Disclaimer: I don't own Dishonored.
A/N: hope that there aren't any grammar mistakes, if there are any, be kind enough to point them out, I would appreciate that, hope you enjoy the chapter and sorry for the late upload!
Dunwall Tower had always been an impressive sight from the Wrenhaven River it stood tall and proud, all white with the light blue flags that had the Kaldwin's crest on them, moving sometimes lazily and other times vigorously. Making a great contrast with the few constructions that were near it, mainly being Coldridge prison, that was a heavy building, of a dark gray color, that seemed like a monolith. While the tower it was a simple building that had been constructrd when the first King of Gristol had decided that it was time to expand his kingdom and had began conquering the other islands. The tower was a symbol of the Gristolan power and arrogance at the same time, yet it was impressive. Corvo knew that it had been adapting as the time had gone by, the water lock was a recent addition to the tower no more than a couple of decades old. It was added before the Emperor Euhorn Kaldwin was crowned, being the last thing that the previous dynasty did to the tower, of course in that time the water lock had functioned differently, without all the mechanic devices that had been added to it as the time had gone by. Corvo had to admit that he was grateful that the water lock had been modernized as he had never want to climb the hundred and fifty staircases that existed from the Wrenhaven River to the Tower.
Corvo watched it and saw how the sailors on the boat began to mobilize to get everything ready for his and Curnow disembark. Corvo couldn't stopped thinking in the first time he had viewed the Tower. It had been almost nineteen years ago, he had been only eighteen and he had come with Lord Resnik to Lady Jessamine's fifteen birthdays. It had been the first time he had to interact with Gristolan noblemen and ladies alongside with their guards and from that experience he had conclude that they were a bunch of idiots. It was also been the first time he had met Jessamine, without knowing who she was and finding her to be the only decent person in the whole city for the time he had stayed there, which had barely been more than three days. When he had seen the Tower for the first time he had thought it was something beautiful and that the city itself should be similar to it, but after spending sixteen years in it, he concluded that it was only a lie and that appearances could be misleading.
He walked into the boat and looked at Curnow and the other officer that were boarded it. The smaller boat soon started descending into the river. Corvo looked around the river, there were a couple of whaling ships that were going in and out of the city, most of them heading toward the slaughter houses. But they would be heading directly toward Dunwall Tower.
"Take us straight to Dunwall Tower, Lord Corvo has news for the Empress and we've come a long way," said Curnow.
"A long way to bring bad news. The sailors say there's a curse on us. Black magic," said the officer.
Corvo looked at both men and crossed his arms, it wasn't black magic, it was just Hiram Burrows's nasty business, that was all. Of course it had gotten out of control and the city was paying for it, not that he really cared about it, after all, it was the result of a Gristolan nobleman doings. The city had what it deserved, by being rule by a bunch of arrogant and stupid people that didn't take seriously their Empress. Although Corvo thought it was also partly her fault for not listening to him when he had give her some counsel and preferred those of the men who had lived in the city their whole life. Yet he couldn't really blame Jessamine for that, after all they were supposed to be her counselors and she was supposed to listen to them.
"Superstition. For all we know there's a cure for the plague by now," said Curnow to what Corvo simply smiled, indeed there was a cure for the plague but it was hundreds of leagues away and will not be coming until Corvo say so, until he had decided, the city was in pieces and have suffered enough and could take advantage of it.
"Maybe, we live in strange times. Sending the Empress' body guard away for a couple of months, that's unusual," said the officer. If Corvo wouldn't have his own plotting and conspiracies running along, he would have to admit, that it had been unusual that he had been send away but as he had his own business to attend to, it had come in handy that he have been dispatch.
"Well, this was important. We need help with the rat plague," said Curnow. They entered the waterlock and Curnow looked up. "Ho there! We're going up."
Corvo looked up and heard the engineers speaking. Then the alarm sounded and saw how the water level started raising. Once they had reached the top of the tower Curnow said to Corvo.
"The Empress will be waiting for your news, Corvo," they walked in silence for a couple of seconds and then he added. "It was a pleasure to travel with you sir."
"So was mine Captain," responded Corvo with courtesy.
The guards at the entrance of the tower greeted him as they had always done, with empty courtesies , he simply looked at them and kept walking, as he was in the middle of the bridge Emily came rushing forward.
"Corvo! You're back!" she said with genuine happiness.
"Emily," Corvo said smiling at the girl. He stopped, knelt, and opened his arms to the girl, who ran toward him and hugged him. He hugged her tightly, how much he had missed her.
