BeckifySep 14, 2015Sep 14, 2015 at 02:42 PM
#1
Styletta sat in her cozy little housepod, holding her chubby fox, Basil. Fedris had just dropped him off with her after getting him back from her mother, Dairelyn. She was so happy to see her pet that she barely noticed there was a guard stationed at her door when Fedris left again to do his rounds.
The older red-headed bosmer waited until the dunmer was gone and made her way to the open door. The guard stopped her immediately. Styletta looked up, confused at first, and then remembered Fedris mentioning a guard would be there while he was gone.
"It's alright, g-guardsman..." she shot a glare at Dairlyn. "She's not staying long."
The guard, however, was not convinced and shook his head. "I'm under orders, mam, to not allow this mer into your home."
"Then I w-will stand outside the door. I don't want to g-get you into trouble but I must speak to my m-mother."
Styletta scratched Basil behind the ear and pet his head before picking the very heavy fox up and placing him on his pet bed. She stepped outside and shut the door behind her. She stood firmly in front of the door, as if she were guarding it.
"I'm giving you a c-chance to explain yourself, mother. No more lies. Fedris s-said that ring of my father's has a Dunmeri crest on it and that he met my father years ago in a tavern...that he's a d-dunmer noble! Is this true?"
"How could you give him that ring? He's not good enough to clean your boots, Styletta and you gave him something so precious-"
"Tell me the truth!" Styletta screamed at her, fists balled up at her sides and face red. "I will w-walk into that house, lock the door, and never see you again if you d-do not start answering my questions. You owe me that m-much."
The guard started to look a little uncomfortable and decided to give the two woman just a bit of space. He took a few steps to the side and stood at attention, occasionally glancing their way.
Dairelyn was so surprised by her outburst that she took a step back. She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again. Finally, she seemed to relax more. Something about her changed, she seemed a little less guarded. "Fine...you little fool, I'll tell you. After I had Fin, your father...I mean, Linor, my husband...and I decided to stop having children. He started traveling more and I stayed home to take care of Fin. Linor would sometimes be gone for months. I had heard rumors that he was seeing barwenches on his travels. It didn't bother me, we were never in love, but I did get a bit jealous that he could find companionship while I couldn't. Until one day at the market. A handsome young dunmer was visiting with his sister. She went into labor and I helped deliver the baby. It was premature but miraculously survived. I let her stay in our home while she recovered, until her and the baby were strong enough to travel again. Her brother, Ethyna, visited often."
"Ethyna Selndil? Fedris s-said that was his name."
Dairelyn nodded. "For once, the dunmer is correct. He was a nobleman. He was...kind, handsome and charming. He always brought me flowers when he visited. I couldn't figure out why such a good looking young man would be so nice to a woman old enough to be his mother. Actually, I have two children that are older than him." the old woman laughed before continuing. "One night while his sister was taking a walk with her new child, he took me out on a date. It was wonderful. Linor had never really courted me before. We were just set up together by friends and decided to marry since we got along and had similar interests. I thought love would come later. I never expected it to be with someone else. I fell madly in love with Ethyna. But...he didn't feel the same way. He said that he was married and had a child on the way. He couldn't leave them. I understood. I couldn't blame him for staying with his family. I actually thought it was very noble of him."
Dairelyn sighed and then turned away, crossing her arms. "Then I found out that I was pregnant with you. I wrote to him, asked him to meet me somewhere the next time he was in town. He never showed. I knew he was in town. I saw his ship. I asked around and found him in a tavern, drinking. I confronted him and told him I was having his child and that he needed to take responsibility for his child. He laughed at me. Laughed at me! He said that a bosmer brat was none of his concern. He went back to his men, laughing and bragging. It was disgusting." she spit at the ground. "But...before he left, I took his ring. Right off his finger too. Linor taught me at least one useful thing."
Sty was clearly shocked. She just stood there for a moment before walking closer and trying to comfort her, she put her hand on her shoulder but Dairelyn shook it off. "When Linor returned home and saw that I was pregnant, he left too. He said I could keep the house and lands. He didn't want to raise another man's child. So I was alone. Fin moved out as soon as he was of age to and then it was just you and me. And now you've made the same mistake as I...falling for dunmer scum."
"Mother! They are n-not all alike! I'm sorry you got hurt b-but Fedris loves me. Truly loves me. If you would j-just talk to him, get to know him...you'd see that."
Dairelyn turned back to face her daughter again. "Loves you? The Guard Captain said he cheated on you. With a man. How is that love?"
Styletta felt like Dairelyn had punched her in the gut. Her hands started shaking. "He made a m-mistake and he l-learned from it. I forgave him...we all did. You need to g-give him a chance, mother. I'm not ever leaving him. W-we will marry one day and probably have children. You're going to m-miss all of that if you stay like this. Even F-fin has accepted Fedris."
Dairelyn scowled. "I will not be watch you make a fool of yourself, Styletta. He wandered once, he'll do it again. You mark my words."
Styletta was getting more angry by the second. "Fine! Leave! You are n-not welcome here. I'm d-done with your lies and your horrible treatment to the ones I love. You w-will stay away from me, Fedris, Basil....everyone t-that I care about or I will have you arrested. You've p-pissed off a lot of people here, mother. You may just f-find yourself banished soon."
