4E 203, Solitude…
An eerie and long silence settled in after the battle, as general Tullius's lifeless body hung over the walls of Castle Dour presentable to everyone. The Stormcloak's cheered in victory as the roars of Odahviing boomed from the heavens. With Tullius dead, they had successfully driven the Empire from Skyrim. The thought felt surreal even as she was the one holding the general while the Jarl of Windhelm pierced his heart with his sword.
To her right stood the man who had accomplished all this; the Jarl of Windhelm. He seemed in shock, same as her, as the calamity of the situation hit them. The cheers of their fellow soldiers died around them as they stared at one another, pale green eyes meeting deep blue ones, with the general's dead body between them. The months, years, of struggle had finally paid off. Skyrim was once again a free and independent land. It was all they'd been fighting for.
Galmar, the Jarl's faithful friend and companion stepped from the crowd of Stormcloak's that had gathered around them, patting everyone on their backs as he passed them. He stopped next to the Jarl, giving his shoulder a strong pat when he gave voice to his pride, "We showed these bastards how weak they truly are." Turning to the crowd, he continued, "Bards will sing about this day for the centuries to come, for Talos himself aided us in this glorious battle!"
Odahviing landed on the top of Castle Dour, directing his focus to Minerva. She walked closer to the faithful dragon as he regarded her, "A glorious battle, Thuri, though their might was nothing compared to the might of a dovah."
Minerva gave a nod of confirmation, "We couldn't have done it without you, Odahviing. Thank you."
The dragon shouted their victory to the heavens before he flew away, knowing nothing was required further of him. She watched the dragon until it was nothing but a mere dot on the sky before she looked behind her shoulder. The jarl watched her as Galmar talked to a group of Stormcloaks, and Minerva decided to go to him. When she stood in front of him, she glanced around and noticed the happy faces and cheers from her comrades. She smiled.
"I suppose a speech is in order," Ulfric spoke from next to her, pulling her attention to him. "Will you stand by my side? I wish to honor your deeds."
A smile stretched her lips and she nodded, "It would be my honor, jarl Ulfric."
Ulfric turned towards the wall where the generals body was just mere moments ago. Galmar and several Stormcloaks had disposed the body, freeing the space for the jarl. He stood proud and tall as he glanced down the wall at his army, the people who had fought and bled and hungered for this day. The crowd roared as they saw him, praising his name and calling him High King. Minerva appeared next to him then and the crowd cheered, throwing their weapons in the air to greet her, the word Dovahkiin roaring among the crowd.
Ulfric raised a hand and slowly the cheers died until silence settled on the earlier battlefield. "Sons and daughters of Skyrim," he started, his voice booming from the wall, "Today, we are honored to witness the start of a new era; an era where the Empire is driven from Skyrim! We stand on soil that is once again free!"
The crowd cheered, their voices sending vibrations through the sky she felt humming inside her chest. "But it is thanks to you, my fellow soldiers, that we could have accomplished so much. It is thanks to you and your sacrifices. It is thanks to our fallen comrades, men and women who died for this war, that we live to witness this day." He raised his hand towards her and the crowd turned their eyes on her. Minerva swallowed but held her head high nonetheless. "And it is thanks to the Dragonborn, also known as Stormblade among our ranks, that we could have accomplished such glorious deed. Without her, we wouldn't be standing here today!"
"Long live the Dovahkiin! Long live the High King!" the crowd cheered. Minerva felt an overwhelming amount of pride as she looked at the soldiers who'd fought beside her now praising her name as though she was their hero.
The cheers calmed a bit before a voice could be heard from the crowd, "And what about Elisif?" and the other joined in with an, "Aye!"
"Yes, what about Elisif?" Ulfric repeated as Galmar dragged her towards the jarl. She was squirming in his arms, but when her eyes found Minerva, a snarl darkened her pale face. Ulfric approached her and stood mere feet in front of her before asking, his voice loud enough for the crowd to hear, "Will she put aside her personal hatred for me and her love for the Empire, and swear fealty to me?"
