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<\/p>\nThey\u2019d gone inside after realizing that Brynjolf didn\u2019t have what he needed. He needed to go inside, he\u2019d said. He had to get out of the sun.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He and Dardeh sat on the floor, in front of the fire, talking.\u00a0 Roggi couldn\u2019t seem to sit still; he wandered back and forth between them and the tanning rack in the entryway, keeping his hands and his body busy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t believe this.\u00a0 I knew I shouldn\u2019t have gotten my hopes up.\u00a0 I knew it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t give up, Brynjolf. You still have a place. To hear it said,\u201d Dardeh murmured, \u201cthere have been lots of people in high places who were vampires. Not here, so much, not necessarily.\u00a0 But I\u2019ve heard stories about Cyrodiil\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Dardeh,\u201d Brynjolf interrupted. \u201cIt\u2019s not like that. I appreciate what you\u2019re trying to do but\u2026 It\u2019s one thing to ignore the fact that someone in a court has a nighttime habit, the way they did in Cyrodiil in the old days. It\u2019s another thing to be married to a vampire.\u201d\u00a0 He sighed. \u201cShe said she\u2019ll get old and die and I\u2019ll still look like this. And she\u2019s right. And our children, too; they\u2019ll grow up and have lives of their own and everyone will wonder why their da never ages.\u201d He shook his head again. \u201cI made a mistake. I\u2019ve done it more than once.\u00a0 I should just take a lesson from Vitus and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNid.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room around him vibrated.\u00a0 He looked up to find Dardeh shaking his head, glaring at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou just told me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said \u2018no,\u2019 Bryn,\u201d Roggi said quietly from beyond the doorway.\u00a0 \u201cAnd if I could speak dragon I\u2019d say the same thing.\u00a0 You\u2019re not going to stand in the sun and let yourself be taken. You\u2019re just not. I won\u2019t allow it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd besides,\u201d Dardeh rumbled. \u201cIf every person who made a bad mistake decided to give up, there\u2019d be hardly anyone left.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what would you have me do<\/em>, you two?\u201d\u00a0 Brynjolf wailed, in spite of himself, standing and walking to the entryway, watching Roggi patiently tearing down leather into strips.<\/p>\n \u201cI would have you wait,\u201d Roggi said calmly. \u201cSomething will happen. Wait. Like I waited. It was worth it, even though I thought at the time that the world was going to end and me along with it. I had no reason to wait. I hated myself so much, Bryn. But I waited. And I met you, and I met Sayma. And I met Dar. This was why I was meant to hold on. And there\u2019s a reason for you to wait, too. I don\u2019t know what that reason is but you\u2019ll know it when it happens.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy Ma,\u201d Dardeh said, \u201cused to talk to me a lot.\u00a0 When she was alive, of course; but also after she died. I heard her voice a lot. \u2018Be patient, Dar,\u2019 she would say. \u2018You\u2019ll know it when the time is right.\u2019 I didn\u2019t always believe her, but she was right.\u201d\u00a0 He turned back to Brynjolf. \u201cYou\u2019ll know why eventually, Bryn. I know you will. Talos doesn\u2019t let things happen for no reason.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf snorted. \u201cWell that\u2019s fine for those of you who worship Talos. I\u2019m not a believer, lad. I don\u2019t care about gods one way or another.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d Dardeh told him. \u201cYou\u2019ll still know. Besides, I think it must be Sayma you\u2019re meant to be here for. If it wasn\u2019t, we wouldn\u2019t have found her in Dawnstar.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll figure something out, Brynjolf,\u201d Roggi said. \u201cThere have to be more strong vampires in the world than just the late Edwyn Wickham.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf nodded slowly, thinking.<\/p>\n All that time in between, and we still managed to get back together, the lass and I. It\u2019s like I told her. She completes me. She still does. He\u2019s right. We\u2019ll figure something out. It\u2019s just that I thought I could fix this, quickly, and put it behind us like all the other stupid mistakes we\u2019ve made.