Balgruuf the Great chapter 32 preview (Patreon)

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Cecilia

She collapsed on the bed.

What a night, the Imperial noblewoman thought to herself as she buried her face into her pillow. The pillow was incredibly soft and she felt her world being consumed by the thing into a land of comfort and relaxation. Personally, she preferred beds that met both softness and hardness. Perfectly balanced.

As all things should be.

She turned on her side, her brown hair messily spread below her as she glanced up at the ceiling. As they were not wed yet, she and Balgruuf still had their separate rooms. Hers was a spacious apartment, its furniture and interior was not so ostentatious that it could be described as tasteless. Taking a breath, she allowed her mind to wander as she thought of her day. It was tiring yet she knew her life here was yet to start. She had no idea what her future people thought of her but she could guess that they were receptive to her. As far as her mind told her, they had approved of her visibly opening herself to Nordic traditions and the more she would adapt, the more the Nords liked her.

Then again, it was to be expected. The Nords as a people...they were suspicious of newcomers, being locked by mountains never allowed for much interaction with other races. Unlike the Cosmopolitan Cyrodiil, the Nords became homogenous, forming a proud culture. But by living among them and learning their ways one could earn their respect and with respect, their acceptance. The Nords prized their customs and their traditions and to see immigrants and visitors adapting would be met well.

Cecilia didn't particularly mind living with the Nords. Her family were soldiers and warriors. Mother herself didn't raise a soft girl. All she needed was to show that side of h-

Her eyes turned to a particularly dark corner. Immediately, she sat up and her left hand reached for her boot where she kept a stilleto hidden. She cursed herself for putting her sabre to far away from her.

"'Who is there?" Cecilia said aloud, in challenge. ''Show yourself!''

For a moment, she thought that her eyes had failed her and that there was nothing. That would have been profoundly embarrassing but the air seemingly shimmering and a pair of glowing red orbs appearing all but told her that her eyes hadn't failed. That didn't mean she was comfortable with the idea of someone going insider her room though. The floorboards creaked as a dunmer in dark armor stepped out of the corner. Red hair seemed to poke out from beneath her hood. Immediately, she got onto one knee, her gaze directed to the floor.

"A thousand apologies, my lady,'' the dunmer apologized. ''I did not mean to cause any alarm. My name is Irileth, Lord Balgruuf's housecarl.''

"I remember you. You were at the meet up earlier,'' Cecilia said, remembering Irileth was seated by Balgruuf's side when they had first met. With that, Cecilia allowed her guard to lower slightly as she swept her legs to sit on her bed. She did lean back slightly, resting her arms on the bed to support her. ''And for what reason did you come into my room?''

The dunmer did not take her eyes off the floor. ''Nothing malicious, my lady. I routinely test the guards on their alertness. For tonight, I was to the guards to your room. Seeing as I am here, they lapsed in their duties. I swear to you, they shall be dutifully chastised.''

Well, she could certainly appreciate Irileth's zeal. ''Irileth, was it?''

"'That is I, my lady.'' confirmed the Dunmer. Cecilia pursed her lips. ''You may lift your face and stand. I wish to speak to you.''

The dunmer seemed to still herself for a moment before she finally lifted her gaze and stood. Cecilia blinked. Irileth was remarkably pretty, even compared to most Dark Elves she saw. The red hair of hers certainly added to Irileth's appeal. All of this, Cecilia said from appreciating beauty of course. Anymore would be inappropriate.

''How long have you been Balgruuf's housecarl?" Cecilia asked, curiosity in her voice. In terms of support base, Cecilia basically had none save for her future husband's staff and soldiers. She would have to get to know them as well, Irileth being no exception. She had her cousin around, yes. But he was here to represent their family and make sure she was settled. Then, he was back off to Cyrodiil. It was thought that prompted Cecilia to offer Irileth a soft smile.

"'Ever since the war started, my lady.'' Irileth answered after a moment to think. ''I was a...prisoner in a High Elf dungeon when Lord Balgruuf rescued me. For that debt, I offered to serve under him. He made me join the Legion and we fought together until the war ended. I had considered leaving him as my service was over and he considered my debt paid. But..."'

''But?"' Cecilia asked. Irileth smiled underneath her hood.

"Lord Balgruuf offered me a place at his side. Between juggling different jobs or having a constant stream of revenue from serving a lord, I chose Balgruuf.'' Irileth said honestly, a visible shine to her eyes. Her voice seemed to take a life of its own. Respect, affection....loyalty.

