Balgruuf the Great chapter 25 preview (Patreon)

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Balgruuf 

My eyes opened at the crow of the roosters. The warmth I had felt during the night was gone. A part of me was disappointed as I was looking forward to waking up to her at my side but it was mitigated by my understanding of our places in life. She was as much my lover as my Housecarl. She had duties and so did I. Judging by the tidiness of her side of the bed, she probably woke up even earlier than me, myself a early riser.

Dressing up, I pushed open the doors of my room and walked out into the hallway where two guardsmen patrolled. Upon seeing me, they saluted.

"Good morning Svolod, Henryk," I greeted them. Both men were roughly the same age, the difference was Henryk was the typical Nordic blonde while Svolod had brown hair.

"Good morning, my lord," Henryk greeted me. "Lady Irileth told me to inform you that she is currently patrolling and searching Dragonsreach for any irregularities. Once she is finished, you will know.

I nodded. "I see. And you, kinsmen, how are things?"

"Same shit, different day, my lord," Svolod answered, the bags under his eyes telling me what I needed to know. Many lords would have balked at the familiarity and camaraderie I shared with my guards, calling it inappropriate or something. The thing with Nordic culture however was that it wasn't big on formality and these two men were the guards assigned to protect my room. I had to trust these men with working with Irileth to protect me. If I was distant to these guys, I couldn't ensure their loyalty.

"Keep up the good work, kinsmen." I praised them. "Tell your children I wished them my greetings."

They nodded and saluted, small smiles on their faces. I saluted back and made my way to the Great Porch. While the Great Hall was where everyone could sit down and have a meal, the Great Porch was where we could eat our meals privately as a family. The Dragonsreach that I was walking in was way bigger and meaner than what the game could offer and there were many things here that was otherwise not there in Todd Howard's favourite child. Briefly, my mind wondered on what was present in the game that was also present here when I felt a shadow materialize at my side.

"My lord," Irileth greeted me.

"Irileth," I greeted her. "How goes the patrol?"

"Satisfactory," she gave her curt reply. "The usual security measures have been modified to deal with the recent...incident. The Court Mage has been busy at work constructing new security measures and improving old ones. The next time someone decides to perform another attempt, they will be observed before they can even attempt it."

In the end, it was decided that the whole someone tried to off me thing was kept as a secret. For one, it would destabilize the already shaky peace of the White Gold Concordant. The Jarls would demand blood, much like my father had. Furthermore, having angry mobs attempt to lynch my assassin was counter-productive with keeping Endarion's information on hand. It was fortunate that the manner of assassination was made so that we could spin it however we want.

It was easy.

Too easy.

"You know, you are looking unconcerned for someone that had ice shoved in them," I remarked, eyeing her side that was poked by that ice stick Elaesse tossed.

"I spent months in a Thalmor prison. What pain I felt is nothing to what I had to live through," Irileth said, failing to keep the anger from her voice leaking. Seeing her persona crack, she forced herself to calm down.

My expression fell, remembering the state I found her in. Bloodied, beaten, and looking like meals were a luxury to her. I forced myself to calm down, reciting the mantra of "Not Now, Later. Not now, Later" inside my head. It was tempting to bisect the Altmer inside of Dragonsreach, if only to let them realize how much suffering they had given us. But if Endarion was true to his word and had something we could use then in the future, next war would begin on our terms.

"Do you understand why they are still breathing and not a head on a pike?"

Irileth grimaced. "I recognize the need to tolerate them, if only for their supposed gifts."

"And we will see how the value of those gifts. I think it's high time the Redguards gain a new...perspective in the war."

Endarion had promised a mountain in exchange for his niece. Honestly, if he pulled through with what he promised then this would be a windfall for the Empire. Of course, we needed some assurances first from the guy before we would devote resources for their protection. A test would have to be done first, to see if the two were actually worth keeping. Two letters were written, one for the Blue Palace and the other for Castle Dour. In it, it was a request to for the two to send two trusted representatives to look over a matter of extreme importance. All worded to be as innocuous as possible and delivered to Solitude by Wiglaf, Father's housecarl. The other night, it was discussed about having a small escort go with him but it was decided against. The more plain the delivery, the less attention we would get.

"What is strange, my lord," Irileth swiveled. "You were rather calm during the whole thing, treating it as a minor inconvenience. Some of our old veterans there are calling you the Fearless."

Ah.

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I've nearly died, on many occasions. I suppose I've gotten over the sensation of it." Not mentioning the fact that I've had a truck run over me. Once I went through something, it was rather difficult to be excited or afraid of it. Like dying, for instance.

Plus, leaders were supposed to maintain an air of control and dignity, no matter what. I wasn't going to hyperventilate and lose my mind right in front of the people I wanted as officers in my army. I recall the time watching a documentary of Prince Charles nearly getting assassinated by a dude with a gun and the man only looked mildly annoyed at the attempt and when he was taken away, he continued on the event he was in as if nothing had happened.

I yelped as I felt a sharp pain in my side. "Don't die! Your Hold still needs you," growled Irileth.

"I won't, I won't. I promise," I swore to her.

