Chapter 26

Lucky

His eyes shot open, he is immediately confused. Where am I? This isn't my den.

His snout twitches as he looks around. He realizes he is not alone. This room is full of strange shiny objects and strange creatures, who are all moving in a panic. What's going on here, he wonders.

He notices an apple in his mouth. He begins chewing it. It's a nice crispy, juicy apple. This seems like the best part of the day so far.

But… the boar's ears perked up as he noticed the chaos around him. The strange creatures are moving and yelling, some are even hiding. The noise is starting to bother him.

He lets out a low grunt and his feet shuffle on the table. The creatures run in every direction now. He is getting more agitated by the second. He feels cornered and sees no way to escape.

He lets out another snort as he tries to sniff out what's happening. These creatures seem frightened of him and it's only making him restless.

Instincts kick in. Charge. He hurls off the table, sending plates and goblets everywhere.

The sounds of shouting and clattering reached Aurelia and Ondolemar's ears as they neared the ballroom.

Ondolemar stopped abruptly, his sharp eyes flicked toward Aurelia before looking back towards the direction of the ballroom.

"Stay here," he commanded, "I'll see what's going on."

Aurelia raised an eyebrow, but remained quiet.

Once Ondolemar entered the ballroom, she immediately followed anyway.

Nothing in all of Tamriel could have prepared her for what she walked into.

Her father, King Torygg, stood in the center of the room rubbing his temples. "For the Love of Mara. It's just a boar! Someone catch it-before it destroys the entire ballroom!" He shouted, but his attempts to shout were drowned out by the uproar.

Aurelia scanned the room, the boar was charging in every direction, clearly in distress, knocking over chairs and sending silverware and platters clattering to the floor. Guest screamed and darted out of its path, climbing on top of tables or hiding behind toppled furniture. Servants scrambled away from the beast while a few brave souls were trying and failing to catch it. A Thalmor Soldier, his usual composure-gone as he hung from the chandelier now swaying precariously above them.

To her right, Ondolemar stood with his arms crossed. His tall frame was rigid with barely contained exasperation, while his eyes swept across the room.

"Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath, his tone was venomous. His gaze settled on the dangling Thalmor Soldier, his lips curled in a mix of disdain and fury.

Ondolemar stepped forward. "Justiciars! Calm yourselves! This is a ballroom not a battlefield!"

Aurelia remained perfectly as ease as she made her way to the nearest table. She grabbed a few apples and a sweet roll for good measure, then she proceeded to make her way to the center of the room.

The chaos continued to swirl around her as she carefully sat on her knees on the floor as she cradled the apples and sweet roll in her arms. Once she caught the boar's attention, it paused then snorted and pawed at the ground. Aurelia held out one of the apples to it.

"It's alright. I'm not here to hurt you," she said softly. "I'll bet all this noise is making you feel a bit out of place. Come here, I can help."

From his vantage point, Ondolemar's exasperation deepened as he watched Aurelia deliberately lower herself to such a vulnerable position.

The boar hesitated, its ears flickered as it accessed the situation. Slowly, it stepped closer, its snout twitch as he caught the scent of the apple Aurelia was holding.

"Easy now," she said reassuringly as she lowed the apple to the floor in front of her.

The boar took another cautious step. When he approached, he sniffed the apple before chomping down on it with a loud crunch.

A murmur of relief rippled through the crowd.

Aurelia smiled gently, as she reached for another apple. "See, it's ok. You're just lost aren't you?" She whispered softly, scratching the board head.

Ondolemar, standing nearby muttered under his breath, "unorthodox, but effective." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "If she gets trampled, I'll never hear the end of it."

The next morning, Aurelia stood in the garden her arms crossed in quiet contemplation. In front of her sat her Sabre cat, Halbjorn and beside him, their new friend.

"You two make quite the pair," Aurelia said softly.

Behind her the sound of footsteps drew her attention. Turning slightly, she saw Ondolemar approaching her. His posture was perfectly composed, though his eyes carried the weariness of someone who had been up half the night managing the aftermath of the evenings chaos.

"Your Highness," Ondolemar greeted. "Still dealing with the consequences of your choices last night, I see."

"Consequences? I'm simply enjoying the outcome, Commander." She said as she smirked. "Though, I did ask father about keeping him."

Ondolemar raised an eyebrow, his face flicked between Aurelia and the large boar.

"He said no, of course," she continued. "I disagreed. And well it did not matter. Someone should be here tomorrow to take Lucky to his new home."

"A practical solution, Princess." He paused a moment before stepping forward and leaning closer. "I noticed the change in your appearance today. It seems you've taken care to ensure no unwanted attention falls upon us."

Aurelia felt her cheeks warm, she knew what he was referring to. Last night he had left her with a few marks on her neck as a result Aurelia had to pull her hair to the side to cover them.

"It seemed like the wisest course of action."

"Wise, yes. Though it doesn't absolve me of my lack of restraint. It won't happen again… unless you will it." He said barely above a whisper.

Aurelia could feel her heat beat rapidly. "It is tempting, so long as you are serious about continuing our conversation."

"Is it really so tempting? After last night, I would think you might be more cautious." He stepped closer. "And as far as continuing our conversation… you have my full attention, Your Highness. I assure you, I am quite serious."

"Good. I'm rather curious where this… conversation may lead." She whispered teasingly.

"Perhaps , it would be best if we continue this conversation somewhere… more secluded." He suggested. "I would hate for anyone to misunderstand the nature of our… discussion." He glanced towards the guards and servants going about the palace, performing their usual task.

Ondolemar took a step back, gesturing away from the gardens. "Shall we?"

Aurelia followed him as they walked through the palace. She remained calm and composed on the outside, but her mind raced. Her heart beat faster with every step.

As they passed through a side corridor, Ondolemar glanced over his shoulder to ensure no one was near. He stopped in front of an unassuming door, opened it and gestured for her to follow. The room was a small, private study tucked away from more frequented areas.

Once Aurelia entered, Ondolemar quietly closed the door behind them. When he turned back to face her, his expression was unreadable as his eyes studied her for a moment.

"If we are to continue this, Aurelia," he began. "It cannot be on a whim. Every step we take together must be deliberate. If we falter, if we make one mistake, the consequences could undo us both."

He took a step closer, But I am willing to take that risk—if you are. In private, in shadows, away from prying eyes…" he reached out to her gently brushing his fingers along her cheek. "I will be yours, as long as you are mine."

Aurelia tilted her head slightly leaning into his touch, her lips curved into a faint smile. "So you've made your calculations and determined the risk is worth the reward?"

Ondolemar's lips twitched, the faintest hint of a smile threatening to break through his usual composure. He leaned closer, his hand still resting gently on her cheek. His gaze lingered on her for a second before he bowed his head and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Let's just say… you've proven difficult to factor into any equation, Your Highness," he replied, his tone had a slight trace of warmth.

Aurelia's smile deepened, her eyes searching his. "Then I suppose we'll both have to step carefully, Commander."