AUTHORS NOTE
Hello everyone! I know this is different from what I've written before... Entirely different. But I'm at a loss for what to write at the moment, and I was playing Skyrim (which is my favourite game) and thought hey... Skyrim fanfiction! So I read a few fics I found and decided to go ahead with it. I hope you guys enjoy it!
I don't think this will contain any spoilers for the game if you haven't played it all the way through... Perhaps it will, beware. I'm not following the story line as such, I'm just going ahead with it from my own experiences of the game (I've basically completed it like 6 times). Anyway, enough of my babblings... Enjoy, beloved readers!
N.B. This is rated M as there's some tiny (no-where near lemon material) sexual content, probably some swearing, and there might be bloody battles and whatnot ahead in the fic.

Tavhairi pulled at her hood, dipping her head, further obscuring her face from view. She walked quickly across the dark, cobbled bridge which lead Windhelm, the brisk cold biting at her facial features – the only part of her body not covered by some form of clothing. The harsh wind circled her again, and she clutched at her hood with a tighter grip.

"Not far now, not far." She muttered under her breath as she approached the heavy gates.

"It is late, traveler. What do you seek in the mighty hold of Windhelm?" The Stormcloak guard asked, yawning.

"Ulfric is expecting me." Tavhairi replied, her tone as ice-cold as the wind that surrounded her. She couldn't understand how the Stormcloak guards in front of her, Nord or not, could withstand these freezing temperatures in simple armour in the height of winter.

The guard looked at her small, fragile form lamely.

"Forgive me for my tone, Guard." She spat. "Dragonborn or not, my time in my homeland of Valenwood has not equipped me for such cold temperatures, and I would appreciate it very deeply if you would open the gates and allow me to take shelter within your walls. I would also appreciate it if you did not oblige me to explain to your leader and High King to-be how you left a woman of my stature and heritage in the cold unnecessarily." Her eyes bore deep into the guards, and she saw the fear which accumulated after she mentioned the word which she never liked to use.

Dragonborn. She had cringed inwardly as she said it. She hated using her blood to her advantage. It was a rare occasion, but Tavhairi was not currently in the best of moods, and was this close to using her Thu'um to blast the guard to pieces.

"No, forgive me Dovahkiin, it is our proud duty to guard Windhelm and our Jarl, please, go on in." The guard said as he open the heavy gate. His voice held a tone of sincerity. She nodded her head as she passed the guard.

"Thank-you for your cordiality." Tavhairi muttered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She wasn't lying, Ulfric was expecting her. Just not at this time of night. She looked up at the stars and supposed it to be around three in the morning. She knew Ulfric often stayed up late, pouring over maps and strategies. Despite having already won the war and driving most Imperials from Skyrim, he still had a job to do. There were always plenty of "secret" Imperial camps to be abolished. Tavhairi quickened her pace as she approached the wondrous Palace Of The Kings. It looked truly colossal under the light of the moon and stars, with heavy layers of snow sitting on every flat surface on the beautiful building. A path had been cleared by the guards on the way up to the palace, but Tavhairi would have been knee-deep in the snow if she ventured elsewhere in the city. It was so cold in this area of Skyrim, so cold.

Even when Tavhairi had entered the palace and began her journey up the stairs to the Jarl's quarters, she dared not throw back her hood. She had done a lot for the Stormcloaks during the war and she knew that deep down, they appreciated it – but most of them could not overcome the fact she was a Wood Elf, despite her voluntary assistance in their archery training. Even without wanting to offend any soldiers, she didn't want to alert any gossips to her presence in the palace and spark rumours of an affair.

When she finally reached Ulfric's unlocked bedroom door, she tentatively entered and locked it behind her, before walking on hunters' feet to his wardrobe. She began to undress, peeling off her snow-sodden robes layer by layer. She hung them up in the wardrobe as she took the clothes off, and cast a heating charm over them before closing the doors. Now naked except for her treasured ruby necklace with a health enchantment Ulfric had given her and her many rings which carried a variety of enchantments she'd "acquired" during her lifetime, she released her long, fiery red hair from the pins which held it on top of her head and climbed in to bed beside her lover.