She rolled her eyes as we passed through an open room and ascended another flight of stairs. Climbing up, there was a threshold that led to the Great Porch, the massive open courtyard behind Dragonsreach that gave a great view of Whiterun Plains and beyond. The clear morning air of Skyrim was fair and also brought with it the smell of fresh food. On a great oak dining table was an assortment of plates holding food. There was bread, freshly baked from the castle ovens. Thick butter, sweet sticky honey, and clear cream was there to pair the bread with. If not, there were jams made of blueberries, snowberries, or juniper berries if one desired it so. If potatoes was what we craved, it was also available. Potatoes roasted with butter, garlic, and cheese was there, slices of green onion sprinkled all over them. To accompany it, I could see sour cream waiting to be consumed. Then there were plates containing rashers of bacon, fried to perfection. Cold cuts of ham and sausage links was also there and of course, slices of eidar and goat cheese ripe for consumption.

"Ah, Balgruuf! Come, eat!" greeted my father, already sat in his usual place at the head of the table. He wasn't alone however, his housecarl was chowing down in his plate at a separate and smaller table while Mother was also in her usual place, enjoying a bowl of oatmeal with an assortment of fruits with it. Father's plate I saw was heavily carnivorous. I nodded, feeling my stomach growl at the sight of the great bounty in front of me. Irileth and I made our way to our usual spots, said a quick prayer, then wolfed down on the great food.

"Someone's hungry," mother commented.

"He should be, he is a growing boy after all," guffawed my father. I rolled my eyes as I swallowed down my food.

"Laugh at my expense, why don't you?" I muttered as I reached for another roll of bread. The Dragonsreach kitchen staff were a formidable and premier crew, I internally praised. The bacon was amazing, crispy to the bite. The bread was thick and hearty, as what Nord bread usually was. While the Bretons were culinary gourmands, I found that the Nordic style of baking filled me more than what the Bretons were doing.

"Speaking of growing, there is also something else that grown men must do, Balgruuf," began father, his voice becoming much more business-like. "You must now take the next step to your manhood and marry."

And just like that, the pleasantness I felt in the morning vanished. From her seat, mother nursed a worried expression. And from her table, Irileth tensed for a second before falling back to her mask.

Father had spoken to me about marriage before, but sparingly. Something must have pushed him to finally breach about it more passionately to me. Like say, an assassination attempt.

"Must we really start this discussion, so early in the morning, my love?" Mother asked. Father snorted as he chowed down then swallowed his bread.

"Balgruuf is a man on his own right, yet he is unmarried. I will soon abdicate in his favour and the people will have their expectations. A married Jarl with children will soothe their anxieties than a unmarried one without children," he declared. He then turned to me, his face serious. "Before I became Jarl, I had married your mother and spent many days and nights doing my duty. It was a mighty battle, but something she and I en-"

"I don't think I need to know about that, father," I coughed, feeling my cheeks redden to his laughter and mother sighing in her seat.

"But seriously now, you must marry," father said seriously, his humor gone. "Your mother and I have drawn up candidates, they are ladies of sufficient station and ones that will also be of benefit to Whiterun."

"Can this wait? I do not think the city is that eager to see me marry. And if its the issue of heirs, Hrongar is married and has a child. I do not have to rush," I pointed out.

"Hrongar is not with us, still adventuring," Father argued. "Already, courtiers have noticed his absence and look to you to father children. Lydia, she is part of our family but she is my niece. They look to my firstborn, you, for guidance. Not my second born while you are still alive."

Inwardly, I sucked in a breath. I knew this conversation was going to keep on going and going. I could delay but in the end, I had to do what must done.

For Whiterun, I choked.

"Who are the candidates?" I forced out. From her seat, I could sense Irileth digging her nails into the table, to the confusion of Wiglaf seated across her.

Beaming, father excitedly turned to mother. "Dear, tell him would you?"

Sighing, mother first took in a spoonful of her oatmeal before speaking. "Let us first finish our breakfast, my love, then Balgruuf and I shall discuss this."

"Very well. But I must have an answer soon or you and I will enter Sovngarde without seeing our grandchildren's fat faces first."

And so, we sat and ate in silence. The food I was eating was rapidly losing its luster. Rather difficult to focus on eating when there was a very real possibility that Irileth and I would no longer be seeing each other.

"I do not like it," Mother began. I looked up from poking the bread in my plate to her. Father had done so as well, giving her a raised eyebrow. "You do not like what, Wealhtheow?"

The blonde woman set her spoon down, her lips marred with a frown. "The elves, they came out of nowhere and nearly murdered our son. And instead of extracting justice from the two, they still live! It's...baffling that you are going along with this, Heorot. I thought you'd go and get our just due for Balgruuf."

From his chair, Heorot sighed as he closed his eyes. Opening them again, all humor that was signature to him was lost. "Wealhtheow, understand this. I am furious at these elves just as much as you do and every single fiber of my being demands me to send them to Arkay as fast as possible. But, that Endarion is offering us, the Empire, priceless information for the life of his niece. It seems the value he has on that girl is so great, he is willing to betray his people for it."

"Though my expressions say otherwise, I am pretty bloody furious," I added, not bothering to stifle the thoughts of overseeing a purge of Thalmor mages. "But I think humoring the Altmer and seeing their offer is what we should do. If not, well, what's one more soul for Arkay?"

