This is Our Home: A Collection of Skyrim Short Stories

Into the Lion's Den: Part Three (Ylva)

Part three of Emerald_Parrish's request. Hope you enjoy!

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10th of Frostfall, 4E 201

The wind was cold and the snow was falling when I arrived outside the Embassy. An Aldmeri man wearing Thalmor robes approached the carriage and offered to help me out. It took everything I had to swallow my hatred and allow him to help me down from the carriage. I managed to say a quiet "thank you" before hurrying along. As I walked away, I fought off the shiver I had racing down my spine. Gods, I did not want to be anywhere near here.

On my way to the front door, I passed by a Redguard man getting out of his own carriage. He gave me a friendly grin and joined me up the path. "Fashionably late, too, eh?" he asked, his words slurring. He must have been drinking the whole way up here. "I do enjoy coming in late. Makes things... interesting."

Grimacing, I moved past him and up to the entrance. One of the two Thalmor guards stopped me before I could proceed further. "Your invitation, please."

My mind started racing. Was something amiss? Did I mess up already? "Is there a problem?"

The woman chuckled. "Oh, there's nothing wrong, as long as you hand over your invitation." Her eyes narrowed. "Assuming you have one."

Oh, of course. Everything was fine. How could I have been so stupid? Now to get myself out of this mess I had made. Think. Think. How would a noblewoman act? Snooty? Proud? Or would she just hand over her invitation, no questions asked?

"If you don't have an invitation—"

"No, I have one." I reached into my robes and pulled it out. "Sorry for the trouble."

The woman opened it and looked it over. I caught a glimpse of the name on the page, and I immediately cringed.

Delphine had used my real name, not an alias. If Elenwen found out who I was—

"Everything checks out," said the guard, handing my invitation back to me. "Enjoy the party."

I nodded in thanks and proceeded to the door. The two elves standing at it opened it for me and allowed me inside.

The warmth of the room was a pleasant change to the cold outside, but my heart felt as though an icicle had been jammed through it. This was the lion's den, the belly of the beast. I was in the home of the woman who murdered my parents.

My palms slicked with a cold sweat. Oh, gods. What am I doing?

Then, like a panther descending upon its prey, Elenwen herself approached me. She looked down on me, angular face bearing a look of indifference. Like she did not enjoy parties, but she put them on to save face. Her eyes were shaded with dark makeup, as were her cheeks. It gave her a gaunt, menacing look, one probably meant to strike fear into the hearts of her inferiors. It worked; I swallowed hard as she stood over me. For the first time in years, I felt like the scared little girl who had watched her parents die in front of her.

Elenwen spoke with a high, clear voice clipped with an accent unfamiliar to Skyrim. Her voice alone was enough to make me weak at the knees. "Welcome. I don't believe we've met. I am Elenwen, the Thalmor Ambassador to Skyrim. And you are...?"

I forced myself to stay calm. All I had to do was make her forget that she asked for my name. "You're Elenwen? I've heard so much about you!"

My tactic worked. Elenwen seemed to have forgotten about her question and smiled proudly. "Have you? All good, I trust." Then her smile faded, and my gut flipped. "But you have me at a disadvantage. I'm afraid I know nothing about you.... Please, tell me more about yourself. What brings you to this... to Skyrim?"