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SPOILER INFO
This fanfic novel is largely based on the events that occurred in an actual game of Skyrim I played. Therefore, it's inevitably a spoiler.
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previous day
4-202-02-15 07:48
Calixto's House of Curiosities, Windhelm, Eastmarch, Skyrim
Is she hoping that Ulfric will walk past? I mean, even next to the forge, it can't be that warm.
I ask all the traders in Windhelm about the Staff of Magnus one more time. None of them has heard anything about it. Then we leave for Solitud.
The most convenient way to Solitud goes via Dånstar. More precisely, one could turn away from the highway before Dånstar and head for Morthal. However, I think we'll drop by Dånstar because I have a couple of deliveries to make and it'll be only a short detour.
At the present moment, though, Dånstar is still a long way away. We have just run past Anga's Mill and now we can see a frost dragon attacking someone. He keeps floating in the air in one place until we get to a good shooting position and grab our bows. As if sensing it, he begins to fly back and forth.
We waste great many arrows, but kill him finally.
This hare isn't afraid of us. Only when I bend closer to caress it does it decide to run away after all.
Then we run to Dånstar with brief stops in Nightgate Inn and Laintar Dale.
Dånstar is nice as always.
Ahkari's caravan has already arrived. Yes, Lydia, we'll be a couple of hours, don't worry.
She runs off to find her boyfriend. I bring the alchemist Frida the enchanted ring I found for her, and the blacksmith Rustleif the book he wanted for his wife.
I think we'll be able to reach Dragonbridge of even Solitud tonight. Tomorrow morning, I'll consult with Sybille and then I'll negotiate with the jarl and the thanes and then we'll summon General Tullius to the palace. (The jarl is formally higher-ranking than he.) Yeah, and we'd better not just run past Morthal but drop in and have a little chat with the new jarl Sorli, just to sound out her mood.
Before we can leave, though, we have to help kill a troll who is attacking people near the inn. My followers would have probably managed by themselves, but I rush to their help and actually fire the fatal shot. Unfortunately, the troll has already killed one town guard. How a troll got so confused that he ran deep into a human settlement, I can't imagine.
Now we can leave.
The scenery along the Dånstar–Dragonbridge highway looks really beautiful under the rays of the setting sun.
Between Stonehills and Morthal is a battle going on between imps and storks. Just like the storks in The Rift, the imps of Hjaalmarch seem to be reluctant to abide by the peace treaty. I'm beginning to doubt if my plan of bringing about actual peace is even realistic. What if there's already so much hatred against the other side that Talos worship has become a side issue?
At least the town of Morthal is peaceful. Sorli has already taken over. She confirms that my position as a thane is unaffected by the political change. The negotiation hall in High Hrothgar may have been full of bitterness, but here on the ground I'm a hero.
Running through Dragonbridge without stopping, we reach Solitud when it's not quite dark yet. In front of the Winking Skeever inn, I stop to ask the old drunkard Octieve what's the mood in the city like. He says everything in Solitud is normal, but he has gambled himself into a large debt with Irnskar, Thane Bryling's husband.
I take pity on the old man, because he's the father of my friend the market trader Evette. So I tell him I'll try to talk to Irnskar. Walking towards the palace, I realize I'm not at all sure I will. I need Bryling's support while Octieve is just a useless bum.
There are many people on the streets. I make conversation with one and another, but nothing unusual seems to be going on and no one looks alarmed or anything.
In the palace, I find Jarl Elisif in the company of three people – her bodyguard Bolgeir, Sybille and Falk. They all greet me warmly. I instruct my followers to make themselves comfortable and keep an eye on everything while I ask Sybille to accompany me to her quarters.
Sybille agrees with my plan as well as with my assessment of the Empire's stance. She has no doubt that they'll grab an opportunity to get even with the Aldmeri Dominion. I learn that there is indeed severe inter-factional rivalry in Imperial City, but it's highly unlikely that anyone would sabotage war effort against the Dominion. After all, each clique views our Empire as their (potential) property, so they wouldn't risk ruining it. Besides, regardless of the power struggle, they all hope to enlarge their own feudal domains in a successful war. In short, there is every chance that all big families will rather fight the elves than each other.
I ask Sybille who is the thalmor spy in the palace. He says Falk is an informant of the thalmors, but he's not really on their side. He just exchanges information secretly with Elenwen in order to hear things from her that would help him strengthen his own position. He won't cause any trouble, once we make a move against the thalmors. The real thalmor spy, according to Sybille, is Una, one of the maids, but she hasn't really any access to big secrets. She does actively report about the comings and goings in the palace, though.
