the stairs, she stopped and looked around. She was being followed by Egor, who had both Ingun and Idgrod holding onto his arms, and Ratibor, who was escorting Nilsine. Olfina walked on Nilsine's side, followed by Vecheslav and Bogdan.
"Up the stairs and to the left," Aurora told Egor, Ingun and Idgrod as they walked past her and ascended the stairs. She also let Ratibor pass together with Nilsine and Olfina, the former two being so engaged in a conversation that neither acknowledged Aurora as she stopped. Vecheslav and Bogdan were speaking in a low tone, obviously intending to keep their discussion private from the trio walking directly in front of them.
Aurora walked up to Bogdan's side as they approached the woman.
"Are you drunk?" Aurora asked, also in a low tone.
"He's taken frost salts, thereby the catatonic state," Vecheslav said and hurried up the stairs, trying to catch up with Ratibor.
Aurora was left with and Bogdan, who dragged his feet as they ascended. "Where have you been?" she asked. "We've all been waiting for you."
The man looked at her. "Really?" he asked with a tone as if to prove her wrong.
In fact, no, the group had done splendidly without him, but Aurora would not say that. She was disappointed that he had not taken her invitation to dine with the nobility with the seriousness she felt it deserved. She had felt that the two groups should learn to know one another better, and that he did not bother to make Aurora's day by showing up on time. They reached Aurora's chamber in silence, both looking down to the floor.
The group sat down in sofas, which resulted in there being very little space for them all since there were nine of them. Egor and Ratibor offered the sofa to the women and instead sat on each of the armrests. Vecheslav took the armchair and Bogdan got down on the floor, leaning against the legs of his brother. The women were still speaking to one another as Aurora placed herself in front of them.
"Everyone, I thought we could start with some charades," she said. "Here is a bowl with pieces of parchment. The one who figures out what I am will do the next one."
She held up a wooden bowl which one of her maids had prepared beforehand. Egor let out a "wooh!" and the women laughed. It made Aurora grin as she put the bowl on a sidetable and picked a folded piece of parchment. Egor and Ingun were laughing at something Idgrod said as Aurora was unfolding her note, and she felt that there was a very warm and fun atmosphere in the chamber even though she felt disappointed with Bogdan.
She looked down to her palm and saw that the note stated skeever. Aurora chuckled a little, then got down on her knees and tried to look as aggressive as possible, clawing at an imaginary foe.
"Cat!" Idgrod exclaimed.
"Dog!" Egor tried.
"Death hound," Olfina suggested.
Aurora was laughing at herself and the situation as a whole. The group became more excited as she pretended eating one of the sofa legs. Egor had jumped to the side as she approached his side of the furniture and laughing hysterically at her behaviour.
"Beaver," Vecheslav said.
"Skeever!" Egor went between his fits of laughter, barely being able to direct enough air through his throat to be heard.
Aurora pointed at him and his arms flew into the air. The rest applauded him as he gave up his seat to the Jarl and went towards the sidetable to reach after a note in the wooden bowl. He had taken his blue jacket off and was only wearing the white shirt with ruffles and a jabot, paired with his leather trousers and boots. The tight trousers reached up to his waist and showed that he was in good shape. The wide shirt created an interesting contrast to the slim bottom part, and his charming body language enhanced the look.
Egor had just reached for the bowl as Bogdan interrupted him
"That is a truly aggressive choice of a shirt," he said.
Egor looked down on his jabot, then on the ruffles on his cuffs, holding his arms out in front of him. The group's attention was drawn to the shirt, and amused laughter was heard momentarily.
"Yeah, it's rather much, isn't it?" Ratibor asked, crossing his arms over his chest while sitting on the armrest.
"I haven't begun yet!" Egor exclaimed, grinning. "And the Goldwines aren't the right people to criticise my choice of outfits," he said, raising his chin and looking down on the older brother.
"What's wrong with this?" Ratibor asked, pinching his shirt in the middle of the stomach.
