Disclaimer: I do not own Skyrim, or any characters or locations you recognize from the game. Bethesda does.
I was never very interested in the Thieves' Guild questline, because I preferred the Companions and the Dark Brotherhood, and I just never found time to do all the little quests for the Guild. Therefore, I never got to the point with Karliah. My sister did first, and I went searching for fanfictions about her and stumbled across the absolutely amazing A Nightingale's Song, by the even more amazing skyflower51. Read it even if you're not a fan of the Guild; it's awesome. Anyways, she inspired this oneshot and got me into the Thieves' Guild questline.
Mercer Frey, Guild Second, licked his lips uncertainly, standing several feet away from the entrance to the training room. He was at his wit's end. A fierce and bright excitement was glowing in his dark eyes, but that was nearly muffled by the anticipation and anxiety gleaming there. Today was the day. He was finally going to tell Karliah how he felt about her.
Mercer could hear Karliah's soft voice in the training room, but was unable to make out the words. He took a step further from the doorway, his heart hammering. Fear coursed through him. Would it she rebuffed him? She wouldn't, right? Because it was New Life, a time for celebrations. And he knew he loved her. With all of his heart.
His hands tightened around the small parcel pressed against his chest. It had taken him a while of searching to find it. But it was perfect for Karliah. A bracelet made of silver with a jade pendant. And the pendant was a swooping bird. A nightingale.
He was wearing the armor of one new to the Thieves' Guild, not the dark leathers of a Higher Operative. Because Karliah had told him once she didn't abide for fancy clothes. That memory was burned into his mind, one he would always remember.
They had just finished a shill job up in Windhelm and they were both giddy with the success of the job. Mercer blinked at Karliah. They were lounging in opposites benches of a carriage they had hired to get back to Riften.
He said off handedly, "What did you think of the man we were framing?" They had already tipped the driver so he wouldn't talk about anything said by his passengers.
Karliah looked at him, a small smile playing on her lips. "The Breton?"
Mercer nodded, waiting patiently. The Dunmer woman continued, her soft voice almost teasing, "He was rather handsome, wasn't he?" Unbidden, Mercer's eyes narrowed. These days, he felt oddly protective of Karliah. Almost too protective. And simply hearing her mention that she thought the Breton had been handsome. . . .
"Would you marry him?" The words were more bitter than intended to be.
Karliah's eyes widened with shock. "Of course not! I'm not impressed by fancy feathers. Or money, or clothes. I'm more into how smart a man is, or his skills." Her smile widened. "Like you, Mercer. You're the type of man a woman can fall for. Once that woman gets over your cantankerousness." Her laughter was the best thing he had ever heard, clear and pure.
Mercer felt his heart swell at her words. The odd jealous rage was gone, and he felt just happy. What was happening to him? Whenever he was with Karliah, he felt like he had to remind himself just to breathe.
Her amazing indigo eyes brightened. "You've got dark eyes, which will help, but you need to wash your hair more often." Her arm shot out and tousled his russet hair. He was speechless. She actually thought that a woman would one day fall in love with him? The idea was . . . foreign.
And suddenly, a thought flickered through his mind. Would if that woman was Karliah? And, instantly, the day seemed brighter. He could just imagine Karliah and him, together forever. They would even be together in the afterlife, in Nocturnal's realm. That was good. Karliah was good.
Mercer casually shrugged her hand off, but his heart was beating rather fast. Did Karliah love him? Half a second later, he realized it was the other way around. He loved her. And once he thought that, he thought it again. I love Karliah. The thought was wonderful, amazing, enlightening.
Karliah's soft voice cut through his thoughts, oblivious to his emotions, "You're a good thief. Gallus might be smarter than you, Mercer, but I think you're better when it comes to picking pockets." Her cheeks flushed at the same time his did. "But don't tell him I said that," Karliah added, pulling her hood up over her beautiful copper hair.
Mercer nodded breathlessly. She thought he was better than Gallus! The Gallus, Guildmaster! For some reason, his mind skipped over the beginning of her sentence.
"Karliah. . . ." He gasped.
She smirked at him. "Mercer, you seriously have to lighten up sometime. Stop frowning." Her smirk softened, becoming a smile. Mercer hesitantly smiled back.
That was a foreign feeling. But right then, he knew he loved Karliah Indoril. He knew he wanted her. That love was an almost physical ache, and he wanted no more than to grab her, hold her, and never let go.
Karliah was silent for a solid minute while the carriage driver hummed to himself. Then she shivered. "It's cold. I'm not meant for the snow."
Mercer, without thinking, reached out and grabbed her, dragging her over to his bench. She allowed him to, not knowing anything was out of the ordinary. And then his arms were wrapped around her, holding her against his body. And — gods above! — Karliah yawned and snuggled closer into his chest.
"Thanks, Mercer. You're a good friend."
Mercer could barely breathe. He was afraid that any little thing he did would disturb her. In no more than five minutes, Karliah had fallen asleep. The driver's voice asked, "Son?"
Mercer's voice was soft, not wanting to wake the sleeping Dunmer, "Yes?"
He chuckled. "Keep trying and one day she'll return your love."