Much later, the table was cleared as servants erected a series of portraits of varying sizes on the table. There were three of them, each with the image of beautiful women. Mother stood next to me, explaining the choices present.

"We've had many offers come in for you, my son," started mother, darting towards the table. "We've shortlisted those your father and I deemed appropriate while the rest was discarded. The ones you see on the table now are those we approve of.

"And they are?"

She cleared her throat as she pointed towards the grandest portrait. On it was a depiction of a black-haired woman clad in a dark-colored dress whose features I could best describe as soft and angelic. Her lips were a clear red and but her eyes...she had clearest blue I had ever seen. Melancholic and mysterious was how best I could describe it.

"She is Lady Lucia Valerian, the second daughter of Julius Valerian, a prominent landowner in the Nibenay Basin and a high-ranking member of the Empire East Trading Company. He has many relations in the Imperial City, notably to Armaund Motierre, a member of the Elder Council."

I raised an eyebrow at that. A member of the Elder Council? Last I recalled, half had managed to stay with the Emperor when he evacuated the Imperial City during the war while some went missing or were murdered by the Thalmor. If I chose this girl, I would be able to get some connections in the Imperial City, not that I didn't have any. The old general I served with I maintained contact with and he himself had friends in the Imperial City as well, not mentioning the other bonds I had forged during the war.

"The others?" I continued, eyeing the different portraits. The next one surprisingly was a Dunmer woman, like Irileth. She however had black hair and had nobler features compared to my Nightblade. In her portrait, she wore a dark red dress that gave an excellent view of neck and chest. Her expression however carried with it a certain haughtiness.

"Nedolara Indarys, eldest daughter to the Count of Cheydinhal. They are members of the House Hlaalu and currently taking residence in the Imperial City," informed mother. I outwardly grimaced, remembering that Cheydinhal wasn't exactly in the best shape at the moment. It was ravaged by the Oblivion Crisis, rebuilt then ravaged again when the Dominion invaded. The city itself was being ravaged by chaos and strife as bandits and other nasties basically fought in the streets for control of the city. Hell, the only city that wasn't in chaos or tearing itself apart was Bruma.

"Why Cheydinhal? It's ravaged by the war," I pointed out. "It's also tearing itself apart. If I married her, my prospective father-in-law would request assistance in reclaiming and cleaning his city."

"Ah..." said mother. "We allowed this for their connections to House Hlaalu as well her being the daughter of the Count of Cheydinhal."

"Have we received any offers from Bruma? Marrying into a Cyrodiilic house at the moment carries its downsides. They have nothing to offer us that we don't already have," I argued.

"Then should we cross out offers from Cyrodiil?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Not really. We can still discuss about it in detail. I'm not choosing now after all." I finished. Mother nodded as we moved on to the next portrait.

I whistled.

With brown hair and bright green eyes, the next woman was someone that tickled something in me. A martial air was around her and in her black and green outfit, it was rather difficult for me to keep my eyes off her portrait.

"Cecilia Tullius, the daughter of Romaine Tullius, himself a prominent landowner in Cyrodiil." revealed mother. "He has connections with the Imperial Legion, with many relations serving as officers."

When I was Cyrodiil, I hadn't really had the chance to meet good ol Tully. Hrongar and I lead cavalry and our tactics meant we had to move around welcoming the elves like Viking Mongols. The only time that we actually moved with the bigger armies was during the Battle of the Red Ring. And from there, it was a fucking nightmare trying to keep our bearings due to the scale of the conflict.

Cecilia...Cecilia...I tested inwardly. I rather liked the name. I felt myself favor this woman. She had the looks though he personality, I had yet to know. As for her family, I had no idea if she was directly related to General Tullius or was a cousin to him.

"What do we know about the Tullius family?" I asked my mother. She hummed, considering my question.

"They are a martial family, with a long history of serving the Empire as soldiers or officers for the legion." she then answered. I nodded, listening along. I wondered briefly as to why such good offers were being sent my way then I realized, Cyrodiil won't exactly be swimming with good choices as of the moment. And by securing a match outside the province, they would have somewhere to count on if things went terrible in the south.

As much as I found myself favoring her, I wasn't going to make my choice now. I was only going to see what was available then ponder on who was best for the Hold and me.

"That was the extent of offers we've gotten from Cyrodiil, the ones worthy for you at least." declared mother as she clapped her hands and the servants went forward to replace the portraits with two newer ones. I scanned the first one.

I knew her.

"Really? Helga?" I said with a raised eyebrow as I turned back to my mother.

"She is the niece to the current Jarl of Falkreath and is unmarried. Why not consider marrying her?" mother said with a confused expression.

"Last I spoke with her, she was still in mourning for her husband," I said, remembering the conversation I had with her before Freydis interrupted us. "I doubt she is thinking about marrying someone so soon."

"Balgruuf," Mother spoke flatly. "She was the one who approached us first, with the blessing of her uncle."

Ah.

Well. I suppose I should feel flattered. Helga herself wasn't exactly bad to look out, no, she was a blonde bombshell of a woman, with great assets to appreciate. Her personality, I couldn't really get a read on since we've only interacted a few times and our conversations didn't really allow me to get a read into her real personality.