Even though Minerva wanted to pierce her gut with her sword, she admitted keeping Elisif alive was the better choice; Ulfric and her already discussed so a few days prior. Elisif looked like she was about to kill him as she spoke, "I do!" but even as she said it Minerva knew she would look for ways to stab a dagger into Ulfrics back. But she would keep an eye on her, to ensure the jarl of Solitude remained obedient.
Ulfric remained silent for a while, waiting for the crowd to calm a bit before he continued, "Go home now, my fellow Stormcloak's. Go home to your wife's and husband's, to your family; tell them that we have won. Talos guied you."
The crowd slowly dispersed in silence. Ulfric turned to her then, and her heart leapt in her throat.
"I have to thank you," he said, his voice a little above a whisper. Ulfric always was a too private man, always trying to maintain a mask of confidence and strength in front of the others.
"I did this for our homeland, my Jarl," she said, bowing her head. When she looked up, her pale green eyes found his and Minerva felt enraptured by them. "And for you… Ulfric."
"Dragonborn." Shaking his head slightly, he used her name instead, "Minerva. None of this would have happened without you."
Her heart was beating so fast she was certain everyone around them could hear it. Her eyes fluttered as she refused to break the Jarl's gaze. To hear him thanking her like this was rare, she admitted, and she treasured each intimate moment with him as though it would be their last. "You deserve that throne, Ulfric. Skyrim needs a strong leader, one that isn't afraid to bar his teeth to their enemies, if necessary. You will make a good king." She added the last with a smile.
Her statement brought a warm smile to the usual stoic features of the Jarl. Taking another step in her direction, he brushed her black hair aside and tucked it behind her ear before cupping her cheek. His palm was cold and rough against her cheek, the touch summoning many pleasant memories of so many nights spent with the man in front of her.
Her heart rapidly thudded against her ribcage as she stared deeply into his eyes. "My Jarl," she whispered, then shook her head slightly before correcting, "Ulfric. The strong, fierce and passionate Ulfric… my Ulfric."
"Minerva..."
"I was wrong about you, Dragonborn," Galmar's voice boomed from behind them as he approached them. Minerva expected Ulfric to move, but he gazed into her eyes without acknowledging him. "For that I owe you my apologies," Galmar placed his right hand above his heart and bowed.
Ulfric moved both his hands behind his back before he regarded him. "I told you we can trust her."
Galmar laughed, giving her shoulder a pat that almost threw her off her feet. He spoke enthusiastically, "I have fought with and against many things. But to fight beside the Dragonborn of legend and a dragon is beyond everything I have survived."
"We've been through a lot, Galmar," said the Jarl as he stared out into the city, his gaze becoming distant.
"Aye, that we have," he agreed as he moved stand beside him, "but every sacrifice we and the others made, every battle we have won, was worth it," Galmar spoke without a hint of a doubt.
"Was it?" asked the Jarl, the doubt ringing loudly in his voice. Minerva opened her mouth to convince him of the opposite, but Galmar was faster.
"Aye, you brought back what we have lost to the damn elves. You are an idol, Ulfric. Everyone out there will say the same."
"Alright, you're right," the Jarl agreed, letting out a nervous breath. His shoulders set with purpose, he turned to his best friend and highest ranking officer before asking, "We need to secure the city, send the few remaining Imperial soldiers back to Cyrodiil." Just as that, the strong and fierce facade was back up, shoving away the insecure and doubtful part of him.
"What about Elisif?" Galmar inquired.
Ulfric sighed and stared up at Castle Dour as he considered his options. He glanced briefly at Minerva, before turning to Galmar. "Let her stay at the Blue Palace for now. As soon as the moot declares me High King, she will move out of the Palace."
"Very well," Galmar turned to her then, "I trust you will keep an eye on the Jarl of Solitude? To make sure she stays… obedient."
Minerva nodded, crossing her arms. "Aye. I'll have people watching her. She swore fealty to Ulfric, but I can't shake the feeling she will try everything to avenge Torygg's death."