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAlright, then. You\u2019re right. I need to not go off without knowing which end is up.\u00a0 And maybe I can still do some good in the world, even if this is my state.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course you can,\u201d Roggi said in that tone of voice that meant no arguments were to be had.<\/p>\n Dardeh opened his mouth as if to speak; but he was interrupted by the sound of pounding on the door. Roggi stopped what he was doing and opened it; a courier stood outside, panting, and looked them over. He pulled a scroll out of his knapsack and cleared his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cI assume you\u2019re Roggi Knot-Beard?\u201d he said, looking at Roggi.<\/p>\n Roggi raised one eyebrow and stroked his beard, while Brynjolf and Dardeh snickered.<\/p>\n \u201cThat would be me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI have a missive here for your hands only. From the High King.\u201d\u00a0 He handed the parchment to Roggi, who took it in what suddenly appeared to be trembling hands. Roggi and Dardeh stared at each other in stunned silence for a moment.\u00a0 Brynjolf handed the courier a small pouch of coins and then ushered him on his way, and the others back inside.<\/p>\n Then, as if the meaning of the moment had finally registered, Dardeh whooped.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did it! We did it! Open it up, Roggi, and see what he says.\u00a0 They\u2019ve finally done it and had the Moot!\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi held the scroll next to his heart for a moment, his eyes closed.<\/p>\n He\u2019s been working toward this for a long, long time, through good times and bad. This is his victory too, and Dardeh\u2019s.<\/em><\/p>\n He slowly opened them, and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYes. Let\u2019s see what he says.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi broke the seal on the scroll and scanned it, the grin on his face growing as his eyes moved down the page.\u00a0 He got to the bottom and looked up at them, eyes twinkling.<\/p>\n \u201cIt says: \u2018To Roggi Knot-Beard and Dardeh at-Dadarh, your presence is requested and required at the Palace of the Kings, in Windhelm, Eastmarch, at your earliest possible convenience.\u2019 And it is signed: Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Eastmarch and High King of Skyrim.\u201d<\/p>\n He raised his head and grinned again. \u201cHe\u2019s done it. The bastard has finally done it. He\u2019s High King.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s great news, lad,\u201d Brynjolf said.\u00a0 \u201cI think you two had better get yourselves ready to go, in that case, don\u2019t you? You don\u2019t just ignore a summons from the king.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you talking about, Brynjolf?\u201d Dardeh said. \u201cYou\u2019re coming with us. No questions asked. I\u2019m sure he wants to see you as well. You were a big part of this, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi nodded.\u00a0 \u201cNo arguments, Bryn.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Dardeh said. \u201cNo arguments. Roggi has ways of making people do things the way he wants.\u201d\u00a0 He winked at Roggi, and then turned toward the door, heading outside, bellowing.\u00a0 \u201cLydia!\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n There was a quiet knock on the door. Sayma looked up from her book and smiled.<\/p>\n Thank the gods. I\u2019m so glad she\u2019s here.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cCome in!\u201d<\/p>\n The door opened quietly, just enough for a slight figure in the darkest possible armor to slip into the room and close it quietly behind her.\u00a0 It was very much like her, to be aware of the possibility of waking a sleeping infant even without being told so; and Sayma smiled again, grateful for her presence and her easy consideration.<\/p>\n \u201cSayma. How are you doing? Is everything well with the baby?\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma motioned to the chair beside her and waited while Karliah took a seat.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you so much for coming, Karliah.\u00a0 The baby\u2019s fine. She\u2019s growing so fast that when she goes down for a nap she sleeps very deeply.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUnlike her father, I take it, then.\u201d Karliah chuckled. \u201cI\u2019ve never known anyone to sleep as little as he does. Even when he was a child he was always on alert, as though he expected something to come out of the dark at any time and was going to protect us all from it, whatever it was.