"Will you tell me about your trip? Please? Were there any whales?" she said as he looked at her and then kissed her on the cheek. He rose and carried her up. "Wait! Let's play Hide and Seek first. I'll cover my eyes and you hide," he set her down and she continued. "You have time! Mother is busy talking to that nasty old Spymaster," Corvo smiled to Emily, at least she did shared the same opinion that he had about Burrows, contrary to her mother's that consider the man a friend, didn't mattered how many times Corvo had told her that Burrows was a snake in disguise and was simply waiting to strike.
"Okay, let's go," he said smiling at her, she smiled back and began running, Corvo followed her close behind, ignoring the guard that told him that Jessamine was waiting for him. Not that he wouldn't want to see Jessamine, but she was with Burrows and Corvo had little love for the man as the Spymaster had for him, and to tell the truth he would rather avoid a meeting with the man at all, especially since he needed to work on Jessamine.
They reached the lower part of Dunwall Tower, Emily looked at him eagerly and jumped a little.
"Let's see if you're still good at this. I'll hide my eyes and count and at the end of the countdown I'll try and find you. Okay I'm going to count to ten. Find a place to hide!" she ran toward the wall and started counting. Corvo looked around and walked behind a metal layer and crouched, and waited until Emily finished counting.
He heard her running around the place, he was good at hiding. He remembered that he had always been able to hide himself and Jessamine when they were younger and Emily hadn't been born and didn't want any interruptions while sharing a private moment. Still Corvo had always prefered to seek Emily it had always been more fun, since she always gave away her position by small giggles, since she had been a little girl. He had always liked to play with his daughter every time he had the opportunity.
"Okay, you win! We should go now, so mother can see you too," said Emily and started jumping away, Corvo rose from behind his hiding place and walked toward her. "When you were gone, mother seemed very sad. I think she missed you." Corvo caught up with her.
"Wait Emily," he said, making the girl looked at him.
"Yes?"
"Tell me Emily, before we go and meet your mother, did she talk to Burrows about the plague?" he asked.
Emily looked at him, she frowned a little and then said. "Well yes, they seem to talk about it all the time, she seem very sad lately."
"Did they talk about anything else?"
"No, that I remembered," she said and then she looked at his face with a serious expression. "I have something to ask you. Did you bring me something Corvo, from your voyage?"
"Yes I brought you something," he said smiling and taking out a small box out from his coat, he gave it to her. Emily began unwrapping the box and took out a small bracelet made of silver it had a thin chain and a big smooth opal of silver. "It's supposed to bring you good luck and protect you from evil spirits or that is what the Serkonan woman told me," he said as he put it on her wrist. She smiled at him and hugged him.
"Thank you Corvo!"
"Just one more question Emily, did your mother asked Burrows about how the investigation of the rat plague was going on?"
Emily looked at him, and moved her feet not looking at him. "I don't remember…" she said in a low voice.
Corvo gave a sigh. "Emily if you want to be a strong ruler, you need to pay more attention to all the things that are going around you, you were the one to tell me that you would be my eyes and ears while I was away." He messed up her hair. "Don't worry we will have more time to improve your skills," he said smiling at her.
She looked up and then said. "I think I remembered something, mother did talk to the Spymaster about something of that, but since I wasn't supposed to be there I couldn't hear the whole conversation, but after that, the Spymaster seem very nervous. And it had been just about two weeks ago that he had been asking mother to meet him at the gazebo, I think is strange but if we weren't outside we wouldn't had been able to see your ship," she said smiling. "Come on, mother is surely waiting for you!"
Corvo looked at Emily, so Burrows had wanted to met Jessamine at the gazebo? That was indeed strange. The man didn't like the outdoors, he had always thought that one could be attack by any enemy. Corvo knew that Burrows had always prefer the security of the indoors since he believed it was a more controllable environment and had told Jessamine that being inside kept unwanted eyes and ears away from delicates matters. Could it be that the snake be plotting something, Corvo wondered? He shook his head and laughed softly at the idea, he was starting to be paranoiac just like Burrows, who saw enemies in all the people. He kept walking after Emily and soon reached the small garden that was below the gazebo. Thaddeus Campbell took notice of him as soon as walked by.
"Welcome home, Lord Protector" he said raising his hand in salute.
Corvo turned to face him, he knew he couldn't ignore him or at least not now that the other man had took notice of him, so he simply remain serious and walked toward him and Sokolov, who was painting a portrait of the High Overseer.
"Stop moving, Campbell. And you, Corvo, welcome back from where you've been," said Sokolov without even looking back.
Corvo looked at Sokolov's painting and believed he was doing a very generous painting of the man.