I vaguely remember I saw Una on the main square on my way here. If she wanted to be a proper spy, she ought to have followed me discreetly, trying to find out at least whom I would be talking to. I mean, my going to the palace with all my followers ought to seem to her conspicuous enough to be observed and reported.
Sybille and I go downstairs together. Sure enough, Una is just coming in. And she has guilt on her face like a dog who has made a mess.
I inform her she's to go with Sybille, and if she won't become difficult, she has a good chance to get out of this alive. She's absolutely not to talk to anyone under any circumstances.
I now go to sound out Bryling and Erikur. Both should be at their homes which are between the palace and my house.
Thane Bryling's house looks rather unimpressive, considering her high status. An indentured (seriously?) servant informs me Irnskar is already sleeping. I wasn't going to bother him this time anyway. I tell the servant to take me to Bryling.
Bryling gives full support to my plan. I ask her to drop by the palace in a little while.
Thane Erikur is very haughty. He makes no secret of disliking Jarl Elisif even more than previously, as well as holding me for a complete nothingness. So I make it look like I was just sent to him as an errand girl to ask him to come to the palace for an important meeting which General Tullius will also attend. Erikur rises no objections, just mumbles how the current administration of Haafingar can't get anything done without him.
Melaran, the High Elf who is Erikur's magical bodyguard, is also coming with us.
This suits me fine. We'll need to get rid of both of them anyway. Even though no friend of thalmors, Erikur holds himself for the smartest person in the city if not in the world, and therefore would be sure to bore us to death with his stupid ideas presented with supreme confidence. Therefore we need him out of the way. He has no influence anyway, just a lot of money and a planet-sized ego.
When Erikur walks up the stairs in the palace, Melaran remains, as always, in the waiting room downstairs as is the custom. I let Erikur walk on and return to Melaran with Jordis and Jenassa. We aim our bows at him and I tell him that he may be a better wizard than Sybille (I couldn't know if it's true, but he is convinced he is) but he would have no chance against three bows. We take him to a spare room on the ground floor where we tie, gag and blindfold him, and I leave Jenassa to guard him with the instruction to kill him without hesitation if he seems to try to cast a spell or to liberate himself.
The palace guards are making no difficulties. In fact, they look like they admire me boundlessly and are ready to carry out any command of mine.
I instruct them to make sure no one goes near that room and no one leaves the palace.
Then I hurry up the stairs to the throne room where I have Sybille detain Erikur magically in her own bedroom. Una has already been tied up in another room.
Now we're ready to send out a messenger (Lydia, in fact) to summon Tullius. While we're waiting for him, I remember that suspicious man always lurking on the street near my house. I ask Sybille if she knows about him. She says he's just a spy to the storks. Nothing to worry about. They let him operate freely, because it's better to have a spy you know about (and not very smart one at that) than capture him and have another one sent to the city you don't know about.
But what about Erikur? I suddenly remember I saw him at Elenwen's reception.
Sybille laughs and says Erikur keeps hanging around Tullius hoping it'll help him rise up the social ladder, but Tullius can see what a fool he is. He often asks Erikur's opinion about various palace affairs, and Erikur eagerly tells him everything. He imagines Tullius is discussing important matters with him while in reality Tullius simply uses him as a source of information.
Tullius arrives. He is extremely haughty and refuses to believe the Aldmeri Dominion has attacked Hammerfell. I pull out the letter I received, but then I remember it's magically protected. Tullius would only see a blank sheet. I ask Sybille if she can make it readable. She says she'll need time. Fine, she can keep it. I no longer need it anyway.
I continue to argue with Tullius. He isn't too impressed with all the Haafingar's leadership being on my side and his man Erikur eliminated. Neither does he believe I'll be able to kill Ulfric and get away alive, let alone bring the storks to reason. However, he says if I will indeed eliminate the Silver-Bloods and restore Jarl Igmund to power in The Reach (which he cares more about than the assassination of Ulfric), he is willing to move against the thalmors in Fort Masser together with me as long as the storks refrain from hostilities. His skepticism about all the above notwithstanding, Tullius fully agrees that the capture of that fortress is necessary. The embassy is one thing, but the thalmors have absolutely no business keeping a secret stronghold on the Empire's territory.
