Chapter 33

Sweet Roll

The dining hall was quiet, save for the sound of clinking silverware as the attendant for tonight's dinner adjusted the table setting. The tension was palpable between the three Justiciars as they sat quietly waiting for the arrival of Skyrim's royal family.

Ondolemar was still in an irritable mood since Rulindil prevented Aurelia's visit earlier that day. Not only that, but this sudden visit to Solitude by the two Justiciars was a complication he did not want to deal with right now.

The three elves sat quietly waiting for the arrival of the royal family. Rulindil traced the rim of his wine glass with his fingers with the faintest hint of amusement on his lips. Ondolemar sat across from him remaining composed, face unreadable refusing to acknowledge the challenge Rulindil was offering. In between them, the opposite end of the table from the King's seat, Elenwen sat sipping her wine watching the two mer before her with a quiet interest.

"It has been some time since we have been in Solitude, has it not, Third Emissary?"Elenwen asked, breaking the silence in an effort to test the tension.

"Why yes, Ambassador, I've almost forgotten how… charming this province is." Rulindil replied smoothly, taking a sip from his goblet before continuing, " it's a shame we did not make it to your… engagement announcement, Ondolemar."

Ondolemar resisted the urge to scoff. Instead, he took a sip of his own wine, setting the goblet down with deliberate ease. "Yes, quite the shame," he replied dryly. "I'm sure your presence would have made the occasion far more enjoyable."

Rulindil smirked, his fingers still tracing the rim of his glass. "I have no doubt. It must have been such a joyous event for you." His eyes gleamed with amusement, waiting for a reaction.

Ondolemar refused to give him one. He merely inclined his head, his expression betraying nothing. "Duty is rarely about joy, but I wouldn't expect you to understand that."

Elenwen let out a quiet hum, watching the exchange. "Commander, I trust all is well with your… arrangement?"

Ondolemar turned to her, meeting her gaze. "Functional," he said coolly. "As I am sure you understand, duty comes before personal desire. When one serves a greater cause, personal discomfort is of little consequence."

Elenwen's lips curved into a thin smile. "Of course. One always finds a way to… adapt."

Rulindil chuckled softly. "Such dedication, Ondolemar. Truly admirable."

Ondolemar raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you'd feel the same, were you in my position."

Rulindil's smirk widened, but before he could respond, the quiet sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the hallway. The royal family had arrived.

King Torygg entered first, his wife, Elisif, beside him. Though Ondolemar's gaze flickered past the royal couple to Aurelia. Her steps were graceful, yet Ondolemar, caught the subtle shift in her posture. Her eyes briefly flickered toward Rulindil and Elenwen before finding him. The tension in her shoulders eased slightly.

"Your Highness," Ondolemar greeted her with a small nod, as she took her seat next to him.

Aurelia offered him a small nod in return as she settled into her seat. She kept her posture poised and her expression calm, but there was no denying the tension in the air. She could feel Elenwen's piercing gaze on her and she didn't even have to look at Rulindil to know he was watching too-studying her every movement.

King Torygg ever the composed diplomat, offered pleasantries to their guest. "Ambassador Elenwen, Third Emissary Rulindil, I trust your journey to Solitude was without trouble?"

"Of course, Your Majesty." Elenwen replied. "The roads were clear and the skies fair."

Rulindil leaned back in his chair. "Indeed. The journey was pleasant. The bustle of Solitude is a welcome change from the cold of the Embassy."

The attendant moved swiftly and efficiently, placing bowls of warm vegetable soup in front of each guest. As he sat the final bowl in front of Aurelia she nodded her thanks with a quiet polite smile. For a moment the conversation lulled as they began to enjoy the first course.

"I must say," Rulindil began, "it was quite the surprise to hear of the engagement. A most… intriguing match." His eyes flicked from Ondolemar to Aurelia.

"I imagine it would be, given the suddenness of it." Aurelia said, her voice steady.

Ondolemar, inclined his head. "The Dominion values strong alliances, as I'm sure you understand, Third Emissary."

Rulindil smiled, though it did not reach his eyes. "Of course, of course. And yet, I cannot help but wonder—what an unusual pairing it must be, between a princess of Skyrim and a Thalmor Justiciar. Tell me, how have the people of Solitude received the news?"

Rulindil's smirk had only just begun to settle when the attendant—a rather unassuming mer—stepped forward to refill his goblet.

A moment later, the deep red of the wine splashed across Rulindil's robes.

The room went silent.

"Oh, dear me!" The attendant gasped dramatically, holding the now half-empty bottle. "How terribly clumsy of me! These hands, they simply do as they please!" He exclaimed. "I do hope your illustrious robes are not ruined, Third Emissary. Such a shame, such a mess!"

Aurelia blinked. Something about the way the attendant spoke and the exaggerated concern in his wide, golden eyes—felt familiar to Aurelia.

Rulindil, lips pressed into a thin line, slowly exhaled through his nose. "That," he said coldly, "was unfortunate."

Ondolemar remained silent, but Aurelia could feel the amusement radiating from him as he slowly slipped his wine to conceal his smirk.

"My deepest apologies," the attendant continued, though his tone was anything but remorseful. "I shall fetch a cloth immediately, Third Emissary!"

Noticing her goblet of wine had been left untouched, Aurelia reached for it absentmindedly. As she brought it to her lips, she froze. As she sipped the red liquid from her goblet, it was not wine she tasted-but sweet roll frosting.