I cleared my throat. "Well, I feel flattered and I'll make sure to keep her offer in consideration. Can we move on, please?"

Wealhtheow nodded and gestured to the next portrait. The woman in the portrait looked strangely familiar. Then, there was the fact that in the portrait, the background looked suspiciously like Windhelm.

"Sylvja Stormcloak, youngest daughter of Hoag Stormcloak."

Hearing her last name, I inwardly protested that there was no such lady in the game. Then I remembered, this was the real breathing world that the game couldn't fully capture. Who knew what surprises lay in store for me? And so, I had to swallow that protest inside as I considered on this girl.

Stormcloak.

Windhelm.

Already, I could see the advantage available to me if I chose this woman. For one, being related to Ulfric by blood meant that he couldn't be able to act against me if war came. But, there also meant that if Civil War would happen, I would have to support Ulfric. That is, if civil war came. Unless Ulfric was bullshitting me when we shared a meal, the guy was set in supporting me if and when I would send in my candidacy for the eventual Moot.

Besides, the lady herself wasn't terrible looking either.

"These are the choices present to you, Balgruuf." Mother regaled. Straightening her posture, she offered me a look. "Have you made your decision?"

Honestly speaking, Helga, Cecilia, and Sylvja were the choices I favored. Having a relation outside of Skyrim was going to be difficult to stomach especially with the fact that Cyrodiil was and is still on fire. The situation there would improve as the years go on but I'd rather not spend my time there defending my partner's home while mine needed to be improved on. But then again, I still needed to think about it.

"I'll be thinking about it," I answered honestly. "This is a big decision to take and I'm in no hurry."

She smiled in understanding. "Of course, son. Take your time, but not too long or your father will be cross."

"For Whiterun," I sighed.

From behind me, Irileth clenched her fists.

I left the Great Porch soon, my mood sour from the exchange. Behind me, Irileth followed quietly, her expression hidden underneath her hood. We passed by a few servants who greeted me as I passed. I returned the greeting though my cheer to them was lacking. I needed something, anything to distract me as of the moment.

"Lord Balgruuf!" greeted aloud a woman. I blinked, looking to where the voice came from when I found myself looking into the bright green eyes of Dragonsreach's Court Mage, Lira Traventine. She was tall, for a Breton. Her hair was brown and long, braided with a purple ornament. Green was her eye color, emeralds if I had to describe them. Her garment wasn't anything special, just a purple variant of what Farengar wore in the game.

"Lira," I greeted her, stopping in my tracks. She wasn't alone however, as what looked like a younger Nord clad in brown Mage's robes stood patiently behind her carrying a stack of leather bound books. He was hooded so I couldn't exactly see his hair but I could see his face well enough.

Recognition dawned on me.

"Farengar?" I blurted out loud. Amusement broke out in Lira's face as Farengar looked up, surprise in his eyes.

"You know me, my lord?" he asked. Tittering, Lira gave a pat on his shoulder. "A Jarling knows you, Farengar. Don't let that get over your head, alright?"

Underneath his hood, Farengar grimaced. Smiling at him, Lira then turned to me. "A pleasant morning, my lord. Considering recent events, I found it prudent to check Dragonsreach's magical defenses and have installed a little system for our future benefit."

"A system? Do tell," I asked, interested.

"I have instituted a series of wards that will alert me as soon as someone of sufficient magicka enters the castle grounds. If some damned fool thinks they can enter my domain and use magic to assassinate someone, I will be there to greet them," she said with a gleam. 

"I...I see," I nodded along, having no idea what she was talking about. Magic was still baffling to me even back when I was playing Skyrim and not living in it. I played as a Vanilla mage, then tried spicing it up with mods, but I still couldn't quite grasp it. I was a simple man that liked hammers. But then, I remembered the orc that easily man-handled me like a ragdoll.

I was good, I daresay, in my own martial skills. But Tamriel played host to things that was simply beyond hammers and swords. And besides, better to have it and not need it than needing it and not having it.

"Lira," I began.

"Yes, my lord?"

"I have some questions regarding magic. I'd like to know your input, as you are the Court Mage," I said. The gleam in her eyes brightened as she straightened up, excitement on her face.

"Of course, ask away!" Lira said with enthusiasm.

"Say if I were to learn magic, as a warrior, what should you recommend where I start?" I asked. Lira hummed, eyeing me up and down with an appraising look before answering.

"Compared to what many Nords think, learning magic isn't simply reading dusty old tomes and tossing your stave at something and expecting an outcome. It is a multi-faceted process of learning different disciplines. Restoration, for example, isn't just tossing your hand at someone and healing them immediately. It also itself requires an understanding of the body of the patient and finding what and where is wrong to  properly heal them. You don't want to accidentally grow a tumor inside of your patient now." explained Lira, her tone turning from excitement to lecturing. Clearing her throat, she continued. "But to answer your question, my lord, a warrior learning magic isn't unheard of. I would recommend studying Restoration, to heal yourself of grievous wounds while in combat and also granting you a weapon just in case you need to fight creatures of the night. Enchanting too, I would recommend, for the mere fact that you can take an ordinary sword and grant it the ability to cut through metal quickly while setting someone on fire."

