Balgruuf the Great Chapter 24 preview (Patreon)

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Irileth/Endarion

She moved in speeds she never thought her legs could achieve as she jumped up and caught the incoming fireball with her body. She growled, her own will stifling the scream that was threatening to leave her mouth as she engulfed herself in magicka-fuelled flame. The battlemage's eyes widened slightly, surprised at her throwing herself to protect her lord. The surprise turned to fury as the battlemage's hands then emitted a visible chill and from it, an icy spike spewed forth.

Irileth steeled herself as the spike flew closer and closer. No amount of preparation was enough however as the Dunmer felt a sharp pain pierce through her muscles and skin. A low groan was uttered from her lips as the ice spike embedded itself in her. Her vision threatened to give way under her as she felt her energy and body heat fizzle away as a deep set frost spread through her blood. There was another icy crack as another spike was launched and Irileth could see the spike aimed right between her eyes.

Her life momentarily flashed as the spike drew closer. Her last thoughts were of Balgruuf and the happy times they had together, from him first rescuing her and to their most intimate moments. She whispered an apology under her breath, fully expecting death, as the ice spike...broke into pieces before it hit her. Irileth blinked as she wondered what in Oblivion happened. It was then she registered the other battlemage who had finally stood, his hands glowing a blue hue. A ward, Irileth realized, as she registered a magicka constructed shield in front of her. The traitorous battlemage cried out, "No!", as he saw the ward on her. He pulled back, preparing to throw down another spell but before he could, he was thrown down as masses of legionnaires tackled him down on the ground. A burlier legionnaire firmly held the mage in place while two more held his hands down.

Her breathing became hitched as she finally allowed herself to loosen a little and it was getting difficult to focus when there was a Divine's damned spike in her spike. She found herself an empty chair to sit on, content to let Balgruuf march forward and restore order as he cried out for guards to bring the assassin to the cells. A minute later, the doors to the meeting room sprung open and six guardsmen lead by a purple-robed woman strode in. She was a mage, Irileth realized, as she recognized the robes she wore. Glancing at the other guardsmen, she saw one holding a pair of manacles that emitted a certain glow that ticked her wrong.

The mage strode forward and knelt right next to the restrained man. "You have been a very, very naughty one," she tutted. The battlemage replied with a glare. Humphing, the mage stood up and motioned to the manacles. "My lord, magicka draining manacles at your leisure."

"Thank you," said Balgruuf before turning to the men. "Take this mage away," The legionnaires stood aside as one of the guardsmen bound the man. The mage's eyes widened and yelled out another loud "No! Don't!"

"Save it later for the headsman, traitor," the same guard grunted as he brought the mage up. As they were about to move out, the other mage from earlier strode forward, presenting his hands. "Please, take me away as well."

A bushy brow rose from Balgruuf's face. "I do not imprison those that help save my life, legionnaire."

A pleading look came on his face. "Please, my lord. I am responsible for this young fool. I cannot be away from him." Balgruuf stared at him before nodding at his strange request. The mage was then similarly bound and were led away. An awkward silence descended as Balgruuf realized that many of his fellow veterans were now staring at him.

"So uh," he coughed. "Who wants to join the army?"

Slowly, the assembled men and women rose their hands.

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Silence permeated in the room save for the flickering of the torches outside their shared cell. Endarion had expected a dark and dank hole where they'd be swimming in their filth for days but unexpectedly, it was warm and dry with two straw beds for them to sleep and a bucket to do their business in, not that they had to since they were thrown inside a few hours ago. 

Endarion found it a rather acceptable cell as it had at least kept them out of the bitter Skyrim cold. 

If only the one sharing his cell realized that. 

Their illusions had fizzled out a while ago, the magicka draining manacles helping accelerate that. It was quite an amusing sight to see the guards jump up in surprise when the two imperials suddenly turned into tall and fair Altmer. Thankfully, their disguises had held up long enough that they were just about to be thrown into their cells. If they say were exposed in the hallways, more people would have seen what had happened. 