Cecilia nodded, taking it all in. It would seem she wouldn't have to worry for her husband as he had at his side a utterly loyal protector. There was something Cecilia noticed however that felt off about Irileth. That being Irileth spoke about Balgruuf in a light that seemed way more than what a normal retainer would talk about their lord. She would need a bit more to confirm that suspicion however.

""So tell me, Irileth. What can you tell me about your lord? My husband to be?" Cecilia quizzed her. irileth seemed to twitch. ''I'm willing to tell you, my lady. But there are secrets of my lord that I cannot divulge.''

"Not even to his own bride and wife to be?'' Cecilia asked with a raised eyebrow. Irileth paused. Cecilia leaned forward, her expression questioning. ''I am to be his wife. My secrets shall become his and his, mine. If your lord and I cannot trust each other, then our marriage will be a difficult one.''

"And you will not betray him?" Irileth challenged. "You will not tell a single soul of what he tells you? What I tell you?"

Cecilia chuckled, shaking her head. "The very moment that I offered my hand, your Lord will never have to fear betrayal from me.'' Of course, she wouldn't really try and screw over her own husband. As far she saw, Balgruuf was kind, good, and light-hearted. She would grow to love him in public if he kept up that facade. She had no clue what he was like in private though. As long as he respected her and made sure their future children would get their due, and she would be free to pursue her hobbies, he wouldn't ever have to fear her.

"So come now, take a seat and let's talk, woman to woman. Some gossip between us would never hurt, yes?'' Cecilia offered. patting the bed next to her. Irileth seemed to look conflicted. ''So...what is he like in private?" Cecilia chose her first question, the most important one for her.

Silently, Irileth made her way to sit on the offered place. Her rear seemed to sink into the soft bed. Cecilia giggled slightly. Irileth flushed in embarrassment, gauntleted fingers gripping her knees. "No need to stand at attention, Irileth. I speak to you now not as your lady but as a friend and a fellow woman. Please, call me Cecilia."

The dunmer took in a breath. ''As you wish....Cecilia."'

Cecilia grinned. ''So.....Balgruuf?"

At that, Irileth seemed to recover. ''Balgruuf in private is just like himself in public. He only stands for ceremony when he has to and wears his heart on his sleeve. He is honest, gentle, kind...though his sense of humour needs to be improved.'' Irileth ended with a sort of lament.

"'Oh?" Cecilia asked with a raised eyebrow. ''He's not some sort of humorless man, is he?''

Irileth shook her head vigorously. "No, his humour is just...just....''

"Just what?"

"Childish!" Irileth lamented. ''He makes jokes that make you feel sick, like you saw someone embarrass themselves and can't do anything but remove yourself from him. He makes jokes that are utterly terrible and just...just..."

Cecilia seemed to understand what the dunmer was talking about. It was the type of thing that her father would use to punish her and her siblings. Making them stand at attention while he would utter such jokes. She would lay a hand on her shoulder in solidarity while her mind wandered. Perhaps Balgruuf would make an excellent father after all.

''Now, tell me, what are the traits that Balgruuf respects?'' she asked Irileth. The Dunmer took in a breath, to recover from her earlier tirade. She pursed her lips, to think of her answer. "'Traits.....My lord...he....he values sincerity in friends. He doesn't tolerate lickspittles and brown-nosers. He chooses his friends carefully, and cautiously. Being dutiful and competent in your tasks earns his respect. And once his respect is earned, he will do his best to take care of you."

So, just as what his parents had told her.

Well, if that's what was needed, that was what she would give.

Though....she had one final question to ask of Irileth before she would let her go.

"There has been one last question I would to ask you before I return you to your duties. You are are a busy housecarl after all."

Irileth blinked, not knowing what she was going to ask but ready to ask it anyway. Putting on a neutral expression Cecilia asked her softly.

"'Tell me, and speak honestly. Were you and him lovers?"

Cecilia almost giggled, watching the look on Irileth's face. For a brief moment, her eyes widened and her mouth went agape like a fish. "W-what would give m-my lady that impression?'' Irileth stammered out, coughing into a closed fist. ''Balgruuf is my Lord, and I am his Housecarl. No more, no less.''

Cecilia chuckled. ''My dear Irileth, I'm not some blushing and shy maiden. I know it when a woman has fallen for someone, or has fallen for someone. Come now and be honest. You and him were lovers, yes?"

