Author's Note:

There is a piece of... ehm... art (?) in this chapter. But, of course, since FFnet does not allow images in stories, if you'd like to see it, check it out on AO3 or Wattpad. It's horrible :D

Enjoy the new plotline :)

Chapter XXXIV – Welcome Back

"She'll be alright, you got here fast."

The priestess smiled softly at Bishop as she continued to run her lit up hand over Aeyrin's stomach.

The journey to Solitude was grueling. Aeyrin managed to walk, but it was clear that despite the potions in her system, anytime the shirt brushed too much against her burn or anytime she moved in a way that exacerbated the area, the potion's effects weren't enough to help her. One more and she might get a bit too woozy though.

In the end, there was no choice. The effects of the potions were beginning to wane as they neared Solitude and Aeyrin couldn't stand it. She needed to drink more. Two more in fact. And with part of the old potions still in her system, she started to stumble and wobble on her feet. Bishop had to take her into his arms in the end, no matter how she whined that it hurts. They weren't going to make it to the city any other way.

Fortunately the priestess at the Temple of the Divines was confident that she could heal the burns without leaving any trace on Aeyrin's body.

Aeyrin was passed out or somewhat delirious for most of the healing, but now she was coming to a bit.

The priestess was now working on the last burns on her exposed stomach. She was hale and there really were no more burns that would scar, but the entire area of her body was still bright red.

"She'll need to be treated with a frost mirriam poultice for two days too," the priestess stated. "Otherwise the skin might still flake and peel. More like a sunburn though, not an actual burn."

"Yeah, that's fine," Bishop nodded. He had to be there for the healing since Aeyrin wasn't really capable of explaining what happened. And he wanted to be there anyway, so he sat on a small stool by the cot she was on for the entire time. A few hours now.

He told the priestess that a warlock used some fire spell on Aeyrin. He hoped that this weird priest magic didn't work differently in its effects, but fortunately since the priestess managed to take care of the wound, it didn't. He couldn't just say that a Vigilant attacked his werewolf fiancé, could he?

That Vigilant. Fuck.

Bishop didn't even want to think about what could follow, what this could do. He saw the Vigilant's face, he knew he recognized Aeyrin. This was gonna be another mess they had to deal with.

But maybe, knowing there's a cure, they could just… explain it to the Vigilants. Aeyrin was coming around on her black and white views a bit too after all. Though it took ages for her to at least try to believe she was no monster. Bishop couldn't even imagine trying to explain it to a bunch of zealous paladins.

But there was no point in dwelling on this now. The paladin got away. There was not much else to be done about it.

"Alright. I'll get you the poultice," the priestess tore Bishop away from his ruminations when she was done with Aeyrin's wound at last. She stepped away from a second, leaving Bishop with some time alone with Aeyrin.

"How are you doing, sweetness?" He gently took her hand in his and stroked over the back of it with his thumb.

"Better. Spinny," she murmured. Everything was swirling a bit, but the pain was gone. There was just a tiny burning tingle in those spots now.

"I guess, since you're alright, the spell was for the best. Now you know you can't walk over those runes you make as you used to," Bishop sighed. The runes killed anything undead or Daedric that stepped onto them in an instant. This was the better alternative to finding out that her wolfishness made her vulnerable to these spells too.

"Hmm-hmm," Aeyrin tried to nod, but her head only spun more that way.

The priestess was back soon with a flat vial of soft-green poultice in her hand.

"Three times a day for two days. I'll apply it this time before you leave," she explained.

"I can do that," Bishop reached out for the vial instead. He mostly didn't get too bothered by healers touching her, but still, it was just a poultice, he could do it himself. It was always better to be the one to touch her instead of anyone else, right?

"Suit yourself. And for magical burns like that, please get a hundred and sixty septims ready before you leave," the priestess handed him the poultice.

A hundred and sixty? Fucking robbery. Greedy priests.

Bishop didn't react to her anymore as he slathered some poultice on his fingers and turned his attention to Aeyrin. She hissed when he touched her, but now he suspected it was more from the cold substance on his fingers, because as he began to rub them over her breasts, she didn't make any more sounds. Well, aside from the occasional sigh of relief. The cold must have been a shock at first but likely very pleasant now.