Ulfric murmured in his sleep, moving his body to allow her to lie as close as possible to him, and wrapping his arms around her. Tavhairi took a deep breath and finally allowed herself to relax, releasing her muscles. Ulfric was roasting to the touch and he heated her small body thoroughly as she drifted off into sleep.

At first, Tavhairi didn't know what had woken her. The heavy curtains were closed to stop any light entering the room, and the door was locked, so no-one could have entered. Then she felt Ulfric's fingertips drift over her abdomen, heading south. His warm breath was on her neck as he nuzzled and nipped at the skin above her pulse point. She moaned, stretching her body, and wrapped her arms around Ulfric's neck as he leaned down to kiss her lips.

"My sweet Vhairi, beautiful Vhairi," Ulfric murmured against her lips as his fingers dipped into her wet opening. "You're so ready for me." His voice was hoarse, rough, as lust and longing took over him and he removed his fingers to hover over her small body.

"Take me," Tavhairi whispered, and with those two words, Ulfric claimed her as his own.

Afterwards, when they had awoken from their pre-dawn frolic, they lay in Ulfric's master bed wrapped in each other's arms and caught up with the other's lives, seeing as it had been almost a month since they had last seen each other. Ulfric laughed as Tavhairi told him the story of how she became the Archmage of the College of Winterhold.

"You have friends in high places, my sweet." Ulfric said in his coarse, wondrous voice.

"I am the friend in high places, love." Tavhairi replied with a light laugh, before Ulfric kissed her forehead.

"You are so incredible. I am so honoured to be in bed with such a dazzling woman." Tavhairi looked at her lover incredulously. He was honoured to be in bed with her? "And for a wood elf!" Tavhairi giggled as Ulfric laughed again. She was never hurt when he teased her for her race. She knew he valued her as much as any fellow Nord. After all, she was right beside him when the Stormcloaks won the war.

After a few more hours, Ulfric decided he needed breakfast. "A Nord has to eat, my lady!" He'd laughingly told her. When she rose from bed to peek out the curtains, she judged it to be at least two o'clock in the afternoon. She sighed as she saw the snow was still falling, and the sunlight barely made a dent in it. She closed the heavy curtain and walked over to where Ulfric was donning his robes.

She held her arms out and he lifted her easily, allowing her to drape them around his neck and nuzzle into his shoulder, wrapping her legs around his waist. Only Ulfric had ever held her like this.

"I have to go." She murmured, as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Astrid needs me."

"You have to rest, my sweet. You are always so busy, off on adventures daily. You never slow down. Stay here today. Astrid can wait." Ulfric offered. He pulled back to look into her eyes. "Stay with me."

Tavhairi gasped as she realised what Ulfric had said. "Stay with me." He'd never asked that of her before, and tears threatened to prick her eyes. She was so devastatingly in love with this man, and she couldn't bear to leave him. But she was a member of the Dark Brotherhood. She had a job to do.

Ulfric's face fell as he read her thoughts through her facial expression. "I'd love to," she whispered. "But you know I can't."

"Come back to me, at least. Come back to me. You belong here, Tavhairi, with me. You are a Stormcloak at heart. This is your home. Here… By my side." Ulfric said. His voice was hoarse and full of emotion. Tavhairi was alarmed, she'd never seen Ulfric lose his composure like this. She looked into his eyes, putting her hands on his face, before leaning in to touch her lips to his. She meant it to be a light kiss, but it quickly became full of heat and passion. She deepened the kiss further, moving her hands to grip his hair, his shoulder, tightening her legs around him. He groaned into her mouth. "I love you, Vhairi." He whispered against her lips. "I love you."

Did you enjoy the first chapter? I hope so! Please leave reviews as I like to know what aspects you guys enjoy and what you don't. I'm hoping there will be many chapters to this fic!
P.S. This fic won't surround Ulfric and Tavhairi unless you guys want it to. If this turns out the way I hope, it will be many of Tavhairi's stories integrated into one.

Love!