Dinner with the Jarl
It was that sunny afternoon that the Aila found herself doing something she never even considered she would ever have any want or reason to do. Shopping. For clothing. Nice clothing.
It may be of some import to mention that neither she nor Kathryn cared much for what they wore, as was evidenced by their constant use of their armour. So when the two found themselves among Solitude's Radiant Raiment's shelves upon shelves of lavish, yet ridiculously overpriced garments, dresses, gloves, footwear, and jewelry, it was safe to say they were quite lost. Not to mention utterly at the mercy of the Altmer shopkeeper.
Kathryn reached for a pair of plain, unassuming, leather gloves. "Eighty-five septims for a gloves like these?" Kathryn exclaimed quietly. "With a price like that, you'd think they'd at least be enchanted. Hmm… I should learn to enchant sometime."
Aila shook her head and took the gloves from Kathryn's hands, setting them back on the shelf. "We should probably stay away from any sort of accessories." Aila whispered. "At these prices, even if we manage to loot everything of value in the Blue Palace we'd barely break even."
Kathryn chuckled lightly and let her eyes roam, searching for anything that caught her eye while Aila did the same. Unfortunately, nothing did. They all looked the same to Aila, really. Definitely nothing she'd wear under normal circumstances. Unfortunately, she doubted those at the Blue Palace would regarded her highly if she showed up in tattered, damaged, dirty leathers.
Pompous pricks.
Speaking of, Aila thought to herself as she was suddenly accosted by the tall elven shopkeeper. Given Aila's own height, she positively towered over her.
She looked down at Aila with a barely concealed sneer, the words coming from her mouth dripping with condescension. She probably thought she didn't even have the money to pay for anything. "Seeing as you and your friend have been wandering my store for the past ten minutes, I thought I would… help. What is it you're looking for?"
Aila very nearly punched her. Nearly. Her ungodly annoying voice paired with that pretentious attitude absolutely irritated her to no end, but she managed to rein herself in. Mostly because she knew she would likely need this Altmer's help if she ever wanted out of this place with a decent set of clothing.
So Aila took a deep breath and put on her biggest, brightest, fakest smile. "Oh, thank you very much. We're going to be attending a dinner with some rather important people and we wanted to dress for the occasion. Though, as you can probably tell, I'm not to keen on the latest trends." Aila looked down at what she was currently wearing (the aforementioned tattered leathers) and pretended to look sheepish, despite wanting nothing more than to rip her godsdamned hair out for pulling this helpless little girl act.
The elf, of course, actually had the audacity snort at her. "Oh? And what sort of people are you going to be attending dinner with?" she asked, more like demanded, obviously not believing her in the slightest.
"Jarl Elisif the Fair. She wanted to thank me personally for killing the dragon that was rampaging." Aila took a special sort of pride in the look of shocked horror that crossed the Altmer's face.
"You're going to… you're the…" Then, much to Aila's disappointment, she quickly composed herself and changed her demeanor completely, though she still couldn't quite hide the disdain from her eyes. Now with a bright smile, she addressed Aila again. "Oh, you're headed to the Blue Palace then?"
Obviously, Aila thought, but only nodded.
"Well then, this is the perfect opportunity. Perhaps you'd be willing to do me a small favour."
Not likely.
"You see, my sister and I have been trying to find someone to model some of our clothing over at the Palace. Perhaps you and your friend could do so for us? Just wear whatever we pick out and get the Jarl's opinion on it. We'll even let you keep the outfit, free of charge."
Oh yay, free clothing that I'll never wear after tonight. Joy. I really need to cut back on the sarcasm.
Thankfully, Kathryn popped next to her and put an arm around Aila's shoulder, saving her from the need to further converse with the woman. "Sure," she said. "Just as long as long as you don't put me in a dress. I'm so sick of looking at dresses." She added that last part quietly so only Aila would hear.
"Are you sure? The High Elf asked, looking at Kathryn. "I know just the dress to suit your figure."
Hmm. Kathryn in a dress. That would be a sight to see. Aila looked up and her gave her the biggest, most innocent, doe-eyed look she could muster.
Kathryn saw and her eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare."
"Kat?" Aila started.
"No," Kathryn said with finality.
But Aila was nothing if not tenacious. "You should wear a dress."