Aeyrin closed her eyes again, now somewhat contentedly. She hoped the spinning would pass soon, but right now she didn't really mind. She could just rest and concentrate on the chilling sensation spreading through her chest, then a moment later her stomach.

It would take a while before they could leave. The poultice needed to seep into the skin first. But hopefully soon they could get out of here and focus on what they had planned to do in the city. Aside from spending some time at their lavish mansion, they had a pearl to procure and Aeyrin also wanted to stop by a certain shop.

And Bishop really hoped that was it. He did not want to get tangled up in the fucking politics between the nobility and the paladins and all that shit.

Suddenly, the curtain around Aeyrin's cot got pulled back again, but this time it wasn't the priestess.

Did thinking about him summon him or something?

Bishop promptly stopped rubbing the poultice into Aeyrin's stomach and he grabbed the blanket bundled up at her feet in order to throw it over her exposed chest. He couldn't help but growl angrily under his breath at the uncalled-for barging in.

He wasn't that naïve, he was pretty sure they wouldn't be able to avoid seeing Azshan completely during their stay here – he seemed to always show up somehow – but Bishop was really hoping it wouldn't be this soon. And certainly not here and now.

"Hey, you know I'm a healer too, right? Nothing I haven't seen before," Azshan smirked at Bishop's somewhat panicked action while Aeyrin opened her eyes again, looking a bit confused.

Wait, what did he mean? 'Seen before'? This better not have been another part of their fucking healing training like those massages and shit.

"Not her," Azshan laughed when he noticed Bishop's expression. "Just in general."

"Azshan?" Aeyrin's groggy voice interrupted the exchange and she tiredly moved to her side while grabbing the blanket firmly in her hand to cover herself properly.

"Hey, honey. One of the men notified me that you were being carried to the temple. I had to come see if you're alright," he gave her a sympathetic smile and he reached out to squeeze her free hand briefly. She couldn't help it, seeing him, talking to him and even him being concerned about her still made her feel bad. Made her sick. What of this was real and what was just a front?

"You're getting pretty fucking creepy with how you keep having us watched here," Bishop growled.

"Why? Is it that weird to have the guards tell me when my friend's in the area? I wouldn't wanna miss her if you're just stopping by or have urgent business elsewhere. We barely see each other as is," Azshan sighed.

It was fucking weird. If she wanted to see him, she would have looked for him here herself. But Bishop kinda suspected that Azshan might do this shit again, whatever for, so he didn't continue the conversation for now. There was no point in it anyway.

"What happened?" The Redguard looked at her with concern, whether it was real was anybody's guess.

"Warlock," Bishop answered before Aeyrin could. He wasn't sure if she remembered the story he told the priestess when they came in. She wasn't all there back then. "Some fire spell."

"Nasty," Azshan sighed in understanding. "Let me know if you need any help, but I suspect they've already taken care of you here."

"I'm fine," Aeyrin slowly nodded. She kind of wanted him to go away.

"Good. I'm glad," Azshan smiled. "So what brings you back? Not that I'm not glad you are here, of course. Just wondering."

He sounded a little odd. A little nervous. Just like he had after the ball last time when he was worried about anything that Aeyrin might have been suspicious of. Why was he nervous now though? Was he nervous about them being in Solitude?

Aeyrin did not want to tell him the real reason for their visit though and it only broke her heart more to think about it. She was here because she was getting married. And she didn't want to tell her oldest friend that she used to care about so much. She didn't want him there. She would be worried about some schemes, even if there were no nobles for him to manipulate or suck up to. But most of all, she felt awful every time she merely thought about him. All the affection from the past got replaced by hurt.

"We just haven't visited in a while," Aeyrin shrugged a bit. She didn't know what else to say.

"Well, welcome back then," Azshan grinned. "Are you staying long? We should do something. Go have fun. I'm not gonna bug you while you recover, but come see me soon. Or if you need something, help with the recovery or stuff. Or I don't know, spotting you for the healing or something," he laughed.

"Yeah," Bishop perked up instantly. What? He offered. "You can shell out some septims right now for that." He didn't care if Azshan only said it as a joke, it was expensive and it would be kind of satisfying to have him paying for them like this for no reason. Besides, he could afford it. They had to spare whatever they still had for the shit they came here to buy.

"Oh. Sure," he smiled. He didn't really seem to mind. He actually looked pleased. "I'll spring for it if it helps you out."

