When Leola reached the Jarl's palace and knocked on the door of the guest room that Aventus was staying in, she was surprised to see her father answer the door.
"Father," she said, surprised. "Is Aventus-"
"He's here," Ulfric said, opening the door a crack wider so she could see Aventus's slumped form sitting on the bed. His knees were pulled up to his chest and his head was in his arms, atop his knees. "He's not doing so well, though."
Ulfric gently motioned for Leola to back up, and he stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him. "What exactly happened?"
"We went to visit a Daedric cult and he found out that his girlfriend was a part of it," Leola replied calmly, a frown on her lips.
"That…that definitely explains it," Ulfric said, nodding slowly. "I don't know how I'd have reacted if I'd known about half the things your mother was involved with."
"You also weren't really involved with my mother that way," Leola said quickly. "I'm pretty sure my understanding is that I was the result of unrequited love and one drunken night?"
A sad smile came to Ulfric's lips and he nodded. "Yes, yes you were," he murmured. "I wish I had told her how I felt. I wish we could have been a family…"
Leola reached into her bag and pulled out the tiny violet shard that Eola had given her. "Well, we're going to show her how you felt by pulling off something impossible and saving her soul," she said to him, handing over the fragmented soul gem piece.
"You're right," he murmured, a sigh leaving his lips as he fingered the little shard. "You said you were with a Daedric cult? Which one?"
"Namira," said Leola.
"What did you have to do to get this?"
"I had to promise them freedom to continue with their worship of Namira without being persecuted for it when I become Queen," she replied.
"Everyone's pretty certain that you're going to become Queen, aren't they?" Ulfric asked with a grin. "You'll make a most remarkable Queen."
"I hope so," said Leola, glancing away. "I want to see Aventus…I need to make sure he's alright," she added.
"Of course," said Ulfric. "He'll probably respond better to you than to me, anyhow. Go and see him."
Ulfric leaned in and laid a soft kiss on his daughter's forehead before turning and heading off in the other direction. Leola grasped the knob of Aventus's bedroom door and pushed it open, peeking inside briefly.
"Can I come in?" she asked softly.
"Yes," he mumbled into his arms.
Quietly, she opened the door enough that she could slip in, closing it behind her. She walked over to the bed and sat beside Aventus, laying a soft hand on his arm.
"I don't get it," he mumbled, before she could say anything. "First Minot, and now Minette…I'm losing everyone I care about."
"You're not losing me," Leola said to him. "You're not losing me or Erith. We're here to stay."
Aventus sighed. Slowly, he lifted his head, and then one of his arms came down and looped around Leola's waist, pulling her against him. "You've been a good friend, Leola," he said to her softly. "Why are you so good to me?"
"Why are you so drunk?" Leola asked, nestling herself against him comfortably. "Don't answer that. I'm good to you because you're good to me. You've helped so much, right from the beginning…you're a good friend, and you get back what you give."
"You should find me a new girlfriend now," he murmured jokingly. "Ugh. No amount of mead is going to wash away that taste now."
"You didn't even kiss her just now," Leola said.
"The thought of it puts the taste in your mouth," he said, shaking his head. "Where's Erith?"
"She went to get something to eat before we go see Molag Bal," Leola replied. "Are you coming?"
"Of course I'm coming," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not letting my two favourite girls go alone. I'm sorry I left you at the cave. That was pretty stupid, honestly."
"We were fine," Leola said, smiling. "We got the piece - I just gave it to my father."
"Your father was helpful," Aventus said.
"What did he tell you?" she asked, raising a curious eyebrow.
"Sometimes you have to kiss a lot of mudcrabs before you find the right girl," he said. "But then sometimes you lose her forever and you have to collect pieces of her soul with the help of your estranged daughter and her weird group of friends."
"You are a pretty weird group," Leola nodded her agreement.
"We are," he said. "We've got Erith and Bottar, the merchants…and Shelur is just an orc being an orc and whatnot… and an assassin, and a princess…"
"You're too drunk," Leola murmured. "You should stay here, get some rest."
"I didn't get to come last time you saw Molag Bal and I'm pretty sure you almost died, Leola. I'm not staying behind this time."
"Fine, fine," she said softly. "We're not going right away - we're going to go in an hour or so, and then we'll head out in the morning. You should get some rest before we go, sleep off the mead."
"You'll leave without me," Aventus protested, a frown coming to his lips.
"How about I stay right here with you and Erith will come get us when it's time to go?" Leola asked. "That way you know we won't leave without you."
"Alright," Aventus replied, laying back slightly. Leola lay down beside him, curled up on her side and facing him.
"We're going to find Minot, Aventus, I promise," she said to him.
"I hope you're right," he said.
"I know I'm right," she replied.
Aventus shifted so that he was lying on his side, facing towards Leola. "I'm glad to have a friend like you," he told her softly.
"I'm glad to have a friend like you," she replied. "Now get some sleep."
It took only a few minutes for Aventus to fall asleep, and even less time than that afterwards before Leola was asleep. Both of them, however, were awoken when Erith came in, a frown on her lips.
"Erith," Aventus mumbled, still drunk and sleepy. "Come - come join us."
"As much as I'd love to, we have matters to attend to," Erith said softly. "There's someone here to see us, and I don't think we want to see him."