Author's Note:
Here we go again ;) I hope you're all excited for the Solitude plotline. It's the longest one yet. Fifteen chapters of 'fun' just like Bishop promised :D That would be lot of paladins to take, but it's not just about that :) There will be plenty of excitement, adventure, drinking shenanigans, smut and all that jazz ;)
I just wanted to thank everyone still sticking around. It really means a lot to me that you're still reading this long-ass story (and let's face it, it's not nearing the actual end by a long shot). I really hope you'll keep enjoying the fic as it continues on :) I am definitely still enjoying writing it and I really hope that you'll still have fun reading it :)
Anyway, here's the first chapter of the arc :) Hope you like it <3
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"Ugh, here we go again."
Bishop groaned as they passed the stables on their way up the hill towards Solitude.
Their journey across the province was quite uneventful, which turned out to be a welcome respite after the events in Windhelm. So welcome that they had prolonged their journey with more time camping in the wilderness – in secure enough locations, of course, surrounded by traps.
"What? You said that we would have 'fun'," Aeyrin smirked at Bishop in response. Though it was not as if she hadn't expected this change of tune the second they got close to the city.
"Yeah. We will. But it's still Solitude. I have a right to complain about that."
Aeyrin giggled at that, but her thoughts soon wandered elsewhere again. All through their stay in the wilderness, there was no word from Master Therien regarding that strange note from Jora. Some time ago, Aeyrin would just assume that it was because the courier could not find them out there, but she had disposed of those theories long ago. Maybe she was being too impatient, but it was making her uncomfortable to be going into Solitude without the information. Was this man a threat? Did he somehow know about their endeavors with the priests? That would just mean that she was stepping into a den of mountain lions.
"Princess," Bishop interrupted her pondering when he noticed her expression. It wasn't hard to guess what was on her mind. He knew how anxious she was about this. He was pretty anxious himself, but for different reasons. He was convinced that the name on that note did not refer to an imminent enemy, but a target. For what, was anyone's guess. But if it was what he suspected, he was convinced that it would just attract the Brotherhood's attention again, among other things. He really hoped that he was wrong about his hunch.
"If it was that dangerous to even get near the man, the note would say more," he said reassuringly. He had told her that a lot before and, while it was helping, it still couldn't erase all her anxieties.
Aeyrin gave Bishop a determined nod. There was no point in dwelling on this. Hopefully the anticipated letter would arrive soon and, in the meantime, they could at least try to enjoy the city, away from serial killers and Stormcloaks.
They continued together towards the gates while Karnwyr traipsed along rather morosely. He was not very content with their latest sleeping arrangements with the traps all around. He could not get out to run around unless they were traveling. And now he would be cooped up in the city for Gods-knew-how-long. But apparently, he was still determined to go through that to stay with the two of them. He was free to run off and spend his time alone for a while after all.
They reached the gates soon, but before they could enter the city proper, a familiar scene greeted them.
"Halt!" one of the guards quickly stepped in their way.
"Great start," Bishop growled as he threw the guard an impatient look. "What?"
"Her majesty gave us orders to apprehend you right at the gates," the guard proclaimed with a frown.
"What?!" Aeyrin gasped in shock. 'Apprehend'? Why? They didn't do anything!
"Not like that, you tit!" the other guard quickly interjected before he turned towards Bishop and Aeyrin, making a soothing gesture with his hands. "Her majesty requests your presence at the Palace right away. Sorry, you are not being 'apprehended'. If we were to see you, we have orders to tell you to go straight to the Palace without any delay."
"How's that different from what I said?" the first guard scoffed at him, earning a deadpan glare from both Aeyrin and Bishop. It was good at least that they weren't being arrested, but it was still concerning to be ushered into the Palace like this.
"Just shut up," the second guard growled. "I'm sorry about him, her Majesty just asked us to give you that message. That you should go straight to the Palace without delay."
"What is this about?" Aeyrin gave the man a concerned look. It was rather strange, if it was something urgent, why would Elisif not outright send for them, wherever they were? Why wait until they have reached the city?
"I don't know, my lady. We were only told to pass along the message," the man shrugged noncommittally.