"I trust you'll take care of the city, yes?" Ulfric asked Galmar to which the general nodded. "Good. If you don't mind, I have something to discuss with the Dragonborn."
Galmar eyed her before a grin exploded on his face, then turned to leave the pair alone.
Ulfric waited for a few more moments before he faced her, getting as close to her as possible. "When everything settles down and I move to the Blue Palace, I want you and the children to move out of Hjerim."
The statement took her by surprise. She blinked. "And go where, my Jarl?"
He smiled so softly Minerva felt her heartbeat elevate. The things that man did to her. "There are plenty of rooms in the palace. And I'm certain the children will want to escape the rough cold of Windhelm."
She blinked, bewildered by his confession. "I don't know what to say," she admitted, and his hand came to her cheek again.
"Don't say anything. You know I want this… more than anything."
"Ulfric…"
She was struck speechless by his admission, even though she knew he felt that way for a long time now. Ulfric withdrew his hand and sighed sharply, his gaze turning distant when he spoke, "I have to meet up with Galmar, to secure the city as quickly as possible. You'll head to Windhelm, yes?"
She nodded, "Aye."
His eyes ran across her face and he smiled, "Stay safe. And Talos guide you."
"You too, Ulfric. Take care."
Her heartbeat elevated as she watched him leave, numerous feelings exploding inside of her chest as she took a deep breath.
She felt eyes watching her and she turned around. Her heart plummeted to her feet at the sight of Ralof, standing there and watching her as if he just lost everything that was precious to him. Swallowing the lump, she allowed the memories of him to emerge as sadness filled her heart.
"Ralof..."
####
4E 201...
She fell down on her knees and hands, black riming her vision in an attempt to catch her breath. Her ribs hurt with every intake or exhale of air as she tried to will her body to get up, but to no avail. The strength had left her arms and legs, and she slowly succumbed to the ever consuming blackness.
"Come on," said Ralof as he pulled her up and back onto her feet, wrapping his arm strongly around her waist. "Only a few steps left till we reach Riverwood."
"I... I-" a painful cough tore through her and she closed her eyes in hope the pain would disappear. He dragged them away from the main road towards a secluded place between trees. He gently put her down and leaned her back on a boulder that would hide her from the main road.
He knelt down next to her and his hand came up to touch her forehead. "You're burning," he stated, and through her foggy vision she could see that he stood up and went to the nearby river. He returned with his dripping shirt and placed it around her neck. "This should lower your temperature till we reach Riverwood."
Without giving her time to protest to leave her here, he picked her up on his back, grunting out with the effort. His shoulder was injured, she'd been the one to remove the piece of wood that had pierced his flesh, still he insisted to carry her. She could barely keep her eyes open as the exhaustion along with the ever increasing temperature pulled her into unconsciousness.
Her vision became more and more blurry, and the last thing she remembered was hearing Ralof's voice saying, "Hold on, we're almost there..."
####
Hours later...
A comforting heat enveloped her as the sound of crackling fire reached her ears. Slowly she opened her eyes and it took her a while to adjust to the barely lit surroundings. She lifted her head to look around and immediately spotted the blazing fire in the hearth, and realized it was the only source of light. Memories came back, how she lost her consciousness while Ralof carried her towards Riverwood. She frowned and slowly started to sit up but was pushed back down on the bed by firm hands.
"Easy there, will you,"an unknown woman spoke. "You have fever, don't strain yourself too much."
"Where am I?" Minerva whispered, each word hurting, her throat and mouth dry as a desert.
"In Riverwood," the woman answered. "I am Gerdur, Ralof's sister. Both of you were in a bad shape, but I managed to patch you up." Gerdur silenced for a while, watching her with something Minerva couldn't identify. "How are you?"
Minerva tried to swallow, but her throat hurt with the effort. "I'm thirsty," she whispered.
"Oh, of course," Gerdur pushed herself up from the chair and went to grab a mug of water. Sitting down on the bed beside her, Gerdur leaned the mug on Minerva's lips and she took a few generous gulps. When the mug was empty, Gerdur placed the mug on the night table beside the bed.
"Where is Ralof?" Minerva asked.