Mercer nodded. He would. If it was the last thing he would do, he would have Karliah. She would be his, and he would be hers.
Mercer took another deep breath. He was freaking out. He could almost feel the warmth of her small fragile body pressed against his. And then, with a sudden rush of resignation, he stepped forward into the doorway.
And stopped with horror.
Inside the training room were two people. A man and a woman. An Imperial and a Dunmer. Gallus Desidenius and Karliah Indoril. Karliah had her head tilted up to him, her eyes glowing with happiness. Gallus was whispering to her, her arms around her, his hands pressed against her back. She was returning his embrace, pressing herself against him, listening with rapt attention.
Gallus was carefully tracing his fingers along her jawline. The Dunmer was practically shivering. He whispered, "Karliah, do you know how long I've watched you?"
Karliah let out a soft sound that was a cross between a moan and a sigh. "Gallus—"
"How long I've wanted you?" Gallus interrupted.
Mercer's eyes widened with unhidden horror, frozen in place, unable to believe what he was seeing. After all these years of loving Karliah, but being too shy to tell her, terrified of rejection . . . now she was getting stolen from him by Gallus?
Karliah breathed, her eyes bright with sincerity and, horror of horrors, love, "As long as I've wanted you?"
Gallus stiffened; Mercer knew him well enough to see the minuscule movement. And then Gallus Desidenius said seven words that would turn his best friend into his murderer. "I love you, Karliah, my little Nightingale."
The parcel Mercer was holding fell to the floor with a thump as Karliah tilted her head back still further, lifted up onto her toes, and pressed her lips against Gallus', her eyes sliding shut. The worst thing was the happiness that radiated off the two of them in waves. Neither of them heard the sound of Mercer's heart breaking and shattering into shards, neither of them heard his barely suppressed sobs, neither of them heard as he raced from the room. Neither of them even knew he was there.
Karliah eventually broke away from Gallus. Strange. She had thought she had just heard a noise. She cast a quick fleeting glance at the doorway, but nothing was there. Save for a parcel on the ground.
She turned back to Gallus and whispered, "And I love you, Gallus." The very words made her heart soar.
The Imperial scholar's face split into a wide smile. "So . . . I'll see you around, Indoril?"
Nothing more than the Guildmaster talking to a guild-sibling again. But this time there was hidden meaning behind his smile. Karliah dipped her head, her own euphoria radiating around her. "See you, Desidenius."
Gallus left then, and Karliah collapsed onto the ground. "Shadows preserve me," she whispered. "I'm in love with Gallus Desidenuis." Then she laughed shakily.
As soon as she said it aloud, she knew it was true. And her smile only widened. She got up to leave, but her gaze was drawn to the small parcel. Reaching down, she saw her name scribbled onto the hastily wrapped paper. Karliah. In Mercer's unruly handwriting.
Karliah carefully undid the ties and let out a soft gasp. There was a bracelet inside. And it was beautiful, unlike anything she had ever seen.
She slipped it onto her wrist, admiring the way it caught on the light, and went to find Mercer. She found him sitting at the bar of the Ragged Flagon, downing a tankard of mead. "Mercer," she began, quietly.
The Breton man interrupted her. "I don't want to hear it, Karliah." He spat out her name like it was an insult. Karliah frowned. All of her contentment was gone now. "What's wrong, Mercer?" He was her friend. They had gone on countless Guild missions before, saved each other's lives countless times. She'd always be there for him, to comfort him.
"Not like you'd notice. You're too busy being glued to the Guildmaster's face, aren't you, greyskin?" Mercer spat.
Stung, the Dunmer stepped back, brow furrowing. Mercer had never been like this before. He had been like a brother to her. Only yesterday he had patiently explained to her some of the finer points of larceny. "Is that so bad?" she asked, softly. Was Mercer that drunk? And why was he wearing Lower Operative leathers?
But the thief just threw back his head and laughed. "Hah! Is that— Karliah! All you're doing is distracting him from his duty, just as he's distracting you from yours."
Karliah's eyes widened in anger. "Mercer, that's not true." But it was. She knew it and he knew it. But she didn't want to believe it.
When Mercer made no other move save for shouting for more mead, she threw something bright and silvery at him. "Fine then! Be that way." Her voice was now an angry hiss. With that, Karliah Indoril stormed from the room. The other thieves looked around, startled. Karliah was never angry or upset. She was always calm, reserved, and patient.
Karliah closed her eyes, fighting the tears welling up within them. "Why, Mercer?" She whispered. "What changed between us?"
Mercer reached down and picked up the object Karliah had thrown. He felt a pang when he recognized it. The bracelet. He slammed the tankard down and stood up, fully ready to apologize. But then he saw Gallus. Gallus was sitting by the pool, dangling his legs in the water. He did this every day. But for some reason, this time, he seemed to be there just to annoy Mercer. Just to remind him that he had what Mercer couldn't have. Karliah. Beautiful Karliah.
This is one of my better stories that I wrote more recently. At least, I think it is. Hope you liked it! Again, check out skyflower51's stories! And review mine, please! It means a lot to me.