My character Leona has had this on-again off-again relationship with Belrand the mercenary battle mage. Usually I found him carousing in the Winking Skeever in Solitude, but the last time...I told him to wait in my house as I went to High Hrothgar to commune with the Graybeards. When I finally got home he was gone. I guess he got tired of waiting; he was never as patient as Lydia (may she rest in peace.)

When he didn't come back and he didn't return to the Winking Skeever, Leona gave him up for dead. Maybe he got eaten by a cave bear or something. So I hired other followers and set forth again. Some time later I started the series of Temple of Mara quests. I reunited three lovers while wearing the Amulet of Mara. As I reunited the final pair out in the plains near Rorikstead. suddenly Belrand turned up. I whispered to Mjoll to make herself scarce, re-hired him, proposed to him immediately, and dragged his wandering [censored] home.

We journeyed together to Riften for the wedding. I helped him dress in elegant ebony mail. But on the wedding day, he showed up for the ceremony clad in his old iron armor. Leona and Belrand spoke their vows and as soon as that was done, he said sometning about "being together forever" and without so much as a kiss he made a break for the exit. He said something about "where shall we live?" as he disappeared again.

He's not at the Bee and Barb; he's not at my houses in Solitude or Whiterun. If he returned to a home of his own, I don't even know where that is. And he took some of my favorite gear with him!

Desolate and Abandonnned in Riften
Leona the Mercenary Merchant

Temple of Mara quests? What Temple of Mara quests? Didn't know there were any.

Oh, cool story though.

The exit at the end of the wedding is a known bug. The wiki can tell you where to find him, or when and where he'll show up again.

One of the priestesses will give you a bunch of jobs to do in the name of love if you speak to her.

They're quite boring and you don't get anything remarkable out of them but they're something to do.

Not anything remarkable?

The main reason I did them was that Leona was freaked out by all the Daedra demanding she do favors for them. She is not really a romance junkie. I have been trying to boost the power of the legitimate Divines in Skyrim by doing all the Temple quests I can find. This is my first run-through... I may not understand how it actually works but Leona believes that as the Dragonborn her actions can shape destiny. And she doesn't want to be a cannibal!

This.

That's a pretty significant quest reward. Actually, I think it may qualify as one of the most powerful permanent effects in the game.

Oh yeah, I had actually forgotten about that because I was trying to remember if she gave you any treasure and I couldn't think of any...

But it's still not the most powerful permanent effect I've seen. Ancient Knowledge is much stronger (albeit because it's bugged).

Dang. It's off to Riften thing...