"You don't have to…" Aeyrin scowled a bit. This was uncomfortable. Why did Bishop ask him to do this?

"No, no, I'll be happy to. Don't you worry about a thing," he winked at her. "Anyway, I'll leave you to it. Come see me. Or write to me. Soon. We'll hang out."

"I'll… try," she nodded uncertainly. She really didn't want to.

"See you, Aeyrin. Feel better soon. Bishop," Azshan nodded at him as well before he turned on his heel and marched out of the area. They were silent for a while, waiting, until they could be finally sure he was gone.

"He's fucking friendly. Obviously sucking up to you," Bishop scoffed.

"What? Why would he?" Aeyrin scowled. If Azshan wanted her to do some favor for him again, he would ask outright. Or just promise her help without even asking first – he tended to do that. This didn't seem like it. It seemed like he genuinely wanted to spend time with her. Or was she just naïve? Did she still not see through the agendas? Was he really just sucking up to her for some reason?

"Come on, he's here the instant he hears you're in the city, he keeps offering to help you with anything. He's either feeling guilty for what happened at the ball or he's up to something and trying to preemptively placate you," Bishop scoffed.

Maybe. Maybe he was right. She could never really think anymore that her former friend ever had only friendship on his mind. There was always an agenda.

"You're not gonna go see him, are you?" Bishop scowled. That always spelled trouble.

"I… I don't know. I think I need to talk to Casavir. Maybe he'll need help. Maybe Azshan's planning something. I really don't know," she sighed. "I'm drained." This definitely did not help her state after everything.

"Let's get you dressed then," Bishop nodded. The poultice may have been rubbed into the blanket covering her anyway. It was for the best to get out of here and just take care of her in the safety and peace of the mansion.

They could deal with other shit some other time.

…

"What the fuck?! Hey, whoever you are, asshole, get out of here before I fuck you up!"

A panicked voice echoed through the mansion the second they closed the door behind them.

They arrived through the main entrance, but Jordis was clearly not near. Her voice came from the basement. Maybe she was taking a bath. Or hopefully, she was cleaning.

The mansion was a mess. It looked like there was a party there recently. It wasn't a mess out of neglect, it was just all manner of things… messy. There were empty bottles in various places, plates of food, mostly cleaned out, and all the rugs were crumpled. There were some new paintings hanging on the walls – only done in charcoal and without a frame. They looked like Jordis actually made them. They were lovely, but now one of them had a big red stain on it and the other ones were crookedly hung.

Bishop and Aeyrin used a key to get in, but Jordis may not have heard that part. She only became alert once they shut the door loudly.

And in a moment, they heard barefoot steps on the stairs leading up.

A while later Jordis finally appeared. Naked, with a large towel wrapped around her wet body, and a sword in her hand. That was… one way to look intimidating.

"Oh! It's you," she let out a relieved chuckle. "Welcome back! I didn't expect you to be… oh wait… shit," her eyes roamed around the mess in the chamber promptly. "I was just gonna clean after I take a bath, I promise. I just needed to wash this one guy off me," she scrunched up her nose. "Nothing bad! There was… just a few people here and…"

"Relax," Aeyrin chuckled a bit. She had a small party and they caught her off guard. The mansion didn't exactly look broken down by the festivities or anything. It was kind of understandable that Jordis made herself at home like this.

"I locked the master bedroom. Nobody got in there," Jordis said reassuringly. "And it's just a little mess. I'll clean it up."

"It's really fine, Jordis," Aeyrin smirked. She thought at first that situations like these would be uncomfortable, but it was really just amusing. And she liked that Jordis was enjoying the house. Someone should.

"Thanks. You're the best," Jordis beamed with palpable relief etched on her face. She still seemed to carry some habits from her last thane's tyranny.

"Someone ruined your drawing," Bishop inclined his head towards the charcoal drawing of what could only be Rorikstead. He recognized the cliffs in the background.

"What? Those fuckers! I'm never inviting them again!" Jordis growled. "I really liked that one. I gotta clean up after them and they ruin my shit. This is the worst."

"That's why you go to other people's places to trash those," Bishop laughed. "Who did you invite anyway?"

"A few legionnaires. New friends. They just arrived from Cyrodiil and I wanted to hear stories," Jordis sighed. "I would go thrash that Castle of theirs, but I don't wanna get my head chopped off."