"They send him all around the Isles to beg for aid," said Campbell.
"A waste of time. My elixir will banish the plague from this city," said Sokolov, to what Corvo had to stop himself from making a sarcastic remark of how well it had worked so far. "Now keep still a moment, High Overseer Campbell."
"I'm not sure that painting looks like Campbell," Emily said.
"Neither do I," whispered Corvo in her ear making Emily giggle a little.
"Did you saw my improvement to the water lock?" asked Sokolov.
"I'm not much of an engineer Sokolov," said Corvo looking at the painting. "But the engineers seem to be having some problems with it, probably you will be called again to examine it," Sokolov looked at him in disbelief but remained quiet.
"It was a fool's errand, Corvo. The plague comes from inside us. We must all strengthen our faith," said Campbell, getting Corvo's attention again
"Coming from inside? I thought it came from the rats, but I guess that what you are saying is that most men and women in the city are rats on the inside? No wonder why the nobles got it so quickly," said Corvo, but Campbell didn't answered back. Corvo laughed softly. "It was just a joke Thaddeus, but if you really believe that, well, that is your opinion, I really don't think that most people would agree with you though. Or at least those that consider themselves innocents, while others that don't even get it, they aren't even innocents, but who I'm to judge?" said Corvo.
"If they got the plague they aren't innocents Corvo, they must be in league with the Outsider and for that they got their wicked fate, but those that have come to us, they had never fallen ill with the plague. So say what you want but no fancy elixir, or foreigner will save us from the plague." Sokolov looked at Campbell in a cold way, and Corvo simply raised an eyebrow.
"Tell me, High Overseer, how many rites have you performed lately? Have you or your Overseer been able to cure anyone with the powers of the Seven Strictures?" asked Corvo in a cold way.
Campbell looked at the Serkonan in an angry way. "No so far, but you must remember to 'Every man his choice, to every man his fate' that's why some have the plague and others don't, because of each decision we made our fate will come out of it. Don't forget that Corvo."
Corvo looked at him in a dark way, he won't last long Corvo told himself. Campbell would soon be out of his way, then he smiled at the High Overseer. Sokolov saw the cold way the Lord Protector looked at the Overseer and then how he smiled in a dark way, but remained in silence and concentrated in the painting.
"You are right, to every man his choice, to every man his fate," and he walked away. "Come on Emily," said Corvo as he passed his hand over his daughter's hairs. "Lets go and see your mother."
Emily ran up ahead of Corvo. He by passed a guard that was at the entrance of the main garden and kept walking, he looked at her. There she was standing at the gazebo looking at the river, with Hiram Burrows standing by her side. Corvo walked forward but stood out of the gazebo looking at them, listening what they were discussing.
Jessamine was giving her back to him and hadn't noticed his presence, while Burrows was simply looking at her. She had her arms crossed.
"They're sick people, not criminals," she said angrily.
"We've gone beyond that question your Majesty. They're-" said Burrows but before he could continue Jessamine interrupted him.
"They're my citizens, and we will save them from the plague if we can. All of them," she said calming herself.
"Very well," said Burrows, but Corvo could see that the man was annoyed.
"We will not speak of this again," said Jessamine. Corvo saw how Emily was just standing next to her mother and waited for her to finish.
"Mother," she said, causing both adults look at her. "Corvo is back!"
"Thank you Emily," said Jessamine in serious tone, she was still angry at Burrows, that was good or at least from Corvo's point of view. It will help him in his cause. "Leave us please," she said trying to sound more serene and calm but he knew she was furious.
Burrows made a bow and added. "As you wish, Your Majesty," and then walked away from the gazebo. "Corvo, three days early. Full of surprises, as usual," he said, Corvo couldn't really said if Burrows was surprised or annoyed to see him.
But yes, he was full of surprises, he looked at Burrows with the cold expression that he always had, while he was really thinking that the Spymaster didn't even knew what kind of surprise would be awaiting him. Corvo eyed the man as he walked pass him, then he walked toward Jessamine.
"It's a fair wind that brings you home to me. What news have you brought?" she said as she extended her hand.
Corvo looked at her, she was fair indeed, with her long black hair held up, that he liked to set loose, and tangle his fingers in between those silk like hairs. Her light blue eyes that usually say more than words and her fair skin, soft and warm to the contact and her bright soft lips that really didn't need makeup to look as sensual as they always did. To think that all that beauty was his alone, he wondered more than once how many noblemen had cursed him and desired to be in his place not only to be able to stare at her fair sight all day, but to share her bed as well. He smiled at her and began walking toward where she was, secretly wishing that they could be alone so he could kiss her and embrace her, after all they had parted from one another for two long months and he had missed her.
