30th of Frostfall, The Imperial Palace
A storm rages over the Imperial city, rain pounds on the Imperial Palace as thunder booms overhead. The Empire stands weaker by the day, the Imperial Bureaucracy has failed to restore the Empire to its pre-Oblivion glory while the Imperial Legions continues falling deeper and deeper into despair, and then there's Thalmor…
A droplet of water lands on my hand. I look up to see cracks in the ceiling, they seem to get larger everyday despite the servants best efforts to fix them. I sigh, what is an Emperor who can't even fix his own palace's roof?
"My Emperor."
My thoughts are interrupted by Blade Captain Esbern.
"The Thalmor ambassador wishes to present a proposal to you."
Sighing I half considered sending the ambassador away. The Thalmor's expansion had been causing the Empire and myself unimaginable pain, alas I still had to entertain these fanatics.
"Tell the guards to let him in."
The great door to the throne room opened and in strode the Thalmor Emissary followed by a covered cart. A great stench of arrogance, cruelty, and excitement surrounded the Emissary and his escort.
"Oh reversed Emperor Titus Mede the Second, sovereign of the mighty Empire of Man!" The emissary announces with a mockery and glee. "I have come before you today with an ultimatum from the Dominion."
I gripped my throne in anger, "Ultimatum? These damn Thalmor think they can march into my throne room and demand something of me!? Perhaps it is truly time for me to put these freaks in their place…"
The Thalmor casted a quick spell to summon his ultimatum scroll, as if to mock us even now on their magical prowess.
"Titus Mede." The Thalmor began, dropping any pretense of politeness, "Our mighty Dominion's demands are simple, simple enough that even your kind will understand. We demand, the session of Hammerfall, a yearly tribute of gold, the disbanding of The Blades, the outlawing of the worship of the false god Talos, and allowing Thalmor agents free reign inside the Empire to enforce said outlawing."
The emissary stopped reading and nonchalantly folded up the scroll before casting another spell to make it disappear.
The entire room stood dead silent, everyone, besides the grinning Thalmor, had their mouths agape. Looking at my Blades I could almost see their rage as they gripped their Katana pommels, only their iron discipline keep them from moving to decapitate the Thalmor.
Choking down my own anger and shock and the abusity of the ultimatum I stand up from the throne and tower over the pompous elf, "How dare you bring this absurd insult to my throne!" I boomed, "The Empire shall never give an inch to you or your damned Dominion!"
The emissary chuckled and shurged, acting as if he were talking to a child, "Well Mede I hoped we could reach an agreement, but it seems we can't and so we must go to war. But, before I go I wanted to give one last gift to your 'mighty Empire'." He turned back to his covered cart and grabbed the cloth covering it.
"Let this be a show of our manganamousses." He said coldly while pulling off the cloth
My voice cracked and I collapsed back onto the throne. Inside the cart was the heads of an untold number of Blades, many of whom I recognized as commanders of the Blades in Thalmor territory.
"Damn you Thalmor!" A Blade let out a war cry and charged to Emissary, only to be held back by Esbern.
The Emissary let out a laugh and turned around to walkout. "Goodbye Titus I'll be back soon. All it will take is one kick for your whole rotting Empire to come crashing down." He stopped to look at the Blade being held back, "And do keep your pets under control."