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma frowned. \u201cYes, she\u2019s very much unlike her father in that way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut I can see that while the baby is well, you are not,\u201d Karliah prompted softly. \u201cIs that why you wanted to see me?\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma nodded.\u00a0 \u201cI just don\u2019t have anyone else to talk to, Karliah; and you know so much more about so many things than I do. It\u2019s Brynjolf. I don\u2019t know what to do about him.\u201d<\/p>\n She hadn\u2019t known what to expect from Karliah\u2019s visit, not really.\u00a0 Some comforting advice, perhaps; some light conversation, maybe.\u00a0 A little bit of fellowship as Nightingales who had both survived the same upheaval, the same desperate fights, and the same restoration of peace. That\u2019s what she had hoped for from the woman who had helped deliver her second child; because, she realized, she had nobody else to turn to.<\/p>\n So it came as a great shock to her when Karliah nodded. \u201cI see. You don\u2019t know what to do about the fact that he has returned to being a vampire.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma\u2019s mouth fell open. \u201cHow.\u00a0 Did you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n Karliah smiled. \u201cDon\u2019t worry. He hasn\u2019t done anything wrong. It\u2019s not as though he forgot to disguise himself and came to the Cistern brandishing his fangs.\u00a0 He\u2019s done an admirable job of keeping things as normal as possible, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen how?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was in Nightingale Hall one night and happened to emerge just as three people were meeting, down beside the lake. Two of them I recognized only vaguely. They have been in the Ragged Flagon before, they\u2019re both obviously vampires to anyone who knows what to look for, and they both seem pleasant enough people aside from that small detail.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma nodded, speechless.<\/p>\n Karliah continued. \u201cI maneuvered myself a bit closer when light on the third person\u2019s hair revealed it to be red. It was clearly Brynjolf.\u00a0 And his eyes were a vivid, glowing copper shade.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was him, alright.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo he revealed himself to you as well.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, inadvertently,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019d kicked him out of the house, Karliah, because I was angry that he was even thinking about turning again.\u201d\u00a0 She told Karliah about the discussion they\u2019d had with Ulfric, Frina, Dardeh and Roggi, and what Brynjolf had threatened to do.\u00a0 \u201cI was just so angry at him. It took us two years to get back together.\u201d<\/p>\n Karliah nodded.\u00a0 \u201cAnd whose fault was that, Sayma?\u201d she said gently. \u201cYou need to remember that he thought you were gone forever, possibly deceased. \u00a0He was doing what he could to safeguard the future of the Guild. It was a difficult time for him.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma buried her head in her hands. \u201cI know. And I know it was my fault. But it was past us. We\u2019d gotten through it and were back together and\u2026\u201d She sighed. \u201cAt any rate, he came to tell me he had business elsewhere, and he kissed me, and that was when I realized he\u2019d done it after all.\u201d\u00a0 She lifted her head and frowned at Karliah. \u201cThere\u2019s no mistaking those fangs.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m certain of it,\u201d Karliah said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then he showed me. His eyes, the way he looks, the whole thing. He\u2019s\u2026 I don\u2019t even know how to say it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAttractive? Vampires tend to be either hideous or beautiful. I don\u2019t know what makes the outcome different for different people.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma nodded. \u201cYes. Beautiful. I was overwhelmed. But he stepped near me and I panicked, and he left, and, well. I haven\u2019t heard anything since then and I just don\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you want to do?\u201d Karliah asked gently.<\/p>\n What do I want to do? I don\u2019t know. I want us to wrap around each other the way we\u2019ve always done. I want to see him hold his daughter, and play with his son, and tell them stupid jokes the way he does. I want to hear him laugh. I want to watch him sleeping. <\/em><\/p>\n I want us to be normal again.