"Well… you always wear black. What are you, in permanent mourning?" Egor chuckled.
"Black suits me," Ratibor stated with a grimace as proud and sarcastic as Egor's.
"Well, it's just… Your hair, your shirt, your trousers…" Egor said, casually making quick circles in the air with his index finger.
"My shirt is white."
"Most often, it's black too." "And not to mention him!" Egor exclaimed, pointing at Bogdan. "Do you wear anything but red?"
"I have a blue ensemble too," Bogdan said.
"Oh, perfect. The monochrome brothers. You should ask Lady Black-Briar for some colours," Egor said, gesturing with his hand toward Ingun. "Now shut up and watch this," he grinned as he brushed off the brothers.
The women were very entertained by the conversation which had unfolded, and were all laughing happily. Even Olfina was smiling, perhaps being content about Egor mocking the Goldwine brothers' sense of style, even if it was a lighthearted joke. Aurora reached for a glass of wine which had been placed on the table in front of her.
Egor walked around looking like either a drunkard or an imbecile – Aurora could not quite make up her mind. The man then pretended to hit something on the ground.
"Warrior?" Vecheslav asked.
Egor shook his head and stomped with his foot hard on the floor.
"Giant!" Olfina yelled, to which Egor threw his arms up in the air.
"That one was too easy," he said.
"Perhaps for you, Nords," Ratibor said, bringing a glass of wine to his lips. "I've never seen one."
"Oh, that's right," Aurora exclaimed, "there are none in Cyrodiil…"
"Except for the Countess of Leyawiin," Bogdan said.
This prompted Ratibor to almost spit the wine he was sipping in a fit of laughter. He held his glass outward to avoid spilling from it while almost shaking uncontrollably. Vecheslav was grinning too, and Egor chuckled. The locals consisting of Aurora and the rest of the women looked at the men, not following.
"She is clumsy and rather overweight," Ratibor explained. "… And always knocks something over when at parties, so she is considered a sort of liability guest among wealthier residents of the Imperial City."
Ratibor's hair had fallen in front of his face and he had a red colour to his skin after laughing at his brother's comment. Bogdan was sitting on the floor with his legs bent toward his chest and with his elbows on the knees, and looking at his older brother with a wide grin.
"There are no Countesses of Leyawiin in Skyrim," Olfina said.
Aurora leaned in to the woman. "By the Nine, was that a joke?" she smiled.
Olfina looked at her and raised an eyebrow in a feisty manner before standing up. Egor approached the sofa and bowed his head slightly for the Grey-Mane as if to say good job as they passed one another. The woman smiled and bowed her head a little too in acknowledgement. The man sat down to Ingun's right side and to Aurora's left, where Olfina had previously been sitting, and leaned back while both his neighbours were leaning forward. He smelled quite nicely, and the Jarl assumed that he was a frequent buyer of Angeline's aromatics, for his scent reminded of some blue mountain flower elixir.
Meanwhile, Olfina had reached the wooden bowl and was holding a piece of parchment in front of her. "Who wrote these?" she asked with a skeptical expression.
"A maid," Aurora said.
"Well, these will have no idea what this is," Olfina said, looking up at the men.
"What was it?" Vecheslav asked.
"Hagraven," Olfina answered.
"It's like a witch but at the same time a bird," Idgrod explained, looking at Vecheslav. "I've always found them terrifying."
"Sounds like the Countess of Leyawiin," Bogdan said as smiled in his usual, drunken manner.
The group laughed again while Olfina sternly reached for another note. Aurora looked at Bogdan again, and even though he was grinning, she found him to appear tired and worn down. Their gazes met, and eventually his smile died out – perhaps because the woman had a firm and more serious expression. His large eyes caught the candlelight, which gave him a dark green nuance instead of his usual turquoise, which contrasted terribly against his wine red hair and light brown beard. It might have contributed to his downhearted appearance by making him look more messy and disarranged, but it was evident to the woman that he was in some kind of pain, and she sympathised with him. At that moment, she wished to crawl up to him and give the man a hug.