Well... that was probably to be expected. Aeyrin couldn't help but wonder briefly if it had anything to do with the mystery note. It would just not leave her mind. She hated the uncertainty.
But right now, there was not much else to do but to go and see.
...
Bishop and Aeyrin stepped in front of the throne with some trepidation.
Despite their previous dealings, and no matter how much Queen Elisif had helped them in the past, it was always unnerving to be summoned by her like this. Perhaps it was simply the process of walking through a throne room, while the present guards only stared menacingly, that was so concerning.
Fortunately, the second that Elisif noticed them, she smiled. That seemed like a good sign.
"Welcome. It is good to see you back in Solitude. It has been too long," she nodded demurely with a smile still etched on her face. 'Too long' was probably not the right word for it, considering everything that had transpired during their last visit.
"Your majesty," Aeyrin greeted her with palpable uncertainty in her voice while Bishop only nodded wordlessly. There was a brief moment of silence after that, but Bishop ended up interrupting it rather quickly. This was making him too impatient.
"So, what's with the ominous summons?"
Elisif seemed to get caught a bit off guard by that question, but her smile never wavered. She let out a little chuckle and shook her head. "Nothing ominous. I merely wanted to welcome you two back and to... catch up. Come, we can talk in my quarters." She stood up gracefully from her throne and gestured towards the hallways leading to her chambers.
This did nothing to alleviate their wariness, but after only sharing a concerned look, the two of them followed Elisif to her room.
The Queen quickly ushered them inside her quarters and motioned towards a set of large armchairs by the fireplace. The room was almost eerily quiet, as opposed to the constant mutterings and footsteps echoing through the rest of the Palace.
Elisif promptly shut the door behind them before she joined them by the chairs. She still wore her polite smile, but there was definitely something unnerving about it. It was painfully obvious that there was more to this invitation than 'catching up'.
"Why do I have a bad feeling every time I'm told to come here?" Bishop smirked at her, but there was a palpable edge to his words. He was getting impatient, watching Elisif's obviously fake smile when this was clearly something serious.
Elisif's smile fell after his words, as if she was too tired to keep up the façade. "This is the only place in the Palace where I can have some privacy," she sighed. "Everywhere else, there's staff and loitering nobles, snooping for every little piece of gossip."
"Why do you need to talk to us privately?" Aeyrin frowned at her.
"There's a matter that we need to discuss," Elisif nodded at her, before suddenly, her expression turned oddly pleading. "I realize that your last visit here went... poorly. I just... we understand each other, don't we? I know that Skyrim needs the Dragonborn. There is no denying this threat. Just last week, a dragon attacked Katla's farm, right outside our gates. It killed Katla and a little boy there. And all their stock."
"Oh," Aeyrin nodded, but she could not hide the disappointment from her voice. She should have expected this, although she didn't really understand why this needed to be discussed privately. "You need that dragon killed."
"No." Much to Aeyrin's surprise, Elisif waved her hand dismissively. "It flew off. It doesn't seem to be... nesting in this area, fortunately. We haven't seen it since. All I was trying to say is... you know that I am aware of how much you're needed. And... I firmly believe that we cannot risk your life when so much is at stake."
"The fuck's going on?" Bishop scowled at Elisif. She was still dancing around whatever it was that she wanted to actually say.
"Nothing. Yet," Elisif almost sounded nervous as she uttered those words. "It's just... the General is always trying to think about more and more 'tools' to use in the war and the death counts are rising so fast. Even if it meant tilting the scales in the Empire's favor, it is not worth the risk if we all could just get killed by dragons after."
"Your majesty, I know that you don't want to force me to join the Legion," Aeyrin nodded at her. They'd talked about that a long time ago and Elisif had made it very clear that Tullius's attempts at luring Aeyrin to the battlefront were not to her liking. She clearly desperately wanted someone who could kill the dragons on her side. In a way, it was refreshing that someone took the threat seriously. Ulfric certainly didn't seem to, even with all that he knew now. But then again, it only kept reminding Aeyrin just how much everyone relied on her to... fix this. What if she couldn't? She didn't even know what to do about Alduin, not really. It wasn't really something that she was eager to dwell on now. "But why did you call us here? What do you need?" she tried to steer the conversation back on point.