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI want him to come home, so that we can work it out together. But I\u2019m going to get old, and wrinkled, and ugly, and he\u2019s always going to be this beautiful creature. He\u2019ll leave me.\u201d<\/p>\n Karliah sighed.\u00a0 \u201cThat is what Gallus said to me, at first.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma\u2019s gaze snapped up to meet Karliah\u2019s. \u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n Karliah smiled. \u201cSayma, mer are very long-lived compared to men. It is inevitable, if there is love between a human and a mer; one of them will grow old much more quickly than the other, relatively speaking. If not for Mercer Frey\u2019s treachery Gallus might have lived to be an old man. He would have been stooped, and gray, and his voice might have begun to quaver, and I would have remained as I am now, more or less, with only a few changes as years went by.\u201d<\/p>\n She leaned forward and took one of Sayma\u2019s hands in her own. \u201cAnd I would have loved him just as much, regardless, for whatever time we had together.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma felt her eyes filling.<\/p>\n I watched them say goodbye to each other. I should have known better.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Karliah. I feel so selfish now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be sorry. I will see him again, one day. But know this: Brynjolf loves you. I never saw him make a real commitment to anyone before he met you. He had his share of flirtations over the years, even a few that lasted awhile; but he always found an excuse to end up on his own before he met you. And you, he married. Obviously he loves the way you look now but remember that he also loved you before you changed your face.\u00a0 If your appearance was the most important thing to him, he might well have rejected you when you came back into his life. He didn\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma felt the shock of recognition run through her. In the next moment, she felt even worse.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re right. I\u2019ve been stupid, haven\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot stupid. Just human, and uncertain of your own worth.\u201d\u00a0 Karliah let go her hand and smiled more broadly. \u201cAnd you must never doubt your own worth, Sayma. You\u2019ve accomplished a great deal since you arrived in Skyrim, including marrying one of the most slippery scoundrels I\u2019ve ever known.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma laughed. Slippery scoundrel, eh? I\u2019ll have to remember that one.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cSo where is he now?\u201d Karliah asked.<\/p>\n Sayma felt the worry start to gnaw at her gut again. \u201cThat\u2019s just it. I don\u2019t know. He was heading to the Solitude area; but that was a long time ago now and I haven\u2019t heard anything from him. I can\u2019t leave the children and, well, I am worried.\u201d<\/p>\n Karliah\u2019s brows knit together.\u00a0 \u201cHmm. I wonder if he\u2019s been involved in all the major things happening in the north. It wouldn\u2019t surprise me at all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat things? I\u2019ve been here. I haven\u2019t heard.\u201d<\/p>\n She spent the next while listening while Karliah brought her up to date.\u00a0 The Archmage had died, according to Enthir; Tolfdir was the acting Archmage.\u00a0 All of the Jarls and their retinues had been seen converging on Ivarstead.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I assume, though I haven\u2019t heard an official announcement, that Ulfric is now the High King.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh!\u201d Sayma\u2019s mind started racing. \u201cHe said he was heading for Solitude first because he had some business that had to do with defeating Edwyn Wickham.\u00a0 By the gods, Karliah, you don\u2019t think he was killed, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n Karliah chuckled. \u201cNo. I am sure that if anything had happened to Brynjolf while the Archmage was being dispatched, Enthir would have known about it. He would have sent word. I don\u2019t know what that signifies for what has happened since then, but I\u2019m certain he\u2019s alive.\u201d\u00a0 She smiled a crooked smile. \u201cBesides that, I\u2019m sure that Nocturnal would have let us know.\u00a0 If something happens to jeopardize the security of the Ebonmere \u2013 such as losing one of its guardians \u2013 we all know about it.