Ratibor excused himself and walked up to a window while litting a nightshade stick on the way. Aurora did not expect it of him considering what kind of company surrounded him, and Olfina looked at him with a scorned expression.
Olfina had taken a new note and read it with a irritated expression. A few moments later, she squatted and took two steps sideways to the right, then two to the left while holding her arms out. She presented her palms and brought her fingers in, then pushed the hand open once again.
"Is that a frostbite spider?" Idgrod asked.
Ratibor had his arms crossed over his chest while leaning against the window frame with a bent knee. He brought his nighshade stick to his mouth and raised his chin while looking at Olfina. He did not appear approachable as he did so. In fact, he looked disparaging.
"No, that's some sort of crab," Egor said.
Olfina pointed toward him, but not with an excited or happy expression.
"Oh, a mudcrab!" Ingun exclaimed.
Vecheslav, Nilsine, Ingun and Idgrod applauded while Ratibor looked nonchalant as he stood by the window, looking out of it. Bogdan and Aurora had caught one another's gaze and held on to it for a moment.
"That was Master Egor's," Olfina said.
He smiled and brought his hands up to the side in a charming manner as he accepted the applauses. The man then got up and Olfina took a seat in the sofa, forcing the women to press together.
Ratibor had opened the window and exhaled smoke while looking out into the darkness. The wide fingers of his right hand held on to the smoking stick, while the left was tucked into his armpit as the arm was crossed over the chest. Meanwhile, Egor took a note and laughed.
"Oh, this is a good one!" he grinned. He stood on one leg, bringing the other up and let his arms fly over his head as he opened his mouth as if he wanted to roar.
"A cock!" Vecheslav exclaimed.
Egor laughed and shook his head. His eyes were almost fully covered by the brow and cheek as he did so, casting wrinkles at the outer edges of his eyes.
"A turkey?" Nilsine asked.
"Chaurus hunter?" Ingun suggested.
Egor looked at Aurora, still smiling as widely as before. Aurora tried to analyse his behaviour but could not quite figure out why he was looking at her with an insinuating expression. Aurora lowered her gaze a little to his stomach, then his legs. His leather trousers shone slightly in the candlelight, and he was standing firmly with his right boot on the ground, but the left foot was only touching the stone floor with the toes. Looking up, she observed his arms, which were brought up with his hands above his head, the palm facing her with the fingers wide apart. The woman looked at his face again, which was still smiling, albeit not as widely as before. It looked as if he wanted her to guess, and then he suddenly nodded, and that made her blood freeze. She got in.
"No, he wouldn't have taken the note if it was a Chaurus hunter, Ingun," Olfina said. "Have you ever seen one in Cyrodiil?"
"I have never seen one in Skyrim," Ingun said. "Just their antennae, but they are widely written about."
Aurora had still not taken her eyes from Egor's. "Dragon," she said, and Egor pointed at her, now grinning in a content manner, as if he was proud of her.
The woman felt misplaced and somewhat distanced from the others. It was as if time flew more slowly for her than the rest of the group, and she felt how an uneasy feeling was creeping up on her.
"Let's play the game I was talking about," she said as she turned her gaze to the floor and began stumbling over the words. "… To get to know one another a bit better. I will ask you a question, and you all have to write down your answer."
She hurried up to a cupboard and reached for a bottle of wine she knew was placed there. The woman refilled her glass and drank half of it in one go as she heard the rest of the group speaking joyfully behind her. She remained turned away from them for a few seconds and took two deep breaths before walking up to another cupboard and retrieving some parchment rolls, an ink bottle, and a handful of quill feathers.
"So this is to learn to know one another better," Aurora said. "Take a quill, and here's ink. You are going to write things down on notes."