"No," Kathryn said again.
"Oh, come on, I'm sure you'd look lovely in one."
"That is so not the point."
"Please," Aila pouted. "I've never seen you in one."
Kathryn glared at her, but Aila continued to look at her with the same pout and doe-eyes and she knew her resolve begin to waver. Finally, with an exasperated sigh and a string of quiet curse words, she relented. "Fine." she grunted. Then she leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "I just hope you're ready to take it off me later tonight."
Aila's heart skipped a beat and she felt blood rush to her cheeks and she quickly looked away.
The Altmer scowled slightly, not liking being left out of the loop, not that it was any of her damn business. "Yes, well, I'll go get the dress. As for you," she regarded Aila. "I'll find something.
Nearly twenty minutes later, both Aila and Kathryn stood in front of a body-length mirror in long, elegant dresses. Aila didn't know about herself, but Kathryn looked positively captivating. The dress itself, while plain, looked incredible on her. It was a striking shade of emerald green. There were no sleeves, and it showed a fair bit of back, but it was not immodest. The dress criss-crossed over her breasts as it secured itself to her shoulders, giving it a unique look to set it apart from other plain dresses.
Aila's dress on the other hand, had no shoulders. She didn't quite know how, but the dress kept itself wrapped tightly around her torso, covering up to her breasts but no further. That meant you could see the scar Movarth had given her when he stabbed her in the shoulder, but that didn't really bother her. It was sapphire blue and from the bottom up to her waist it was plain, like Kathryn's, but from there the dress was embroidered with intricate details and patterns that caught the eye.
Wearing a dress was a very new experience for Aila, especially one like hers. It was highly uncomfortable, mostly because she kept thinking it would slip down and expose her breasts, but it never did. In fact, it was wrapped so tightly around her torso it made it slightly difficult to breath.
Kathryn, on the other hand, was uncomfortable in a much more physical sense. She fidgeted with the dress, adjusting the shoulders and fumbling with the folds. "There are no pockets," she muttered, mostly to herself. "How am I supposed to nick anything with no pockets?"
Aila chuckled lightly. "Well, you could always…" she purposefully trailed off and let her eyes wander down to the small opening over Kathryn's chest.
Kathryn followed her gaze and scowled when she saw what she was looking at. "Yeah, no. Even if I did try that, it'd probably fall right through the dress and pop out at my feet. I'm sure that'd go down well."
"At least you have breasts to try. I'm pretty sure the dress is supposed to pop out here," she hovered her hands over her chest. "But I don't exactly have the anatomy to make that happen. Plus, with how tight this thing is, it would be painfully obvious if I tried to stick anything in here."
"Hmm," Kathryn started, sounding thoughtful, but the mischievous glint in her eye suggest her next words were anything but. "Perhaps if we find some ornamented bowls with can stick them in there and suggest your body finally decided finish a very, very late pubescence."
Aila glared at her for a moment before rolling her eyes. "You are such a child, Kat."
"Eh, you love me for it."
Aila was quiet a moment as she looked at Kathryn fondly. "I do," she whispered softly, knowing Kathryn could hear.
Kathryn looked back at her with that brilliant smile of hers. She leaned forward and Aila involuntarily closed her eyes and puckered slightly.
Then the door to the dressing room slammed open. Aila jumped and instinct had her reaching for the sword that was no longer at her side. She turned to see the the Altmer shopkeeper had barged in on them and Aila's hatred for the woman grew tenfold as she gave them a quick once-over.
"Excellent, you're dressed. Now," she grabbed the two of them by the wrists, with a 'hey!' from Aila that went ignored, and dragged them across the store. Oddly, she didn't comment on Kathryn's heat. Either she didn't notice, or didn't care. Probably the latter. "You don't want to keep the Jarl waiting now, best be off. "She led the to the entrance and opened it, quickly pushing them both out. "Do remember to get the Jarl's opinion now." was the last thing she said before shutting the door in their faces.
Aila looked at the door slightly aghast. "That woman is so… ugh!" She threw her hand up in frustration. She took one last look, sticking her tongue at the door for good measure. She was most definitely not coming back here. Screw their deal, they were thieves, and for all they were concerned they had just made off with two very overpriced dresses.