Legionnaires from Cyrodiil? Those they saw at Weye? It looked like the innkeeper at Wawnet was right – it wasn't training. It was army reinforcements for the war in Skyrim.

"They need more legionnaires from Cyrodiil here?" Aeyrin asked curiously. She probably already knew the answer, but Jordis might know more.

"Yeah, didn't you hear? The rebels are taking all these forts. First in the Reach, now in Hjaalmarch. Everyone thinks they're planning some mass attack or some shit like that," Jordis nodded. "They got money apparently and they're decimating the Empire with hired mercenaries and quality weapons and armor and shit like that."

"So the Stormcloaks are… winning?" Aeyrin couldn't help but cringe at the notion. For some reason, she had never really considered this as a possible outcome of the war. Not really.

"Well, I don't know. But they're not an easily squashed bug, I guess," Jordis shrugged. "The soldiers were kinda scared. They wanted to unwind. It was a good night."

It was nice that she provided them with some relaxation. They certainly needed it. But the news from the warfront was still a little upsetting. Where was Ulfric getting all this money, all this support, when he openly threatened interprovincial trade?

"Anyway," Jordis interrupted the moment of contemplation. "I'm gonna go ahead and clean. After I get dressed." She looked down at her towel and the sword still firmly in her hand. "Or did you want me to make you some food after your journey?"

"No need, I'll make something to eat," Bishop shook his head.

"I was really hoping you'd say that," Jordis chuckled.

"I bet," he smirked. "Alright, you go get more rest, princess. I'll come get you when the food's done," he ushered Aeyrin momentarily.

"Something wrong?" Jordis looked Aeyrin over with some concern on her face.

"Just… a warlock attack. Needed some healing," Aeyrin gave her a weak reassuring smile.

She really could use some rest. And she needed to reapply the poultice. It was surprising that Bishop forgot about doing that himself. She expected him to insist on that.

But food sounded like a better use of his time right now.

…

The rest did Aeyrin some good. And so did the poultice.

Bishop did pout, after coming to fetch her for the meal, that he forgot about reapplying the poultice. But he made up for it twice more that day.

Their plan for the next day was clear. First, Aeyrin was intent on speaking with Casavir, which meant that Bishop needed to send another note to him through Gulum. Aeyrin suggested inviting him to the mansion this time, since the small chamber they had been meeting in was way too inhospitable. And she had no idea how long the catching up would take. But he likely wouldn't want to be seen associating with them so Aeyrin thought it would be best to have him come at night via the upper floor entrance. It wasn't that visible and lit-up.

That was Bishop's task, along with looking for the pearl, while she would see to her own plan in the city.

And that was probably where they could end their visit. That didn't happen often. Usually when they came to Solitude, they were stuck here with some drama hounding them for days or even weeks. This was refreshing.

They were all ready to head out after breakfast. When Bishop would make it. But he was waiting for Jordis too. The mansion was clean, her ruined painting was taken down, and on the chair in the entryway, there was a new blank canvas waiting for her, along with a bowl full of charcoal pieces and a goblet of wine on the small table next to the chair. But the woman herself was still asleep in her room. She must have set it up there last night but maybe she didn't get the proper inspiration to follow through.

She deserved a warm breakfast after the work she'd done on the house though. Not only was it clean after yesterday, but she clearly kept it well stocked throughout. Bishop found a somewhat fresh loaf of braided bread, probably bought yesterday, and a varied selection of cheeses. He was gonna melt a few cheeses with different spices so they could dip the bread in them, getting a taste of several flavors. And probably grill some vegetables with that too. That sounded good. But that would all be shitty cold and so they decided to wait for Jordis to wake up.

Aeyrin kept walking around the large room, examining the new drawings on the walls and some of the other decorative trinkets Jordis must have procured. She seemed to really appreciate art. Even small figurines made of various materials. Even from soap. It was interesting.

In the meantime, Bishop moved the blank canvas and sat on the chair. He took the canvas into his lap after a while and looked at it properly. He thought he was gonna be able to see what she had been trying to draw – some faint lines that she didn't commit to yet or shit. But there was nothing at all.

He liked the drawings Jordis did. They looked like actual things and places. Some of the fancy art in palaces seemed like it was drawn by a six-year-old. How hard was it to make something look like it was supposed to? You just needed to have the image in your head and then don't fuck it up on the canvas.