"He's asleep," answered Gerdur as she checked Minerva's temperature with the back of her hand. "I disinfected his shoulder. He took quite the hit, didn't he?" The older woman's eyes were focused on dipping the cloth in cold water.
Minerva watched the older woman as she answered, "A piece of wood pierced his shoulder when we escaped a burning building."
"He mentioned something of a dragon attacking Helgen," Gerdur asked carefully. Minerva grit her teeth at the horrid memory of the black winged dragon. "Is it true?"
Minerva took a deep breath before nodding, "Yes, it is. I was just about to meet the headman's axe when the dragon landed and started to burn down the village. I hate to admit it, but that dragon saved mine and Ralof's life."
Gerdur let out a long breath as she looked away towards the hearth. "You two have been through a lot today." Minerva watched the older woman's features twist in concern at the news she had heard. She could hardly believe it herself; dragons were always just a legend, feared by every Nord and citizen of Skyrim. Dragons were not supposed to be real.
Suddenly Gerdur stood up from the bed which interrupted her wandering thoughts. "You must be tired," she said, sending her guest a warm smile. "We'll see you in the morning."
The older woman left the room, leaving Minerva alone to her thoughts. When the door closed with an annoying creak, Minerva gazed out of the window, immediately noticing the large moon and stars that illuminated the night. Though she wanted to imprint this beautiful sight to her memory, her eyelids became heavier and she succumbed to her exhaustion. Her last thoughts before she drifted to sleep were of Ralof, and how heroically he carried her towards Riverwood with an injured shoulder.
####
Minerva awoke to the chilly breeze coming from the barely open window in the room. She sat up and glanced around the room, immediately noticing the fire had died in the hearth. Pulling the blanket tightly around her shoulders, she slowly stood up from the bed and went to the window. She wasn't expecting to see such a glorious sight; it warmed her body and summoned a rosy flush to her cheeks.
Ralof was outside chopping wood, shirtless, the bandage secured to his shoulder. She had seen him shirtless before, but her vision had been foggy and her mind too weak to register the beauty of it. Biting her lower lip, she closed the window with the other hand and decided to leave the room to head downstairs.
The moment she stepped on the stairs the smell of food reached her nose. It smelled delicious, and when she reached the kitchen she caught sight of Gerdur standing near the oven, baking bread.
"Morning," she greeted, and Minerva greeted her with a smile of her own.
"Morning. Say, why is Ralof outside chopping wood?" she asked, not able to hide her curiosity.
Gerdur laughed as she answered, "Ralof is a stubborn Nord, that's why he's outside chopping wood."
Minerva thought about her answer for a while, letting the silence stretch a little as the older woman placed the dishes on the round table. "Doesn't his shoulder hurt?" she asked when the silence stretched too much.
Gerdur smiled again before answering, "It probably does, but he's too proud to admit it." She walked away from the table and leaned out of the window before yelling, "Hod!"
"What?" sounded another deep, male voice from outside.
"Get my brother from that block! He'll only strain his shoulder and then what good will he be!"
Minerva smiled at the playfully serious banter between Hod, Gerdur's husband, and Ralof coming from outside. As they neared the house, their playful repartee became more and more audible until both of the women could hear what they were arguing about.
"I married your sister, Ralof," warned Hod. "There is nothing you could do that would frighten me."
When both men stepped inside the house, Ralof's eyes immediately fell on her, and for a moment, everything around them muffled. His blue eyes mesmerized her, striking her speechless as she clutched the blanket even harder around her chest, her heartbeat thudding against her eardrums. Her eyes drifted from his face down to his neck, his chest, until she took in the shape of those perfectly sculpted muscles. The bandage around his shoulder was slightly stung with blood but did nothing to ruin the fine specimen before her.
Ralof was a strong and beautiful man. His blue eyes were the color of Skyrim's ice, a pale blue color that seemed to suck the air out of her lungs if she stared for too long into them. His blonde hair was framing his face, accentuating his cheekbones. His arms were strong and toned, he could probably lift her in his arms without too much effort.