\u00a0 I\u2019ve sensed that our Lady is, shall we say, perturbed at Brynjolf\u2019s actions, but not that anything critical has happened to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma relaxed a bit.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright. I won\u2019t panic. Maybe it\u2019s fine.\u00a0 Probably it\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Qaralana started to cry from the bedroom.\u00a0 Sayma and Karliah looked at each other and giggled.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s fine, Sayma. Your child is healthy and it\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the other thing, Karliah. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve told you about what happened with the dragon.\u201d<\/p>\n Karliah\u2019s eyebrows rose. \u201cA dragon?\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma nodded. \u201cYes. Let me get the baby and I\u2019ll tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n A while later, they were seated on the porch, watching Chip run around in the grass and play with rocks while Sayma fed Qaralana.\u00a0 Sayma waited until the baby was mostly settled again before she started speaking quietly.<\/p>\n \u201cI was in Dragonbridge, before the baby arrived, on business.\u00a0 A dragon attacked the town, and I helped kill it. I stood well back,\u201d she said, grinning at Karliah\u2019s concerned expression.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t about to risk this little one.\u00a0 But this is where it got weird. After it died, I got up close to it to see if I could pull any of my arrows out of its hide, and it\u2026 it burned.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo you mean the way your brother burns them?\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma nodded. \u201cYes. He absorbs their power. I know this, you see, because I was with him once when he and Roggi killed one of them.\u00a0 And when Dar absorbed its power, well how do I put this.\u201d\u00a0 She chewed on her lip a moment, trying to think of the least-insane way she could describe what had happened.\u00a0 \u201cSome of it came to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Karliah nodded as though hearing about dragon souls being claimed was an everyday experience.\u00a0 \u201cSo you\u2019re also Dragonborn?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo. No, I\u2019m not.\u00a0 I have something<\/em>, some kind of connection to the power, because all of a sudden I could understand the dragon language Dardeh uses in Shouts.\u00a0 But I can\u2019t for the life of me make the words myself. \u00a0The thing is, though; that dragon in Dragonbridge was just me. Dardeh and Roggi weren\u2019t around.\u00a0 I felt the energy coming into me and I felt nothing at all afterward. No difference.\u201d<\/p>\n She looked down at the sleeping infant and sighed. \u201cI think it was the baby, Karliah.\u00a0 I think she\u2019s the one who absorbed the dragon soul.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow could she have, Sayma? She hadn\u2019t been born yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know. The old stories are that there can be two possible Dragonborn in the world at any given time; the one who is active at the moment \u2013 that would be Dar \u2013 and his possible successor. If I\u2019m right, if Qaralana can absorb dragons, that means something might happen to Dar.\u00a0 Doesn\u2019t it?\u201d\u00a0 She looked at Karliah, desperate for some kind of answer.<\/p>\n It was silly, she knew. It was a \u201cwhat-if\u201d scenario on so many levels that it almost seemed ridiculous to state it aloud.\u00a0 But it had been bothering her for ages and it felt so good to air it out.<\/p>\n Karliah, as usual, was unperturbed.\u00a0 \u201cSayma, I don\u2019t know what happened with you and the dragon. It\u2019s certainly unusual, and something to keep in mind as your family grows up.\u00a0 But,\u201d she said, patting Sayma\u2019s knee, \u201cI don\u2019t think anything is going to happen to Dardeh. Not until he is a very old man.\u00a0 He is far too strong, and so is Roggi. They\u2019re both too stubborn.\u00a0 Don\u2019t borrow trouble, my dear. We have had more than enough of it for several lifetimes.\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma nodded, relieved to have gotten her fears off her chest.\u00a0 She\u2019d been so grateful to have Karliah in her life since returning to Riften as Sayma.\u00a0 Granted, Karliah was like one of the moons, always circling but rarely in the inner circle; but she was steady and trustworthy and kind.<\/p>\n And deadly, and stealthy, and wise. I am a lucky person.