His niece had said absolutely nothing to him ever since they were thrown inside the cell. She had sat in her corner, nursing a look of absolute betrayal at him. Endarion sighed, leaning back against his side of the wall as his mind recalled the hectic incident hours ago. 

The stupid girl actually went ahead to do it, trying to kill that Nordic Tribune. That man was lucky that he was there to ward some of his niece's attacks. He should have put his foot down a long time ago.  

"Why?" she whispered, her voice laced with hurt. "Why did you do that?" 

The elderly Altmer sighed once more. "Niece, did you not realize what might happen if you murdered that man?" 

"Father would be avenged!" the girl raged. "Your brother would be avenged! Uncle, why did you shield that...that...murderer!" 

At the mention of his brother, Endarion's inner emotions were tormented. Of course, he understand trying to play nice with the new...order but it still stung Endarion that they all had to endure the Thalmor's excesses. He set thoughts of his brother aside for now, focusing his attention back onto his niece. 

"My Lady," Endarion began, his tone making his niece stand a bit straighter. She recognized that voice as he only really used it on her when she was about to do something stupid, or had done something stupid. "The Nords will not let us leave this city nor Skyrim alive if you succeeded in that murder. Furthermore, the Empire and the Summerset Isles cannot have another fuse to light another war, not this time." 

"Why would it start a war? He's not the son of their Emperor," she dismissed. Endarion's lips went thin. 

"If you paid attention, he's the heir to one of Skyrim's biggest holds. He too is a hero here, if you spent time talking with the locals instead of looking down at them, literally and figuratively," said Endarion. "It will give the Nords and by extension, the Empire even more reasons to sound the drums of war." 

"If you didn't want me to wring his damned neck, why did you even let me leave our home?" she complained. Endarion sat silently, thinking how to make it. He only did so as the Isles was...tense to say the least. With the Dominion failing to actually win in the mainland and suffering extensive casualties in the Redguard's domain, certain voices who had long since been suppressed were starting to ask questions. And from that, the new overseers of their homeland were tightening their grip. 

The last purges had rid the Isles, not Alinor as he would never utter their treachery, of its most prominent voices and his family now found their fellows thining day by day. If there was to be a new purge, he would make sure that at least members of the blood wouldn't get caught in it. 

"To see the rest of Dawn's Beauty? Is there really a bigger reason to not see it?" Endarion offered. His niece's face scrunged in disbelief. 

"I have seen nothing but misery, burnt husks, and squalor since we came here," deadpanned his niece. She shook her head as the familiar fury returned. "But forget that, we were here on a mission of honor! We-" 

Her complaints were soon drowned out as a heavy wooden door was pushed open and the familiar clinking of armor marching on stone filtered through his ears. Endarion indicated his niece to be silent and the girl did so but the fury never left her eyes. She leaned back, content to let the air around her be as moody like her. Endarion on the other hand cleared his throat and made himself look as presentable as possible as three Nords and a Dunmer from earlier came to view. The first two were guards, their armor and spears and cloaks indicating as such. The Dunmer was just like his niece, fury incarnate. He noticed her glaring at his niece and she in turn glared back. His attention was best left for the last Nord. 

"Mae l'ovannen," the Nord greeted them. "Man i eneth lîn?"

Endarion rose an eyebrow in confusion. "What?" 

The Nord shook his head, clearly amused at something, what it was, Endarion did not know. "Secret joke, you wouldn't get it." He then cleared his throat as he then continued. "Anyway, I would like to know why two High Elves are here in Whiterun and tried to roast me alive. So, why?" 

"In fairness sake, it was my niece who tried to do that, not me. And do not forget I saved your life, my Lord. If I wasn't there, you would have been burned alive," haruumphed Endarion, to the protests of his niece and the amused expression of the Nord. "I am Endarion and this is my idiot niece, Elaesse. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Balgruuf." 

