Often people are content with appearances, no matter how deceptive
This story was told since the world; it could have taken place almost anywhere, with real characters. By chance, however, the characters and places are from Skyrim.
1.
Gretta, the errant hair-stylist, reached Riften early in the morning. She gave clear orders to her assistant, letting him do all the work, and headed to Haelga's Bunkhouse, as usual. Her unexpected arrival made quite a sensation, immediately being surrounded by a bunch of people eager to find out the news.
The newcomer was an unsurpassed gossiper, for the delight of her listeners, who had the opportunity to find out spicy details about people they had never seen and would normally not be interested in.
"Of course I'm glad to see you," Haelga told her instead of welcome, "but you were scheduled to come after two weeks. What brought you earlier?"
"Let's see if you can guess," the newcomer replied jokingly.
"Jarl Layla called you."
"Nah."
"Then Maeve."
"Nonsense, if they called me I wouldn't get to you. Do you give up?"
Haelga nodded.
"I responded to Mjoll's request. She sent couriers to look for me, she seemed desperate, even paid my emergency fee, I couldn't refuse."
Haelga looked at her in astonishment.
"She only gets her hair done when she receives an official award, or I know too well that there are no events at Mistveil Keep today."
"And yet here I am," Gretta replied with a laugh. "Send your niece to call her. Don't be wary, I will style you too, to make up for the room you made available to me."
Meanwhile, Hans finished carrying the entire portable laboratory. Of course, Gretta scolded him, making him gawky and useless. He bowed his head, remaining in a corner, ready to respond to any order. He knew perfectly that he must not mess with his mistress.
The story-teller began to recount what had happened in Whiterun, making things a little more appealing than in reality.
After a quarter of an hour, came in Mjoll, the shield-maiden; her arrival leaving Ysolde's narration unfinished.
"I wonder why you're styling today because it's just not an event," Haelga snapped.
"You're not knowledgeable enough," Mjoll replied, kinder than usual. "It's a very important one at the temple."
The two women were left speechless.
"Are you getting married?" blubbered Gretta.
Mjoll nodded. She looked especially happy, as she hadn't been in a long time.
"It was time for Aerin to ask you for a wife. While you were gone, the poor man was talking to himself. It's pathetic as he follows you like a puppy wherever you go, I'm surprised he didn't follow you here," said Haelga.
"They wouldn't be allowed to see each other until the bride's wedding," Gretta replied instead of the future bride.
Mjoll kept quiet. The hairstylist asked her to sit down and then started researching her hair and doing all sorts of secret calculations. In the end, Gretta says she found the best solution, and her client will have the greatest hairstyle, which will be talked about for a long time to come. Then the hairstylist starts working.
But her mouth was moving as fast as her hands.
"It's good that you're marrying Aerin. He's a bit of a mess, but he's going to be a good, submissive husband, a real stag."
At one point, Mjoll felt his tenderness jump.
"How do they call me?" She exploded.
"The Lioness," chorused the two women.
"Then why you believe that a lioness mates with puppies, lambs, cuckoos, or stags? I'm not marrying just for the sake of it, I want a real man for a husband, the best seed for my children and a father who could give them the proper education for the hard times we live. "
"Then why do you say you're marrying Aerin?" wondered Haelga.
"I didn't say anything, you assumed that. I just didn't contradict you."
"You should tell us who this mysterious husband is," Gretta said.
Haelga suddenly clapped her hand over her forehead. "Oh, my! Isn't that Knut?"
Mjoll nodded.
"You should tell us more," Gretta asked imperiously. "Anyway, you like to tell stories."
"I'm talking about my deeds, never about intimate things. But you caught me in a good mood today, and I'll tell you a few details ... better than letting you flourish things."
The hairstylist felt harmed by this statement, denying that she was a gossiper.
"The truth is, I asked him to be my husband," the shield-maiden confessed. "Marriage was never a purpose itself for me, but I found the right man. He makes me feel alive. The two of them are at the same age, but Knut is mature, a man I could trust."
"But why the rush, if not somehow ..."
Mjoll cut Haelga's words. "Don't push it, it makes me sick. It doesn't even occur in my head to have children until the end of the civil war. If you're so curious, then find out that tomorrow Knut will be made thane. He suggested we get married before, so I'll be able to participate as his wife and enjoy this dignity with him."
"I see ..." Haelga replied thoughtfully. "Of course, someone like Aerin can't even dream of such honors. Poor boy, he will be destroyed, I thought you loved him ..."
"All you have to do is comfort him," Gretta chided.