"What about Alteration?" I asked. Lira hummed again, considering my question.

"Alteration is a viable study but the school itself takes a lot of magicka. We'd have to test your magicka levels to see how long you last before you are finished," she answered.

"So, why the sudden interest in magic, my lord? Are you interested in learning?" prodded the mage.

I nodded. "I am, recent experiences in the battlefield have convinced me of the necessity."

The brown-haired woman beamed. "Oh wonderful! I would be more than happy to tutor you, my lord. I must add however, I can only offer you a generalized learning. Further specialization can be done in the College of Winterhold," she ended with a much more serious look.

"I don't mind," I shook my head. "I can always hire a tutor to expand what you teach me, Lira."

"Of course. When would you like to begin?"

I thought about my schedule. Today, I was going to deal with some trivial matters and visit Endarion for a conversation. Tomorrow on the other hand...

"Today, I am quite busy but there is a window for me to do so tomorrow. I am going to have to schedule this so that we may meet regularly. The weekends are the days I am freer the most however,"

"Excellent," clapped Lira as she turned to the encumbered Nord next to her. "I will see to it we will meet. Farengar will be there as well and can help you start. His studies have advanced well enough that he can assist filling you in the basics. Isn't that right, Farengar?"

"O-f course, m-my lord," struggled the Nord, his hands shaking from straining from the books.

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"Welcome to my humble abode, my lord," Endarion greeted me, his expression jovial as he stood from behind his desk to welcome my entrance. Glancing down his table, there was a opened notebook whose pages were full of writing scribbling written down on it. His table itself was the very definition of ordered chaos, with maps, charts, instruments and others all haphazardly scattered yet quite ordered in a sense.

"Lord Endarion. You've been busy," I noted as a strode in, eyeing the mess on his table. The Altmer shrugged.

"I am working quite literally for my niece's freedom. Of course I would be working hard," he declared with full confidence. Despite that, I saw the exhaustion in his eyes.

"Take a seat," I ordered as I myself availed to an empty seat in his room while Irileth took position next to me. He nodded and promptly returned to whatever he was writing. I watched in fascination as he wrote with the speed of a man on a mission yet his penmanship was stellar as all hell.

Fucking elves.

"Now, how may I assist you, my lord?" Endarion asked, briefly stopping from writing to look at me.

The guy was afforded a room in Dragonsreach and was told to prepare something decent for when the Empire would send someone to take a measure of the mer. Judging by the stacks already neatly organized in a corner, he had taken it to heart.

"I am here to see what you have to offer," I announced my intention. He hummed as he put forward the notebook he was writing on and turned it to me. I glanced down and took note of his godly penmanship and what he had written there. It the usual of what you'd read. Troop numbers, their commanders, from where they got their supplies from and how. All in all, a useful overview that savvy Redguard commanders could use however they saw fit.

It was decided that to truly test Endarion's info was to put it into practice. While we could start with exposing the Empire's traitors, there was still an active war in Hammerfell. With four more years of war, it was ripe for testing the Dominion.

Idly, I flipped through a page, expecting the usual information.

I blinked.

I looked up at Endarion to see if he was joking but all traces of humor and joviality was gone.

"Are you in fact, fucking with me right now?" I asked with no small amount of pleading.

"A vulgar way of putting it but I am quite 'not fucking with you', my lord," Endarion replied with a shake of his head. "I am quite serious."

I gulped, glancing back at the page. He had written it down in a manner that read like it came from a paper written by our enemies.

"...our enemies show a remarkable resilience to our offensives. To ensure total compliance and easing in the restoration of land to its rightful owners, it is highly recommended that the Redguards be taken into organized camps where they be sterilized. Only those who show total and utter subservience to the Dominion will be allowed the privilege of siring children," I read aloud, horror and disgust coiling inside of me. I pushed the notebook a little bit to let Irileth read and her eyes widened with each word she read.

"It is one of the many proposals that were passed around, after the Redguards submit," Endarion supplied, striking a Gendo pose on his desk. "It too was a popular proposal for the Empire if it had been totally defeated. The difference between Elven and Human birthrates are staggering after all. The Thalmor recognized that men would always outproduce the elves and so, something had to be done with it."

"This is total insanity, how in Oblivion could they even consider this?" Irileth said with disbelief. I knew for a fact that the Thalmor were bastards but to this extent? I snapped up when I heard Endarion laugh. It was then I realized it was full of mirth.

"Oh, my sweet Nordic lord, there is more to this than you know," chuckled Endarion. "This is by far, a tame thing to the other plans of the Thalmor leadership."

"Tame?" challenged Irileth. He looked up at her and nodded.

"Quite. Now, have you ever wondered why the Dominion ordered its troops to be as destructive and murderous as possible in Cyrodiil?" the former Steward began. I leaned back on my chair, pondering his words.

"To deny the Empire of its infrastructure, to crack our capabilities to wage war, and instill terror in the heart of the populace," I answered.

"A sound reasoning, something that the troops would be willing to do, it is war after all," nodded Endarion. "The Thalmor wanted a quick war, to instill fear in Cyrodiil as to convince what was initially believed a weak-willed Emperor to surrender his Empire. Obviously, it failed and once it became apparent that the Empire wasn't going to surrender anytime soon, it was decided that despoiling the land would serve our purposes even better than pushing for a final victory."