"A pleasure, Endarion," the Nord greeted, with surprising cheer. Endarion cheered. The Nord was surprisingly taking everything in stride despite the fact that he was about to be turned to a crisp a few hours ago. "Now with that out of the way, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Of course, of course," Endarion replied. "What do you wish to know?"

"Which Divine do you two believe in the most?" asked the man, curiosity in his voice. 

"We revere Auri'el, alongside many other gods," Endarion answered, confused as to where the Nord was going with this questioning. 

"I see," Balgruuf nodded, as if he just learned a great and kept secret. "Good to know. Our Priest of Arkay usually sends people off in His name, but I think he'll make an exception with your Auri'el." 

Elaesse responded to this declaration by growling at the Nord but Endarion saw the fear in her eyes. Endarion on the other hand sighed. He stood up from his straw bed and rose to his full height, his chains clinking as he moved. He strode forward and stopped by the cell doors. Balgruuf stood unperturbed while the dunmer and the guards tensed. 

"Halt where you stand, Altmer," the dunmer hissed, her hand gripping her saber. 

"Irileth," Balgruuf said haltingly. Endarion took notice of the glances shared by the two and something unspoken went. A second later, the dunmer sighed and retreated back, adopting a neutral stance. This, Endarion would remember. 

Balgruuf turned to the guards who all retreated back then back to Endarion, his face expectant. 

"Lord Balgruuf, I know I have no right to ask this of you but may we speak privately?" Endarion requested. 

"I think not," Balgruuf replied. Endarion shrugged his shoulders. It was worth a try. 

"I must ask for your secrecy, then. Consider it a dying mer's request?" he asked. 

"Uncle!" his niece cried out. 

Balgruuf nodded, motioning him to continue. 

"If something were to happen to us, many powerful people would be rather upset," Endarion explained, ignoring the protests of his niece. Endarion paused for a bit, thinking whether or not to continue but they didn't exactly have a choice if they wanted their heads attached. Of course, they could always break out. Both he and his niece were powerful sorcerers in their own right but he'd rather not fight an entire city by themselves. Many of his fellow elves thought they could fight the weakened Empire but all they got from it was a bloody nose and the world of men continuing to bloody them further in Hammerfell. And so, Endarion produced from his pockets a ring. Its shone like the sun and on it was a spread-winged eagle whose feathered breast was a deep and dark ruby and whose eyes had a sheen emerald green in one and a pure white gem in the other. 

As a mere steward to their house, Endarion had a lesser ring but it was still beautiful nonetheless. The Nords glanced at his ring and their eyes lit up in amazement, even Balgruuf was entranced by it. The Ring, a symbol of their House, not only preserved political power but real and tangible power that granted him and his niece an excess pool of magicka to lay waste upon whoever they wished, give their bodies higher vitality as well as allowing them to recover from fatigue even faster. 

Balgruuf turned his attention back from the ring then to Endarion who continued to speak. "If you kill us, my lord, then you and your house will face not only the wrath of mine but the shared wrath of ancient lineages and new powers who have grown strong. At this time, both our houses and our people can ill-afford another wound." 

Endarion hoped that warning could at least convince the Nord to stay off the idea of cutting their heads or at least the head of his niece. He wasn't important in the grand scheme of things. His niece on the other hand, a direct descendant, could not afford to lose her head in a place like this. 

"I cannot let you go so easily, as you are aware. Your niece did try to kill me," Balgruuf pointed out, his eyes darting from the ring towards Elaesse. 

"How about this then, hm?" Endarion offered, his mind thinking quickly. "Something worth your while,"

Balgruuf bid Endarion to continue. "Go on,"

"Knowledge is power and it has been many years since the Isles and Tamriel has spoken directly. While we are aware of the Empire's capabilities, the Empire cannot say the same with the Isles. And so, I offer this to you. My niece and I shall become exiles under your protection and in exchange, I offer you...everything."

"Everything?" asked Balgruuf. The elf looked up and stared directly into Balgruuf's soul.