With quivering lips, Irileth nodded slowly. At this, Cecilia was at a dilemma. She wasn't particularly emotionally invested in Balgruuf, a stranger she had just met for the first time. But as the days and seasons go, that was bound to change. She could fall for him, she could not. Before she could decide, she would have to know more before making her decision.

''How long?" Cecilia asked Irleth gently.

"Only briefly," Irileth said softly, a particular spark in her eyes. it seemed she was recalling something, judging from the smile on her face. ''But it was the happiest I had ever been, to call him mine and he the same with me. But...."

''But?'' Cecilia raised an eyebrow. Her heart fell slightly, looking at the pained expression on Irileth.

"He ended it, as soon as he had decided to pick you to be his wife.'' Her voice was hurt. Cecilia could feel heat, jealousy, which was rather obvious. Irileth took in a breath, to calm herself, before speaking some more. ''But...we knew what we had was temporary. Our desires...our wants...it was little compared to our duty for Whiterun.''

They sacrificed their relationship to not cause issues with my arrival', surmised Cecilia. Oh dear, her night had just gotten a tad bit more dramatic. She leaned backwards once more, a single finger tapping on the soft sheets. Each tap sounded like a Judge's gavel to Irileth, causing her to shrink in her armor as Cecilia glanced at her with a unreadable expression.

"'I appreciate your honesty, Irileth. To be honest with you, I hold no particular emotional attachment to Balgruuf, seeing as I just met him now. I am in no way upset, so rest easy if you feel I am." said Cecilia. Irileth nodded, calming as she took in a breath.

"'However, I am to be his wife and while we are strangers as of the moment, I do intend to make my life here pleasant. I wish for Balgruuf and I to have a good relationship. I do not know if I can grow to love him, but I have heard and seen nothing but good so perhaps I may. I...I imagine this must be awkward for you."

Irileth shrugged her shoulders. ''I have already made my peace with it and so has Balgruuf. My devotion to duty, to Whiterun, to my lord, remains unchanged.''

Cecilia smiled at her. ''Balgruuf is very lucky, to have such a loyal retainer in you.''

''And can I expect the same loyalty from you, to him?'' Irileth asked.

''Yes,'' Cecilia answered frankly, and honestly. It was true she wasn't planning on doing such scandalous things behind his back. She wasn't particularly interested in such things to begin with. Well, there was the occasional exploration of her body and she wasn't a maiden...but hunting, hawking, and swordplay?

Those were things to pursue vigorously.

Irileth seemed to glance at her, scrutinizing her every being. She seemed to be satisfied with something, as she then stood. "May I return to my duties, my lady?''

Cecilia nodded, bidding her to leave. Irileth saluted her, a closed fist to her chest before she walked off into the darkness. As she left however, Cecilia's eyes were drawn to her legs, held under black leathers. Cecilia hummed appreciatively before glancing to her own.

Irileth's was nice, she thought. But hers was definitively better.

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The morning found Cecilia enjoying breakfast with Balgruuf on the Great Porch of Dragonsreach, a balcony on the rear of the Keep. Supposedly, this was the place where the Kings of Whiterun would trap and imprison dragons. It was certainly a sight to see, the massive chains and pulleys on the roof. It was wide enough to house and trap a dragon though she did wonder why such a place would be made of wood. One would think that a fire-breathing dragon would require stone or another material to trap it.

"You seem to have a question on your mind,"' Balgruuf spoke up, a piece of toast in his hand. ''What is it?"

"The Porch....it was used to trap dragons, yes?"'

Balgruuf nodded, biting into his bread. He would chew briefly before speaking. ''That it was. The Porch was the place where my ancestors trapped dragons, most famously Numinex. His skull hangs in the throneroom, as you had seen yesterday.''

"'I understand its purpose, what I don't understand is its design,'' Cecilia pointed out with her breadknife. ''If the Porch was made to trap dragons then why make it of wood? Surely, that would be a hazard considering that it can easily be burnt by its charges, massive winged lizards that breath fire, yes?''

Balgruuf leaned on the table, humming. ''That is...a pretty good observation. What I know of Dragonsreach, I only know from stories and accounts. Perhaps the wood is enchanted to make it stronger?"

"'For a people supposedly suspicious of magic, Nords certainly don't shy away from its use,'' Cecilia remarked in surprise. 

