Ulfric trudged through the snow of Windhelm, glaring down at the freshly fallen snow. It wasn't the vast amounts of snow that he was angry at though; no, he was used to the snow, he'd been buried in it for almost his whole life. It was his father he was angry with.
He'd heard that war was becoming likely with the Aldmeri Dominion. When he had questioned his father about it, he had been honest, and said the rumors were true. The dominion was expected to attack at any moment.
When those words had left his father's lips, he instantly felt a strong feeling in his chest; he wanted to fight. When Ulfric told his father this, the older man's face had paled. He refused to give him his blessing and send him off. Told him that his place was at High Hrothgar with the Greybeards; where he had been for almost ten years now.
He finally let his eyes gaze upward and he looked around at his surroundings. He'd stumbled into what was now known as the grey quarter. He remembered as a boy it being called the 'snow quarter', but because of the sudden population of Dark Elves in the quarter, the nords had begun to call it the grey quarter. He found it unsettling how the things had changed while he had been away studying at High Hrothgar.
He continued forward, wanting to walk around the city once more before going back to the palace to face his father again. As he passed an alley however, he overheard some of his fellow kinsmen drunk, and speaking as if they were talking to a poor woman who'd gotten cornered by them.
"Aw come on, let a real nord give you some entertainment," one slurred.
"I don't think I'll find whatever it is you are offering as 'entertainment' as you call it, very entertaining," the woman spoke, her voice young yet stern.
"Aw, what's da matter? Don't tell me you've never been with a man before," another drunken lout spoke.
"I don't think that's any concern of yours," the girl said sharply.
"Aw, it's true ain't it. Don't worry well go easy on you," the first one spoke again. Ulfric certainly wasn't about to stand around and let something happen to the girl however.
"I think its best you return to your homes and sober up. The girl obviously doesn't have any intention of bedding with either of you," he stated loudly as he rounded the corner, "And I don't think a real nord would corner a woman and force her to have relations with him."
"Hey, who do you-" a nord with blond hair spoke, obviously the man who he had heard first.
"No, wait. I believe that's the Jarl's boy. Let's just leave," the second, a nord with brown hair said as he turned away. The blond sneered, glaring at him and then turned to follow his friend.
Ulfric's eyes followed the two intently; being sure they got the warning. "You know," he started, "It's not a good idea for a young girl like yourself to be walking around the streets of Windhelm alone, especially in the grey quarter." After the two men disappeared he turned to walk in the back towards the Palace of Kings. "Best get yourself to your residence or to the market, which ever it was you were going to," he said, not even looking at the girl.
"Ulfric?" the feminine voice spoke. He stopped, and turned angrily. Who in their right mind would address him with such informality!
He stared for a moment, surprised as to who it had been the men managed to corner. "Julianna?" He finally managed. Her cheeks turned a pinkish color and she waved sheepishly, obviously caught off guard by the turn of events as much as he was. "What are you doing here?" he questioned as he approached her.
"Kjeld wasn't feeling well, so my father brought me along to Windhelm instead. Honestly I wasn't expecting to even see you," she said.
"And I wasn't expecting to run into you again. Yet two weeks later, here we are," he said with a small chuckle.
"Yup. So, anything exciting going on?" she asked.
"Not really, no. Perhaps you'll allow me to show you around Windhelm, let you know where to go and where not to go," he stated as his lips formed a small smile.
"It'd be an honor."
Ulfric showed Julianna around Windhelm, from the market place (where she got some supplies that had been on list from the Inn Keeper in Kynesgrove) to front courtyard of the Palace of Kings. They stood in front of the Palace of Kings, looking upon the large doors. He would have invited her in, if he was not still aggravated with his father, so instead he waited patiently while she looked around at the cold, gray bricks and stones.
"Wow, it looks like a big place. Don't you ever get lost in there?" she asked with a smile on her face.
"Heh, not really. I still remember all the corridors after ten years from when I was a boy," he said with a chuckle. He stood in front of the palace with his arms crossed, looking at the large doors leading inside.
"Ten years? That's a long time to be away from home," she commented as she seemed to commit every stone of Windhelm to memory.
"Aye, I was chosen by the Greybeards. I've been at High Hrothgar training for the past ten years. I received a letter that my mother was ill, and wished to see me again before she left for sovngarde," he said, not allowing the thought of his dear mother change his outer appearance.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," the girl next to him spoke. He could practically hear her awkwardness in the tone.
