---Evening---
Leaving my AI colleagues to process the vast amount of data we acquired today, I headed out for my date with Lala, Momo, and Nana. Extending a warm hand as I stepped out of the Bifrost, King Gid welcomed me to Planet Deviluke.
"It is wonderful to see you, Victor. My daughters have been frantically running around all day preparing for your date.", Gid chuckled as we shook hands. "Could I offer you a drink while you wait for them to finish getting ready?"
"Do you have any whiskey?", I inquired, walking toward the castle alongside him.
"Of course, I do.", Gid laughed before releasing a sigh. "I could not run this country without… some days."
Following him to his private study, Gid walked behind his wet bar and poured two glasses of his favorite whiskey. As he went to bring them over, he remembered a regular Glencairn glass was a medicine cup in my hands.
"Shoot… Sorry, Victor, I do not have anything bigger for you.", Gid remarked, unable to find a bigger glass in his collection.
"Do not worry about it.", I assured him. "Quality is more important than quantity when it comes to whiskey… Unless you are trying to drink yourself in oblivion."
Understanding that feeling well, Gid recalled the earlier days of his career. Back then, he had to drink several bottles of alcohol a night just to sleep. While most of his enemies fought with some degree of honor, a few used unwilling civilians to attack his men. It was their fear-stricken expressions as the ticking started that kept him awake at night.
'Those days are long gone now; we made sure of that. I have no doubt that with Victor at the helm, it will continue to stay that way for generations to come.', Gid thought, handing me a glass. "If you do not mind me asking, where are you taking my daughters this evening?"
"To a quaint eatery called the Bannered Mare.", I said, sipping my glass. "Your daughters are accustomed to a lavish lifestyle, so I thought something different would be nice. Their food is some of the best I have ever eaten, and the rustic atmosphere eases your exhausted soul."
"Sephie and I love eating at places like that.", Gid said, setting his drink down with a worried look. "I take it that the Bannered Mare does not have a dress code then?"
Nodding my head, I confirmed they did not have a dress code. Jumping to his feet, Gid ran out of the room like a bat out of hell. Unsure what was happening, the first thought that came to mind was his daughters had overdressed for our casual dinner date.
'Nah, no way. Lala and her sisters would never wear such stuffy clothing.', I thought.
Finishing my glass, I retrieved one of my bottles from my inventory. As I poured myself a second glass, a loud disturbance came from the hallway. Turning my head toward the doorway, Lala flew through the opening wearing a black skintight dress. Clearly unused to wearing makeup, she looked more like a clown than a woman readying herself for a date.
'Damn, Lala really did inherit her mother's genetics! If looks could kill, she'd be public enemy number one.', I thought, sneaking a few peeks at her curvaceous body. "Can I help you, Lala?"
"Dad said you are taking us to some place called the Bannered Mare. If I remember correctly, Aela told me it is a well-known restaurant on her homeworld.", Lala answered, walking up to me. "We do not have any clothing that will fit in with her countrymen. Could you help us out?"
Reaching into my inventory, I pulled out the dresses I had prepared ahead of time. Handing them over, Lala kissed me on the cheek before bolting back out of the room.
---Ten Minutes Later---
Returning to the study as a family, Lala, Momo, and Nana skipped over to me in their stunning dresses. Keeping things simple, to avoid drawing attention to ourselves, the dresses were muted blue, red, and yellow, respectively. Complimenting the trio, I made a point of saying I preferred their natural beauty over caked-on makeup. Wriggling with delight, they accepted the compliment with radiant smiles.
"Alright, let's get moving ladies.", I said, using the Force to place Momo and Nana on my shoulders. "I will have these fine women back by a reasonable hour."
"You do not have to worry about that, Victor.", Sephie assured me. "If you lovebirds want to spend the night together, please do so. Gid and I would be overjoyed to welcome a few grandchildren into the family next year."
Looking at one another for a moment, I realized Sephie was being dead serious. Certain we were a perfect couple, Sephie silently wished her daughters the best of luck.
"No need to feel pressured, Victor. Just go with the flow, and enjoy your time with our daughters.", Gid reassured me, holding Sephie's hand tightly. 'Come on now, dear. You are going to scare the man away talking like that.'
Certain now both parents had gone off the deep end, it was time to leave. Offering my right arm to Lala, I opened a Bifrost bridge to Nirn before us. Bidding their parents farewell, for now, the four of us stepped into the rainbow-colored light.
---Whiterun City Gate---
After a short carriage ride to the Whiterun Stables, we walked up the hill toward the city gate. Greeting the guards as we approached, I inquired how things were going.