<\/em><\/p>\n Chip came around the corner of the house with Iona hot on his heels.\u00a0 He had somehow gotten into Brynjolf\u2019s box of pelts and found a fox pelt, which he had draped over his head.\u00a0 As small as he was, still, it hung down over his shoulders and covered most of him.<\/p>\n \u201cRawr!\u201d he cried, stomping on one foot and then the other as he approached.\u00a0 He held his hands out in front of himself, crooked as if they were claws. \u201cRawr!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you, little one?\u201d Sayma called to him.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a wuff!\u201d he yelled. \u201cRawr! I\u2019m a werewuff!\u00a0 Be fraid!\u201d<\/p>\n Sayma and Karliah looked at each other for a moment, startled, and then broke out laughing.\u00a0 Iona scooped Chip up off the ground and groaned.<\/p>\n \u201cOof, you little scamp! You\u2019re getting almost too big for me to pick up! Now let\u2019s go back and put that pelt back where it belongs.\u201d<\/p>\n They heard Chip giggling all the way back around the corner and into the yard.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n They walked slowly across the bridge into Windhelm.<\/p>\n It had been a long walk to Whiterun; for even though Roggi had survived Edwyn Wickham he\u2019d been very close to the brink of death and still was not himself.\u00a0 They\u2019d taken their time, and Dardeh was grateful that he had been free to lend an arm a few times when Roggi had tired a bit, and stumbled.\u00a0 Brynjolf actually had seemed to enjoy being the point man when a saber cat had hurtled down from the hillside to attack on the way. He\u2019d taken the beast out with just a few efficient swipes of his daggers, and had scooped its eyes out for use in potion-making, trotting back to join Dardeh and Roggi with a grin on his face.<\/p>\n \u201cHere you go, my friend,\u201d he\u2019d said, handing the slimy orbs to a delighted Roggi.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re pretty deadly with those knives, Bryn,\u201d Dardeh said, trying not to reveal just how shaken he\u2019d been by the power and speed the man had demonstrated. \u00a0\u201cAnd fast. I don\u2019t know that I\u2019d want to meet you on a dark night.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m actually glad that it was Edwyn Wickham I had to face on that rooftop and not Brynjolf. Aside from the fact that he\u2019s family, he\u2019s deadly. I don\u2019t know that I could defeat him. My Shouts are only useful if I can actually strike the target with them. And forget trying to do anything with my swords.<\/em><\/p>\n Brynjolf had laughed, not able to contain himself. \u201cNo, probably not,\u201d he said. \u201cI will admit that I\u2019ve been known to frighten people if they get too close.\u201d\u00a0 His smile had faded then. \u201cBut I want that to stop. I really do.\u00a0 Keep an eye out.\u00a0 If we should happen across any vampires on the road\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf we do, they\u2019re not likely to be stronger than you, Bryn,\u201d Roggi said. \u201cBut we\u2019ll watch. If we can\u2019t at least attempt to find what you need we\u2019ll not have been much use to you as family.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf had shrugged. \u201cJust the fact that you don\u2019t want to kill me right here and now is worth more than I could say.\u201d<\/p>\n They walked up the broken stairs to the Palace of the Kings and pushed the huge doors open; and Dardeh couldn\u2019t help catching his breath as they entered the great hall.\u00a0 For there, at the far end of the room, in his throne as he had been so many times before, was Ulfric Stormcloak.\u00a0 This time, though, he wore a crown.\u00a0 It was made up of many spines or tusks, of uneven lengths; and with it upon his head he looked even more like a great beast of prey than he ever had, to Dardeh\u2019s eye.<\/p>\n He heard an intake of breath and turned to find Roggi smiling toward the throne, his eyes sparkling. Roggi reached out with his nearer arm and grabbed hold of Dardeh\u2019s arm.<\/p>\n \u201cDar.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t he look magnificent?\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh smiled at him, and nodded, and his heart broke a little more in spite of himself.\u00a0 He felt eyes on him and glanced up to see Brynjolf giving him a sympathetic nod.<\/p>\n \u201cHe looks like he\u2019s been waiting a long time for that crown, lad,\u201d Brynjolf murmured.<\/p>\n Dardeh noticed movement at the front of the room.\u00a0 Ulfric had leaned over to say something to Jorlief; and Jorlief had scurried away through the map room.\u00a0 He turned back to Roggi.