"I don't need anything. I'm trying to help you," Elisif shook her head briskly, earning a curious look from the both of them. "Things have... not been going well. Ulfric is steadily gaining more and more followers. Rich ones, with a lot of funds. He always had trouble luring the nobles to his cause, but not lately. And the General is doing anything that he can think of to get the upper hand. He has... he has decided to invoke forced conscription," she let out a tired sigh and pressed the tips of her fingers against her forehead. Clearly this was not something that she was thrilled about.
"Wait... what do you mean? He can force people to join the Legion?" Aeyrin gaped at her in shock. How could that even be possible?
"Not yet," Elisif answered. "It has been something that he had been trying to gain permission for quite a while, but only recently, after seeing how much the Stormcloaks are growing in power, the High Chancellor allowed it. Once all the proceedings are done, the Legion will be able to conscript any able-bodied man or woman on the Empire's territory in Skyrim."
"Wouldn't that just drive more men to Ulfric?" Aeyrin looked at her with concern. It was an abhorrent tactic at best, but would it even be effective?
"Yes, that is what I'm worried about," Elisif sighed. "I think that Tullius realizes that too, which is why everything is kept secret for now. I am uncertain about how he will proceed, but he is a capable strategist. I am sure that he is not planning on raiding villages and dragging people from their dinner tables."
Aeyrin scowled at the notion, but she was still uncertain why Elisif was even sharing this with them. She said that she was trying to help them. Did that mean...?
"When you say 'anyone on the Empire's territory'," Bishop frowned, "you mean travelers too? So anyone passing through your Holds can get 'conscripted'?"
"Yes," the Queen sighed. "You see where this is going. I suspect that the General would use this opportunity to conscript anyone that he wanted. Including you."
Oh... that was why she was telling them.
"You're saying that we need to stay away from half of the province?" Aeyrin stared at her in shock. That was impossible. They couldn't do that. They had just gained some more freedom in their travels with Mercer's influence waning, and now they would have to worry about the Legion instead? Just the thought of that made the back of her neck burn furiously.
"No!" Elisif exclaimed quickly. "Divines, no. Please, don't do that. I have a solution to this."
Aeyrin managed to calm herself a bit at her words, but it was still all too unnerving. And they needed a solution for the both of them. She had no doubt that Tullius would happily conscript Bishop if only to blackmail her to join voluntarily too.
"I have managed to negotiate an agreement with Tullius," Elisif's smile finally returned to her face. She even looked a bit proud. "I know that, while he cares more about his battles, he is well aware of how much we need funds and noble support. If they thought that they would be in danger of getting dragged to battle... they would likely rather support Ulfric. We cannot afford for that to happen. So, Tullius has signed an agreement that prevents him from conscripting legal citizens of all the major cities in our Holds."
That was a bit of a relief. Although it just sounded horrifyingly unfair to the villagers in the area. At least people wouldn't be dragged from cities by scores though. And it did ease Aeyrin's mind even more about their role in this.
"I'm a citizen of Whiterun," she beamed. She was officially made one when she was given her title. She was also a citizen of the Rift, probably. Nobody had told her, but it must have worked the same. Although that was hardly important, with the area being under Stormcloak control.
"Whiterun is still neutral," Elisif shook her head and Aeyrin's smile instantly wavered. She tended to forget about that, but she instantly remembered that even Thalmor were not allowed to enter its border to conduct their business. This didn't bode well.
"I don't think I'm even a citizen anywhere," Bishop chuckled. It was very likely. If he was somehow, by some miracle, officially recognized as a citizen when he was born, that was surely stripped with the banishments. He was sure that his family never entered Cyrodiil legally and he certainly didn't come back to Skyrim through the proper border passes.
"Please don't say things like that in front of me," Elisif sighed at him. That was likely a bureaucratic nightmare that she didn't even want to think about. "In any case, none of it matters. I told you, I have a solution."
The Queen's face got decorated by a smile again and she rose from her seat. She turned on her heel briskly and headed towards her bed. Both Aeyrin and Bishop already suspected that she was going to pull out some documents from her night table. It seemed to hold plenty of secrets.