He looked at Aeyrin briefly, more in idle curiosity about what she was doing, but she wasn't doing anything anymore. She was leaning on the wall opposite him and watching him in turn.

"What? Are you gonna draw me?" She chuckled when she noted his stare. And with the canvas on his lap, it wasn't a far-fetched assumption.

In fact, why not? It really couldn't be that hard. And besides, it was a good excuse for something fun.

"Sure," he smirked while he reached out for one of the pieces of charcoal. "But I am picky about my subjects. I only do nudes."

Aeyrin laughed heartily at his tactic, but she shook her head regardless. "I'm not undressing here. Jordis could come in any second."

"Fine, spoilsport," he scoffed. "I guess I'll just have to work from memory." It was not like the memories weren't always fresh in his head. One look at her and he could see her naked any time. He didn't even need to look at her, actually, but it was better that way.

"Can you actually draw?" She raised his brow at her. By now, he was already trying. He kept raising his gaze from the canvas, studying her, and then scratching something vigorously on the sheet.

"You bet," he smirked. "Get those braids behind your back, they're hiding the good stuff." She had two thick braids that day but she let them hang over her shoulders and cover the tops of her breasts. She wasn't naked anyway, but he wanted to see how it looked when she had them back. He was trying to capture her this way after all, the same pose, same expression, just no clothes.

"Why haven't I ever seen you draw?" Aeyrin gaped at him. He could draw? They've known each other for two years and she never knew that. How did she not know?

"I've never tried," Bishop shrugged casually.

What?

"You never tried, how do you know that you can?" She scoffed at him. That made no sense. And besides, drawing took practice, not just talent. He couldn't be good if he never tried.

"I'm good at everything," he rationalized with a brief chuckle, but he was still mostly concentrated on the drawing.

"Well, I'll be the judge of that," she laughed. There was no way he would be good. Not a chance in Oblivion.

She waited for a while with her arms across her chest. Bishop looked completely absorbed in what he was doing, but he stopped in about five minutes. It was surely impossible to make a good drawing in that amount of time.

When he put down the charcoal, he proudly presented her the canvas. She couldn't help it. There was no way she wouldn't laugh at that. Her amusement rang through the chamber instantly.

.-.-.-.

It was immediately clear that Bishop had… exaggerated some assets of hers. And it was also clear what he paid the most attention to. She looked nothing like that. And it looked like there were two black raisins in place of her eyes. And strange rings instead of her braids. Not to mention the proportions.

"What? I think it's good," Bishop scoffed. "I'm keeping that for whenever we need to spend time apart," he studied the drawing himself again with a self-pleased smirk.

"Seriously? That?" Aeyrin scrunched up her nose. This unrealistic and simplistic drawing would be doing it for him?

"I'm a man of simple pleasures," Bishop let out a wistful sigh.

"Clearly," she couldn't help but laugh again. It was too much. And he looked so serious when he considered his art. "Well, it's a good thing you have… other talents," she giggled.

"Damn right I do," Bishop's smile turned into a lascivious grin. That wasn't even what she had meant. She just wanted to make fun of him. But now she couldn't think of much else either when he looked at her like that. "I should show those to you again right now."

Well… Jordis was still not here. It was a good use of their time.

"Why not?" She snickered.

"Good. I need another point of reference anyway, since you're clearly not satisfied with my art."

He might need many of those. But that shouldn't be an issue.

But he was not kidding about keeping this painting. It was his first art! And he was damn proud of how much he could pester Aeyrin with displaying it wherever she would find most uncomfortable.

This was gonna be fun.

…

Aeyrin's first stop was a familiar shop.

Never in her life she thought she would be coming here out of her own volition. That it would be her idea. But when she thought about the fact that she would like a pretty dress to get married in, she couldn't imagine getting it from anywhere else.

She entered the store the two Altmer sisters owned. She knew that this was probably going to be expensive. Very expensive. She had no idea how much the clothes Azshan had ordered for them cost the last time, and she was pretty sure she couldn't afford this now, but she had to try and convince Taarie to make her a dress.

After all, the woman complained about the same trends year in and year out and Aeyrin would leave her a completely free hand. She knew she could trust her designing genius with that. The dress she made for Aeyrin for the ball was the most beautiful one she had ever seen. She still had it hidden in the armoire back at the mansion.

