Rona's Story: An Epic Skyrim Romance

Chapter 79 Journey through Jerall

She'd begged and pleaded to the gods to take the curse from her for so long. But not like this. She definitely wasn't the Dragonborn without her voice, but she wasn't herself either. How could she ever sing again? Being able to sing was one of the greatest joys in her life and now it was gone.

She couldn't even use her magic anymore. Some could summon it through sheer willpower, but she'd always needed the incantations and the words to bring it forth. Rona relied so much on her voice, she never realized how much until it was gone.

She couldn't even tell Bishop how sorry she was or tell him how much she loved him anymore. He'd left, looking like he just couldn't take it anymore. She worried for him, she wanted to go to him, but knew better. She had to stay put, she'd promised herself, she'd swore she wouldn't move for once in her life.

Even when her father came in, seeing her awake and when he broke down, bursting into tears and started pacing swiftly back and forth while rambling and yelling she wouldn't leave. She'd never seen him so upset in her life.

"Why Rona? Why did you do it!? Why must you keep doing this!? I cannot cope with this anymore. I always hold my tongue. Always. But It's too much. I thought I'd die of grief - seeing you like that. Do you understand now!? What your actions are doing!? Do you see!? Do you care!? I've already lost the most important woman in my life once before but to nearly lose you," his words and his tears were swift and sharp. She cried too, watching him like that. She took the tongue lashing, she deserved it. Every word. He was right.

He went on and on, with Aela and Illia right there too, both of them looking stunned, unable to bring themselves to try and stop him. He was so angry, hurt and upset.

"I love you Rona, more than you can ever understand! You will never know until you have a child how painful it is to see them hurt like that - and I pray to the gods that you never experience what I experienced last night! It is agonizing! Do you understand!? That man took you! We tried so damned hard to protect you! I did everything to prevent it! And you just ran off alone like none of it mattered!" He roared, fists clenched, body trembling. And then he paused looking over her face and shook his head, choking out, "Do you have nothing to say for yourself!?"

She swallowed hard and averted her gaze. She opened her mouth, she tried to speak, I'm sorry, Ata. But the words would not come.

Illia stood up and said softly, "Serlas."

He glared at the woman daring her to challenge him. She put a gentle hand out and said, "Rona's lost her voice."

His face crumbled completely and he looked back down at her. She couldn't bear to look at him though as her tears came swift and steady. She wanted to crawl inside herself, but settled for crawling under the covers instead. She quietly lay her face into a pillow and shut her eyes, willing it all to go away.

She heard her father utter a single word, "I..." and then he left, sweeping out of the room.

Aela looked over sadly at Rona, tears sparkling in her own eyes and she tried to comfort her, "Hey. It's going to be okay. Just give it a day, I'm sure your voice will come back in no time."

Rona sniffled and closed her eyes. Go away. Leave me alone.

They did leave her alone then and she forced herself to sleep. It wasn't hard either. She felt exhausted and sadder than she'd ever felt in her life.

~~~

Two days went by and Rona just laid in bed, hardly eating or interacting with anyone. Bishop made the effort to coax her to eat something, but she'd just take two bites and push it away before laying back down, turning her back to him and ignoring him.