"Don't worry yourself too much. She was ill, and now she is in a better place," he said calmly, maintaining his gaze at the doors of the palace. There was a moment of silence and he glanced over to Julianna out of the corner of his eye. She was looking around at the stone walls; he never thought someone could take so much interest in the appearance of the mostly monochromatic city.
"It's about time for the evening meal. How about I treat you to a meal at Candlehearth Hall?" he asked as he turned away from the palace.
"You don't have to, I have some enough coin on me for a meal," she said as she turned to follow him.
"Nonsense, I'll pay for your meal," he said as he led the way to Candlehearth Hall.
"Are you sure?" he heard the young woman ask.
"I'm training with the Greybeards, any coin I have will is of no use to me," he said with a smirk.
"If you insist," Julianna spoke softly.
They sat in on the top floor of the Hall at a table that was close to the large hearth in the center. The huntress across from him sat straight and proper surprisingly. Most people, including women, who weren't of noble blood would lean forward on their arm, or lean back ward and slump.
"Are you alright?" he asked, wondering if perhaps she felt obliged to sit such a way in front of him.
"Yes, why?" she asked, her blue-grey eyes meeting his.
"You're sitting straight, most wouldn't do so unless in the presence of someone important," he stated calmly.
"Oh, well, while you are of someone of importance seeing as you are not only the Jarl's son but also training with the greybeards, but I sit up straight because that's how my mother taught me. She'd always get on me if I was slouching or slumped," she explained.
"Ah, I see. Your mother sounds like she was a good woman," he said, briefly looking away as their meals were set down in front of them.
"She was. She taught me a lot and worked hard to make sure I was being raised correctly. She was a historical scholar, and was around Jarls for a long time before she settled down with my father," Julianna explained looking down at the meal before her as she picked up her fork.
"Ah, that explains quite a bit," he said, picking up his own set of utensils and cutting into the cooked beef on the plate.
"So when are you going back to High Hrothgar?" Julianna questioned.
"No sure if I should go back honestly," he answered in a low tone.
"Why's that?" she asked, "If you don't mind me asking."
"Have you heard the rumors of the Aldmeri Dominion approaching tamriel?" he asked, looking up to her. She nodded as she chewed the on a piece of chicken. "Well, I wanted to go and join the legion, in case they should attack. My father thinks it unwise. Says my place is at High Hrothgar, to become a greybeard," He explained. He continued to eat his meal as he watched her pause a moment to think.
"Maybe he's right," she said softly.
"Pardon?" he said, slightly surprised.
"Well, maybe not completely right, but for the time being," she started, pausing to sip from her drink. He watched her jerk away from the goblet and look at its contents.
"Does it not taste good?" he asked, glancing at his own untouched goblet.
"I honestly wouldn't know. It's probably fine, I've just never had wine before," she said quietly, then set the goblet down. "Anyway, as I was saying, perhaps your place is at High Hrothgar, studying. But if war were to come to Tamriel, then you should do what you feel is right. As of right now though, it's only rumors. If you were to join the legion and nothing were to happen, then what? You'd have left behind ten years of training to be a greybeard to be a guard or patrol man. I just think that for now, it would be best if you kept up your training. So that if the rumors are false, you wouldn't have any regrets of leaving High Hrothgar."
He watched her for a moment, calmly processing her thoughts on the subject. "Hm, perhaps," he started hesitantly, "you are right. It would be regretful if I was to join the legion and the advances of the Aldmeri Dominion were just rumors."
"If you don't mind me being honest, I think you as dressed in robes like a greybeard is an amusing thought," she chuckled, a grin spread across her face.
"And why's that?" he asked sternly, not catching her humor.
"Well, for one. You don't have a beard, just a bit of scruff. And not that but your hair and scruff aren't grey, their blond," she explained, finally getting a bit of a laugh out of him.
"I suppose I'll have to grow a beard then, although I'll just have to wait for time to take its toll on me for my beard and hair to grey," he chuckled.
The rest of the meal was filled with light jokes and small talk as they finished their meals. After finishing Ulfric was a bit saddened when Julianna said it was about time for her to meet up with her father at the main gate, but he didn't let his disappointment show.
"It's not quite time for the shops to close, how about a quick trip to the pawn shop and then I'll take you to the gates to meet your father," he said as he offered a hand to the still sitting young woman.