Kathryn laughed at her antics. "And you say I'm the childish one."
"Whatever," Aila said, stomping off in the direction of the Blue Palace, Kathryn following behind her. "At least I'm not some overbearing, insufferable, tall-ass…" Aila trailed off, unable to think of anymore insults. The wind brushed against her skin and she shivered lightly. The sun was out and the weather was nice, but it was still very cold, especially in this dress. It was Skyrim after all. Kathryn noticed and put an arm around her shoulder and Aila pressed herself into her, taking full advantage of her warmth.
Kathryn snickered. "Really, Aila? That's the best you could come up with? That she's tall?"
Aila glared at her some more. "Shut up."
But that just caused Kathryn to laugh harder.
The two walked pressed together in such a way that earned them many queer looks as people passed them by, but Aila was far past caring. She was cold, Kathryn was warm. That was that.
Eventually, the two reached the entrance to the Blue Palace, where they were promptly stopped by a rather zealous guard. "Halt!" he called, stepping in front of them. "No visitors tonight. The Jarl's hold a banquet and only those with an invite are allowed in."
Aila rolled her eyes. "What, you think we're dressed like this for the hell of it? What do you think we're here for?" She pulled out the invitation she received. "Here."
The guard looked it over and Aila saw his eyes widen under his mask. "D-Dragonb…" he squeaked before clearing his throat. "My apologies, Dragonborn. Go right ahead." He waved them on.
Aila walked past him and threw open the doors to the Blue Palace, stepping inside. Almost immediately, Kathryn's nostrils flared and she let out a low growl. Aila wanted to ask what was wrong, but they were fast approached by the man who had given her the letter, dressed in similar extravagant clothing as them, and Aila had to shush her. She complied, but her face remained scrunched up into one of disgust.
"Ah, you've arrived," the redheaded man said. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. I'm Falk Firebeard, steward of the Jarl. If you'll follow me."
Firebeard turned and began leading them to, presumably, the dining room. Following behind, Aila leaned closer and whispered, "What is it?"
"Vampire," she growled out.
Aila's eyes widened. "What?" she whispered harshly. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "This place reeks of it, though I think it's just the one. Probably spends most of its time here."
Aila groaned. Great. A vampire. Just what they needed. Then a thought popped into her head. "You don't think it's Elisif, do you?"
Kathryn sniffed the air, visibly wincing afterward. "Don't know. Guess we'll find out."
That would be quite the surprise, wouldn't it? If Elisif the Fair was actually Elisif the Vampire. She didn't think she (or whoever the vampire was) wouldn't attack her in public, though with how she knew her blood smelt to vampires, she couldn't be too sure.
Though, if she did attack, Aila could kill her with a single word.
That… that was a strange realization. She could kill someone by essentially yelling at them. Sure, for now, she only one lethal Shout, but there were many more out there for her to learn. Who knew what sort of damage they could do. What sort of person had a defense against that?
Aila shook her head to clear her morbid thoughts and continued following Firebeard.
As it turned out, it was not Elisif the Vampire, but rather Sybille Stentor, vampiric Court Mage.
It was relatively easy to point her out, for as soon as Aila entered the room a rather audible inhale was heard coming from a hooded robed figure standing beside a dining room table. Said figure went rigid as a statue and clenched her fists tightly together.
Aila tilted her head slightly to get a better look at under her hood, but could see nothing beyond her pale skin. At least she didn't attack me on sight.
Kathryn noticed her as well, and did her very best to keep from growling aloud.
Aila's attention was called away from the vampire when a woman, dressed in an elegant dress and circlet, came up to them with a large smile on her face. "Ah, the guests of honour. Welcome Dragonborn, it's a pleasure to meet you." She walked right up to Kathryn and held her hand out for her to shake. "I can't thank you enough for all you've done."
"Huh?" Was all that came from a very confused Kathryn, and Aila nearly burst out laughing. She couldn't really blame Elisif for thinking Kathryn was the Dragonborn. Her height alone made her a more likely candidate than Aila. Still, that didn't make it damn funny.
Kathryn seemed to realize what was going on as well. "Oh, er, I'm not… er, I mean..." Kathryn awkwardly scratched her neck as she tried to think of a way to tell her she had the wrong person without embarrassing either of them, though it was kind of too late for that.