"A minor uptick in break-ins recently, but nothing the city guard cannot handle.", one of the guards commented. "Overall, it has been fairly quiet and peaceful since you drove those damn Stormcloaks out."
"Keep up the good work, gentlemen.", I said, tossing the three men a small bag of coin. "When your shift ends, have a bottle of Honningbrew mead on me."
"Thank you, Thane Stark!", the men replied, letting us pass without delay.
Stepping through the gates, the trio released awestruck gasps as they took in the view. Having never seen anything quite like this before, they immediately started looking around the immediate area. Subtly reminding them not to use any form of technology here, the women nodded their heads absentmindedly.
"Excuse me, what are you making there?", Lala inquired, watching Adrianne Avenicci work the forge.
"It may not look like it now, but I am forging a war axe.", Adrianne replied, not bothering to look back at them. "If you are looking to purchase arms or armor, speak with my husband, Ulfberth. He is inside the store, behind the counter."
Wanting to see some of her pieces up close, Lala looked back at me for permission to go inside. Gesturing for her to proceed, the trio scurried inside to have a look.
"Welcome to Warmaiden's!", Ulfberth said, setting down the blade he was polishing. "What are you in the market for? Bows? Daggers? Warhammers?"
"I… Uh…", Momo stuttered, unfamiliar with the names of weapons. "Can we please see some of your wife's pieces?"
"Haha!!", Ulfberth heartily laughed, gesturing toward all the pieces around him. "Almost everything you see here was forged by my lovely wife, Adrianne. See anything that catches your eye?"
Looking around the store, it quickly became apparent that the sisters were completely overwhelmed. Stepping in to help them, I asked Ulfberth if they had a matching set of four daggers. Nodding his head, with a playful grin, the Nord asked us to wait here for a second. Stepping into the backroom, he returned moments later with an ornately decorated box.
"A Hammerfell nobleman commissioned these blades several years ago but never came to pick them up.", Ulfberth commented, opening the box. "These are some of Adrianne's best pieces!"
Peering into the box, Lala, Momo, and Nana were flabbergasted by what they saw. Lying before them were not mere daggers, but masterpieces. Each blade, a miniature scimitar, had been forged with masterful precision. The hilts were sculpted into the likeness of a dragon's leg, and at the end of each, a flawless piece of amber gleamed from the pommel.
"My word, these are beautiful!", Lala commented as the trio gingerly picked them up. "Your wife's skills are second to none!!"
"The only craftsman that can outshine my beloved Adrianne is old man Eorlund Gray-Mane. He is the best craftsman in the whole of Skyrim, bar none.", Ulfberth spoke. "My wife will one day outshine him; I just know it!"
"If I may, how much are these?", Nana gulped, admiring the detailed craftsmanship.
"We could be persuaded to part with the four daggers and their cedar box for seven thousand septims.", Ulfberth stated, with a firm nod. "I think that is a fair price, given all the work she put into making these masterpieces."
Instinctively reaching for their wallets, the trio quickly remembered their usual payment method would not work here. Gently putting the blades back into the box, Lala and her sisters thanked Ulfberth for showing them such a splendid weapon. Turning to leave the store, I took the opportunity to begin haggling with Ulfberth.
"These are without a doubt exquisite blades, but seven thousand septims is a bit steep. With no sheath or wall mounts, they are completely useless.", I pointed out. "Five thousand septims seems like a more reasonable price to me.
"My friend, I could not go below sixty-five hundred septims.", Ulfberth countered.
"Hmm… Tell you what, I will offer you seventy-five hundred septims if Adrianne makes matching sheaths for them.", I stated, reaching into my inventory. "I am willing to pay in advance, if you agree."
Pulling out the sack of coin, I dropped it on the counter for dramatic effect. Excusing himself for a second, Ulfberth stepped outside to confer with his wife. Giving her my offer, Adrianne scolded him for not immediately accepting it. Telling her husband to get back inside and finalize the deal, she swore to get started on the sheaths right away. Rushing back inside, the Nord accepted my offer with a firm handshake.
"Could I also purchase four simple leather sheaths for them? Since it will take some time for the proper ones to be completed, we will need something to safely carry them.", I requested. "When they are done, please have the sheaths delivered to Breezehome."
"Since you are paying a hefty sum, I will give you the leather sheaths as a courtesy.", Ulfberth replied, pulling four out from under the counter. "Good doin' business with you, Thane Stark."
Slotting our daggers into their sheaths, I helped Lala, Momo, and Nana affix them to their hips. Giving me a twirl, the three sisters ran out of the store giggling with delight. Bidding Ulfberth farewell, I chased after so we could go to the Bannered Mare.