Rona's Story: An Epic Skyrim Romance

Chapter 50 Tearful Farewells

Rona sheathed her blades and stepped over to Nelkir. She fell to her knees, in front of him, blocking his view of his father as she held his hands in hers and healed him as best as she could, ignoring her own wound for the time being. He was crying hysterically, realizing what he'd done.

A stray tear traced her cheek for him and she pulled him into her arms and held him against her chest and whispered, "It's going to be okay. I'm here now. You have me."

He clung to her as he sobbed against her. Bishop came over and knelt beside them, looking just as sad and said, "I'm going to get the other two and take them back up to the palace, then send some guards down to," he glanced back at Balgruuf's body and said slowly, "...come get him."

"Wait a minute," She said and then she pushed Nelkir back by his shoulders and cupped his face in her hands.

He sobbed almost incoherently, "Why did I do it? I didn't want to! Father! I'm sorry! Father! It's all my fault..."

She looked him right in the eyes and said, "It's not your fault. It was the Whispering Lady. Don't blame yourself. You need to be strong now. Our mother was a Companion. I'm a Companion and someday you will be too. We're strong warriors and sometimes you have to suck it up and do what needs to be done and right now, you need to be strong for your brother and sister - because I know you're stronger than both of them. You have the blood of a Windsleaf and your big sister is the Dragonborn. You come from an entire family of powerful warriors, did you know that?"

He sniffled pitifully shaking his head slightly and she smiled at him, trying to hide her own pain, "Can you do that? Can you be strong?"

He nodded slowly and she looked up at Bishop, "Take him with you. Tell no one of what happened here," Rona looked back at the housecarl, who was tearfully staring into Balgruuf's lifeless face, "I'll talk to Irileth first... see what she'll say. But as far as anyone here is concerned, the Jarl was attacked and killed while trying to see his children off to Solitude."

Bishop nodded and held a kind hand out to the boy saying, "C'mon kid."

Nelkir took his hand and let him draw him away from that horrible scene. Rona turned back, ready to face Irileth. She stood by her as the woman cried in silence.

Rona knew she had very little time to discuss what they would tell everyone and she made to speak when Irileth said softly, "He and I shared a battle bond. We met as youths and forged our friendship in the fires of war. When he became Jarl, I insisted on serving as his protector," she smiled weakly, "He had no cause to argue... I just wanted to be close to him."

Rona looked on at her sadly. Irileth breathed, "He was such a fool. I always told him that the boy would be his downfall. He just ignored it, every sign, every strange thing he did, how aggressive he was becoming. There have been many attempts made on the Jarl's life. More than one would-be assassin met their end at the tip of my blade. But I could not save him from this. Even I never truly thought the boy would..."

"It wasn't Nelkir," Rona insisted, "It was Mephala."

Irileth looked up at her with shining crimson eyes, "Don't worry. I won't do that to him. I won't tell everyone that he... murdered his own father," she choked back her tears at the words then looked back at the Jarl and pressed a hand over his eyes, closing them, "I'll protect his children, all of them, just as I once protected him. It's what he would have wanted."

"We need to get our stories straight," Rona said.

"He was attacked wasn't he? An assassin... one that I failed to kill."