Balgruuf the Great, Chapter 20 (Patreon)

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Balgruuf

At this point, there was nothing else left but to return home. There were some final agreements, just a signing of things and organizing a system of deliveries as well as swearing in an oath of friendship between Markarth and Whiterun.

"You will always find yourself welcome in Markarth, my lords," Jarl Igmund said warmly to father and I, a smile on his face. Behind us, the troops were packing up their stuff and getting into marching formation.

We nodded, turned around, and gave the order for the army to march.

It was going to be a difficult trip to get back to Whiterun, the army having to transport both wounded and the first round of payment from Markarth. Furthermore, the putting down of the rebellion was still fresh and it was possible that some Reachmen, who had already declared themselves Forsworn, would raid us along the way. But at that point, it wasn't Whiterun's problem anymore and all we had to do was keep our guard up as we went home.

We weren't alone however and seeing as we were essentially going the same way, Ulfric and his lads were marching alongside us. For the entire trip, Ulfric was rather silent, and rode separately from us. That was concerning to me as I saw that the man was deep in thought. That concern I hid with a mask of impassiveness but Irileth saw it through.

"You're troubled," Irileth whispered, her body pressed against mine. We had stopped to set up camp, and was just one day away from Whiterun. Just one more night then we were home. As soon as I had my tent set up, Irileth and I resumed our vigorous private life.

With the war no longer a concern, we were free to go at it like a bunch of rabbits.

"I am," I sighed, bringing the elf deeper into my arms. The nightblade glanced up, red eyes glinting.

"What's the problem, Balgruuf?" asked Irileth, concern laced in her voice. In public, she was a taciturn woman. In private, she did not hesitate to let her real emotions out.

It was rather cute, in my opinion.

"It's the Jarling from Windhelm, Ulfric," I answered honestly. I saw no reason to veil my words when I was with her. I trusted her and she trusted me. There was no room for double-meaning in our private life. "He's young, his blood is hot, and he is prone to act first before thinking. I fear that he will start something drastic, not now maybe, but in the future. You saw how he acted in his demand for his Hold."

Irileth nodded. "The restoration of Talos Worship,"

"How he failed to see the repercussions of such a thing, I don't know. It's more than likely than left to his own devices, he'd start something drastic," I confessed. I did worry that Ulfric would be the instrument to start some new shit. Markarth may have been resolved for the time being but there was still a massive timetable for new shit to happen, and eventually, the return of Alduin and the rise of the Last Dragonborn.

"Then, do you need him eliminated?" asked Irileth, her eyes narrowed into slits.

I thought about it for a second. Having Ulfric out of the picture was going to do wonders for my brain. But there was also the fact that someone else could literally just replace Ulfric as the next instigator for trouble. If I removed Ulfric, I would remove a known threat and have to deal with a unknown one.

Finally, I decided. "No, don't. It will remove a potential source of instability but we'd have to consider other unknown threats. At least with Ulfric alive, we can keep tabs on the man."

"Why not remove him? He will be a threat to you, no?" Irileth questioned, an eyebrow raised.

"Because removing him will not solve the problem. Instability will simply just arise from somewhere and from someone else. It could be a religious revolt led by a zealot or some other trouble. There are other ways than murder to make people see your way." I reasoned. I wasn't so confident as I said that though and Irileth frowned at me. I glanced at my lover and saw that she wanted to say something, but shook her head.

"If that is your wish, Balgruuf." she sighed. Her eyes went wide as I brought her to a kiss. When I pulled back, I smiled at her. "Look, I'm not going to be stubborn in this alright? Let's just discuss that at another time and if the time is right, you can go eliminate him in whatever method you desire,"

Cutely, my little murder hobo of a lover pouted. "Hmph,"

The next morning, we both awoke early and ate breakfast together. It was a wonderful meal, courtesy to the camp cooks. Eggs fried in oil and bacon crisp and crunchy. Enjoyed with flatbread, butter, wedges of goat cheese. We feasted though Irileth's ate less than me. I was munching on my food when I felt a presence approach me. 

I turned and saw Ulfric approach, Galmar trailing behind him. Both men were carrying plates in their hands. "Lord Balgruuf, may we join you?"

I saw no reason to refuse. "Of course, come and join us,"

With that, Ulfric and Galmar took their seats next to me. I spied their plate and found a full carnivorous breakfast. Flatbread, per usual, accompanied by fat sausages, bacon, pieces of salted salmon and plenty of cheese. As a breakfast enthusiast, I nodded at their choices.

We ate first in silence, enjoying the bounty we all had, before Ulfric started to speak. "I have been thinking, since our last conversation, Lord Balgruuf,"

"Oh?" I asked, my head perking up in interest.

As if tasting a sour grape, Ulfric cringed. "Attempting to restore the worship of Talos at this moment of time is...unwise. It is a stain on the honor of our people and honor, but with the threat of the Elves on us and the war having sapped our strength, I see we must bide our time."

I released a inner sigh I didn't know I was holding.

"I have seen now, that what we need is to rebuild and grow and strength, so that we will not only have our revenge, but also overpower the elves." Ulfric continued, less sour than before.

I smiled. "That is correct, my lord. It will be hard to stomach but I assure you, we will have our due. The Empire will reward us for our sacrifice, that I am sure of."

Ulfric on the other hand remained impassive. "That I have yet to see, Lord Balgruuf. The Empire hasn't done anything yet to deserve our silence. At this point, we can trust no on else but ourselves,"

As Ulfric said that, a lump formed in my throat and a sense of dread grew in my stomach. "The Empire's legions did not reclaim Markarth, the armies of Whiterun, Windhelm, and the remnants of Markarth's Nords did. I have done some thinking on the matter, my lord, and I have seen that Skyrim can only count on itself and its leaders to protect its interests,"

I leaned slightly forward, my attention focused solely on Ulfric. "I warn you my lord, some might view that line of thinking as treasonous." 

There was a tight crunch as Galmar bit into his bread. His eyes on the other hand were narrowed. Next to me, Irileth's hand silently drifted to the saber under the table. Noiselessly, I planted my hand on her leg, urging her to stop. 

Ulfric frowned. "I do not intend nor wish to commit treason, my lord. My faith in the Empire is shaken, but it is not shattered. There had been times in our history that the Empire has failed its people, but only through the efforts of its servants had the Empire triumphed and those that served it rewarded. That I see now, my lord."

Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward, eyes meeting mine. "What we need is a leader, to lead us through this time, and when the time comes, to bring us victory. Skyrim has always been the hammer that forged the destiny of Tamriel. Our ancestors marched south to free Cyrodiil from the tyrant Ayeleids. Talos, not yet a God, marched south and brought forth an era of peace and prosperity. I do not fail to see why we cannot do so again."

I raised an eyebrow. "And who will lead this new age, my lord, you?"

Surprisingly, he shook his head. He sat back and snacked on his flatbread. "Then who?"

"You, my lord," 

I blinked.

What?

"When the Moot is convened, and when we are Jarl, I intend to elect you to be our High King, my lord," Ulfric stated as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

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A/N: And so here's the new update. What do ya'll think?