"So, Leola, where did you go today?"
Leola looked up the table at Ulfric, who had a tankard of mead in hand and his blue eyes focused on the young blonde. She bit her lip slightly before smiling.
"Just out. Went to get some fresh air, to spend some time in nature…it's been hard spending all my time cooped up in the city, but I can't fight, so I didn't want to go out alone," she lied. She hated lying to Ulfric after all he had done for her, but she didn't want him to find out about the Daedric artifacts – he would almost certainly confiscate them all, and perhaps even revoke all the honours her mother had been given.
"Ah," said the King with a nod. "I understand. It can be dull in the city."
"Yes, Erith and Aventus offered to take me out. We didn't go far, just wandered around in the woods near here," she said.
"You didn't encounter any troubles I trust?" he asked.
"Nothing at all," she answered. "I did give a fox quite the fright though."
A hearty laugh left Ulfric's mouth and he gave a nod. "I'm sure you would," he said. "Little things never seem to notice you until you're close enough to scare them, but not quite close enough to snag them."
"Well, I wouldn't know about that," Leola said, lifting one hand to brush a lock of blonde hair from her face. She took another bite of her venison chops, her gaze falling briefly to the meat so that she could cut it cleanly before she looked back up at Ulfric.
"Have you thought further at all about where you intend on staying?" he asked, smiling. "Are you thinking about moving into Hjerim? Or perhaps staying here…?"
Leola gave a light shrug. "I haven't really thought about it yet," she said. "I'm still working my way through my mother's things, I'd rather wait until I have that sorted out before I think about moving in."
"Have you encountered something troublesome?" he asked, a frown coming to his lips.
"No, no," she said quickly. "It's just a lot of work, getting everything appraised and figuring out what to do with it."
"If you come across a large iron axe," said Ulfric suddenly, "it's probably mine."
"My mother had your axe?" Leola asked curiously.
"The Axe of Eastmarch," Ulfric said. "I gave it to her when she became Thane of Eastmarch. I've been unable to give the current thane such a token, as it does belong to the thane. If you find it, we must give it to Torbjorn."
"Of course," Leola said, smiling. "I'm sure I'll stumble upon it sooner or later."
"Thank you, Leola," Ulfric said with a grin as he looked at her. "You're an excellent young woman, you know. Your mother would be proud of you."
"I hope that she would," Leola replied in a soft voice. "I wish she would have told me all these things I didn't know…"
"I'm sure that she only wanted to protect you," Ulfric said. "Her life was a dangerous one. There were many times I was certain she wouldn't come back. I was not surprised when she disappeared – I thought her dead, as did most."
"Well," Leola said softly, "at least now you know that she wasn't."
"I wish I had known sooner," Ulfric said, shaking his head. "I would have come and brought you both here. I would have married her and made her my Queen."
"And I would be a princess," Leola said with a giggle, and Ulfric laughed.
"You still are a princess," he said with a smile. "Like I said, the only women who would have married me are dead or married."
"Who?" Leola asked in a soft voice. "Who is this married woman who would have married you if you got to her first?"
"Hermir Strong-Heart, a Nord woman here in Windhelm," he said slowly. "A blacksmith. She's married now to the other blacksmith, Oengul – they've got a couple of kids and they make armour and weapons together now." He paused thoughtfully. "I'd say her two are your age – twins, too."
"Wow," Leola said softly. "I've met her in town, I wouldn't have thought…"
"Your mother used to give me a hard time about the things this woman would say," Ulfric said with a laugh. "Nothing but praise for me, apparently. Loved working here in Windhelm where she could, as your mother quoted her, 'see me up close'. Kind of creepy, but still a viable candidate for marriage."
"Why did she marry Oengul?" Leola asked softly.
"Hmm… I believe it was around the time that the rumours about your mother and I started to circulate – I suppose she gave up on her dream of ever having me, and she settled. He's quite a deal older than she is – I'm amazed he's still running that place." Ulfric shook his head slightly, smiling. "Best steel in all of Skyrim though, that's for sure. Yes, I believe they got married a few months after the Battle for Solitude…and their twins were born around the time your mother disappeared, so they'd be a matter of months older than you."
Leola nodded curiously as she heard him. "I should see if I can find them next time I'm in town then," she said.
"Yes, you should," he agreed. "Two girls…hmm…I believe the names are Agatar and Merinna. Yes, that's it."
Leola paused, thinking for a moment, but shook her head. "No, I don't know them," she said.
"I'm not sure what they do, else I could tell you where you might look. Just ask their parents though, I'm sure they'd be happy to know that you're looking to be friends with their girls," he replied with a smile. "How's your supper?"
"It's delicious," Leola answered, realizing she'd been so caught up in her conversation with Ulfric that she'd completely forgotten to eat her meat. She quickly cut off another chunk, sticking it in her mouth.
She loved these evening suppers with Ulfric. Galmar was often with them, but he was out and about this evening, so it was just Leola and the King. Ulfric would have been an excellent father, she figured – he was kind and gentle, and it seemed he genuinely cared about her. The fact that he had once had feelings for her mother made it an even more exciting idea – but alas, Ulfric wasn't her father. There were some moments that she wished he was. In this moment, sitting by him at the table, talking and eating the way she always imagined doing with her father, she certainly wished it were so.
She took another bite of her meat, and Ulfric took a long drink of his mead. There was a minute or so of silence before Leola broke it.
"Did you love my mother?" she asked in a soft voice.
Ulfric closed his eyes, lowering the tankard to the table with a light thunk. "I most certainly did," he replied. "Not a day goes by that I don't miss her. I wish I had been a part of your life. I wish I could have been there for the both of you."
"I wish you were my father, Ulfric," Leola said to him in a soft voice. "I really do."
There was silence from the King. His blue eyes were shut and his head was turned downwards. He appeared unsure what to say, and Leola just smiled before taking another bite.
The palace doors suddenly flew open and a loud gust of icy wind came bursting in from outside. The pair looked up from their meals, seeing a man as he came striding in, the heavy doors swinging shut behind him. He was an Imperial with dark, grey-speckled hair and golden mage robes, and he smiled slightly as he neared them. There was an interested look in his eyes as they fell briefly upon Leola before looking towards Ulfric.
"Jarl Stormcloak," he said politely. "My name is Marcurio, and I've come to speak with the Dragonborn's daughter."
Ulfric raised an eyebrow, standing up from his seat so that he could properly address this newcomer. "Welcome…may I ask why?" he asked.
"Well…" The Imperial man paused slightly, his dark eyes falling briefly to the ground before looking once again towards Leola. "Her mother and I were lovers. She's my daughter."