Next Morning
At Breezehome, Lucia had just woken up from her first sleep in her new home. She walked into the living room to find Camilla making soup, who heard the child's footsteps. "Oh, good morning, Lucia. Did you sleep well?"
Lucia rubbed her eyes and gave a weary smile as she approached her mother. "Very well, thank you." She said before hugging Camilla from the side, who hugged her back. "Are you making breakfast, Mama?"
"Yep - vegetable soup. It'll be ready soon, so take a seat at the dinner table."
Half an hour later, Lucia and Camilla were sitting on the chairs by the fire. "So... Mama?" Lucia spoke up. "When will Papa be home?"
"Oh, well he can be gone for days at a time, but right now, I suspect he'll be arriving shortly, maybe tomorrow at the latest." Camilla answered. "Why don't you go and play outside for a bit, little pumpkin? At least until we can find the time to sort you some toys?" Camilla offered.
Lucia sighed. "Okay, I might go out for a little bit, see if Mila and Lars are out." Lucia got up and walked out of the front door. After not two minutes of idle wandering, she spotted Mila chasing Lars down the street, when they noticed their new friend and stopped to talk with her.
"Oh, hey Lucia!" Mila greeted cheerfully. "How've you been doing? I heard you were taken in by the Dragonborn!"
"Yeah, that's awesome!" Lars chimed.
"Yes, I'm doing great so far; much better in a comfy bed under a roof with a pot of stew as opposed to sleeping on a bench." Lucia replied, genuinely happy.
"I bet you're gonna love living with him and Camilla; they're such lovely people." Said Mila. "The Dragonborn's been friends with my mother since he first came to Whiterun. That was some time ago. And Camilla's possibly the nicest lady ever! She's a real shrewd businesswoman, so my mother says."
"Yeah, we've been friends with the Dragonborn for a while now; he's really cool!" Lars added. "He even once got Braith off my back! But... well, that didn't last." He said glumly. "Eh, anyways, wanna play hide 'n seek?"
"Sure!" Lucia answered with excitement.
"You two have twenty seconds to hide - go!" Lars announced, prompting the two girls to run and find a separate hiding spot. Whilst Mila ran towards the Cloud District, Lucia ran towards The Bannered Mare and hid behind the tavern. "Twenty!" Lars boomed, which Lucia had heard from a distance.
After a few moments of waiting in a crouched position behind a barrel, Lucia heard footsteps come from behind her; she turned to see Braith standing over her, hands on on hips. "Stay away from Lars."
"Um... w-what?" Lucia stuttered.
Braith pushed Lucia over. "Stay away from Lars!" She repeated. "You hear me?"
"Ow, what was that for?!" Lucia cried. But Braith just walked away. Lucia sat there for a minute, not knowing what to do, or what she'd done wrong. Before long, Lars and Mila found her.
"Found ya!" Mila proclaimed, until she quickly noticed Lucia's glum expression. "What's wrong?"
"Yeah, you won!" Lars said with a grin.
"I'm... I'm gonna go inside." Lucia said in a dismal tone as she walked towards Breezehome.
Lars and Mila watched her quickly walk down the street, then looked at each other. "What's up with her?" Lars asked.
Lucia closed the door behind her and sighed. "Everything okay, sweetie?" Camilla asked.
Lucia let out another small sigh. "Sure. I'd like to go to bed for a bit."
Camilla looked at Lucia once more. "Well... okay." She said, before shrugging it off.
'She's probably just not used to living in a family home yet. She just needs time.' Camilla thought to herself.
A few minutes later, Camilla's husband and his Housecarl returned home; she put her things down and walked to Dovahkiin. "Hello, my love." Camilla said before pressing her lips against her husband's for a few seconds.
"All's well here, I assume?" Dovahkiin asked his wife.
"Oh, Lucia's such a sweetheart, though I think it'll take her some time to adjust to her sudden life-change." Camilla told her husband.
"I'll bet she's bored, too." Dovahkiin added. "Which is why I bought her this." He then pulled from his sack a large stuffed doll, roughly the size of a human infant.
"Oh, I bet she'd love that." Said Camilla. "She's just in her room if you want to give it to her now."
"Lydia, you may go back to Dragonsreach - I'll come for you if I need assistance." Dovahkiin told his Housecarl, to which she nodded understandingly and left without a word.
Dovahkiin placed the doll on a barrel, then went and knocked on Lucia's door. "Lucia?" He called, before entering, to find the girl sat on her bed with her face in her hands. "You okay, sweetheart?"
Lucia looked up and revealed her teary eyes. "Oh. Hi, Daddy." She said quietly.
"Why are you upset?" He asked softly as he went over and sat on the bed beside her, when Camilla came over.
"Are you okay, sweetie? What ever's the matter?" She asked sweetly as she went and sat on Lucia's other side.
"I just..." Lucia began to sob. "I miss my mom..." She admitted as tears began to stream down her face.
"Oh, honey... I know..." Camilla sympathised as she wrapped her arms around Lucia. "I can't imagine losing both parents at such a tender age..."
Dovahkiin then spoke. "I know that we're not your real parents, but if you let us, we'll do everything in our power to love and protect you as much as any real parent could." He then kissed her on the head. Lucia gave her new parents a teary smile and embraced them. A short while later, Dovahkiin release the embrace from his wife and daughter. "Oh, I just remembered - I got you a present." He said as he nipped out of the bedroom.
"Really, Papa? You've got me something? What is it?!... Ooh, stop teasing me!" Lucia asked as she perked up, when her father returned with the stuffed doll. Lucia gasped with excitement. "A dolly! Oh, thank you, thank you, Papa!" She squealed as she ran up and hugged Dovahkiin, taking her new toy in the process.