She walked up to the armchair Vecheslav was occupying and sat down on the floor, spreading out the things she had been holding in her hands. The woman did her best to appear calm, but she still had not quite recovered from her sensation, and she noticed her hands shaking ever so slightly as she placed the parchment in front of her. The Jarl could hear multiple conversations going on to her left, but she did not pay attention to what they were about, but she noticed that Idgrod had got up from the sofa and approached her. She sat down on the carpet and looked like she was waiting for the rest to do the same. Others followed, and after a short while, all people in the chamber were sitting on the mat.
Vecheslav had glided down from the armchair and sat directly to Aurora's left while having Idgrod on his left side. The circle was continued by Olfina, Egor, Bogdan, Ingun, Nilsine and Ratibor, who was to Aurora's right. Most were in a good mood – even the older Goldwine brother who had appeared somewhat upset some ten minutes earlier.
Aurora looked around and fixed her gaze at Bogdan, who looked tired and worn out in his tunic which was too big for him. "You only have to write down one word, or at most – a short sentence. Take quills, there is one for everyone, and tear a piece of parchment."
While the others reached for a quill or piece of parchment, Bogdan kept looking at Aurora. His eyes were half-closed and he looked tranquil, almost catatonic again. The man was sitting with one leg tucked under him, and leaning over his other knee with his elbow. Slowly, he reached forwards and gripped the last remaining quill, losing eye contact with Aurora.
"Most terrifying situation you've ever been in," she said. "Write it down and we'll present what we've written one by one."
Aurora looked around at the group as they all lowered their gazes – some were thinking, while others reached for the ink almost immediately. Ratibor was the first one, and was observed by his brother. Bogdan smirked as he watched the older Goldwine, then shook his head and leaned in to the ink container. Aurora reached for it too and wrote down one word on her piece of parchment – Alduin. As she looked up, she saw that most people of the group was looking at one another while Bogdan was finishing with his note. She then looked at Vecheslav and touched his shoulder to ask him to start.
The dark-haired man held up his note for everyone to see. "The day I left Anvil," he said. "My father made my life a living Oblivion, but I only dared to leave it when I turned twenty. I left the only life I knew – one where I knew that even though I was looked down upon and ridiculed on a daily basis, at least I would have bread. I had no experience in practical survival apart from hunting, and knew I would have to learn or perish."
Olfina looked at him with a lowered chin. "You were ridiculed?"
"For being a bastard and not knowing whom my mother was. My father knew it all, of course, and he used it against me at any point he could."
"That's horrible," Idgrod said.
"What did you write?" Aurora asked her.
The woman flipped her parchment. "When my brother falls ill." She looked at Vecheslav with a gloomy expression. "My brother is very weak and is often sick. I worry that each time will be his final."
"I didn't know you had a brother, Lady Ravencrone," Ratibor said.
She smiled. "A younger. He is five years younger than I am and I love him dearly."
"We're very fortunate to have siblings," Ratibor said and bowed his head to her.
Idgrod smiled even more and also lowered her head in a sign of respect and understanding. "Indeed we are."
The group's gazes were then turned to Olfina. She confidently presented her piece of parchment in a straight forward type of manner without any sign of anxiousness or sadness. "I fell into the Brena river while we were crossing it on horse in the Second Great War. The heavy armour was pulling me down and I thought I would drown", the woman said and then looked at Aurora. "I'm only alive thanks to her."
The chamber had been quiet before Olfina began to speak, but after, it was silent as in a grave. Aurora felt eight pairs of eyes on her, and tried to avoid them all, apart for Olfina's. She gaze her a tiny, forced smile and then lowered her gaze.
Having noticed the uneasy atmosphere, Ratibor turned to Olfina. "Right, then I understand why the two of you are close," he said.
Egor picked up on Ratibor's trail and eased the situation by presenting his own piece of parchment while grinning widely. "I got robbed while living in the Imperial City," he said.
"Oh!" Ingun said. "What happened?"
