Beautiful Insanity (A Skyrim/Oblivion Fanfiction) ((ORIGINAL))

Russet

RUSSETPOV

My hands twirled the spiced wine around in its bottle. I wasn't drunk, I was far from it-- apparently having Dragonblood stops the intoxicating effects. My beloved husband, on the other hand, was never so lucky. He spent many days at the tavern, drinking away his sorrow. I never reprimanded my dear Brynjolf. How could I? We both felt the sorrow at losing Regina. Today, he was sober.

"Love?" I placed a hand on his arm. "We've done all we can. I'm sure Regina's safe."

"Can you be?" He looked up from his hands, blurry-eyed. "Damn it all, why do I have such luck with the people I love?"

"Regina was-- is-- a free spirit," I told him firmly. "She's found a way to live, I know it." I stopped talking as a clang upstairs alerted me.

"A thief?" Bryn wondered, his hand going to a sword on the wall. "What's... the Guild would never break in." His allegiance to the Thieves' Guild had never faltered.

"But a freelance thief might," I told him. I followed my husband up the stairs, admiring his stance. Two years of drink hadn't decreased his fighting skills, he came home every night and destroyed the practice dummies with the strength of self-anger.

"It came from Regina's room," he whispered, stopping outside our little girl's room. He threw open the door-- and dropped the sword.

"Regina?" he croaked, blinking. My heart thudded rapidly, and I rushed past my husband to my precious daughter.

"Oh, by the Divines..." I cried, embracing my daughter. I held her tightl, as though she was a dream that would vanish any second. Brynjolf shook himself out of his own stupor and pounded over, joining me in welcoming our daughter home.

"Regina's back?" I looked over to see Karliah. Her eyes watered, and quicker than thought, she hugged her little sister. I could see the shock in my daughter's eyes as her older sister expressed all the love and affection that had been lost. "By the gods, Regina, where have you been?!" Regina chuckled nervously.

"Well... it's kind of a long story."

"I'll be damned if I don't hear it." Brynjolf spoke up, finally finding his voice. "What happened?"

"Can I sit down? It's been a long journey... y'know, saving two worlds and killing two Daedric Princes..." She appeared very satisfied with our responses.

"WHAT?!"