Taarie's sister, whose name Aeyrin couldn't recall, was there behind the counter. She raised her brow curiously when she noticed Aeyrin approach. She clearly wasn't the expected clientele here.

"Welcome back," the Altmer inclined her head. "I'm sorry, I don't recall Sir Azshan notifying us of another fitting for any upcoming occasions."

Of course she couldn't afford this place without Azshan, but she was still determined to try.

"No… it's just me today. I was hoping to speak to Taarie," Aeyrin gave her a wry smile.

"Just go upstairs. She's working in the fitting room," the sister nodded. Good, Aeyrin didn't want to discuss this in front of the sister. She didn't know her much and she was worried the woman would chase her out for being too poor, even if she still had a decent amount of gold left from Count Hassildor's shifty experiments. Hopefully Taarie would see the opportunity for artistic expression instead.

Aeyrin only nodded in thanks and she rushed into the hallway and up the stairs until she reached the first fitting room. Taarie was there, sitting on the ground and measuring large pieces of sparkling golden fabric.

"Yes? Oh!" Taarie looked up from her work only after some time, but her face bore both surprise and happiness when she noticed Aeyrin there at last. "It's you. What brings you back?"

"Well… I was hoping I could use your services again. Myself this time," Aeyrin shuffled on the spot wryly. Taarie got up from the floor in the meantime and approached her curiously.

"I can see that. This is Imperial quality material. And the stitching is very nice," Taarie mumbled, mostly to herself, while she examined Aeyrin's newish outfit. It definitely was Imperial quality. But the assumption seemed to be that Aeyrin could easily afford fancy clothes now. That wasn't the case. Not entirely.

"Well… I did buy this in Skingrad," Aeyrin chuckled softly. "But… I don't know if I have enough to pay what you usually charge. I don't know how much that is. I don't exactly have a 'steady' income," she sighed. "But I'm getting married and when I thought of a dress, I couldn't help think of you making it."

"What? You're getting married?" Taarie gaped at her incredulously. Was it that unexpected? "You… you want me to make a wedding dress? And… is it safe to assume that… you don't need it to reflect the latest trends or…"

"That's why I came to you," Aeyrin interrupted her. "I thought you might like to do another dress just the way you want."

"Oh, my dear, I could kiss you. I already have an idea in my head," Taarie beamed at her. She really looked so enthusiastic. It was so nice to see. But there was still one problem.

"I… I really don't know if I'll have enough money. How much are your dresses? Usually?" Aeyrin sighed.

"Usually? It depends on the fabric, the length and such. The cheaper ones go for over a thousand," Taarie said, as if it were a completely normal thing to pay for a single piece of clothing that was not even warm or sturdy. "The more elaborate ones cost up to five thousand."

Insane. That was the price of a small house. Did someone really pay this much for a dress? And Aeyrin was pretty sure a wedding dress wouldn't be cheap.

"I… I'm sorry, Lady Taarie. I'd hardly be able to afford even a cheap one," Aeyrin sighed in disappointment. She was pretty sure this was going to be the result. But she still had to try.

"Hmm… you know what? No. I'm not missing out on this," Taarie gave her a determined nod. "Five hundred. I need money to pay my seamstresses and buy the fabric. None of these I have will do. This has to be special. But I'll do it for five hundred for you. Just so that I can design it however I want. And one more thing."

Seriously? Five hundred? That was amazing! Aeyrin could even afford it right now, though she would be giving away most of her funds. Hopefully Bishop would have enough left for the pearl.

But what was the second condition?

"What thing?" Aeyrin asked, though it was hard to hide her hopefulness regardless.

"I get to tell everyone that I designed the Dragonborn's wedding dress," Taarie sighed wistfully. Alright, Aeyrin understood the appeal of the word of mouth. But Taarie might have been mistaken about the nature of the wedding.

"We're… getting married on a lake. Not many people will be there to see," she admitted nervously.

"It's alright, it's the prestige that counts, even if people don't see you in it. And you would have to confirm it, if anyone asks, of course."

Well… that was fair. Though there was one thing she was a bit concerned about. She didn't want her wedding to be public knowledge. Not in rumors and such. But… then again, she would be presenting Bishop everywhere as her husband soon. There was really no difference. Except for one thing.