Eyes blinking rapidly, she looked away when a rosy blush colored her cheeks, again. Ralof and Hod came towards the table, and as if fate was mocking her, Ralof sat right beside her. The heat he was radiating warmed her entire body and made it hard for her to think straight. As Gerdur served the breakfast, Minerva decided to get to know the man who had saved her life more than once.
####
4E 203, Solitude…
"Minerva," Ralof whispered as he stopped not too close to her. They didn't want to alert the Jarl or his men, so they kept a respectable distance between them.
"We've won, Ralof," she whispered.
His eyes never left hers as he stood there, the blood of their now dead enemies tainting his face and curiass. His expression hopefull, he asked, "And? Will you come with me, back to Riverwood?"
Minerva knew the moment would come, she had only hoped it wouldn't be in front of the Jarl's men. "Ralof…" she whispered, regret washing over her as she sent him her most apologetic look. "You know I cannot leave with you."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Truth was that she could leave with him, but her heart and mind belonged elsewhere; they belonged to the Jarl of Windhelm.
"So you have made your choice," stated Ralof, his voice shaking a little at the realization. The way his sad eyes bore into her made her want to take everything back and go with him... just to see him smile again.
"Ralof, you deserve someone who will love you with all her heart," she said, hoping to make him understand that she couldn't leave the Jarl behind. "I know I should have told you the first time you admitted your feelings for me grew deeper, but... Ulfric was a different man back then." Her own voice shook a little at the memory of the time when Ulfric was nothing like the man he was today.
"So you kept me on a leash in case you fail in changing the Jarl."
Minerva shook her head frantically at his bitter statement. "No! That's not true!"
"Then why him?" although he was whispering, she could hear the hatred in his voice, the pain.
Not knowing how to answer him, she raised her head and met his angry gaze with her intimidating one. "I chose him because he is who he is."
"You chose him because he is Jarl?" stated Ralof in disbelief.
"Yes," she admitted although it had nothing to do with the truth. Minerva slowly grew tired of this conversation. A moment ago, she felt bad for causing Ralof so much heartbreak, but now all she wanted was to end this pointless repartee. "Yes, Ralof, I chose him because he is Jarl, and not because I love him. What kind of person do you take me for?"
Ralof shook his head in disbelief. "So this is it? You leave?" When she stayed silent, he continued, "What about Lucia, Sofie and Hroar?"
"They will come with me. Solitude has a lot more to offer for their future than Riverwood."
"Are you serious?" he asked as he took a step in her direction, stopping dangerously close to her. Minerva's eyes flickered to a couple of nearby guards keeping their eyes on them. Swallowing hard, she knew she had to end this conversation soon, for his sake. Otherwise, he would face dire consequences. "After all we've been through-"
"Enough!" she interrupted and jabbed a finger into his chest. "I know what I want and what I love! My place is beside the Jarl!"
Ralof chuckled bitterly and shook his head before looking away. When he met her gaze again, she was met with his anger and disappointment. "I hope you'll see the Jarl's true face, but don't come running back to me when you do."
Lifting her head to meet his intimidating gaze, she countered, "I know who he is. He is everything I will ever need and want," before she turned her back to him. She could feel his eyes boring into her back as she kept her spine straight and her expression neutral.
Truth was that she was hurt. She had been in love with him, dearly, and she thought that she would spend the rest of her days with him in Riverwood. She even gladly embraced the idea, but all that had been before she met the Jarl of Windhelm. She couldn't explain it other than fate. The man mesmerized her the moment their eyes met for the first time. He was everything Minerva desired in a man.
Though a part of her heart would always belong to Ralof, she couldn't leave the Jarl because of him. She loved Ulfric too much to turn her back on him now, after everything the two had accomplished. Skyrim was once again free of the claws of the Empire. That was their dream for so many years, and now that dream became reality.
Knowing that Ulfric didn't need her help for the moment, she walked towards the city gates. Her heart and mind were at peace because a long and exhausting war was finally over. Now she would head home to her lovely children and await the Jarl's letter for further instructions.