Thankfully for her, she was spared the trouble and when Falk Firebeard casually leaned over and whispered something in the Jarl's ear.
The Jarl looked at Aila with a mixture of disbelief and utter mortification. Mostly mortification. Again, Aila nearly laughed at her expense, but managed to keep in check. It wouldn't do to laugh in the Jarl's face.
"O-oh," the flustered Jarl began. "M-my apologies."
Aila felt as if people have been apologizing to her left and right since she came into this city.
She offered her hand to Aila. "Well then, thank you for destroying the dragon. Without you, my city would've suffered greatly. Would you be so kind as to offer your name?"
Ha ha, no. Aila smiled sweetly and took the Jarl's hand. "It was no problem at all. My name is Kori."
"Velen," Kathryn said when she turned to her in question.
"Well then, Kori, Velen, why don't we start dinner?"
They all sat down at the dinner table, Aila and Kathryn right across from the Jarl, while she introduced everyone else at the table.
"You already know my steward, Falk Firebeard, this is Sybille Stentor, my Court Mage, and Erikur and Bryling, my Thanes."
They all nodded to Aila and Kathryn in greeting, except Sybille, who was as still frozen solid, and Erikur, who just glared at Kathryn with patronizing disdain. Aila wrote him off as one of those annoying rich people who thought they were better than everyone else just because they had money and decided to ignore him for the rest of the evening. However, that may prove to be difficult, for whenever he looked at Aila, he gave her a large crooked smile that he probably thought dazzled all the ladies but only made Aila want to throw up.
She wasn't sure if the the low growls coming from Kathryn were from being in the presence of a vampire, or because she noticed the looks he was giving her.
Dinner was as she expected it to be, really. That is to say, boring. It was filled with pointless talk of politics, people she couldn't care less about, and things like the war. Kathryn apologized on their behalf (though it was really just for appearances) for not knowing much of the going ons of the world around them. The two had too many problems of their own to pay attention to who thought what about who.
The food, of course, was amazing. There was soup, steak, various fruits and vegetable, and all sorts of sides and seasonings to go with it. It smelled amazing, and tasted even better. Poor Kathryn, though. She couldn't properly enjoy the delicious scent, for every time she breathed she could smell nothing but vampire.
Speaking of vampire, Aila noticed the Court Mage wasn't eating anything. She moved food around her plate, but it never went to her mouth. She did, however, take frequent sips from her goblet, and it made Aila wonder its contents.
"Do you think she's drinking…" Aila whispered to Kathryn so that no one else could hear. The vampire probably could, but she couldn't say anything about it without calling attention to herself.
"Yes," Kathryn whispered back just as quietly before returning to her conversation with Bryling. Something about a local burning festival. "I can smell it from here."
Well that pretty much sealed it. The Court Mage was a vampire.
Aila stayed silent for the most part throughout her dinner, occasionally responding with short, one-word answers to questions directed to her, usually from Erikur. She mostly kept her eyes trained on the Court Mage, watching for any signs of trouble. Once or twice, she caught a pair of blood-red eyes staring her down with an intense hunger, but other than that, she seemed to be remarkably in control of herself.
That is, until Aila decided to have a little fun with her.
"Ouch," Aila said as she 'accidentally' sliced open her finger while cutting into the steak.
The reaction was immediate, and hilarious. Sybille dropped her utensils and abruptly stood, knocking her chair out from under her. Everyone turned to look at her, including Aila, who adopted a look of innocent curiosity on her face, as if she had no idea what was happening.
"Sybille," Elisif addressed the interruption, sounding concerned. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes," Erikur added in a similar tone, though his sounded wholly faked. "You've been quiet all evening. Well, quieter than usual."
There was a pregnant pause before she spoke, saying her first words for the night. She was shaking slightly, almost imperceptibly, as she gazed at Aila with a ravenous look. "I… I apologize, my Jarl, but I must ask to be excused. I am feeling quite…" she swallowed visibly. "... unwell."
"Of course, Sybille."
The Court Mage nodded curtly and made a hasty retreat, leaving the rest of them, save for Aila (and Kathryn, she had seen Aila cut her finger), wondering what just happened.
"I hope she's alright," Bryling said.