"Yes. As Steward and as well as being my brother's confidant, himself a ranking member of the Thalmor, I have access to many secrets. Spare my niece and I shall give you and the Empire everything. Troop numbers, manufacturing centers, battle-plans, strategies, current and future plots. Anything and everything you want to know about...Alinor, I offer to you and the Empire," Endarion offered plainly and succinctly. 

He was more than aware of the fact that while the Thalmor knew much about the Empire, from where the members of the Blades were to what time the Emperor himself took a shit, the Empire knew next to nothing about the true state of the Dominion. And from what he knew, and he did know many, many things, he knew of the value what he had inside his mind. All of it for the price of sparing his niece. Speaking of his niece, the girl was nursing a look of absolute shock and betrayal. 

A sacrifice he had to make, since had just offered to sell out the Dominion. But then again, he did not particularly enjoy the ones leading the Isles currently. 

"Why do this? Why betray the secrets of your people" Balgruuf questioned, honest curiosity in his voice. 

Endarion snorted.

"My people? The Altmer have lost their minds ever since the Oblivion Crisis, my lord. The ones that rule my homeland are without family, without children, without Gods. Traditions, Families, the Divines build nations, not dogma nor feverish adherence. They may have revived the Dominion but in doing so, they have destroyed Valenwood, Elswyr, and The Summerset Isles." As he spoke, he began to pace around the cell. 

He remembered coming home, after witnessing a miracle in Cyrodiil, and saw his homeland being twisted and moved around by black-and-gold robed maniacs. Of their lies, their murdering of good Altmer who challenged them for it. 

He stopped pacing, and returned back to eyeing Balgruuf, sheer disgust in his voice. "Of my sacred Isles, the Thalmor has made into black and gold robed zealots. From what once was the homeland of poets and musicians, of artists and soldiers, the Thalmor has made a nation of schizophrenics and megalomaniacs, engulfed in a bloodthirsty fever that would see all of Tamriel unmade." His voice, which had been so far speaking with diction and explanatory, became muddled as the Altmer's expression grew tired and weary, and as he spoke next, he did not bother to hide the deep sadness and melancholy of a mer that has seen everything he held dear corrupted and lost.

"The Altmer have stopped being my people, a long, long time ago."

He sighed and in a second, returned the joviality that was in his voice. "So, tell me, my lord. Do you accept my offer?"

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Losing a homeland. That was something Irileth could sympathize with. When the Red Mountain erupted with all its fury, Morrowind was swallowed in a tide of ash and lava. The Dunmer by all points was broken. The False Tribunal was lost, the Argonians invaded to make her people pay for the decades of suffering they had undergone, and more. While she could sympathize with the Altmer, she still could not find it in herself to just let the mer go with the fact that his niece literally tried to assassinate Balgruuf and judging from the look on her face, she still wanted to. 

The nerve of this Altmer to come in and make demands. But then again, what were Altmer but arrogant and haughty worms? 

"You present a pretty picture, Lord Endarion," Balgruuf began slowly. "It is true that you offer me and the Empire something that is quite valuable and for that, I have further questions." 

"Ask away. I'm not going anywhere," said Endarion, motioning to the cell he and his niece were in. Balgruuf cleared his throat. 

"You do realize I am still yet a petty lordling due to inherit my father's throne? I don't even know if I nor my father have the sufficient authority to make a deal such as this," Balgruuf said, uncertainty in his voice. "And even then, there's still the fact that your niece still looks like she wants to murder me. Not exactly giving me much incentive to let you out but still have your charge want my head on her wall." 

"To answer your question, my lord, let us both not pretend that your Hold will not rise in importance soon. We have been following you since Cyrodiil and I have seen and heard your exploits in Markarth," explained Endarion. 

"Wait," interrupted Balgruuf. "You've been following us since Cyrodiil?" 

Endarion blinked. "Yes..?"

