Bejewelled Manuscript

Chapter 8: Vows and Vexes

Chapter 8: Vows and Vexes

While the morning was still young, both Maria and Svana baked two sets of identical  red velvet cake. The smells were enough to gain a few customers into her shop to buy most of the baked goods and books to give her a few extra coins in her pocket.

Maria handed Svana a small pouch with a lot of septims, to which the young Nord raised both of her hands in protest. "Maria, I can't accept this. You earned all of this money. Please, keep it."

"I insist, Svana," Maria gestured to the pouch. "It'll be enough to have a drink with me at the Bee and Barb without your aunt. Plus, we haven't done shopping for a while..."

This made Svana smiled, thanking her friend for the money. When Maria explained to her about the ruse wedding to cover up her actual wedding with Madesi, the young Nord was on board. Ever since the Silver-Blood soldiers came to Riften, Haelga had made her inn the top priority.

It of course, made Svana sneak out because her aunt had practiced the Dibellan arts as a way to attract more men into the inn. The regular patrons were still there but even they were enticed with Haelga's offers in order to make the stay more...pleasurable.

"I'm sick of my aunt doing all of this," Svana complained. "First Sibbi being in jail and now my aunt's worship of Dibella will be the talk of the town. I swear, if I wasn't her niece, I'd get away from her immediately."

Maria could only comfort her friend and suggested that she helped with the cake decoration for the real wedding cake while the ruse cake will need the 'special' ingredient before she could coat it with some icing.

On cue, the door of her shop swung open to reveal two Khajiits stepping in. Of course, one was none other than Tawnyfrost while the other was white with speckled grey fur cladded in Nordic armour and had a moon amulet around his neck.. Judging by his large face, Maria could tell that her companion was a male.

"Tawnyfrost is back and has brought a friend to help," the Dragonborn gestured to her follower, who bowed in greeting. "This is Kharjo, a Khajiit that guards one of the travelling caravans run by Ahkari. He has something that might make the cake more enticing for the Silver-Bloods, yes?"

Both women were curious when the male Khajiit fished out two red potion vials from his pockets. It resembled a minor healing potion but in a darker shade. "These are Red Water Skooma, more deadly than regular Skooma," Kharjo warned with a swish of his tail.

Maria was surprised to see Skooma in her midst because she had heard of the addiction that Skooma could do to a person. But Red Water Skooma? It looked harmless on the outside but judging from the two cats' expression, it must be serious.

"What does it do?" Svana asked, examining the vial carefully.

"It has some hallucinogenic properties," Tawnyfrost explained, voice laced with spite. "Khajiit was foolish enough to drink this at an old den where I figured there was a makeshift tavern. Tawnyfrost was caught in the trap, ready to become a vampire's meal. No more vampires for this Khajiit."

This caused Svana to cover her mouth with a gasp while Kharjo comforted her by purring softly. Maria exchanged glances with Tawnyfrost, whose grimace turned into a grin. It was clear that the both of them had a feeling that Svana and Kharjo would like to spend a moment alone.

"Shall we put in the final touches to the cake?" Maria asked, not taking her eyes off her dear Nord friend. She doesn't need to look to know that Tawnyfrost was purring in agreement.

"Before you go to the 'wedding', you must come with Khajiit to the caravan," Tawnyfrost meowed. "We can't have a wedding without a dress!"

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