Erikur snorted unbecomingly. "I'm sure she's fine. I'd bet her age is finally catching up with her."
This caught Aila's attention. "Oh? She didn't look too old."
Erikur, of course, jumped at the chance to converse with the pretty young elf girl. "Oh, she may not look it, but she's been around longer that any of us. She was appointed Court Mage by Torygg's father, and had been here ever since."
Aila hummed in acknowledgement, but ended the conversation there. So, none of the court knew she was a vampire. If they did, they surely wouldn't give away such incriminating information away so easily. Interesting.
"Give me your hand," Kathyrn called to her quietly.
Aila raised a brow in question, but obliged.
Kathryn took it and began to heal the cut she had given herself. "I swear, Aila, you can be the most recklessly idiotic person I know."
Aila just shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "But did you see her face? So worth it."
Kathryn gave an exasperated sigh and shook her head. She finishing healing the cut, turning back to her food.
The rest of the dinner was painfully dull. Aila had no desire speak with anyone, especially not Erikur, what with his shameless attempts at flirtation despite her blatant disinterest. Elisif was still too embarrassed by her blunder earlier to talk to her (which seemed rather unprofessional for a Jarl), and Bryling actually seemed smart enough to catch on that the only reason she was here was for the free food, though not smart enough to realize what she could do with that free room. Either way, she mostly left her alone, much to Aila's delight.
Eventually, the food was all gone and the participants had run out of things to talk about and Erikur had exhausted his supply of one-liners, and so the group collectively stood from the table.
"Oh, that was wonderful," Elisif said, referring to the abundance of food they had just eaten. With that, at least, Aila had to agree. "Again, it was a delight to meet with you. Solitude truly is in your debt. Falk, why don't you show them to their room?"
"Of course, my Jarl."
The two formally thanked Elisif for the hospitality and proceeded to follow Firebeard though hallways and corridors until they came to a door.
"Here we are," the Steward called, opening the door to reveal a large, luxurious room. It was open and airy, with two double beds on either side of the room and large, draped windows. "This will be where you'll stay while you're here. If there's anything you need, just call for the nearest servant and he or she will accommodate you. Any questions?"
"Nope," Kathryn said, a little too insistently. "None at all. This'll do just fine."
If the Steward took notice of her tone, he did not show it. "Good. Make yourselves at home." He then turned on his heels and left.
"Finally," Kathryn muttered. "Alone at last."
Aila smirked slightly at Kathryn as she entered the room. She let her gaze wander the room, pretending to be occupied with exploring for the moment, when really she was much more interested the the frustrated wolf behind her.
She hear the door close and the click of the lock as she ran her hand along the bed. "Hmm. Silk sheets."
"Oh? Never made love on those before. But, there's a first time for everything."
"I suppose." Aila said nonchalantly, and went over to the window where she pushed the drapes to the side to get a better look. She could imagine the pout on Kathryn's face.
Seconds later, she felt feverishly warm arms wrap around her waist and pull her close to an equally warm body. Hot breath and soft lips placed themselves on Aila's neck. "Are you ignoring me?"
Aila turned to her and grinned toothily. "What ever do you mean, dearest?"
"Don't play coy, Aila."
"Who's playing coy?" Aila broke free of her grasp and sat down on the bed, stretching out her arms into the air and falling onto her back. "I'm quite tired. I did fight a dragon today, after all. I'm not too sure I'm up for any love-making." She was, of course, playing coy. It had been far too long since they last properly showed their affection for each other. Although, thinking about it, it was rather strange that she didn't feel at all tired from the day's events. Perhaps she was just excited.
"Oh, no you don't." Kathryn threw herself over Aila, placing her hands on either side of her head as she stared down at her with those gorgeous silver eyes. "Between broken ribs," she said, quieter. "Debilitating illnesses, and dragon attacks, it feels like I've had to wait an age to get a moment's quiet with you." She lowered herself closer to Aila and began kissing her jawline. "And I'll be damned if I let a second more pass without my loving you proper."
She continued kissing Aila's jaw, then moved on down to her neck, nibbling at her affectionately. Aila hummed pleasantly, and decided she had enough of teasing Kathryn. She grabbed hold of Kathryn and flipped her over so that she was on top, eliciting a small yelp from the wolf girl in the process. She grasped each of her hands in her own and moved them up above her head, pinning them there as she brought her face closer to Kathryn's, so that their noses were touching. "Well, since you insist."