"So it was you and your niece that convinced the goblins at that mountain pass to ambush us," Balgruuf said in amazement. A grin formed in his face as he turned to her. She frowned at his haughty look and rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe the oaf still remembered everything from that day. 

"I told you they were out to get us!" celebrated Balgruuf. Irileth grit her teeth as the man began to laugh. From inside he cell, Endarion watched on in confusion. Shaking his head, Balgruuf calmed down as he turned his attention back to Endarion. "Now look here, you offer me something very valuable, Lord Endarion, and I know for a fact that the Empire would appreciate that knowledge of yours. However, it is you that we need and not exactly your niece. What's stopping me from simply letting you go and cut down your niece where she stands? Trying to murder me is a offense that cannot be ignored." 

Endarion smiled. "Then I will gladly go down in a blaze of glory, avenging her death. You will gain nothing but two dead Altmer, a ruined city, and the chance to learn about the Thalmor and the Dominion will forever be lost. This is my offer, my lord. Insights into the inner working of the Dominion, for the fair price of my niece's life." 

"And her trying to take my own? Are we to simply brush that aside?" Balgruuf asked. 

"Well. Sacrifices have to be made, my lord," Endarion said sadly. "If you take my offer, I betray my people for my niece. If you don't, you betray your Empire by denying it a chance to get one over the Dominion." 

The Altmer drove a hard bargain. And the bastard knew it. 

"I will have to dicuss this with my father," Balgruuf decided after a moment to think in silence. "Until then, stay put in your cells." 

Endarion shrugged his shoulders as he went back to his straw bed, humming. "Take your time. As I said, my niece and I aren't going anywhere." 

And with that, Balgruuf turned and Irileth went after him. As they neared to ascend the stairs, she turned back to the cell and found the Altmer girl ranting at her uncle who nursed a bored expression. Feeling that he was being watched, Endarion locked eyes with Irileth and blinked playfully at her. Irileth growled and stomped off, joining after Balgruuf.

 "You aren't seriously considering accepting his deal do you?" she found herself blurting out as soon as they left the dungeon. Balgruuf was just climbing the steps that lead into the main hall when she asked her question. Momentarily, he turned back to her.

"I...I don't know, Iri," Balgruuf admitted with a sigh. "That right golden prick is offering me and the Empire something good and he knows it."

She nodded in agreement. "It's true, as much as it distates me to agree with him. Even my old guild struggles to get useful information out of the Dominion." 

And that fact was true. The Thalmor and the Dominion was certainly tight-lipped and trying to do anything in their territory ranged from difficult to impossible. 

"What do you intend to do now, Balgruuf?" Irileth asked her lord and lover. He ran a hand through his golden hair, his eyebrows furrowed. "As I said, I don't know. A part of me wants vengeance, that mer put a spike in you and also tried to kill me. But the other part of me tells me to be pragmatic and accept the deal. After all, she failed spectacularly. Speaking of which, how are you feeling?" 

Her eyes widened as Balgruuf walked closer, his nordic blues eyes trailing across her body with concern. Smiling nervously, she held up her hands to push the Nord away. "I am fine, my lord! I've healed myself earlier." As much as it surprised her that Balgruuf would ask about it know, she wasn't going to deny that she felt her warm as her lover looked over her with those blue eyes of his. 

He was, in her inbiased opinion, rather cute, being so concerned about her. 

But a part of her felt ashamed for she had even allowed the thing to happen on her watch. She prided herself on her skills in skulldudgery and intrigue. Plots were meant to be stopped even before it happen. To let it happen was gross incompetence in here eyes. And for that, she felt dirty to be recieve such concern from Balgruuf.

 "My lord?" she called to him. 

"Yes?"

 "I'm sorry," she apologized.

"What for?" Balgruuf asked, confused.

"An attempt was made on your life. I should have detected before it could happen. I...failed you," Irileth gritted out, the buried feeling of shame clawing its way out of her. She was supposed to be his shadow damn it and some Altmer chit threw a damn fireball at him. She had sworn to protect him and the mere fact that it had happened meant she had failed him.