Sheogorath.

Suddenly the evening felt much more interesting.

Elenwen, ever composed, swirled her wine around as she watched the commotion unfold. While Rulindil was busy trying to blot the stain out of his robes, with barely concealed fury, she remained perfectly calm.

She took a slow sip of her wine, before setting the goblet down with deliberate precision. Then she turned her attention to Aurelia, acting as if nothing had happened at all.

"Princess, you carry yourself with such confidence. It is admirable… and rare." She said smoothly as her gaze assessed the princess. "But I suppose I should not be surprised. You must have learned so much under Ondolemar's guidance."

Aurelia sat her goblet down, folding her hands in her lap as she met Elenwen's gaze. She kept her expression composed, but she understood this was not a compliment-it was reminder. A reminder of what Ondolemar had been placed at her side in the first place.

"He was a diligent instructor," she replied.

Ondolemar inclined his head slightly. "Lady Aurelia was always an exceptional student," he said. "It was a privilege to ensure her education met the highest standards."

Rulindil chuckled softly into his goblet. "Yes… a most thorough education, I'm sure."

A high pitched giggle broke the silence.

Rulindil's eyes snapped to the attendant, who had been standing off on the side, his lips twitching at the corners as if barely holding back laughter.

King Torygg's fingers tightened around his goblet, but his expression remained composed. He then let out a light chuckle as if the interruption were just an amusing quirk of the evening.

"It seems our attendants are enjoying themselves tonight," he said, casting a brief glance towards the attendant. "A lively dinner is always preferable to a dull one, wouldn't you agree?"

The dinner continued without interruption, discussions of politics and state affairs resumed. Ondolemar and Aurelia carefully treaded the occasional jabs and pointed remarks from both Rulindil and Elenwen. Through it all the attendant moved silently around the table, refilling goblets and replacing empty plates with an exaggerated flair. Every so often a stifled laugh or a hum escaped him between exchanges.

When the last of the dishes had been cleared, the attendant reappeared, carrying a dish of freshly baked sweet rolls. With an exaggerated flourish, he lifted the dish of sweet rolls and took a step forward. "A delightful treat to end a most… engaging evening." He announced. "Freshly baked with the utmost care. Would any of our esteemed guest care for a sweet roll?"

He turned to Elenwen first. "Ambassador?"

"No, thank you." She responded with a slight, polite smile. Though the faintest trace of annoyance was edged in her voice.

"Tsk, tsk. No taste for the sweet side of life." He shook his head solemnly briefly, before immediately elating with cheer once more. "And you, Third Emissary? Surely a man of your stature enjoys a good pastry?"

Rulindil stiffened and narrowed his eyes at the attendant. "I'll pass."

The attendant hummed, as if he was unsurprised. "What about you, dear princess? Will you indulge?"

Aurelia met his gaze, her expression remain neutral-too neutral as she plucked a sweet roll from the dish and took a bite. "Delicious." She said smoothly.

The attendant's grin widened. "A woman of good taste."

"And you, Commander Ondolemar? Surely after years in Skyrim you've developed an appreciation for its delicacies."

Ondolemar had started to decline, but hesitated. Aurelia had said yes. And she had said so, so calmly and assuredly. To refuse now… it would feel like drawing a line between them.

His jaw tightened slightly, but before he could overthink he reached forward grabbing a sweet roll. "Very well," he said.

The attendant clapped his hands gleefully. "Ah, a man of culture after all."

Ondolemar, remained impassive as ever as he carefully took a bite of the sweet roll. "Adequate." He said dryly, as if it had simply been just another pragmatic decision.

Aurelia hid her amusement behind another bite of her sweet roll.

Ondolemar had intended to only take one bite for the sake of social graces. But as he chewed the sweetness of the frosting, the hint of cinnamon settles on his tongue and without much thought, he took another bite.

The conversations at the table continued, yet Aurelia caught the way Ondolemar's fingers tore another small piece from the sweet roll. She found herself amused-impressed even that this wasn't a calculated move on his part. It was almost as if he was just…. eating it.

By the time the discussions had begin to die down and the dinner nearing its end, Ondolemar's plate… was empty.

From the corner of his eye, he caught the attendant watching him-grinning widely as if he had just won some sort of unspoken wager.

Later that night, Aurelia sat at her vanity in her chambers. Brushing her hair in quiet contemplation. The events of the evening lingering in her mind. She replayed Elenwen's scrutiny and Rulindils veiled threats in her mind. The dinner could have left on edge, but Sheogorath's mischief had woven a sense of levity into the evening. Instead of dwelling on politics and pretense, she found herself giggling at the thought of the grinning attendant spilling wine on Rulindil's lap, the taste of sweet roll frosting in her goblet, and of course Ondolemar actually eating an entire sweet roll.

Halbjorn lay stretched out beside her, his massive form rising and falling with each breath. His ears twitching ever so often as he dozed. Aurelia reached out, running her fingers through his thick fur. His familiar presence, a reminder that not everything in her life was dictated by duty and expectations.

The sound of her chamber door opening and closing quietly behind her interrupted her thoughts. She turned to see Ondolemar standing at her door. He looked composed as ever, but something in his eyes seemed… hesitant. For a brief moment they simply regarded each other in silence

Then, Aurelia tilted her head, amusement flickered across her face.

"How was your sweet roll?"