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you alright, love?\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi looked at him and nodded, still starry-eyed.\u00a0 \u201cDar, it\u2019s just been such a long time coming. I never thought I\u2019d see the day.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh\u2019s expression must have given him away, though; because Roggi snorted. \u201cDon\u2019t you start thinking that way, Dragonborn. You know I\u2019m just excited that he finally has that crown.\u00a0 Don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh wanted to just say \u201cof course!\u201d but the words wouldn\u2019t come.\u00a0 Instead, he sighed heavily and tried to smile. \u201cRoggi, you know there will always be a part of me that wonders if I\u2019m good enough for you. But I understand.\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf snorted. \u201cWell if we don\u2019t move, lads, we will all be old and gray by the time we get to congratulate the man on his new status. Can we go, please?\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi tossed his head back and laughed. \u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi, of course, was the first to approach Ulfric\u2019s throne.\u00a0 He did so, smiled, and bowed \u2013 the same slight but respectful bow he\u2019d given Ulfric on the road from Riften to Windhelm not so long ago.<\/p>\n \u201cYour Majesty,\u201d he said, smiling. \u201cI received your summons.\u201d\u00a0 The two of them looked at each other, and Dardeh saw a world of conversation flying between them. \u201cDamn, I\u2019ve waited a long time to say that,\u201d he added with a grin. \u201cAnd you look good in it. It suits you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Roggi,\u201d Ulfric said with a chuckle. \u201cAnd I have waited a long time to be able to send you such a summons.\u201d He looked past Roggi and nodded to Dardeh and Brynjolf.\u00a0 \u201cDragonborn. Brynjolf. I am happy to welcome you to my court.\u201d\u00a0 He waved his hand. \u201cIt\u2019s the same court as it was the last time you were here, as you can see, with the same tired old men running it, but no doubt my lovely Queen will have that matter rectified before long.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSpeak for yourself, Ulfric,\u201d a raspy voice from the side of the room grumped.\u00a0 Galmar entered, with Frina on his arm. \u201cHer Majesty, Queen Frina Stormblade,\u201d he said awkwardly.<\/p>\n Dardeh grinned. I\u2019ve never seen anyone look less comfortable with an official duty than that.<\/em><\/p>\n Frina bounced over to them and grabbed Roggi in a hug. \u201cAll this formality,\u201d she said, waving a hand in the air. \u201cYou\u2019re family. It\u2019s good to see you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd it\u2019s good to see you as well, my Queen,\u201d Roggi said formally, taking her hand and bowing to kiss it.\u00a0 \u201cI hope you\u2019re well.\u201d\u00a0 Then he chuckled. \u201cDon\u2019t deprive me of my chance to behave like an actual courtier for once in my life.\u00a0 It\u2019s fun, and I\u2019ve waited a long time to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if you must,\u201d she said, laughing. \u201cI\u2019m doing well. I\u2019m afraid I\u2019m going to outgrow this dress too, in not too much time, though.\u201d<\/p>\n Ulfric smiled at her. \u201cYou may wonder why you received a summons, Roggi.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBesides the novelty of being able to do it? Yes, I\u2019m curious.\u201d<\/p>\n Ulfric straightened in his throne and leaned forward. \u201cYou have been an integral part of my court for many years, Roggi Knot-Beard. In spite of the time we shall no longer mention, when misunderstanding and my own folly sent us on different paths, you have served me \u2013 and the people of Skyrim \u2013 in many different capacities, and for those years of service I wish to reward you.\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at Dardeh and nodded. \u201cDardeh, Dragonborn, you too have served us in many capacities, if not for as long a time.\u00a0 I am uncertain that the war could have been won without your sacrifices and, if Master Arngeir is to be believed, I am uncertain that Skyrim would still exist without them. I might not have been inclined to accept a simple statement from you that Alduin had been defeated.\u00a0 For that, I hope you will forgive me. However, Master Arngeir is my mentor and has the ear of the chiefest of their order, and he has reassured me that everything you\u2019ve said was true.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh inclined his head.