She blinked as a warm feeling was wrapped around her. it was then she realized that Balgruuf was hugging her. For a second, she was locked in his embrace. Then, he pulled back, to her quiet disappointment. He did however kept his hands on her shoulders and he was looking directly into his eyes.

"Hey, listen," Balgruuf spoke softly. "No one could have expected that to happen so don't punish yourself too much. You have done well protecting me, Irileth."

"Are you not angry at me?" Irileth whispered softly.

"And why should I be?" he laughed. "You did your task in shielding me, did you not? Not a single scratch is on me and in my books, you did well. No, Irileth, I am not angry at you." He then pulled her into another warm embrace and whispered into her ears five words that started a fire inside of Irileth, a fire that would burn brightly as long as she would live. Three words that would make anyone from the lowest peasant to the highest king more loved than any other.

"I am proud of you,"

And like that, the dam broke as Irileth wrapped her arms around Balgruuf and hugged him as tightly as she could. "I s-swear, my lord. You w-will never fear n-nor find yourself under danger e-ever again, I swear it!" sobbed the Dunmer as she cried into Balgruuf's shoulder.

"I never doubted that nor you, Iri," Balgruuf whispered. For what felt like an eternity, they were locked in each others embrace before Balgruuf eventually pulled out. As he did, Irileth whispered, "I love you," Balgruuf grinned at her. "I love you too, my murderous little Dunmeri softie,"

An offended look came on her face. "I am not murderous! I am employed, being murderous is a sickness of the mind! And how dare you insult my honor, my lord. I am never, ever soft on anyone nor on you!" she yelled, but there was little heat to it.

"Of course, of course," Balgruuf laughed. "As much as I would love to trade barbs with you, we must report to the Jarl about our new guests." 

"As you command, my lord," Irileth whispered, smiling to herself as Balgruuf continued to walk. 

And sure enough, the Jarl was there on his throne, a silent look of fury on him.The great hall was empty of visitors save for the court which was only filled by his housecarl, his Steward and his wife. He lifted his head as Irileth and Balgruuf approached. If this was an Imperial or Breton court, Irileth would have to perform a long mannered address to follow some protocol. Nord courts on the other hand were fast, straightforward, and only required a salute at most. This is one of the many things she was quickly appreciating in Skyrim. Her musings would have to wait however as the Jarl spoke up.

"What did you find?" questioned Jarl Heorot.

"Those two 'Imperials' the guards subdued turned out to be Altmer using illusion magic to disguise themselves," Balgruuf revealed, earning a gasp from his mother and narrowed eyes from the men. "Uncle and niece respectively. The niece wants my head as I had been responsible for the death of her father, the other one being Hrongar respectively."

"I want their heads off their miserable shoulders, immediately," barked Heorot. "No one threatens the life of my son and gets away with it."

"I agree with that sentiment, father," Balgruuf chimed in. "But there are complications. Those two Altmer aren't ordinary Altmer but important ones. Judging by the ring the uncle wore, I would say he is fairly high up and so is his niece."

"Are they...royalty?" his mother asked slowly.

"I...I don't know," Balgruuf answered with some hesitation. "It's been so long since we've had contact with the Summerset Isles properly. Last I heard and read, the Dominion has been steadily purging its society against mer that are standing against the New Order that rules there. And the Thalmor aren't exactly picky when it comes to their targets. They claim to stand for Altmer tradition but they are rather quick to execute many members of the Altmer royalty, the very symbols of Altmer tradition."

Irileth nodded, recalling back to her days in the Morag Tong. They had received many, many reports regarding murderous black and gold robed Altmer targeting their fellow Altmer from High Rock to Cyrodiil. The Tong did not involve itself with that, since its business wasn't with the Thalmor. But then the Thalmor started targeting Dunmer living in their territories, some of whom were great assets to their guild.

"And so what?" Heorot spat. "Are we going to let this be simply because their fathers wore crowns? My son, they attempted to assassinate you."

