Chapter 55 -- The Widow
*****
With a full day in Solitude to occupy my time with, the first thing I did was shop for some new clothing. I eventually ended up in Radiant Raiment. The woman behind the counter was rather stuck-up, but once I put down the bag of coin I was willing to spend, her attitude changed quickly and she was ever so helpful. I walked out with a new coat, shirt, trousers and even some rather expensive leather boots. I put all those in my room back at the inn before going for a wander around Solitude.
I ended up in the Bards College, for the only reason that I heard someone singing from inside. The man in charge asked if I was interested in applying, which made me laugh, as I can't sing and certainly can't play an instrument. However, when he learned who I was, he was almost insistent I join as he believe I might be able to help him with a problem. "Look, although I'd like to help, I am currently in the employment of the palace," I said. A little white lie, but I knew Elisif was probably going to ask another favour in the end.
"Ah, I understand, Dragonborn. But if you could consider helping us at a later date, it would be appreciated."
"I'll do what I can, but right now, I will probably be busy with other work."
I still had a couple of hours to fill before I was required to attend the palace once again so I spent it lying back in my room at the inn. There was a bookshelf that I took a good look at, eventually selecting one to read, nursing a tankard of ale at the same time. When I noticed the light starting to fade outside, I had another quick wash before slipping into my new clothes, definitely liking the feel of the new boots I'd purchased.
Heading up to the palace once the sun started to set, I was greeted by Firebeard, her head steward, who simply instructed me to head to her private chambers, where she would meet me. Walking into the dining room, she was already sitting, waiting for me. The smile that lit up her face at my appearance even caught me by surprise, walking towards me, stopping barely a couple of paces away. I stepped forward and kissed her cheek again. "Nice to see you again so soon," I said quietly.
"Thank you for coming, Ragnar." She glanced back at the table. "I was thinking a simple dinner tonight. You're not interested in formalities, are you?"
"Not at all. The pleasant company is enough."
She met my eyes and smiled rather shyly before gesturing to the table. I made sure she was sat first before taking my own seat, stewards walking with a few plates, a couple of bottles of wines, before they headed out, shutting the doors, giving us complete privacy.
We made small-talk as we ate but I had a feeling we were not particularly interested in food as we eventually made our way over to the lounge, opening a bottle of brandy, and this time she made the move to immediately shuffled over, resting against me. I transferred my cup to my left hand and wrapped my arm around her. "This is already too comfortable," she said quietly.
I figured there was no point beating around the bush. "You were talking about me last night, weren't you?"
"I still remember the first time we met, you walking into the room. The last time I felt anything like that was with my husband. You just had this presence, Ragnar. And I was left thinking... I don't know... you might have liked something about me."
"I think you're incredibly sweet to start off with, and you've dealt with everything thrown at you with courage. And when you told me last night about how lonely you felt, my heart went out to you."
"I can't talk about anything like that to people in the palace. Any sign of weakness would be leapt upon. It's difficult to trust anyone."
"Yet you trust me?"
"You're not part of the palace, Ragnar. You're a stranger to the intrigues that take place. But I know you're a good man."
"I try to be nowadays though I'm sure some still look down in regards to certain aspects of my life."
"That's the only difficulty I have when it comes to you, Ragnar. But you were honest with me straight away, which I did appreciate. So many would have lied or outright denied it."
"Who knows I'm here tonight?"
"Only Firebeard should be aware. He's one of the few I trust within these walls. The guards may have noticed your arrival but they're wise enough not to say anything."
"One would almost think I've been snuck in here."
I looked at her as she looked back at me. "It's been... too long since I was with a man, Ragnar," she whispered, "Just your arm around me now is sending all these good feelings through my body."
Placing the cup down on the table next to the lounge, I turned towards her and she responded immediately to my kiss. Straight away, I knew she was a good kisser. And I knew she was as interested in me as I was with her. She broke the kiss only for a moment to place her own cup down before she leaned back towards me, her mouth hungry for mine. It barely took a couple of minutes before I had her laying back on the lounge, and I had a feeling she was eager for other things to happen.
"Ragnar, would you like to stay the night with me? I know it's quick..."
"I'd be delighted, Eli. Trust me, the attraction is returned."
"Should we move to my bedroom then?"
"I'll carry you."
Lifting her up was easy, hearing her laugh out loud, and that was just an arrow to the heart. Such a natural sound, and I wondered how often she did laugh. Carrying her was easy, managing to open the door then kicking it shut behind me before I placed her down, sitting on the bed. We resumed kissing as her hands were fast to taking off my clothes. First my coat and shirts, her hands immediately running over my upper body. She definitely liked my arms, her fingers tracing faint scars across my chest and back.
"Warrior," she breathed.
"I've spent most of my life fighting, one way or another."
Standing her up, we resumed kissing as I definitely enjoyed undressing her. Hadn't had the chance to undress someone in such a lofty position as a Jarl before. I drank in her pale, smooth skin, perfect in nearly every way. Once I had her down to her underwear, she started to blush again, but I think it might have been the way I was looking at her. Then her hands eagerly undid and lowered my trousers, and she ran a hand over the tent in my underwear. "Oh my..." she breathed, "May I, Ragnar?"
"Of course."
She lowered my underwear and made another sound of appreciation, standing up and gently grasping it as I leaned down to kiss her, growling into her mouth when she gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's been... it's been so long since I've done anything with a man, Ragnar. Years..."
"Time we rectify that, Eli. Want to know what I'm going to do next?" She nodded eagerly. "I'm going to take off your bra and panties first because I want to see you naked. Then I'm going to lie you back on the bed and just caress your entire body. Then I'm going to use my mouth on certain parts I know will love... then I'm going to spend time between your legs."