Egor chuckled. "It's an amusing story, actually," he said. "You see, I had been painting a rich lady whose husband had ordered a portrait of her – and this was early in my painting career. As we were working, a man suddenly entered the chamber in nothing but trousers."
Egor made an artistic pause while some of the women began giggling. Idgrod placed a hand over her mouth while Ratibor leaned back and put his elbow on one knee at the height of his chest and grinned widely. "Oh, this is an absurd story!" he exclaimed.
Ingun, Nilsine and Idgrod looked at Egor with anticipation as he continued. "He did not notice me even though I was sitting only two yards away from the door, and went straight up to the lady, kissing her." Laughter was heard as Egor grinned so widely that he exposed almost all upper teeth. "Well, she understood that I had understood it all and gave me a pearl necklace to keep quiet. I was thrilled about this and set off into the night without thinking much about what was going on around me. Stupid as I were, I played with it – throwing it up and catching it with my right hand as I walked the dark streets of the Imperial City. Well, of course this attracted the attention of some local bandit who managed to catch the necklace very suddenly. I looked up and saw a man at least this much taller than me," he said and gestured with his arms that there were at least fifteen inches in height difference between them. "He was smirking and leaning over me, and I had no option to just say that I hadn't seen anything and wished him a nice night."
Ratibor and Vecheslav were laughing and Olfina was grinning, but Ingun and Idgrod were not looking particularly thrilled at all. Aurora was chuckling, but only because Egor appeared to take it with such ease and plenty of humour. "I was so scared I almost pissed myself at that point – I genuinely thought he was going to kill me," he explained.
"My gods, you're only alive because you think fast," Nilsine said.
They spoke about that subject for a few more minutes before Egor ended it by turning to Bogdan, pushing him on the shoulder to show what he had written. The laughters had died down and the group was looking at the younger Goldwine brother. He presented his note which only stated Oskander. Ratibor's smile immediately died out, as did Vecheslav's. Aurora realised where the conversation was going.
"I had a friend… or, we had a friend," Bogdan said and looked at Ratibor. "He died three years ago and I was with him. He… choked," the younger Goldwine said after receiving a meaningful gaze from his brother, who Aurora guessed did not want everyone to know that he had died from an overdose.
"You saw him choke to death?" Nilsine asked. "What a freak accident."
"…Yeah," Bogdan said.
No one wished to follow up on that, and Aurora could only guess why. A story about such an accident was not eventful enough to be discussed in detail, and Ratibor obviously did not wish to inform outsiders about the actual events. Meanwhile, Ingun was holding up her own note.
This time it was something trivial about an experiment gone wrong. Quite a few had trouble refraining from laughing, and it became evident to all that the first impression one got from Ingun was in fact very correct. She was an odd character with a dark love for knowledge of questions regarding healing and hurting.
After a while, Nilsine lowered her gaze and presented her note. "The night my sister was killed," she said. "Perhaps you heard about it – there was a serial killer loose in Windhelm. He killed lone women after nightfall, and my sister was one of them."
Those who did not know of this looked mortified, well – everyone but Bogdan, who appeared calm as ever.
"Your sister died?" Vecheslav asked. "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know."
"Vecheslav's brother died in the war," Aurora added without thinking about the fact that she had referred to him by his first name instead of formally.
Nilsine looked up at Vecheslav with an expression of thankfulness. He responded by nodding ever so slightly, and this caused quite a nice atmosphere of mutual respect in the chamber. Everyone kept quiet for a while, abstaining from asking further questions, then they looked at Ratibor who also held up his note.
"The war," he said.
Aurora observed him with a wrinkled forehead and immediately felt that he was lying, but her attention was soon drawn elsewhere. Olfina chuckled for two seconds before Aurora threw her an angry gaze. Ratibor did not wish to comment his note, so everyone expected the Jarl to present her own instead.
"Killing Alduin," she said, flipping her piece of parchment. "No one knew how to kill him, and it turned out one couldn't. But I fought him on the Top of the World, at High Hrothgar. Seven thousand steps up. I still have nightmares from it."