"To be fair, it was the niece that tried to kill me. The other Altmer did save my life, father. And Irileth's too," Balgruuf answered. "Father, we can simply cut off her head right here and now but I think we can use this to our advantage."

Jarl Heorot stared at his son as if he grew a second head. "How exactly?"

"As I said, the Altmer was fairly high up. And in exchange for the life of his niece, he is willing to betray deep secrets of the Thalmor and the Dominion to us," revelaed Balgruuf, earning interested looks from the court. "He was the Steward to his brother, a high-ranking member of the Thalmor, and he knows their secrets. The Empire has been straining to get information out of the Summertset Isles for a long time and this is quite possibly a golden opportunity for us to know more of what goes behind the borders of the Dominion." 

"And he is willing to do all that in exchange for sparing the girl that tried to kill you?" Aeschere surmised. 

Balgruuf nodded. The Jarl sank back to his throne, his expression grim. At his side, his wife held his arm, worry clear in her eyes. The Jarl smiled briefly as they locked eyes then, he sighed as he whispered something to her. Wealtheow frowned as Heorot pulled back and she turned to her son. 

"Even if we accept this information, how are we going to use it? We are not the Imperial family. We may be a powerful Hold but your father is a vassal to the High King and in time, so shall you. What use is this to us?" Wealtheow pointed out. 

"Mother, surely you realize that White-Gold Concordant is simply a truce, not an end to hostilities between us and the Dominion," reasoned Balgruuf. "And so, we must take preperations for the next Great War, that which I fear will happen in my lifetime. Even now, we must be ready. If Endarion's offer holds true then we will surely gain a decisive edge over the Dominion when war comes."

 Irileth had to agree, knowing that the stipulations in the treaty was going to be a point of contention sometime in the future. 

"I agree with your reasoning, my son," Wealtheow nodded. "But we aren't the Imperial Family. We do not control the Empire. How can we best gain from this?

"Perhaps Whiterun should ask concessions?" suggested Wiglaf who had remained silent all this time.  

"But what sort of concessions?" said Aeschere, turning to the Jarl. "Lower taxes? Greater autonomy? Treasure or pricless artifacts?" 

"The possibilities are endless, if and only if we accept Endarion's offer," Balgruuf spoke up. "It would also be good to inform the High King about this as if we act without his knowledge, we would be seen as overreaching our boundaries." 

"That is true," said Jarl Heorot. "But my son, what do you think we must do? I for one still want justice but with the facts presented, I am inclined to let the Altmer have his niece. You on the other hand are the offended party."

"I admit, I am feeling vengeful against that Altmer but temporary satisfaction is not worth it if the long-term goals will achieve better rewards," said Balgruuf, stroking his chin. "I think...we should accept the deal." 

Irileth could agree with that sentiment. Nightblades like her valued patience and pragmatism, but that still remained one crucial detail and she'd be damned if she would let that fact slide. "But what of his niece? I doubt she would let bygones be bygones, my lord. What is to be done to her?" 

"Imprisoning her within our confines is an option, son," suggested Jarl Heorot. "We put these two close where we can monitor them. After all, they will not be able to go anywhere if we let them be as this Endarion would have to uphold his end of the bargain." 

"That is true," nodded Aeschere. "Letting her close and having an eye on her would no doubt deter her from trying to do more." 

"So this is simply imprisonment with extra steps?" asked Balgruuf. 

"In a way, I suppose," Jarl Heorot said with finality. "So, we shall take this elf and spare the chit?" 

Balgruuf nodded. 

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A/N: And here's the next chapter. I swear trying to find Altmer stuff is impossible and I feel I may have gotten some things wrong. If there is such wrong things, do tell me. 

So, what do ya'll think?

Edit 1: I looked into the chapter and found it a bit lacking. I've added these new parts and I hope it is to your enjoyment. What do ya'll think?

Edit 2: A revised chapter, with Thanatos's insight in mind. What do ya'll think?