"Hey, no fair!" Lars Battle-Born called over to Mila Valentia as she tagged him. "I'm gonna get ya!" He shouted playfully as Mila ran off. Lars chased after Mila through Whiterun's small market area.
"Careful, kids!" Carlotta, Mila's mother, called out softly as the children passed swiftly by her stall. Mila ran up the steps that led to the Gildergreen Tree, just by the Temple of Kynareth, when they spotted a girl sitting on a bench in the centre of the street. This girl seemed to be around their age, but they didn't recognise her. Lars and Mila stopped running around and casually walked over to the girl.
"Hi!" Mila greeted.
The girl looked up at the two children who were standing before her. "Oh, hello."
"I'm Mila. Mila Valentia." Mila introduced herself. "This is my friend Lars."
"Greetings." Lars greeted.
"Hi. I'm Lucia." She introduced herself.
"New in town?" Mila asked, prompting Lucia to give a half-smile and a slight nod. "Well, where're your parents?" Mila questioned further.
"Oh, um-" Lucia was about to answer, when Braith came from behind and pushed Lars over.
"Watch where you're going, Battle-Born! Hahaha!" Braith sneered cruelly as Lars landed on his front.
"Braith! Why'd you always have to do that?!" Mila asked in an annoyed manner as she went to help Lars to his feet, when she was joined by Lucia giving her a hand.
"Ha, because I can! You got a problem with that?" Braith responded, before walking off.
"Gods, she's horrible." Said Mila. "You okay, Lars?"
"What was that all about?" Lucia asked.
"Oh, that's just Braith. She hates me. Don't ask why." Lars answered, just when Idolaf approached.
"Lars!" Idolaf boomed.
"Yes, Father..." Lars replied glumly, knowing exactly what was coming.
"I just saw that! What have I told you about taking crap like that from that peasent girl?" Idolaf chastised his only son. "You're going to be a man before you know it - not to mention the fact that you're the sole heir to the Battle-Born name - now, man-up and start fighting back for once."
"Yes, Father..." Lars nodded his head in shame, and even more so in humiliation. Idolaf then walked away, and Lars looked up at the girls with embarrassment on his face. "Heh... Being rich isn't what it's cracked up to be, huh."
"Gosh..." Lucia said softly as she faintly brought her hand to her lips.
"Mila! Supper! Lars can come too, if he wants!" Carlotta called up from the bottom of the steps that led to the market.
"Oh, that's my mother." Mila told Lucia. "She and I tend to her stall; we grow and sell fruit and veg."
"I think I'll skip dinner. I'll just... be at home." Lars said as he began to walk away.
"Okay, well... take care." Said Mila.
"Bye, Lars." Said Lucia.
"Bye, girls." Lars responded without turning his head. Mila and Lucia turned towards one-another.
"I hope he's okay, Mila."
"Nah, he'll be fine after a good sleep. Hey, why don't you come over for supper? My mother's sure enough made more than enough for three." Mila offered. "That is, if your parents are fine with it."
"Oh, really? Um... thank you, Mila. I'd love to join you. But I... I'm an orphan. I don't have anyone anymore." Lucia admitted, making Mila's eyes widen a bit.
"What? You're alone?" Mila asked in disbelief, making Lucia gently nod her head in response. "Well, you must come over and eat!" Mila insisted as she tugged Lucia's arm and brought her over to her house.
Mila and Lucia entered the Valentia residence and saw Carlotta preparing the drinks. "There you are, sweetie." Carlotta greeted her daughter. "And who's this young lady? Did Lars become a woman?" She joked, making Lucia let out a giggle.
"Oh, I'm Lucia. Nice to meet you, ma'am."
"Lars an' I just met her a few minutes ago. Lars went home early, so I brought Lucia, if that's okay with you, Mother." Said Mila.
"Oh, of course. Here, take a seat, girls." Said Carlotta.
A few minutes later, the three were almost finished with their meal. "Mother, can Lucia stay over?" Mila asked.
"Well, that depends. Do you want to stay over, Lucia?" Carlotta asked.
"Um, I wouldn't want to burden you, ma'am." Lucia replied.
"Oh, nonsense. It's no bother." Carlotta insisted.
"Well... okay. Just for a night." Lucia accepted.
"Yay!" Mila cheered. "C'mon, Lucia! We can play with my toys!"
The next morning, Lucia and Mila left and went out into Whiterun's streets. "Well, thanks for last night." Lucia said to Mila. "I was starving."
"Y'know, you can stay over any time, Lucia. It's really no trouble." Mila said with a sympathetic smile.
A while later, as Mila was helping Carlotta run the stall, Lucia was just sat on her usual bench, contemplating life and ruminating what she could do, when a tall, muscular man came by. He was wearing a full set of steel plate armour, minus the helmet.
"You okay, kiddo?" He asked.
"I'm so hungry. Could you spare a coin? Just one gold? Please?" Lucia begged, as usual. The man gave her a Septim. "Oh, thank you! Divines bless your kind heart!"
"Why are you begging?" He asked.
"It's... it's what Brenuin said I should do. He's the only one that's been nice to me since... since mama... Since she died. My aunt and uncle took over our farm and threw me out. Said I wasn't good for anything. I wound up here, but... I... I don't know what to do. I miss her so much..."
"Well, I could... take you in. I could adopt you, if you want?" He offered.
"Really...? Do you... do you have a place I could live?" Lucia asked in disbelief.
"Sure, I live in Breezehome, here in Whiterun." He answered.
"Oh... wow! Are you... are you sure? You really wouldn't mind?" Lucia asked.
"Yes, I'm sure... daughter." He said with a warm smile.