I understood the logic behind that. If they couldn't have it and the Empire would reclaim it, they were going to leave behind a ruin. But there was something that was unmentioned, something that Endarion wanted to say but hadn't.

"There's something you still haven't said yet, Endarion," I began to slowly. "What exactly do you want to say?"

Endarion glanced at me and closed his eyes, sucking in a breath. Then, he opened them. His expression was haunting. "The Thalmor," he drawled. "They used to be quite small, you know? Did you know that it used to mean a Council of Elders? The wisest and best of the High Elves? Now...if only our forefathers could see what has happened to the Isles now and the madness that has gripped them. You see, my lord, the Thalmor have been pushing for the superiority of the High Elves over the other races,"

"And have you subscribed to this belief?"

He snorted. "I do not need to preach something which is already fact, Nord."

At my side, Irileth gripped the handle of her saber, a growl on her lips. Endarion however ignored her as he continued. "As I was saying, the Thalmor preached that, among other things. One of which was the belief that in Aldmeris past, we were Gods once, tricked out of our immortality by Lorkhan the Deceiver. The Thalmor seek to reverse that, by any means necessary."

My heart stilled.

"And how do they wish to achieve that?" I asked, already knowing the answers.

"How well do you know of the Towers, my lord?" Endarion suddenly asked. I thought of them, remembering that their original purpose was to keep the world afloat or something. But I wanted to see what Endarion had to say. Seeing my silence, Endarion answered for me.

"The original purpose of the Towers is to ensure that our plane of existence, Mundus, remains stabilized. The Thalmor believe that by destroying the Towers, the glue which keeps Mundus together is broken apart, resulting in..."

"Existence ending," Irileth finished, true horror in her eyes.

"And returning the Altmer to what it once were, gods," Endarion finished.

Silence gripped the room, the only sound audible being the wind from outside Endarion's room.

The Thalmor were insane, that I knew of. But to fully grasp their insanity, and told to me by an Altmer no less added a sense of existential dread that I did not need. Looking into Endarion, I saw an Altmer that was also quite terrified. Honestly, seeing a scared Altmer, one of the longest living races in Tamriel and quite powerful themselves scared was a mood whiplash. It was then I felt that Endarion should be given a chance since the guy fucking spilled the beans to what the Thalmor really wanted in everything.

"Who knows about this?" I questioned.

"Only high-ranking members of the Inner Council are entirely aware of the Grand Plan, as they call it," sniffed Endarion. "If this sort of thing was revealed, the Thalmor would be overthrown. That is why they are changing the Summerset Isles, slowly and patiently, to ease ordinary Altmer to accept this insanity as logic. First, they removed the more obvious decriers to the Thalmor, then pruned the garden slowly and slowly until only they ruled my homeland."

He sighed once more, a defeated look on his face. "I knew I had to do something. This plan of theirs...it is insane. It is heretical. It is...incomprehensible. I had lost many old friends and family to them. My brother who first joined out of playing nice with them was fully convinced of their plans, hence his energy in Cyrodiil. And now, they are trying to consume my niece. That, I cannot and will not allow," He ended with a determined look.

"I suppose I should congratulate you for your dedication to family," I offered. "Though, you do realize that the stunt she pulled could have ended with both of you dead?"

Endarion grimaced. "Oh I am aware. It was a gamble, to go all so willingly into the camp of a man whose moniker is "Elfsbane". Experience however has told me that things which are visible don't entirely tell the whole story. For one, how could a man named "Elfsbane" have a Dark Elf, a Dunmer, as his sworn-sword?"

"Mhm," I mouthed. "Why didn't you approach the Empire directly with this? I'm sure they would have more to give you than I could. Whiterun is a regional power but we are not the Empire, our interests are elsewhere."

"I could have wandered into the Imperial City and gave all this information and more directly but then, I would have to bump shoulders with men whose allegiances are flexible and whose mouths tend to wag," Endarion explained, pulling back the notebook from Irileth. The Dunmer growled but Endarion ignored her once more. "You are a perfect intermediate, high enough that the Empire would listen to you and low enough to pass over the Thalmor's notice. And please, do not insult my intelligence. Whiterun is rising, I have seen it myself. There too are whispers of good King Istlod hearing the call of your Sovngarde soon and an election of a new High King."

"The Moot," I said, refusing to acknowledge his barb at my position. "And how sure are you that I am considering to put my name there?"

From his seat, he smirked. "I made no mention of you becoming High King, only you did. Wow, I had no idea you had such strong ambition."

Wow.

Bastard.

"I will cheer you on, no matter. You'd make a decent King than that atrocious babe, Torygg," he said haughtily.

"How generous of you," I drawled, my arms crossed. "And what's in this for you?"

"Tamrielic policies bore me. You are rather unrefined for my tastes," looked down Endarion. "As I said, my only interest is to keep my niece out of harms way and uphold my end of the bargain. If you do become High King and wish for the advice of learned mer, I might be generous and offer it to you."

Dickhead.

"So, is there more do you wish of me or are you here to gawk?" Endarion asked, erstwhile taking up his quill. I thought of some more questions but found myself sick, of the things I had learned and of the Altmer seated across me.