"If… if you wait until after the wedding. We don't want to make it a thing and some people might try to invite themselves in and such…" Aeyrin chuckled a bit. She didn't want to talk to strangers about their plan now and then feel uncomfortable for not inviting them. And she didn't want Azshan to know.

"Deal," Taarie smiled. "I completely understand those concerns. When is the big day anyway? I might need some extra time to finish the dress."

"In over two months. Eighteenth of Last Seed."

"Good. That's enough time for me," the Altmer let out a relieved sigh.

"Actually, do you want to come? You can just bring the dress there on the day," Aeyrin pondered. It was the easiest way. She wasn't sure if their circumstances would allow them to go to Solitude again in only a month or two – she could never be sure of that. And she liked Taarie. Surely the woman would want to see her creation in action. And having the dress as a surprise on the day would be nice.

"You're that confident in me? What if you don't like the dress?" Taarie scoffed, but she sounded a tiny bit touched too.

"I don't think that's possible after what I've seen you do last time," Aeyrin chuckled. "So, what do you say?"

"I'd love to. I never get to see my dresses on the occasions they're made for. Especially not the special dresses like I make for you. And being at the Dragonborn's exclusive wedding… people will be so jealous," she snickered.

If that was important to her, who was Aeyrin to take that away?

"Good. I'll send you a letter with the details soon. It will be in Falkreath at Lake Ilinalta."

"'At' the lake? What do you mean?" Taarie scowled a bit.

"You'll see. Let me surprise you a bit too," Aeyrin chuckled. It was going to be beautiful. She was sure of it.

"As you wish," the Altmer smirked. "Well, I have your measurements already, so if you have the money now, I can get to work right away."

"Sure," Aeyrin nodded. It was going to be worth the septims. Even if it was silly to spend it like this, the event was important. There was nothing wrong with having it be memorable in every aspect.

She couldn't wait for the day to come already.

…

Aeyrin chased Bishop down at the market. He was already there, looking around the stalls.

She approached him from the back and poked him a bit in between the shoulder blades when she got close enough. He didn't even turn around though. He must have known she was there.

"All set, sweetness?" He asked while he continued to look over the meats offered at one of the stalls.

"Yeah. I'm set. Almost broke, but all set," she chuckled. "You?"

"All done. The tin-head should be knocking tonight. It's shitty with you being broke though," he sighed as he finally turned around. "I asked around already. The pearl is not really cheap. Apparently, that part of the tradition is well alive and everyone's buying out pearls for the summer. Best weather for weddings or some shit like that. Not too much snow. So… the prices have gone up."

"How much?" Aeyrin scowled. Why did they ask in Solitude? Everyone here was greedy, except for Taarie and her benevolent discount. Then again, everyone else and their mothers must have figured out that they should shop for the pearls in Dawnstar or Winterhold. The prices likely weren't better there.

"Two hundred. For one fucking pearl. Insane," Bishop scoffed. "I don't know how much you have left after paying that Altmer, but for me, it's all I have left."

"I have less than a hundred," Aeyrin sighed. Even though they had the money, they would barely have enough for emergencies. That wasn't ideal, especially if they were planning on heading out again soon.

"Fuck. That's not good," Bishop grumbled. "But… the guy selling them did make me an offer."

"What offer?" Aeyrin looked at him in surprise. Another discount?

"Thirty for him telling me where he got his last batch. Apparently there were a few clams there he couldn't open so he thinks there might be some pearls left. I know it's shifty and it could be a scam or he just sold the info to thirty more people before and there will be nothing left but… I don't know about you, I don't feel like diving into the Sea of Ghosts blindly," Bishop scowled. It was a chance at least. And if there were no pearls, he would let this guy have it.

"It's worth a shot," Aeyrin smiled a bit. She really liked this custom now and she didn't want to give up. She was even willing to go to Markarth for the silver, that was how much she liked the idea. What was diving into a freezing sea in the face of visiting the city belonging to the Silver-Bloods again?

"Alright, I'll go pay him," Bishop nodded. They could go get the pearl today or maybe wait a bit until Aeyrin's burn fully recovered before they ventured out again. That was probably for the best.

And now, after this, they only needed to wait for the tin-head to arrive at night.

Fuck, Bishop really hoped he wasn't going to drag Aeyrin into these issues again.

As if they hadn't had enough problems lately.