Several Weeks Later
It was now midnight; Dovahkiin and Lydia were just done searching a ruin in Eastmarch Hold, and needed rest. "Windhelm is nearby. We could be there before long." Dovahkiin informed his companion as he got on his horse Shadowmere.
"Okay, let's go then." Lydia replied as she took his hand and got on Shadowmere behind him. A fairly short trot later, they made it back to Hjerim, Dovahkiin's house in Windhelm, where they were greeted by his other Housecarl, Calder.
"Oh, greetings, my Thane." Said Calder, who was in the living room.
"Hello, Calder." Dovahkiin responded. "Lydia and I are worn and weary - we'll be heading straight to bed." This made Lydia smirk to herself.
Lydia walked through the door to the master bed chamber, and when her master closed the door behind him, she jumped on him, immediately smashing her lips onto his, locking them in a deep, rough kiss. This lasted for a few seconds, until Lydia pulled her head back. "Divines, I've waited for this moment all day."
As Lydia's arms were wrapped around her master's neck, and her legs wrapped around his waist, with his hands resting under her buttocks, Dovahkiin cleared his throat. "Now Lydia, did I tell you to shove your tongue down my mouth? Now I have to PUNISH you."
Lydia grinned lustfully.
Next Morning
At around 8:00, Dovahkiin redressed as Lydia slept still, before going out to the living room, where he found Calder making some stew. "Morning, my Thane. Soup's almost ready. Tea?"
"Yeah, please." Dovahkiin accepted.
A few minutes later, Lydia awoke, feeling slightly cold without the feel of her lover beside her. She put on her clothes and left the bedroom to join her master for breakfast. "Morning, gorgeous." Lydia greeted Dovahkiin with a kiss to the cheek.
A short while later, the two finished their meals. "Get your armour, Lydia. We're heading off. Calder, keep this place tidy as usual." Dovahkiin commanded his two Housecarls. Dovahkiin and Lydia then left for the streets of Windhelm, but as they walked to the city's exit, they both spotted a lone Nord girl holding a basket of flowers. She was a pretty girl with dark blonde hair that reached below her shoulders, and looked to be around Lucia's age - roughly 9-12 years old.
"Honey, look at that girl. She must be freezing." Lydia pointed out.
"Hm. I'll go and see what she's up to." He said as he approached the girl. "Hi." He greeted the girl.
The girl looked up at the big man in steel plate armour. "Nobody bought any flowers today. I... I don't know what to do. Would you like to buy some flowers? Please?" She practically pleaded.
His eyes softened further. "Who are you? Where are your parents?"
"I'm Sofie." The girl grew saddened. "They... they're dead. My mama died when I was little... I... I don't remember her very well. My father was a Stormcloak soldier. One day, he left and didn't come back. I'm all alone... I... I try and sell flowers so I can buy food. It's not much but... what else can I do?"
Dovahkiin sighed. "How would you... like to come with us, Sofie?"
"Really...? Do you... do you have a place that I could stay?" Lucia asked in disbelief.
"Does Whiterun sound suitable?" Dovahkiin asked.
"Wait, really? I could live with you in Whiterun? Does that mean that you're... adopting me?" Sofie asked, earning a nod from Dovahkiin.
"My Thane, if I may?" Lydia spoke up. "Is this such a good idea? What the house already being somewhat crowded."
"Lydia, you know that we can't just leave her here to freeze to death now, can we. Understand?"
"Yes... my Thane. I apologise." Lydia responded.
"Well then, Sofie, it looks like you're at least going to live somewhere warm for a change." Dovahkiin informed, making Sofie's smile grow. "Lydia, take Sofie to the horse and ride her to Whiterun - and guard her with your life. Understood? I'll take a carriage back once I'm done in Windhelm."
Sofie jumped up in glee and hugged her new foster father. "Yay! Thanks! I promise I'll be the best daughter ever! I need to get my things and say goodbye to everyone. I'll meet you at home. Thanks! Thanks so much!"
Later, Lydia was riding Shadowmere towards Whiterun, with Sofie seated right in front of her, clinging to her chest. "We're not far from Whiterun now, young lady. When we get there, the Mistress will want to make you a hot bowl of beef stew." Lydia told Sofie, making her smile to herself.
Sofie's face then dropped in confusion. "Wait, the Mistress? You're not my new daddy's wife?"
"No, I'm his Housecarl. I swore an oath to serve him if ever he call on me, and to lay down my life protecting him if it ever came to it." Lydia explained. "Dovahkiin's wife is Mrs. Camilla Valerius. She runs a pawn shop from their house, so they have quite some money to spare. You're in good hands - of that, I can assure you, Miss Sofie."
"That sounds amazing." Sofie replied. "And you can just call me Sofie, if you want."
Lydia smiled down at her. "And you may call me Lydia." Sofie smiled back, then the two looked back in the direction which Shadowmere was trotting.
A few minutes later, they were back at Whiterun; they left Shadowmere outside the main gate and went inside. "Wow, so this is Whiterun? It's so much nicer than Windhelm - and warmer, too!" Said Sofie.
"See? We knew you'd like it. And what's more - there are children to play with here." Lydia added.
"Really?" Sofie gleemed. "Other children my age?"
"Yes. Lars and Mila are usually running around playing tag, so they'll be pretty easy to spot, especially since they wear blue clothes, unlike most children." Lydia pointed out. "Speaking of which, your new parents actually adopted another little girl very recently - she's about your age. She's an Imperial called Lucia."
Sofie's eyes lit up once more. "Really? I'm going to have a sister to play with as well?"