"I'll pass for a different date. Focus on giving more useful information and we'll uphold the end of our deal," I said as I stood up, my wind a whirl.

"Of course. I shall horrify you later then," Endarion quipped.

Cunt.

+++

I collapsed on my bed, exhaustion claiming every inch of my body. I turned on my back and stared into the wooden ceiling of my room. The rest of the day had been a listless existence to me as my mind refused to forget the conversation Endarion and I had. 

"Give us something useful first and your niece goes free," I had told him as I led him out. The fucker went ahead and gave me the shit he had said earlier. I suppose he is what he says he is and means it. Not all Altmer were into the whole "Let's Unmake Mundus" plan, the Night of the Green fire proved that, where the Thalmor tried to off anti-Thalmor dissidents living in Sentinel.

Then, there was the fact that my parents wanted me to marry, and fast. I loved Irileth and her company, I enjoyed the most. But I had to do my duty for my family and Hold.

"You can still have her...if you so desire," A voice whispered inside my head.

"Balgruuf?" I heard a faint whisper from Irileth. Absentmindedly, I turned to where I heard her voice come from and had my eyes slowly widen as my nightblade came out of the shadows. Gone was the usual light-armor she favored and on her was a black nightgown made out of silk. It's design was a wonderful see-through thing that gave me a glimpse of her body. Her fiery red hair, she had loosened and against the light of the fireplace, it cast on her a yellow-orange glow that illuminated her skin. My eyes ran up from her smooth thighs then to her stomach, toned from exercise and her occupation. Then, to her breasts which were slick with sweat, from the heat or from nervousness, I did not know. Then finally, I glanced up to her blushing face.

"She is yours, and no one else."

I sat up from my bed, swallowing down the lump in my throat as my Dunmer lover tried to pose for me. "S-so, um...w-what do you think?" stammered my Nightblade. I gave no reply to her as I sat on my bedside and Irileth's drew down to the lump that was hardening through my robes. Her mouth opened slightly and I could see the Dunmer biting her bright lips in the light.

"Not bad," I finally whistled. Blushing madly, a furious look overcame Irileth as she ran over to me and pushed me down against my bed. The woman straddled me as she placed in all her weight against my body. My hands were held tight by her and her hot breath, I felt against my skin. I resisted the urge to groan as Irileth slowly began to tease me, rubbing herself against my hardening length. But the thing that turned me on the most was that she never failed to take out the fierce and angry look she was wearing.

"She can still be yours."

"Keep quiet. I am seducing you," she growled huskily, her low voice sending shivers of excitement through me. Before I could say anything, I felt her nails dig into me as she leaned down and kissed me. It was a fierce and hot thing as our tongues merged and fought. We moaned through our kiss, both of us tasting the other with reckless abandon. And just as I was getting into it deeply, the wetness of Irileth's mouth vanished as she pulled back, a victorious smirk on her face.  She would have completed her image of pure control if it wasn't for the fact she was still blushing madly and she was still grasping for breath.

"Please me," she commanded. I briefly considered on turning the tables around and just turning her into mush but since I usually do that, I might as well indulge her.

"As my lady commands," I whispered. At that, Irileth pulled back, still straddling me. Slowly, I placed my hands on her hips and she tensed immediately. But still, she maintained that hot victorious look of hers. Smirking, I trailed up her figure, letting her body feel my warmth with my touch. As I did, I leaned in and kissed her stomach. Soon, my fingers found their way to her breasts. Then, I squeezed.

"Ah..." Irileth gasped.

Her breathing hitched as I fondled her and trailed kisses down her toned stomach. I could feel her shaking on me but she stubbornly held on. And so, I let my other hand free and delicately trailed my thumb down her stomach. Then, I pressed against her clit. She whimpered as I teased her, my other hand playing with her tit. I kept up my attack, increasing in speed as her breaths and gasps turned to sweet delicious moans. Her expression of self-control had slowly vanished and on me, a lusting panting creature replaced her. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth, dripping with saliva as she moaned and moaned. 

And then, my fingers entered her. I chuckled as she sucked in a breath, lewd gasps coming from her mouth. If she was hot on the outside, she was incredibly volcanic in the inside. Hell, the fire that flickered in the fire-place paled in comparison to the flame that was Irileth.  "You're hot, Irileth. You are hotter than the sun," I whispered, my voice low.  "Shut up and please me," she panted, her eyes half-lidded. I figured in denying her what she wanted, only to have her beg me for that pleasure but then, it was much more enjoyable to watch her be a wanton slut for me. And so, I twisted my fingers in her, searching then finding her G-spot. She feverishly whispered Dunmeri into my air, her sultry accent driving me to please her even more.

Then, she shook as she climaxed, a low whine coming from her lips as she collapsed on me. Dark satisfaction filled me as wrapped my hands around her to support her. In my arms, she was still shaking as she gasped for breath.

"You alright?" I whispered to her. She pulled back, her expression hot.