Styletta took one last look at the hateful, bitter old woman before nodding to the guard and going back inside her home. She locked the door and looked out the window, making sure her mother left.
The older red-headed bosmer waited until the dunmer was gone and made her way to the open door. The guard stopped her immediately. Styletta looked up, confused at first, and then remembered Fedris mentioning a guard would be there while he was gone.
"It's alright, g-guardsman..." she shot a glare at Dairlyn. "She's not staying long."
The guard, however, was not convinced and shook his head. "I'm under orders, mam, to not allow this mer into your home."
"Then I w-will stand outside the door. I don't want to g-get you into trouble but I must speak to my m-mother."
Styletta scratched Basil behind the ear and pet his head before picking the very heavy fox up and placing him on his pet bed. She stepped outside and shut the door behind her. She stood firmly in front of the door, as if she were guarding it.
"I'm giving you a c-chance to explain yourself, mother. No more lies. Fedris s-said that ring of my father's has a Dunmeri crest on it and that he met my father years ago in a tavern...that he's a d-dunmer noble! Is this true?"
"How could you give him that ring? He's not good enough to clean your boots, Styletta and you gave him something so precious-"
"Tell me the truth!" Styletta screamed at her, fists balled up at her sides and face red. "I will w-walk into that house, lock the door, and never see you again if you d-do not start answering my questions. You owe me that m-much."
The guard started to look a little uncomfortable and decided to give the two woman just a bit of space. He took a few steps to the side and stood at attention, occasionally glancing their way.
Dairelyn was so surprised by her outburst that she took a step back. She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again. Finally, she seemed to relax more. Something about her changed, she seemed a little less guarded. "Fine...you little fool, I'll tell you. After I had Fin, your father...I mean, Linor, my husband...and I decided to stop having children. He started traveling more and I stayed home to take care of Fin. Linor would sometimes be gone for months. I had heard rumors that he was seeing barwenches on his travels. It didn't bother me, we were never in love, but I did get a bit jealous that he could find companionship while I couldn't. Until one day at the market. A handsome young dunmer was visiting with his sister. She went into labor and I helped deliver the baby. It was premature but miraculously survived. I let her stay in our home while she recovered, until her and the baby were strong enough to travel again. Her brother, Ethyna, visited often."
"Ethyna Selndil? Fedris s-said that was his name."
Dairelyn nodded. "For once, the dunmer is correct. He was a nobleman. He was...kind, handsome and charming. He always brought me flowers when he visited. I couldn't figure out why such a good looking young man would be so nice to a woman old enough to be his mother. Actually, I have two children that are older than him." the old woman laughed before continuing. "One night while his sister was taking a walk with her new child, he took me out on a date. It was wonderful. Linor had never really courted me before. We were just set up together by friends and decided to marry since we got along and had similar interests. I thought love would come later. I never expected it to be with someone else. I fell madly in love with Ethyna. But...he didn't feel the same way. He said that he was married and had a child on the way. He couldn't leave them. I understood. I couldn't blame him for staying with his family. I actually thought it was very noble of him."
Dairelyn sighed and then turned away, crossing her arms. "Then I found out that I was pregnant with you. I wrote to him, asked him to meet me somewhere the next time he was in town. He never showed. I knew he was in town. I saw his ship. I asked around and found him in a tavern, drinking. I confronted him and told him I was having his child and that he needed to take responsibility for his child. He laughed at me. Laughed at me! He said that a bosmer brat was none of his concern. He went back to his men, laughing and bragging. It was disgusting." she spit at the ground. "But...before he left, I took his ring. Right off his finger too. Linor taught me at least one useful thing."
Sty was clearly shocked. She just stood there for a moment before walking closer and trying to comfort her, she put her hand on her shoulder but Dairelyn shook it off. "When Linor returned home and saw that I was pregnant, he left too. He said I could keep the house and lands. He didn't want to raise another man's child. So I was alone. Fin moved out as soon as he was of age to and then it was just you and me. And now you've made the same mistake as I...falling for dunmer scum."
"Mother! They are n-not all alike! I'm sorry you got hurt b-but Fedris loves me. Truly loves me. If you would j-just talk to him, get to know him...you'd see that."
Dairelyn turned back to face her daughter again. "Loves you? The Guard Captain said he cheated on you. With a man. How is that love?"
Styletta felt like Dairelyn had punched her in the gut. Her hands started shaking. "He made a m-mistake and he l-learned from it. I forgave him...we all did. You need to g-give him a chance, mother. I'm not ever leaving him. W-we will marry one day and probably have children. You're going to m-miss all of that if you stay like this. Even F-fin has accepted Fedris."
Dairelyn scowled. "I will not be watch you make a fool of yourself, Styletta. He wandered once, he'll do it again. You mark my words."
Styletta was getting more angry by the second. "Fine! Leave! You are n-not welcome here. I'm d-done with your lies and your horrible treatment to the ones I love. You w-will stay away from me, Fedris, Basil....everyone t-that I care about or I will have you arrested. You've p-pissed off a lot of people here, mother. You may just f-find yourself banished soon."
Styletta took one last look at the hateful, bitter old woman before nodding to the guard and going back inside her home. She locked the door and looked out the window, making sure her mother left.