Speaking of the Empire's policy, Tullius agrees that the sensible thing to do (if there really is war in Hammerfell which remains to be proven) would be to turn against the Dominion even if it were at the cost of leaving the whole of Skyrim under stork control. Tullius knows that the defeat in the Great War was more due to the power struggle within the Empire than the Dominion's military superiority, and that mistake will not be repeated. Nevertheless, he disagrees with my view that should the Empire still be too weakened by interfactional competition to be able to reach a decision, then Skyrim should break loose from the Empire. He says the Imperial Army will never cease to fight for law and order in Skyrim (his words, not mine).
As for my current plan, he obviously can't report to the capital and ask for orders. Therefore, he is not only entitled but obliged to use his own best judgment, which is: as soon as I bring him proof of 1) Ulfric's death and 2) the restoration of Imperial power in The Reach, and as long as there are no organized Stormcloak hostilities, he will surround the Thalmor Embassy to cut off all communications, and give me a unit of legionnaires for attacking Fort Masser.
Storming the embassy and escorting the personnel to the border is, however, out of the question. Tullius insists it's completely impossible without an order from Imperial City. We argue about it for some time, but I have to concede.
Would he give me a written order for Maven Black-Briar's arrest, with the understanding that I will kill her instead, ostensibly because she refuses to surrender? Yes, he would, providing I swear to carry on with the rest of my plan. Of course, Tullius would prefer to have Ulfric killed first, but he realizes I need to destroy the Black-Briars (who support the imps) first to convince the storks of my good faith. In any case, there is little doubt both sides would prefer the Reach–Rift exchange reversed. Logistically, the storks' position in The Reach is just as untenable as the imps' position in The Rift. Ulfric was stupid to demand The Reach in the first place. As for Hjaalmarch, Tullius agrees that Jarl Idgrod was mentally unstable. Therefore, as long as there'll be no attacks on Imperial positions, Jarl Sorli may remain in power, especially considering that she's a client of our Thane Bryling.
But what kind of proof of Ulfric's death should I bring? I won't have to cut his head off, I hope. Would a letter with Yrsarald's signature and Ulfric's seal, confirming peaceful intentions, be sufficient? Tullius agrees it would. He can recognize Yrsarald's handwriting. And he knows I'm Yrsarald's girlfriend. Naturally, he has his informers in Windhelm just like Ulfric has his in Solitud. Come to think of it, my closeness to Yrsarald is possibly the only reason why Tullius is even considering the possibility I may have a chance of succeeding.
Now the last thing – we need Una held in the prison, as well as Melaran, and he needs to be chained and gagged. Erikur will remain in the palace watched over by Sybille. We also need Solitud sealed so that no one can go in or out.
Tullius trashes my suggestions vigorously. A mage of Melaran's caliber can't be held securely. If we want to make sure he'll cause no trouble, we have to kill him. Also, he refuses to seal off the city before I've proven I'm actually able to eliminate Ulfric and bring about the peace with the storks – of which Tullius, as already pointed out, is by no means sure. When I keep arguing, he insists that sealing the city now would make the thalmors prematurely suspicious.
I give in when Sybille says it's indeed too dangerous to let Melaran live, and that she'll be keeping a magical eye on the traffic in and out of Solitud. I realize this is the best deal I can get and I'm growing tired anyway.
Tullius tells me to come with him to the castle where he can give me a signed and sealed arrest order on official notepaper the guards in Bitchen will acknowledge.
We go downstairs where we put Melaran to death. Lydia brings Una, and we all walk to the fortress with Tullius. None of us says a word while we're on the street. I go personally to find Hadvar and ask him to make sure Una will be held without an opportunity to see anyone except absolutely trustworthy guards. He says he's going to be transferred to Riverwood permanently and will leave the city sometime next week, but he'll make sure Una will be well guarded.
I know I ought to kill her too, but I don't have the heart. I just find a moment to whisper to her that if she gets caught talking to anyone in the prison, her tongue will be cut off. She's shaking all over as Hadvar is taking her downstairs.
After I've thanked Tullius for Maven's arrest order, I won't fail to mention that should he betray us, I'll hand him to Sybille. He practically laughs in my face saying he's not afraid of death. I say: "No, you won't die. You'll be kept alive and she'll drink your blood every now and then. The technical terms for that, if I'm not mistaken, is "human cattle"."
That gets him serious. But then he replies: "It doesn't really matter. I don't believe you're going to survive this anyway."
I decide to leave it at that. I return with my followers to our house to get some sleep. Even though today's achievements leave a little to be desired, at least my time planning has been flawless.
next awakening
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