"Yay! Thanks, Mister- um... Papa! I promise I'll be the best daughter ever!" Lucia cheered as she hugged him, turning a few heads for a few seconds. He then led Lucia to his house, just beside Warmaiden's. "My name's Lucia, by the way." She said as they entered the house.
"Please, make yourself comfortable, Lucia."
Lucia stepped inside and looked around. "It's... it's everything I could have hoped for. I have a family again! I... I can't thank you enough..." She teared-up as she embraced her new father.
Just then, Camilla Valerius called out from upstairs. "Dovah-bear? Sweetheart?" She stepped down the stairs. "I thought it was you. And who's this you've brought back with you?" Camilla asked as she walked over and kissed Dovahkiin on the cheek.
"Camilla, this is Lucia. Lucia, this is my beautiful wife Camilla." He said. "Uh, Camilla, I hope you don't mind, but... I'm letting Lucia stay here for... well, I'm not sure. But she has nowhere else to go, and I couldn't just leave her to sleep on the streets for another night." He explained. Camilla's eyes softened as she looked down at Lucia, who was clinging to Dovahkiin's leg. She then squatted down to be at her level, and gave her a reassuring smile.
"And we'd be happy to have you, sweetie." She said warmly as she gently stroked her hair.
Later that day, Lydia walked through the door, holding a fresh deer carcass over her shoulder. "Oh, Lydia, you're back." Dovahkiin greeted as he sat in his chair.
"And I brought dinner." Lydia replied, as she walked over and dropped the carcass on the dining table. "Forgive me - who is the child?" She inquired with curiosity.
"This is Lucia - our new daughter." Camilla answered, making Lucia smile to herself, finally feeling loved for the first time in ages. "We were just talking and playing with her for a few hours, and she is just the sweetest little angel a mother could ask for." She added, looking over at Lucia, who looked over the moon, but weary, as if she struggled to keep her eyelids up.
"Hi." Lucia greeted.
"Hello, Miss Lucia. I'm Lydia - I am your father's Housecarl." Lydia introduced herself to the girl.
"Housecarl?" Lucia asked vaguely.
"Yes. Ever since your father became Thane of Whiterun, I have been sworn to protect and serve him at any and all costs - and since he married your mother, I do the same for her." Lydia explained.
"Wait- Thane of Whiterun?" Lucia asked, stunned.
"Oh, did I forget to mention that?" Dovahkiin asked with a smirk, as Camilla smiled and stood up to help Lydia prepare the meat. "I mean... I certainly don't mean to gloat, but technically, I'm the Thane of Skyrim, really. Since I've earned Thaneship for all the individual holds across Skyrim."
"I can't believe it!" Lucia almost exclaimed. "You're, like, really important then. Wow!"
Camilla then piped up. "And since Lydia is only a Housecarl of Whiterun Hold, your father actually has a separate Housecarl for each hold over which he claims Thaneship." She called across the room with a smirk. "He's also the legendary dragon-slayer, you know."
Lucia looked towards Camilla, then looked back at Dovahkiin with her mouth noticeably agape. "Really?" She asked, stunned, making Dovahkiin give a bashful nod. "YOU are the one who slayed all those dragons?"
"Well, I mean, my name - Dovahkiin - is Dragon Tongue for 'Dragonborn'. 'Dovah' means 'Dragon', and 'Kiin' means 'Born'." He explained.
"That's so cool!" Said Lucia, before she let out a big yawn.
"Come on, princess - I'll take you to your room." Dovahkiin told Lucia as he stood up, still holding her in his arms. As Dovahkiin walked towards the guest bedroom, Lucia clung to his arm for safety and comfort. After laying Lucia down gently on the single bed, he pulled the cover over her and kissed her on the head, then shut the door behind him. "Lydia. Gear-up. We're going out."
"Yes, my Thane." Lydia replied.
"Don't worry, Lydia - I can put this meat in ice." Camilla informed. Dovahkiin got his armour back on and his sword in its sheath, and Lydia followed him out.
"I'll be back soon, love." He said to Camilla after he kissed her for a few seconds, unknowingly making Lydia consume herself with envy.
"Bye, sweetheart." Camilla said before she kissed her husband again.
After Dovahkiin and Lydia left Breezehome, Lydia asked her Thane a question. "What're we doing, Thane?"
"Scavenging." He answered.
As they walked towards Whiterun's front gate, Mila and Lars ran past. "Hi, Lars. Braith been leaving you alone?" Dovahkiin asked, making the boy stop to face his elder.
"Oh, um, yeah. I'm fine." Lars lied.
"I can tell when people fib to me, boy." Dovahkiin pointed out.
Lars sighed. "I know, I'm sorry. I just don't like the attention, you know?"
"What, you're not afraid of punching a girl now, are you?" Dovahkiin asked slyly.
"Well... Papa always said not to hit women..." Lars argued.
"Unless they hit first, that is. Did your puny father forget to mention that?" Dovahkiin responded. "If Braith is willing to hit boys, you should be willing to hit back. Is that it? Are you afraid?"
"No! I'm not afraid-"
"So, you're just too weak, then? No? Listen Lars, if you ever want to beat up Braith, I'll understand why, so if you ever get into trouble for it, I'll vouch for you - understand?"
Lars thought for a moment. "Yes, sir." He nodded.
"Good. Let's go, Lydia."
"Wait, Mr. Dragonborn?" Mila chimed in. "Have you seen Lucia? The homeless girl in the green dress?"
"Why, yes. I adopted her today - she is now my daughter." He informed.
"Wait, really? That's so great, thank you! She really doesn't deserve to live on the streets as a beggar." Mila responded happily.
"I couldn't agree more, now go and play, children." Dovahkiin said as he left with Lydia.