"Ah, shit. You're gonna get another title," Bishop smirked at Aeyrin while they waited. It was getting rather ridiculous, but it definitely was a good solution to keep Aeyrin from Tullius's grasp. That fucker would surely stop at nothing to get his new 'weapon' for his army. This would keep that dog leashed.
Aeyrin gave him an uncomfortable grimace in return. It certainly sounded like it. And while it was comforting to be spared Tullius's schemes, all these titles were just making her feel strange. Especially now. She couldn't help but remember Iona. Was this some very convincingly subtle attempt at another espionage? If there was another housecarl involved, they would have to be so careful. And none of it would still help protect Bishop from the Legion.
"It's an option," Elisif nodded at them with her head still turned while she rummaged in her nightstand. "The best one, in my opinion. It would save us all a lot of trouble. But let me explain first."
It felt no longer like that exciting of a prospect now. When Aeyrin was named thane in Whiterun, she was beyond excited about having a house to rest in with no need to splurge on an inn. A place to return to and to keep more precious things in for safekeeping. And she thought that it would make Skyrim feel more like home. It definitely did at that, but it was soon obvious that it was more like staying with a friend. The house never really felt like theirs, it was much more Lydia's. But that didn't matter. She was more excited about getting another friend in Riften, even if the house was supposed to be temporary. But that did not exactly turn out as expected either. Now she didn't really feel excited about it at all. It would just be a house for a potential spy. Although, she should probably just be happy that she would have an official way to shield her from Tullius's insane ideas.
"So," Elisif finally found the rolled-up parchment that she had been looking for and she made her way back to her seat by the fire. "I've been thinking about this for a while. I don't exactly know whether the General is planning to try and recruit you, but I suspect as much. So, as a gesture of goodwill, I have saved a house deed. Otherwise it would have been sold by now. Everybody is clamoring to live in Solitude and I wanted to take care of this without the assistance of any of the jarls. Who knows whether they wouldn't... uhm... never mind," she shook her head briskly before she beamed another smile at them. Neither of them were sure whether it was genuine or whether it was an attempt to mask whatever unpleasantness she had on her mind. "In any case, I have saved this in order to offer it to you. You could buy it and become citizens of Solitude that way, but," she paused, and instead of continuing, she passed Aeyrin the rolled up parchment.
Aeyrin curiously took the paper from her hands and began to unroll it. How much could a house in Solitude cost? The one in Riften was rather cheap, but it was very discounted due to her title. And she wouldn't even have money for something like that now. Anything in the capitol must have been significantly...
Then, her eyes quickly scanned the writing until they landed on the price.
"Forty-five thousand?!" Aeyrin gasped. That was insane. She had never seen that much money at once in her life.
"What kind of house is this?" Bishop's brows shot up at Elisif. No small shack by the docks would cost this much, would it?
"It's... bigger, I suppose. It was the only house available this entire time," Elisif shrugged noncommittally. "I guess that means that you don't have the money?"
"Not in a hundred Eras," Aeyrin shook her head briskly. It was a bit lower than Thorn's bounty, but she doubted that there was anyone else in Skyrim with a price on their head this high. And if there was, it was probably not a good idea to try and go after them even for that kind of money. Not again.
"That's alright. That's good," Elisif smiled. 'Good'? "You mentioned the title already. I won't pretend that it wouldn't be politically beneficial to me. People have... doubts about your allegiances. They are worried that we have driven you out of Solitude, so to speak. Because of... last time," she sighed. "And then, when a dragon attacks, they claim that they are due compensation, because the city's leadership is preventing you from saving them."
Aeyrin cringed at that. It was true that she may have stayed away from Solitude a bit more adamantly than she normally would, but still, she couldn't be there all the time. What if accepting the title would only make them expect her assistance more? She would be so much happier if she didn't have to deal with the titles again. They never brought anything good in the long run. Except for Lydia, probably.
And how much would that house cost even with the title anyway? She barely had a thousand drakes saved up and Bishop didn't have any more than that either.
"What would that mean?" she asked Elisif quietly. Her uncertainty about this must have been apparent.