"I'm not done yet," she growled. Shakingly, she lifted herself off me and went down on her knees, her eyes firmly locked on the growth underneath my robes. Still smirking, I disrobed and spread my legs slightly as my length fully emerged. Irileth gulped hungrily as she eyed my twitching member. She glanced up at my briefly and I nodded. Gulping yet again, she leaned forward, giving me a good look of her breasts as she wrapped her hand around me. I burned fiercely as I felt the warmness of her hand around me. Slowly, she stroked me, earning low groans from my lips as I leaned back, enjoying every single bit of touch she gave.

Then, she brought herself even closer to my hard cock. Gingerly, she kissed my length's tip before eagerly wrapping her lips on me. My groans grew louder as Irileth paid no other ceremony as she indulged herself, bobbing her head up and down on me whilst letting her tongue explore me. As she did, she grasped at my legs for support as she sucked on with reckless abandon.

Wet slurping noises filtered the room, mixing in with her moans and mine. The air was hot and humid but the heat from it did not compare to the fire of lust and want burning through our bodies. My length hardened fully, my blood extening it to its thickest. By the Divines, Irileth's mouth was hot as well, way hotter than what I felt before.

Inside her mouth, I felt myself twitch and Irileth, feeling it, sucked even deeper. Growling, I grabbed a fistful of her hair, and pushed.

"Glrk! Glrk! Glrk!" Irileth choked as I fucked her pretty grey throat. My growls went louder, and deeper as my climax neared and neared. My back buckled as I came. Irileth's eyes widened as I held her head down fully and sputtered deep inside of her. She did not struggle however and fully took in my seed. As the last vestiges of it left me, I let go of her and she pulled back. Gasping for breath, I glanced down at the Dunmer who opened her mouth wide, showing off all she had taken before looking directly into me and swallowed.

"D-Divine's Above, Irileth," I breathed. "That was amazing,"

She stood up from the floor and collapsed right next to me. I later joined her, turning on my side to get a better view of my lover. Outside, the moon was at its peak and through the open window illuminated Irileth, giving her a rather eye-catching and ethereal glow.

"You're perfect," I whispered to her. Irileth smirked, bringing herself closer to me.

"Is soft Balgruuf letting out his thoughts now?" she smirked, her red eyes shining in victory. I snorted as I lifted her up on me. She yelped slightly before calming down and resting her head on my chest.

"What you said earlier, about seducing me," I began, licking my lips.

"Yes?' she perked up.

"You don't have to do that you know," I quipped. "You can't seduce what is already been seduced."

It was Irileth's turn to snort. "Smoothtalker."

I laughed as I booped her nose. "Sweet Roll,"

For a moment, we did nothing but lay there in each other's company. It was fine to me, me being the physical sort. And besides, it's been awhile since we actually laid together just as what we were doing at the moment. I listened to her soft-breathing, enjoyed watching the rising and falling of her chest. Humming, I went ahead and played with her red locks, turning and twisiting her smooth hair.

"You'll have an opportunity to pull my hair later, Balgruuf," she quipped.

"Ah but I wish to play with them now," I replied with a grin. She rolled her eyes, muttering underneath her breath. WIth that, Irileth wrapped her hands around my neck, nuzzling me.

For a touchy Nightblade, Irileth was a big fan of cuddling.

"Enjoying yourself?" I remarked.

"Silence and let me enjoy you, you lummox," she shushed me.

And so I did, letting her hug me to her hearts content. I wasn't going to complain further, loving her presence with me whether it be the sanctity of the bedroom or in a dark alley somewhere. As long as I was with Irileth, everything in the world felt alright. But as I reveled in her bright red eyes and barbs, dark thoughts formed in my head. Irileth and I loved each other but the realities of my position demanded I marry and I should marry soon. While Father and I wrote letters, he had spoken once more to me about how I should look for a candidate of marriage. While I would be more than happy to simply marry Irileth, I had to remember that the lives of those in Whiterun, their happiness, was much more important than my own. I must marry, and for the benefit of my people and Hold.

But until then, I was going to cherish every single moment I had with Irileth, until that time of marriage came.

"Irileth?" I called out to her. She perked up, looking directly into me.

"Yes?" she whispered. I smiled as I leaned down and planted a kiss on her lips.

"I love you," I said softly. Her cheeks brightened as she blinked rapidly. Torment was in her eyes as she stammered. Eventually, she managed to choke out a reply.

"I l-love you too, you irascible cretin,"

I grinned. "Oh, so you love me eh?"

She pulled back, sitting on my stomach as she looked down on me, her eyes a dangerous red as she moved back slowly, engulfing her fine rear on my length.

"You are going to never speak of what I said to anyone. Now, you are going to lie down like a good little boy and stay there while I ride you down, that the only thing ever leaving your mouth is my name" she growled again, in that all so wonderful husky voice of hers.

She whimpered as she felt my length harden on her and my hands wrapped to her hips.

"As my lady commands," I grinned.

+++

A/N: This is not the full chapter as there will be more to come. But so far, what do ya'll think?

EDIT 1: Here's the update for today. This chapter remains unfinished as more will have to be added. I'll see about finishing it today or tomorrow. What do ya'll think?

Below are the reference pictures for the considered women. The one with black hair is Lucia. The Dunmer is Nedolara, the one with brown hair is Cecilia and the blonde is Sylvja and the blonde with the crown is Helga. 

EDIT 2: And so, the chapter is fully updated.

What do ya'll think?