Haelga knocked on the wood, saying she didn't need such a man.
"I love Aerin too," Mjoll continued to the amazement of the two.
"Oh, my, I heard right? Did you just say you love them both?" jumped Gretta.
"Yes, I love Knut as a husband, and Aerin as a brother."
"Then you were incestuous," Haelga muttered. As soon as she dropped the statement, she was afraid that Mjoll would slap her.
"My relationship with Aerin ended before it started, I've been with him a few times, but I didn't feel any sparks. Anyway, it's an old story, all happened many months before I met Knut."
"And then you split the same house platonic?"
"It was a business decision, I own half of the house, otherwise Aerin would lose the property. I just wanted it to be a loan, but he insisted that he can't pay me and doesn't want to stay in debt. We have different rooms and in the last month, I was out of town. Don't even dare think that I could be cheating on Knut, he's not the man to play with. "
Finally, Gretta finished her work and Mjoll left satisfied, the hairstylist knew her job.
The two women quit any other activity and followed the shield-maiden. To their surprise, she met Aerin at the Inn.
"Look how fake she is," Haelga hurried to comment. "She meets her ex-boyfriend just before the wedding and does it in front of the world, she's not even hiding it."
But Gretta seemed very satisfied, she will leave here with new exciting topics.
"I was going to leave in the afternoon, but I changed my mind. I'm going to spend the evening here, I want to attend the wedding," she said.
Aerin could not hide the joy of seeing his love again but refrained from hugging her, intimidated by her reserved attitude.
"Look, our table is free," showed Mjoll. "Let's seat, I'll pay."
"Is something changed in you?" responded a pensive Aerin.
"You have a new coiffure," he effused. "You are charming, more as ever."
The woman in front of him did not manage to answer, because she was apostrophized by Maramal, who often came to the Inn to preach against sin.
"You should be ashamed, Mjoll. You spend the last hours before marriage with a man you no longer have to keep close if you have clear thoughts. Nothing is stopping you from choosing him as your husband, but once you've done that, you'd better abstain.
Aerin almost fainted, but Mjoll answered bravely.
"Please, Father, don't judge me wrong, I knew my duty too well. I have to meet Aerin, to clarify the situation. As for sin, if I had an unclean thought, nothing would stop me from carrying it out in the house we share. You see, I chose to talk here in front of the world because I have nothing to hide. "
The priest resumed to shook his head.
"What, what is this marriage story?"
Aerin could barely speak, he looked broken. "Did Knut manage to embellish you?" He continued with more courage.
"Don't rush either, my dear," Mjoll replied, stroking his hand lightly.
Aerin did not answer, but her gesture of tenderness gave him a little confidence.
"You promised me you would never leave me," he said.
"Unless the stakes are higher than if the situation requires it, or you have to be aware that the whole province is at a standstill."
"Of course only Knut will be able to save us," Aerin masked his bitterness with an irony.
"Let's just eat for now," Mjoll replied.
Aerin pleased her, standing on pins and needless
"He won't be able to keep me away from you," he snapped.
'You don't want to upset him," stated Mjoll with a matter of fact voice.
"Our bond is indestructible and you will defend me anyway," he replied immediately.
The shield-maiden nodded, without enthusiasm.
A woman can protect a man if necessary, but she will respect him less, no matter what is said.
"I love you like a brother," continued Mjoll. "Of course we'll see each other whenever we can, but I don't promise it will be often, I have a lot of duties that will eat up my time."
"What does he have and I don't?"
"It makes me feel alive, Aerin. It taught me to think beyond appearances, not to see the world in black and white. Honestly, I'm tired of wandering around the city all day. There's a whole world to conquer out there. "
"And dangers that can bring you back to the situation I found you in."
"With Knut, I faced even greater difficulties, you have no idea. Look at me, safer and more lively than ever."
Aerin bit his lips.
"I want a favor from you," continued Mjoll. "
"You know I don't have anyone left, so I want you to lead me down the aisle."
Aerin felt suffocated. His first impulse was to refuse, but then he thought better of it and accepted, for fear that otherwise, the relationship between the two would break. He couldn't live without her, a supporting role was better than nothing. Of course, he could have hopes that things could evolve in his favor; a lot could happen, he just needed to stay close.
Where you will live?"
"We have to stay a few days in Riften; Knut wanted us to sleep and the Inn, but I refused once I have my own house in town."
That was very good news and Aerin felt that things seemed to improve.
"This is a wise choice," he said enthusiastically.
"This was all," concluded Mjoll.