"Well, since one of my thanes has been... stripped of his title, some time ago, as you likely recall, there is a room for a new thane in my court. I know that you're familiar with this role. It is... a political tactic on my part. On your part, you get the house for free, and a way to avoid the conscription, if it comes to that. You may add anyone else's name to the deed too, of course," the Queen nodded towards Bishop knowingly. She likely expected Tullius to use Bishop too. It was a relief that she had thought about this.
"I still had to pay for a house in Riften," Aeyrin mumbled, mostly to herself. She was a bit surprised that something so expensive would just be given to her, for nothing. Were the political implications of this really that significant? Maybe Ulfric was right. This did go over her head.
"Ah. Well... it's... a custom, not a law," Elisif gave her a sympathetic smile. "The title of a thane is awarded to those who contribute to the Hold's well-being. Usually, the nobles qualify because they donate money to our causes or they develop trade. But when a thane is named for protecting the Hold, it is something of a tradition to gift them a place in the city. As thanks and to ensure continued protection. The other thanes, the nobles, mostly get rewarded with a place at court and a voice in the Hold's affairs, since they usually already live in the cities. But all of that is merely a custom. And Jarl Law-Giver is perhaps more..."
"Greedy and corrupt?" Bishop smirked at Elisif.
"I did not say that," Elisif raised her finger in a strange warning gesture, but she didn't say anything to refute the claim. It was hardly surprising. Aeyrin was the one who even asked for a house in Riften in the first place. She probably just decided to milk the opportunity for everything that it was worth. Spies and money both.
"Alright," Aeyrin nodded. Whatever the title and the inevitable housecarl meant, it was at least good to have this help against Tullius's tactics. They would just need to be careful in that house, it was no big deal. "Thank you for doing this. I accept," she smiled at Elisif.
"Ah... it's... not that simple," Elisif gave her a regretful smile in return. "I cannot have Tullius suspect my intentions, otherwise he would accuse me of... well of doing exactly what I am doing, but the people might not be so excited about me keeping you away from the war. I need this to be kept a secret, and I need it to be justifiable."
"Didn't we kill a dragon here? And a whole dungeon full of insane witches?" Bishop scoffed at Elisif. That was plenty 'justifiable', especially considering what happened to Aeyrin after that dragon fight.
"Yes. But that was a long time ago. If I gave you a title for it now, it would look... suspect. But there's a perfect way to make this all work, don't worry," Elisif smiles.
Somehow, that was worrisome.
"You need help with something?" Aeyrin looked at her curiously. It was probably not a dragon – Elisif had mentioned that the last one near Solitude was nowhere to be found now. And anything other than a dragon sounded interesting to her.
"Yes. It's a concerning thing, but not immediately pressing, fortunately. A month ago, some strange things began happening in the city's catacombs. Dead rising, odd sounds. Luckily, it's contained to the catacombs. The city doesn't have many men to spare, as you well know, and the few I sent in never returned. If you would be willing, looking into this problem would certainly warrant the title. And it would help me personally a lot. The priests have been getting impatient."
Bishop and Aeyrin shared a brief look. Battling undead was certainly not something new to them and it sounded simple enough. The Solitude catacombs were likely not nearly as large or dangerous as any Nordic barrow that they had braved in the past. And if this would keep Tullius on his leash, it certainly sounded worth it. Besides, both of them were rather curious what a house worth forty-five thousand septims looked like.
"We can look into it," Aeyrin smiled back at the Queen.
"Excellent. I'm sure that this will all work out for the best for all of us," Elisif beamed. She looked considerably relieved. Maybe she needed to convince the people of their 'allegiance' much more urgently than she let on. "I will just get you an official permission to enter the catacombs. They run below the city, all the way down the cliff. You will need the priests' keys to get inside and then to get out through the exit by the docks."
The entire cliff? That sounded bigger than they had expected. But still... probably not as bad as ancient barrows.
The house would be interesting to see, even if it would just practically belong to whatever housecarl would be brought there. And Bishop was kind of looking forward to some action in the catacombs. Already, the few moments they stayed in Solitude were only riddled with stupid politics and the Legion's schemes. And they haven't even dealt with the paladins yet. That was definitely going to be worse.
But hopefully, Aeyrin was really not planning to attend that ball and they could spend their time in the city on more pleasant things. Like spiced wine and comfortable beds.
They were supposed to be having fun after all.