Aila closed the distance between them and kissed her love full on the lips, pressing her body flush against her. They kissed amorously and passionately, and Kathryn squirmed delightfully under her grip as she tried to break free, but Aila held her in place. It was fun being the one in charge for once.
Keeping one hand tight around Kathryn's wrists, Aila used the other hand to slip the straps of her dress off her shoulders and pulled it down, exposing her perfectly proportioned breasts. Aila took one in her hand, enjoying its smoothness, and kneaded it gently.
Kathryn moaned softly into her mouth and broke their ongoing kiss with a pleading look in her eyes. "Aila…" she breathed. "Let me touch you…"
Aila simpered and shook her head lightly. "Nuh-uh. Not yet. I wanna play with you some more."
Kathryn whined. "You're so mean."
Aila's grin grew. She let go of Kathryn only to grab hold of each of her hands again. She wrapped her fingers around Kathryn's and lowered her head down to her chest. She glanced up at Kathryn and her lust-filled eyes before lightly running her tongue over her hardening nipple.
Kathryn gasped and arched her back, pressing herself further into her while Aila indulged herself. Aila's tongue swirled around Kathryn's areola, wetting it in the cool air. When her little nub had stiffened to her satisfaction, Aila took it between her teeth and bit down gently, not enough to hurt, but enough for Kathryn to emit a highly pleasured moan.
"Aila," she whimpered. "Please… I can't take it anymore."
Finally, Aila decided to take pity on the poor girl. She released Kathryn's hands and hooked her thumbs into her dress and pulled it down to her waist. She was going to take it off completely, but it seemed Kathryn was impatient, as she almost immediately lifted her torso up off the bed and wrapped her arms around Aila. She kissed her between her small breasts and Aila smiled warmly, entangling one of her hands in Kathryn's hair while the other worked to get the two of them out of their dresses. It wasn't easy, what with their refusal to let more than an inch of space between them, but somehow she managed.
With both their dresses (and smallclothes) discarded to the floor, Aila pushed Kathryn gently back onto the bed. Kathryn whined at the loss of contact, but when Aila started scooting herself up higher, she elected to stop complaining and instead wrap her arms around Aila's legs and pull her closer. Aila giggled at her enthusiasm, but her giggles soon turned to gasps when she felt her lips on her core.
Aila's breathing steadily grew heavier as Kathryn worked her magic. Already she could feel the pressure building up inside her, aching for release. Not wanting it to end so soon, she gave herself something else to focus on.
She leaned back and let her hand slide along Kathryn's body behind her, down between her legs. She slipped her fingers between her folds as Kathryn did the same to her, but with her tongue. What followed was almost like a game of sorts. Both were doing their very best to pleasure the other while simultaneously trying to last as long as they could, though Aila was quickly losing that battle. Her body shivered as satisfying waves of bliss washed over her, and she began to feel herself become undone.
"Oh, Kat…" she breathed. "You're too good at this."
Kathryn's eyes sparkled, no doubt taking far too much pride in the compliment.
"Oh!" Aila gasped as her body suddenly shuddered in pleasure. The pressure in her core had reached an unbearable level until she felt herself burst. She had to bite down on her hand to keep herself from screaming as she reached her peak. Seconds seemed like hours in her state of ecstasy, until finally she calmed to the point where she could think properly again. She rolled off of Kathryn and fell back onto the bed, breathing heavily.
Kathryn crawled over to her and looked down at her with glittering eyes, licking her lips. "Yum."
Aila chuckled and shoved her lightly. "Ew."
Kathryn laughed with her and leaned down for a kiss. She tasted different slightly, Aila noted, and realized that it was herself that she was tasting. She wasn't quite sure whether to be weirded out or turned on. Luckily for Kathryn, she chose the latter.
She kissed Kathryn harder and cupped her cheeks (not the ones on her face) with her hands and pulled her closer.
Aila broke the kiss to take a breath and grinned at the flustered Kathryn. "Now then," she said, feeling herself get excited all over again. "I don't believe I'm quite finished with you yet."