\u00a0 It still irked him that Ulfric hadn\u2019t taken him at his word, but he could understand why he hadn\u2019t. \u201cThank you, your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n Frina snorted. \u201cHe\u2019s been trying to get me to call him \u2018just Ulfric\u2019 ever since we met and now he has yet another layer of title for us to get around. It\u2019ll never end.\u201d<\/p>\n All of them laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cWell then, King \u2018just Ulfric,\u2019\u201d Brynjolf piped up from the side of the room, \u201cwhy did you have us drag this wounded warrior all the way from Falkreath to see you?\u201d<\/p>\n There was a hush in the room for just a moment, as the guards and the ever-present Jorlief held their breath to see what the King\u2019s reaction would be to such familiarity.\u00a0 They needn\u2019t have worried.<\/p>\n Ulfric chortled.\u00a0 \u201cJust this, Brynjolf of Riften. In honor of their service and in recognition of their friendship freely given and received, I hereby name both Roggi Knot-Beard and Dardeh at-Dadarh Thanes of the City of Windhelm. You will have a property in the city for your personal use when you visit us.\u201d He leaned forward and smiled. \u201cAnd I do sincerely hope that you will visit us from time to time. Your counsel, as I have said, is always welcomed and often needed.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh\u2019s mouth fell open. \u201cBut Ulfric. This is too much. For me, at least, it is too much. I am already a Thane in Whiterun and Falkreath, and the Jarl of Markarth has offered me a similar title. I haven\u2019t accepted it yet but Markarth was my home and\u2026 \u201c<\/p>\n Ulfric smirked. \u201cAnd that will prevent you from being a Thane here for what reason? Dragonborn, it is the highest honor I have to give, and aside from my oldest friend Galmar \u2013 who is stubborn and would not accept the title \u2013 you and Roggi are the two I most sincerely wish to honor. You will not be expected to live here, but you may if you wish.\u201d\u00a0 He turned to Roggi. \u201cDo you accept, my friend?\u201d<\/p>\n Roggi cleared his throat several times. \u201cAre you sure you want to honor a lowly Inquisitor with such a high title, Ulfric?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. I do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn that case, I accept. Thank you, your Majesty.\u201d<\/p>\n Dardeh looked at Roggi\u2019s happy face and sighed. He\u2019ll always belong to Ulfric in some small degree, won\u2019t he. Well, he\u2019s still my husband, and he\u2019s happy. I guess that\u2019s all I can wish.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cAnd I accept as well, sire,\u201d Dardeh said. \u201cI am honored.\u201d<\/p>\n Ulfric turned to Brynjolf. \u201cI would wish to honor you as well, but somehow I felt that a title\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Brynjolf waved his hand and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201c\u2026 would not be at all fitting for someone like me.\u00a0 I\u2019m simply grateful that you and I understand each other\u2019s role in the world, and that is all I need.\u201d<\/p>\n Ulfric leaned forward. \u201cIn that case, I hope that you will humor me once more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShoot.\u201d<\/p>\n Ulfric grinned. \u201cMy dearest Stormblade wishes to make one more trip to Riften, before she is too encumbered to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n Frina tsk\u2019d. \u201cI can speak for myself, Ulfric. Bryn, I want to go talk to Sayma. About\u2026 female things. I want to do it now, before I\u2019m as big as a horse and can\u2019t walk. Will you be willing to put us up for another night or two?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Brynjolf said, and then frowned. \u201cI suspect my wife will be happier to see all of you than she will be to see me again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn that case, let me retrieve my orcish armor and we will make our way south.\u201d<\/p>\n They\u2019d gone inside after realizing that Brynjolf didn\u2019t have what he needed. He needed to go inside, he\u2019d said. He had to get out of the sun. He and Dardeh sat on the floor, in front of the fire, talking.\u00a0 Roggi couldn\u2019t seem to sit still; he wandered back and forth between them and the … <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/baakay.com\/FanFic\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/5-2-22-2.png\")
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<\/p>\nPart II: Resolution<\/a><\/div>\nPrevious<\/a> \/ Next<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"