"I suppose I have enough time for that," she said, taking his hand. He helped her out of the chair like he'd been taught to by an old tutor of his and led her to the pawn shop. Upon entering the establishment a dark elf greeted them.
"Go ahead and browse while I take care of something, will you?" he asked.
"Sure," she replied with a shrug and wandered over to a far shelf.
"What books do you have here?" Ulfric asked quietly, "I'd like to give them to the girl as a gift."
"Ah, well," the elf replied quietly, leaning in so Ulfric could hear him, "I have recently acquired the first three volumes of the 2920 historical series."
"Sounds good, I'll take them," he said. As he grabbed the coin purse from his belt he looked over to see Julianna reading over another book. "I'll buy that one as well," he added as he counted the gold pieces and handed them to the elf.
"Ah, thank you sir! I hope you enjoy your purchases," the elf replied as he pulled the other three books from behind the shelf behind the counter.
She looked up to him as he walked over to her, closing the book in her hand. "Ready to go then?" she asked as she started to put the book away.
"Yes," he replied as he quickly grabbed the book before she had completely shelved it away. She looked at him with surprise as he grabbed the book and slid it back off the shelf, placing it on top of the stack he was already carrying. "I suppose its best I take you back to the gate as promised," he said as he opened the door for her with his spare hand.
"I suppose so," she said quietly, obviously trying to figure out what he was up to.
They walked quietly to the gate, where her father was certainly waiting for her.
"There you are girl! I was beginning to worry!" The older man said with a sigh.
"Sorry dad, I ran into Ulfric after placing the order for more new tankards for the Inn," she said as walked up to him.
"Ah, yes, the Jarl's son. Thank you," her father said with a smile.
"It's fine, I simply didn't want the girl getting lost on her first visit to Windhelm," Ulfric replied, smirking as Julianna looked back at him with an aggravated look and a huff.
"Ha ha! The girl probably would have gotten lost if it weren't for you," he added to the joke.
"Dad," Julianna whined as her shoulders slumped, causing both her father and Ulfric to chuckle.
"Well, thanks again," her father said as he patted his daughter's shoulder, "come on, Julie. Let's get back home."
"One moment, if I might," Ulfric said quickly, remembering the books in his arm.
"Here," he said as he handed Julianna the books, "now take care." With the final words he placed a soft kiss on her forehead and turned away, walking back towards his father's palace.
"Thank you!" he heard the girl shout after him after a moment, which he was sure was from surprise at his gifted. He simply lifted his hand and gave a slight wave. "Come to Kynesgrove sometime!" he heard her call. He knew he surely would if he got the chance.
Julianna hugged the books to her chest as her and her father made their way up the road to Kynesgrove. She knew they were getting close when the snow began melting away from the nearby hot springs and geysers.
"So, the Jarl's son?" her father spoke.
"What about him?" she asked, trying to seem collected and as if there was nothing to the question.
"You're cheeks are still pink," her father stated flatly, causing her to bit down on her lower lip as her face turned into a dark shade of pink.
"So?" Julianna started, trying to think of a way to immediately get away from the subject.
"It's not likely that-" her father started.
"Dad, don't start. I know that a relationship with him is unlikely. Even more than you do probably. But I can't help it, I even know mom would say I'm a young woman with unrealistic fantasies, but that's just like the rest of the girls my age, isn't it?" She said.
"That is true, both of your aunts admitted to fantasizing about having a knights or warriors sweep come to sweep them off their feet when they were your age," he replied, "Just don't get caught up in the fantasies."
"I won't," she replied quietly, secretly wishing that the fantasies that entertained her thoughts would come true, just like all the young girls her age.
Author's Note: Hey, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now, I'd like to know if you all would like the next chapter set in Kynesgrove or Ivarstead. Both will be covered eventually in the story, but I'm curious as to which one you all would like to see written first. If nobody has a choice really then, I guess I'll just flip a coin or something. Either way, thanks for the read! I'll have the next chapter written up and posted no later than the 9th of March!
Edit: Lol, so I totally forgot that Ivarstead is a part of the rift! I'm still gonna include it as a location anyway, because I have an idea for an 'encounter' there. Have one for riften too, (but the riften one is quite a bit away.)
Edit II: Sorry about the multiple edits! But I'm house sitting for my Aunt and Uncle and won't have internet access. (I'm leaving in like, five minutes) I'm almost done with the next chapter, so I'll definitely finish it over the weekend and post it monday, 3/12. Sorry about the delay!