Fate's Games
(A/N: Second up today. Again, this is a fairly dark one. In fact, all the Black-Briar ones are pretty dark. But then, their family tree and history is more sinister than anything. My reasons for thinking that will be explained in the next oneshot.)
Dangerous Affair
She'd long believed that no one could care for an orphan like her. She was a bar wench, no more, no less. She was a thing for the men of Riften to leer and jeer at. She had been beaten for mistakes by her patrons until her aunt had needed to race in screaming for it to stop. She had been forced to strip naked and stand before their eyes as they ate and made lewd remarks. They would touch her, they would try to do worse, her often barely escaping them. She would pray for death or for her aunt to come to her rescue… But Haelga was always busy practicing her 'arts' on patrons, and there was no divine who cared for her. If there was, she wouldn't be here like this.
She never thought anyone would care… until him. He had come in one night, and he had seen what the men were doing to her, forcing her to stand before them unclothed as a sort of show. He had seen them grabbing at her and watched silently, eating. But he had never spoken, and he had never reached out for her. He came more often after that, and she knew he was just like the others. Except one day… One day it all changed.
ES
She was standing still, silently weeping and cursing her life as men approached her shamed body, kissing her and making more eager advances than ever before. They had dragged her into the center of the room and torn her clothes from her body when she protested desperately. For so long she had avoided this fate, but this time… This time her luck had run out. She had been at their mercy. They had had their fun with her and her screams had filled the bunkhouse… but no one had come. Her spirit broken she stood still as they continued to lewdly jeer at her. But then she heard the eerie sound of a sword being unsheathed.
The men had stopped and instantly turned at the sound, curious as to what it was. There he stood, the one she'd seen so often just watching her. The one she'd considered to be no different than any of them. He was there, his blade drawn and glimmering. "I'd advise you back off, boys. You've overstayed your welcome," he stated.
They'd laughed at him. For some of the men, that had been the last thing they'd ever done. He was suddenly charging full into them, cutting them down like common animals. There was no mercy, no hesitation, and screams and blood filled the bunkhouse. She, terrified, had cowered against a wall, unsure whether to hope she was killed in her savior's fury or spared.
ES
The Bunkhouse was empty, many having fled and those who hadn't been able to lying dead… and the man approached her, tucking his sword away. He didn't bother to clean the blood from it. She stared at him in horror and awe. Would he hurt her too, now? No… He stopped above her and reached down, taking her wrist and pulling her roughly to her feet. She gasped, covering her immodesty as best she could. She looked down miserably, body still aching from the recent attacks. Just then something was draped around her. She opened her eyes, looking up at him in disbelief. A wrap. He'd covered her with a linin wrap.
"A few minutes too late, I see. Just in line with my track record," he muttered, and she wasn't sure what he meant. She wasn't sure she wanted to know, but apparently he'd failed someone before like this, and often, seeing as he was hardly fazed, looking simply annoyed at the fact he couldn't seem to win this game.
"You, but why would you, I mean I-I…" she began stammering. Of all the men to finally step up in her defense, it was him? It didn't add up. It wasn't logical. This was Sibbi Black-Briar, of all the people. This was the cruellest and most power hungry of all of Maven's children, possibly rivalling even his mother. This was the psychopath with a narcissistic personality disorder, and he'd risked life and limb for a bar wench?
"Surprised? I thought so," he said, smirking at her disbelief. "Not every girl is lucky enough to be rescued by a Black-Briar."
"What do you want from me?" she asked, because surely there was a selfish personal reason for him to have bothered with her.
"Svana, Svana, you don't trust me," he casually said, eyes dancing devilishly. Not a surprise. He was the devils spawn, after all. Of course he would have her traits.
"Get out," she said, trying to get away from him. She almost expected him to hold her still, but he didn't. He let her pass, simply watching after her.
ES
She wasn't jealous when she found out he was engaged to Svidi. Not at all. She didn't care. She wasn't jealous every time he came in with her, the two laughing. She wasn't jealous when Svidi sang sweet songs to him. She wasn't jealous when she saw the love in his eyes for the woman. It didn't matter to her at all. Of course, the number of things she was breaking was higher than it should have been, and the thoughts of suicide and shame that had once dominated her mind were slipping away into disgust and anger, but still.
She suddenly spilled a drink on a man and snapped back to reality. The patron leapt up and grabbed her, shaking her violently and screaming curses at her. She was terrified. She refused to admit that her heart had skipped when suddenly Sibbi was there, driving the man viciously back into a wall and beating him down until the man was begging for mercy. Her heart pounding in her head didn't almost deafen her when he loudly declared that the next one who touched her or even raised a voice at her would die. She didn't go to bed that night and fall into a sleep filled with dreams about him. It was just infatuation, she knew… Just infatuation…
ES
He was aware when she began to make off handed passes at him. More amused than anything, he would just smirk back. But she wanted so much more. They both knew it. The joy that sprang into her heart when she noticed the love in Sibbi's eyes for Svidi fading away almost made working in this place bearable. She could hardly contain herself when she saw his gaze travelling over to her, despite Svidi's nightingale songs that could have lured any man into her arms.
Svana felt bad, very much so. Svidi loved Sibbi with her whole being. It wasn't hard to see that. And Svidi was a good woman. Guilt taking over her, she'd tried to distance herself from the youngest Black-Briar child. It didn't work, only serving to drive him to pay more attention to her, and making her heart ache within her chest. She was the one who had propositioned the affair, waylaying him unexpectedly one night, when everyone else was gone, and kissing him passionately. Shocked at first, he'd returned before suddenly realizing what he was doing and pulling roughly away, gazing at her with eyes wide in disbelief.
"Svidi never has to know," Svana pled, knowing that this was wrong, just so, so wrong. But she couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't. He'd gaped at her in disbelief and for a moment there was hesitance. For a moment he almost left her behind. But all at once he fell, seizing her and kissing her desperately without a word. The two had quickly found their way to her room.
ES
It went on for months, and she saw guilt in his eyes. It always quickly left, though, until finally it just wasn't there anymore. It was Svana he loved now, and they both knew it. The love that had once been reflected in his eyes for Svidi was increased tenfold when he looked upon the bar maid. He didn't regret this, he never would, but at the same time he so regretted it. This was wrong. In so many ways this was wrong. It wasn't right. A bar maid and a future heir to the Black-Briar estate? He'd thought of ending it many times, but every time he saw her or heard her voice or felt her breath against the back of his neck, all his will power fled.
He lay on her bed. She was next to him, holding his hand. "This is wrong," she murmured that night.
"I know," he answered. And oh how true that was.
"Svidi… she should know," Svana remarked.
"No," he'd sharply replied, because in all honesty he feared nothing more than Svidi's brother finding out. In a battle between them, he would be on the losing end of the sword. Wolfur was skilled and powerful. Yes, his fiance's brother was a peacemaker, but the man wasn't a force to be reckoned with. "All that matters is you and me," he whispered to his lover.
"But this is so, so risky. If Maven ever knew, or Svidi, or…" she protested.
"It'll be fine. Everything will be fine," Sibbi vowed, kissing her softly and silencing her fears. And for now it was. They could only hope and pray it remained that way.