Corvo heard at the distance Burrows telling Curnow to leave them alone, he looked at them, but decided that maybe, it will help him. She would surely be desolated by the letter, it would be simple from that point onward, he would simply hugged her and reassure her, telling her that they would be able to find a cure, and he would start playing his cards and things would move the way he wanted them to move and head in the direction he wanted them to go. Corvo took the letter from within his coat and handed it over to Jessamine. She read it quite quickly, he could even see how she moved her lips in some words, she gave half turned to him.
"I hoped that one of the other cities had dealt with this before. Knew of some cure. This news is very bad. We're at the breaking point." Corvo looked at her, now it was his time to make his move. "Cowards! They're going to blockade us. They'll wait to see if the plague turns the city into a graveyard."
Corvo knew it was in that moment that he would start playing his game, but he needed to do it carefully. He looked at Emily and simply said.
"Emily, would you mind giving us a couple of minutes alone? I will call you right away I promise," he said smiling to the girl, who looked at him and then went to the table and grabbed her doll and ran away probably to where Sokolov was. Then Corvo turned and looked at Jessamine. "I don't think they are waiting to see if the city turns into a graveyard, Jessamine," said Corvo, but he knew that that was partially a lie. The princess of Tyvia and the prince of Morley, had told him that they wouldn't open their ports to Dunwall or Gristol unless the plague would be in control. "See it through their perspectives, would you open your ports to a city that is falling into chaos because of a sickness that doesn't seem to have a cure?"
"Of course I would! I'm the Empress and I'm supposed to look after all the people of the Empire. They should be sending help over not… not this! I sent you, so you would bring help back, but it seems that they have forgotten that they form part of the Empire," she said looking at him angrily.
Corvo gave a sigh. "It isn't that they don't want to help, but they can't, or at least Morley and Tyvia can't." Jessamine opened her mouth but Corvo quickly added. "Let me finish first, let's say that Alba had the plague instead of Dunwall, would you be willing to send ships to a city, knowing that there would be a chance of importing the sickness back to Dunwall, and not only would you be having to dealt with one city falling into chaos but two? Imagine that the three isles would have done that and not only now would Dunwall be with the plague but Caulkenny, Cullero and Caltan. And probably the whole Empire would fall victim of the plague just because they send ships and imported the plague to their islands without even knowing it, they have to be careful. They can't let that happen and even if they would be willing to see Dunwall fall into pieces, I think is for the best for a single city to fall than the whole Empire."
Corvo felt the strong slap across his the face, he rubbed it and looked at her, he saw her shaking and the tears of anger in her eyes. He walked toward her and set his hands on her shoulder and before she could shove him away, he hugged her and whispered into her ear. "But there might be some hope left for your city."
"Hope?" she said with rage and anguish in her voice.
"Yes," he said reassuring her with a smiled. "Serkonos, you know they have always stood by your side and they will always be there. There is where your hope could reside. There might be a cure back there in my homeland, it isn't for sure, but there is a slight possibility."
"What? How? You just told me that they are closing their ports, you even give me letter supporting this and now you are telling me there is a possible cure?" she said confused.
"Yes that is what I'm telling you," he said smiling at her.
She looked at him with confusion and despair in her eyes, but he kept smiling at her. She shook her head trying to understand what he had just told her. They were so close that he could smell that soft scent that she liked to wear, he looked at her and closed the gap between them and kissed her. She broke the embrace after a couple of seconds and looked at him.
"Corvo," she simply whispered, but before she could said anything he had already pressed her against one of the pillars of the gazebo and kissed her more deeply. They broke apart after a couple of minutes and he started kissing her on the neck. "Corvo, please. The guards… the guards could see us," she murmured.
"To the Void with the guards," he answered back in a low murmur and kept kissing her.
"Please Corvo… s-stop. What if Emily sees us…" He broke apart of her and looked at her. "I promise you that as soon as Emily is asleep we can be in each other arms all night long. Now would you tell me more about this cure?"
He gave a sigh of frustration but instead of telling her of the cure he looked at the sky, it was getting late and he hadn't had anything for meal. "Shouldn't we be heading inside? I really haven't had anything decent for meal in the last couple of days," he said looking at her.
"Alright then," she said with both arms crossed. "You can have your meal and then you can tell me everything about you voyage."
He smiled at her and nodded, then started walking behind her, he stopped and looked at the water lock, he had felt that there was someone watching them, but he didn't saw anyone. So he guessed that his imagination must have been playing tricks on him, after all they were in Dunwall Tower the safest place in the entire city.