She could feel the gazes of her company at her – most were smiling in a supportive manner: Olfina's face showed pride of her friend, Idgrod's was expressing admiration… Only Bogdan looked at her sternly and seriously, as if he was trying to dig a hole into her mind. Aurora lowered her gaze. "Anyway, let's get to the second question," she said and paused for a while before looking up at the group again. "Who is the person you like the most?"
Some people thought for a while before reaching for the ink, while Bogdan and Ratibor were quick to write down names on their pieces of parchment. Olfina followed suit, as did Idgrod. After two or so minutes, Aurora looked to her left, at Vecheslav and gestured for him to begin.
"I didn't write anything," he said. "It's not because I don't have people I appreciate and consider close friends, but due to the fact that there is not one who stands out more."
Nilsine nodded and looked at Idgrod, as did most others after a few more seconds of staring at Vecheslav. The woman flipped her note and smiled. "My brother," she said, almost sighing. "He is much younger than I, but he is a wonderful person and I couldn't imagine life without him."
Vecheslav and Olfina, who were sitting next to Idgrod, both smiled widely in a heartfelt support of the woman. Olfina then flipped her hair back with her left hand and threw her own note to the floor in front of her. "My family. We're very close."
Egor followed and showed an empty piece of parchment. "Same as Vecheslav," he said.
Bogdan had not been looking at any of the people before him, and did not make an exception for Egor. He just threw his note in front of him where the name Ratibor could be read.
"I guess it's obvious," he said.
Aurora looked at Ratibor, who was smiling warmly at his brother, but then turned her head in shock toward Ingun as she heard her name being spoken. The Black-Briar was looking at her with a soft smile, which made her somewhat uncomfortable. Aurora had expected Olfina to write her name, but instead Ingun had proven to value her higher. Nilsine continued by uttering the name of her dead sister, and Ratibor by saying his brother's. Aurora flipped her note which said Olfina, then quickly lowered her gaze and felt like she wanted to fall through a hole in the ground. In order to quickly transfer everyone's thoughts to something else, she noted it was getting late.
"One last question, since it's already past ten o'clock," she then said. "What you most wish for in your life."
She did not look at anyone, but simply reached for a new piece of parchment and dipped her quill in the ink. Upon finishing writing down three words, she continued to look down at the floor and await the rest of the group. As she noticed that the sound of writing was no longer hearable, she raised her gaze and turned to Vecheslav.
He chuckled. "I'm the first one again… Well," the man continued and flipped his piece of parchment which read Become the Count of Anvil. "My father is old, my brother is dead, and now my mentally ill sister is the heiress. I am fearful for where my county will be heading should she succeed my father."
"I have a similar wish," Idgrod said and turned her parchment so that everyone could see. "To make my mother proud. We Ravencrones have had five particularly tough years and being the future Jarl of Hjaalmarch, I wish to make my Hold flourish."
"You snobs," Olfina muttered, winking as she did so. "I only wish to work as a military leader, even though my family is the leading one in Whiterun."
Aurora nodded to acknowledge the fact that she had heard Olfina, then turned to Egor, who was grinning widely.
"I wish to have children."
"What?" Ingun exclaimed.
The man grinned. "I was an orphan without a family. How come it surprises you that I wish to create my own."
"Because you are a brilliant painter," she replied. "I thought you primarily wished to become the best one."
Egor shrugged. "I love my art, that is true, but I believe I would be happy even if I worked as a farmer or coal miner, as long as I had a family to go home to every night."
The women appeared surprised at his comment, and even Vecheslav raised an eyebrow. Aurora thought it made sense, but also did not expect him to open up about what pained him like that. As a matter of fact, she felt that she respected him more than before for saying what he had. His lightheartedness and charming mannerisms made many people draw the conclusion that he was a bit of a womaniser, and Aurora liked the contrast, even though she felt he was not husband material for anyone.
