Chapter 8: Vows and Vexes

While the morning was still young, both Maria and Svana baked two sets of identical red velvet cake. The smells were enough to gain a few customers into her shop to buy most of the baked goods and books to give her a few extra coins in her pocket.

Maria handed Svana a small pouch with a lot of septims, to which the young Nord raised both of her hands in protest. "Maria, I can't accept this. You earned all of this money. Please, keep it."

"I insist, Svana," Maria gestured to the pouch. "It'll be enough to have a drink with me at the Bee and Barb without your aunt. Plus, we haven't done shopping for a while..."

This made Svana smiled, thanking her friend for the money. When Maria explained to her about the ruse wedding to cover up her actual wedding with Madesi, the young Nord was on board. Ever since the Silver-Blood soldiers came to Riften, Haelga had made her inn the top priority.

It of course, made Svana sneak out because her aunt had practiced the Dibellan arts as a way to attract more men into the inn. The regular patrons were still there but even they were enticed with Haelga's offers in order to make the stay more...pleasurable.

"I'm sick of my aunt doing all of this," Svana complained. "First Sibbi being in jail and now my aunt's worship of Dibella will be the talk of the town. I swear, if I wasn't her niece, I'd get away from her immediately."

Maria could only comfort her friend and suggested that she helped with the cake decoration for the real wedding cake while the ruse cake will need the 'special' ingredient before she could coat it with some icing.

On cue, the door of her shop swung open to reveal two Khajiits stepping in. Of course, one was none other than Tawnyfrost while the other was white with speckled grey fur cladded in Nordic armour and had a moon amulet around his neck.. Judging by his large face, Maria could tell that her companion was a male.

"Tawnyfrost is back and has brought a friend to help," the Dragonborn gestured to her follower, who bowed in greeting. "This is Kharjo, a Khajiit that guards one of the travelling caravans run by Ahkari. He has something that might make the cake more enticing for the Silver-Bloods, yes?"

Both women were curious when the male Khajiit fished out two red potion vials from his pockets. It resembled a minor healing potion but in a darker shade. "These are Red Water Skooma, more deadly than regular Skooma," Kharjo warned with a swish of his tail.

Maria was surprised to see Skooma in her midst because she had heard of the addiction that Skooma could do to a person. But Red Water Skooma? It looked harmless on the outside but judging from the two cats' expression, it must be serious.

"What does it do?" Svana asked, examining the vial carefully.

"It has some hallucinogenic properties," Tawnyfrost explained, voice laced with spite. "Khajiit was foolish enough to drink this at an old den where I figured there was a makeshift tavern. Tawnyfrost was caught in the trap, ready to become a vampire's meal. No more vampires for this Khajiit."

This caused Svana to cover her mouth with a gasp while Kharjo comforted her by purring softly. Maria exchanged glances with Tawnyfrost, whose grimace turned into a grin. It was clear that the both of them had a feeling that Svana and Kharjo would like to spend a moment alone.

"Shall we put in the final touches to the cake?" Maria asked, not taking her eyes off her dear Nord friend. She doesn't need to look to know that Tawnyfrost was purring in agreement.

"Before you go to the 'wedding', you must come with Khajiit to the caravan," Tawnyfrost meowed. "We can't have a wedding without a dress!"

...

When the sun sets, it was Maria's cue to meet her so-called 'groom' at the Temple of Mara. Both Svana and Tawnyfrost had picked out a dress that was tailored from Cyrodiil that had a green velvet top, a silk skirt to compliment it and emerald green shoes.

Clearly, the Khajiit caravan had everything and Maria paid the travelling cats a hefty sum for all of their assistance.

Of course, she had a few dresses after running away from Markarth but none were elegant or grand enough for something as memorable as a wedding. This was due to her overprotective parents, who thought if she wore something flashy and elegant, she would have been the talk of the town.

In a nutshell, another Haelga.

Speaking of Haelga, the older Nord woman was already indulging herself to all of the men's attention from the senior soldiers to even young relatives of Thongvor that she had not met. Grelka was also there with a sour look on her face while the rest of Riften's citizens wanted to know why would a Silver-Blood want to be wed in their town.

When she entered the altar, heads were turned, some from awed while others from disgust. Maria couldn't see Tawnyfrost anywhere but Svana was right behind her with the wedding cake. They had let the cake be soaked in the Red Water Skooma before putting buttercream icing and sugared flowers as the decoration.

'This is all a ruse, Maria. Just a ruse,' she reminded herself, holding the bracelet that she bought from Madesi. At the centre, there stood Thongvor Silver-Blood in his steel armour that was adorned with silver. Probably made by the innocence slaving away in the Cidhna Mine. She wanted to back out but her body urged her forward.

"So nice of you to arrive and accept my proposal," Thongvor uttered the words graciously as he took her hand in his. Unlike Madesi's cool scales, the Silver-Blood's hands were callous from fighting and sharp against her smooth skin.

"My men told me that you have baked a cake for our marriage," he whispered into her ear. Maria was struggling not to gag because his breath stank of ale and roast boar. Sort of fitting for something like him. "I always knew you were a generous one, Maria. Ah, the priest is here."

The priest was Maramal, a devoted Redguard follower of Mara along with his Dunmer wife, Dinya Balu. He was giving Maria a knowing look while he was also hiding his disgust for Thongvor. Mara is about love, not lust.

Before anyone could continue, Maria took both of Thongvor's hands into his. "Where is your brother? I thought your marriage would be the most important thing on his list?"

She immediately regretted that because he began to bring both of her hands up close to his lips and kissed them. His bristled face with those cracked lips moistened by his saliva. No amount of potions or salves could erase that.

"My brother has important things to do with the mines," he murmured, his eyes trailing down her body. "Though, he would be please to know once we consummate."

Maria prayed that this ruse would be over soon. Keeping herself composed, she asked, "How about cake before our vows? I...have been thinking about you and this whole running away has made me set my mind as clear as day."

She prayed that was convincing enough. To both her horror and relief, Thongvor began to pull her close to his chest. "Generous as always, Maria. Once you are my wife, you will always make cakes for me while our eight boys play with the dogs."

With that, he signalled his men to try the cake along with a few of the Riften residence. Svana was moving through the sea of people to tell the real guests of Maria's wedding to NOT eat the cake. Madesi finally arrived and a few heads were turned.

He was dressed in his finest apparel that could make even the men stare. He wore an ornate, fern-grey cotton tunic with elbow-length sleeves. Silver metal bands ringed both his forearms. His pants were a dark silk harem pants with a waist-cinching sash the colour of emeralds.

"A dragon for the slaughter," Grelka wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Maria was flustered at the sight but knew she would have to finish this quest before she could run up to her beloved jeweller.

Tension filled the room when Maria watched Thongvor trying a slice of the cake. Besides him, his men and some of Riften's residence like Grelka and Tythis Ulen. As much as her baked goods were delicious, Maria was doing her best to not break her calm expression.

Svana was also struggling to do the same because her aunt Haelga was already eating crumbs off of a few men while some of them began to stuff her with a face full of cake. Clearly, the art of Dibella had no shame.

Before Thongvor could react to the cake's side effects, he heard a clear whisper amongst the crowd:

Faas Ru Maar!

What? You thought this was going to be a Red Wedding?

I've had enough parties in the game to know this wedding was going to be a tame one.