Balgruuf chuckled, leaning back on his chair and glancing at the chains of Dragonsreach. ''It's not that we distrust magic by itself. We Nords agree that magic has its uses, such as in Restoration or in other little things that can make life convenient. What we don't respect is using magic to do everything for you; to summon Daedra to fight your battles or using magic to do dishonourable and blasphemous things, such as necromancy.'' 

Ah, necromancy. Personally, she'd rather see the practice outlawed. Disturbing the resting dead....it just felt wrong on her skin. Hopefully, there wouldn't be a necromantic plague or have armies of restless undead that would infest Skyrim in the far future. That would be...displeasing.

"Your housecarl visited me last night, to let you know," Cecilia said, leaning forward to fetch a fresh bun from the bowl of bread on their table. The fare was plentiful but simple. Sausages, freshly baked loaves of bread, butter and cream, as well as cheeses and yogurts and fruits. Balgruuf raised a bushy eyebrow, munching on his fare.

''She didn't try to stab you, did she?'' Balgruuf asked. Cecilia resisted the urge to snort. Instead, she shook her head.

''No, she was quite pleasant. Patrolling the hallways and testing security, such as it is. You are lucky to have such a loyal retainer, Balgruuf,'' Cecilia remarked. He smiled.

"I do my best. With my charming looks, handsome features and winning personality, who would not be loyal to me?" Balgruuf added jokingly. Cecilia allowed herself to laugh a little. Perhaps she would grow to like him after all. She settled a bit, taking the moment to munch on her fare before looking back to Balgruuf.

''You are not what I had expected, my lord." Cecilia admitted. 

"Oh? What did you expect, then?'' Balgruuf asked, interested. "'A stuffy warrior perhaps?''

''Oh yes.'' Cecilia nodded. 'My cousin, he has many Nords in his service. They take their service seriously, too seriously.'' 

"Well, I can certainly do that for you, Cecilia,'' Balgruuf offered. ''The reason why I had not done so was because I didn't want either of us to be a subordinate or master to each other. I would like us to be cordial, to be friends even. Today, we are strangers but since we're going to be wed, I would like us to get along. And I daresay even fall in love with each other.''

Cecilia blinked, processing what he last had said. She took a minute to scan him and found him absolutely serious in what he had said. The Imperial smiled slightly, putting her half-eaten loaf back on the plate. ''And do you honestly think that, that we could fall for each other?" She asked him, leaning onto the table.

Balgruuf laughed. ''Oh, most definitely. I warn you, I'm an irresistible sort of man. You will find it hard to not think of me, my lady.''

''Confident, aren't you?'' Cecilia asked, leaning back onto her chair, arms crossed and smirking. ''I'm no lovestruck maiden with stars in her eyes. You will have to be very creative, my lord."

''I'm not looking for a lovestruck maiden, Cecilia.'' Balgruuf said softly, and earnestly.  He would lean in, reaching for her hand. She would let him touch her. He was warm, Cecilia found. Incredibly so. He would smile at her, expression as gentle as a calming breeze ''it doesn't matter to me if you were a maiden or not. You are all I need you to be, my wife.''

With that, he released her hand and went back to eating, as if nothing had happened. Despite herself, Cecilia found her cheeks warming. She would clear her throat, eager to move things along. ''So, what hobbies interest you, Balgruuf?"

Balgruuf hummed. "Asides from enjoying breakfast with attractive women," That earned a snort from Cecilia. "I ride, I hunt, and I cook. I too enjoy exercise to mold my body.''

With a quick glance, Cecilia could see the results of his dedication to his hobby. Beneath his robes, she could make out a finely sculpted chest and his muscles were noticeable on his arms. ''I had no idea that one of your hobbies included oogling physically fit men, Cecilia.''

The Imperial flushed, refusing to fall for his trap. ''Consider it a newfound hobby. I only discovered that thanks to you."

That earned a laugh from Balgruuf. Such was his laugh that he briefly took a moment to drink from his cup before smirking at him. The redness on his cheeks felt like victory to Cecilia. ''Oh, you're full of surprises. I think we're going to have a wonderful future together, Lady Cecilia."

"I certainly intend to have one with you, Lord Balgruuf," answered Cecilia. And she certainly did. She wasn't going to fail in her duty as a Tullius.

"Then let's make it happen," nodded Balgruuf. munching on his bread. ''After this, I shall be going out to the plains and hunt for some game. Care to join me?''

Cecilia smiled.

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A/N; Still to be completed

EDIT: And now, this chapter is complete. What follows next shall be some exciting developments for the story. As in, Balgruuf throws his hat into the high king ring exciting.