Meanwhile, Bogdan flipped his note which said Literary Academy. "Yeah, I-uh… Wish to become accepted," he said.
Aurora observed him. Nothing in his body language or facial expression had changed – he wore his drunken gaze and calm demeanor as he always did, and he spoke the words in his usual nonchalant tone. However, she still felt that was a lie. None of the people commented his reply, though, and Aurora did not feel like bringing it up in front of everyone.
Instead, Nilsine turned her note. "I wish for my family to become happy again. My parents have not learned to live after losing one of their daughters."
She was met by understanding silence for a few moments, before she turned her head toward Ingun, who stated that she wanted to become a good alchemist, even though her mother threatened her with disinherit her. Ratibor, quite predictably, said that he wished to become a good and fair ruler for his people. Aurora threw her note to the floor, where the words to be loved could be read.
Nilsine decided to go to bed just after midnight, and upon informing the rest of the group about this, Idgrod and Olfina also agreed that it was time to end the evening. Vecheslav had been somewhat distant the past hour – either due to boredom or simply because he too was tired, and decided to return to Proudspire. Ratibor and Egor, who up until then primarily had been speaking to the ladies, suggested going home and have more wine. The men let Nilsine, Idgrod, Ingun and Olfina out past the door and into the hall, then Ratibor led the way, followed by Egor and Vecheslav. Just as Bogdan turned around, Aurora stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You liar," she said.
The man turned to face her but remained silent for a few seconds. He looked at her with a tired expression, but spoke calmly and in his normal, neutral tone. "I didn't think you would be so honest."
"We all were," she said. "Except for you."
Bogdan continued to hold her gaze. "They wish for shallow things. Well, except for Egor. But he is not the slightest bit embarrassed over children being what he wishes for the most. People might not think that of him, but that is the true Egor, and he likes it," he spoke. "Come on, how unexpected is it that Vecheslav, Idgrod and my brother wish to be rulers? Or that Olfina wants to work in the military? Everyone knows about Nilsine's sister and that the parents are miserable," he continued and for a moment, looked to the side, then back at the woman. "I didn't think you would be open about the fact that you believe love will make you whole."
"I didn't say that. Only that I want to be loved," Aurora stated.
Bogdan looked at her in silence with his drunken gaze. "Knowing you, one can draw conclusions," he spoke softly.
Aurora raised an eyebrow and smiled. "They don't know me that well."
"Indeed," he replied, looking into her eyes.
Aurora hesitated for a moment, but decided to press on. "So what is your most heartfelt wish?" she asked.
"To be whole," he replied instantly.
"Through love?" Aurora chuckled.
"A sort," the man replied and smiled at her. "Will you be able to sleep?"
"I want to know why you took those frost salts," she interrupted him.
He threw his arms out. "I felt anxious. I much prefer the catatonic state to the alternative," he replied, calmly as ever.
"It's dangerous," she said, looking sternly at him.
"Come on, it wasn't the first time in stupor for me," he said. "Besides, you drink like you're a wine bottling apparatus."
"Hey!" Aurora laughed.
They looked at one another in silence for a while. Aurora felt she wanted to be close to him, to comfort one another, and to feel his calm spread to her. She understood that he had been thinking about something earlier in the day which made him anxious, and she wished to soothe whatever pain he was in. At the same time, she did not want to be alone. He had turned his head toward the door. "Well… I better go. The guys are probably by the palace entrance doors by now," he said.
She looked at him as he held her gaze. His wonderful, turquoise eyes yet again had a dark green shine to them in the dimly lit chamber. A few seconds later, he took two steps and reached the door, opened it and took yet another step into the hall, but then turned around and leaned his cheek against the door. His drunken gaze was emphasised by the messy, wine red hair and enormous sideburns.
"Bogdan?" she asked, this time feeling much calmer, having been soothed by his gaze.
"Mm?"
"Can you read to me?"
"The book is at Proudspire."
"I can send a maid."
He entered the room again and let his arms out to the sides.